divine forms in Hinduism

Q: How come some of the divine forms in Hinduism are depicted in such fearsome manner? For example, Kali wears a garland of skulls. Does it mean there is divinity is such forms too?

#SriSri: If you can love the fearful, the fear disappears. Fear and love are not two different emotions. It is the same emotion standing upside down. Since the last 10 years, if you see the toys, the figures and characters that children are using or are fond of, it is very different. It is fearsome. The fearsome characters either bring in valour in you or take away the fear from you. That is the reason that those days, such fearsome pictures were depicted and worshipped. When you worship that, there is no fear left inside you. And I have described the symbolism of the skull and the head. All that is to remove the fear. Skull is used either to create fear or remove fear. In modern days, whenever you see in electrical installations, there is a skull and two bones put in front of that. That is to warn you. Be careful. In all the countries in the world, this is the symbol that is used to depict danger. In ancient days, people used that same depiction for fear and to get over the fear also. There is much deeper meaning in it. We will take that up some other time. Symbolism should be taken only as symbolism. Shiva is again is a symbolism of the inexpressible. It is not someone with a snake hanging over his head as some people are propagating. Oh! Adi Yogi lived some 10000 years ago, 15000 years ago. This is all rubbish and has no scientific evidence. Nobody lived 10000 years ago in the Himalayas like Shiva with a necklace of snake and Ganga flowing from his head. Absolutely not! Shiva is a principle. Shiva tattva. Shiva is the fourth state of consciousness, which is neither waking, nor sleeping, nor dreaming. Something that underlines the three states, the fourth state of consciousness, which is benevolent, absolute peace. Shivam Shantam Advaitam Chaturtham. That is Self. Manyante Sa Aatma Sa Vigyayaha. That is worth knowing. It is the Self. Like space which is so vast, so they painted Shiva in blue. Yet the consciousness is very alert; they put a snake. What is Ganga? It is not a lady. It is not water just flowing out of the head. Ganga means knowledge. The word Ganga has four meanings: Gyan (knowledge), Gaman (movement), Prapti (achievement), and Moksh (freedom). And in that state, there is freedom, there is knowledge, there is movement, dynamism, and achievement. These are all present. They all come out of the transcendence and Shiva is the transcendental state. The trident indicates beyond the three states of consciousness: waking, sleeping, dreaming; beyond the three doshas: vata, pita, kapha; beyond sattva, rajas, tamas. This is all such a beautiful deep symbolism. Unfortunately, we have not understood this. That is why you should study Vedanta. Vedanta is the real essence of Indian philosophy. There you understand all these symbolisms and it comes to you as an experience. Meditating on it brings that experience.