Nandi (mythology)

Nandi (mythology)

Nandi (Sanskritनन्दिTamilநந்திKannadaನಂದಿTeluguన౦దిOdiaନନ୍ଦି) is the gate-guardian deity of Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva. He is usually depicted as a bull . The decorated bull gangi reddu is the tradition of ancient south india.

Nandi is a Tamil word which means move. According to Saivite siddhantic tradition, he is considered as the chief guru of eight disciples of Nandinatha Sampradaya, namely, Sanaka, Sanatana, SanandanaSanatkumaraTirumularVyagrapadaPatanjali, and Sivayoga Muni, who were sent in eight different directions, to spread the wisdom. The Cham Hindus of Vietnam believes that when they die, the Nandi will come and take their soul to the holy land of India from Vietnam.

Etymology

The word Nandi has come from the Tamil root word, Nandhu (Tamil: நந்து), which means to grow, to flourish, or to appear, which was used to indicate growing or flourishing of white bulls, as well as divine bull Nandi.[3][4] The Sanskrit word nandi (Sanskrit: नन्दि) has the meaning of happy, joy, and satisfaction, the properties of divine guardian of Shiva- Nandi. Almost all Shiva temples display stone-images of a seated Nandi, generally facing the main shrine.

It is recently documented, that the application of the name Nandi to the bull (Sanskrit: Vṛṣabha), is in fact a development of recent syncretism of different regional beliefs within Saivism.[6] The name Nandi was widely used instead for an anthropomorphic door-keeper of Kailasha, rather than his mount, in the oldest Saivite texts in Sanskrit, Tamil, and other Indian languages. Siddhantic texts clearly distinct Nandi from Vṛṣabha. According to them, Devi, Chandesha, Mahakala, Vṛṣabha, Nandi, Ganesha, Bhringi, and Murugan, are the eight Ganeshwaras (commanders) of Shiva.

History and Legends


The love of Shiva and Nandi can even be followed back to the Indus Valley Civilization time-frame. The well known 'Pasupati Seal' portrays a situated figure, which is typically recognized as Shiva, and there were many bull-seals found in Mohenjo daro and Harappa, which prompted finish of the specialists, that Nandi love has been a long standing custom for a large number of years.

Nandi is depicted as the child of the sage Shilada. Shilada went through serious repentance to have an aid a youngster with everlasting status and endowments of Lord Shiva, and got Nandi as his child. It is said that Nandi was conceived from a Yajna performed by the Shilada, and his body was clad in protective layer made out of precious stones, when he was born.[9] Nandi developed as a fervent enthusiast of Lord Shiva and he did compensation to turn into his guard, just as his mount, on the banks of stream Narmada, close to Tripur Tirth Kshetra in present-day Nandikeshwar Temple, in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. 


Nandi got the heavenly information on Agamic and Tantric insight instructed by Shiva, from goddess Parvati. He could instruct that heavenly information to his eight pupils, who are recognized as the forebears of Nandinatha Sampradaya, to be specific, Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana, Sanatkumara, Tirumular, Vyagrapada, Patanjali, and Sivayoga Muni. These eight followers were sent in eight unique ways of the world by Nandi, to spread this knowledge.

Numerous other puranic stories are accessible about Nandi. One depicts his contention with Ravana, the adversary of Ramayana. Nandi reviled Ravana (the evil spirit King of Lanka), that his realm would be singed by a backwoods tenant (Vanara). Afterward, Hanuman consumed Lanka when he went looking for Sita, who was detained by Ravana in Ashok Vatika.

Tamil Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam specifies another story wherein Nandi is embodied as a whale. It says that Parvati lost her focus while Shiva was clarifying the importance of Vedas to her. Parvati, at that point embodied as a fisher-lady to give penance. To join his lord and his dearest spouse, Nandi appeared as a whale and began to inconvenience individuals. Fisher-lady Parvati's dad told, that one who might murder the whale would wed his girl. Afterward, Shiva appeared as an angler and murdered the whale, and got Parvati in her past structure.

Agamas describe him in a zoo-anthropomorphic form, with the head of bull and four hands, with antelope, axe, mace, and abhayamudra. In his mount form, Nandi is depicted as a seated bull in all Shiva temples, all over the world. This form has been found even in Southeast Asian countries including Cambodia.[12]

The white color of the bull symbolizes purity and justice. Symbolically, the seated Nandi towards sanctum in Shiva temples, represents an individual jiva (soul) and the message that the jiva should always be focused on the Parameshwara. From the yogic perspective, Nandi is the mind dedicated to Shiva, the absolute. In other words, to understand and absorb light, the experience, and the wisdom is Nandi, which is the guru within.

Nandi Flag


Nandi banner or Vrshabha banner, a banner with the image of situated bull is perceived as the banner of Saivism, especially among Tamil people group everywhere on the world. Nandi was the insignia of recorded Tamil Saivite rulers, for example, Pallava administration and Jaffna Kingdom. Several missions to mindful the Saivites about their Nandi banner is completed persistently during the Shivaratri meeting, especially among Tamil people group of Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, and diaspora.

The nandi banner utilized these days was planned by Ravindra Sastri of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, as per the solicitation and direction of S. Danapala, a Sri Lankan Saivite personage, during the 1990s. The main Nandi banner was lifted in 1998, at Colombo Hindu College at Ratmalana, Sri Lanka. Following years, It was proclaimed as the authority Saivite banner in fourth International Saiva Siddhanta Conference, held in Zurich in 2008. Nowadays, Tamil Saivites, particularly in Sri Lanka, Canada, Australia, UK, South Africa, and Switzerland, raise the banner in all strict and social festivals. Nandi banner was pronounced as the authority Hindu banner of Sri Lanka.

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