In many Indian temples, you will find over the main gate, or over the doorframe of the inner sanctum, a monstrous disembodied head glaring or grinning down at you. This is the kirtimukha, the face of glory, and our myth seeks to explain how this seeming incongruity came to occupy this respected position.

In the Indian mythological system, the asuras are cousins of the gods and indeed are created from the same cosmic material. They are demonic however, because they identify the Self with the body. All their cosmic power is perverted in finding ever fresher ways of satisfying the bodily consciousness. That gets them in self destructive trouble over the long term, though in the short term they create some trouble of their own. This situation actually works for the good of all sentient beings in the universe as the asuras are infinitely more powerful than the 'gods' - a situation that the Norse divinities knew only too well - and if they were more disciplined or wise they could have taken over heaven on a permanent basis. As it is the asuras are always a chaotic force in the evolving universe.

One such asura suddenly got it into his mind that since he was the strongest being in the universe he deserved the most beautiful woman existing. This sort of logic is typical asura, but for them to think is to act. He turned up at the abode of Shiva, the great God himself, and premptorily demanded possession of Shiva's wife, Parvati. Now Parvati is the Great Goddess, and this was stupidity on a scale that even the asura should have quailed at.

Shiva, being pure consciousness, merely projected back at the asura a crystallization of his own insatiable desires. This new entity was far worse than anything the asura had seen, it was the living manifestation of a raw hunger, a world devouring flame that needed more, ever more and was still left empty. The immensity of his own endless desire was now in front and the asura turned and ran. The new demon chased him, intent on eating him up, devastating and devouring all that was between him and his prey. Peril breeds perspective and the asura realized that his only hope was Shiva. According to Indian mythology, you cannot refuse to grant quarter and protection if it is asked for. So now Shiva had one suitable chastened asura on his hands - as well as an enormous problem that seemed determined to eat up the universe.

The Hunger was accepting of Shiva's mercy but he had a problem. "What do I eat now?" He was brought into being to solve a crisis and now his own existence was jeapordised - which reflected poorly on the God. Shiva came up with the sort of Trickster solution so beloved of India - "Why dont you eat yourself?" A god's word is worth following even if it seems senseless and destructive and with faith in the Lord the demon did just that. He began to chomp and champ away, begining with his toes and working upward in a grim straight line that never wavered, never doubted and never ceased to masticate. Finally he came to the neck and that was it - he could no longer contort himself to provide any room to bite.

Shiva laughed, the earth shaking peal of pure joy that Kalidasa said was the Himalayas - the frozen laughter of Shiva. This episode was a grimly humourous illumination on the nature of life. Life feeds on life, no matter how monstrous that may seem at first glance. Desire form a perfect feed back loop that ends up eating even what is desired. (This concept was known to the Sumerians as Ourobouros, the serpent eating its tail - life feeds on life). It is wildy exhilerating and liberating to realize and accept this concept but it seems monstrous to those who have not had the experience. For his wondourous achievement, Shiva named the Hunger, Kirtimukha, the immortal face of glory and he is seen above the doors of all temples. Shiva who is Constant Awareness, wants you to be aware of the real nature of the universe, to accept it.

A philosophy of life and spirituality that will not acknowlede the dark side is only a milk and water religion after all, not really nourishing in the long run. To live in the world is to be aware of that constant hunger and as always Shiva or god is the only way in which you can transcend it. To recognize Kirtimukha is to grow up, to have an adult understanding and acceptance of the universe not a child's fantasy. In Jungian terms Kirtimuka is a visibilization, a personification of the Shadow(or some aspects of it). Kirtimukha is thus a threshold guardian to maturity, to the deepening of experience that is called wisdom.