WHO IS APASMARA ?WHAT IS THE DECODATION OF APASMARA ?SHIVA..21

WHO IS APASMARA ?-

07 FACTS;-

1-Apasmara, is the demon crushed under Shiva's foot in his form as Nataraja the king of dance. He is a dwarf,, who symbolizes ignorance /or evil, and Shiva is portrayed as crushing him .Legend has it that this demon used to trouble human beings, saints and devas. Human beings prayed to Shiva who crushed him under his feet.

2-Apasmara is a figure in Hindu mythology who represents both ignorance and epilepsy. He is a demon dwarf who is also sometimes called Muyalakan. Apasmara is often depicted holding his hand in anjali mudra. He is said to have a demon’s face, but the body of an infant. 3-Apasmara also gives his name to the neurological condition of epilepsy, as described in Ayurveda, which is the sister science of yoga. 4-The myth of Apasmara states that in order to ensure the knowledge in the world is preserved, he can not be killed. To kill him would mean attaining knowledge without any dedication or effort, which would devalue all knowledge and unbalance knowledge and ignorance in the world. Thus, he is destined for immortality. 5-Apasmara used to plague (cause continual trouble ) humans who prayed to Shiva to control him. According to the myth, because Lord Shiva could not kill Apasmara, he instead took the form of the Lord of the Dance, Sri Nataraja. 6-He performed tandava, the cosmic dance, in order to suppress Apasmara and managed to crush him under his right foot. Thus, because Apasmara must remain immortal, Lord Shiva must remain forever in this form, suppressing Apasmara forever. Shiva’s stance in doing this is a symbolic reminder of the need to suppress ignorance.... 7-Symbolically, Shiva standing on Apasmara Purusha is asking us to crush laziness, ego, jealousy, envy and hatred and realize the Supreme Truth. By this self realization one attains bliss on earth. APASMARA IN MEDICAL SCIENCE;- According to the experts in the science of medicine, the term “Apasmara” implies ‘loss of memory’, characterized by------ 1-Tamah pravesha –( loss of consciousness (entering into darkness) 2-Beebhasta chestam –( fearful – disgusting movements of limbs caused by 3 sattva samplavat – derangement of intellect and the mind Attacks of epilepsy, in a person, are caused by the upward movement of excessively accumulated Doshas as a result of the following:----- 1- Habitual intake of unwholesome and unclean food; 2- Suppression of the Sattva (one of the attributes of mind representing purity and consciousness) By Rajas (attribute of the mind representing energy, attraction and dynamism) and Tamas (the third attribute of mind representing passiveness, inaction, darkness and ignorance); 3--. Occlusion of the heart by the aggravated Doshas; 4- Affliction of mind by worry, passion, fear, anger, grief, anxiety etc..

THE DECODATION OF APASMARA ;-

05 FACTS;-- 1-Shiva is often pictured doing his Tandava dance of destruction. He is seen with four hands and one leg up, as an expert dancer, and one leg dancing on a small person called the Apasmara-purusha. In two of his hands he holds the damaru drum and fire. 2-The drum represents sound which is supported by ether. This is a sign of further creation after the annihilation or destruction. Fire represents the Pralayagni, or the fire of universal destruction. Thus, Shiva holds the symbols of cyclical universal creation and annihilation. The other two hands represent protection and blessing for those who take refuge of him or of his spiritual knowledge.

3-The Apasamara upon whom Shiva stands symbolizes the ignorance which make us lose our clarity and consciousness of our real identity. This also signifies our succumbing to the process of death without spiritual preparation. Shiva is shown dancing on this ignorance for the good of the devotees who take refuge.

4-Right feet is the symbol of those who are willing to get mukti.Left feet symbolizes--- soul with Maya shakti. 5-Natraj is sometimes referred to as "the dancer of creation, lord of joy and sorrow." The dancing image captured in popular statues is meant to symbolize life's ebb and flow. It also reminds us of the balance between form and void, as well as the time before the divine created form from the void. The statues of Natraj are framed by a circle representing cosmic energy. If you look closely at a status of this Hindu god, you will see that Natraj stands upon a demon, which symbolizes triumph over spiritual ignorance. ACTUALLY WE ARE DEMON ;SHIVA IS DANCING OVER US ( EGO,LUST,ANGER ) --AN ANALYSIS;-

11 FACT ;-

1- That little dwarf,, being crushed under his dancing feet represents the ignorant, deluded being, Jiva, who is subject to the triple impurities of littleness (anava), desires and attachments (pasa), and delusion (moha) caused by ignorance. The purpose of Shiva’s dance is to facilitate the order and regularity of the world, and the liberation of souls through an intense transformative process under his twin feet of births and deaths, and duality. 2-For the mortal beings, anava is a problem. Anava means egoism, smallness, or atomicity. Anu means atom, Anava means choosing to be like an atom, when in reality you are the supreme Self. It is the natural state of all living beings, but not the ideal one, since it is not conducive to liberation. 3- In reality you are limitless, eternal, indestructible, and indivisible. Your ego makes you feel that you are a limited being, distinct and separate from the rest of creation. It is also responsible for your pride, ownership, desire-ridden actions, attachments, possessiveness, modifications of your mind, birth and death. 4-By a casual observation you can easily see that you are a fragmented person, with numerous parts. Both your mind and body have several parts, and each of them is further divided into numerous other parts. Together they create you, a complex being with fragmented awareness, and a distinct individuality that separates you from the rest. 5-In the fragmented mind you experience duality and division and find it difficult to accept any notion of being limitless, or eternal. You see your body and know that it is impermanent and subject to death and decay. You see others, and you know that they are different from you and cannot be you. You see suffering everywhere, little children dying, animals getting shot, people behaving cruelly, and numerous other disturbing images, which make you feel that the world is a wretched place for good people. 6-All that is true, at least from your perspective. Every day many things happen in this world, which hurt your sensibility and sense of justice. They keep you bound to your judgment, worldview and your sense of righteousness. 7-When you see things from a limited perspective as an individual, and accept them as true, you should know that it is your ego which is at work and which is responsible for the duality and separation that you experience. Your ego may feel righteous, but righteousness coming from your ego is still a problem because it strengthens your ego rather than facilitating liberation.

8-In Hinduism, this state is described as smallness or atomicity (anava--Sanskrit means “bad conduct, misfortune or adversity”). In this state you identify yourself with your mind and body and accept your physical identity as true, and you use it to define yourself and relate to others. It is also the state of delusion, where cannot properly discriminate between truth and falsehood. 9-Your ego practically stays in control of your life and asserts itself in numerous aspects of your thinking, behavior, and actions. Your beliefs, faith, knowledge, wisdom, attitude, relationships, judgment, feelings, opinions, are colored by it. You do not know your ego as a separate entity because in wakeful state it envelops your consciousness and represents your identity. You will become aware of it only in deep, meditative states as you become the observer or a passive witness. Your ego is the sum of your mind and body complex, and your conscious experience. It is the totality of who you are, and how you perceive yourself.

10-If you feel unhappy, happy, angry, sad, worried, anxious, envious, ambitious, or fearful, know that it is the reaction of your ego. Aanava, your smallness, pits you against the gigantic forces of the universe and creates in you fear, anxiety, insecurity and numerous other emotional responses, whereby you develop attachments and indulge in desire-ridden actions to fortify yourself against possible threats. Since you are limited by its influence and modes, you do not experience life in its totality, or the transcendental state of limitless and choiceless awareness. 11-How can you deal with the problem of ego and the limitedness it creates so that you can permanently escape into an eternal world? How can you find an eternal relief from the twin problems of births and deaths as represented by the dancing feet of Shiva, the lord of Death? The scriptures offer numerous suggestions. You may also find solutions from several sources and in different traditions. Here are a few important ones mentioned by the enlightened ones.

HOW TO CONTROL THE DWARF?--

07 FACTS;- 1-First, know how to identify your ego and understand its working and behavior.

2-Next, stop identifying yourself with your mind and body and cultivate detachment.

3-Third, withdraw your mind and senses and turn inward to practice meditation and mindful observation to become your own witness.

4-Fourthly, stop acting according to the prompting of your ego with the following.....

4-1- Silence your desires, expectations, opinions, reactions and emotional responses.

4-2-Reduce your dependence upon things and people to whom you are attached.

4-3-Control your compulsion to control the world, or to claim things that do not belong to you.

4-4-Do not indulge in actions to profit yourself. Finally, overcome selfishness, greed, envy, pride, malice, and delusion through spiritual practice and self-purification. Practices such as the ones mentioned above would greatly weaken your ego and its hold upon your consciousness.

5-As long as you have mind and body, your ego will not die. It will become weak, but still it will keep surfacing in your thoughts and actions. Therefore, you should remain on guard, without being complacent, until you enter the state of choiceless, transcendental awareness, in which you will view the dualities of life with sameness and equanimity and without judgment, and in which you cease to objectify your experience or act according to your modes. 6-In worldly life, your ego is your support and an ally, but in spiritual life it becomes your antagonist. If you are in search of peace and mental stability, you should pay attention to how your ego creates suffering through desire-ridden actions, duality, attachments, and attraction and aversion.

7-When your ego is silent and subdued, you enter the state of Shiva and cease being a little dwarf. With the vision and wisdom of an awakened seer (siddha), you let life happen, without the desire or the compulsion to control it, manage it or manipulate it. You embrace all your perceptions and experiences without choice, preference, or prejudice. Just as God embraces everything that he projects outwardly with sameness and pervades it as its very essence, you pervade your whole awareness and become the totality of your experience.

...SHIVOHAM......