The Magnificent World of Elephanta

Elephanta is a silent world just off a busy coastline of Mumbai. In contrast to the modernity of the Mumbai shores, Elephanta speaks loads of the fantastic past of Classical India. 

This is not just a gateway to a rock cut world of the Kalachuri dynasty that stood up to it's rival in Buddhism, but a much more silent world of divine shaivism practised on earth. This rock cut cave is the only one of its kind, during the period 6th century AD. There are none other for the next visible iconographic structure comes up about 2 centuries later at Ellora - Kailashnath temple. 

The beauty of Elephanta is not in the extravaganza of the rich iconography of Shiva, it's a far deeper world into it's living presence during that period, and these are it's salient features that I read, beyond what the books and the guides say. 

1) This is the first of it's kind defining Hinduism, but it visibly takes cues from it's counterpart, a much stronger and prominent Buddhism. It is an amalgamation of Chaityas and Viharas. It seems to have both temple - place of worship, and place of residence. 

2) Elephanta's main cave is much larger than any of the other Buddhist caves ( that I have seen so far). The images are larger than life, breathing in vibrance into the Saiva way of living. (Left me absolutely miffed with the Portuguese for destroying this sacred works, as they were narrow minded believers of the Christian faith, couldn't stand any of the others).

3) The shaiva way of life is in seclusion much like Buddhism, hence the choice of an island away from regular life seemed to be the perfect choice. 

4) Shaivas lived a ritualistic lifestyle, hence the dominance of yagnas seems apparent here. The presence of a central court used for potential rituals is possible, as the ground has been raised to a slight platform just outside the main cave. 

5) A central garbha griha hosting the Shiva Linga, which is the most important aspect of Shaiva worship. This is 

Elephanta expresses a certain mysticism around itself, through it's ruins and larger than life iconography. Mahadeva in the central panel exhibits a certain calmness of higher yogic practice. The presence of Yogishwara Shiva dominates 2 panels, bringing home the point, that of the life of an ascetic, a secluded existence for higher consciousness. The realm of Kailasa is richly depicted, the presence of Shiva's exploits are elaborately carved. 

Mahadeva - 4 Headed Shiva

Isana, Tatpurusha, Vamadeva, Aghora

The intensity of Shiva worship was experienced here. Imagine a day here, ritualistic worship offered to the sacred fire of enlightenment. The yagna holds the sacred verses that emphasize the various forms of Shiva, which are depicted on the walls. As the Rudram rolls, and all the shaiva monks sing in the silence of the cave, the rumbling sound of the damaru can be heard, emphasizing the primordial sound of OM, reverberating through the ancient rocky walls. 

The central shrine depicts Mahadeva, the 4 faces of the Lord - Isana (The angry face to the left) Vamadeva (the benign feminine form to the right), Sadashiva Mahadeva to the center and possibly Aghora behind which is not visible but conceptually there. There is a fifth face, that is Sadyojata which is part of the original Sadashiva form, also not visible here. As is popularly believed, this idol should not represent the trinity as much as it should represent Sadashiva, the highest form of Rudra Shiva, with 5 heads, 2 of which are not visible but conceptually there. 

This is a wonderful world of Shaiva orthodoxy that possibly was, with a different way of living, completed with the Abhishekam of the linga at the central shine, within the sanctum guarded by the dwarapalas of Kailasa. The imagination coupled with the actual ritual on a remote inland was thought out and designed under the ruling patronage, to take shaiva aspirants closer to their one and only deity - Lord Shiva. 

Journey to Find My Constant

The true nature of Shiva and Shakthi is not a heavenly couple with human attributes. Their nature is not a human family with children. The mythological story is not wrong, but it is a metaphor for a far deeper and subtle concept that needs to be understood.

When we look at Kali and Parvati, they are representations of "Shakthi". What exactly would that mean? Shiva and Parvati – Ardhanarishwara is complete consciousness. What does this mean?

Here is an attempt to explain a very subtle but simple point which appears complex because of our nature of understanding. We simply don’t understand simple things :).

Am talking about a "constant" and its apparent nature through its manifestation. Shiva represents the unchanging nature, Shakthi represents the changing nature. We relate to the Shakthi part because it communicates with us, through action/thought/senses all of which are manifestations, making it appear as if that defines our nature when the real truth is that the unchanging nature inside is the true nature we possess, also known as Shiva.

In terms of Kundalini, there are states of Shiva at each chakra but what really matters is the Shiva at the Sahasrara Chakra. Kundalini rises, Shiva doesn't move. Kundalini manifests in change of nature during the ascent, while Shiva is the constant at the pinnacle.

I have an even simpler, easily comprehendible, more relatable version to explain this concept.

Lets look at a Circle. Its nature is defined by πr² where π is the constant and r² is the variable. Let's examine this point.

In the equation that defines the physical attributes of an entity we call a circle, A=πr²

Let’s break this down to its various pieces.

A=πr²

Circle - I define this as consciousness in abstraction

A - I define this as the consciousness now manifested in a form with a physical presence - Area.

π - I take this as the constant which has always been there and will continue to be there and that makes a circle manifest in the form that it took up. It is beyond the realm of time and space.

r² - I take this as the ever changing nature of the circle where r is the variable. This is needed for π to manifest itself.

A combination of these concepts gives the circle its living presence in our manifested world.

In human terms I am defining myself as A - which is my manifested form in this world with a name that you identify with. While you associate with A, you discover r² - which is my ever changing nature that defines my outward character which is temperamental and is not the real thing. But you don’t know my truth which is the same as yours and that is π, which is the subtle constant, our individual consciousness. But in all abstraction, my consciousness and yours is the circle that we never realized is our actual truth.

The sacred scriptures seem to reiterate the same concept. It is the "Shakthi" within us that makes us manifest in different forms as different people but the core truth is that you and I are actually Shiva, we are the same in abstraction and it’s in our inherent nature after being born human to find it and identify with it. 

Sacred Ritualism - The True Path of Devotion

Its been a while since I took to serious worship, and when I say serious worship I mean a certain level of orthodoxy being practiced in my daily lifestyle. What started out as a need of the hour activity in my spiritual realm has now culminated into a deep, well nourished experience in sync with divinity. Have I felt the Gods yet, weirdly yes, but I can't explain it. 

I took to Tantra, to deep worship of the great Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati, who in my mind occupy more forms than one. I worship potent powers following rules of orthodoxy as prescribed during initiation. I have lived this way for a while and it has transformed me into a far better individual than I could have become, left to myself. 

I watched several friends follow their paths, we exchange notes but no one had the drive to go through with it in the purist way. There is a strong connect with materialism and a fear of the unknown that clouds their worship and I do not understand, why they would harbor such a fear. They are men, strong well placed, well initiated, luckier men who have had certain privileges that I have been denied, thanks to my gender and despite our education they seem to belong to an archaic world where women are forbidden to do most things. 

Yes I became a rebel, not just to defy these kind of men who believe they are the keepers of spiritual faith, but to find out just what about it prohibits me from doing what they do. I have had several people tell me I am not entitled to worship the Lord,  but here I am, a far more purposeful devotee more by denial. Somewhere along the way the focus moved away from rebellion to a deep rooted search, a thirst for the Lord and I find my kind of nature map towards one other person - Karakkal Ammaiyar. She is my guardian angel, she is my Guru, she is my Ammaiyar. 

I want to redefine Puja, in the method of Bhakti. Devotional love which I can churn up in plenty, has been carefully tuned to the service of the Gods. For me the Lord is real, not a figment of my imagination, he is for real. My day is not complete if I don't spend time with him, my hunger waits till he has been fed, my karmic duties pause till he blesses my day and my actions are but offerings for him. It has changed my outlook to life, well almost changed (I have a couple of thoughts to iron out and I will be good). People don't bother me, they are not the most important for their place has been taken by the Gods. 

For me, worship is not a wish fulfilling tree that grants me prosperity when ever I ask for it. For me, worship is a discipline, with a set of practices which enable me to focus more on the Lord. I am a ritualistic person by choice and I champion these practices in my own little way. I am not here to prove to anyone that it works, it works for me and that is enough. 

My world is best described by a few insightful thoughts that redefine worship in Karaikkal Ammaiyar's world:

Professor Elaine Craddock from the Department of Religion and Philosophy writes:

"Karaikkal Ammaiyar’s transformation from ideal wife to ideal demon devotee is particularly transgressive and serves to highlight the rupture between the domestic world of ordinary rituals and a life lived entirely as a ritual offering to Shiva. Karaikkal Ammaiyar’s renunciation of domestic life to live in the cremation ground praising Shiva is an example of "ritualization,” a term used by several theorists, and defined by Catherine Bell as ritual as lived practice, as a way of acting that uses diverse strategies to differentiate meaningful, powerful or sacred action from ordinary behavior."

The true definition of ritualism has been captured so beautifully. I can through my ordinary behavior, transform my own quality of existence by taking a little more trouble with a discipline that prescribes a method towards better effective living enhancing my spiritual growth. 

But the best is yet to come :-

"Karaikkal Ammaiyar’s poetry dismantles the paradigm of human order and duty rooted in the household not by focusing on gender roles, but by extolling devotion to Shiva in a community of devotees in which gender is irrelevant."

Karaikkal Ammaiyar's life is not just an example of exiting the social realm in order to seek pure love with the Lord, she signifies the departure of a woman from "household duties" thrust upon her by the social order of the time. Her transformation from a beautiful wife to a demon devotee shows just how much she defied society and chose to live in the silence of the cremation ground after sacrificing her youth. 

Her permanent home, is at the feet of Lord Shiva, where restrictions don't matter. When the heart is in the right place and the mind is in sync, there is nothing to stop it from achieving its goal. 

As the great Ammaiyar quotes in her poetry:

A female ghoul with withered breasts, bulging veins, hollow eyes,

white teeth and two fangs,

shriveled stomach, red hair, bony ankles, and elongated shins,

Stays in this cemetery, howling angrily.

This place where my Lord dances in the fire with a cool body,

his streaming hair flying in the eight directions,

is Tiruvalankatu. 

(Tiruvalankattu mutta tirupatikam 1.1)10