What is Shiva?
It is like the boy of 16 years old, today his Father has gone to his Grandfather far away in another village to urgently help with provsioning fire wood for the Granfather's home before a terrible winter storm is soon to arrive. The Father tells the boy, stay and watch his sister for the Mother is busy cooking and storing bread and oatmeal before the storm arrives.
As soon as the Father is out of site around the track, the boy goes out to watch a falcon that arrived in the nearby treeline.
The falcon flys away when the boy approaches. But he sees wiggling grubs on the moss ridden side of the lower bark of one of the trees. He watches fascinated.
Farther off, when he looks up, there is of all things a badger! He knows a badger is nothing to play with and can even be dangerous, but a badger is hardly ever seen in the day because they come at night. Right away he scurries farther out to chase down the badger.
The badger knows the deep and dark corners and crevices and paths deeper into the forest. The boys runs here and then there.
The badger is lost. He looks about. He has never seen those old sycamores before.
In fact he hasn't seen those mistletoe bunches hanging from those maples either. He takes a look closer.
He picks a stem of mistletoe to bring back to his sister.
But wait.
Which way is back?
Now stay calm. Of course, this is the way.
About 15 minutes down the way, he realizes it isn't the way. Clouds are gathering now.
What the?
It's this way. No.
Has another hour passed?
It isn't exactly fear that describes the foreboding. Yes, but it is like, "I have let down my Father".
Another hour. Clouds are heavy now. Well, the mind says, you really did it this time. What will it be like. The chest feels tight, this isn't just fear. What to think? What to do?
Now the trees are pines. That means he knows he is way, way off the home turf now. The bears are here too. My God. Twilight doesn't seem far off now.
That's when a loud crack sound of wood comes from his back right, the boy turns startled.
There about 30 yards. A man. A strong man in tiger skin. His face is broad. His eyes like that falcon which first took the boy into the forest. The arms of this man are strong.
Then comes His deep voice.
"ShivaFan! Get here!".
The feeling is beyond words.
That is His Father. It is Shiva.
Bookmarks