Shiva’s Cosmic Lila

In Shiva's Cosmic Lila, we will begin by looking into Shiva's background. After that, we will explore Shiva's lila in various myths, such as the dice game, the slaying of Andhaka, Shiva and Parvati's marriage, the shaking of Mount Kailas, and the Forest of Pines. These myths are also carved in stone in the caves of Elephanta and Ellora. After we seeing Shiva's lila in "stone and story," we will examine and analyze the myths, investigate the significance of Shiva's dance, and the importance of this eternally returning theme. Next we will take a quick detour and see how Hollywood's WarGames (Badham, 1983) applies, before we end by contemplating the strange similarities between modern science and Shiva.

Background and Bio

Shiva’s Lila In Stone and Story—Monuments and Myths

**The Monuments—Shiva in Stone
** The Myths
*** The Dice Game—Featuring the Androgyne and Dice Game Panels
*** Slaying of Andhaka Panel
*** Shiva and Parvati Reunite: Marriage and Ravana Panels
*** The Forest of Pines—The Yogi and Nataraj Panels

Mythic Analysis

** It's Getting Dicey in Here
*** Dicing It Up: It’s Separation Any Way You Slice It!
*** The Game Itself
*** Cosmic Significance
** Don’t Try This at Home —Violent Reintegration
** Together Again: Erotic Union—Reunited and It Feels so Good…
** Tapas: Is It Hot in Here or Is It Just Me? (Fusion & Reintegrating Separated Pieces of God)

Dancing Is My Life

Reprise—Putting It All Together, the Play of Gods

Shall We Play a Game?

The “Strange” Similarities Between Shiva and Science

End of section, continue to Background and Bio