There is always hope for the world !

One day Parvati asked Her Lord, Shiva about kalyuga, “Is there any hope for the world?
“Yes, there is always hope, Parvati, because when a new child is born, the cord to God is still unremoved. That’s why saints say, ‘whisper divine things to your new-born, affirm it of its divinity, secure it in its consciousness,” Shiva smiled.
“Ah!”
“The use of past life regression is only this: it makes you understand your position in the now.
It must lead to a great and abundant future life progression; no more importance should be given. Even if anyone was a Buddha earlier, so what? We must learn to smile at that, and move on. Buddhas are not of the past glory, they are the now and the hereafter too. “
“Hmm… I see, Swami. But what if your past has been sad?”
“If your past has been sad, there again, it is gone now. Move on with the divine stride.
Know this… in the beginning you were the timeless flawless one; and you are always that.”
“Hmm… how do we come to that pristine awareness? Lord, what is the answer to all this?”
“We must all evolve individually.”
“Individually?”
“Yes, you have already known how ‘society’ was created. God made people, but people made society.”
“Yes.”

“Once, Daksha’s tribe had been created, they quickly established themselves in a stoic society. Society was the first entity that came into being, even though Brahma did not create it.
It was a rather funny thing; a getting together of things created, to create in turn an entity that had no individuality of its own, yet had a formidable effect on the very individuals it comprised of. Whatever it may have set out to be, whatever its goals, if society had to be described in one word, it was ‘opinionated’ . It killed individual growth, and no one could raise the voice of reason above whatever it would declare as a verdict in any given situation.”
“Yes,” said Parvati quietly.
“But it does not stop here; if we do not evolve individually, spiritually we may come to a time in the future, where we will live in an age of fierce competition; an age dominated by sales pitch, incremental volumes, market exploitation, competitor strategy and so on. It will always be about higher targets. And society would have gotten so used to this that they will not find anything wrong, or entangling in this. It will become a way of life. People will be fixed firmly in the box of corporate culture; so fixed in trying to make a living, that they verily, would have completely forgotten to live!”
“Oh!”
“Nature has created 'things' for us to enjoy, like fruit for our body and wonderful landscapes for our soul. But mankind will give us - something with which to put a value to all of the 'things' available.“
“Oh, Swami! what is the remedy?" Parvati cried.
" Every individual that comprises society, must be introduced to their own divinity. When the individual realises God, He or She will automatically change their motives in life" said Shiva.

“Yes, my Lord, it would be so wonderful if social enterprise actually became infused with spiritual knowledge, honouring the inter-connectedness of all things rather than divisive thought and competition as the main motivation. It would be so wonderful if others could think like this beautiful mind of yours…”
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)

Maha Mritunjaya Mantra

The ancient Rishi sang a prayer for Enlightenment.
The modern man has made even that prayer a chant for longevity.
In the age of "Re-mixes" we need to know some songs are better in their Original forms! The next time you chant the Maha Mritunjaya Mantra, know that it is in essence, a petition to Shiva for enlightenment.

Aum Tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭi-vardhanam
urvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyor mukṣīya māmṛtāt

ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे
सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् ।
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्
मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात् ॥ Hail the three eyed One! O fragrant (pleasant),
healthy (pleasing to look at) Lord,
sever us from false worldly realm, gently like a cucumber,
whose umbilical cord gets severed without any painful process,
just lying on the ground;
But O lord, do not divest us from your Amrita, your nectar of Advait Gyan, (gnosis) which ( by giving us the third eye vision of Oneness with you ) liberates from death itself.
Thus we see that although the Mantra is being used for prolonging life, it is essentially a prayer for enlightenment: A prayer to Shiva, who has the third eye of Viveka,the Gyan chakshu that can destroy all false perception, to raise our level of Consciousness.
Aum Namah Shivaye.
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)

SHIVA, THE IMMORTAL OF KAILASH

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.
Records about Him from ancient folklore are very interesting;
He is the perfection of opposites:
Supreme spiritual Guru, but warrior Chieftain,
Ascetic, but perfect husband,
Mendicant, but householder,
Meditative, but intoxicated,
Master of yogic stillness, but King of dance;
Shiva is the fountainhead where paradox reconciles.
In the Hindu pantheon of Gods, He is called the destroyer,
And yet, known by the beautiful symbol of creation, the Shivlinga.
Shiva is a storyteller’s delight.


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”.

~ Author Shail Gulhati's preface to SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller.Part 2 ( Humesha)
Available on Amazon E books : https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07HVY1PPS ( India)
and https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HVY1PPS ( USA)

SHIVA LOVED THE CRISP AIR OF KAILASH

Rudra absolutely loved the crisp air of Kailash.
There was a very pleasing aroma in the air always, which Rudra thought, “was the smell of freshness itself.”
There was no sense of time; only the golden sunrise and sunset would indicate dawn and dusk.
He loved all the birds and beasts that came to visit the mountains from the forests at their baseline. They were in absolute contrast to the people He had known in the city. Always natural, always spontaneous, always unabashed in their play, unlike the contrived displays in speech and gestures in the mannerisms of society. These beasts were exactly the kind of beings that would be termed ‘Uncouth’, He thought to Himself, but smiled because His own spirit resonated with them. “This is the way to be; in the lap of Nature itself, where one is natural,” He thought.

~  From  SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller. A modern book with Great God Shiva's story by Shail Gulhati

Available on Amazon as an E book



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and for INDIA exclusively:
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Shiva in Rishikesh Photo credit :  Mansi Gupta

PRAYERS TO SHIVA

“Shiva was accredited with a peculiar penchant for earth, roaming its length and breadth in general, but preferring in particular its mountains, the Himalayas, as His abode.The Himalayas actually meant ‘The abode of snow’. They were noted for their majestic stature, always touching the sky; noted for their stunning beauty and their crisp air, as though preserving the pristinity of life itself.” Said Rishi Suta.

Shaunaka looked to the North, where he could actually see the snow-clad mountains, and smiled.

“Ironically, the other place where Shiva was said to visit frequently was where life ended: it was said He was always present at the cremation grounds. A presence as certain as the lit-up pyres that devoured life. Some of them were actually named ‘Shiv Dhaam’—The sacred place of Shiva,” Suta said, changing the mood. Shaunaka shifted uneasily.

“In all His mentions, different aspects abounded, both magnificent and terrible, which were spoken of, in whispers. Over a period of time, the repetitive whispers became a routine and a fervent chant.  And in times of need and fear, these came to be passed off as a prayer to Shiva Himself.”

“I see, Gurudeva,” said Shaunaka.

“Bhujgendrahaaram,” said Suta loudly. “The one who wears snakes as garlands. Damrudhaaram—The One who rattles an hourglass drum to time all of life.” Then changing his tone to a musical note, he continued, “Nataraja Dum Dum—The one who dances in rhythm with the drum-beat created by Himself, as though to set a pace for us. Trinetra Devam—The Three-Eyed One, who is the most powerful. Yogi Dhyaanam—yet, unassuming like a recluse ascetic in the forest. Jai Shiva Trinetra Trisuldhaaram!” resounded Suta.
“Hail Shiva, the Three-Eyed One who wields in turn, the  three-pronged spear” repeated Shaunaka.

“So you see, my child, a prayer to Shiva, was the description of Shiva, repeated to Him.”
Shaunaka found to his surprise that his own hands had folded into a position of worship, into salute of Namaste.
“With the passage of time, these prayers of attribute became longer and more speculative; and somehow, fear showed a greater propensity to grow, than love,” Suta continued. “So, while He was accredited with dance, it was a dance of death; while He lived on the mountains, it was a hidden abode of a Warlord; if He was strong, it was a strength you must be defeated by, always. Not to forget, that He was The Lord of the cremation grounds where, at the end of one’s life, His portals only just began.”

“I am beginning to understand, Gurudeva.”

“Ultimately, that Shiva was the God of destruction, became a label that found itself stuck in the majority of minds. Vinasham Aaghoram Samharam—the Terrible dissolver, who ends it all.
This description also crept into the string of epithets that made for prayer,” said Suta.
“But it doesn’t seem to me that Shiva is terrible! So then, Shiva began to be known as the Destroyer; I understand,” said Shaunaka with remorse.
~  From the book SHIVA, The Ultimate Time Traveller. by Shail Gulhati

Available on Amazon as an E book

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017ECI6CU
and for INDIA exclusively:
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B017ECI6CU