Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from November, 2012

Aṣṭamūrtī - The Eight Forms of Shiva and their Worship

ॐ नमः शिवाय - ঔং নমঃ শিবায় - auṁ namaḥ śivāya śiva aṣṭamūrtī and pūjā : शिव अष्टमूर्ती एवं पूजा : শিব অষ্টমূর্তী এবং পূজা Introduction There are eight forms of shiva which preside over eight domains: sharva - earth bhava - water rudra  - fire ugra - wind bhIma - sky pashupati - Self IshAna - sun mahAdeva - moon The eight forms of shiva are defined as follows: sharva - that form consisting of the earth, that holds the entire universe of the mobile and the immobile beings bhava - that form consisting of water that enlivens the entire world ugra - that form which holds the outer and inner universe and throbs by itself bhIma - that form consisting of the firmament (AkAsha) that pervades everything and affords space to all and causes the differentaition of elements pashupati - that form which is the support of individual Selfs and abiding therein splits the bondage that encircles them. IshAna - that form which brightens the entire universe in the form of the sun mah