The art of becoming Shiva with 77 Shiva Sutras
Can we become Shiva with the help of Shiva Sutras?
What does it mean to become Shiva?
Is Shiva a person?
These are some questions that were going through my mind after listening to a video on the Shiva by the Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Watch the video below.
Shiva is considered to be the coolest of God’s in the Hindu religion. Tattoo shops are filled with designs of the trishul and damru. People from all age groups regardless of their gender have a special attachment towards Shiva or Mahadev as he is fondly called in the Indian Subcontinent.
Now I am not a historian or an archaeologist, so I cannot pinpoint exact proofs about a person called Shiva existing thousands of years ago but what I did understand after listening to these talks were that Shiva is someone that confuses a lot of people.
Every time I listen to talks about Shiva, my curiosity to know more about this mysterious god increases. This curiosity made me research about various scriptures available on understanding Shiva. As a result, I got introduced to a wonderful ancient text called the Shiva Sutras.
If you ask me to explain the Shiva Sutras, I won’t be able to as I am still learning them but I realized that the text Shiva Sutras is the answer for anyone who wants to know who Shiva is or What Shiva is.
What are the Shiva Sutras?
They are a set of 77 techniques of realizing one’s true nature. In simple words, if you are fascinated with words like Enlightenment, Mukti, Moksha, Nirvana then this book will give you 77 techniques to achieve that. It’s one thing for a spiritual text to be vague and present concepts in a complicated manner. It’s totally a different thing when a spiritual text makes things super easy to understand( of course with the help of a teacher)
What is the significance of Shiva Sutras?
- Shiva Sutras were developed in the Kashmiri Shaivism tradition of Hindu religion.
- It was written by a sage known as Vasugupta. It is a very straightforward book that gives 77 techniques towards enlightenment.
- It is a collection of Philosophy and meditation techniques.
- The instructions are very clear to understand and one can start implementing the techniques immediately after reading them.
What are the benefits of studying the Shiva Sutras?
- Introduces you to the concept of Shiva Tattva.
- Guides you on the process of becoming Shiva like.
- Includes humor to make the knowledge interesting.
- Understanding the true nature of yourself.
- Going from confusion towards clarity.
- Gaining clarity on the concept of self, God etc.
- Easy to read and understand.
- Incorporating the techniques is very easy.
How to study the Shiva Sutras?
As I always say, its easy to read a spiritual text and misinterpret it. A lot of nonsense that we see in the world today in the name of religion is due to people misinterpreting religious texts and using them to hurt innocent people.
So it’s all the more important to study the Shiva Sutras under the guidance of a learned master who understands the Shiva Sutras to its depth.
Clear instructions are necessary, so choosing a teacher who can make difficult concepts easy is a must.
Where can I learn the Shiva Sutras?
I will list down 2 teachers who have written what I considered to be the best translation and commentary on the Shiva Sutras. When you read through them, you will;
- Understand that both the masters really put their soul into making the Shiva Sutras available for the modern generation.
- Understand that both the books explain all the 77 slokas (aphorisms) in greater detail without making them sound difficult. You can get them and start reading them immediately.
- Know everything to know about the Shiva Sutras in detail.
If you check online, a lot of positive reviews have been given about these books in the form of testimonials and reviews.
The first book I’d like to introduce is my favourite book written by my guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. I consider it to be the best explanation about Shiva Sutra due to it’s lucid and ‘clear to understand’ nature. You can order it in your preferred language as well. Enter my coupon code NIVED7 while ordering and get a 7% discount on this book.
Next book in the list is authored by the great teacher OSHO.
If you want to read the Shiva Sutras in Hindi then no other text exists that can match the intensity that Osho’s commentary has.
I want to know more about Shiva
If you are someone who is interested to know more about Shiva then I will introduce 3 additional books. These books explain in detail about the concept of Shiva Tattva and how to achieve it in our lives. They are a compilation of knowledge given by Sri Sri Ravishankar to humanity. I refer to these 3 books time and time again to gain more clarity about Lord Shiva.
You can enter my coupon code NIVED7 while ordering and get a 7% discount.
Reading the Shiva Sutras alongside these 3 books will complete your understanding about lord Shiva. Below is a review by a user.
“The descriptions are so profound yet simple to comprehend. The abundance of knowledge imbued with wisdom, this book is a must for every individuals spiritual upliftment. Step by step narration with a touch of inimitable humor and wisdom with apt examples from everyday life to guide readers on this journey of innocence and love, this book is a treasure trove of delights”
Conclusion
No other god is as mysterious like how Shiva is. If you have always been fascinated by Mahadev then grab your copy of the Shiva Sutras and dive into the knowledge about what it means to be Shiva. By reading the above books, you are starting your journey towards understanding what Shiva Tattva is and making sure you end up realizing that you are Shiva yourself.
Shivoham
