Siva The Erotic Ascetic

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ISBN: 9780195202502 | 0195202503
Cover: Paperback
Copyright: 5/28/1981

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Originally published under the title Asceticism and Eroticism in the Mythology of Siva , this book traces the development of an Indian approach to an enduring human dilemma: the conflict between spiritual aspirations and human desires. The work examines hundreds of related myths and a wide range of Indian texts--Vedic, Puranic, classical, modern, and tribal--centering on the stories of the great ascetic, Siva, and his erotic alter ego , Kama.

List of Illustrations	p. xiii
Guide to Pronunciation	p. xiv
Introduction: The Interpretation of Hindu Mythology	p. 1
The Challenge of Hindu Mythology	p. 1
The Central Paradox of Saiva Mythology	p. 4
The Resolution within the Texts	p. 6
The Iconic Resolution of the Paradox: The Ithyphallic Yogi	p. 8
Problems and Methods	p. 11
Various Methods of Mythological Analysis	p. 11
Variants and Multiforms	p. 16
Motifs of Hindu Mythology	p. 21
Chart of Motifs	p. 22
Explanation of Motifs	p. 23
Interconnections between Motifs	p. 27
The Saiva Cycle Analysed by Motifs	p. 30
The Value of Motifs and Variants	p. 32
The Nature of Mythological Contradiction	p. 33
The Equivalence of Opposites	p. 33
The Resolution of Mythological Contradictions	p. 35
The Failure to Resolve Mythological Contradictions	p. 36
The Irrational Solution: Bhakti	p. 38
Asceticism and Eroticism in Early Indian Mythology	p. 40
The Importance of Chastity and Creative Tapas	p. 40
The Seduction of the Ascetic by the Prostitute: Rsyasrnga	p. 42
Chastity and the Loss of Chastity: Agastya	p. 52
The Erotic Powers of the Ascetic	p. 55
The Rejuvenation of the Ascetic: Cyavana	p. 57
Sexual Pleasures as the Reward for Asceticism / the False Ascetic	p. 64
The Importance of Procreation	p. 68
The Prajapati and His Ascetic Sons	p. 70
Narada and the Sons of Daksa	p. 74
The Two Forms of Immortality	p. 76
The Attempt to Reconcile the Householder and Ascetic in Society	p. 78
The Forest-Dweller: an Inadequate Compromise	p. 79
The Vedic Antecedents of Siva	p. 83
Rudra, God of Destruction	p. 83
Indra	p. 84
Indra as Phallic God of Fertility	p. 85
Indra versus the Ascetic	p. 87
Agni, the Erotic Fire	p. 90
Agni and the Pine Forest Sages	p. 93
The Seven Sages and their Wives	p. 98
Siva and Parvati as the Parents of Skanda	p. 103
The Golden Seed of Fire	p. 107
The Birth of Skanda and the Birth of the Maruts	p. 108
Siva and Brahma: Opposition and Identity	p. 111
Siva as Sexual Creator	p. 111
The Incest of Siva	p. 112
Siva Opposes the Incest of Brahma	p. 114
Brahma Versus Kama	p. 117
Siva Versus Brahma at the Wedding of Sati/Parvati	p. 121
The Beheading of Brahma by Siva	p. 123
The Beheading of Daksa by Siva	p. 128
The Castration of Siva	p. 130
The Competition Between Siva and Brahma	p. 136
The Complementarity of Brahma and Siva	p. 138
Siva and Kama	p. 141
The Chastity of Siva--and Its Contradiction	p. 141
The Burning of Kama--and Its Reversal	p. 143
The Lust of the Chastiser of Kama	p. 145
The Victory of Kama Implicit in the Burning of Kama	p. 148
The Seduction of Siva by Parvati	p. 151
The Revival of Kama by Parvati	p. 155
Kama Reborn as a Tree--Rebirth From Fire	p. 158
The Revived Kama's Power Over Siva	p. 162
The Erotic Appeal of the Chastiser of Kama	p. 164
Kama and Agni Transposed	p. 166
The Partial Identity of Siva and Kama	p. 169
Siva in the Pine Forest	p. 172
Siva, the False Ascetic, Seducer of the Sages' Wives	p. 173
Siva, the Passive Ascetic, Unmoved by the Sages' Wives	p. 175
The Apparent Lust of the Ascetic Siva	p. 178
The Destruction of the Sages' Powers by the Seduction of their Wives	p. 178
The Transference of the Sages' Powers to Siva: The Pasupata Cult	p. 182
The Sexual Destruction of Demons by Siva	p. 184
The Sexual Death of Adi	p. 186
The Death and Transfiguration of Andhaka	p. 190
The Enlightenment of the Pine Forest Sages	p. 192
Siva opposes the Forest-dwellers' kama	p. 193
The Temptation of the Devotee by God	p. 196
Siva opposes the Forest-dwellers' tapas	p. 199
The Balance: Santi and Linga-worship	p. 201
Enlightenment by Sexual Impersonation	p. 204
Siva as Ascetic and Householder	p. 210
Siva's Failure to Reconcile His Two Roles	p. 210
Siva's Trouble with his Parents-in-Law	p. 213
The House of the Ascetic Siva	p. 218
Parvati's Conflict with the Unconventional, Ascetic Siva	p. 221
The Quarrels of Siva and Parvati	p. 224
The Adultery of Siva	p. 226
The Reconciliation of Siva and Parvati	p. 233
The Horrible and the Erotic	p. 236
The Transformation of Siva's Ornaments	p. 238
Snakes and Nakedness	p. 243
The Ashes of Siva	p. 245
The Third Eye	p. 247
Siva as Ascetic and House Holder: the Reconciliation	p. 251
The Control and Transformation of Desire	p. 255
Sexual Satiety: the Linga in the Yoni	p. 256
Yoga and Bhoga	p. 258
The Transformation of Desire by Self-Temptation	p. 259
The Retention of the Seed	p. 261
The Separation of Fertility and Eroticism	p. 262
The Unnatural Creation of Siva's Son	p. 267
Creation by Blood, Sweat, and Tears	p. 271
The Drinking of the Seed	p. 273
The Seed as Soma and Poison	p. 277
Food and Sex	p. 279
The Control of Excess	p. 282
The Distribution of Siva's Tejas	p. 283
Siva as Fire Under Water	p. 286
Siva as the Submarine Mare	p. 289
Cycles of Asceticism and Sexuality	p. 293
The Danger of Siva's Excessive Chastity	p. 294
The Danger of Siva's Excessive Sexuality	p. 296
The Interruption of Sexual Activity	p. 302
Quiescence and Energy	p. 310
Conclusion: the Pendulum of Extremes	p. 314
Connections Between Episodes in the Saiva Cycle	p. 319
Major Occurrences of the Main Episodes	p. 321
Sanskrit Texts	p. 321
Siva and Kama	p. 321
The birth of Skanda	p. 321
The Pine Forest	p. 322
Non-Sanskrit Texts	p. 322
Glossary	p. 323
Bibliography	p. 326
Abbreviations	p. 326
Sanskrit Texts and Translations	p. 326
Secondary Sources	p. 330
Bibliographic Notes	p. 341
Index of Motifs	p. 375
Index of Characters	p. 381
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.

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Siva The Erotic Ascetic

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