Shiva & Shakti
Absorbed in our daily rush and busy lives, we often forget to connect to the divinity within us.
Yes, there is a balance of divine energies in each of us, we just need to recognize it and manifest it.
If you've ever participated in a yoga session, you may have learned how to achieve calm and balance through meditation.
But did you know that divine energies are constantly at play within your soul to help you achieve this balance?
You are probably wondering how these divine energies could be born in us, simple mortals.
Let me paint a little picture for you.
Imagine a time, billions of years ago, when the earth did not exist. All that existed was a vast cosmos filled with divine energy.
According to ancient Tantrism, it was during this time that the divine masculine, also known as Lord Shiva in Hindu mythology, and the divine feminine, worshiped as Goddess Shakti, formed a divine union.
From this union, creation began, the earth was born, mountains were created, rivers began to flow.
Ok, now you think, that was billions of years ago, but how do these energies affect humans today?
Well, that’s what I’m going to show you in this blog post.
Read on to learn more about Shiva and Shakti, and how the nature of their energies and their union affect people like you and me.
Shiva - The Divine Masculine
Hindu mythology depicts Lord Shiva as a male God, with a trident in one of his hands and dreadlocks, from which the river Ganges is believed to have originated.
He is depicted as a character who meditates incessantly in the remotest mountains of the Himalayas, known as Kailasha Parvat.
He is the embodiment of all that is masculine and symbolizes awareness, calm, determination, purpose and direction.
In the concept of chakras, Shiva is known to be present in the Sahasrara Chakra, or the crown chakra.
He is the one who sits silently and observes the world, and whose vision is unchanging.
In traditional Hinduism, Lord Shiva is also considered the god of destruction.
This doesn't mean it will destroy you!
This only means that he possesses the divine masculine energy to destroy the created world when the earth needs cleansing and rebirth.
But even Shiva, with all his purpose, consciousness and powers of annihilation, cannot recreate or rebuild without the help of his eternal companion, the goddess Shakti.
Now let us learn more about Shakti herself.
Shakti – The divine feminine
Shakti is, as you may have already guessed, the female God, or divine feminine, who is also the eternal partner of Shiva. Shakti is typically depicted as a beautiful woman in a silk garment with dance steps.
In Indian languages, "Shakti" means power and when you look at her image, you know why.
She exudes positivity, vitality and is always full of life. In Hindu scriptures, she is depicted as a strong woman who creates, nourishes and replenishes the world.
When you look at his traditional idols, you will notice that a lion or a tiger accompanies him. This fact alone is enough to tell you that she is fearless and energetic.
Goddess Shakti is depicted as a mother who takes care of her children and is always ready to fight all kinds of demons and evils that could be potentially dangerous for her children.
Known by hundreds of other names, such as Durga, Parvati, Kali and Prakriti, Goddess Shakti lives in the Muladhara chakra, commonly known as the root chakra.
Now you probably understand why Shiva chose her as his mate. If you're still having trouble picturing Shakti, just imagine a beautiful woman with infinite warmth and love, but one you wouldn't want to cross.
Twin Flame Energies Shiva and Shakti
Now that you know a little about the characteristics of Shiva and Shakti, let's dig a little deeper into the nature of their energies.
More importantly, I think you would very much like to understand how these two energies can be identified within yourself.
In tantric ideology, Shiva and Shakti are metaphysically involved in each other through a tantric union, which is much more than just the physical union of a man and a woman.
When Shiva and Shakti unite in a person's body, the process gives birth to Kundalini or the Serpent Goddess. This goddess is the dormant feminine power located at the base of the spine and causes an intense surge of energy.
Furthermore, this union allows the mind to enter Samadhi, which is the highest state of meditation.
Both Shiva and Shakti energies are present in human beings and it is the balance between them that allows us to emerge victorious from all the pain and misery of the world.
This balance is depicted in Hindu mythology in the form of a half-Shiva and half-Parvati character, called Ardhanarishvara.
Imagine a human form made up of half man (right) and half woman (left).
Nature of Shiva energy
It is the right half of the Ardhanarishvara which represents the calm and energy conscious nature of Shiva.
This energy represents the absolute reality of the entire cosmos, the entire truth on which the universe is built. It is deep, free, grounded and conscious.
So how do you identify your Shiva energy within you?
Introspect your character through meditation and identify moments of truth where you had a revelation about the purpose and direction of all your actions.
This characteristic is divine masculine energy.
Root chakra
Sacral chakra
Solar plexus chakra
Heart chakra
Throat Chakra
Third eye chakra
Crown Chakra
Nature of Shakti energy
The other half of Ardhanarishvara, undoubtedly, is what Shakti represents. Its energy is more fluid in nature. His vitality and creative instinct complement the calm nature of Shiva's energy.
All life forms that you see in the world are the result of this expressive and flexible energy of Shakti.
Now, are you ready to identify the presence of Shakti energy within you?
This should be easy to do, because as humans we all create something. We are all active and we always tend to move from one task to another.
Life itself is movement and change, the very nature of Shakti energy. Every time you act, you channel this source of energy through your mind and body.
The combined effect of energies
Alright, now you're wondering, this is all great, but how do these two energies work alongside each other?
Let's take an extremely banal example.
You got home from work and you need to make dinner. That's what we all do, right?
The decision to prepare dinner and the purpose of that dinner are guided by the conscious nature of your mind through Shiva energy.
Now that you know you need to make dinner, the next step is to physically move around the kitchen, cut up your vegetables, and put them in the pot.
Congratulations, your inner Shakti energy has just created something, your dinner!
As you can see, without the determination to make dinner, you would never have cut the vegetables.
Likewise, just deciding you need to make dinner wouldn't have been enough to get the food ready. Thus, the two energies have worked together to provide you with a sumptuous meal at the end of a tiring day.
The love story of Shiva and Shakti
After hearing so much about these two Hindu deities, you must be intrigued by the story of their union.
It’s quite an interesting love story and one never gets tired of hearing it over and over again.
So, wrap up in your warm blanket because here I am going to tell you one of the most interesting mythological stories in the world.
According to Hindu legends, Shiva was first married to Sati, who was a restrained and modest version of Shakti herself. One day, Shiva and Sati were walking in a forest where they saw Lord Ram looking for his wife Sita.
To find out if he was really Lord Ram, Sati disguised herself as Sita and went to meet him. The omniscient Ram instantly recognized her as Sati, but alas, Shiva refused to consider her as his wife Sati thereafter and settled in the recesses of the Himalayas, alone, untouchable, impenetrable.
The separation of Sati and Shiva
As Sati and Shiva continued to be separated due to Shiva's refusal to consider her as his wife, Sati went to a ceremony in her father's house, uninvited.
She was treated so badly there that she ended up committing suicide. Sati and Shiva were now separated forever.
But wait !
They were divine powers. So how did she die and why did they split up that way?
This is where the story gets tricky.
The divine meeting of Shiva and Shakti
Sati is reborn as Parvati, the most powerful version of the goddess Shakti. After eons of trials and penances, she succeeded in winning the heart and soul of Shiva.
So they were reunited again. Shiva and Shakti became one forever and continued to reside together among all humans and animals in the universe.
Importance of the union of Shiva and Shakti
It is a wonderful act of nature that we are all blessed with such a balance of divine masculine and feminine energies within us. As you now know, it is this balance that helps us cope with all the difficult times that life throws at us.
Perhaps now it is easy to understand why Shiva and Shakti energies are important in maintaining a healthy mind, body and soul.
What is difficult, however, and understandably so, is putting them into practice.
Divine energies must remain in balance so that we humans can realize the unattainable and feel more connected with our spiritual selves.
If one of the two energies is out of balance, the duality is broken and a person may become prone to inactivity or aggression.
Finding a way to maintain balance between Shiva and Shakti energies is how you can channel these purest forms of divine energies that already reside within you.
Now it's your turn :
- Do you find it easy to maintain a healthy balance of these energies in your own life?
- Did you find the story of Shiva and Shakti interesting and useful for your spiritual evolution?
Is there anything you wanted to add to this beautiful story?
