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Now reading -'7 Secrets from Hindu calendar Art'

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Rajesh
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Now reading -'7 Secrets from Hindu calendar Art'

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I am not a believer . I don't know whether I qualify to be an atheist.But I am interested in reading about the religions, especially the ancient religions like HInduism, Greek etc.

Currently I am reading the book '7 Secrets from Hindu calendar Art' by Devdutt Pattanaik

From the book--
Hindu Calendar Art may be gaudy and kitsch, but it is the most modern and democratic expression of a mythic imagery that once adorned temple walls and palm leaf manuscripts. They speak a language that is indifferent to rationality. It is the language of a people’s faith. In this book, Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik, India’s renowned mythologist, translates this language and reveals an ancient Indian truth that will certainly impact your life.

http://devdutt.com/7-secrets-from-hindu-calendar-art/
“Her blood is settled, and her joints are stiff;
Life and these lips have long been separated:
Death lies on her like an untimely frost
Upon the sweetest flower of all the field.”
youkrst

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Re: Now reading -'7 Secrets from Hindu calendar Art'

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mmmmmmmm thanks i loved the 7 "secrets"
Ganesha’s secret – Different people see God differently
Narayana’s secret – What dies is always reborn
Ardhanari’s secret – God is within, Goddess without
Shiva’s secret – Withdrawal leads to destruction
Devi’s secret – Desire and destiny create life
Vishnu’s secret – Detached engagement brings order
Brahma’s secret – Human life is an opportunity
loved this bit too
Within infinite myths lies the Eternal Truth?

Who sees it all?

Varuna has but a thousand eyes

Indra, a hundred

And I, only two.
Varuna reminded me that Bobby Vee used to sing "the night has a thousand eyes" :D
As a sky god, Varuna may either correspond to, or rule over, the dark half of the sky—or celestial ocean (Rasā)[2]—or represent the 'dark' side of the Sun as it travels back from West to East during the night.[3]
and i was also reminded of Joe Campbells reminder
“All the gods, all the heavens, all the hells, are within you.”
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Rajesh
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Re: Now reading -'7 Secrets from Hindu calendar Art'

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Thanks youkrst..

I have bought one more book by the same author . '7 Secrets of Shiva'..
“Her blood is settled, and her joints are stiff;
Life and these lips have long been separated:
Death lies on her like an untimely frost
Upon the sweetest flower of all the field.”
youkrst

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Re: Now reading -'7 Secrets from Hindu calendar Art'

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Rajeshma wrote:'7 Secrets of Shiva'..
sounds like a great read, give us a quote or two from the book if you get the time and inclination

i got this from wikipedia and liked it a lot :)
Lord Shiva is usually worshipped in the abstract form of Shiva linga. In images, He is represented as a handsome[5] young man[6] immersed in deep meditation or dancing the Tandava upon Apasmara, the demon of ignorance in his manifestation of Nataraja, the Lord of the dance, goodness, humility, and every good quality a human should have. It is said that He looks like an eternal youth because of his authority over death, rebirth and immortality.
go Shiva go!
When, for example, he expresses himself through space and time, he is known as Eshwara. He is called Sadashiva when he functions through air, which incorporates the principles of both sound and touch. Shiva is known as Rudra when he operates through fire, which incorporates the principles of sound, touch and form.
mmmm endless blessings, thanks for getting me thinking on these themes as it brings great wonder, power and excitement into my experience.
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Rajesh
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Re: Now reading -'7 Secrets from Hindu calendar Art'

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Sure Youkrst.. I am planning for a detailed post about 7 secrets of Shiva, once I am done with..

There is another book 'The immortals of Meluha' by Amish Tripathi..It is the first book in the series 'Shiva Trilogy'
The second part is 'The secrets of Naga'..

The 'The immortals of Meluha' is surely a great read, if you know a little bit about the Hindu mythology.
It describes Shiva as a human.. a hero.. Similar to what Dan Brown had done..

From the book
" Over the centuries , no foreigner who came to our land believed that such a great man could possibly exist in reality. They assumed that he must have been a mythical God, whose existence could be possible only in the realms of human imagination.Unfortunately, this became our received wisdom.

But what if we are wrong? What if Lord Shiva was not a figment of a rich imagination,but a person of flesh and blood? Like you and me. A man who rose to be godlike because of his karma"
“Her blood is settled, and her joints are stiff;
Life and these lips have long been separated:
Death lies on her like an untimely frost
Upon the sweetest flower of all the field.”
youkrst

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Re: Now reading -'7 Secrets from Hindu calendar Art'

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i was reading on the wiki where one reviewer called "immortals of meluha" unputdownable, sounds great.

and Devdutt Pattanaik from The Tribune commented that "the writer takes us on a sinister journey with the characters, who frequently sound as if they are one of us only."

i'm an avid student of all world mythology and particularly the perennial philosophy that pops up all over the place. my knowledge of the hindu tradition is limited but joe campbell and alan watts hipped me to a bit through a heap of their stuff that i was devouring and your posts got me reading a bit more today. i found myself resonating easily in the ancient wisdom tradition and decoding a few of the metaphors which is always what fires me up and is the music that makes it easy to dance the tandava upon apasmara.

i like the idea of revisiting mythological ideas in new ways, i find mythology really fires the creative imagination so it's perfect for writers and musicians and artists of all kinds, touching as it does upon deep elements in the psyche and subconscious and generally bringing the sublime into the ridiculous.

i look forward to hearing more.
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