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âSÄ«tÄ Shies Away from HanumÄn, Believing He is RÄvaáča in Disguiseâ India (1594) Another Mughal era miniature.
Originally posted: Jun 22, 2017, 10:00 pm
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"RÄma and LakáčŁmaáča attack TÄáčakÄ", Mushfiq (1597-1605) Mughal Era depiction of the slaying of the yakáčŁÄ« TÄáčakÄ from The Freer RÄmÄyaáča. Originally posted: May 19, 2017, 3:33 pm
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Prince Subuddhi (a heroic ancestor of the Rathore dynasty) meets Shiva in the Forest of Illusion, Amardas Bhatti (1830)
"The sages said:
Suta, you have spoken rightly of the creation of the first man, the expansion of the cosmos and the order of world-epochs
You say that celibate students engaged in dharma and constantly devoted to the yoga of knowledge should worship god, the lord of lords
Please explain the supreme knowledge whose sole object is brahman destroying the suffering of all rebirths and allowing us to see the ultimate
Lord, you have obtained complete knowledge from Vyasa, who is Narayana personified Therefore, we ask you again
Suta, bard of the Puranas, listened to the sages' words. Calling Lord Vyasa to mind he was about to speak.
At that very moment Vyasa, Krishna Dvaipayana himself, arrived where the great sages were holding their sacrifice
Those brahmins bowed down upon seeying Vyasa, knower of the Veda. His splendor was like a dark cloud, his eyes like lotus leaves.
Seeing Vyasa, Suta threw himself to the ground, straight as a stick. Suta walked around the teacher and stood by his side, palms together
Vyasa inquired after the health of Saunaka and the other wise men. They reassured the great sage and arranged for him a proper seat.
Then mighty Lord Vyasa, son of Parasara, asked them, "Are there any difficulties with your austerities, Vedic studies, or learning?"
Suta bowed to his teacher, that great sage, and said, "please explain to these wise men the knowledge of brahman
These calm ascetics are sages engaged with dharma, full of desire to listen. Please explain as it truly is
the divine knowledge leading to freedom. You told it to me in person. Vishnu explained it to the wise men long ago, in his tortoise form."
Hearing Suta's request, the sage Vyasa, son of Satyavati, bowed his head to Shiva and spoke these pleasing words.
Vyasa said:
I will tell you what the god Shiva himself said when questioned long ago by the lords among yogis, headed by Sanatkumara.
Sanatkumara, Sanaka, Sanananda, and Angiras, along with Rudra and Bhrigu, the great scholar of dharma,
Kanada, Kapila the yogi, the great sage Vamadeva, Sukra, and glorious Vashistha, all masters of mental discipline,
consulted one another, their minds penetrated by doubt. They practiced fearsome austerities at holy Badarika hermitage.
There they saw Narayana, the seer whose yoga was great, the son of Dharma, immortal and pure. Nara was with him.
They all praised him with various hymns from the Vedas. Full of devotion, the yogis bowed to the one who knows yoga best.
The omniscient lord who knew their wishes asked them in a deep voice, "What is the purpose of these austerities?"
Thrilled, they spoke to Narayana, eternal self of the universe, the god whose arrival before them signaled their achievement.
"We who speak of brahman are sunken in doubt. We approach you along for refuge, the highest spirit.
You know that highest truth, You are the sage and omniscient lord, the ancient unmanifest spirit, Narayana himself before our eyes.
There is no one who knows other than you, supreme lord. We are eager to listen, so please cut off all of our doubts.
What is the cause of this whole universe? Who is reborn time and time again? What is the self and what is liberation? What causes the cycle of rebirth?
Who is the lord who causes others to be reborn? Who sees everything? What is the highest brahman? Please explain all of this to us."
After saying this, the sages saw the highest spirit had cast off his form as an ascectic, and stood now in his own brilliance.
Shining, immaculate, embellished with a halo of light, the god had the brilliance of molten gold. The mark of Sri's beloved was on his breast.
Covered with light, in his hands were a conch, discus, club, and bow. For an instant Narayana's radiance made Nara invisible.
Just then the great Lord Shiva appeared, crescent moon upon his forehead, the terrifying one, with kind intentions for the sages.
Seeing him, their minds were thrilled. With devotion they praised the lord of the universe, the three-eyed one whose ornament is the moon:
"Hail, lord! Hail, great god! Hail, Shiva, lord of beings! Hail, lord of all sages, recipient of our austerities!
Hail, thousand-formed one, self of all beings, Impelled of the world-machine, endless cause of the world's creation, preservation, and destruction!
Hail, thousand-footed lord, delightful one extolled by the greatest yogis! Husband of the mother goddess, supreme lord, we bow to you!"
After this praise, the three-eyed lord felt affection for his devotees. He embraced bristling-haired Narayana and spoke in a deep voice:
"Lotus-eyed one, why have the great sages who speak of brahman come to this place? Unwavering one, what should I do for them?"
The god among gods, Narayana, gave ear to the lord's words. He replied to the great god Shiva who stood there with kind intentions.
"Lord, these sages are ascetics who have wiped away all impurity. With the desire for right knowledge they have come to me for refuge.
If you are pleased with these self-cultivated sages. please explain that divine knowledge here in my presence.
You know your own self. Shiva, there is no else who knows. So you yourself should show the self to the great sages."
Saying this, he gazed at Shiva, whose emblem is the bull. Disclosing Shiva's yogic power, Narayana spoke to the bulls among sages.
"Because you have now seen Shiva, the great lord, trident in hand, know yourselves truly to have achieved your goal.
You may ask the lord of the universe, who stands before your eyes. And you, lord, please speak the truth here in my presence."
After hearing Vishnu's words the sages bowed to Shiva. Headed by Sanatkumara they queried the great lord.
At just that moment a throne appeared from the sky, divine, auspicious, immaculateâsomething inconceivable, as befits Lord Shiva himself.
The maker of all, self of yoga, sad down there with Vishnu. Great Lord Shiva shone, filling the universe with his radiance.
The sages who spoke of brahman saw Shiva, radiating brilliance, first of the gods and lord of them all, on that flawless throne.
They saw calm Shiva, his radiance without equal. Those who are steady in yoga see that lord as the self inside themselves.
They saw the lord of beings seated upon that throne. From him comes the creation of beings. Into him that creation dissolves.
They saw that lord seated alongside Narayana. Everything is inside of him. The world is not separate from him.
After their request, the blessed one glanced at lotus-eyed Narayana. The supreme lord taught the sages the unsurpassed yoga of his own self.
"All you blameless sages, you whose minds are at peace, listen to my teachingâ the wisdom imparted by the lord."
Chapter 1 of the ÄȘĆvara GÄ«tÄ
Originally posted: Apr 20, 2017, 9:41 pm
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"It is to be known that the bonds are without beginning and end. The souls are eternal, being without beginning and end. The Lord who cuts asunder the bonds and disentangles the souls from bondage, in the same way, is eternal. He is the controller of pashu and pasha."
â Excerpt from the SarvajñÄnottara Ägama
Originally Posted: Mar 31, 2017, 9:57 am
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"Shiva Gives Pashupatastra to Arjuna", an illustration from Ramanarayanadatta Astri's version of the Mahabharata [n.d.] "O thou of mighty arms, that weapon is superior to the Brahma, the Narayana, the Indra, the Agneya, and the Varuna weapons. Verily, it is capable of neutralizing every other weapon in the universe. It was with that weapon that the illustrious Mahadeva had in days of yore, burnt and consumed in a moment the triple city of the Asuras. With the greatest ease, Mahadeva, using that single arrow, achieved that feat. That weapon, shot by Mahadeva's arms, can, without doubt consume in half the time taken up by a twinkling of the eyes the entire universe with all its mobile and immobile creatures. In the universe there is no being including even the deities, that are incapable of being slain by that weapon." Originally posted: Dec 06, 2016, 2:40 pm
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"The Rock of Doom", Edward Burne-Jones (1888) left "The Doom Fulfilled", Edward Burne-Jones (1888) right It doesnât take long for one to notice that the depiction of tragic females was a fairly common subject in the Pre-Raphaelite Movement [1]. Present here in the above works of Burne-Jones is the pitiable Andromeda, born of royal blood, she was the daughter of the Aethiopian King Cepheus and his consort Cassiopeia. It is said that in ageâs past, her mother had once boasted about Andromedaâs beauty, suggesting it be one that surpassed that of the Nereids. Such a claim was an offense to both their father Nereus and their lord Poseidon, prompting the divinity to unleash the serpentine foe, Cetus, unto the kingdomâs shores. With this tragedy befalling upon his lands, the king sought the advice of an oracle, only to receive an answer quite grave. In order to quell the rage of the Gods and rid themselves of the menacing beast, his daughter had to be sacrificed! As it was his duty, Cepheus put the safety of his kingdom first and thus offered young Andromeda to be consumed by Cetus.
Chained to a rock at the edge of the shore, awaiting her doom, the gallant Perseus chances upon the maiden:
"Now hovering there, he seemed to hear a sound Unlike the sea-bird's cry, and looking round, He saw a figure standing motionless Beneath the cliff, midway 'twixt ness and ness, And as the wind lull'd heard that cry again, That sounded like the wail of one in pain; Wondering thereat, and seeking marvels new He lighted down, and toward the place he drew, And made invisible by Pallas' aid, He came within the scarped cliff's purple shade, And found a woman standing lonely there, Naked, except for tresses of her hair That o'er her white limbs by the breeze were wound, And brazen chains her weary arms that bound Unto the sea-beat overhanging rock, As though her golden-crowned head to mock. But nigh her feet upon the sand there lay Rich raiment that had covered her that day, Worthy to be the ransom of a king, Unworthy round such loveliness to cling. . . . Then unseen Perseus stole anigh the maid, And love upon his heart a soft hand laid, And tender pity rent it for her pain; Not yet an eager cry could he refrain, As now, transformed by that piteous sight, Grown like unto a God for pride and might, Down on the sand the mystic cap he cast And stood before her with flushed face at last, And grey eyes glittering with his great desire Beneath his hair, that like a harmless fire Blown by the wind shone in her hopeless eyes. But she, all rigid with her first surprise, Ceasing her wailing as she heard his cry, Stared at him, dumb with fear and misery, Shrunk closer yet unto the rocky place And writhed her bound hands as to hide her face; But sudden love his heart did so constrain, With open mouth he strove to speak in vain And from his heart the hot tears 'gan to rise; But she midst fear beheld his kind grey eyes, and then, as hope came glimmering through her dread, In a weak voice he scare could hearm she said," O Death! If though hast risen from the sea, Sent by the gods to end this misery, I thank them that thou comest in this form, Who rather thought to see a hideous worm Come trailing up the sands from out the deep." â "The Doom of King Acrisius," I. 269-70
Smitten, the virile hero approaches Cepheus and Cassiopeia for their daughterâs hand in exchange for slaying the vile beast, before venturing forth to conquer it: "He beheld the sea, And saw a huge wave rising mightily Above the smaller breakers of the shore, Which in its green breast for a minute bore A nameless horror, that it cast aland And left, a huge mass on the oozing sand, That scarcely seemed a living thing to be, Until at last those twain it seemed to see, And gathering up its strange limbs, towards them passed. And therewithal a dismal trumpet-blast Rang from the tower, and from the distant town The wind in answer brought loud wails adown. Then Perseus gently put the maid from him, Who sank down shivering in her every limb, Silent despite herself for fear and woe, As down the beach he ran to meet the foe. But he, beholding Jove's son drawing near, A great black fold against him did uprear, Maned with grey tufts of hair, as some old tree Hung round with moss, in lands where vapours be; From his bare skull his red eyes glowed like flame And from his open mouth a sound there came, Strident and hideous, that still louder grew As that rare sight of one in arms he knew: But godlike, fearless, burning with desire, The adamant jaws and lidless eyes of fire Did Perseus mock, and lightly leapt aside As forward did the torture-chamber glide Of his huge head, and ere the beast could turn, One moment bright did blue-edged Herpe burn, The next was quenched in the black flow of blood; Then in confused folds the hero stood, His bright face shadowed by the jaws of death, His hair blown backward by the poisonous breath; But all that passed, like lightning-lighted street In the dark night, as the blue blade did meet The wrinkled neck, and with no faltering stroke, Like a God's hand the fell enchantment broke, And then again in place of crash and roar, He heard the shallow breakers on the shore, And o'er his head the sea-gull's plaintive cry, Careless as Gods for who might live or die." â "The Doom of King Acrisius" I. 274-75 With the death of the serpent, the twain finally became one. Many a child born of their union, ultimately bearing a lineage that begets the great Heracles himself! Notes: [1]: Not always were these woman mythological figures, see Rossettiâs unfinished piece âFoundâ (1859).Â
Links to text: The Doom of King Acrisius: http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/morris/poems/doom.html
Metamorphoses (the original source material): https://ovid.lib.virginia.edu/trans/Ovhome.htm#askline "See how the creature comes parting the waves, with surging breast, like a fast ship, with pointed prow, ploughing the water, driven by the sweat-covered muscles of her crew. It was as far from the rock as a Balearic sling can send a lead shot through the air, when suddenly the young hero, pushing his feet hard against the earth, shot high among the clouds. When the shadow of a man appeared on the water' surface, the creature raged against the shadow it had seen. As Jupiter's eagle, when it sees a snake, in an open field, showing its livid body to the sun, takes it from behind, and fixes its eager talons in the scaly neck, lest it twists back its cruel fangs, so the descendant of Inachus hurling himself headlong, in swift flight, through empty space, attacked the creature's back, and, as it roared, buried his sword, to the end of the curved blade, in the right side of its neck. Hurt by the deep wound, now it reared high in the air, now it dived underwater, or turned now, like a fierce wild boar, when the dogs scare him, and the pack is baying around him. Perseus evades the eager jaws on swift wings, and strikes with his curved sword wherever the monster is exposed, now at the back encrusted with barnacles, now at the sides of the body, now where the tail is slenderest, ending fishlike. The beast vomits seawater mixed with purplish blood. The pinions grow heavy, soaked with spray. Not daring to trust his drenched wings any further, he sees a rock whose highest point stands above quiet water, hidden by rough seas. Resting there, and holding on to the topmost pinnacle with his left hand, he drives his sword in three or four times, repeatedly. The shores, and the high places of the gods, fill with the clamor of applause. Cassiope and Cepheus rejoice, and greet their son-in-law, acknowledging him as the pillar of their house, and their deliverer. Released from her chains, the girl comes forward, the prize and the cause of his efforts. He washes his hands, after the victory, in seawater drawn for him, and, so that Medusa's head, covered with its snakes, is not bruised by the harsh sand, he makes the ground soft with leaves, and spreads out plants from below the waves, and places the head of that daughter of Phorcyson them. The fresh plants, still living inside, and absorbent, respond to the influence of the Gorgon's head, and harden at its touch, acquiring a new rigidity in branches and fronds. And the ocean nymphs try out this wonder on more plants, and are delighted that the same thing happens at its touch, and repeat it by scattering the seeds from the plants through the waves. Even now corals have the same nature, hardening at a touch of air, and what was alive, under the water, above water is turned to stone." â Metamorphosis 4.706-752 For more information on Burne-Jones himself, here is a fantastic documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmO3ZO9TGgA&feature=youtu.be
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"The Annunciation", John William Waterhouse (1914)

The Annunciation is an important event in the Christian tradition where the Archangel Gabriel spoke to the Virgin Mary, foretelling the birth of Jesus. The following are the lyrics of a 14th century devotional hymn abridged from the Llibre Vermell de Montserrat. âCuncti simus concanentes: Ave Maria. Let us all sing together: Hail Mary. Virgo sola existente, en affuit angelus, When the Virgin was alone, lo, an angel appeared, Gabriel est appellatus, atque missus celitus Gabriel was his name and he was sent from Heaven. Clara facieque dixit: Ave Maria. With a shining face he said: Hail Mary. Clara facieque dixit, audite, karissimi. With a shining face he said, hear this most dear. En concipies, Maria, Ave Maria. You shall conceive, Mary. Hail Mary. En concipies Maria, audite karissimi. You shall conceive, Mary, hear this most dear. Pariesque Filium, Ave Maria You shall bear a son, Hail Mary. Pariesque Filium, audite karissimi. You shall bear a son, hear this most dear. Vocabis eum Jhesum, Ave Maria. You shall call him Jesus. Hail Maryâ â Cuncti Simus Concanentes (~1399) Originally posted: Aug 14, 2015, 8:33 PM
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Scenes from Paradise Lost, through the Eyes of Johann Heinrich FĂŒssli: Addendum

Image: "Satan and Death, seperated by Sin", Henry Fuseli (c. 1802) Some years after the completion of "Satan and Death with Sin Intervening", FĂŒssli finished another piece on that famous episode from Miltonâs Paradise Lost. Here we see him centering his subjects in a more cooler and sympathetic light, giving them a more human appearance in contrast to their more stylistic depiction in the previous work.  Originally posted: Apr 22, 2015, 2:01 PM
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Scenes from Paradise Lost, through the Eyes of Johann Heinrich FĂŒssli

Image: "Satan and Death with Sin Intervening", Henry Fuseli (c. 1799) Image (bottom): "Satan and the Birth of Sin", Henry Fuseli (c. 1791) Johann Heinrich FĂŒssliâs work undoubtedly epitomizes the portrayal of sheer emotion typical of the Romantic movement. All of his depictions of the mythological and the supernatural just seem to appear so deep as a consequence of his masterful use of chiaroscuro, the contrast of light and dark, and emphasis on movement via shading, giving animation to his subjects with their bending limbs and contorted bodies. Now, the above piece is a scene from John Miltonâs Paradise Lost, wherein the figure of Satan comes into contact with the personification of Death and Sin at the Gates of Hell, proceeding to fight with the former of the two who has insulted him. Sin quickly intervenes, proclaiming to be Satanâs very own daughter and Death their son: âO Father, what intends thy hand, she cry'd, Against thy only Son? What fury O Son, Possesses thee to bend that mortal Dart Against thy Fathers head? and know'st for whom...â She then goes on to state when and exactly how she came into existenceâa sequence paralleling the birth of Athena, one depicted in another of FĂŒssliâs earlier pieces dated to 1791âbefore revealing as to how Death himself was borne to finally unify the group: âOut of thy head I sprung; amazement seis'd All th' Host of Heav'n back they recoild affraid At first, and call'd me Sin, and for a Sign...â

As one can conclude from the above excerpts, Paradise Lost is quite an esoteric text, aside from the linguistic differences to contemporary English, it is chock full of religious allegory and memetic parallels with the Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman religious traditions that would go over the head of the average person. Yet, along with Danteâs Divine Comedy, it still somehow largely informs the pop cultural conception of the Christian âadversaryâ (as well as Hell) in the Western milieu. We can only hope this trend persists long into the future, especially since there are hardly any more artists left who can bring these scenes to life like FĂŒssli once did. Originally posted: Apr 22, 2015, 2:01 PM
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