Significance of Furious & destructive elements in Shiva & Shakti Sects
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Fice basic element, Pancha-Maha-Bhoot or Pancha-Tatva
Corpses, or dead bodies, are well known as "Shava" or "शव". Corpse and cremation ground both are closely related with "Mahavidyas or Great Wisdom Power" and are very popular amongst Tantrics (worshipers who follow the path of Tantra). Cremation Ground or "Shamshan Bhumi" is highly significant among them and is the most favored place to perform tantric rituals. Goddesses like Kali, Tara, Bagalamukhi, Matangi, Bhairavi, Tripur-Sundari etc. and also Gods like Kal-Bhairabh (a terrifying deity)- all are mostly the various incarnations of Lord Shiva and are believed to reside in cremation grounds. As per the common sayings, a cremation ground is a place where a dead body or corpse is burnt or buried observing all the rituals. But there is a reason behind this; According to Hindu Iconography, a human being is composed of five gross elements, which are termed as Pancha-Maha-Bhoot or Pancha-Tatva. These are :1. Space or Sky, Because of from Sky or Space, everything is created.
2. Air. Every living being breath, without air it is not possible to survive. (created from Sky or Space)
3. Fire, that depicts the Body Temperature. (as Sun it's created from Sky or Space)
4. Water, that we consume and in a body water is present in the form of blood flow. (got birth from Sun)
5. Earth.Whatever we eat to nourish ourselves, all comes indirectly from soil or earth and it exists in the form of bones, flesh, elements in blood etc. (got birth from Water)
These above mentioned five elements, find their existence in a human body and after death, the dead body is burnt on a pyre. The reason behind the burning of dead body is, fusion of each element present in dead body into Brahma or in Atmosphere. As Hindu Iconography describes, the place where these five gross elements of human body merge into one, is known as Shamshan or Cremation Ground. Adhya Shakti or Kali, is also known as "Chid-Brahma"; and another meaning of Chid-Brahma or who is present in every element, places in entire Universe. She resides in Shamshan or Cremation Ground, because this is the special place where the great or gross elements merge. After the burning of dead body, some quantity of ash is left. This leftover ash is also very significant, as Hindu Iconography mentions that it is the mixture or extract of five elements, so this ash has the quality to balance the elements of human body. Imbalance of any one of these elements causes different diseases. So peoples who apply pyre ash on their body always stay healthy. As a reason Shiva and Shakti, along with their devotees, apply ashes on their body.
five types of sensory features of living being, "Pancha-Indriyan".
Similar to the five gross or great elements, there are five types of sensory features present in every human being, which are termed in Hindu iconography as the "Pancha-Indriyan". These are :1. Vision, related to human body organ Eye, known as Chakku-Indriyan.
2. Hearing, related to human body organ Ear, known as Sot-Indriyan.
3. Smell, related to human body organ Nose, known as Gandh-Indriyan.
4. Taste, related to human body organ Tounge, known as Jiv-Indriyan.
5. Touch, related to human body organ Skin, known as Sparsh-Indriyan.
Apart from these, the special sixth one is related to our thought or thinking, and does not connect to any human body organ. These five Indriyan along with the thoughts affects the five types of Human Personality. Here, the most significant question is, how a person adopts the concept of intellect and negative thinking in his life. It's absolutely compulsory, to balance all these above mentioned sensor facilities in proper way with Knowledge. As mentioned in Hindu Iconography, the body of Human being is a great wonder, not any other living being can be compared to Human beings. The reason behind this is, every human being has the capability to think and to decide what is wrong and what is correct. Existence of Knowledge, i.e. Wisdom, isolates human being from all other living beings in the Universe. When a human being is not able to balance his emotions of feelings, it becomes weak and he is not able to justify what is right or wrong. As a result five types of weakness or Vikar is generated within the personality or feelings of human beings. These are:
1. Lust or Kaama.
2. Krodh or Rage.
3. Lobh or Greed.
4. Moh or Attachment.
5. Ahankar or Ego.
The above-mentioned five sensory facilities affects human nature or personality. Here the most significant factor is how it imparts its effect. If a person is not able to exercise control over his feelings, he is drowned in the darkness leading to addle-brain and he does things which are wrong and are liable to sin. But a person is able to burn these five human weaknesses, with great knowledge or wisdom that rises from our heart. A heart is the place where these five human weaknesses are burnt, so the heart is called as Shamshan or Cremation place. Consequently, Kali with her alies are happily ready to reside in a person's heart, if he can burn all these weakness or vikar and lighten a lamp of knowledge in his heart.
Significance of Human Skull and Bones in Tantra
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| Adorned with Human Skull, Bones and Ashes, A "Hero" who left Disgust, Hate, Fear! |
As described in Brihad Nil Tantra (a Tantric text book dedicated to Goddess Tara), in a deserted place, in cremation ground with seated on corpse or where dead body is buried, Sadhana or spiritual practice did, this is called "Shava Sadhana". If there is a Bilwa Tree (Aegle Marmelos Tree) or its in a bank of any holy River its become more significant or corpse of "Chandala" (persons who belongs from most lower cast in Hinduism, have rites of burn dead bodies in cremation ground). These kind of practices make a performer to hero or 'vira', he or she should not get scared with dead body or any elements. To get rid of fear or scaring from practitioner, this types of practices did.
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Most significant divine Cremation Ground according to Hindu Iconography
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| Human Skull or "Khappar", Significant in Tantra |
Some of the most significant divine Cremation Ground according to Hindu mythology, Where a place related to a deity and place where the rituals perform accordingly are:
1. Manikarnika Ghat and Harischandra Ghat in Varanasi.
2. Tarapith Maha-Shamshan, Tarapur, Birbhum.
3. Neem Tala Maha-Shamshan and Kewra Tala Maha-Shamshan Kolkata.
4. Ujjain
5. Mount Kailash
"Bhairavha" or we can say the different incarnations of Shiva, They are also residing in cremation ground. They protect cremation ground, control over turbulent souls and most important they are sentinel of cremation ground. There are eight main Bhairavha's, who are highly significant in Hinduism, specially in Shiva sect and all of them are terrifying as all of them are enriched with destructive natural property "Tamo-Guna", these are :
1. Unmaatta Bhairavh (उन्मत्त भैरव),
2. Krodh Bhairavh (क्रोध भैरव),
3. Chand Bhairavh (चण्ड भैरव),
4. Batuk Bhairavh (बटुक भैरव),
5. Sanhar Bhairavh (संहार भैरव),
6. Bhishan Bhairavh (भीषण भैरव),
7. Kaal Bhairavh (काल भैरव),
8. Mahakal Bhairavh (महाकाल भैरव).
Figure of Bhairava of Kashi or Varanasi and Ujjain
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| Batuk-Bhairav, of Kashi or Varanasi |
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| Kaal Bhairav of Ujjain |