Game of Dice and Annapoorna

The legend of Shiva and Parvati’s Game of Dice, explains the creation of the phenomenal world in that before they begin to play, they are the androgyne, Ardhanarisvara and locked in union; with no distinction between consciousness and its contents, and no world.

To learn more about the role of Siva-Sakti go to this link here:





There are many subtleties and esoteric meanings connected with the mythology and legends of Arunachala. One of the most famous being that of Ardhanarishvara - a form of the divine which is particularly celebrated at Arunachala and not more so than during the festival of Deepam and on the day of Bharani Deepam. To read more go this link here:

The game of dice between Shiva and Parvati symbolises the beginning of manifestation.When Parvati takes the dice and begins to play, she separates herself from Shiva so that they become two different players thus initiating fragmentation and the creation of the phenomenal world. Shiva represents consciousness, and Parvati represents prakriti.

At first Shiva beats Parvati, but then more is wagered and Shiva loses all his attributes to Her. After losing the game, and seemingly losing his powers, Shiva accepts the defeat with a shrug of his shoulders and withdraws into the forest to meditate. Symbolising that consciousness can detach itself from its experience and from its own contents, and withdraw into a peaceful state.

In the forest Shiva meets Vishnu who offers to help. Afterwards Shiva wins back all he previously lost and causes Parvarti to accuse him of cheating. Vishnu reveals to Parvarti the secret of Shiva’s victories. “My spirit entered the dice. The dice moved not according to your moves but according to my wish. So neither has Shiva really won nor have you really lost. The game was an illusion; your quarrel a product of delusion.”

Shiva tells Parvati that the world is an illusion, nature is an illusion, matter is a mirage, and even food is just maya. Parvati, mother of all material things including food, loses her temper, saying; "If I am just an illusion, let's see how you and the rest of the world get along without me," and disappears from the world. Her disappearance causes havoc in the cosmos. Time stands still and in the grip of a terrible drought, the earth becomes barren. Seeing such suffering, Parvati's heart melts and she appears at Kashi to give relief.





Hearing of her return, Shiva presents himself to Parvati with other hungry mendicants. The Goddess feeds him, and Shiva admits that food cannot be dismissed as mere illusion as it is required to nourish the body in which resides the Atma.

Since that time, Parvati is worshipped as Annapoorna Devi, the Goddess of food and sustainer of prosperity. Legend has it that Shiva made an agreement with Goddess Annapoorna that she look after life before death, ensuring that no one goes hungry in the sacred city of Kashi, while he will ensure they receive liberation.

In 2011, the date of Annapoorna Puja is April 11 and is mainly performed by women. For more details of Annapoorna Puja observances go to this link here:

To listen to the Annaporna Strotram with English translation watch the video below.





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Arunachala and Fishing Folk

Today spent time with an older gent who is well versed on the history of Arunachala. We talked about the fire-walkers of a previous post – upon which I hope to be getting some new fascinating in-depth information. We also talked about the fisher folk that are responsible for the Deepam cauldron on top of Arunachala during Krittikai Deepam Festival.

“Every year during Deepam five earthen-pot lighted lamps, representing the five elements, provide the flame for the single Bharani Deepam which fisherman carry to the top of the mountain for use as the source-light for the Krittikai Deepam.

That same morning the Deepam cauldron is hauled up the slopes of Arunachala supported by poles inserted into the cauldron’s rings. The unique privilege for taking the flame (source-light) and cauldron up the Hill and also for the actual lighting of the Deepam Flame is always given (for long as the Hill’s recorded history) to men of the fishing caste.”

Men of the fishing caste

The reason for the extraordinary grace shown to the fishing clan reputedly is explained by a famous legend of the time the Goddess Parvati was adopted by the king of the fishermen. A version of the story appears below.


Becoming a Fisherman

"Once, the Lord was explaining to the Goddess the secret import of the Vedas. However, the Goddess who was listening to the Lord, seemed to be beset with some anxiety and was otherwise engrossed. It was, therefore, apparent that She was listening in name only. The Lord noticed this and said that as She was not paying full attention to the important things discoursed by him she should be born in the fisherman’s community. The Goddess lamented this and the Lord assured Her that She would be born to the king of fishermen and that He (The Lord) would in due course come to wed her.

Ganapathi and Subrahmanya, the sons of the Lord were greatly perturbed by this and in their frenzy, considered the books of the Vedas to be the cause of the trouble and threw the offending books into the sea. The Lord took Nandikeswara to task for having allowed Vinayaka and Subrahmanya to go to Him without knowing His convenience and cursed him to become a shark in the sea. Any curse on Ganapathi would recoil on Him (the Lord) and hence the Lord did not impose any curse on him, however, Subrahmanya was cursed to become the dumb son of a merchant.

There was a place called Pakam on the eastern seashore of the Pandya Kingdom which was inhabited by fishermen and their king of the great fisherman clan of Paravar, was a great devotee of Lord Siva. The king had no children and one day, when he went to the sea for fishing, found a crying female child lying under a Pinnai tree (or Punnai, Calophyllam Inophyllam) on the seashore. He picked the child up with great joy and handed it to his wife saying that it was a gift of the Lord. His wife brought up the child very affectionately and adorned it with various jewels. The child grew to be a girl who constantly meditated on Lord Siva.

As ordained by the Lord, Nandikeswara became a shark and caused havoc to the fishermen’s boats sailing in the sea. The king of the fishermen took considerable pains to catch the shark – but all was in vain. The king therefore announced that he would give his daughter in marriage to any person who would catch the shark.

The Lord appeared in the guise of a young fisherman before the king of fishermen, who was struck with the personality and bearing of the young newcomer. To the king’s enquiry He replied that he was a fishermen and could net any big fish or shark. The king told him of the prize offered for netting the shark infesting the area. The newcomer went to the sea and in no time netted the shark.

The king and his men were astonished at the feat. And happily gave to the newcomer his daughter in marriage and celebrated the wedding immediately. The bride and bridegroom immediately appeared as Siva and Parvati on their Vrishabha mount and the shark also appeared as Nandikeswara.

The king of the fishermen prayed to the God extolling Him for the great kindness shown to an ordinary and illiterate man like him. The Lord told him that as he has he had been yearning to get a child for so long, he had sent Parvati as his daughter and He came himself came to wed Her. The Lord also blessed the king to have all prosperity and at the end of his life to become a denizen of Sivaloka. Then the Lord instructed Parvati about the secret import of the Vedas and She eagerly and earnestly listened to the discourse."

Appudhi Nayanar

The story of the Nayanar Appudhi from the Periapuranam illustrates the nature of devotion for a householder and how the whole family can work together in service of Siva. Appudhi Nayanar was an ardent Siva Bhakta who excelled in devotion to the Guru. He belonged to a Brahmin Family in Tingalur (the place where the Moon worshipped the Lord) and lead the ideal householder’s life.

Appudhi had heard of the glories of Tirunavukkarasar and had taken him as his Guru and meditated on his lotus feet. He had named all his children ‘Tirunavukkarasu’ and all household articles and water sheds had been named after the Guru. Thus Appudhi had ensured that he would constantly remember the Guru, and thus experience his Grace.

Tirunavukkarasar passed through Tingalur one day and was surprised to see his own name everywhere. Appudhi received the Siva Bhakta (though he did not know who it was) with great devotion. Tirunavukkarasar asked why the water-sheds and other items were named after Tirunavukkarasar. Appudhi was upset at this casual reference to the name of his Guru and asked: ‘Though you appear to be a Siva Bhakta, you do not seem to know Tirunavukkarasu Swamigal, who through the grace of the Lord withstood successfully all persecutions and re-established Saivism.’

Tirunavukkarasar moved by Appudhi’s devotion replied: ‘I am that humble soul who fell a victim to severe colic and then took shelter under the Lord’s Feet. I am that one who, due to the grace of Lord Siva, got cured of disease and returned to Saivism.’ Thus it was that Appudhi remembered the glory of Tirunavukkarasar, whereas the Guru choose to recall his own failings (to preserve his humility) and the Lord’s supreme saving grace.

As soon as he heard this, Appudhi understood that the Siva Bhakta was none other than Tirunavukkarasar and was overjoyed and worshipped him along with his wife. The Guru accepted the invitation to eat at their home. After the food was ready to be served, Appudhi sent his elder son to bring a banana leaf from the backyard, and the boy in the process of collecting the leaf, got bitten by a snake. The boy managed to return home and hand over the leaf to his father but after fulfilling his duty, fell down and died as the poison took its toll.

Appudhiadigal and his wife were distressed but, hiding their emotions, rolled the boy in a mat and hid him outside their house. Without informing Tirunavukkarasar about the tragedy, they served him food. The Guru understanding the situation, asked them to bring the dead son. Tirunavukkarasar then went to Tingalur temple and laid the body in front of the Temple and sang; and as soon as he finished singing, the boy got up as though he was waking up from his sleep. All were overjoyed except for the parents who regretted that this incident had caused a delay in Tirunavukkarasar having his meals! This story thus illustrates the nature of true devotion.

Ardhanarishvara at Arunachala

The following legend and commentary explains the reason Ardhanarishvara is worshipped so prominently during Deepam at Arunachala. At which time a Murti symbolising the union of Siva-Parvati is displayed inside the compound of Arunachaleswarar Temple immediately after the fire is lit on top of the Hill.

Legend of Ardhanarishvara

The Goddess once playfully closed the eyes of her Beloved thereby plunging the world into darkness and causing suffering to all living beings. The Universal mother comprehending her folly started worshipping Lord Siva in the form of a Lingam to absolve herself of the sin and reunite with him. After first visiting Kanchipuram, Parvati proceeded to Tiruvannamalai to do her penance. While performing penance at Pavalakundru (with the help of Sage Gautama), the demon Mahishasura came and disturbed Parvati’s tapas. The Mother then took the form of Durga Devi and destroyed the demon on Full Moon Day of the Tamil Month of Karthigai during the auspicious period of Pradosham. Satisfied with his Goddess, Lord Siva presented himself in the form of Fire atop the hill and merged with Parvati - thus was created the half-man, half-woman aspect of the Lord, symbolising the oneness of all beings. To commemorate this event, every year during the festival of Annamalai Deepam, Lord Ardhanarishvara presents himself as Jyoti Swarupa to his devotees.

This fusion of Siva and Shakti representing the male and female halves, transcends the distinction and limitation of male and female and takes the Lord to a level beyond gender-manifest Brahman, realization of which means liberation. Siva is snow-white while Shakti is golden. He is substance while She is substrate. Siva is static; Shakti dynamic and creative. Siva is Being and Shakti is Becoming. He is One; She is many; He is Infinite and She renders the Infinite into finite; He is formless and She renders the Formless into myriad forms; But both are one. Siva and Shakti exist in Nirmala Turiya state (Stainless Purity).

When it comes to worship of Ardhanarishvara, some worship the Siva aspect and some worship the Shakti aspect. Siva is viewed as the Holder of Power, though he is inert. Siva is Shava (dead body) without Shakti. All the power in creation, maintenance, and dissolution rests with Shakti. But the Great Mother does not exist without Siva. When they become one Ardhanarishvara becomes a being of generative and constructive force.

Philosophically, this form portrays the boundless Grace of God. The formless God is called Parashiva. On Its own free-will for the benefit of pashus (souls), which are drowned in pasha (bondage), It thinks to create the worlds. Its dynamism of creation thus springs out of It, which is called Shakti. Now Shiva and Its power Shakti create everything. This is the form of their togetherness that makes every existence active. Siva and Shakti are one and the same Supreme. They are associated like the person and the action of the person. They are one and the same like ice and the water - one becomes the other. Shiva and Shakti are compared to gold and gold ornaments; they are the same; Shiva is hypostasis and when this force fuses with Shakti, it results in a multitude of manifestations.

[With thanks to A. Venkatraman]

Deepam Festival – Another Legend

Long ago, King Vajresan of Panchala who was childless, was blessed with a son after having darshan of the Arunachala Deepam in the month of Kartika. The son was named Shatrujith. The prince grew up to be lecherous man. He once eloped with the wife of a Vedic scholar and came to Tiruvannamalai and entered the Temple of Arunachaleswarar.

It was the day of the festival of the beacon. The paramour made a wick out of her sari and lit the lamp with castor oil. At that moment the Vedic scholar came there and in a fit of rage stabbed his wife and the prince. And in turn the prince killed him.

Since it was a gruesome murder committed in the sacred precincts of the Temple the three were about to be taken to hell by the messengers of Yama, lord of death. At that moment the messengers of Siva intervened and claimed the prince and the woman as their own and took them to the abode of Siva. Their blasphemous acts were condoned by Arunachala Himself because the wife made a wick and the prince helped her to light the lamp for the Supreme Lord.

But the Vedic scholar was puzzled, as he was held by the messengers of Yama. The prince, moved by the plight of the Vedic scholar, ordered the vessel used for lighting the Karthika lamp to release the scholar. Immediately the Vedic scholar was liberated. Thus all the three, despite their misdeeds, were taken to the abode of Siva, as the merit gained by the simple act of lighting a lamp on Kartika day in his Temple outweighed their devilish acts.

The Glory of Arunachala

[Skanda Upapuranam]