Lord Siva appears to be aroused into destroying

Kedarnath Temple

Every year some damage takes place to the road and communication network in the Himalayas due to monsoon rains because of the nature of roads and infrastructure created on steep hillsides. The population of the area is used to it and geared for repairing the damage speedily. However, this year  rains have brought havoc and that too in June, around a month earlier than usual. The intense rains are something of a hundred year record. Numerous roads have been destroyed by landslides in the Himalayan province of Uttarakhand. The numerous streams and rivers that feed rivers that flow into plains of north India have overflowed, destroying bridges and washing riverside buildings into water. It appears that hundred of tourists, perhaps even thousands, locals and pilgrims, may have died (the count is not yet in).  Thousands are trapped at various locations without food or adequate shelter. This time the damage will not be repaired in days or weeks but take months, even years, and the monsoon has yet to begin in earnest.

Spiritual persons consider that all happenings are under the control of one universal consciousness and  happen for a reason that may not be fully understood by all humans. The destructive role of Nature is viewed by Hindus as directly under the control of the infinite consciousness represented in a facet of the Infinite viewed by Hindus as Lord Siva. Undoubtedly such persons will view the present destruction as the doings of Lord Siva.

While the modern world has been progressing in many ways, the inhuman side has been progressing too. On one hand we have the destruction of forests, pollution of rivers and water bodies with industrial waste, urban garbage and shit etc. on the other hand economic prosperity is making the rich richer while the poorest are getting poorer ( in real terms because of inflation) , some driven to suicide. The corruption of the corrupt has touched new heights of psychiatric madness and greed as has the evil of the wicked. Grotesque unimaginable crimes like rape of children and gang rape of women appear to be increasing in India. Gross commercialization of essential services is subjecting the average citizen to great harassment even for basic services like health, education and utilities.

Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that Lord Siva has opened his destructive eye somewhat. It is about time and if anyone is in doubt, the epicenter of the destruction appears to be Kedar Nath, the foremost pilgrim location for devotees of Lord Siva in India. The other, Mansarovar and mount Kailash are in Tibet. Severe land slides here have washed off all the commercial establishments around the Kedar Nath temple into rubble and oblivion while leaving the ancient temple and Shiva -Shankar's companion bull, Nandi sitting outside intact, because a huge piece of mountain first slid into place to protect it, as if through a miraculous hand, and on the plains in Rishikesh where the journey begins into the Himalayas a proud statue of Siva in the Ganges, that blessed pilgrims at the beginning of the Journey, has disappeared into the raging waters.One report in the media said that it would take two or three years before the temple can be visited by pilgrims again.

The unfolding tragedy is heart breaking and painful but this appears to be just Lord Shiva's slight flicker of His third eye, just a small warning to mankind that they may collect billions and all the power such as leaders like Gadafi or Hafez Assad of Syria might but all that is less than a small particle of dust in front of Nature when aroused. Will the world heed the warning or await the full opening of the destructive glance?

More than a century ago in 1880 the goddess of Nainital, a companion goddess of Siva, had given a similar warning to the earliest of European residents of Nainital who delighted by the new scenic town and its romance had become promiscuous and indulgent. That year, Nainital town was the epicenter of destruction in the Himalayas. Three days of rain washed her temple and a large section of the newly built town into the central lake while killing hundreds. Back then, the residents were quick to heed the warning. Numerous new churches and temples sprang up alongside the clubs and playgrounds of the rebuilt town so that human activity may be tempered by love and goodness besides lust, greed and corruption, and the town flowered into one of the most peaceful and beautiful ones on the planet, at least until the latter part of the last century when the serpent of lust and greed began to rear its head once again, slowly at first and with increasing force in this century.This author greatly fears that this town may once again be on the list of the Watchful Eye. The sweet yet fierce goddess of Nainital is unlikely to ignore the endless proliferation of greed that has led to intensely crowded sections of the surrounding hills and pollution, greed on the part of businessmen willing to violate every rule in the book, and greed on the part of officials willing to overlook that for a consideration.

The modern human is different, even those who claim to be religious. Most even view God as a trader now rather than the ultimate in Love, a God  who will give them what they ask for if they give an expensive gift to the church or temple and not because of His love for His or her child in genuine need. How shall such persons have genuine belief or the ears to hear or eyes to see? They think God has much need for their trinkets of gold and jewels they bring in gifts, even as they ignore the little child suffering of hunger en route because the child belongs to the bottom ten percent not the top one percent;  just as the income tax official has for their bribes, for looking the other way,  when they carry similar gifts to him every year.

Yet there is a way to bribe or please God, and it is not by carrying a crown of gold for the delight of the temple priest (since God has no use for that crown it is the priest's son who gets a new BMW perhaps). It is by organizing help for the hungry child whose parents lost their lands perhaps because of the new factory that came up on government acquired land, or the homeless old man who was sucked out of his home and savings maybe because his bankers gambled with his money to quickly join the ranks of the one percent, or a misappropriation of government budgets that lead to deficit budgets in turn inflation as a result and therefore causing hunger and/or malnutrition for millions.

It is as if Lord Shiva wishes to give a message to those who approach the holy shrines in the Himalayas year after year in the thousands with a secret wish in their heart and a gift in their purse. The sudden natural calamity left these persons trapped in the holy valleys for days without food or even good drinking water. Those who never had to face hunger in their lives were suddenly found begging for food or even foraging for it in the wilderness.

A Gift for God

When my daughters, whom I love very much, were very young they would at times quarrel with each other and even throw their toys at each other causing hurt. At this time, in order to teach them that hurting someone is not a good idea, I had to gently with care throw a toy at them, in order to teach them that it is something that hurts and should not be done. What better way to appreciate the suffering of another than to undergo it oneself. In an article on ‘What is Karma’ by this author available in a companion blog this author has explained that the purpose of suffering is educational and it is because of that an otherwise loving God permits that for his children - all of humanity - from time to time. It is without doubt that many who have undergone the present harrowing pilgrimage that resulted in hunger and thirst for many will now consider that they might please the Almighty far more by carrying their gifts to the hungry child or a homeless old couple in their neighborhood rather than a Himalayan or another religious shrine, or if you do not fancy that idea, plant some food or fruit trees this monsoon in a public space that you can find. One day a half naked hungry wandering child, whose pain we have become far too thick skinned to feel, as we feel the pain of our own children, will find its fruit and satisfy his hunger. The Watchful Eye shall make a note of it and you shall than surely receive an unexpected blessing that shall delight your soul.

Om Namah Shivai

NOTE: About a week before this destruction took place this author had intutively feared such an event as mentioned in his companion blog at

http://someitemshave.blogspot.in/2013/06/evil-at-its-peak.html

UPDATE September !4, 2013

Just to add to this post, may I recount a personal experience, that I have elsewhere in blogs too, connected with my visit to a neighboring shrine. In 1981 I visited the Valley of flowers and here some fellow travellers suggested I visit the shrine of Badrinath ( it is close to Kedar Nath) since it was nearby and it is the life wish for many Hindus. I did do so. On return our bus stopped for a nights rest half way in the town of Srinagar. We started the journey again early next morning, all the buses in a long convoy.

In the Bus many pilgrims kept singing holy songs, Jai Mata Ki, Jai Mata Ki. Bolo Krishna, Bolo Radhe etc. with great enthusiam . A few kilometers ahead all the buses stopped suddenly. In the middle of the road a foot pilgrim, a sadhu had been knocked down by a truck in the night. He was crying Ma, Ma ( mother mother) in pain while on the road. Even grown ups become like children when in pain. All the pilgrims alighted and moved to the hillsides to watch the show. An ambulance and police had been called and they were waiting. My heart was moved by pain and compassion at the sight. Since none was appraoching him, I did, rolling up my towel for a pillow on the road, giving him a little water from my bottle and consoling him, not to worry, the ambulance would arrive soon. After sipping a little water, he closed his eyes peacefully to rest on the improvised pillow. About half an hour later the ambulance arrived and the road was cleared.

Perhaps the Lord of the Shrines had enacted this drama to test or teach the humble pilgrims something! I was the only one in the bus who had not carried an expensive gift to the temple, nor asked for anything from Lord Badrinath but thanked Him for the blessings and protection he gives when deserved without asking.. I do not know what happened to the thousands of pilgrims who were accompanying me, or what the Lord thought. He must be a good Judge for sure?

The condition of Indians is generally not good compared to most other countries despite these frequent visits to holy shrines. Clearly a rethink is called for.

It turned out that the truck driver was drunk at he had crashed into a tree a few kilometers ahead and had been arrested.The Lord punishes when it is due and protects where protection is deserved. If you like to read more philosophy along these lines my recent book "The Babaji Affair" available at amazon describes it through stories and incidents.

UPDATE April 2015 : About two years from the event described here, a tragic Earthquake has struck Nepal and once again the sanctury of the famous Shiva temple of Pashupatinath survived without any damage at all while everything in the surroundings came crashing down. Many engineers are putting forth many theories on how that might have happened. While the heart of this blogger goes out to the sweet and lovely people of Nepal there are also worries of more tragedies to unfold. Was this once again the third eye of Shiva opening a little as described in this note? If so will it open again at another Shiva Shrine in another two years in the Himalayas? There are other famous ones including Amarnath in Kashmir?