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.