The Presence of Siva

Front Cover
Princeton University Press, 1981 - Religion - 514 pages

One of the three great gods of Hinduism, Siva is a living god. The most sacred and most ancient book of India, The Rg Veda, evokes his presence in its hymns; Vedic myths, rituals, and even astronomy testify to his existence from the dawn of time. In a lively meditation on Siva--based on original Sanskrit texts, many translated here for the first time--Stella Kramrisch ponders the metaphysics, ontology, and myths of Siva from the Vedas and the Puranas.


Who is Siva? Who is this god whose being comprises and transcends everything? From the dawn of creation, the Wild God, the Great Yogi, the sum of all opposites, has been guardian of the absolute. By retelling and interweaving the many myths that keep Siva alive in India today, Kramrisch reveals the paradoxes in Siva's nature and thus in the nature of consciousness itself.

 

Contents

THE PRIMORDIAL SCENE
3
THE ARCHER
27
Rudra the Healer
36
Residence and Residue
65
MANIFESTATIONS AND REALIZATIONS OF RUDRA
71
Encounters with Rudra
84
THE BIRTH OF RUDRA
98
THE REFUSAL TO PROCREATE AND THE ENCOUNTERS
117
BHAIRAVA
250
THE FAMILY OF SIVA
301
THE DEMONS
384
THE PRESENCE OF SIVA
422
APPENDIX THE GREAT CAVE TEMPLE OF SIVA ON
443
Glossary
469
Abbreviations
487
Index of Themes
511

LINGA
153
THE ANDROGYNE GOD
197
Copyright

Other editions - View all

The Presence of Siva
S. Kramrisch
Limited preview - 2021
The Presence of Siva
S. Kramrisch
Limited preview - 1981

Common terms and phrases

aeon Agni Andhaka antelope archer Ardhanarīśvara arrow ascetic asceticism Asuras austerities became Bhairava birth body born Brahma Brāhmaṇa bull cave celestial cosmic cosmos create mortals creation creative Creator cursed Dakṣa dance dark daughter death demons Deodar Deodar forest divine earth Elephanta existence eyes face Father fifth head figure fire flames Goddess gods guardian head of Brahma heaven hymn Indra Jalandhara Kāla Kāma king Kṛttikās linga Lord of Animals Lord of Yoga Lord Siva Mahābhārata Mahadeva manifestation mantra Manu māyā mind-born Mountain mythical netherworld Pārvati Pasupati phallus pillar Prajapati prakṛti primordial procreation Purāņa Ṛg Veda Rudra sacred sacrifice sages Śakti samādhi Sati semen serpent sexual shape Śiva Śiva's skull Sole Vratya Soma star Sthāņu subtle body Śukra symbol tapas temple Tripura Uncreate Uśanas Vastospati vāstu Vedic Virabhadra Vişņu Vṛtra waters Wild Hunter woman worship yakṣa yoga yogi Yuga

References to this book

About the author (1981)

Stella Kramrisch is Curator of Indian Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Professor of Indian Art at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. She is the author of The Hindu Temple (Calcutta), the standard work on Indian sacred architecture.

Bibliographic information

TitleThe Presence of Siva
Bollingen Series
Book collections on Project MUSE
Mythos (Princeton, N.J.)
Mythos: The Princeton/Bollingen Series in World Mythology
AuthorS. Kramrisch
Editionillustrated, reprint
PublisherPrinceton University Press, 1981
ISBN0691019304, 9780691019307
Length514 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Religion / Buddhism / General
Religion / Hinduism / General
Religion / Hinduism / Theology
  
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