[
This is the third and last in our series
of three articles on the Hindu Trinity of
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. To read our previous
articles in this series please read our
first paragraph to click on links leading
to the past articles. ]
Our previous newsletters
(Brahma
- the Creator Amongst the Hindu Trinity
and Vishnu
- the Cosmic Protector) explains the
concept of the Hindu trinity and describes
Brahma and Vishnu, two of the gods forming
the Trinity. In this newsletter we talk
about Lord Shiva.
Na mrityur na shanka
na jatibhedah
Pita naibo main naibo mata na janma
Na bandhurna mitrang gururnaibo shishyah,
Sachchidanandarupa Shivohom Shivohom
Na punyong na papong
na shaukhyong na dukhong
Na mantro na tirtha na vedah na yagah
Ahang bhojanang naibo bhojyong na bhokta
Chidanandarupah Shivohom Shivohom
I am beyond death, I
am beyond doubts I am beyond divisions.
No one is my father, none my mother, nor
was I born
Neither brother nor friend, neither teacher
nor pupil,
I am only truth, ecstasy and consciousness,
I am Shiva. I am Shiva
Nothing is sin for me, nothing is holy,
sadness and happiness are not known to me
I don't need chanting, nor holy places,
no veda no yagna
I am neither food, nor do I eat nor am I
the enjoyer of these
My abode is always a conscious happiness.
I am Shiva... I am Shiva.
The third aspect of
the Supreme Being is the process of dissolution
of all creation, a precursor to the fresh
beginning of the process of creation. This
aspect is represented by Lord Shiva - the
third of the Hindu Trinity. He represents
darkness or Tamas and is often called the
angry God (Rudreshwar). Even though associated
with destruction and dissolution, since
Hinduism believes in the inevitability of
creation following destruction, Shiva is
also associated with being a cause of creation.
As a result, the Linga or phallus is said
to be his symbol - the symbol of regeneration.
According to some schools
of thought, Shiva represents the entire
cosmos. This of course is to be distinguished
from the concept of Vishwaroop as described
in the section on Vishnu
in the sense that while Shiva might represent
the cosmos, Vishnu in his Vishwaroop form
contains the cosmos and sustains it as well.
Shiva or Maheshwara is
the Divine Lord and in him are concentrated
the three energies of understanding (Gyana),
the will (Ichha) and action (Kriya) - thus
forming the fountainhead of all knowledge.
The nature of Shiva as representing the
entire cosmos has led to his having 1008
names in the various Hindu scriptures extending
the Vedic concept of multiple forms of a
single divine power. The Vedas do not mention
Shiva as the name of the god in question
- instead he is named Rudra - the lord of
songs, sacrifices, nourishment, the healer
of diseases and the provider of property.
The Vishnu Purana (religious
Hindu text) describes the origin of Lord
Shiva. It says that Brahma was initially
unsuccessful in his attempts of creation.
He meditated for a child, after which a
child sprang forth from his forehead and
divided itself into a male and female part.
The male part started crying inconsolably.
On being asked the reason for crying the
child said it did not have a name, at which,
Brahma named him Rudra - which also means
the one who howls. However Brahma had to
give him seven more names - for the seven
more times that the child cried, giving
Shiva his eight forms: Rudra, Sharva, Bhava,
Ugra, Bhima, Pashupati, Ishana, and Mahadeva.
The Shiva Purana then goes on to describe
how each of these names is associated with
an element - the earth, water, fire, wind,
sky, a yogi called Kshetragya, the sun,
and the moon respectively. The female part
of the child born from Brahma's forehead
is believed to be Parvati - Shiva's eternal
consort.
This story also indicates
the origin of another manifestation of Shiva
as Ardhanarishwara - where he is depicted
as half-male and half-female - the union
of substance and energy, the Being and his
Shakti (force). The right half - depicting
the male - is his own form and the left
half - depicting the female part - is his
consort Parvati. This depiction represents
Shiva as Sadashiva, Adishiva or Adipurusha
- the primeval Being - as being the unity
of existence. It underlines the fact that
division in nature between male and female,
between material and energy is only superfluous
and in reality all is one. Shiva shows himself
as being all that is male and all that is
female - through this form of being the
inseparable unity.
Shiva is also represented
by the Linga (phallus) - and is the most
popular form in which Shiva is worshiped.
The Linga is made of black or white stone
and is often rounded at both top and bottom.
The significance of the phallus icon is
probably to show that Shiva does not stand
or arise out of anything - that it is self-evolved.
The egg shape of the Linga also indicates
a source of evolution - the Cosmic Egg.
The taper at the top of the stone can be
likened to the eternal flame of light -
the source of all knowledge - or the Jyotir
Linga (Jyoti indicates light).
The Linga is also known
as the Shiva Lingam or Shiva Linga, whose
literal meaning is "body of Shiva".
The Linga is one of the most popular and
powerful symbols in Hinduism, next only to
the symbol of Aum or Om. In most of the
Indian temples which are dedicated to Lord
Shiva, it is the Linga which is the main
idol in the santum sanctorum instead of
an idol in human form, which is the norm
in the case of all other Hindu deities.
A Shivalinga is round
or cylindrical in shape, protruding out
of a cylindrical or octagonal base, with
a lower base supporting the whole structure.
The three parts are believed to represent
the Hindu Trinity, with the lower base symbolizing
Brahma, the circular or octagonal base representing
Vishnu and the upper protruding part representing
Shiva which suggests that Shiva also encompasses
the three gods comprising the Hindu Trinity.
The Shiva Linga resembles
various concepts on various planes of existence.
Physically the protruding cylindrical portion
represents the male sexual organ while the
octagonal base represents the female sexual
organ (Yoni - the vagina). Mentally it symbolizes
the union of mind and body. Spiritually
it represents the union between Purusha
and Prakriti (the Cosmic Self and Nature,
or energy) indicating the cosmic creative
potential realized through the union of
Shiva and Parvati.
Hindu males in India
belonging to the caste of Brahamins have
to undergo an initiation ceremony where
the person has to perform certain rituals
and eventually wear a sacred thread on one's
body. The Lingayats comprise a sect of Brahmins
in south India, who are followers of Shiva.
Lingayats replace the sacred thread with
a necklace of small Lingas.
It is said that the sexual nature of the
Linga has been over-interpreted and over-publicized
by western scholars. The Linga is meant
to be a symbol and the Shiva-Purana defines
the Linga as symbol for realizing the nature
of the object that the symbol represents
- a shape given to the shapeless so as to
elucidate the nature of the shapeless. It
says that it is the owner of the Linga -
the Progenitor, the Supreme Creator - who
is worshipped and not the Linga itself.
The Linga merely leads one to Shiva.
Shiva is deeply associated
with dance and is also known as "Nataraja"
- the Lord of Dance. The creation of dance
and the utterance of the first 16 rhythmic
syllables are attributed to Shiva. It is
said that the Sanskrit language originated
from these 16 syllables. The Natya Shastra
- the Hindu text on classical dances - is
said to have originated from Shiva, along
with various yogic postures.
The most popular "Nataraja"
portrayal of Shiva is only one amongst the
nine dance forms that Shiva is ever depicted
in. The Hindu temple of Chidambaram in Tamil
Nadu, India, is the only temple dedicated
to Shiva in the form of Nataraja.
All rhythmic movements in the cosmos are
the manifested forms of Shiva's cosmic dance
- that which ensures stability and balance
of the universe. The placement of the heavenly
bodies and their interactive movements are
but Shiva's dance striving to keep the cosmos
in balance. Shiva dances to destroy evil
and reduce the suffering of his devotees.
His dance slays ignorance and darkness in
our minds. And in a grand finale, it dissolves
all creation - the entire universe - into
a state of suspended activity.
Shiva's dance is associated
with a specific Hindu ritual in which it
is said that on every 13th evening of the
bright lunar fortnight, there exists an
hour called the Pradosha when, if Shiva
is propitiated, it is said to be the equivalent
of offering one's worship to all powers
of the cosmos. It is said that at this hour,
all gods assemble at mount Kailash (Shiva's
abode) to lose themselves in the magic of
Nataraja's dance.
Shiva is known by many
names in Hindu scriptures. Yajurveda - one
of the four Vedas (Hindu philosophical texts)
- mentions a god named "Mahadeva"
- who is later identified to be the same
as Shiva. Today, Mahadeva is synonymous
with Shiva. As the supreme yogi (A yogi
is a Hindu ascetic sage who practices Yoga
as a form of devotion for the Supreme Being),
Shiva is called Mahayogi. As the greatest
God, he is known as Mahesha. To his three
eyes are attributed his names Trinetra,
Triambaka, Triaksha and Trinayana (Tri implies
three while Netra, Ambaka, Aksha and Nayana
imply eye). Shiva, often depicted as a naked
ascetic, is also called Digambara (He who
has the sky as his garment). His name Shankara
means the Giver of Joy while his name Shambhu
means the Abode of Joy. Shiva is the eternal
time or Mahakal. The moon that he carries
on his head has given him the symbolic name
Vyomkesha or he who has the sky as his hair.
Chandrashekhar (or master of the moon) is
also a name attributed to this feature.
His name Siddheshwar is derived from his
nature of a perfect being. His trident (or
Trishul) has earned him the name Trishuldhari
while his being the cosmic tutor has given
him the name Dakhshinamurthi. His abode
is mount Kailash and thus his name Kailashpati.
Since he is the lord of all creatures, he
is called Pashupatinath while as the husband
of Uma, he is called Umapati.
Another name of Shiva
is Neelkantha. There is an interesting tale
surrounding this name. It is said that during
the great deluge spanning two Yugas, a pot
of nectar of immortality or the Amrit Kumbha
got lost in the ocean. The demons (Asuras)
and gods (Devas) were fighting over this
nectar and Brahma suggested churning the
ocean as one churns a pot of milk to extract
butter from it. A great mountain was placed
on Vishnu in his form of a tortoise and
the great snake god, Shesh Nag was used
to churn the ocean with the mountain. A
great many things appeared from the ocean,
along with which appeared poison. To ensure
that the universe were spared from the fatal
effects of the poison, Shiva is said to
have collected all the poison and drank
it but did not allow it to go past his throat,
which resulted in the poison remaining there
and turning his neck blue, thus giving Shiva
the name Neel Kantha (Blue Throated).
There is another interesting
tale which tells us about the origins of
his name Gangadhar. Legend says that the
sixty thousand sons of King Sagar wrongly
plundered the hermitage of sage Kapil. The
sage, in his anger, cursed the king's sons
and burnt them to ashes. The only way that
they could be restored to life was if the
sacred river Ganga would come down from
heaven to wash over their ashes. The king's
grandson's grandson - Bhagirath - through
severe austerities, propitiated the river
Ganga to come down to wash over his ancestors'
ashes, which Ganga agreed to. However, the
force with which she would hit earth when
she fell from heaven would destroy all creation.
It is then that Shiva agreed to take the
impact on himself and the river Ganga fell
on his matted hair, thus slowing down and
gently touching earth. The name Gangadhar
implies he who holds the river Ganga. His
matted hair has also earned Shiva the name
Jatadhari (Jata implying his long matted
hair).
Shiva is also known as
Bhairava - or the Frightful One. Sati, the
daughter of the king of Gods, Daksha, had
chosen to marry Shiva, in spite of her father
disapproving the alliance because of the
perception of Shiva as an ascetic associated
with animals and ghosts, living a frugal
life. Once Daksha held a yagna (a ritualistic
sacrifice) and invited all the gods, including
Sati and Shiva. Sati came to the Yagna alone,
where Daksha publicly spoke belittlingly
about Shiva. Sati could not bear this insult
of her husband and offered herself to the
sacrificial pyre. When Shiva learnt of this,
he destroyed the yagna and killed Daksha
by beheading him. He carried Sati's corpse
on his shoulders and ran uncontrollably
all around the world for days. Since this
would eventually destroy all creation, Vishnu
used his Sudarshan Chakra (divine discus) to cut
Sati's body into pieces, which then fell
all around. These spots where Sati's body
parts fell are now known as Shaktipeeths.
Shiva took the form of the frightful Bhairava
and is said to be guarding each of these
Shaktipeeths. Bhairava has a dog as his
divine vehicle and each Shaktipeeth temple
is accompanied by a temple dedicated to
Bhairava. Bhairava is also invoked in prayers
to destroy enemies.
Lord Shiva, when symbolized
in human form is depicted with a body white
in color, signifying purity and his linkage
to snowy mountains. Shiva is often attributed
with five faces, each representing one of
his five cosmic tasks of creation, establishment,
destruction, oblivion, and grace. The five
faces are also linked to the primeval Hindu
symbol of Om. Four of the five faces are
shown looking in the four directions while
the fifth is shown looking upward. The face
looking towards the north is white in color
and is called Sadyojat (or instantly born).
The red face looking towards the west is
called Vamadeva (Vama signifies the left
side and Deva means god) and symbolizes
the ego. The face looking towards the south
is called Aghora (or that which is void
of darkness), is blue or blue-black and
symbolizes the intellect. Tatpurusha (or
the supreme being) is the face looking towards
the east and is yellow in color. It represents
the form of nature manifested on earth.
Finally, the face looking upward is named
Ishana (or the supreme ruler) and is copper
colored. He symbolizes knowledge in its
entirety.
The crescent of the fifth
day moon near his head symbolizes his being
one with Time as well as his cosmic proportions.
It underlines the fact that he controls
the mind completely. The crescent moon also
represents birth and growth and places the
power of procreation along with that of
destruction in the same deity.
The river Ganga is shown
to be gushing forth from the coiled, thick
matted hair. His long hair is indicative
of his spiritual powers. Ganga represents
the flowing nectar of immortality or the
gushing yogic power from the head of the
master of all yogics. Ganga also indicates
fertility. Another interpretation of Ganga
on Shiva's head is explained through the
story above, involving Shiva offering to
take the impact of Ganga's fall from heaven
to earth.
He is typically shown
to have three eyes, representing the trinity
in all creation, the sun, moon and earth,
and the three paths of liberation. The third
eye also signifies cosmic wisdom and his
ability to see beyond what is visible, i.e.
to be able to distinguish the higher truth
from illusion or Maya. It is described as
Shiva's power of reasoning and discrimination
between bad and good. His third eye symbolizes
fire, his right eye represents the sun and
his left eye represents the moon. While
his left and right eyes symbolize Shiva's
activity in the physical world, his third
eye symbolizes his activity in the metaphysical,
spiritual world and represents the power
of knowledge. It is with the fire which
emanates from this third eye that Shiva
destroys the evil of ignorance. The universe
emerges into a new cycle of creation when
Shiva opens his eyes while it dissolves
into a void when he shuts his eyes. Often
Shiva is shown with half open eyes, signifying
the never ending, ongoing nature of the
birth and destruction of the universe. There
is an interesting tale related to Shiva's
third eye. Once when Shiva was in deep meditation,
Uma - Shiva's consort - playfully came up
from behind him and placed her hands on
his eyes. The universe plunged into darkness
with both his eyes closed. Shiva's brow
opened up and a sharp ray of light shot
out from there, relieving the universe of
darkness. However the ray had set the Himalayas
aflame, at which Uma begged Shiva's pardon.
Shiva restored the mountains to their previous
state and the opening on his forehead from
where the light had appeared turned into
Shiva's third eye.
He holds the Trisul (trident)
in his right hand and rules the universe
by destroying evil with it. The three spikes
of the Trishul represent the three Gunas
(qualities) - Satva (mercy), Rajas (passion
or desire) and Tamas (darkness and wrath).
These qualities are said to be illusory
in nature and since Shiva is the master
of Maya (illusion) he is able to control
these qualities thus becoming the master
of the entire cosmos. As Mahakala - the
eternal Time - he controls the three aspects
of time - also represented by the three
spikes - the past, present and the future.
The trident also represents the three ways
to union with the Supreme Being - Gyana
(knowledge), Karma (action) and Bhakti (devotion).
In his left hand he holds
the Damaru (musical drum), which represents
the primeval syllable Om. Shiva created
the Sanskrit language and the grammar of
music from the sound of the Damaru. The
sound of the damaru is symbolic of the rhythm
that is inherent in all of creation. Often
Shiva is depicted with four hands, instead
of two, with the other two being in the
Abhaya (protection) and Varada (granting
of boons) postures. Other objects associated
with Shiva are the Parasu (battle axe),
Aksamala (rosary), Pasa (noose), Khatvanga
(magical staff) and Khadaga (sword).
Shiva is usually depicted
as sitting in meditation in Padmasana -
a popular yogic posture. This is in consonance
of his status of an ascetic yogi. However
another popular depiction, as described
earlier too, is that of Nataraja - in the
Tandava dance posture. He is shown wearing
a tiger skin around his waist - and sometimes
also partially covering his upper body.
Shiva is usually unclad
in his upper half, indicating the transcendental
nature of his divinity. His body is smeared
with ashes indicating the presence of the
physical universe but only on the foundation
of the transcendental divinity of Shiva.
Shiva encompasses and transcends all physical
phenomena and remains unaffected by them.
Shiva wears two different
earrings on his two ears. On his right ear
he wears the Makara Kundala - an earring
worn by males, while on the left ear he
wears a Tantaka - an earring worn by females.
The presence of the male and female aspects
in his ornamentation underlines the significance
of his symbolization as the Ardhanarishwara
- the union of the male and female principles
in one - the basis of creation being the
union of the male and the female.
Shiva also wears a necklace
of Rudraksha or rosary beads. Beads of Rudraksha
are said to be the solid form of the tears
that Shiva sheds at the woes of his devotees.
The word Rudraksha is formed of two words
- Rudra and Aksha. Rudra means fiercely
strict or uncompromising and is another
name for Shiva. Aksha means eye, which signifies
that Shiva constantly monitors all creation
to ensure that all follow the divine laws
laid down by him. The necklace of Rudraksha
has 108 beads symbolizing the elements used
for creating the cosmos.
The lower half of his
body is shown clad in tiger skin, symbolizing
the concentration of energy in Shiva. The
tiger skin also indicates the need to strip
ourselves of our pride, symbolized by a
tiger. It is said that once when Shiva was
roaming around naked in a forest, the wives
of the sages from a nearby hermitage felt
attracted towards him. The sages, out of
jealousy, let loose a tiger on Shiva, who
slew the tiger and tore its skin and wrapped
it around himself. The seat on which Shiva
sits is also a skin of a tiger.
A Kamandalu or water
pot is usually shown as placed on the ground
to where Shiva is shown as sitting in meditation.
This Kamandalu is supposed to be made from
a dry pumpkin and contains nectar. The importance
of tearing oneself away from egoistic desires
and cleaning one's spiritual self is elucidated
by the process of making a Kamandalu in
which a ripe pumpkin's fruit is removed
and the shell is cleaned and later dried.
Shiva's status as the
master of creatures is underlined by the
presence of two creatures which are perceived
opposites in nature, around Shiva. The divine
white bull, Nandi is Shiva's trusted vehicle
while a snake is always wrapped around Shiva's
neck. Thus we find the gentlest as well
as the fiercest of creatures submit to the
aura of Shiva.
Nandi, Shiva's divine
vehicle is represented as a white bull,
symbolizing purity and justice. Shiva and
Nandi's symbolic association can be traced
back to the days of the Indus valley civilization.
During those ancient times, dairy farming
was one of the primary occupations,
thus explaining the appearance of various
artifacts indicating a deity much like Shiva.
This deity is believed to have been worshipped
as the keeper of herds. This deity over
time was converted into the present day
Shiva, with the bull Nandi as his primary
vehicle. The name Pashupatinath - or lord
of creatures - can also be ascribed to the
ancient deity of the people of the Indus
Valley Civilization. Nandi himself later
acquired the status of a lesser God and
there are several temples in India dedicated
independently to Nandi. However the presence
of a statue of Nandi at the gate of the
Garbha Griha (sanctum sanctorum) of every
Shiva temple is a must and marks the close
association of Shiva with Nandi. In Sanskrit,
a bull is called Vrisha, which has another
connotation - that of righteousness or Dharma.
Thus through Nandi, righteousness or Dharma
become an integral part of Shiva's aura.
Shiva is typically depicted
with a snake around his neck. Often additional
snakes are depicted - one, as a sacred thread
around his body, and two more, around his wrists
as bracelets or his arms as armlets. Having
the snakes wrapped around him suggest his
control over desire and the sensual world
and the lack of effect that maya (illusory
world) has on him. The snakes also stand
for the yogic power of kundalini, which
is typically depicted as a coiled serpent
lying dormant in the muladhara chakra or
one of the lower spiritual levels of all
beings. The serpent gradually uncoils and
moves upward as one taps into his own spiritual
self through yogic means. However one needs
to be aware of the huge energy stored in
the kundalini and must learn not only to
release it but also to control it. The depiction
of snakes along with Shiva, indicate that
Shiva is the master of this cosmic energy
and controls it the way he deems fit.
Shiva is often depicted
as sitting in a cremation ground. The ashes
smeared on Shiva's body are another reminder
of Shiva's association with the cremation
ground, where the dead are burnt to ashes.
His association with the cremation ground
symbolizes the fact that Shiva controls
death in the physical world and since birth
and death are complementary to each other,
Shiva is revered as the master of all birth
and death.
Though Shiva is described
as an angry god in various scriptures, he
is mostly depicted as being in a cheerful
or jovial mood in various art forms. Usually
he is shown with a lot of innocence in his
face to mark his name Bholenath or the innocent
God. He is generally shown in meditation,
as sitting cross-legged in Padmasana - a
yogic posture - with his eyes closed. The
portrayal of his face expresses love and
compassion, to signify his being the god
of love.
Parvati is the eternal
consort of Shiva and is often depicted alongside
Shiva. Parvati was enamored with Shiva from
a young age. She is the daughter of Himalaya
- the mountain God - and is said to be the
reincarnation of Sati - wife of Shiva who
had immolated herself in protest of her
father having insulted Shiva. Shiva remained
in his abode, lost deep in penance, not
being able to get over Sati's loss. Parvati,
determined to please Shiva, went to Mount
Kailash - Shiva's abode - but Shiva remained
unmoved by her presence. Not being able
to entice Shiva, Parvati seeked the help
of Madan or Kama - the Hindu God of Love.
Kama asked Parvati to dance in front of
Shiva and while she did so, he tried a trick
of his in which he shot an arrow laced with
flowers at Shiva. Shiva's penance broke
and in his anger as he set his eyes on Kama,
he burnt him to ashes. However as his eyes
fell on the dancing Parvati, he immediately
fell in love with her. When Kama's wife
Rati prayed to Shiva to restore Kama to
life, which Shiva did, but only as one without
any physical form - as Ananga.
|
|
 |
|
Shiva is one of the most
popular of deities in India - accessible
to all - irrespective of caste. Usually
access to most deities have been historically
limited to the highest caste of Brahmins
but in the case of Shiva, even those who
belong to the lowest of castes have been
allowed to touch the image of Shiva and
personally offer their prayers to him. There
is an interesting tale related to the devotion
of a lower caste hunter towards Shiva. It
is said that Kannappa - a low caste tribal
hunter, was an ardent devotee of Shiva.
He was not indoctrinated with the formalized
rituals practiced during the offering of
prayers to Hindu deities. He used to offer
food to the deity before starting his own
meal but out of his love for Shiva, he used
to taste the food before offering it to
Shiva to ascertain that what he was offering
was fit to be consumed by his loved deity.
Once he offered flesh to the Shiva Linga
in the temple he used to visit regularly,
to which the priest objected. Shiva decided
to put Kannappa's devotion to test. Kannappa
found that one of the eyes painted on the
Shiva Linga was bleeding which prompted
Kannappa to try and "treat" it
with herbs but he failed and the bleeding
continued. Desperate to treat Shiva's eye,
Kannappa gouged out one of his eyeballs
and placed it on the bleeding eye on the
Linga and the bleeding stopped immediately.
A few days later Kannappa found that the
other eye of the Linga had started bleeding.
Without hesitation he decided to gouge out
his second eye but since without either
of his eyes he would not be able to find
out where to place the gouged eyeball, he
placed his large toe on the bleeding eye
of the Linga and put an arrow to his second
eye. Pleased and overwhelmed by Kannappa's
devotion, Shiva appeared and placed him
on his right, restored his lost vision and
granted him Mukti or salvation. Kannappa
has thereafter been given the status of
a Nayannar - or the most devoted followers
of Shiva. A temple at Kalahasti in Andhra Pradesh is dedicated
to Kannappa, where prayers are offered to
Kannappa before Shiva himself.
Hindu scriptures describe
Shiva as being the dearest of deities, and
he is worshipped by Gods and demons alike.
His divine and yogic powers have earned
him numerous followers including Rama and
Krishna - incarnations of Vishnu - who propitiated
Shiva for his blessings at crucial points
in their lives. Many demons like Ravana,
Bhasmasur and Surapathma also followers
of Shiva and he granted them boons out of his
love for his devotees, which have later
invited trouble for others as well as himself.
Shiva is a deity who is easy to please with
a little love and truthful devotion. There
is an amusing tale related to Shiva's habit
of granting boons easily. Once Bhamasura
- a demon - with the ambition of ruling
the entire universe propitiated Shiva. Shiva
appeared and granted Bhamasura a boon of
his choice. Bhamasura wished that he be
given such power through which anyone on
whose head he would place his hand, would
turn to ashes. Shiva innocently granted
him the boon and no sooner had he done so,
Bhamasura immediately decided to make Shiva
his first victim. He chased Shiva
endlessly to turn him to ashes. Vishnu,
decided to help Shiva out of the bad situation
he had created for himself. Vishnu assumed
the form of an enchantress - Mohini - and
seduced Bhamasura into joining her for a
dance thus getting his attention diverted
from Shiva. She then fooled Bhamasura into
placing his hand on his own head thus killing
himself. It is said that Shiva and Mohini
combined their energies to form Hari Hara
(Hari refers to Vishnu while Hara refers
to Shiva) and produced a son - Harihara
Putra (or Shiva and Vishnu's son). This
son is also known as Sasta or Aiyappa, who
is a celibate tribal deity in the Dravidian
state of Kerala in India.
The Tantra philosophy
in Hinduism considers Shiva one of its primary
deities. The male-female duality and the
spiritual aspects of their union is one
of the important constructs of this philosophy
and is symbolized by the singular duality
of Shiva and Shakti - the male and the female.
Three different traditions exist under the
broad umbrella of Tantra - Dakshina, Madhyama
and Vama - representing the three Shaktis
or powers of Shiva as characterized respectively
by Sattva (divine), Rajas (dynamic) and
Tamas (dark). Tantra incorporates a set
18 ritualistic scriptures defined in the
Shiva Tantras. Some of these defined rituals
delve into sexuality and Shiva is considered
the Guru of sexuality which leads to the
union with the ultimate truth.
Shiva is often propitiated
by unmarried Hindu girls because of his
unsurpassed qualities of love and generosity.
He is considered an ideal husband in spite
of his being an ascetic and is worshipped
in the hope of having a husband with his
ideal characteristics. He is seen as being
a devoted husband to Parvati and a loving
father to his sons Ganesha and Kartikeya
and is often represented in art as a part
of a close knit family.
Shiva is worshipped
all over India and there are hundreds of
temples and shrines dedicated to him, mostly
in the form of a Shiva Linga and sometimes
as an idol in human form. Typically, offerings
to Shiva are very simple - flowers, Bel
leaves, milk and sandalwood paste are supposed
to please him. Out of all flowers, the Ketaki
is not used in offerings and there
is a tale ascribed to this practice, which
also underlines the somewhat superior status
of Shiva amongst the three Gods comprising
the Trinity. It is believed that once Lord
Shiva stood in the form of a great linga
with no end under the ground or in the sky.
Brahma and Vishnu threw each other a challenge
of superiority in which one of the ends
had to be reached. Brahma took the form
of a swan and flew upwards while Vishnu
turned into a boar and started digging into
the ground. However, even after a lot of
efforts, neither of the two found the end
of the linga. However to exert his superiority,
Brahma came back with a ketaki flower he
found midway and lied to Vishnu about having
found it at the top of the linga. Shiva flew into a rage
as soon as Brahma uttered the lie and took
his own form from the linga and cast a curse
on Brahma and declared that he would never
be worshipped. Further, since the Ketaki
flower stood witness to Brahma's blatant
lie, Shiva cursed the flower as well and
since then the Ketaki flower is not used
in religious rituals.
A very popular Hindu
festival is dedicated to Shiva and is called
the Shiva-Ratri, which literally means Shiva's
Night. It is held on the fourteenth night
of the dark half moon in the month of Magh
(in January or February). Through the night
green leaves are showered on Shiva's image.
This ritual owes its origins to a tale in
which a hunter lost his way in a forest
and decides to spend the night under a tree,
at the foot of which stood a Shiva Linga.
Due to the hunter's frequent movements,
leaves kept falling on the Shiva Linga.
Shiva felt pleased by this and bestowed
the hunter with good fortune.
Shiva brings about the
unification of the transient with the transcendental
and of all that is illusory with the ultimate
truth. For new creation to take shape, that
which already is, needs to be destroyed,
and Shiva plays the crucial role of destruction
for creation - thus becoming both the creator
and the destroyer. As the creator he becomes
the symbol of mercy and love while as the
destroyer he becomes the icon of wisdom
and renunciation - so very necessary to
understand the intertwined process of creation
and destruction. Shiva thus embodies the
opposites of the universe - so beautifully
iconified in his depiction of the Ardhanareshwara
- the union of the male and female. In himself
he assimilates the characteristics of the
male and the female, creator and the destroyer,
celibacy and eroticism.
This article was written by:
Madhuri Guin Our efforts have been directed at making this article informative and refreshing for you. We will truly appreciate all forms of feedback. Please send your feedback to newsletter@dollsofindia.com.
|
