श्री शिव पार्वती
ॐ नमः शिवाय · Har Har Mahadev
The destroyer, the transformer, and the supreme ascetic, together with Parvati, they embody the eternal dance of Shakti and Shiva from which all creation flows.
Lord Shiva is one of the Trimurti, the cosmic triad of Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver), and Shiva (destroyer/transformer). Yet Shiva transcends even this cosmic function: he is the Adi Deva, the first god, the formless eternal, the source and dissolution of all existence.
He is simultaneously the supreme ascetic meditating on Mount Kailash and the cosmic dancer Nataraja, whose Tandava creates, sustains and destroys the universe. He is the destroyer of ego, illusion, and all that prevents liberation. His devotees experience him as the most accessible, compassionate, and immediately responsive of all deities.
ॐ नमः शिवाय
The Panchakshara Mantra, five sacred syllables that contain the entire cosmosShiva's paradox is his perfection: he is covered in ash yet radiant with divine light, adorned with serpents yet free of all fear, the God of death yet the bestower of immortality. In his left hand is the trident; in his matted hair flows the Ganges; on his brow gleams the third eye of pure consciousness.
The trident representing will, action, and knowledge, destroyer of the three types of suffering
The crescent on his brow represents the waxing and waning of time itself
Vasuki the serpent around his neck, mastery over ego, fear, and the primal life force
He bore the descent of the sacred Ganges in his matted hair to soften its force on earth
The eye of transcendent wisdom, when opened, it burns away all illusion and evil
The cosmic drum whose vibration is the sound of creation, the first OM
Goddess Parvati is the daughter of the Himalayas, the mountain king, and the consort of Lord Shiva. She is Adi Shakti, the primordial energy without which the formless Shiva cannot manifest. She is simultaneously the gentle, loving mother and the fierce, unconquerable warrior goddess.
Together, Shiva and Parvati are Ardhanarishvara, the composite form that is half Shiva and half Parvati, the supreme declaration that masculine and feminine, consciousness and energy, are not two but one inseparable reality.
शिव शक्ति अभेद, Shiva and Shakti are non-dual
The supreme truth of Kashmir Shaivism and TantraParvati is the mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya, the divine sons whose qualities reflect her own boundless grace, wisdom, and power. When the cosmos is threatened by forces that only feminine divine energy can defeat, Parvati manifests as Durga, Kali, and the ten Mahavidyas.
In her previous life, Parvati was Sati, daughter of Daksha, who gave up her life when Daksha insulted her beloved Shiva, and was reborn as Parvati, daughter of the Himalayas.
Parvati performed extraordinary austerities for thousands of years to win Shiva as her husband, a supreme act of devotion that melted even the ascetic god's heart.
Their wedding on Mount Kailash was attended by all gods, sages, and cosmic beings, the most auspicious event in all creation, celebrated at every Hindu wedding to this day.
Their perfect union is symbolised by Ardhanarishvara, the form that is half Shiva (right) and half Parvati (left), the cosmic truth that Shiva and Shakti are one.
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
The five sacred syllables, Na, Ma, Shi, Va, Ya, represent the five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. The supreme mantra of Shiva worship
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान् मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात्
Om Tryambakam Yajamahe Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam Urvarukamiva Bandhanan Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat
The great death-conquering mantra, chanted for healing, longevity, and liberation from the cycle of birth and death
हर हर महादेव · जय शंकर
Har Har Mahadev · Jai Shankar
The universal battle-cry of Shiva's devotees, Har means "the one who takes away all suffering"
Lord Shiva and Parvati are worshipped with special devotion on Mondays and on the sacred occasion of Mahashivaratri. Shiv Abhisheka, the ritual bathing of the Shivalinga with milk, honey, water, and bilva leaves, is performed with great devotion. Join us on any Monday for this beautiful ceremony.