shiv on eid

shivaa

hindu god

love bird

 

nataraj shiva

Nataraja or Nataraj, the dancing form of Lord Shiva, is a symbolic synthesis of the most important aspects of Hinduism, and the summary of the central tenets of this Vedic religion. The term 'Nataraj' means 'King of Dancers' (Sanskrit nata = dance; raja = king). In the words of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, Nataraj is the "clearest image of the activity of God which any art or religion can boast of…A more fluid and energetic representation of a moving figure than the dancing figure of Shiva can scarcely be found anywhere," (The Dance of Shiva)

The Origin of the Nataraj Form:

An extraordinary iconographic representation of the rich and diverse cultural heritage of India, it was developed in southern India by 9th and 10th century artists during the Chola period (880-1279 CE) in a series of beautiful bronze sculptures. By the 12th century AD, it achieved canonical stature and soon the Chola Nataraja became the supreme statement of Hindu art.

The Vital Form & Symbolism:

In a marvelously unified and dynamic composition expressing the rhythm and harmony of life, Nataraj is shown with four hands represent the cardinal directions. He is dancing, with his left foot elegantly raised and the right foot on a prostrate figure — 'Apasmara Purusha', the personification of illusion and ignorance over whom Shiva triumphs. The upper left hand holds a flame, the lower left hand points down to the dwarf, who is shown holding a cobra. The upper right hand holds an hourglass drum or 'dumroo' that stands for the male-female vital principle, the lower shows the gesture of assertion: "Be without fear."

Snakes that stand for egotism, are seen uncoiling from his arms, legs, and hair, which is braided and bejeweled. His matted locks are whirling as he dances within an arch of flames representing the endless cycle of birth and death. On his head is a skull, which symbolizes his conquest over death. Goddess Ganga, the epitome of the holy river Ganges, also sits on his hairdo. His third eye is symbolic of his omniscience, insight, and enlightenment. The whole idol rests on a lotus pedestal, the symbol of the creative forces of the universe.

The Significance of Shiva's Dance:

This cosmic dance of Shiva is called 'Anandatandava,' meaning the Dance of Bliss, and symbolizes the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction, as well as the daily rhythm of birth and death. The dance is a pictorial allegory of the five principle manifestations of eternal energy — creation, destruction, preservation, salvation, and illusion. According to Coomerswamy, the dance of Shiva also represents his five activities: 'Shrishti' (creation, evolution); 'Sthiti' (preservation, support); 'Samhara' (destruction, evolution); 'Tirobhava' (illusion); and 'Anugraha' (release, emancipation, grace).

The overall temper of the image is paradoxical, uniting the inner tranquility, and outside activity of Shiva.

A Scientific Metaphor:

Fritzof Capra in his article "The Dance of Shiva: The Hindu View of Matter in the Light of Modern Physics," and later in the The Tao of Physics beautifully relates Nataraj's dance with modern physics. He says that "every subatomic particle not only performs an energy dance, but also is an energy dance; a pulsating process of creation and destruction…without end…For the modern physicists, then Shiva's dance is the dance of subatomic matter. As in Hindu mythology, it is a continual dance of creation and destruction involving the whole cosmos; the basis of all existence and of all natural phenomena."

The Nataraj Statue at CERN, Geneva:

In 2004, a 2m statue of the dancing Shiva was unveiled at CERN, the European Center for Research in Particle Physics in Geneva. A special plaque next to the Shiva statue explains the significance of the metaphor of Shiva's cosmic dance with quotations from Capra: "Hundreds of years ago, Indian artists created visual images of dancing Shivas in a beautiful series of bronzes. In our time, physicists have used the most advanced technology to portray the patterns of the cosmic dance. The metaphor of the cosmic dance thus unifies ancient mythology, religious art and modern physics."

To sum up, here's an excerpt from a beautiful poem by Ruth Peel:
"The source of all movement,
Shiva's dance,
Gives rhythm to the universe.
He dances in evil places,
In sacred,
He creates and preserves,
Destroys and releases.
We are part of this dance
This eternal rhythm,
And woe to us if, blinded
By illusions,
We detach ourselves
From the dancing cosmos,
This universal harmony…"

shiva tandava

Tandava story

The son of sage Vishrawas and the demon princess Kaikesi, known as Dashaanana, the ten headed one, was once flying over the great Himalaya mountains in his airborne chariot, Pushpaka. The aircraft could be willed to move in any direction as chosen by its rider. The young and proud Dashaanana tested its capabilities by willing it to ascend higher and higher, much above the tallest mountain peaks, and he was delighted as the vehicle obeyed his mind and continually rose. Abruptly, however, the motion of Pushpaka was stalled. The aircraft would move neither upward nor forward. It was as though an invisible barrier held it from going ahead.

Dashaanana willed the chariot to descend at the foot of the mountain beyond which his plane refused to travel and he alighted to examine what prevented its further motion. He beheld a large lake, north of which was the mountain. Moving closer, the ten headed one observed some activity around the mountain. At its base was a gate, attended to by a strange looking being. He could not make out from the distance what being it was and he mockingly called out to it saying, "Monkey! Tell me why my chariot is not able to cross this mountain aerially. What holds it back?"

His callousness and ignorance angered the gatekeeper, who was actually a bull called Nandi. "Foolish raakshasa! For your slight of monkeys, may your lands be burnt by one. This is Kailasa, the abode of the Great Lord Siva. Do you not know of Him, ignorant as you are? There is nothing above Him in this world and, therefore, your silly vehicle cannot cross His abode. Turn back and return to where you came from, demon."

Dashaanana laughed out loud. "Of course I know Siva. I worship Him. But even He cannot stop me from traveling over this world, my own world. Does He not know I am Dashaanana, the ten headed? Does He not know that I am the ruler of the world? The gods all bow down to me and do my bidding. Surely Siva must acknowledge my superiority too. Instead, He chooses to block my path. Let me uproot this very mountain on which He dwells."

Dashaanana pushed Nandi away and dug his hands into the snow at the base of the mountain. Reaching for the roots of the mountain, with an enormous groan, the ten headed raakshasa lifted up that entire mountain. He pushed it up and heaved it on his great shoulders, much to the shock of Nandi. The demon was mindful to manage a smirk on his face, despite the enormous effort it took him to bear the weight of the whole mountain.

Atop the mountain, Siva and His consort, Parvati, felt a quake and Parvati expressed Her fright to Siva. The Destroyer smiled reassuringly at Her and pressed the surface of the mountain down with His big toe. Just that small pressure from the Great God, Mahadeva, pinned the mountain back down, crushing Dashaanana's arms beneath it. The demon let out a terrifying howl of pain- a howl that was magnified by the mountains, as though each peak relayed his agony with increased intensity. It appeared as though his cry echoed across the whole world, wringing the hearts of all its inhabitants. He tugged hard but was unable to release his arms from beneath the crushing weight of Mount Kailasa. He cried in pain and with eyes filled with tears of pain and desperation, looked beseechingly at Nandi. A few more of Siva's attendants had gathered to see what was happening. They all advised Dashaanana to sing hymns in praise of Siva to appease Him.

The mighty raakshasa inhaled deeply, as though gathering all his pain, and when he released his breath, he began singing. In that abject state of pain, Dashaanana composed powerful, moving hymns, in waves of resounding beauty.

"Lord with forest thick matted hair,

With graceful snakes as throat garlands,

Thump thump thump beats Your drum,

Dance Taandava to grant us grace,

Lord with river from Your thick hair,

With brightest fires on Your brow,

And a crescent moon on Your head,

I bow deeply down to Thee,

Lord of the mountain's daughter Parvati,

With an ever compassionate eye,

In whose control these worlds all are,

My mind seeks You everywhere,

Lord who burnt even Manmathan,

With one arrow razed the Tri Puras

Destroyer of the demon Andhaka,

Release me from bonds of the world,

Lord who destroys destruction

With sweetness destroys all evil

Controlling even mighty Yama

I pray to Thee and sing Thy name,

Lord who is eternally felicitous,

With equal love for one and all,

Folding hands above my heads I come,

When, Guru Siva, will I be at peace?"

And Siva appeared.

"Rise, o Dashaanana! Be freed from the weight you foolishly ventured to bear. Rise, o ten headed one, rise!"

Dashaanana found his hands released from the pinning burden of the Mountain. He fell at Siva's feet. "Pardon my arrogance, Mahadeva, for I am yet a fool."

"Your devotion in the face of adversity is worthy of the highest praise, ten headed one. May you be known henceforth as Raavana. He of the terrible cry. Rise, Raavana and behold your reward."

The Destroyer produced a long, thin, curved sword, forged of brilliant, white metal.

"This is My Chandrahaasa blade. I gift it to you in acknowledgement of your faith in Me. Be warned that it is not to touch the ground at any time, nor used on an enemy unjustly. Should it, and it shall return to Me immediately. Use it well."

Raavana accepted the Chandrahaasa- literally, moon smile- blade and touched it to his forehead as a mark of respect. He bowed again to Siva, and the God disappeared.

The hymns composed by Raavana are known collectively as the Siva Taandava Stotram, with each line comprising of sixteen syllables.

This was the story of Dashaanana the ten headed being given the name Raavana by the Destroyer Himself. I shall be back soon with another story to tell. The story of the fulfillment of Sati's promise to Siva...

shiva immortal love story

In the fourth skandha we have the glorious katha of Siva and Sati, which will strike us with wonder and consternation. When Brahma was about to create the world, from him the four Kumaras – Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, Sanatkumara – were manifested for the first time. The moment they were born, Brahma told them to assist him in creation. The Kumaras said, “We would rather concentrate our minds on the Supreme Being than engage ourselves in creation.” Brahma was in a state of discomfiture at the total disregard that they paid to his request. He was annoyed, and anger burst through his forehead. But as these Kumaras were equally powerful due to their centralisation in God Almighty, this anger could not be directed towards them; and since Brahma could not swallow the anger, he released it. At that moment, a fiercely roaring being arose from his forehead, demanding an immediate abode for itself. It cried out. Then Brahma said, “Oh, Rudra!” Because it cried the moment it was born, it is designated as Rudra – one who makes roaring sounds, and yells and shouts.

Brahma said, “Help me in creation.” Instantly, this being created an endless variety of demoniacal creatures which were frightening even to Brahma’s eye. Brahma said, “Please stop your creation!” “Then what shall I do?” asked Rudra. “I shall give you an abode. Go there, and keep quiet. Don’t do anything at all.” Then Brahma named him Siva, Rudra, Bhava, and many other names, and also gave him the Saktis; and Rudra, who is Siva, retired to Kailasa. He did not interfere with anybody.

One day, when Brahma was holding his audience, all the gods were seated, and Siva also was seated there. At that time, Daksha, who was also a progeny of Brahma, entered the hall. In honour of his great entrance into the hall, all the gods stood up in obeisance. But Siva did not get up. He remained seated, minding not the coming of Daksha. Incidentally, Sati, the daughter of Daksha, was married to Siva, so Siva was Daksha’s son-in-law. But Siva showed utter disregard for his father-in-law and did not rise from his seat when all others stood up offering obeisance. This enraged Daksha, who stood with uplifted arms and said, “Oh, you gods! Please listen to what I am saying. Here is an idiotic fellow seated in the audience of the gods. Shameless is he. He has no respect for anybody. He wanders about half-naked and lives like a beggar. To him I gave my daughter; what a mistake I have committed! Shame to those with him in this audience!” Daksha went on shouting like this for a long time, and all the gods shut their ears because they could not hear all this. Siva also heard all the abuses poured upon him by Daksha, but he did not utter even one word. He just walked out of the palace and returned to his abode in Kailasa, where he lived with Sati.

One day, Sati observed the celestials travelling in some direction in their aerial cars. She looked up and asked, “Where are the gods going?”

“You don’t know?” asked one of the gods, “How is it that you do not know? Your own father is performing a glorious yajna, to which he has invited all the celestials, and we are all going there. How is it that you, his daughter, do not know?” Sati was in great chagrin that an invitation had not been extended to Siva. She was disturbed that her father had ignored both her and Siva, but as he was her father she told Siva, “I want to go to my father’s yajna.”

Lord Siva said, “It is not proper for you to go there.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Daksha does not like me. He has no regard for me, and therefore your going there is not proper,” replied Siva.

But Sati said, “No, he is my father.”

“He may be your father, but he hates me, so you should not go if I am not going. I am not responsible for the consequences.”

“What consequences? I shall take care of myself,” she told him.

“I am telling you again, it is not good for you to go there. You will not gain anything by it, and this adventure will not end in anyone’s happiness. I advise you not to go.”

“No, I must go,” she insisted.

“I don’t think I should send my attendants to take you there. It will be highly improper for me,” said Siva.

“I shall go with my own attendants!” Sati collected all her attendants and marched, under the impression that she, being the divine daughter of this great Daksha, will be highly honoured in the midst of all the gods.

With great expectations of glory before her, she went to the yajna and stood at the gate. She expected someone to come and receive her, but nobody looked at her. For fear of Daksha, no other god would utter a word. Of course, her mother and associates came and hugged her but she rejected their greeting, perhaps because her father was not concerned with her. She looked here and there. “What is happening? How is it that no one is receiving me?” Sati thought. Then she remembered the words of Siva. “I disregarded him, and came here. Now neither can I stand here, nor can I go back to him shamefacedly.” She expected somebody to come. Nobody came. Time passed like this, and the yajna was going on. The gods turned their backs to her. It was a very serious situation.

Sati stood up and loudly proclaimed in a ferocious language, “Due to the impropriety of this yajna, where the great master Siva is not invited, it cannot be called a divine sacrifice because the chief divinity itself is not present. Fie upon you all gods! Shamelessly you have attended the yajna of this irresponsible Daksha, whom I no longer regard as my father. Siva is being disrespected. The two words ‘si’ and ‘va’ are sufficient to give salvation to people, and such a divinity is being disregarded here. Is this a divine sacrifice? Are you gods? Have you any sense? You did not invite Lord Siva, and you come and sit here at the feet of this terrible person whom I shamelessly called father. I am sorry that I have been born to him.”

Sati sat, with great sorrow burning her body. She sat in a state of yoga, invoked agni from within herself, and the yoga within burned her. Flames came up and consumed her. All were shocked. What is this that has happened? They had nothing to say this way or that way. All were wondering what to do. There was nothing that they could do, nothing that they could say. They were shocked, nothing but shocked.

News reached Lord Siva. He could have opened his third eye and burnt Daksha, but he had something else in his mind. He pulled a hair from his head and struck it on the ground. A fierce giant rose up. “Order, master!” said the giant.

“Go and destroy the yajna of Daksha,” said Siva.

With the fierce retinue of Rudra, this giant called Veerabhadra rushed to the sacrificial area of Daksha, and when this fierce onrush of militant demoniacal forces entered the yajna, the ritviks, the priests performing the yajna, were frightened. They immediately invoked a force into the fire, by which they created a counterforce which rose up by the millions and attacked Rudra’s retinue. There was a tussle between the two forces, but suddenly Veerabhadra overcame all the opposition and severed the head of Daksha.

Rudra came to know all this. He was mad with rage. He ran, holding the body of Sati, and rolled all over like a crazy person, as if he was dancing the final Tandava of destruction before him. The whole world was terrified because nobody knew what he was going to do. He would not stand in one place. He ran from place to place – the whole creation, as it were – holding Sati’s body, and he looked as if he was inebriated and had lost his sense. He was conscious only of Sati’s dead body, and was moving fiercely like a whirlwind, like a tornado, like a tempest.

All the gods were frightened, and went to Lord Vishnu: “Please do something. Everything is in danger. He is not going to leave this body; and what he will do finally, nobody knows.” Then Sri Vishnu, Narayana, released his sudarshana chakra, which sliced Sati’s body into little pieces; and because of the ravaging movement of Siva, the pieces were scattered and fell in seven different places. It is believed that all the spots where parts of this body fell are sakti sthalas, and even today they are worshipped in various parts in this country.

Then the gods, including Brahma, went to Siva. Vishnu greeted Siva and said, “Calm down. Please pardon this man Daksha. His behaviour was due to ignorance, and you should not punish an ignorant person. Calm down. Bless him. Let him be allowed to continue his yajna. After all, he is a foolish person, and are you going to be so enraged at the foolishness of this man?”

Then Lord Siva calmed down. But how could the yajna continue when Daksha’s head had gone? So a goat’s head was brought and fixed on Daksha, and he was enlivened to the person that he was. He immediately realised his mistake and prostrated – sashtanga namaskaram – before Lord Siva, and chanted the Rudra mantra, Namakam and Chamakam. Some people humorously say the mantra was made by uttering words cha me, cha me, because goats make that sound! The yajna was completed. Brahma, Vishnu, Siva blessed the yajna, and everything went on well.

Here, in the tradition of the pantheon of gods according to the Epics and the Puranas, Lord Siva stands preeminent. He is not an ordinary god. It is impossible to describe what kind of person he is. He is a person who wants nothing for himself. 

Lord Siva’s name also occurs in the Mahabharata. One day, when Arjuna was seated with Bhagavan Sri Krishna at the close of the day’s battle, Arjuna queried Krishna, “Master, may I ask you a question?”

“Yes, ask,” replied Krishna.

“When I was engaged in battle with Drona and Karna, I saw some vague being moving about, not touching the ground. It was sometimes visible, sometimes not visible. It had ashes on its body, a serpent on the neck, and a trident in hand. I could not make out what it was. It was an illusion before me. At the time I could not speak about this because I was engaged in war, but I remember this incident now and want to ask you what it was that I was seeing there.”

Sri Krishna said, “You are a blessed man to have that vision. It was Bhagavan Sankara imself, invisibly moving in the battlefield to help you. Otherwise, even with all your archery, with all your might and name, knowledge and power, do you believe that you can face people like Bhishma, Drona and Karna? They are all a hundred times stronger than you. Siva, in is compassion, came uninvited to bless you because of your goodness. He did not engage in battle, and did not come to wage war with the Kurus, but is very presence was enough to paralyse the strength of all the Kurus. The very odour emanating from is body was enough to cow down everybody and make them lose all their strength. Such is the glory of Siva, the great Sankara Bhagavan, and you had is darshan. Blessed you are, Arjuna! He is ashutosh – immediately pleased. Ask, and it is given immediately. You did not call him, but he knew that you require help. Unsolicited, the great master, the great god, comes to you.”

This is Mahadeva, Sankara, Rudra, Siva. He was in the air, moving about without touching the ground. The point here is is blessings. Sankara bhagavan ki jai! Here we have the central issue, practically, of the fourth skandha of the Srimad Bhagavata – among many other things into which we will not enter here due to paucity of time...

21st century SHIVA

                                                                                                                                                                                   

shiv tandav sculprit

                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                                             

nude priest

Naga sadhu’s In Kumbh Festival-2013-India      

                                                                                                              

                                                                                                            

         Kumbh Festival- Kumbh means Water pot or Vessel.Kumbh Festival is one of the Biggest Saint Festival in the World where Millions of Saints from every part of The World come to take bath in the Holy River “Ganga”.I am happy that i got the opportunity to visit this Festival on 12th Feb 2010 and i am happy to share with you all.

Kumbh festival is organized in every 4 years at 4 different locations viz Nasik,Haridwar,Allahabad and Ujjain.Once happened at a location comes after 12 years only.This is the time when you can see the Real Spirituality of India.
People not only take bath but also pray to God to forgive them for all the sins they have committed.

Kumbh Festival Held every year and last for 4 months and 4 Major Baths are known as “Shahi Snan” or ” Royal Bath” in which Saints according to their category take bath.

First bath is taken by ” Naga Sadhu” who dnt wear anything and keep arms with them and then only other saints enter the river.

  NAGA SADHU                                                                                           

           Naga Sadhus belongs to different Akharas (which means   camps) and each akharash have their own set of Naga Babas who are living this world in most unconventional way and follow their own set of religion and spiritual activities without caring about this world.
The identification feature of Naga Sadhus include being naked with long hairs knotted with different metals and body smeared with ashes. Not only this, one can see Naga Sadhus could be seen wearing beads of Rudraksha, believe to posses positive healing power according to Hindu mythology. Not just a few but you can witness Naga sadhus wearing thousand of Rudraksha beads and is believed that wearing Eleven thousand Rudrakhsa beads will help them attain the form of Lord Shankara or Lord Shiva.

While you visit the akharas of Naga Sadhus, one can have a glance of these sadhus smoking “CHILUM” (Marijuana). The consumption of bhang is also considered to be a part of the rituals performed by Naga Sadhus. The sadhus hold the view that doing so will lead them to eternity or nirvana.

The upcoming Kumbh Mela in Allahabad (Prayag) will also bring number of Naga Baba and other Sadhus staying and accommodating themselves in different Akharas.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

   

SADHU

                                                                                 

In Hinduism, sādhu (skt साधु sādhu, “good; good man, holy man”) denotes an ascetic, wandering monk. Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. The sādhu is solely dedicated to achieving mokṣa (liberation), the fourth and final aśrama (stage of life), through meditation and contemplation of brahman. Sādhus often wear ochre-colored clothing, symbolizing their sanyāsa (renunciation).

This way of life is open to women; the female form of the word is sādhvī साध्वी.                                                                                     

Etymology

 

The Sanskrit terms sādhu ("good man") and sādhvī                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ("goodwoman")refer to renouncers who have chosen to live a life apart from or on the edges of society in order to focus on their own spiritual practice.                                               

The words come from the Sanskrit root sādh, which means "reach one's goal", "make straight", or "gain power over". The same root is used in the word sādhana, which means "spiritual practice".

                                                                                                                                          

                                

                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                   

Sadhu rituals                                                                                               

                                                                       

Sadhus are sanyasi, or renunciates, who have left behind all material attachments and live in caves, forests and temples all over India and Nepal.

A Sadhu is usually referred to as Baba by common people. The word baba also means father, grandfather, or uncle in many Indian languages. Sometimes the respectful suffix -ji may also be added after baba, to give greater respect to the renunciate. It is also a term of endearment for small boys.

There are 4–5 million sadhus in India today and they are widely respected for their holiness, and sometimes feared for their curses. It is also thought that the austere practices of the sadhus help to burn off their karma and that of the community at large. Thus seen as benefiting society, sadhus are supported by donations from many people. However, reverence of sadhus is by no means universal in India. Historically and contemporarily, sadhus have often been viewed with a certain degree of suspicion, particularly amongst the urban populations of India. Today, especially in popular pilgrimage cities, posing as a sadhu can be a means of acquiring income for non-devout beggars.

There are naked Naga (Digambara, or "sky-clad") Sadhus which are non-shaven and wear their hair in thick dreadlocks, and Jata, who carry                 swords^{[citation needed]}. Aghora   sadhus may claim to keep company with ghosts, or live in cemeteries as part of their holy path. Indian culture tends to emphasize an infinite number of paths to God, such that sadhus, and the varieties that sadhus come in have their place.                                  

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                              

Sadhu secrets

                                                                                                     

Sadhus engage in a wide variety of religious practices. Some practice extreme asceticism while others focus on praying, chanting or meditating.

There are two primary sectarian divisions within the sadhu community: Shaiva sadhus, ascetics devoted to Shiva, and Vaishnava sadhus, renouncers devoted to Vishnu and/or his incarnations, which include Rama and Krishna. Less numerous are Shakta sadhus, who are devoted to Shakti. Within these general divisions are numerous sects and subsects, reflecting different lineages and philosophical schools and traditions (often referred to as "sampradayas").

The Dashanami Sampradaya are Smartists; sadhus in the sect take one of the ten names as an appellation upon initiation. The sect is said to have been formed by the philosopher and renunciant Adi Shankara, believed to have lived in the 8th century CE, though the full history of the sect's formation is not clear.

While sadhus ostensibly leave behind traditional caste at initiation, the caste backgrounds of initiates does influence the sects into which they are admitted; certain ascetic groups, such as the Dandis within the Dashnami sampradaya, are composed only of men of brahmin birth, while other groups admit people from a wide variety of caste backgrounds.^{[citation needed]}

Female sadhus (sadhvis) exist in many sects. In many cases, the women that take to the life of renunciation are widows, and these types of sadhvis often live secluded lives in ascetic compounds. Sadhvis are sometimes regarded by some as manifestations or forms of the Goddess, or Devi, and are honored as such. There have been a number of charismatic sadhvis that have risen to fame as religious teachers in contemporary India (e.g.- Anandamayi Ma, Sarada Devi, Mata Amritanandamayi, and Karunamayi).

                                                                                                            

Becoming a sadhu

 

The processes and rituals of becoming a sadhu vary with sect; in almost all sects, a sadhu is initiated by a guru, who bestows upon the initiate a new name, as well as a mantra, (or sacred sound or phrase), which is generally known only to the sadhu and the guru and may be repeated by the initiate as part of meditative practice.

Becoming a sadhu is a path followed by millions. It is supposed to be the fourth phase in a Hindu’s life, after studies, being a father and a pilgrim, but for most it is not a practical option. For a person to become sadhu needs vairagya. Vairagya means desire to achieve something by leaving the world (cutting familial, societal and earthly attachments).

A person who wants to become sadhu must first seek a guru. There, he or she must perform 'guruseva' which means service. The guru decides whether the person is eligible to take sannyasa by observing the sisya (the person who wants to become a sadhu or sanyasi). If the person is eligible, 'guru upadesa' (which means teachings) is done. Only then, the person transforms into sanyasi or sadhu. There are different types of sanyasis in India who follow different sampradya. But, all sadhus have a common goal: attaining moksha (liberation).

Living as a sadhu is a difficult lifestyle. Sadhus are considered to be dead unto themselves, and legally dead to the country of India. As a ritual, they may be required to attend their own funeral before following a guru for many years, serving him by doing menial tasks until acquiring the necessary experience to leave his leadership.

While the life of renunciation is described as the fourth stage of life in the classical Sanskrit literature of the Hindu tradition, and the members of certain sects—particularly those dominated by initiates of brahman background— have typically lived as householders and raised families before becoming sadhus, many sects are composed of men that have renounced early in life, often in their late teens or early 20s. In a few cases, those who choose the sadhu life are fleeing from family or financial situations which they have found to be untenable,^{[citation needed]} if there is some worldly debt that remains to be repaid, would-be renunciates are encouraged by their gurus to pay off those debts before they become sadhus.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Lifestyle

                                                    

                           

                             

The  

           ruggedness of the sadhu life deters many from following the sadhu path. Such practices as the obligatory early morning bath in the cold      mountains require a detachment from common luxuries. After the bath, sadhus gather around the dhuni, or holy fireplace, and begin with their prayers and meditation for the day.                      

Some sadhus dispense cures to the local community, remove evil eyes or bless a marriage. They are a walking reminder to the average Hindu of Divinity. They are generally allowed free passage on the trains and are a close-knit organization.

Kumbh Mela, a mass-gathering of sadhus from all parts of India, takes place every three years at one of four points along sacred rivers in India, including the holy River Ganges. In 2007 it was held in Nasik, Maharashtra. Peter Owen-Jones filmed one episode of "Extreme Pilgrim" there during this event. It took place again in Haridwar in 2010. Sadhus of all sects join in this reunion. Millions of non-sadhu pilgrims also attend the festivals, and the Kumbh Mela is the largest gathering of human beings for a single religious purpose on the planet. Next Kumbh Mela will start on 27-January-2013 at Allahabad. For Kumbh Mela 2013 shahi snan (bathing) dates. You can see ocean of sadhu's in this kumbh mela

The lives of sadhus in contemporary India vary tremendously. Sadhus live in ashrams and temples in the midst of major urban centers, in huts on the edges of villages, in caves in the remote mountains. Others live lives of perpetual pilgrimage, moving without ceasing from one town, one holy place, to another. Some gurus live with one or two disciples; some ascetics are solitary, while others live in large, communal institutions. For some sadhus the brotherhood or sisterhood of ascetics is very important.

The rigor of the spiritual practices in which contemporary sadhus engage also varies a great deal. Apart from the very few that engage in the most dramatic, striking austerities—for example, standing on one leg for years on end or remaining silent for a dozen years—most sadhus engage in some form of religious practice: devotional worship, hatha yoga, fasting, etc. For many sadhus,consumption of certain forms of cannabis is accorded a religious significance.^[9] Sadhus occupy a unique and important place in Hindu society, particularly in villages and small towns more closely tied to tradition. In addition to bestowing religious instruction and blessings to lay people, sadhus are often called upon to adjudicate disputes between individuals or to intervene in conflicts within families. Sadhus are also living embodiments of the divine, images of what human life, in the Hindu view, is truly about — religious illumination and liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Though some ascetic sects possess properties that generate revenue to sustain members, most sadhus rely on the donations of lay people; poverty and hunger are ever-present realities for many sadhus.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                         more information

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadhu

whaT is GOD

       AGHORI Shaivite sadhu drinks from his human skull bowl.
      
           

VIDEO IS SO SENSITIVE ONLY FOR MATURED GUYS
  

                                                       

Aghori

                                                                               

He Aghori, Aghora (Sanskrit (Devanagari): अघोर), or Aughads, are a Shaivite Hindu sect – mostly composed of ascetic sadhus –  believed to have split off from the tantric Kapalika order (which dates from 1000) in India in the 14th   century^{[citation needed]}. The Aghori are known for their extreme   and outlandish violations of typical Indian and other social mores, as well as their unorthodox, taboo rituals which have caused many mainstream Hindus to condemn them as non-Hindu^{[citation needed]}. They are, for instance, known to engage in post-mortem ritual cannibalism (necrophagy), 

India land of oldest society, oldest civilization, but all this time in the Indian history there was a sect dedicated to Shiva was involved in cannibalism and other very crude animal behavior. The aghori or aghouri sect has its origin in ancient Vedic system, even though these people don’t follow the main stream Vedic system but the root is the same. The word aghori in Sanskrit means non terrifying, ‘a’-‘ghori’ most of the Hindi speaking people would have heard the phrase ghor kaliyug, ghor paap, etc.. it is the same ghor, theoretically these people don’t attach themselves to anything mortal. They do things which a common man finds to be terrifying, so they overcome this terror by going through it, since they do it regularly it is a common thing for them.

In Hinduism, “there is no evil, everything is emanated from ‘Brahman’, so how could anything in this universe be impure”? this is the kind of philosophy the aghori babas follow. According to them anything in this universe is the manifestation of god itself, so everything is as pure as god and is god like, so abandoning anything is like abandoning god itself.

The aghori mainly worship lord Shiva, according to the sect every human is a ‘shava’(dead body) with emotions and they should try to become ‘Shiva’ by denying the human pleasures and involving in the aghori rituals.

The root of aghoris are as old as Hinduism itself, but the sect in its present form has its origin in Kinaram, he was an aghori ascetic and lived for about 150yrs. He was believed to be the incarnation of lord Shiva. He attained many siddhis through tapas and rituals and then helped the people with his siddhis. There is a temple in Varanasi for this baba and is the most sacred for the aghoris. Some also trace the root to Dattatreya.

 

 

 

The aghori is a human symbol of lord Shiva himself. The aghori lives in cemetery (shmashana), the living place for lord Shiva, this is the representation that the final abode for everyone is the cemetery. And many of the aghoris roam around naked, representing the true humans and their detachment from this world of mortals who live in the world of illusion. By this they transcend beyond human feelings of love, hatred, jealousy, pride etc..                                

There are many aghoris walking the streets of northern India with kapala(skull cup). These aghoris eat anything, when I said anything, it really meant anything like rotten food, food from the dumps, the animal faeces, animal urine.. etc they regularly perform rites(some are so crude that it cant be explained here) to attain the highest level in aghoratva, the enlightenment. The final part of the ritual requires a minimum of one eating of putrid human flesh, and also meditating on(sitting) the dead corpse. This is the symbolic of their rise from shava to Shiva. They follow the simple rule that the universe resides in them and they try to attain enlightenment by self realization.                     

As the ascetic advance in his search, he attains many siddhis. Slowly they gain control over the environment. They seem to posses powers to cause a rain or to stop one. This is disturbing but this is true, even though they possess this kind of powers they will not use it, for the basic rule of aghori itself is to deny human pleasure so the change in climate is an event which should happen on its own. Whatever the ascetic says happens, I have met people who have had direct relation with the ascetic, and I cannot question the veracity of the datas. It is also said that when he curses someone, every wish of the person comes TRUE

There have been many aghoris in the past. Some of them being Dattatreya, Kinaram, Tailanga swamy, Aghoreshwar Mahaprabhu Baba Bhagwan Ram.hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

                                                                                                                    

 

 

 urophagia and coprophagy^{[citation needed]}; they also often dwell in charnel grounds, have been witnessed smearing cremation           ashes on their bodies, and have been known to use bones from human corpses for crafting skull bowls (which Shiva and other   Hindu deities are often iconically depicted holding or using)       and jewellery.                                                                   

Many Aghori gurus command great reverence from rural populations as they are supposed to possess miraculous healing powers gained through their intensely eremitic rites and practices of renunciation and tápasya.

Beliefs and doctrines                                               

                                                                                                           
                                                                                                           

                                                                                                            

Aghoris, while being devotees of the god Shiva in his manifestation as Lord Bhairava, are monists who adhere to the common Hindu belief in liberation, or moksha in Hindu parlance, from the cycle of reincarnation (samsara). This liberation is a realization of the self's identity with the absolute. Because of this monistic doctrine, the Aghoris maintain that all opposites are ultimately illusory. The purpose of embracing pollution and degradation through various customs is the realization of non-duality (Advaita) through transcending social taboos, attaining what is essentially an altered state of consciousness and perceiving the illusory nature of all conventional categories. The Aghoris are not to be confused with the Shivnetras, who are also ardent devotees of Shiva but do not indulge in extreme ritual worship practices known to some extent as tamasic. (Rituals involving some or all of the following: meat eating, alcohol drinking, consumption of beverages and foods with opiates – hallucinogens and Cannabis products as key ingredients (non-Aghora sadhus have also been known to use Cannabis) – cannibalism, residing in cremation grounds, and taking part in tantric sexual rituals.) Although the Aghora enjoy close ties with the Shivnetras, the two groups are in reality quite distinct, Shivnetras being purely sattvic in the nature of their worship.
Aghoris base their beliefs on two principles common to broader Shaivite dogma: that Shiva is perfect (omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, etc.) and that Shiva is responsible for everything that occurs – all conditions, causes and effects – in the phenomenal universe. Consequently, everything that exists must be perfect, and to deny the perfection of anything would be to deny the sacredness of all life in its full manifestation, as well as to deny the supreme being and the demigods' perfections.

Aghoris believe that a maximum of seven human murders will be forgiven. Human sacrifices do not count towards the murder total but are themselves very uncommon                                        

History

 The Kapalika ascetics of medieval Kashmir, as well as the Kalamukhas, with whom there may be a historical connection, the Aghoris trace their origin to Kina Ram, an ascetic who is said to have lived 150 years, dying during the second half of the 18th century.^[2] Dattatreya the avadhuta, to whom has been attributed the esteemed nondual medieval song, the Avadhuta Gita, was a founding adi guru of the Aghor tradition according to Barrett 

"...Lord Dattatreya, an antinomian form of Shiva closely associated with the cremation ground, who appeared to Baba Keenaram atop Girnar Mountain in Gujarat. Considered to be the adi guru (ancient spiritual teacher) and founding deity of Aghor, Lord Dattatreya offered his own flesh to the young ascetic as prasād (a kind of blessing), conferring upon him the power of clairvoyance and establishing a guru-disciple relationship between them."

Baba Keenaram was held to be an incarnation of Shiva, as have been each of his successors.^{[citation needed]} Aghoris also hold sacred the Hindu deity Dattatreya as a predecessor to the Aghori Tantric tradition. Dattatreya was believed to be an incarnation of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva united in the same singular physical body. Dattatreya is revered in all schools of Tantrism, which is the philosophy followed by the Aghora tradition, and he is often depicted in Hindu artwork and its holy scriptures of folk narratives, the Puranas, indulging in Aghori "left-hand" Tantric worship as his prime practice.

Aghoris go in search of powers through which they can avoid the punarjanma (rebirth) in this life.^{[citation needed]}. An aghori believes in getting into total darkness by all means, and then getting into light or self realizing. Though this is a different approach from other Hindu sects, they believe it to be effective. They are infamously known for their rituals that include such as shava samskara (ritual worship incorporating the use of a corpse as the altar) to invoke the mother goddess in her form as Smashan Tara (Tara of the Cremation Grounds). In Hindu iconography, Tara, like Kali, is one of the ten Mahavidyas (wisdom goddesses) and once invoked can bless the Aghori with supernatural powers. The most popular of the ten Mahavidyas who are worshiped by Aghoris are Dhumavati, Bagalamukhi, and Bhairavi. The male Hindu deities primarily worshiped by Aghoris for supernatural powers are manifestations of Shiva, including Mahakala, Bhairava, Virabhadra, Avadhooti, and others.

Barrett  discusses the 'charnel ground sadhana' (Sanskrit: shmashān sādhanā) of the 'Aghora'^{[disambiguation needed]} (Sanskrit; Devanagari: अघोर) in both its left and right-handed proclivites and identifies it as principally cutting through attachments and aversion and foregrounding primordiality, a view uncultured, undomesticated:

"The gurus and disciples of Aghor believe their state to be primordial and universal. They believe that all human beings are natural-born Aghori. Hari Baba has said on several occasions that human babies of all societies are without discrimination, that they will play as much in their own filth as with the toys around them. Children become progressively discriminating as they grow older and learn the culturally specific attachments and aversions of their parents. Children become increasingly aware of their mortality as they bump their heads and fall to the ground. They come to fear their mortality and then palliate this fear by finding ways to deny it altogether. In this sense, Aghor sādhanā is a process of unlearning deeply internalized cultural models. When this sādhanā takes the form of shmashān sādhanā, the Aghori faces death as a very young child, simultaneously meditating on the totality of life at its two extremes. This ideal example serves as a prototype for other Aghor practices, both left and right, in ritual and in daily life.

       http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1069826/