Study of Cults - Madhavi Narsalay.pptx

Study of Cults

1. Study of Cults Madhavi Narsalay

2. Cult: meaning a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object. "the cult of St. Olaf" a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister. "a network of Satan-worshiping cults" synonyms: sect ,  denomination ,  group ,  movement ,  church ,  persuasion ,  body ,  faction More a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing. "a  cult of personality  surrounding the leaders" synonyms: obsession with, fixation on, mania for, passion for, idolization of, devotion to, worship of, veneration of 

3. The word "cult" was originally used not to describe a group of religionists, but for the act of  worship  or religious ceremony. It was first used in the early 17th century, borrowed via the  French   culte  from  Latin   cultus  (worship), from the adjective  cultus  (inhabited, cultivated, worshiped), derived from the verb  colere  (care, cultivate). [9] The word "culture" is also derived from the Latin words  cultura  and  cultus , which in general terms refers to the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group; also the characteristic features of everyday existence (as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time

4. Cult: meaning , a  cult  is a  religious  or other  social group  with  deviant  and novel beliefs and practices Derogatory meaning used selectively by proponents of mind control theory considered a subjective term, used as an  ad hominem  attack against groups with simply differing doctrines or practices, and without a clear or consistent definition Schism/heresy : Splits within the church or religious body Heresy is rejection of a  doctrine  that a Church considered to be essential. Schism is a rejection of communion  with the authorities of a Church, and this term has historically been applied to such a break when there was no dispute about doctrine

5. Cult meaning Cicero  defined  religio  as  cultus deorum , "the cultivation of the gods." [2]  The "cultivation" necessary to maintain a specific deity was that god's  cultus ,  "cult," and required "the knowledge of giving the gods their due"  ( scientia colendorum deorum ) . [3]  The noun  cultus  originates from the  past participle  of the verb  colo , colere , colui , cultus , "to tend, take care of, cultivate," originally meaning "to dwell in, inhabit" and thus "to tend, cultivate  land  (ager) ; to practice agriculture," an activity fundamental to Roman identity even when Rome as a political center had become fully urbanized.  Cultus  is often translated as " cult ", without the negative connotations the word may have in English, or with the  Anglo- Saxon word " worship ", but it implies the necessity of active maintenance beyond passive adoration.  Cultus  was expected to matter to the gods as a demonstration of respect, honor , and reverence; it was an aspect of the contractual nature of Roman religion (see  do ut des ). [4]   St. Augustine  echoes Cicero's formulation when he declares that " religio  is nothing other than the  cultus  of  God ." [5]

6. Ernst Troeltsch 's   church-sect typology . Troeltsch's aim was to distinguish between three main types of religious behavior : churchly,  sectarian  and  mystical . Howard P. Becker created four categories out of Troeltsch's first two by splitting  church  into " ecclesia " and " denomination ", and  sect  into " sect " and "cult". [12]

7. Denomination The  denomination  lies between the church and the sect on the continuum. Denominations come into existence when churches lose their religious monopoly in a society. A denomination is one religion among many. When churches and/or sects become denominations, there are also some changes in their characteristics. Johnstone provides the following eight characteristics of denominations: similar to churches, but unlike sects, in being on relatively good terms with the state and secular powers and may even attempt to influence government at times maintain at least tolerant and usually fairly friendly relationships with other denominations in a context of  religious pluralism rely primarily on birth for membership increase, though it will also accept converts; some actively pursue evangelization accept the principle of at least modestly changing doctrine and practice and tolerate some theological diversity and dispute follow a fairly routinized ritual and worship service that explicitly discourages spontaneous emotional expression train and employ professional clergy who must meet formal requirements for certification accept less extensive involvement from members than do sects, but more involvement than churches often draw disproportionately from the middle and upper classes of society

8. Sect A  sect  is a subgroup of a  religious ,  political  or  philosophical  belief system, usually an offshoot of a larger religious group. Although in past it was mostly used to refer to religious groups, it has since expanded and in modern culture can refer to any organization that breaks away from a larger one to follow a different set of rules and principles. The term is occasionally used in a malicious way to suggest the broken-off group follows a more negative path than the original.

9. Sect  Among the first to define them were  Max Weber  and  Ernst Troeltsch  (1912). [4]  In the  church-sect typology  they are described as newly formed religious groups that form to protest elements of their parent religion (generally a  denomination ). Their motivation tends to be situated in accusations of apostasy or  heresy  in the parent denomination; they are often decrying liberal trends in denominational development and advocating a return to true religion. The American  sociologists   Rodney Stark  and  William Sims Bainbridge  assert that "sects claim to be authentic purged, refurbished version of the faith from which they split". [5]  They further assert that sects have, in contrast to churches, a high degree of tension with the surrounding society. [6]  Other sociologists of religion such as Fred Kniss have asserted that sectarianism is best described with regard to what a sect is in tension with. Some religious groups exist in tension only with co-religious groups of different ethnicities, or exist in tension with the whole of society rather than the church which the sect originated from. [7] Sectarianism  is sometimes defined in the  sociology of religion  as a worldview that emphasizes the unique legitimacy of believers' creed and practices and that heightens tension with the larger society by engaging in boundary-maintaining practices. [8]

10. Sectarianism  is sometimes defined in the  sociology of religion  as a worldview that emphasizes the unique legitimacy of believers' creed and practices and that heightens tension with the larger society by engaging in boundary-maintaining practices. [8] The English sociologist  Roy Wallis [9]  argues that a sect is characterized by “ epistemological  authoritarianism”: sects possess some authoritative locus for the legitimate attribution of heresy. According to Wallis, “sects lay a claim to possess unique and privileged access to the truth or salvation and “their committed adherents typically regard all those outside the confines of the collectivity as 'in error'”. He contrasts this with a cult that he described as characterized by “epistemological individualism” by which he means that “the cult has no clear locus of final authority beyond the individual member

11. In  Hinduism , a  sampradaya  ( IAST   sampradāya ) can be translated as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious system’. [3]  It is a body of practice, views and attitudes, which are transmitted, redefined and reviewed by each successive generation of followers. A particular  guru  lineage is called  parampara . By receiving  diksha (initiation)  into the  parampara  of a living guru, one belongs to its proper  sampradaya . [3]  Membership in a  sampradaya  not only lends a level of authority to one’s claims on truth in the  Hindu  traditional context, but also allows one to make those claims in the first place.

12. Troeltsch's "mystical religion", Becker's cults were small religious groups lacking in organization and emphasizing the private nature of personal beliefs. [13]  Later sociological formulations built on these characteristics while placing an additional emphasis on cults as  deviant religious groups "deriving their inspiration from outside of the predominant religious culture". [14]  This is often thought to lead to a high degree of tension between the group and the more mainstream culture surrounding it, a characteristic shared with religious sects. [15]  In this sociological terminology,  sects  are products of religious  schism  and therefore maintain a continuity with  traditional  beliefs and practices, and  cults  arise spontaneously around novel beliefs and practices. [16]

13. Pioneering sociologist  Max Weber  (1864–1920) found that cults based on  charismatic  leadership often follow the  routinization of charisma . [34] Sociologist  Roy Wallis  (1945–1990) argued that a cult is characterized by " epistemological  individualism" by which he means that "the cult has no clear locus of final authority beyond the individual member." Cults, according to Wallis, are generally described as "oriented towards the problems of individuals, loosely structured, tolerant, non-exclusive", making "few demands on members", without possessing a "clear distinction between members and non-members", having "a rapid turnover of membership", and are transient collectives with vague boundaries and fluctuating belief systems. Wallis asserts that cults emerge from the "cultic milieu". [35][36]  In their book  Theory of Religion , American sociologists  Rodney Stark  and  William Sims Bainbridge  propose that the formation of cults can be explained through the  rational choice theory

14. Outward religious practice in worship is expressed through religious rituals.  Cult  in this sense is literally the "care" (Latin  cultus ) owed to the God or gods and the temples, shrines, or churches. In the specific context of  Greek hero cult , Carla Antonaccio has written, "The term  cult  identifies a pattern of ritual behavior in connection with specific objects, within a framework of spatial and temporal coordinates.  Rituals  would include (but not necessarily be limited to) prayer, sacrifice, votive offerings, competitions, processions and construction of monuments. Some degree of recurrence in place and repetition over time of ritual action is necessary for a cult to be enacted, to be practiced" [1]  Cult is embodied in  ritual  and  ceremony . Its present or former presence is made concrete in  temples ,  shrines  and  churches , and  cult images  (including, but not limited to " idols ") and  votive deposits at   votive sites .

15. Mother goddess

16. Earth form The Mother goddess cults of modern India are survivals of a very ancient stratum of religious life, going back to neolithic times, when, as archaeology proves, the Earth mother, manifesting herself in many forms, was worshipped by primitive agriculturists over a wide area of world’s surface, reaching from the Indus Valley to Western Europe

17. Need Psychological security The child cries with pain when nature compels it to leave its mother’s womb and the psychologist might interpret the cult of the Mother Goddess and indeed many other aspects of Indian religious life in this light as a symbolic return to a state of prenatal security and bliss subconsciously remembered.

18. Types She is the mother earth bounteous and rich in food ( Annapoorna ) In other form she manifests her fierce and cruel aspects as Bhairavi She is the dark spirit of time, destroying all things: Kali She is old age and death : Camunda She is the spirit of divine justice; imagined as a gfirl of sixteen, stern but beautiful: Durga Ideals of womanhood: Parvati

19. Early civilization The most important terracotta figure in the Indus Valley Civilization is the figure of Mother Goddess. This figure is crude standing female adorned with necklaces hanging over prominent breasts and wearing a loin cloth and a girdle. The most distinct feature of the mother goddess figurines is a fan-shaped head-dress with a cup-like projection on each side. Rest of the facial figures are very crude and distant from being realistic.

20. Cultural trends The goddess worship in India scarcely has the kind of unity and uniformity which is often assumed for it. It is at best a loose federation of cults and embraces within its fold elements of the most diverse nature and origin. The concept and cult of the Great Goddess, in the form it appears in the Devimahatmya of the Markandeya Purana could be perhaps called Sakta in the sense it presents the idea of Supreme Power as feminine.

21. Proliferation (enlargement) of goddess cult Vedic references to goddesses: Aditi , Mahan agni , Prithivi , Ushas , Ratri , Sri Lakshmi , Nirrti Uma Haimavati : 7 BC Kena Upanishad Identification of Brahman Zimmer: Syncretistic juncture of two antagonistic traditions Stuti of goddesses in the Mbh and Harivamsa addressed to Durga

22. Proliferation Vayu Purana : goddess forming half of the body of Siva Pitha legend: Daksha-yajna-vidhvamsa episode in the Mbh and other Puranas Dismemberment of the body of Sati as a cure for infatuation of Siva Apparently, the idea that every sacred place of the goddess enshrines a part of her body is the latest addition to the Daksha Yajna story, probably developed in te post- gupta period ( Sircar )

23. Proliferation He further says that these places are circles of worship of linga and yoni. It is true that the tirthayatra sections of the Mbh refer to such holy places as Yoni or Yoni dvara and Stana kunda . But when the fully developed legends list the Pithas , they do not invariably associate them with the varioys limbs of the goddess and do not always regfer to the infatuation of Siva or the association of the goddess in each Pitha with a Bhairava form of Siva. Thus, even if the mythical framework of the developed Pitha legends may be purely a product of the Tantric traditions, the compilations of the large lists of Pithas seem to be inspired principally by a desire to provide justification for and give unity to the widely prevalent cults of the popular goddesses.

24. Proliferation Apart from the list of goddesses, there are references to Yakshini and Naginis , matrikas , Yoginis , Vanadevatas Mbh says that the those desiring children should worship goddesses born in trees ( fruit bearing) Deities, generally feminine, who appear as genii loci of trees, groves or forests, villages, cities or houses, rivers, streams, mountains etc. Mother- matrika bali on the crossroads References in Buddhist literature also mention about Lata devata , Vanaspati kanya etc

25. Tree worship Complex tree symbolism has entered into Indian philosophical thought, we focus on popular manifestation. A distinction may be to be made not only between the concept of the tree itself as divine and the spirit supposed to be residing in it, but also, with respect to the latter, amongst the spirits of trees in general, of particular trees perhaps close to habitation areas, of trees in a grove or forest and the of spirits of groves and forests as a whole. Caitya vriksha

26. Durga One traditional explanation that the name was given to the goddess because she destroyed a demon called Durgama is apparently later myth making. Yudhisthira - stotra she saved from difficulty. The intended meaning is difficult or difficult situation of some kind. It also means hard upon thus suggest heavily forested mountainous regions and the name may have been orginally derived from the concept of a goddess of such regions. She is also addressed as Durge kantaravasini

27. Athena is portrayed as a shrewd companion of heroes and is the patron goddess of heroic endeavour. She is the virgin patroness of Athens . The Athenians founded the Parthenon on the Acropolis of her namesake city, Athens (Athena Parthenos ), in her honour. [2] Veneration of Athena was so persistent that archaic myths about her were recast to adapt to cultural changes. In her role as a protector of the city ( polis ), many people throughout the Greek world worshiped Athena as Athena Polias ( Ἀθηνᾶ Πολιάς "Athena of the city"). The city of Athens and the goddess Athena essentially bear the same name ( Athena the Goddess, Athenai the city) while it is not known which of the two words is derived from the other. [

28. Athena Athena appears in Greek mythology as the patron and helper of many heroes, including Odysseus , Jason , and Heracles . In Classical Greek myths, she never consorts with a lover, nor does she ever marry, [25] earning the title Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin). A remnant of archaic myth depicts her as the adoptive mother of Erechtheus / Erichthonius through the foiled rape by Hephaestus . [26] Other variants relate that Erichthonius , the serpent that accompanied Athena, was born to Gaia : when the rape failed, the semen landed on Gaia and impregnated her. After Erechthonius was born, Gaia gave him to Athena. Though Athena is a goddess of war strategy, she disliked fighting without purpose and preferred to use wisdom to settle predicaments. [27] The goddess only encouraged fighting for a reasonable cause or to resolve conflict. She emphasises everyone to use intuitive wisdom rather than anger or violence. As patron of Athens she fought in the Trojan war on the side of the Achaeans.

29. Menhit Menhit /ˈ mɛnˌhɪt / (also spelt Menchit ) was originally a Nubian war goddess in Egyptian mythology . Her name depicts a warrior status, as it means (she who) massacres . Due to the aggressive attributes possessed by and hunting methods used by lionesses , most things connected to warfare in Egypt were depicted as leonine, and Menhit was no exception, being depicted as a lioness - goddess . She also was believed to advance ahead of the Egyptian armies and cut down their enemies with fiery arrows, similar to other war deities [2] She was less known to the people as a crown goddess [3] and was one of the goddesses who represented the protective uraeus on royal crowns. [4] In the 3rd Nome of Upper Egypt , particularly at Esna , Menhit was said to be the wife of Khnum and the mother of Heka . She was also worshipped in Lower Egypt , where she was linked with the goddesses Wadjet and Neith . [4] As the centre of her cult was toward the southern border of Egypt, in Upper Egypt , she became strongly identified with Sekhmet , who was originally the lion-goddess of war for Upper Egypt, after unification of the two Egyptian kingdoms, this goddess began to be considered simply another aspect of Sekhmet . [2]

30. Sekhmet In Egyptian mythology , Sekhmet /ˈ sɛkˌmɛt / [1] or Sachmis ( /ˈ sækmɨs / ; also spelled Sakhmet , Sekhet , or Sakhet , among other spellings) was originally the warrior goddess as well as goddess of healing for Upper Egypt . She is depicted as a lioness , the fiercest hunter known to the Egyptians. It was said that her breath formed the desert. She was seen as the protector of the pharaohs and led them in warfare. Her cult was so dominant in the culture that when the first pharaoh of the twelfth dynasty , Amenemhat I , moved the capital of Egypt to Itjtawy , the centre for her cult was moved as well. Religion, the royal lineage, and the authority to govern were intrinsically interwoven in Ancient Egypt during its approximately three millennia of existence. Sekhmet also is a Solar deity , sometimes called the daughter of the sun god Ra and often associated with the goddesses Hathor and Bast . She bears the Solar disk and the uraeus which associates her with Wadjet and royalty. With these associations she can be construed as being a divine arbiter of the goddess Ma'at (Justice, or Order) in the Judgment Hall of Osiris, associating her with the Wedjat (later the Eye of Ra ), and connecting her with Tefnut as well

31. Innana She also is one of the Sumerian war deities: "She stirs confusion and chaos against those who are disobedient to her, speeding carnage and inciting the devastating flood, clothed in terrifying radiance. It is her game to speed conflict and battle, untiring, strapping on her sandals." [17] Battle itself is sometimes referred to as "the dance of Inanna ." Consider her description in one hymn: "When the servants let the flocks loose, and when cattle and sheep are returned to cow-pen and sheepfold, then, my lady, like the nameless poor, you wear only a single garment. The pearls of a prostitute are placed around your neck, and you are likely to snatch a man from the tavern." [ citation needed ] Despite her association with mating and fertility of humans and animals, Inanna was not a mother goddess, although she is associated with childbirth in certain myths. [18] Inanna also was associated with rain and storms and with the planet Venus , the morning and evening star. [19] as was the Greco-Roman goddess Aphrodite or Venus

32. Anat Anat's titles used again and again are "virgin ‘ Anat " and "sister-in-law of the peoples" (or " progenitress of the peoples" or "sister-in-law, widow of the Li’mites "). In a fragmentary passage from Ugarit (modern Ras Shamra ), Syria [1] ‘ Anat appears as a fierce, wild and furious warrior in a battle, wading knee-deep in blood, striking off heads, cutting off hands, binding the heads to her torso and the hands in her sash, driving out the old men and townsfolk with her arrows, her heart filled with joy. "Her character in this passage anticipates her subsequent warlike role against the enemies of Baal". [2] Cuneiform script , ( Louvre Museum ) "Then Anat went to El, at the source of the rivers, in the middle of the bed of the two oceans. She bows at the feet of El, she bows and prosternates and pays him respects. She speaks and says: "the very mighty Ba'al is dead. The prince, lord of the earth, has died"" (...) "They fight like heroes. Môt wins, Ba'al wins. They bit each other like snakes. Môt wins, Ba'al wins. They jump like horses. Môt is scared. Ba'al sits on his throne". ’ Anat boasts that she has put an end to Yam the darling of El, to the seven-headed serpent, to Arsh the darling of the gods, to Atik 'Quarrelsome' the calf of El, to Ishat 'Fire' the bitch of the gods, and to Zabib 'flame?' the daughter of El. Later, when Ba‘al is believed to be dead, she seeks after Ba‘al "like a cow [3] for its calf" and finds his body (or supposed body) and buries it with great sacrifices and weeping. ‘ Anat then finds Mot , Ba‘al Hadad's supposed slayer and she seizes Mot, splits him with a sword, winnows him with a sieve, burns him with fire, grinds him with millstones and scatters the remnants to the birds.

33. Tantra and word The objective world of perception is essentailly a chain of thought-constructs ( prapancha ) woven into the fabric of diversity. The thought vikalpa is a form of speech (vac) uttered internally by the mind ( citta ), which is itself an outpouring of consciousness. Consciousness also in turn, resounds with the silent, supreme form of speech ( para vac) which is the reflective awareness through which its expresses itself to itself. Consequently, the fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, which are the smallest phonemic units into which speech can be analysed, are symbolic the principal elements of activity of consciousness. It is a part of linguistic cosmology.

34. The Vedic religion did not perish due to the advent of Buddhism and Jainism. Men still followed the old rituals prescribed by the Sutras. (Dependent Shaktism ) Goddesses of the later Vedas whose cults became popular in subsequent agaes and many of whom later made their way into the Buddhist and Jain systems must have been widely worshipped. The popular influence of the Female principle had already been reflected in the cult of Zprajapati and Zbrahma . Mauryas and Shungas the cult of the Female Principle had a steady growth. It appears that the original tribal religion of the Maurya kings was that of the Mother goddess. This we suggest on the basis of Lama Taranatha’s account of king Ashok, wccording to which the king was not only the worshipper fo Umadevi , the Mother Goddess, but also he actually encouraged the sexual rites connected with her cult and thus became Kamashoka . Gauri , Sataksi , Sakambhari were undoubtely developed forms of rudimentary Eartha dn Corn Mothers. In Rajastahan , Gauri or isani is the corn mother whose cult resembles that of the isis in Egypt, Demeter in Greece and Ceres in Rome.

35. Shakta philosophy was deeply influenced by the non-dualistic and dualistic interpretations of the Vedanta, though other systems like the Sankhya . As in all idealistic systems, the ultimate reality in Saktism is pure consciousness. It is known as Samvit . In the Vedanta specially according to its non-dualist interpretation, Samvit is not limited totime , space and cause. In it te world is relflected just as an object is relflected in a clear mirror. In Shaktism Samvit is conceived of in terms of the functioning of Sakti in praksa and vimarsa apsects , the static and dynamic conditons . Samvit is noth immanent and transcendent, the former conditon prevails when Sakti in its static state assumes the form of matter and the latter conditon prevails when Shakti in its synamic state assumes the form of consciousness.

36. The genetic idea of Sakta tantra is that Sakti is the force of cosmological order. Parama Siva, the eternal, inconceivable Supreme Absolute is a passive force whereas Shakti , the immanent principle, is all activity. Shiva and Shakti have been anthropomorphically described as husband and wife. Shakti is the creation and recreation of the universe. She is the magna mater. Shiva is a corpse without Shakti . It includes both the spiritual and material principles and hence may be understood to comprise both purusha and Prakriti of Sankhya system.

37. Mahisha The Mahishasura did not enjoy an independent status in the Tarakasura battle. Rudra could not defeat him. He was killed by Skanda with his shakti in the Mbh Vaman Mahisha is the brother of Taraka . He was killed with great efforts after Tarakas death. Origin: Son of Rambhasura .

38. Rudra Silent prayer: Name associated with Rudra Brahman The mystery of creation begins with a fateful shot, the wound it inflicts on the Father, the loss of his seed its fall to earth, and the birth of the poem and of mankind to be. In the beginning is the word sung by the gods, the celestial intelligence, compassionate witnesses of primal passion and of the deed of the hunter. The mystery of raudra brahman embraces the cosmic creative act together with the form engendering creation of the poem. He as Agni prepares the seed for the father and he rudra himself shoots the father. He has dual nature, the one which is cruel and wild ( rudra ) the other kind ( siva ) and tranquil ( santa ). These he assumes at will. They are interconnected, springing from the same root hidden deepin in this god. Rudra is siva . The rudra-siva polarity of the god is well depicted in Vedic literature Lord of animals: Pashupati , Archer, Sharva Guardian of place: Vaastoshpati , guardian of the hourse of Varuna , he is the hound, the guardian of the sacred abode of ordinance His contradictions, polarities operate on all levels of his ambience, radiating from his centre. The Rudra Shiva tensio is between the unnamed god and Vastoshpati , guardian of the dwelling and guardian of the divine law. Two forms of the unnamed god: One is appalling Hunter who aims against nautre , against the primordial act of Father Heaven that he as Agni had instigated against procreation by which mankind was to come about. The other form is that of Vastospati , created by gods, the clelstial intelligence, the creativeness inself of mind. The two forms imply the tension betweeen life and its neagation on the one side, the wild untamed world the wilderness in man and nature and on the other side the world of art and cosmic order. Bothe are his domain. Wild Hunter and the guardiian of dwelling and guardian of sacred order.

39. Rudra He is mentioned as the son of Usas (Sun) He grew up immediately. Prajapati gave him eight names, Rudra , Sharva , Ugra and Ashani are indicative of the destructive powers and Bhava , Pashupati , Mahadeva and Isana are te benignant counterparts. He sends forth poisonous shafts Sacrifice of Shoolagava : performed in a cow shed when a cattle disease is to be averted. No remains should be brought at home. Inauspicious character. Traversing the path, crossing the river, getting into a ferry boat, entering a cowshed, cemetry , propitiating Rudra

40. Philosophical element Brahman : its attributes Immortal: Om He has his eyes everywhere, his face everywhere and growth of the gods, the lord of the universe, who formerly created Hiranyagarbha . Uma Haimavati : Rudra’s wife

41. Lord of the Yoga Seal of Indus, showing oordhva retas , siddha -asana pose, in which the crossed heels touch the testicles, is rendered in detail on a large seal only. Pictures of tiger, elephant on his right, a rhino and buffalo on his left, and two antelopes below. It is the proto Shiva In later Indian art, Siva’s particular cognizance as a yogi is the urdhvalinga . The phallus or linga pointing upward and pressing against the abdomen is a visual convention rendering the concept of urdhvarethas or the ascent of the semen. Control of seminal fluid is thought to entail control of all passions and the achievement of desirelessness .

42. Shiva Bhikshatana : In South Indian images the right hand of Siva is represented as a penitent beggar. The right hand holds a plant and is lowered toward an antelope. In his left hand rests a bowl, the skull of Brahma. Naabhanedistha and Rudra : Dakshinamurti Siva ( Dakshina : gifts, death) Kavya Ushanas , Vastupa , goat demon sprung from his sweat Lord of Tamas : Uncreated world, darkness, Kesin-Rudra - Shamanism Vratya Rudra -mystical experiences : soma vendors, arrowmakers , poisoners Ashwatthama – Rudra , Mahadev in the Mbh Pashupata-astra , Castration of Rudra : Not to create Linga stuck to the ground he went to Munjavat for penance: Pashupata yoga , Story of Upamanyu worshipping Mahadev , boons rejected, revealed the form with Parvati Upamanyu says that Rudra is worshipped as phallus Rejection of Shishna deva in Vedic literature, aboriginal practice. Patanjali speaks of pratikriti of shiva and not shivlinga . i.e. not an emblem Wema-Kadphises Siva with a trident , Nandi on coins and not linga

43. Procreative force: Brahma asked him to create. He created beings without death. He stopped creation and became Sthanu , the pillar, form of linga , mystical pillar of Vratya built by sole vision. It stands firm by the tension of the implied procreative force, its mastery and negation.

44. Rudra castrated himself Creation Role of Daksha Saw the creation angry Created healing herbs Went to Moojavat mountain to practice penance

45. Ganesh Elephant-head Fat body Strange birth Worship: Vighnakarta Vighnakarta

46. Ganesh Ganesa has everything that is fascinating to anyone, who is interested in religion or India or both: charm, mystery, popularity, sexual problems, moral ambivalence, political importance, the works. One can sgtart from Ganessa and work from there in an inbroken line to almost any aspect of Indian culture

47. Ganesh Textual sources: Brahmanaspati sukta Taittiriya Aryanka : Ganesh-gayatri Yajnavalkya smritis : Elephant Airavata with Indra Elephant sacred in Buddhism: A) Birth of Buddha B) Hattivatikas ( Hastivratikas ) C) Hattimaha ( Hastimakha )

48. Ganesh Regions associated with Ganesh Tamil nadu : Pillaiyar , Ganesh lord of the mountain Svayambhu form worshipped in Kashmir Associated with Kalabo i.e. Plantain leaf Maharashtra: Ashtavinayak : Svayambhu Elder brother of Kartikeya in certain places. Tribute to his wisdom

49. Ganesh Coins having elephant-head and human body: Therianthropomorph : Elephant worshipped in Kapisha i.e. Begram in Afghanistan People worshipped a god Piloshoro in the form of elephant. Coin evidence standing for a deity. Greek coins indicate god of Kapisha and Zeus at the same time. Kapisha means endowed with elephants. Udayagiri image: Pot bellied and ithyphallic ( urdhvamedhra ) and bowl of sweets Kushan period naked but not ithyphallic Some images carry radish in one of his hand

50. In  Bengal , Ganesha on  Durga   Puja is associated with a  plantain  (banana) tree, the "Kola Bo" [52]  (also spelled Kalobou or Kolabau ), ritually transformed into a goddess during the festival. [53][54] On the first day of  Durga Puja  the Kala Bo is draped with a red-bordered white  sari  and vermilion is smeared on its leaves. She is then placed on a decorated pedestal and worshipped with flowers, sandalwood paste, and incense sticks. The Kala Bo is set on Ganesha's right side, along with other deities. For most who view her, the new sari indicates her role as a new bride, and many Bengalis see it as symbolizing the wife of Ganesha . A different view is that the Kala Bo represents Durga herself, who in  Bengal  is considered the mother of Ganesha . Those who know of that tradition do not consider Ganesha's association with Kala Bo as a marital one. Haridas Mitra says that the Kala Bo is intended to serve as a symbolic summary for the nine types of leaves ( nava patrika ) that together form a sacred complex on Durga Puja . [55]  The officiating priests who carry out the ceremony tie a bunch of eight plants on the trunk of the plantain tree and it is the grouping of all nine plants that constitute the Kala Bo. [56]  The nine plants all have beneficial medicinal properties. According to Martin- Dubost , the Kala Bo does not represent a bride or shakti of Ganesha , but rather is the plant form of Durga . He connects the plant symbol back to the festival enactment of Durga's return of the blood of the buffalo demon to the earth so that the order of the world may be re-established and luxuriant vegetation reappear. He links Ganesha to this vegetation myth and notes that Astadasausadhisristi ( Aṣṭādaśauṣadhisṛṣṭi , "Creator of the eighteen medicinal plants") is a name of Ganesha . [57]

51. Ganesh Birth: Linga Purana Shiva himself created him to ward off obstacles of gods. Parvati : Vinayak ( nayakena vina without the intervention of the father) Liking towards his mother Relationship explored in popular literature Rat: Mushak ( stenaam cha pataye ) Marriage: Riddhi and Siddhi

52. Ganesh Riddhi = Ganesh = Siddhi Lakshmi Elephant= Lakshmi =Elephant Ganesh Gauri , never completely mother and never completely wife Mother versus father Freedom and responsibility Egoism and hierarchy Father+mother+son triangle A.K.Ramanujan : Oedipus in India may function in opposition to the Greek Oedipus-not sons displacing fathers for their mothers, but mothers displacing wives for their sons. This Indian Oedipus is not just the crystallization of an infantile moment of crisis; the shuttling of men between their wives and mothers unfolds aas the primary sexual dynamic of male adulthood. Mother is split in mythology and ritual so the relationship of Ganesh as celibate and married

53. Ganesh Nepal: Hindu and Buddhist Buddhist: Manjushri Buddha and one side Mahakala and Ganesh Hinduism: One among the ganas of Shiva Leader of the Ganas , an imp to create obstacles. Tantric acharya Odiacarya created Vighnantaka , one of the krodhas , who pulled the tusks of Ganesh . One among the followers of Buddha Decline in the images of Karttikeya and rise in the images of Ganesh along with Uma Mahesvara sculptures. Sri Lanka: Pulikara Tevan He is the god of agriculturists and traders and students Elder brother of Skanda , Karttikeya , Subramanya , Mahasena or Murugan Variant: Shiva mistakenly killed him considering him as Bhasmasura Parvati created seven princes from different materials. He was able to catch six heads and they become one i.e. Skanda Burma: Mahapienne i.e great delight ( Indra and Brahma : red and angry)

54. Ganesh Java: Skull and throne Tantric Ganesh Smaradahana parallel to Kumarasambhava Parvati inspired by Airavata created Ganesh with elephant head. Thailand: Vighnesvara / Mahavigheshnava Dvaimatura : Son of Ganga Second story, head got lost in the battle with asura China: Evil spirit Japan: Binayak / Shoten / Kangiten Binayak : creator of obstacles/ Shoten was noble god of auspiciousness/ Kangiten is a god of happineess or joy who brings prosperity and pronotes well being. Shoten L 200 children eldest. Originally evil. Kangiten : Was a woman, a daughter of Mahesvara . She was ugly and of bad character. Married man- Vinayak They united and thus originated the twim form of Binayak .

55. Khandoba Malhar : Etymology Local hero into a godhead Amalgamation in the mainstream as an avatar Incarnations: Indicating acculturation The tribes with their oral literature, the lingayats and gosavis ( the followers of Nths and Kalbhairava ), the influence of the tribal chief and eventually the local dandanayaka or rules, the Brahmans with their selective textual versions and codification of local tradition in terms of the Puranas : these do not destroy the cult, but add new layers of belief, ritual and myth

56. Khandoba Religious suicides: hook swinging abolished by the British Such practices are known for Murugan , Mariamman and other deities. Devotees subjecting to body torture. (Vratas) Shikhar Singanaapur Shambhumahadev / Naganand and Shibi diluted version is Dilip Surrounded by dogs : Shatarudriya hymn Rudra associated with dogs. Devotees behave in dog like fashion like the cynics in Greece. Two wives: One represents culture and other nature

57. Natha Origin Shaiva Datta Yoga Supranormal birth Navanarayan Tantra Shabarividya

58. Datta Triad: Vedic and Upanishadic ( eka eva tridha smritah ) Ekaa murtih trayo devah ( Matsya )