SHIVA LORD OF THE COSMIC DANCE

<p>Description</p><p>Of all the gods in Hinduism Shiva is the most fascinating and intriguing. He is</p><p>an outsider who lives on the fringes of tradition and is yet not only a prominent</p><p>third of the great Hindu Trinity but also Mahadev-the greatest of them all-</p><p>baffling and transcending human presuppositions of the Divine. In his supremacy</p><p>Shiva stands outside even contradicts human categories and conventions. He</p><p>appears to be the embodiment of paradoxes but in fact transcends them-the</p><p>epitome of rage and horror as Bhairava and Rudra and yet also the zenith of</p><p>auspiciousness and gentleness as Pashupati and Ashutosh. He is the misfit who</p><p>challenges distinctions between sacred and profane rich and poor right and</p><p>wrong. He is at once the great yogi the ascetic-turned-householder and the</p><p>vagabond. He is finally Lord of the Cosmic Dance-the timeless dance of</p><p>dissolution creation and regeneration.</p><p>This anthology is an attempt to explore and understand the diverse and enigmatic</p><p>forms of this many-faceted god through the thought and meditations of some</p><p>of the finest poets academics scholars and devotees across time and place-</p><p>including Lal Ded Mahadeviyakka Swami Vivekananda Aldous Huxley Kalidasa</p><p>Sri Aurobindo Basavanna Adi Shankaracharya Acharya Abhinavagupta Allama</p><p>Prabhu Ananda Coomaraswamy Namita Gokhale Devdutt Pattanaik Stella</p><p>Kramrisch Wendy Doniger and Nilima Chitgopekar.</p><p>Whether you are a believer an agnostic or on the fence this engrossing</p><p>collection edited by Karan Singh-one of the most respected authorities on</p><p>India's varied traditions and philosophies-will certainly pique your curiosity</p><p>about the great concept and conundrum that is Shiva.</p><p><br></p>