kAtyAyanI

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Wed, 15 Jan 2003, Anand Hudli wrote:

>  I agree. A widow is one whose husband is dead. But Shiva is called
>  "antakAntaka" the destroyer of Death, or the God of Death himself, as
>  rAvaNa exclaims in his Shiva-tANDava stotra. He is also called
>  mR^ityunjaya, conqueror of Death.
>

Then how would you explain vidhva in the definition I quoted from
Medinikosha?  Vidhva is definitely widow in Gujarati and I'm pretty sure
it is the same in Sanskrit.

Also Tantric references to Shiva as 'dead' and Shakti as a 'widow' need
not be taken literally.  Rather they are symbolic of the active Prakrti
versus the inert Purush.  And does not Shiva Bhagawan proudly bear the
names Smashanavasi and Bhutapati?

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
It's a girl! See the pictures - http://www.braincells.com/shailaja/