THE LIVING TRUTH OF SHIVA

 

He is the One who existed even before the world began.
He is the One who has been prayed to, even when He was unseen.
And ever since the very first time He chose to make His presence known,
Shiva has been loved by millions.

Shiva is a storyteller’s delight. But because Shiva is hugely paradoxical, it comes as no surprise that, much as He is loved by the masses, there have been times when He has actually been maligned in some circles.This may simply be because of ignorance - a lack of knowing Shiva’s spirituality. Ignorance is not always bliss; ignorance mostly leads to a fear, which then makes up its own stories. But  It became my call to write a book that gives equal emphasis to Shiva’s story and also reveals the fabulous mystic He has always been. 

Shiva is Mahakaal, the Ultimate Time Traveller. As The Timeless One vouchsafed to us by the ancient tellings of the rishis, down to our grandmothers’ tales, He is the Pauranic Shiva: The Shiva from Kailash. Shiva, the mountain Chieftain who lives happily with His beautiful Queen, Parvati, and the merry mountain men called ganas.
But He is also the Adhunik Shiva; the Omnipresent, who is always here, lurking in our own hearts, in the present, and thus the most modern at any time. In my books, therefore, while there will be conformity to tradition in recalling the magnificent trysts of the players from ancient times, there are also exciting new characters to introduce a dramatic interplay.

The central import of Shiva’s story, is that of love: God created this universe, simply to love and be loved. The central import of Parvati’s life, is to be with Shiva, always. In so doing even through lifetimes, it is She, who establishes the Hindu belief in re-incarnation; for love it is, that can propel us to be re-born; to manifest ourselves just to be with the beloved, once again.


Lately, a lot of interest has been evinced in Shiva. We have had dozens of books, TV serials, movie clips, comics ,and lots of pages and groups surfacing on social media, all dedicated to the enigma that is Mahadeva – The God amongst Gods. When I first set out to write on Shiva, I wanted to come out with something that I myself would have enjoyed reading about Him! Everyone loves a good story, and reading so much from others about Shiva, I wanted to present His story the way that I ‘saw’ Him.

While the idea is not just to replicate the Shiva Purana in modern parlance, a writer’s weave must keep the reader stimulated for the possibility of change; however, there are some fixations from which I do not wish to depart. As Shiva Himself says to Nandi in the book, “By Kailash, some things I shall never change”.

So, we had book One, in which we were taken back to the time of Shiva from His earliest known beginnings. Through dialogue and narrative, it attempted to weave out Shiva the man, as well as  Shiva the mystic, presenting to the reader, both the mythology and the mysticism of the most paradoxical God in the Hindu Pantheon.

Here, in book Two, the travails of Shiva are taken further in talks with Parvati, who, as stated above, by Her very appearance ,kindles the subject of reincarnation and past association. Shiva comes out clearly as the greatest chieftain and also the perfect lover.

Book Three, which is the actual idea behind all the writings, will culminate in Shiva embracing the future. He is here with us, in our own time, connecting with old friends like Gorakh, Jesus, Buddha, and more, galvanizing the council of mystics on His travels, whether biking His way through the Himalayan hills or taking fun -filled trips overseas…

A magical story about the possibility of Shiva in dance, with all the mystics of all the worlds, through all the ages , down to our own present time.
Aum Namah Shivaye!

एक वही हैं जो सृष्टि के पहले से ही उपस्तिथ थे
एक वही हैं जिसकी आराधना की जाती थी जब वोह दर्शनीय भी नहीं थे
और जब से स्वयं शिव ने पहली बार अपने दर्शन देने की सोची
करोड़ों भक्त उनसे प्रेम करने लगे
शिवजी एक लेखक की प्रेरणा हैं
परन्तु आश्चर्य यह है की जितना ही प्रेम शिवजी से लोग करते हैं , फिर भी कुछ ऐसे समय भी आये की जब शिव से कुछ लोगों ने घिन्न की .
और इसका कारण है अज्ञान .
लोगों को शिव के बारे में सही ज्ञान नहीं है .
और अज्ञानता से उत्पन होता है डर .
जो लोग शिवजी से अज्ञात थे ,उन्हें शिवजी का भय हो गया और वह शिवजी के बारे में गलत सोच रखने लगे .
ऐसा उद्धरण हममे शिव के ससुर राजा दक्ष से ही मिल गया .
दक्ष के समय से लेकर आज तक कुछ वर्ग ऐसे हैं जो शिव की असीम महिमा को अभी तक नहीं समझ.
इस लिए मैंने सोचा की मैं शिव के बारे में एक ऐसी पुस्तक लिखूं की जिसमे यह वर्णन किया जाये की शिव कितने अद्भुत साधु ,ज्ञानी , ध्यानी हैं
शिव महाकाल हैं , प्राचीन समय से ऋषियों मुनियों से लेकर हमारी दादी माओं ने हम सब को उनका वर्णन कैलाशवासी , गुणों के सरदार और पारवती के  स्वामी, ऐसी पहचान दी है .
परन्तु शिव सदावसन्तं भी हैं इस लिए वह ' एवरग्रीन ' हैं , आधुनिक शिव हैं  जो  लेखकों के ह्रदय में अपनी कथा सुनाते  हैं .
परन्तु पौराणिक हों या आधुनिक शिव के किस्से भी अवतरण या सृष्टि  करता  का मूल  है:
प्रेम
प्रेम वोह एक ऐसा मूल है जिसको पाने और देने के लिए भगवान् शिव ने इस सारे जगत को उत्पन किया .
क्या आप भी शिव की भक्ति में सभी जीवों से प्रेम करना सीखेंगे ? क्या आप भगवान् शिव की इस सरल प्रेम लीला को समझ कर स्वयं भी प्रेम से भरपूर होंगे ?
आज कल शिव में बहोत रूचि ली जा रही है टीवी रेडियो किताबें कॉमिक्स ड्रामा फिल्म , हर जगह शिव विराजमान हैं ! यह सब देखते हुए मुझे लगा की में भी शिव पर एक ऐसी किताब लिखूं की जिसमे उनका वर्णन वही पौराणिक कैलाशवासी अथवा आधुनिक महाकाल दोनों ही हों . इस तरह " शिवा दी अल्टीमेट टाइम ट्रैवलर " एक ऐसी पुस्तक है की जिसमे शिव की कहानी अथवा उनके अद्भुत ध्यान , दोनों ही को एम्फेसिस दिया गया है . यह किताब अमेज़न से आप के मोबाइल, लैपटॉप फ़ोन पर डाउनलोड  के जा सकती है .
ॐ नमः शिवाये


~  Author  Shail Gulhati's   preface to the book, SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.Part 2  ( Humesha)

 Shail Gulhati is the Author of the books :
SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.
The Yogi and the snake
Shiva Poetry
NAAM ROOP- A Tribute to the Divine
And Life Said.

Available on Amazon E books :
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07HVY1PPS  ( India) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HVY1PPS ( USA)