.. mArgabandhustotram by Appaya Dixita ..

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Text title : maargabandhu stotraFile name : maargabandhu.itxLocation : doc_shivaLanguage : SanskritSubject : philosophy/hinduism/religionTranslated by : N.Balasubramanian bbalu@satyam.net.inLatest update : May 8, 2004Send corrections to : Sanskrit@cheerful.comSite access : http://sanskritdocuments.org

by N. Balasubramanian bbalu@satyam.net.in A short life sketch of ShriAppayya DikShita (1520-1593 AD)Shrimad Appayya DikShita was born at Adayapalam village, very nearArni, North Arcot District, Tamil Nadu in the year1520 AD. His father Shri Rangarajadhari was the son of Shri AcharyaDikShita - also known as VakShasthalacharya who was inthe court of Shri Krishnadevaraya. Appayya was anendearing form of his real name, Vinayaka Subramaniam.The 16th century AD, in South India was an age of confusionwhen begotry and vigorous proselytism were rampant. Persecution of onesect by another with the help of the ruling dynastieswas quite common. In such an age, the need was felt for arare scholar with comprehensive vision and imagination, whose missionin life would be the reconciliation of the various creeds,cults and philosophies. Shri Appayya DikShita lled this essentialneed. He was a peace maker who pleade for harmony, tolera nce and mutualgoodwill and understanding at a time when people werequarrelling among themselves as to who was superior Vishnu or Shiva. (Dr.N. Ramesan IAS. Shri Appayya DikShita Page 3)DikShitars culture was at once profound, libeal and wide. Hischaracteristic impartiality never failed him even in his out andout militant works. (A. V. Gopalachariar. Introduction toVaradarajastava 1927. P vI) DikShitars learning, says Y. MahalingaShastri, was in the truest sense of the word encyclopaedic. - ()

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Shri DikShita is the author of not less than 104 works and had enjoyedthe patronage of King Chinna Bomma of Vellore. Hewas oered kanakAbhiSheka by this king in 1582AD. He waspatronised by Chinna Thimma and Venkatapati also. Helived upto the ripe age of 73 years and spent his last days inChidambaram.Some of his most famous works are Shivarka maNidIpikA, NyAyarakShAmaNI, siddhAnta lesha sa Ngraha, parimala, chAturmatasArasa Ngraha, yAdavabhyudaya vyAkhyA, varadarAjastava andkuvalayAnanda. His stotras are simple, popular and eective,for example, mArgabandhu stotram, durgAchandrakalA stuti,ApitakuchambA stava, hariharabheda stuti.Margabandhu stotram: This small hymn is about Lord Marga sahaya orMargabandhu of Virinchipuram, near Vellore,NA Dt., the family deity of DikShita. It is very eective whenrecited before and during journy to ward o accidents andensure success.(The above life sketch is taken from the book Shrimad AppayyaDikShita, published by Shrimad Appayya DikShitendrarGrantha Prakasana Samiti, Hyderabad.)The following abbreviations are used in the commentary:(1) VS: Shri Vishnu Sahasranama stotram with Shri Shankaras bashyam.(2)SS: Shiva Sahasranama stotram (called Vedasarasahasram) from Padmapuranam with the commentary (published by Tan-joreSaraswati Mahal Library) of HH Shri Paramasivendra Saraswati - 57thponti of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam and the guru of the well knownsaint composer Shri Sadasiva Brahmendra Saraswati . (3) BG: BhagavatGita (4) BH: Shrimad Bhagavatam (5) KU: Kathopanishad. (6) MU:mundakopanishad (7)SVU: Svetasvatara upanishad. (8)TU:Taittriyopanishad. (9) SA: Shri Shivanama Ashtottara shata stotram fromSkandam with the commentary (called Shivatattva Rahasyam) of ShriNeelakanta DikShita (grandson of Shri Appayya DikShitas younger

3brother), a great scholar and poet in his own right. = a way, road, path; = relative or any oneassociated, well wisher. So the word means one whocomes along with you giving company and protection Stotramis a hymn praising the Lord (VS681) It talks about His qualities.Stotram: At this point it is relevant to say a few words about stotram. Ourscriptures are explicit in saying that the Supreme Being is one.It is without name, form and any other attributes. It is calledbrahman in our scriptures. This is not its name but one of its manyattributes That which is big is brahman. Sincethe adjective big is used simply without a noun to be qualied itimplies that the bigness is unlimited. It is innite and beyondtime, space etc., unlike the objects and beings we see in theuniverse. The scriptures also aver that it is beyond our senses. Thefamous mantra from the Taittiriyopanishad (Anu IV) saysthat the brahman is beyond the reach of our mind and words If so, how does a seekerthink of it or pray to it? This is where our scriptures come to ourhelp. They also describe the same God (who indeed is without a formor name) as having many forms and names. This helps a seeker toworship Him through prayers, puja,pilgrimages to holy places etc.. So we have gods like Rama, Shiva,Durga etc.. The worship of the Lord with form and name is called( ) saguna (sa = with; guna = attributes;upAsanA = worship). The names and forms conceal the esoteric truthsmentionedin the upanishads. Thus they, like a map, give us some idea ofsomething which is very vast and cannot be grasped by our senses. TheLord graciously accepts the worship oered to Him in any form onemay choose.Krishna says BG.7-21 He says that in whatever form a devotee seeks toworship Him with

4 faith He upholds that faith and makes it steady . - BG.7-22 . He adds that thedevotee engages himself with faith in the worship(as said above) and from that he obtains hisdesires which are really conferred by Me alone. These statements ofthe Lord lend validity and sanctity to the worship of God with nameand form who indeed is without any name, form or attributes. Later onthe Lord says BG.10-10 . He assures that to such devotees who worship Him with loveHe willgive the clear wisdom by which they will reach Him. Inthis manner the saguna upAsana acts as a stepping stone to nirgunaupAsana and through that the realisation of God.Prahlada, the gem among the devotees, mentions nine kinds ofdevotion (BH .7-5-23). The rst two amongst these (viz.) listening to the Lords names and stories which bringout His glories and chanting them are the simplest andeasiest to practise. These can be done by anyone irrespective of age,caste or gender. They are suitable for theyoung and energetic as well as the old and decrepit, a pundit andalso the ignoramus. Thus they are suitable for all. It is possible that theirvery simplicity deceives one to imagine that they areless potent than the other kinds of devotion. This is not so.Our scriptures repeatedly assert that they can confer the highestbenets on the devotee. The vedas contain stotras like theRudram, Shri suktam etc.. Our puranas contain many. In adddition ouracharyas like Shri Shankara and other saints have composed soul-stirringcompositions in many languages. All these areideally suited for recitation.One remarkable common feature to be found in these stotras is thateach one may be in praise of a dierently named god likeRama or Shiva. It will praise the attributes of that deity (in sagunaform). It will also refer to incidents to be found in the puranas.The Bhagvat Gita says that the Lord incarnates Himself from time totime to subdue the evil and protect the righteous people.

5The puranas contain details of the incarnations and the deedsperformed by Him to fulll His mission. Behind all the glorication theywill refer to His nirguna (without attributes) aspect also.The composition may be in praise of Shri Rama or Devi but itwill also talk of the God as the Supreme Being. This clearly showsthat the composer of the stotra was in fact praising theformless reality using the form of Shri Rama or Devi as a front. Wecan see this being done in this stotram also.There is one more point to note regarding stotras. Poets have sungpraises of nobles and kings for pecuniary gains. But these men andkings, howsoever great or rich they may be, are only human. Theyhave their limitations and weaknesses. In view of this apoem in praise of a person has necessarily to overlook the subjectsfoibles, exaggerate whatever virtues are to be found and if necessaryinnovate virtues! Exactly opposite is the case with God. He is pureand without limitations. As said earlier He isbeyond the reach of the mind and words. So those who have composedstotrams in praise of the Lord have invariably feltseverely handicapped because of their own limitations. We nd suchverses confessing the feelings of inadequacy even in the compositionsof great acharyas like Shri Shankara and Shri Vedanta Desika .Now let us go to the Margabhandhu Stotram proper . - The stotram begins with the recitation of the holynames of the Lord.The recitation of the Lords names puries the mind,makes it calm and t for any serious undertaking. So they arenormally repeated before commencing any work like pooja,religious discourse etc. Here one may recall the familiar versesrecited at the time of commencing puja or any religious ceremony . These verses say Anyone - may be impure or pure or whatevermay be his condition - if just thinks of th lotus -eyed Lord iscertainly pure inside and out. Sins commited by mind, speech or

6 action go away by thinking of Shri Rama. This iscertain. Thus the chanting of the Lords names ushes out theimpurities in the mind and invigorates it. The author canthen look to the successful completion of the work taken on hand - inthis case the composing of the hymn. Happily thesenames may be taken to apply to both to Shiva and Vishnu. They may beseen in the sahasranamams of both Shiva and Vishnu.SHAMBHU (SS-74:VS-38) He blesses his devotees with happiness and prosperity = happiness, prosperity. All being go through the repeated cycle ofbirth and death. They experience varities of suerings during eachlife. During the dissolution of the universe He withdraws all beingswithin Himself - out of mercy - and after some time He releases themagain at the beginning of the next kalpa so that they get relief andrespite. VS-11From whom all beings come at the beginning of the kalpa andinto whom they again merge at the end of the kalpa. Thisimplies that they are also sustained by Him during the period inbetween. This is mentioned in the TU (3-1). From whom all these beings emanate, by whom they stay alive andinto whom they merge after death.MAHADEVA - He isworshipped by everyone. Also He is great because He pervades everything.(SS22) (VS492)He is called Mahadevabecause of His superior knowledge and His greatness as the gretest ofthe yogis. Shivarahasya says that the sound MahadevaMaha-deva is a divine medicine for those bitten by the serpentcalled samsara -

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DEVA - , The word deva indicateslordship. His lordship is unrestricted (SA93)He is eulgent. Krishna says I am the splendour of those whopossess splendour, BG(10-36)Accordingly, KU(2-2-15). All these (the sun, the moon, thestars, the lightning and re) shine only after Him. It is with theinnitesimal part of His luminosity that all these shine. SS413 and SS34 are His names. In thecourse of teaching of Gita at KurukShetra, Arjuna requests Krishna toshow him His cosmic form as Iswara. The graciousLord obliges and reveals His universal form. Arjuna is overwhelmed bythe splendour of the form he sees. He feels as thougha thousand suns had risen at once in the sky (BG 9-12). Here, as is usual withthe scriptures, thousand is only indicative and stands for many orinnite. This is a popular verse and is said to have been quoted bythe scientist Oppenheimer to describe the explosion of the rst atombomb which he witnessed.Eulgence does not stand only for light. It also means wisdom. Shivastands for innite knowledge MU(1-9)One who is omniscient and knower of all VS(275)He bearsthe shine of knowledge VS(719) He is of the form of shiningknowledge VS(276) His form is eulgent knowledge.SIVA - Shiva is the personication ofauspiciousness.He is completely free from sorrows

8 that characterise all created beings including plants,animals, birds, humans and devas like Indra and even Brahama thecreator. He is the embodiment of supreme bliss. (SS18)Also (VS27)He is devoid ofthe three qualities i.e. sattva(serenity), rajas(activity) andtamas(inertia). These qualities constitute ignorance (of Brahman orreality) and characterise all creation. So Shiva being freefrom these is pure. Patanjali sums up all this in his Yogadarsana(1-23) as , , , ,, , , - , - , He removes the sins of those whojust think of His name. DakShayani says this to her fatherDakSha The celebrated two syllables SIVAuttered with the tongue even once and that too casually, immediatelywipes o the sins of those (who utter them).(BH 4.4.13)Shivarahasya says this about the sanctity of Lord Shivas names: All thenames of Shiva give mokSha no doubt. But amongst them the nameShiva is the best and denominates brahman. Thename Shiva is considered as the best among the Lords names . Of all the knowledge the vedas are superior. Among the vedas ShriRudram that consists of sixteen sections is superior. In thatthe PanchakShari is superior. In that also the two letters SIVA arethe best. The glory of the Lords names is dealt with in greatdetail in Puranas and hymns of the saints.DEVESHA - He isthe foremost among the gods like Indra, Agni etc.. VS(492) - He is the lord of thedevas. VS(85). He rules with a rm hand. None can dare to transgress

9His commandments without facing serious consequences . TU(VII-1) It is for fear of Him that the wind blows; the sun rises;the re and Indra perform their duties. It is for fear of Himthat death the fth runs about doing his work with diligence. Thesame is said by none other than Yama, the lord of death: KU(3-3).Now let us go to the stotram proper. It consists of ve verses and asixth one - called that gives the benet ofreciting the hymn. In this hymn Lord Margabandhu is described as theGod with form as Shiva bearing weapons, as theconsort of Parvati. It refers to various incidents to be found inpuranas that reveal His unrivalled power and glory. He is alsopraised in His aspect as the supreme reality, the attributelessbrahman whose nature is existence, wisdom and bliss .

. , ... - forehead; - descended or come down; - crown: indicates that Lord Shiva wears a crown on the

head - (SS782). The crown impliesthat Shiva wears other ornaments also (SS273) and (SS387) - VS(737). One who is golden-hued and - VS(738) One with body like goldare also His names. Shri Rudram salutes Him saying is another reading found in somebooks = foot; implies that when gods like Indra bow downto salute Him their crowns touch His feet. The crown indicateslordship. Please see the comments on DEVESHA above. He demandsrespect and in fact He is the only one to be respected : SS(70) He deserves to

10 be worshipped by all. There is none equal to or greater than Him saysShri Suka while saluting Him before he begins to narrate Bhagavatam toKing ParikShit BH(2-4-14) - He has none equal to Him. VS(355) - There isnone greater than Him. VS (80). Furtherthere is none superior to Him. VS(626) - All other devas including Brahma the creator are limited by time andare subject to sorrows - He is the rst and foremost among the devas.SS(111). Shri Rudram says He is the foremost and is the inner self ofthe devas Such is His glory - = eye: = re: = burnt: = arrow: = aworm, insect is the name Manmatha, the god oflove, because he has ve arrows: they are , ,, and (lotus, ashoka, mango,jasmine and blue lotus). The ve arrows are also said to be , , , and They are fascination, intoxication or extravagance oflove, emaciation, suering pain and benumbing or stupifyingrespectively. Kalidasa vividly narrates the story connected with Shivadestroying the god of love in his mastepiece Kumarasambhavam.Manmatha shot his arrow at Shiva who was deep inmeditation. He wanted to seduce Shivas mind and make Him fall in lovewith Parvati who was attending on Him, but failed in his attempt.Shiva could sense that something was amiss and looked about. He sawManmatha cowering at a distnce. He just knit his brows in annoyance.In that moment re shot out of His third eye andreduced the wretched Manmatha into a handful of ashes. Manmatha iscontemptuously termed a worm or insect as hewas foolish enough to try his tricks on none other than the greatShiva. So Shiva is known as -

11 SA(25)Leaving the story apart, the implication is that there is no placefor carnal desires in the prescence of the Lord; just like there isno place for darkness in the prescence of the sun. By the samelogic,there will be no place for evil tendencies in the heart of adevotee who establishes the Lord therein.Shivas third eye is situated in His forehead. So Shiva is known as SS(159) and SA(28) It is to benoted that the third eye is unique. None of the human beings and godsincluding Indra and the creator Brahma possess suchan eye. So Shiva is also known as SS(129). He has an abnormal third eye. The thirdeye situated in a high position (viz) forehead and stands for supremeknowledge SA(28). With such an eye Hecould easily look into the inmost recesses of anyones heart and seethe thoughts lurking there. So He could detect by a mere glance thatthe god of love has come to His prescence with an evil thought andmeted out severe punishment.The Shiva-Mahimna stotram (15) says that for his foolishness Manmathapaid a heavy price with his life and became anobject of memory Smara is another name of Manmatha. His arrowshave not failed anywher in the world of gods, demons and men. So hebecame conceited. Smara became () an object ofmemory. The moral of the story, says the poem, is that an insult tothe great willproduce serious consequences - (SS131) is also one of Shivas names.Bhartrihari in his Vairagya Satakam refers to this incident thus:- (i.e.) who eortlessly burntup the ippant god of love as a moth. A big re instantly reducesa moth into ashes.

12 = the Trident of Shiva; = struck; = enemy; = mass, heap: Shiva has destroyed His enemies withHis Trident. But Shiva has no enemies (BG9-29) I am the same to all beings.There is none hateful or dear to me says the Lord in Gita. Sowe have to take enemies to mean the enemies of Hisdevotees. We nd that during the Mahabharata war Lord involvedHimself to help His devotee Arjuna. During the KurukShetra war Arjunawas struk with wonder to see a gure radiant like the sun goingahead of him. The gure destroyedhis enemies very easily with His trident. Arjuna tells this to sageVyasa and asks who that radiant gure was. He adds thatpeople think he has killed his enemies so valiantly though all thework was done by that gure. Vyasa says You have seenLord Shiva. Krishna conrms this and says Your enemies havealready been killed by Me. Be a mere instrument. BG(11-33) The more dangerous enemies a devotee has to face areinternal such as desire, anger etc.. In reply to Arjunas question astowhat impels a person to commit sins even though he may be unwilling,Krishna says BG(3-37) It is desire.It is anger. They are born out of rajo guna. It has huge appetiteand makes one to commit sins. Recognise it as your enemy. Andlater on BG(16-21)He describes these as open gateways to hell that will destroy theself. He cautions Arjuna to be careful and avoid them. So a devotee in orderto avoid these internal enemies installs Him in his heartand feels safe. Krishna tells Uddhava that once Heis established in the heart evil tendencies like desires getdestroyed BH(11-21-26).They cannot live together like light and darkness. He

13is called - He destroys the desires of Hisdevoteees who seek liberation and theintentions of those who trouble them. VS(294). Also SS(126). LordShiva is the the earliest or the rst guru. He teachesby demonstration. He shows He has destroyed His desires and wants Hisdevotee to do likewise. He is only too willing to help him provided hemakes his heart His temple. In view of this Bhartruhari describes asadhu whose heart is pure as having devotion to Shiva with trident Unfortunately a devotee has to contend with one moreenemy - more pernicious than the enemies mentioned in theprecedingpara. It is attachment. Desire is a longing to possess somethingwhich we do not have and we feel that thing can give us satis faction orpleasure or security. We try to get that thing and whensomeone or something thwarts the desire the desire turns into anger.Thus desire precedes anger or anger is the result of frustrateddesire. Once the object of desire is got and is in our possession wetend to hold on to it. This inclination to bind ourselves to objectsor people around us is known as attachment.We look to those objects or people to give us pleasure or security.Vedanta warns us to avoid getting attached to things orpeople; because rstly the objects of attachment are perishable asanything in the world is. If we develop strong attachment tosomething, then parting with it can be a very painful experience andwe may sink under the load of the resultant grief. That was the casewith Dasaratha who was excessively attached to his son Rama. He couldnot bear the pangs of separation from Ramawho had to leave for the forest for fourteen years. He died in agony.Secondly it is wrong to look to such objects or people for securityas they are perishable and so are themselves insecure.Hence they cannot confer security on us. We will be left in thelurch. Attachment is called ( ) IshanA. Three types of

14 attachments are mentioned in our scriptures. They are attachment to(1) the money (2) wife/husband and (3) children. Furtherit is said that attachment, once developed to something, is verydicult to get rid of. It is like a blob of coaltar that has some how got stuckto our body. It will take a long time and repeatedwashing to get rid of it. So we are warned to be wary ofdeveloping attachment to anything or any person. This does notprevent us from showing love to others.Prahlada gives a description of these attachments (BH .7-6) in hisadvice to his friends. Talking about the attachment to moneyhe says (BH97-8-10) He says that money is valued higher than life itself and sowho can give up attachment to it? The thief, the soldier and themerchant trade their dear life for money. In view of this he warnsall to stay away from the objects of attachment and seek the Lord.The boy Nachiketa said He saidman can never get satiated with the wealth when Yama oered himimmense wealth in exchange for the teaching about self.Kunti, the mother of Pandavas, in her prayer to Krishna before Heleaves for Dwaraka says She prays to the Lord to cut her attachmentto her relatives so that her mind can think of Him withoutdistractions. BH(1-8-41)The foregoing introduction is to explain the other implication ofshula or the trident of Shiva. The three sharp points of the tridentcan destroy the three kinds of attachment that can assail a devoteeand hinder his progress.The devotee shakes o his attachments to the worldly objects rst.This was what Vibhishana did before surrendering toRama. As the brother of Ravana and his minister he was verypowerful. He was immensely rich. He had palaces, loving wivesand children. But he gave up every thing and rushed to Rama withouteven taking leave of his wife and children. He said

15 Renouncingmy wives and children I have surrendered to Raghava and again Lanka,friends and all wealth had been left behind by me.(Ramayana-Yuddhakanda-17-16 19-6).Then he transfers his attachment to the Lord and enshrines Him inhis heart. Then the devotee ties His feet rmly with the cordof love and so He becomes immobilised BH(11-2-55). Thus rmly stationed in thedevotees heart He destroys the evil tendencies therein BH(1-2-17) - (SS114): - (SS211) and - (SS370) are Shivas names.Further it is said - SA(11) The trident represents thethree gunas (traits). Shiva holding it in His hand shows He is incontol of maya of which they are the constituents. = (SS310) Forever He is free from maya (the illusion by whichone considers the unreal universe as really existent and as distinctfrom the Supreme Spirit) and spiritual ignorance. This is madeexplicit by what is said about the moon next. - = half = the moon = crest,Shiva has partial moon on the crest - , (SS32) and also = (SS929)The moonappears as a special ornament to Shiva - SA(5).The moon represents His innite wisdom. Please see notes under Devaabove. It is to be noted that the crown that Shiva wears does not

16 cover the moon. This implies that Shivas lordshipover the universe - His omnipotence - does not veil His wisdom. Theshining moon announces to the world that one whoyearns for knowledge should come to Him. Shankaracharya says in hisPrasnottara ratnamalika ? , ? Who is the universal teacher? Shambu.From where can one get wisdom? From Shiva only. So we have the saying One should pray to Maheswarafor wisdom.= worship: = the Lord Margabandu.I worship Lord Margabandu who wears a crown, who destroyed the insectlike god of love with the re from His eye in Hisforehead, who destroyed the enemies (of gods) with His Trident, whois pure(i.e.) beyond maya and ignorance and whowears the moon on His head as an onament.

. ... :- = limb; may mean hand, or leg; = shining orappearing prominently; = serpent, snake;Lord Shiva is decked with snakes - (SS43) His other namesare : , (SS494)and - (SS736). Shiva wears a garland of snakes andhas tied Vasuki -the king of snakes - around His head to keep Hislocks of hair in place.Snakes:-We fear snakes because we identify them with death. And everyone isafraid of death ? saysSankaracharya in his Prasnottara ratnamalika. The symbolism is usedin our scriptures frequently. For example: BH(11.8.41)meaning who else, other than the Lord can save one seized by

17the serpent of Time ? When Gajendra, the lord of the elephants wasseized by a crocodile and found that he couldnot extricate himself from its grip he called the Lord saying - BH(8.2.33) He says Whosoever be the almighty God, whoprotects one, who hassurrendered to Him being very much afraid of thepowerful snake in the form of Death - that is very fast and is afterhim - and from fear of whom Death himself runs hither andthither, let us seek Him as our refuge.Kala means the Supreme principle which devours everything and Yamathe god of death who is also known by the namesAntaka and Mrutyu. So at level one He is Yama Krishna says I am Death who seizes alllife. BG(10.34) He is Antaka - VS(520). He causes the end of all life.At the higher level He is the kala or Supreme principle whichdestroys everything including Yama, the god of death at the time ofdissolution. Lord Kapila gives a description of Kala to His motherDevahuti. BH(3.29. 36-45). He says it is none other thanVishnu who draws everything into Himself - , - - . VS(418) and SS(33). The Lord is not limited bytime or space or by any material VS(518). He is notsubject to destruction or anything that causes destruction. VS(198). In fact it is He - the seer and all knowing who had createdthe gods (including Yama) and assigned to them theirduties says Isavasyopanishad. So the snakes, representing kala or death, cannot harm Him but Hewears them implying He uses Death for His services.Yama himself says Death to Him is like

18 pickles or achAr - a thing He uses in the process of consumig thecreation. KU(1.3.25). Remember that one uses a small quantity of pickleonly to push in a large amount of food- the main dish. Similarly the Lord uses the services of Yama in asmall measure for His main work. SS(83) and , , . SA(29) are His names. Hedestroyed even Yama, the god of death to protect His devoteeMarkandeya. The name also indicates that He is the supreme Lord whowithdraws everything , the entire creation, including the god ofdeath into Himself at the time of dissolutonand releases them again at the beginning of the next cycle ofcreation. His other names are - , SS(123), SA(71). He removes or avoids the death ofHis devotees. The sage Markandeya condently sings Itake refuge in Lord Shiva . What harm can Yama do to me? This isalso said symbolically in the story of Dhruva. Towards the end ofthe story it is said that a chariot came to take him to the placereserved for him in the skies. The Lord had told him that it was aspecial place because there will be no return to this world againmeaning he had crossed death and will not be reborn. At that timeYama - the god of death - approached him and bowed down. Dhruvastepped on Yamas head and climbed into the vehicle . - BH(4.12.30)At this point let us take a small detour and see what our scriptureshave to say on the subject of life and kala or death. Thismay sound a bit morbid : but since it is literally a matter of lifeand death we should know some details.One who is born has to die and one who dies is reborn BG(2.27).From this it appears that this is a never ending process. One canview it in either of the two ways as follows.1 - One does not believe in the existence of the other world. There

19is no inclination to think about or enquire into the process.Such people are known as Nastikas.2 - This one - known as Astika - believes in the shastras and theexistence of the other world. He tries to nd a way out of it.The shastras say that the people coming under the rst category areto be pitied. The human birth is superior to other forms of births.Only humans are endowed with free will and ability to discriminatebetween the right and the wrong: the good and thebad. Only they have the ability to work for their own and othersuplift. The animals do not have free will. Their life is governedby instincts. Because of this they do not incur any sin for theiractions. One obtains a human birth after going through theinferior births and as a result of some good deeds and blessings ofthe Lord. It is therefore incumbent on us to use thisprivileged position to our advantage and seek higher goals includingliberation from death. But if one fails to seize the rareopportunity that has come his way but fritters his life on pettysense pleasures and garnering pelf he falls from his status andis considered an ignoramus. BH(11.7.74) The question of escaping death has been discussed again and again inour scriptures. We will structure the discussion asanswers to the following questions.1 - What leads to rebirth?2 - What is wrong with rebirth or why rebirth is to be avoided?3 - What is the process called death? and4 - Can death be avoided and if so how to avoid death?1 - What leads to rebirth?Everyone has to work, at least to keep the wolf from the door. Inaddditon people work to improve their standard of living, toprovide for the rainy day, old age etc. All these activities - calledkarma - can be classied as good or bad. The good ones arethose that are enjoined by our scriptures and those that can becalled virtuous, seless and such. The bad ones are those that

20 are prohibited by our scriptures and those that are motivated bygreed, anger, selshness etc. Both acts produce results whichare to be enjoyed by the doer . Skanda Puranam.The good deeds produce happiness, prosperity etc. and lead to higherbirths - life of better quality and happiness inthis world or higher worlds. The bad deeds produce unhappiness,misery etc. By neglecting to do the duties expected of himand also doing acts that are prohibited he falls and is thrown intoinferior births. (YagnavalkyaSmrithi) Then he climbs up the ladder slowly and gets the human birthagain after a long time says Lord as Kapila to His mother Devahuti. BH(3.31.34) Yama - the god of death - tells thesame to Nachiketa: One whois infatuated with wealth; not having a thought for the otherworld; such an ignorant person believing there is no such thing ashell or heaven comeswithinmy clutches again and again. KU(1.2.6) So the doer of the deeds has to be prepared to enjoy or suerthefruits. If the fruits cannot be exhausted in one lifetime onehas to take another birth and try to exhaust them.The problem, according to our shastras is, that everyone of us hadtaken countless number of births, done karmas in thesebirths and accumulated vast amounts of the karmas. This accumulatedstore waiting to bear fruitis called sanchitam karma.In addition we continue to do karma in this lifealso and add to the stock of sanchitam karma thus necessi tating more andmore births. Out of this vast stock a chunk begins toyield the results. This chunk is called prarabdham.There is no escape from the results of the prarabdham. It determines

21the duration of life, the wealth, educationand the mode of death even as one is born We have to infer the impressions of the past deeds onlywhen we are confronted with the results. Kalidasa says this inRaghuvamsa (1.20) 2 - What is wrong with rebirth or why rebirth is to be avoided?If one asks what is wrong with being born, saints like Shri Shankarawant us to think and nd out if anything is right with it? ? (Prasnottararatnamalika). If one were to think that Shankara was a sanyasi and sohad such a dark view of life, so did Bhartruhari and Kulasheakhara whowere kings and had access to all kinds of pleasures (Bhartruhari Vairagya Shatakam).The problems start right from the beginning. Sage Kapila points outthat nothing can equal the pain one suers while in thewomb BH(3.31.9).Then look at the troubles one goes through as hegrows up. As one runs around earning and looking after his family oneis assailed by worries and sickness. He is all the time growing oldimperceptibly. , says Bartruhari in his Vairagya shatakam. He says that oldage is crouching there like a tigressfrightening us, and diseases attack our bodies like enemies.Then there is the fear of the inevitable death. In view of all theseKrishna describes rebirth as the seat of pain and impermanent. BG(7.15) Later on He againsays this world is impermanent and joyless BG(9.33). We clearly see that everything in this worldis impermanent. This includes our bodies, our relations, friends andpossessions. The question then is how can one feel happy when throwninto such a situation? Time is constantly gnawing at our lifequietly. Bhartruhari says life is oozing away like water leaking from

22 a pot with a crack Death is imminent and can strike anyone at any time. This being thecase, Krishna asks how can one nd pleasure in wealth orenjoyment? It cannot please him, who like an animal, is being draggedto be slaughtered.BH(11.10. 20) Next, Krishna said this world is joyless. This is because thepleasures are transitory. They have a beginning and an end and soare eeting by nature. Their departure may leave a void and a trailof sorrow. Or they may make one to hanker for more of itand leave him restless and unhappy. So He says that one endowed withdiscrimination will not enjoy them BG(9.22) Such sensorypleasures are trivial and cannot be termed aspleasures in the true sense.In view of what is stated here, rebirth is not desireable and oneshould, if possible, avoid it.3 - What is the process called death?This is mentioned briey in clinical fashion in theBrihadaranyopanishad. It says that as the end approaches theindividualsbreathing becomes hard and he starts gasping. His pranas, along withthe sense organs, withdraw from their respective foci andgather around jivatma - the individual soul. As he (jiva) departs,the pranas and the sense organs follow him. He gets a body asin a dream and enters another body. The impressions of his karma andthe knowledge about brahman that he had acquired inthat birth also follow him. He gets a body suitable to his karma inthis world or some other world . (4.3.38)

23 (4.4.2) (4.4.4) Krishna says that the knowledgehe had aquired in the earlier birthcarries him forward in his next birth and he progresses inthe spiritual path. He does not have to start ab initio. BG(6.44)Some puranas describe it in detail making it sound a bit scary. SageKapila gives a description in His talk to His mother. Thisis on the same lines as stated above in the upanishad. He says thatthe individual soul living in the gross body has, in addition, a subtlebody called Linga Shariram or SukShma Sariram which is invisible. Itis made up of seventeen components (viz.) the ve sense organs ofperception (called gnanendriyas), the ve sense organs of action(called karmendriyas), the ve pranas, themind and the intellect. It requires the gross physical body forfunctioning. It does not perish when the gross body perishes inthe process called death which takes place at the end of prarabdhamkarma. The Jiva just migrates to another body (calledbirth) with the Linga Shariram according to the nature of past karmasand generates new karmas which add on to the sanchitam karma andbecomes the seed for future births.4 - Can death be avoided and if so how to avoid death?Luckily there is a way to escape death and the birth that follows.Krishna says on reaching Me there is no rebirth. BG(8.16) The question,now is: where is He? and how to reach Him? The answer tothese questions form the main topic of discussions in our scriptureslike Gita, Upanishads and puranas like Shri Bhagavatam and isbeyond the scope of this essay and so is not attempted. One has tolearn it from a qualied teacher. :- = sky; = the river Ganges. So the word means the heavenly river Ganges; = wave; = pleasing, charming; = best; The

24 word indicates the best limb in the body viz. thehead; This says that Shiva looks charming with the waves of the divineriver Ganges on His head - (SS146) and SA(27). Also - (SS286) - (SS797).The river Ganges was, according to our scriptures, originally owingin the heavens. The story of Lord Vishnus incarnationand His seeking three feet of land from the king Bali is familiar toall. When He lifted up His foot to measure the heavens,Brahma the creator, seized the rare opportunity and washed the holyfoot of the Lord that has come his way with water fromhis water pot. The waters became the holy river Ganga. - BH(8.21.4) The story of the descent of Ganga to earth is alsofamiliar. It ismentioned briey in Bhagavata in skanda 4 - chapter 17 andskanda 9 - chapter 9. It is given in detail in the Balakanda ofRamayana. Sage Viswamitra narrated it to Rama and LakShmana ashe was taking them to Mithila after he had successfully completed hissacrice with protection oered by the brothers. King Bhagirata - ascion of the ikShvAku dynasty to which Rama belonged - wasinstrumental in bringing the river to earth by performing severe penance. Athis request Shiva received the mighty owof Ganga falling from the heavens and released it as astream on the earth. A large gathering comprising the residents ofthe higher worlds and great seers came to witness the wonderful event. They,along with the people of this world, praised thewaters of the river Ganga as pure because of its contactwith Lord Shiva (1.43.28).Hence the saying (ie.) death inKasi, now known as Varanasi, brings about salvation.

25King ParikShit decided to spend the last seven days of his life atthe banks of the river because of this reason BH(1.19.6) It asks which dying man will notresort to such a holy river?Ganga:-Now let us get behind the story of Ganga and see what it means.Brahma to whom Bhagirata prays blesses his eorts. But He cautionsthe king that he should pray to Lord Shiva and involve Him in thismatter because the earth cannot withstand the fallof Ganga from the heavens. He adds that no one other than Lord Shivais capable of receiving the torrent from the heaven. Thisis because Brahma knows that Shiva is rm and unshakeable. (VS 28). Also SA(72) - The in the name Ganga stands for Gayatri which represents theeternal, supreme Brahman. In Gangashtakam, she is addressed as thevery embodiment of Brahman, . She is eternaland formed by the fusion of the powers extracted from the three -Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. So Gayatri is worshipped in their formsduring the three times it is recited(viz.) morning, noon and the evening. In view of this Shiva has placedher on the head - in the chakra called Brahmarandram.The scriptures dene six chakras or seats of power in ones body.The chakra on the head is above all these and isthe seat of Brahman. This is also the seat where one visualises onesguru in the form of Brahman and meditates on himbecause ones guru is not dierent from Brahman . The fact that she is formed from thepowers of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva is stated symbolically in the storyof Ganga. , , This says that you Ganga started as water in the water pot ofBrahma, then came into contact with the foot of Vishnu and

26 again became the crown jewel on the locks of Shiva etc.Placed on the head of Shiva who is Himself the embodiment of knowledgethe stream of Ganga is symbolic of knowledge. So Shankaracharya refersto it in his Kasi Panchakam as The stream of right knowledge is the pure original Ganga. Again laterhe says (ie.) theGanga of knowledge is the mother of the three worlds.This Ganga who is Gayatri and Brahman and is kept in the chakra inthe head by Shiva is same as Uma or Parvati can bededuced from the following references. These are taken from the wellknown Lalitasahasranamam (LS).1 - She is of the form of the three gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra. LS(265) LS(267) LS(269)2 - She is Gayatri LS(420)3 - She is Bhavani LS(112). Durga LS(190). Parvati LS(246). Uma LS(633)4 - She is seated on the head in the Brahmarandhram. LS(591)So Ganga is Brahman, is Gayatri and is Uma or Parvati. Sheproclaims the Ardhanari (the inseparable combination of themale and female principles) concept ( ) ofShiva which is not explicitly seen in His representations (where Umais shown as a separate gure). Thus one who knows Ganga knows Shivaand vice versa.Krishna says Of the rivers I am theGanges. So it is not an ordinary river that the Lord had placedon His head. No wonder, then, that the very utterance of the nameGanga washes away ones sins even when one is milesaway from the river. This is said in this popular verse that isnormally recited before taking bath. The avadhuta saint Sadasiva Brahmam has composed a song in praise ofGanga (jaya tungatarange gange )

27wherein he salutes Ganga as one who puries the worlds and cutsasunder the manifold bonds of mankind(, = sickle; instrument for mowing).Shri Gangashtakam says that if one dies on the banks of Ganga he goesto higher lokas compared to which even the world ofIndra looks very inferior . -We can make one observation on the story of Bhagirata bringingdown Ganga. The Lord - being the father - always givesmuch more than what one seeks from Him though this fact is notappreciated. He is VS(298). He knows what the devotee asks andwhy he asks for it. The Lord not only gives what is asked for butgoes further and fullls his mission though unasked. In the case ofBhagiratha, he could have asked Shivafor salvation for himself and his forefathers and got it. Instead, hejust asked Him to bear the Ganga as she came down fromthe heaven. But Lord Shiva helped the king not only in bringing downthe river but also gave salvation to his forefathers thenand there itself. Please carefully look at what Shiva told the kingwhen He appeared before him. He said I am pleased withyou. I will do what is dear to you. Ramayana (1.43.34) We all know what was dear to the king and what was it that had beenhaunting his mind for years and made him do severepenance, once to Brahma (for thousand years eating once a month andso on) and again to Lord Shiva. The kings idea was tothen lead the river to the place where the ashes of his forefatherswere lying for ages and perform their nal rites so that theywill attain release. But this was what he got as bonus. In additionhe got salvation for himself also though he did not ask for it.Ganga represents Brahman and Shiva is DakShinamurthi - the giver ofknowledge about the Brahman. Thus the story of the

28 king getting the Ganga with Shivas help implies he got the knowledgeof Brahman directly from the Lord which knowledgeresults in salvation.This was what happened in the case of Arjuna also. He met Krisna atDwaraka and asked His help during the KurukShetrawar. Krishna agreed to help but He said He will not take up arms. Buteven at the time when Arjuna made his requestKrishna knew what was the mission for which he was seeking His help.And He fullled it then and there. Later on whenteaching Gita before the war had even started He told Arjuna:These enemies of yours had been killed by me already. Youjust be the instrument and enjoy all the glory. BG(11.33) At the time, Arjuna was unaware of the greatness of Krishnawhom, ashe admits later on, he considered as his friend only. He labouredhard and fought the war but it was over even before itstarted. He won it and got all the glory.In the same way King Bhagirata took the trouble to drive ahead ofGanga all the way to the seas and then to the nether worldwhere he saw the ashes of his forefathers, performed the last riteswith the holy waters from Ganga and got them salvation.which was already an accomplished fact.The Ganga was named after him as Bhagirathi. Thiswas the case with Dhruva, who wanted to be a king but he got that andalso a permanent place in the heavens. - = the holy syllable OM; = garden, park; = deer; Shiva is likened to a deer in the garden of theholy syllable - meaning He is represented by OM also known as pranava. - (SS138) Shri Krishna says in His Gita (10-25) I am OMamong the words. Manu, the famouslaw giver, says that the letter OM by itself represents the ultimatereality - the Brahman He adds that

29the creator Brahma extracted the three letters from the three vedasand so the syllable Om is the essence of the vedas A similar reference is seen in Chandogy-opanishad (2.23.3) Shri Bhagavatam says that sound OM was acquired spontaneously byBrahma - the rst born when he was in deep meditation. BH(12.6.44 and39) . It says that the origin of the soundconsisting of three parts is unmanifest. It ashes by itself and itreveals the nature of the almighty and supreme spirit. Manu says further that a student (during his gurukula days when helearns the vedas) should utter OM both when beginningand ending his studies. The reason, he says, is that without utteringOM in the beginning the learning perishes and if OM is notsaid in the end what is learnt will not be retained In view of this Kalidasa compares Manu-the rst of kings in thesolar dynasty to OM in a grand similePranava :-We can see discussions about pranava in Mandukya, Shiva Atharvasikha,Prasna and Nrisimha Uttaratapini upanishads. This isalso mentioned in Vicharasagaram. Here we will see it in brief. - , (VS-957).He is in the form of pranava represented by OM. He is not dierentfrom the creation. So pranava represents both brahmanand the universe. Sage Patanjali also has said this in his Yoga Sutra(1.26) God is greatly praised by this. Earlier we saw that astotram mentions the attributes or the qualities of the subject of

30 the stotram. Thus pranavam indicates the auspicious qualities of theLord and obtains His blessings to one whochants it. Patanjali adds (1.27): The chanting of pranava with understanding and faith is meditationon the Iswara.Pranava is made of the three letters A,U and M. These three lettersrepresent the consciousness presiding over the three states -waking, dream and deep sleep states which one passes through everyday. The consciousnes is same but it functions di erently in these states.The Mandukya upanishad views pranava asbeing composed of two parts: one having sound and theother without sound. The OM as specied above made up of the threeletters is pronounced and constitutes the sound part.The upanishad says that the brief interlude that preceeds andsucceeds this sound part forms the silent component - the fourth letter , , (Mandukya 12)They represent the two aspects of God (viz.) with form and withoutform respectively. The sound part signies the sagunaIswara and the silent part the nirguna Iswara. Thus onecan worship OM as God with form. This is like invoking our favou rite deityin an idol or saligrama stone. Here we invoke the Godabout whom we do not have rsthand knowledge but learntfrom scriptures or from some other source in the idol or some otherform of representation and worship. The representa tion is known aspratikam . Meditating on the fourth orthe silent part as I the Self is known asAhamgrahadhyanam One who meditates likethis is called a muni In this type ofmeditation there is no dierence between the meditator and Iswara orthe object of meditation. As a result of this meditation the muni isblessed with the knowledge of the Self and crosses over the samsara.Thus is explained Shivas name

31, VS(138).The question, now is, if He is Himself omkara or the pranava, whythen say He is the deer in the park called OM? The answeris that He is OM the park as Paramatma as well as the deer theindividual JIvatma. They are one and the same but look di erent to theuninitiated. The deer, unaware of its status, roamsaround in the park feeding and enjoying itself. This is an echoof the famous Mundakopanishad mantra MU (3.1.1)This mantra talks of two friendly birds sitting side by side on atree. One is eating and relishing the fruits and the other one isquietly watching it. Here one of the birds represents the Jivatma.Eating the fruits is enjoying the results of the past karma andthe other bird which looks on is the Paramatma as He is not attachedto the fruits of action. Similarly Devi is described as a female parrot in the cage called OM inthe Devi Navaratnamala. The saint composer Thiagaraja of Tiruvaiyaruaddresses Rama as a parrot in the cagecalled OM in his famous song beginning Jagadanandakaraka. Similarlythe saint composer SadasivaBrahmam talks of Krishna as one who is hidden inside the lotus of pranava (in hissong kridathivanamali ) :- = a superhuman being of great purity and holinesspossessing eight supernatural powers called siddhis. Can also betaken to mean a great sage = worshipped; = footHe is worshipped by great sages and other semidivine beingsendowed with supernatural powers -

32 --- (SS536) SS(777)The word siddha means accomplished or perfected. Linkingwith the earlier word, the muni meditates on the pranava. Once heunderstands that he, the meditator, and the Iswara theobject of meditation represented by pranava are not dierent , thenhe achieves his goal and becomes a siddha purusha. The MandukyaUpanishad sentence quoted earlier says this only (viz.) that one whorealises the true meaning of the Omkara - thatit stands for the non-dual, indescribable Shiva obtains his goal whichis his own Self. Shri Shuka mentions this in his prayer beforehe begins to narrate Bhagavatam to King ParikShit. BH(2.4.21)Such a realised sage abides in his Self. So it is said Hanuman issuch a siddha who has immersed himself in the sacred Ganga and drankdeep its water of knowledge. So he is known as = best among the knowledgeable people. He sees his LordRama within himself all the time. Whenever His name is mentioned theGanga within him wells up and ows out as tears of joy and his handsgo up over hishead in salute says a popular verse about Hanuman. So his beingshown as seated at the feet of Rama bringsout the idea that siddhas worship the feet of the Lord.Truly speaking a siddha has nothing to worship as he has no second tohim. Whatever he does becomes an act of worship.Sankaracharya says this in his Shiva mAnasa puja

33Since the siddha has identied with Ishwara he is detached from hisbody. He knows that he got his body because of prarabdham and it willcontinue to hang on as appendage as long as the thevestige of prarabdham remains. He is aware that prarab dam will take careof it. So he is not concerned about it just asdrunkard does not overly bother about his dress. Krishna saysthis to Uddhava: BH(11.13.36)Once his prarabdham is exhausted the body drops o. There is notdeath in the usual sense. His soul does not go anywhere asin the case of death of ordinary people but just merges in the allpervading brahman. This is like a pot getting broken. Thespace within the pot is not disturbed but just becomes one withsurrounding space. This is said clearly in Brihadaranyakopanishad (4.4.3) This was what is said to have happened in Bhishmas case .- BH(1.9.43)= I worship the Lord Margabandhu.I worship Lord Margabandhuon whose limbs snakes appear prominently,whose head looks charming with the waves of thecelestial river Ganga, who is like a deer in the garden of Omkara andwhose feet are served by siddhas (great seers).

. This verse is the third among theve verses that make up thestotram. Thus it forms the centre-piece and is loaded with preciousvedantic truths. It was said earlier that a stotram will describe theLord with form and will also refer to His formless aspect. We see theformless aspect of the Shiva being emphasised here :- = eternal, ever lasting,imperishable = pure intelligence =supreme

34 bliss = form.These words are the repetition of the famousupanishadic mantra TU(2.1.2) that saysBrahman is satyam, jnanam and anantam. This is one of Shivasnames - SS(653). Ramasform is existence,knowledge and bliss says the saintSadasiva Brahmendra in the song (kelati mamahrudaye). So is Shri Lalitas form: LS(699):- Nityam implies eternal existence - that is - it never ceasesto be. It is not limited by time. Terms like the past, present and futureare not applicable with reference to it. Lalita is known as Nitya LS(136). and are two other names that have the samemeaning as Nityam SS(398).(ie.) He exists in all timesin the same form orwithout any change , VS(56).satyam SS(432) VS(106) In the invocatoryverse to Shri Bhagavatam Shri Vyasa salutes the Lord saying (ie.) we meditate on the supreme Reality that is not aectedby the three time periods - the past, present and the future. BH(1.1.1). He also winds up with the same words BH(12.13.19) implying what is discussed in between the beginning andthe end or the subject matter of the purana is none other than Brahman

35which is Satyam.Shri Lalita is known as LS(790).Bhartrihari, in the invocatory verse to his Satakatrayam salutes theLord saying He says that God is of the form of eternal consciousness unlimited byspatial direction, time etc , , - - :- chit means pure intelligence and indicatesbrahman. Sothe Lord gets the following names - SS(456). Also SS(829). Devi is described as LS(251).Now let us go back to the reference from Bartruhari:(ie.) No doubt brahman iswithout any limitationsmentioned above. But it is not void or empty like space which also seemsunlimited. It is not inert but shines in the form of consciousness. Thisis claried here.From where did He get His wisdom? In reply the invocatory verse inShri Bhagavatam referred to earlier says: He is omniscient. Hisknowledge is inherent and not obtained from anyone else or any othersource. It is knowledge itself without a trace of ignorance.: Ananda : Brahamn is of the form of pure bliss

36 TU(3.6.1). The Taittiriyopanishad has a sectionexclusively devoted to the ananda aspect of brahman. This section is henceknown as Brahmanandavalli or Anandavalli. This section is unique in thatit talks of several grades of ananda experienced by dierent beings. Itstarts with the maximum happiness that is possible to be experienced bya human being as the unit of measure. The next higher grade of anandais hundred times this unit. Thus several grades are mentioned (includingthat of Indra and Brihaspathi) and the top most one mentioned is that ofBrahma the creator. But a wise person who has studied the shastras andgot discrimination knows that even Brahmas happiness is fragile andlimited. The Brihadaranyopanishad says that any ananda experienced byany being is just a droplet derived from the bliss that is Brahman (4.3.32)Incidentally this is one of the names of Shri Lalita. (LS365) The commentatorBhaskararaya explains this name referring to these quotationsonly. He says - - - One may wonder why should the upanishad take the troubleto describe themany grades of ananda starting from the bliss that can be enjoyed by ahuman being. The answer is that the detailed description is a carrot theupanishad is dangling before us. It wants to reveal the fact that eventhe highest degree of happiness that one could enjoy is just a particleof that limitless ocean of bliss. It wants us to get excited at thisrevelation. It wants to prod us to strive hard and reach the pinnacleof bliss that is brahmananda and not be content with merely scratchingits surface. The following are the Lords names in this context

37 SS(189) and VS(618) VS(560) . Also SS(560) and SS(673) :- = eliminated = without remainder = lord of the universe -here it refers to Indra = enemy =dignity,glory, valour.Shiva is the destroyer of the valour and pride of Ravana who was the enemyof Indra. Once Ravana tried to lift Kailasa as he felt he was strongenough to carry even the abode of the Lord. He was inebriated with powerbecause he could conquer even Indra and other gods. He forgot that allhis might and glory were only due to the blessings of the Lord. He evensaid that Shiva has not known that a danger has come to Him! This incidentis mentioned in Ramayana (Uttara Kanda - canto 16). (Uttara kanda - 16-24). Shiva wantedto teach him a lesson and curb his pride. So He playfully pressed Histoe. The pressure applied by Him crushed Ravana under the mountain. (UK. 16-27,28).Ravana struggled hard but was not able to extricate himselffrom the tight spot. Finally he prayed to the Lord and gothimself released. So Shiva gets the name -

38 - - SS(623).Ravana was the grandson of the great sage Pulastya and the sonof an equally great sage Vivasva. He was born as an asura due to acurse. Krishna gives a description of asuric nature in the 16th chapterof Gita entitled and also in the 18thchapter. He says that people with asuric nature are given to ostentation,arrogance, lust, anger and insolence. They will nurture innumerablehopes. These tendencies will pave the way for their downfall. We see thatRavanas character ts this description exatly. These qualities leadto his ruin. Ravana was vastly learned (as is indicated by ten heads):but was foolish enough to think he could shake the Lord who is all pervading, rm and unshakeable BG(2-24). In fact if He shakes the universe will shake and withoutHis will one can not move even a blade of grass. This is graphicallydescribed in a story in Kenopanishad. Thus Ravana committed a greatmistake but Shiva curbed his pride and let him o :- = gold: = mountain: = lord and in this context means best: = bow:This refers to Shiva using Meru - the famed mountain of gold -as a bow in His ght against the three asuras. The three demons namedKamalakShan, DarukakShan and Vidyunmali were very powerful becauseofthe boons they obtained. They lived in three cities built by Maya thedivine architect. They troubled the devas to no end. The devas entreatedShiva to save them from these asuras. When Shiva started to ght them thedevas wanted to take part in the ght. The earth became the chariot,the sun and the moon became the wheels, Meru the bow, the snake Seshanthe bow string, Vishnu the quiver and so on. But Shiva felt that all theseelaborate paraphernalia was superuous for the task. So He discardedthem and destroyed the three cities just with a smile. When the asurasrepented Shiva forgave them and took them into His service. This deed ofShiva is often referred to in hymns -

39 - So He gets the following names SS(45) and VS(335). One who shattered the cities of theenemies of the gods - , , , , , , - - -

40 SS(104). and - SS(939). One whoconquered the three cities and - ; , One whose bowis mount Meru. SA(65). Incidentally, this episode shows that the Lordis capable of using anything as a weapon. As Rama He used just a pieceof straw to chase Kakasura who misbehaved with Sita. In the case ofTipura He chose to use a mountain as His bow. He can do without anyweapon also. He discarded the bow and burnt down the three cities with asmile. He subdued Ravana with a little pressure from His toe.He destroyedManmatha with a mere look.The Tripura episode conceals the essence of vedanta as do the storiesin our puranas. Krishna mentions this fact to Uddhava in His naladvice The words of the sages are indirectin their import. BH(11-21-35). The reason is that these great truthsare meant only for those who have faith in the words of the shastrasand the teachers who expound them, are sincere and are ready to put inthe needed eort to learn them. They cannot be laid bare to those whoare not qualied to receive them. In fact such people run the riskof misunderstanding the teachings and being mislead by them . Thatis why Krishna, after concluding the teaching of Gita, warns Arjunathat the valuable lessons taught to him should not be imparted toone who is not devoted etc., as said above BG(18-67). Great truths, like precious diamonds are

41not meant to be hawked in the streets like cheap vegetables. A diamondmerchant keeps the diamonds carefully locked in an iron safe in hisshop. Only a handful of people out of several millIons in the citywill be t to enter the shop and enquire about them. The merchant,will welcome the customer, engage him in small talk and enquire abouthis requirements. By then he would have assessed the customers worthand seriousness to do business. Then only will he unlock the safe,bring out his wares and show them to the customer. Similarly vedantictruths are invaluable and are to be guarded carefully and given only tothe deserving. Brief explanation of the Tripura episode follows.It was said that our body is viewed as being made of three layers -the gross body, the subtle body and the causal body. These threebodies are the three puras or cities. The paramatma who is of theform of chaitanyam or consciousness is omnipresent and is present inthe body also, and enlivens it. The body itself, being mere bundle ofmatter, is inert. Krishna says this and in the next verse BG(13- 1 and 2). The consciousnesspresent in the body is known as atma or jiva or jivatma. But it is not apart or product of the body that is liable to decay and destruction. Suchmodications of the body do not aect the jivatma. Even on deathit is the subtle body which travels to take another body (as statedearlier). The atma being all pervading does not travel anywhere. Itis like a pot being made. We may call the space conned in the pot aspot-space (to distinguish it from the total space though really there isno such division) but it was not created when the pot was made. When thepot is broken, it is pot that is destroyed and not the pot space. Ithas nowhere to go. The connes of the pot having gone it just mergeswith the total space that is out side the pot also. Thus the atma hasnothing to do with the body. This is said in Tattvabodha clearly as ?What is the Self?---

42 Self is otherthan the gross, subtle and causal bodies. It is beyond the ve sheathsand the witness to the three states of consciousness. It is of the natureof existence, consciousness and bliss.Thus there is no birth or modications or death for the jivatma asis the case with the body. Krishna says this: - BG(2-20).The pot because of which the innite space (that has nothing to do withthe pot) gets the apparent limitation as pot space is called upadhi. Inthe same way the body mind complex is upadhi for the paramatma and itgetsthe name jivatma (though both are one and the same). Its glorious stategets covered by the veiling power of maya (called avidya or ignorance)and it gets bound. This leads the jiva to identify itself with thelimitations of the three bodies. It imagines it is a nite creature,helpless and subject to sorrows like sickness, old age, death etc. Thisis known as samsara. Truly speaking the jivatma being none other thanthe paramatma and of the form of pure wisdom does not act or undergoany change. Since it does not act it does not also reap the fruits ofaction called (ie.) joy or sorrow. That is, it is nota or (i.e.) doer or enjoyer or in other wordsatma is said to be akarta and abhokta ( and ).One who has shed his identity with the body and clearly establishedhis oneness with the Self is, therefore, not bound by the results ofactions . The mistaken identication with the body and imgining he orshe is an individual who has to act etc., is called ego or ahamkara andis the cause of all the problems. BG(3-27).An example will illustrate this peculiar situation. A person goes tosleep in his cosy house after a sumptuous meal. After some time heenters the dream world. In his dream he travels to a distant land andis stranded. He has lost his belongings and is famished. But he has no

43money to buy anything. The person is not used to such a privation andso is feeling miserable. This goes on for some (dream) days.Ultimatelythe intensity of the suering becomes too much to bear and he wakes upwith a start . To his utter delight he realises all that had happened wasonly a dream and he has not left his comfortable bed. He feels sheepishto think of the suering he had gone through.In the case narrated above all the suering and misery was unreal. Butit appeared real because the person identied himself with the dreambody that was not his. The dream body was merely a projection of hismind and so had no substance. When the dreamer woke up he gave up theidentication and was free from sorrow. In the same way vedanta saysthat the individuals bondage and ensuing samsara are imaginary and dueto wrong identication with the body-mind complex. This mistake is theresult of ajnanam or ignorance. It will go when the individual shedshis ignorance and realises that he is not the body-mind complex butthe atma whose nature is as said in therst line of this verse. Krishna says this to his friend Uddhava: BH(11-11-8). A wise man, thoughhe appears to be in the body, has no identication with the body likethe one who had woken up from a dream. But a man without discriminationis like one having a dream. He has chosen to (dis-identify with his truebody and) identify with his (dream) body (and suers the consequences).The dream body is only thought in the mind but the thought is so powerfulthat it makes him identify himself with the dream body, undergo thevicarious suering and forget his real body that is ensconced in the bed.Thus there has to be a second waking up, as it were, from our so-calledwaking stage to the real awakened stage with the advent of knowledge orjnanam. Till then one is in the clutches of agnanam or ignorance whichforces us into karma or action that brings in the fruits of actionwhich in turn results in rebirth etc.. The grace of the Lord confers thiswisdom and takes one beyond the three bodies that envelop the jiva. Thisis said in the DakShinamurthy Stotram as - -

44 When the dreamer wakes up from the nightmare the dreamer merges withthewaker (if we may so call the one who has woken up) and not become thewaker. He alone remains. He does not see the waker but claims himselfto be the waker. This claiming is So also in thecase of self-knowledge one does not experience or become the atma;but owns up his truenature as atma.Shivas names relating to Tripura are , , --- , , ; , SA(38) -- ; SA(68). Krishna tells Uddhava that He is Himself Shiva who destroyedthe three cities BH(11-11-20).Meru mountain. The Meru mountain is mentioned in our puranas,Mahabharata and Ramayana etc. It is said to be rich in gold andother precious jewels and is said to be in the center of theearth. The Himalayas are in the southern part of the Jambudwipain whose center is the Meru. The Bharathavarsha (India) is in thesouth of the Himalayas. One of the mountains surrounding the Meruis the Mandhara which was used by the gods to churn the ocean ofmilk. Shri Suka mentions this when he gives a description of thecreation BH(5-16-6). The abodes of the

45gods like Brahma are situated on the peaks of the mountain. Lalitais said to reside on one of the peaks of Meru and so gets the name LS(55). The sunand the moon are said to go round the mountain. Our poets mention thisfact often. Kalidasa refers to the sun going round Meru in his Raghuvamsa(7-24). He says that Aja and Indumati going round the sacred re duringtheir wedding was like the day and the night revolving round Meru -Krishna says that He is Meru among the mountains BG (10-23) and BH(11-11-21). All these show that meruis considered a very holy mountain- = bark of a tree , skin, hide = dress. Shiva is reputed to be dressed in the bark oftrees and skins of tiger and elephant. Once some rishis of Darukaforest performed a sacrice. It seems they were very proud oftheir spiritual accomplishments. Shiva wanted to test their mind-setand teach them a lesson. So He passed by in the form of a shabbilydressed mendicant. The sages were furious to see the mendicant. Fromthe sacricial re they created a ferocious elephant and a tigerand set them to attack the mendicant. But Shiva killed the animals,and wrapped Himself in their skins. The sages were humbled. Theyrealised their mistake and surrendered to Shiva. So He getsthe following names. ; SS(108). SS(158). - SS(909)

46 - SA(67). SS(566). Kalidasa wonders at Shiva, dressing Himselfin the bark and skins of animals though He is the supreme lord, andprofusely showers blessings on His devotees Malavikagnimitra (1.1).These incidents show that the Lord is capable of vanquishing his enemieswith ease. They are meant to warn one like Ravana who takes Him lightlythat they will have to face dire consequences. But His nature is tosubdue pride wherever it shows up - be it in an asura like Ravana or godlike Manmatha or even great rishis who should have known better. Thisis because pride is an obstacle to the spiritual progress. Once theyrealise their mistake and give up their pride Shiva blesses them.Now a few words about Shiva wearing the bark or skins of animals: Firstthis kind of dress, His matted locks etc., proclaim that Shiva is beyondall varnas or grades of society - like brahmin, kShatriya etc., - andashramas or stages of life - like student, householder etc.. In otherwords He is an Such a one is not bound by any rulesor regulations applicable to any varna or ashrama. He only gave out thescriptures to enable us to become mature spiritually and realise Him.SoHe is known as bhandhu or well wisher SS(581). So these very same rules cannot

47bind Him. The description of Shri Suka in Shri Bhagavatam matches theabovedescription of a paramahamsa. It says BH(1-19-25).Secondly, the bark of the tree and the skins that Shiva wears represent thecessation of birth. Birth and rebirth have been discussed earlier. We sawearlier while discussing the implications of Tripura that ones mistakenidentity with the body is the cause of all problems starting with karmaresulting in fruits of karma and then birth(s) to enjoy the resultsof karma. The dawn of wisdom will dispel the ignorance about thereality and reveal ones true status. This will end the cycle of birthand death. Lords grace can give us the wisdom. So Shiva is called Hara SS(392).The late Paramacharya of Kanchipuram had explained the incident ofShiva burning the three cities with a smile thus. The All-pervasive,All-knowing Supreme alone can liberate us from the cycle of birth anddeath by vouchsang us the jnana to throw o the fetters of thisrestricting human body and to nd bliss supreme in the merger of thejivatma with the paramatma. Shri Parameswara destroyed Tripura by thesmile that appeared on His face on a contemplation of the humour of thesituation. In relation to ourselves, the Tripura is the physical body inthe three states of sthoola, sookShma and karana. The consciousness ofthese three states of our body can be overcome only when we realise thesupreme bliss that radiates from Iswara. (Acharyas Call-Part1- P251).The body is the result of prarabdam and another one is just waitingaround the corner when this drops. So one should not get attached toit but be ready to leave it without regret when the prescribed hourcomes. Instead, one should use ones lifetime to gain discriminationand not chase the shadows. The avadhuta sage tells this to king Yadu BH(11-9-290). The human body isinvaluable as it is got after innumerable births. No doubt it is frailand impermanent. But it is with this human body alone one can work to

48 attain the lifes goal. Plants and animals come lower in the rung ofevolution. They face many limitations. So our shastras say that if onefails to properly use the rare human birth but lives to eat and leads ahedonistic life-style without a thought about the hereafter he is mostunwise and incurs incalculable loss. In fact they say that such a oneis no better than a brute or a tree. Harsh words indeed but they areborn out of anguish and meant to rub in the point BH(2-3-18 19). Do not trees live? Do not bellows breathe? Anddo not the domestic animals (other than the human beast) take theirfood and indulge in sex? The human beast who has never heard of thestory of the Lord has been declared to be as good as a dog, swine,a camel and a donkey. But the Lord who is an ocean of mercy is readyto save such a person also if he wants to turn a new leaf and worshipsHim with single minded devotion. Krishna says he will be considereda righteous person. BG(IX-30,31) The bark andanimal skins that Shiva wears proclaim this fact symbolically. Theyconvey the above assurance that those who turn to Him with devotionwill be saved from repeated births irrespective of the kind of lifethey might have lived. So Shiva has the following names - VS(578)- , SS(272) SA(07) VS(337) VS(338) SS(76)

49 = divine = acompanion to one who treads the righteous path = Iworship; means I worship the lord who is a companion to one who takesto the righteous path. This line provides more than one interpretation. means the virtuouspath: the path trodden by the saints and noble people and that isin keeping with the shastric injunctions says Mahabharata. It being very dicult to understand andinterpret the scriptures it is safe to follow the path trodden by thegreat men as they have followed the path and realised the results. Theguru, in Vivekachudamani, tells the disciple who had approached himfor instruction that he will show the path which ascetics took forcrossing samsara Krishna says that if one chooses to neglect the path laid out by thescriptures it will lead to his downfall. So He urges Arjuna to followthem BG.(16-23,24.) Forthose who follow the virtuous path He becomes a friend and guide. Butfor those like Ravana, who out of vanity or arrogance choose theprohibited path He is not a friend but metes out severe punishmentby casting them into inferior births. BG(16.19)Sankaracharya explains inferior births as cruel beings such as tigers,lions and the like . Kalidasa prays in the invocatory verse in Malavikagnimitra He prays to lord to remove the ignorance born out of lethargy to enable usto perceive the right path or the virtuous path. Sat also meansthat which really exists or existence and means brahman , (.. ) VS(478). Thus Margabandhu is brahman only

50 Being brahman He is the bestguide and companion one can get on the way to liberation. The path ofself knowledge, says Yama, is very dicult to tread upon. It is justlike walking over the sharp edge of a razor KU(3-14).The knowledgeabout the Lord is most profound. The means to get it is dicult for theunprepared mind. When one gets struck on the path He (being with usall the time and very much within us), like a sign post, points the way tothe next stage. He is a guide and companion as long as a seeker looks forHim. Like the rain bearing clouds He showers His grace on His devoteeswithout expecting anything in return. Mundane bandhus (relatives)are the cause of bondage and ensuing misery. In fact they are calledbandhus only because they bind themselves with us But lord Margabandhu is a unique bandhu who causesall bondage to drop o (as He is Sat) says Shri Sankara in Bhajagovindam. So every one prays to Him for gettingfree from bondage Ignoranceis like a thick layer of scum covering our wisdom. When the scum isremoved the underlying wisdom shines. Wisdom shows the seeker that heishimself Margabandhu. The seeker realises there is no where to go and theseeking ends. So He is known as ; VS(365). He is sought by people who want liberation. He is the paththrough which one can get innite bliss. Only by knowing Him liberationis attained VS(397). The poet says Why say divya? The scriptures talk of the paths the jivacan take after the fall of the physical body. They are the dark path( )and the bright path ( ). The former path is available to

51those who perform duties and sacrices prescribed in the vedas. Karmasmay be performed with desires also (known as sakama karma). One may,for example, perform a sacrice for achieving wealth or property oreven swarga loka. The karmas done properly produce results withoutfail. One who does the prescribed karmas go to world of manes orpitruloka after death through the dark path.One can also do the karmas without any desire (known asnishkamakarma). They are done as oering to the Lord and the resultsare accepted as gifts from Him. Such karmas naturally do not havea binding eect but result in () purity of themind. So, now one with a puried mind can add meditation or upAsana( ) on the Lord in any chosen form, that is saguna Iswara,like Krishna, Rama, Shiva etc. This becomes a powerful combination andand gives better results(i.e.) they go to devaloka through the brightpath .These are said to be superior worlds as the pleasures enjoyedare superior. MU(1-2-5). We saw earlier that eventhe worlds of gods are nite and so one who attains such a place hasto come down and be reborn after his merits are exhausted. So it is notconsidered wise to keep on doing karmas. Those who take to a combinationof karma and upasana can practise austerities and develop mental maturityand detachmant. They go to Brahmaloka through the bright path MU(1-2-11). Note the use of the word ,that is they are not yet jnAnis but on the way to become a jnAni. Ajnani is liberated while alive in this world itself. He is known as ajivanmukta ( ). But those who go to the Brahmaloka studyvedanta at the feet of Brahma. They get realisation. At the time ofpralaya they, along with Brahma merge with brahman. They do not returntothis world. This is what is known as gradual emancipation or kramamukti( ). The lord is a companion and guide to those who taketo the bright path that leads to Him.

52 Meaning of the verse. I worship Lord Margabandhu who is eternal, ofthe form of consciousness and bliss, who curbed the pride of Ravana,who used Meru the golden mountain as a bow, who wears the bark of atree and skins and who is a companion to those who choose to tread thespiritual path leading to liberation.

. . . . - =Manmatha, the god of love = arrogance,pride, vanity = used at the end of a word means destroying,removing or curing. So means one who removed or curedthe pride. Shiva cured or removed the pride of Manmatha, the god oflove.This statement lends itself for more than one interpretation.1 - Though formless and without attributes Lord assumes various formssuch as Shiva, Krishna, Rama, Uma, LakShmi etc., to gladden the heartsof His devotees. Words can not adequately describe the beauty ofthese forms. Manmatha is said to be the paragon of beauty. But evenhis famed beauty appears drab and insignicant when one thinks ofthe lords bewitching form. Shri Suka describes Krishna as BH(10-32-2), that is His beautywill cast a spell on Manmatha himself. So where is the question ofhis feeling proud in the Lords prescence? In view of this He isknown as SS(416). Also VS(791). One who is morebeautiful than anyone else . SS(249) - VS(586). Also - VS(782).

53Saints and devotees have lost themselves in singing about the beautyof the lord. Let us savour some samples.This description of Shiva is from Navaratnamala by the saint ShriSadasivabrahmendra Shivas divine form is millions of times morebeautiful than that of Manmatha.Likewise the saint Shri Narayana Tirta in his Krishna Leelataranginirepeatedly calls Krishna as ,, ,, , that is Krishna is millions oftimes more beautiful than Manmatha. Such being the case his beauty iscompletely eclipsed in the prescence of the Lord: just like thefeeble light of the stars is lost in the blazing light of the sun.Let us look at another example. This one is from ShriKrishnakarnamrutam by Lilasukha. He is amazed at the sweet form ofKrishna and could only exclaim Oh! He is sweet,sweet, the veryembodiment of sweetness. - - Shri Vedanta Desika should have had the same sentiment as Shri DikShitaand addresses the lord at Tirupathy as ! the One whose beautiful form destroys thepride of Manmatha (in Venkatesa suprabatam).The use of the word for Manmatha is signicant. Thename means that he was proud right from birth. Even the pride of sucha being vanishes in the prescence of the Lord.2 - We are in the habit of describing things that have no denedform or have no form as beautiful if they please our senses. Thus wesay the weather is beautiful or a smell is beautiful when it is ispleasing to our senses. Similarly we describe the nature, for examplethe sun rise, as beautiful because it is colourful and it is alsocool at that time. We do not call the scene beautiful after a coupleof hours when the sun is sizzling! In the same way we describe the

54 formless Lord as beautiful as He confers bliss on us. Further weatheretc., can give happiness in a very limited manner, that is for alimited time or in a limited quantity only. Soon they tend to pall orthey will turn sour. So we may not call them really pleasing.Considering this Krishna says BG(5-22) . In sharp contrast the Lord is of the form of unlimited bliss and soinnitely beautiful. And it never gets stale. One never gets satedwith looking at the form. Lilasukha is charmed by Krishnas form anddescribes it in his Shri Krishnakarnamrutam thus:, , It appears beautiful every time one looks atit. It seems ever fresh and more lovely than it appeared last timewhen one saw it.So He is known as - ,- SS(818). and - SS(924).Devi Lalita is known as - ; - (Lalitatrishati No. 130, Shankaras commentary).3 - At a dierent level we may say that Manmatha was not destroyedreally as it is said. He came on a mission but failed miserably. ButShiva was in total control of Himself and so could not be shaken. Hehas many names that attest this fact. Some of them are: - , (. .) VS(582)and SS(9) - SS(89). -

55VS(396) - SS(578). ThusManmatha was no match to Shiva. He totally lost himself in theprescence of Shiva. This is said to be the destruction of Manmatha.Shivas anger was a ash and disappeared soon after as is wont withnoble souls The punishment was a token.Shiva yielded to Ratis pleadings and brought Manmatha back to life ashe has a role to play in the creation - The lord or master, one who is in complete control.Relating to the preceding episode of Manmatha this epithet ts Shivaperfectly as He conquered him who was famed to be invincible in allthe three worlds. He made Manmatha feel small and acknowledge Shivasoverwhelming superiority - = black or dark-blue colour = throat.This means one whose throat has a dark colour. It refers toShiva whose throat has a bluish hue. This is said to have happenedafter he swallowed the poison that was given out by the serpentVasuki when the ocean was churned by the devas and asuras. LikeManmatha in the episode narrated above, the poison also lost itsvirulence and became impotent in Shivas prescence. So Shiva has thefollowing names - - -- SS(5). The name forShiva appears in several places in Shri Rudram. Also: - -- -- , SS(118) and SA(16). Thissays that even the dark patch generated by the poison added to the

56 beauty of Shivas throat. This is said in the following verse in theShivamahimna Stotram also- The following names of Shiva are based on this incident. -- , , , , , - SS(203).The story of churning of the ocean is mentioned in the puranas. Itappears in 8th book of Shrimad Bhagavatam. Some verses from this aregiven for reference Seeing that eervescent, unbearable and irresistible poisonpossessing tremendous force and spreading in all quarters, as well asabove and below, and nding no protection (anywhere), living beingsalong with their leaders got much frightened and ew for protectionto Lord Sadasiva (the ever-auspicious one). They prayed to Shivato protect them. They said O god of gods! O supreme deity! the protector, nay, the very

57self of all created beings! save us who have sought refuge in You,from this poison that is burning all the three worlds.Shiva saw their plight Shiva who was theembodiment of mercy was very much aected by their plight and toldHis consort Sati this How distressing it is, O Bhavani, this calamity that has comeup on these people from the poison Kalakuta that had appeared duringthe churning of the ocean of milk. Protection must be given by me to these people who areconcerned about their lives. To protect the aicted is the mainconcern of the great (who is endowed with power). Saying thisShiva swallowed the poison He had gathered in His hand Observing the benevolent act of Lord Shiva those who approached Him,Sati, Brahma and Lord Vishnu praised it.Refering to this episode of Shiva swallowing the poison and thewearing Ganga on His head, the author Shri DikShita says that the Lordperformed these acts not because the poison was tasty or Ganga haspurifying power : but only to save the world and because of extremecompassion. And these two acts could not have been performed byanyone else --- (Brahmatarkastavam) - is a substitute for meaning big orgreat is synonymous with and means lord ormaster is the name of Shiva

58 SS(26) - ; ; , ; , Indra andother gods like Yama may be lords of their respective quarters andhave powers but the Shiva is their Lord also. Their lordships andpowers were given by Him only. And it is to Him only they all rushfor protection when they see a danger to all, as happened in thestory just narrated.Later on it is said , , , SA(2) - = great or big = sky,atmosphere is an epithet of Shiva : SS(96) and SA(75).While receiving the Ganga when she was coming down from the heavens,Shiva spread out His hair which appeared to cover the sky. Hence thename. It is also on