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"I
have a growing collection of wonderful statues from Lotus Sculpture.
I return again and again because of the quality, and the
affordability, but most of all because of what I can only call the
spirit of each piece. The owner, Kyle, has exquisite taste and by
buying a piece from him I know I am supporting artists that love
what they do, and the love shows in what they make. So all I can say
is, I love Lotus Sculpture!"
Mary |
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This
merchant is fantastic. My orders have arrived cleaned, unbelievably
well-packed, and in great condition.
Amy |
Birth of Parvati The gods invoked the mother-goddess, who appeared before them as Kundalini, a coiled serpent. “I will coil myself around Shiva, wean out his knowledge and energy for the good of the world and make him father a child,” said Shakti. Shakti took birth as Parvati, daughter of the Himavan, lord of the mountains, determined to draw Shiva out of his cave and make him her consort.
Not Even a Leaf Parvati went into the forest and performed rigorous tapas, wearing nothing to protect her tender body form the harsh weather, eating nothing, not even a leaf, earning the admiration of forest ascetics who named her Aparna. Aparna matched Shiva in her capacity to cut herself from the world and completely master her physical needs. The power of her tapas shook Shiva out of his mediation. He stepped out of his cave and accepted Parvati as his wife. Shiva married Parvati in the presence of the gods following the sacred rites and took her to the highest peak of the cosmos, Mount Kailasa, the pivot of the universe. As the world revolved all around them the two became one and Kama was reborn.
The Birth of the Celestial Warlord Parvati gave Shiva’s aura to the gods. “From this will rise the warlord you seek,” said the goddess. The gods gave Shiva’s aura to Svaha, consort of Agni, the fire god. Unable to bear the heat of the auro and the god Agni for long, Svaha gave the aura to Ganga the river goddess who cooled it in her icy waters until Shiva’s aura turned into a seed. Aranyani, the goddess of the forest, embedded the divine seed in the fertile forest floor where it was transformed into a robust child with six heads and twelve arms. Six forest nymphs called the Krittikas found this magnificent child in a lotus. Over come by maternal affection they began nursing him. The six headed son of Shiva, born of many mothers, came to be known as Kartikeya. Parvati taught Kartikeya the art of war and turned him into a the celestial warlord called Skanda. Skanda took command of the celestial armies, defeated Taraka in battle and restored the heavens to the gods.
Shiva Calms Kali Intoxicated with Raktabija’s blood, Kali ran amuck across the three worlds, destroying everything and everyone in her sight. To restrain her, Shiva took the form of a corpse and blocked her path. As the goddess, blinded by bloodlust, tripped on his lifeless body, she was jolted out of her frenzy. She wondered if she had killed her own husband. She placed a foot on Shiva’s chest and brought him back to life. Shiva then took the form of a little child and began to cry, stirring maternal love in the heart of Kali. This forced her to shed her fierce form; Kali became Gauri, the radiant mother, bestower of life. Parvati’s Son Guari told Shiva that she wanted a child. But Shiva was not interested in a family. He turned away from her and went into to the forest to perform tapas. Determined to be a mother, Parvati decided to create a son for herself without the aid of her husband. She scrubbed her skin with sandal paste, scrapped off the dead skin, mixed it with clay and molded out of it a beautiful doll into which she breathed life. She ordered her newly created son to keep watch over her cave and keep out all strangers.
The Divine Homemaker
With
Parvati by his
side, Shiva became a family man. But he did not abandon his ways as a
hermit: he continued to meditate and immerse himself in narcotic
dreams. His carefree attitude, his refusal to shoulder household
responsibilities sometimes angered
Parvati. But then she would come to
terms with his unconventional ways and make peace. The consequent
marital bliss between
Shakti and
Shiva ensured harmony between Matter
and Spirit and brought stability and peace to the cosmos. |
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