The Presence of Siva

One of the three Great Gods of Hinduism, Siva is a living god. The most sacred and most ancient book of India, the Rg Veda, evokes his presence in its hymns. Vedic myths, ritual, and even astronomy testify to his existence from the dawn of time. In a lively meditation of Siva-based on original Sanskrit texts, many heretofore not translated-Stella Kramrisch ponders the metaphysics, ontology, and myths of Siva from the Vedas to the Puranas.

Who is Siva? the author asks. Who is this god whose being comprises and transcends everything? None of the pairs of opposites, nor the sum of his uncounted names, defines him. From the dawn of creation, the Wild God, whose ancient name is Rudra, is Consciousness. He is the Great Yogi, the guardian of the absolute. His actions are the themes of the myths in which his nature unfolds.

By retelling and interweaving the many myths that continue to convey Siva's presence as a living god in India today, Professor Kramrisch unfolds the paradoxes in Siva's nature and thus in the nature of consciousness itself. The magnificent sculptures at Elephanta, illustrated at the end of the book, capture in another medium the presence of the god.

STELLA KRAMRISCH, the world-renowned specialist in Ancient Indian Art and Architecture, needs no introduction. Her epoch-making works-The Indian Sculpture, The Indian Sculpture in the Boston Museum and The Hindu Temple-have elicited the well-merited praise from the galaxy of art critics all over the world.

Stella Kramrisch passed away in 1993.