\|/Doubts & Discussions about Lord Shiva Part-1\|/ - Page 80

Originally posted by: vanadhi

Thanks for the link , I forgot to book mark it , last time.

Why it is not displayed in first page like other columns ?🤔

accessing is hard !

Wow! Congrats for 100 pages!

Originally posted by: narangi_77

Wow! Congrats for 100 pages!

I have a question about the depiction of Shiva as a baby/child. I had never seen this depiction until I went to Kerala.

Even there, I saw it in what seemed to me recent calendar type art. I am wondering if this isn't a 20th c innovation. Or is there a long tradition of such depiction in some parts of India?

Are there any older depictions of the child Shiva that you know of ? Have seen?

Thanks!

Mira

Congrats on 100 pages, everyone.

About your question Mira, I am just speculating.

Thought the art may be recent, its inspiration may have come from ancient Tamil Literature. There is a form of literature called 'Pillai Thamizh' in which the author chooses a hero/heroine for his work, visualises the hero of his creation as a child and describes the various stages of the child's growth - as a baby, a toddler, a kid, etc. All this is written in poetic form in definite stanzas. For example, if a poet wants to choose Lord Shiva as the hero of his/her epic, then he/she will envision Lord Shiva as a baby, a toddler, a kid and write verses about it. The verses wont describe the events of child's life but only the qualities of the child and the leelas. This literature is sometimes speculative and sometimes a creation based on historical facts. The hero/heroine can be anyone - a god or human. I've heard of Pillai Thamizh literature on Lord Skanda, Lord Ganesh, some famous kings, sometimes about Lord Srinivasa and the Goddess Ambika but not on Lord Shiva or Lord Vishnu. It is possible that someone may have written about Lord Shiva as a child and an artist had depicted it or the artist could have taken the inspiration from the literature itself.


I cannot recall any other references to Lord Shiva being a kid except the times (2 instances) when the three Gods tested Anusuya and Pattinathaar's story.

I'll post the stories too, if required 😊

I hv seen some paintings where Lord Shiva who is a kid is sleeping on a tiger skin. Edited by subha2601 - 11 years ago

Originally posted by: Vibhishna

Congrats on 100 pages, everyone.

About your question Mira, I am just speculating.

Thought the art may be recent, its inspiration may have come from ancient Tamil Literature. There is a form of literature called 'Pillai Thamizh' in which the author chooses a hero/heroine for his work, visualises the hero of his creation as a child and describes the various stages of the child's growth - as a baby, a toddler, a kid, etc. All this is written in poetic form in definite stanzas. For example, if a poet wants to choose Lord Shiva as the hero of his/her epic, then he/she will envision Lord Shiva as a baby, a toddler, a kid and write verses about it. The verses wont describe the events of child's life but only the qualities of the child and the leelas. This literature is sometimes speculative and sometimes a creation based on historical facts. The hero/heroine can be anyone - a god or human. I've heard of Pillai Thamizh literature on Lord Skanda, Lord Ganesh, some famous kings, sometimes about Lord Srinivasa and the Goddess Ambika but not on Lord Shiva or Lord Vishnu. It is possible that someone may have written about Lord Shiva as a child and an artist had depicted it or the artist could have taken the inspiration from the literature itself.


I cannot recall any other references to Lord Shiva being a kid except the times (2 instances) when the three Gods tested Anusuya and Pattinathaar's story.

I'll post the stories too, if required 😊

Edited by narangi_77 - 11 years ago

Originally posted by: subha2601

I hv seen some paintings where Lord Shiva who is a kid is sleeping on a tiger skin.

 

Here's da story behind it.

One of the lesser known incarnations of Lord Shiva is a Child. Shiva took the form of a child to pacify Goddess Shakti, who took the form of the ferocious form of Goddess Chamunda to kill the demons Chara and Munda. After annihilating Chara and Munda, Goddess Chamunda looked around the earth and realized that the real demons are ego, avarice, jealousy, anger and lust which has overwhelmed the mind of human beings and decided to destroy the universe. Goddess Shakti, the mother of the Universe, thus decided to take up an unusual role of the destructor of the Universe.

Sensing the impending danger, Lord Shiva decided to take the form a child. Soon Mahadeva took the form a baby and began to cry. His cry echoed through the universe and Goddess Chamunda looked around and found Shiva in the form a child.

Goddess Shakti experienced pangs of motherly love and soon approached the child with an urge to nurse him. Child Shiva was soon able to pacify the ferocious Chamunda.

While nursing the child Shiva, Goddess Shakti realized that she was the mother of the universe and her rage turned to affection.

  

Subha,
Edited by Vibhishna - 11 years ago

Originally posted by: vanadhi

Thanks for the link , I forgot to book mark it , last time.

Why it is not displayed in first page like other columns ?🤔

accessing is hard !

Edited by .Vrish. - 11 years ago

I have a different question - which I recalled seeing the ridiculous precap of Rati cursing Parvati

Originally posted by: .Vrish.

Oh, and an aside - was there any particular reason that Mahadev & Parvati didn't have any uterine babies?