Devon Ke Dev Mahadev

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam .. other thread .. http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/sho...63&postcount=2

Aum Namasivaya

[Obelisk]

Namaste,

I've watched a few episodes on TV with my parents and it's indeed pretty good - not only are the actors and script decent, but the special effects are by far the best I've seen in any Indian show so far. That's certainly very appreciable and welcome. I agree that they should've added English subs for the YouTube uploads, though. I remember the Ramayana episodes on the recently canned Imagine channel had those, so why not this one?

Many of these are often released on DVD if successful in their TV run, so there's hope that will have it.

[Sahasranama]

Vannakkam Goodlife: I appreciate the thought but no thanks. As I said before, this particular version of Siva just doesn't appeal to me, no matter how you cut it. Any God portrayed with human qualities, for me, is a distortion of how I perceive Siva. (Siva is God for me... I'm a Saivite.)

My version of perception is far better represented in South Indian Saivism in the great temples of Tamil Nadu. But it is to each his own. Did you watch the Chidambaram video?

Aum Namasivaya

What you are saying is completely backward, the south Indian Shaivite and Vaishnavite traditions in particular are known to be centered around worshiping God in a human form who is living in his divine abode. This is also one point the south Indian traditions differ from with the northern Kashmir Shaivism.

This is just my personal take, but I will take the Siva Lingam, or Nataraja any day. Siva permeates the ether of the universe. This particular form is just another remnant or 'addition' for some of the 'God sits on a throne' world view prevalent on the western half of the planet.

This is a problem with almost all western converts to Hinduism who are hung up on a western worldview, except for ISCKON members. I have yet to met an Indian Hindu who has a problem looking at Gods in human form, except for Arya Samajists and some neo-vedantins.

[PARAM]

All TV serials are commercial business and a product of rating points of TV (TRP), not really original Hindu product to describe the life of deity in the same way if not makes a better TRP. We still have to wait for real program made with pure Hindu heart, there were only a few such programs which are now off the screen.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: In South India, Murugan (in his 'human' form, not just a vel) is perhaps the most commonly enshrined deity. But in nearly all the famous Siva temples of TN and elsewhere, the moolasthanam deity form is the Lingam.

Any personal preference should never imply that any other way is wrong. Different, yes.

Aum Namasivaya

[Sahasranama]

Vannakkam: In South India, Murugan (in his 'human' form, not just a vel) is perhaps the most commonly enshrined deity. But in nearly all the famous Siva temples of TN and elsewhere, the moolasthanam deity form is the Lingam.

The Shivalingam is not entirely devoid of any human attributes, the lingam and yoni do represent the guptendriyas of the male and female body. Some modern and repressed Hindus don't like to see it like this, but this is how the ancients have described the Shivalingam.

Any personal preference should never imply that any other way is wrong. Different, yes.

I am just tired of westerners that keep saying that that how Hindus see the divine in human forms and living in divine abodes is just too similar to Christianity. This is just as bad as those new agers who are eager to replace these "mythological" figures with the "historical" Jesus. A while back there were some westerners in the temple that were secretly making fun of how Hindus worshiped all these Gods and Goddesses like Lakshmi and Ganesha.

Indians have been worshiping their gods their gods like this for thousands of years. The world greatest poet, Kalidasa was a master in writing epic poetry, screenplay and lyrical poetry. He authored great works like the Raghuvamsa (about the dynasty of Sri Rama), the Kumarasambhava (the birth of Kumara) and Abhijnata Shakunthala (the recognition of Shakunthala). The way modern Hindus make television serials like the Ramayana, Mahabharata and recently this series about Mahadev is in the same spirit of the great poets of the past. This is a million times better than those bollywood artists trying to imitate American cinema. Hindus should rejoice whenever a new series is made about traditional Hindu lore.

[charitra]

I, for one, never ever was convinced that Brahman ever came down to earth as a human, much less anyone had actually met It/Her/Him and lived with It. Mythology is just what it is- mythology and nothing more nothingless. Being passionate about it makes Hinduism complicated and diluted. That said, movies with human avatars were fun to watch when I was a kid. It is impossible to take them seriously now as an adult, unless of course I am looking for some clarification about a certain incident in the life of a certain avatar, in this way these movies are informative.. I thought a couple of westerners have expressed a great interest in watching them somewhere here very recently. Shanti.

[Sahasranama]

The stories of the deities are not mythological. Mythology is a derogatory term used by mlecchas to describe all non Christian religious beliefs.

[Ganeshprasad]

Pranam all

This is bit too much to digest, I have been absent for a while, some thing don't change, many have left and hdf is poorer for it, many new faces brings colour to the fold but with it comes so many new ideas that are foreign to Hindus. I have not agreed with Saha on many issues but this I can not agree more with him.
Mythology is a derogrative word to use for Puranas weather one believes in all the stories is another matter, why because with everything else one need a teacher, a Guru to make sense of it all.
Talking about Avtars again it is your personal choice, who are we to argue if one does not believe in them but please keep that to your self. No one has ever suggested Bhagvat Gita to be a myth or perhaps they do but then would that person be a Hindu? Perhaps!!
Jai Shree Krishna

[Believer]

Namaste,

The stories of the deities are not mythological. Mythology is a derogatory term used by mlecchas to describe all non Christian religious beliefs.

Mythology is a derogatory word to use for Puranas.......

The continuous bombardment by outsiders to describe Hinduism and the devas as mythology has taken a firm hold in the minds of many Hindus.

As I have said before, science is used in a lab environment to prove or dis-prove physical phenomenon. But there is no 'show me or or I don't believe it' when we talk about divinity. Religion and spirituality are only experienced by the practicing devotees, not by intellectuals/logical thinkers. The two approaches - experimentation with the physical entities and the faith in spiritual practices - can and must live side by side. An ardent 'proof oriented' science based person cannot see God, much as a mountain/cave dwelling yogi cannot design a space vehicle or replace clogged arteries. They need each other to make the world go for humanity at large, but must not doubt/attack each other's field of expertise. With that said, mythology is a very derogatory term that ALL hindus should resist, being applied to their religion, much less join the chorus of those bent on trivializing our faith. One has to seek God and become worthy of experiencing His presence. He is not obligated to make His presence felt or show up in His existential form, just so that the talking heads would believe/accept Him. We need Him, He does not need us!

Pranam.