Shiva Linga

To many people, Hindus included, the worship of the Shiva Linga is a puzzling aspect of the religion. They find it even stranger that devotees would pray to an idol that looks like a phallus! Yes, you read right. A phallus and for those who do not know what that means, a phallus is a penis.

The Shiva Linga is shaped like an erect penis and it sits on a base that resembles a yoni - a vagina.

Have you keeled over and died? No? Good. Now read all about it to understand why it is shaped like a genitalia.

This unusual shape for the Divine is the perfect representation of the ultimate balance in the universe; The male and the female, the yin and the yang, matter and energy, purush and parkirti. However, that would be a simplification of the meaning of the Linga. The Linga also stands for creation and perpetuaty of life through the ultimate union - sex. Without sexual union life cannot come into being.

But first, you need to read a puranic tale that explains the origins of the Linga from www.templenet. com

"Vishnu was engaged in his yoganidhra - the slumber of yoga - at the end of a kalpa, in the waters of the great deluge, when there appeared before him, Bhrama emerging from a great illumination. Bhrama introduced himself to Vishnu as the Creator of the Universe, to which Vishnu replied that he was the architect of the Universe. An argument ensued between both as to their superiority over one another, when there appeared before them - a huge lingam of fire - with tongues of flames blazing out of it.

Curious to trace the origins of this column of fire, Bhrama assumed the form of a swan and flew upwards, while Vishnu assumed the form of a boar, and burrowed down into the earth. Days of search in either direction proved futile, and hence the duo surrendered to this column of fire with prayers. Shiva then appeared out of this column of fiery lingam, with a thousand arms and legs, with the sun, moon and fire as his three eyes, bearing the pinaka bow, wearing the hide of an leephant, bearing the trishul, and addressed Vishnu and Bhrama in a thunderous voice, explaining that the two were born out of him, and that the three were then separated out into three different aspects of divinity.

The non-anthropomorphic (non-human) form Shivalingam is a representation of this infinite cosmic column of fire, whose origins were not tracable by Bhrama or Vishnu. The Shivalingam is the center of reverence and worship in all Saivite temples."

This tale also sets the stage for the lack of any temple worship for Brahma in Hinduism. Brahma, in his quest to seek out the top of the pillar of fire, chanced upon a flower that was falling down Lord Shiva's hair. Brahma in cohoots with the flower decided to lie by sayig he has seen the top and the proof is the flower. Lord Shiva realising the deceit cursed Brahma to never have anyone worship him in a temple and the flower never to be used as an offering.

I think the flower is called thalampoo in Tamil and Ketaki in Sanskrit.

Lord Shiva

The main divine energy of the Hindu trinity, Lord Shiva is the third aspect of the triumvirate representing 'destruction'. This destruction, however, doesn't stand for the total annihilation of the universe as we may expect it to signify. In Hinduism, destruction is merely an act that paves way for the formation of a new creation. Only when Lord Shiva clears the slate, can Brahma star creating again and Lord Vishnu can start preserving. He is the Father of the Universe.

Here's and excerpt from www.indiantemples.com giving you a quick explanation of Lord Shiva.

"Shiva is referred to as 'the good one' or the 'auspicious one'. Shiva - Rudra is considered to be the destroyer of evil and sorrow. Shiva - Shankara is the doer of good. Shiva is 'tri netra' or three eyed, and is 'neela kantha' - blue necked (having consumed poison to save the world from destruction. Shiva - Nataraja is the Divine Cosmic Dancer. Shiva - Ardhanareeswara is both man and woman.

He is both static and dynamic and is both creator and destroyer. He is the oldest and the youngest, he is the eternal youth as well as the infant. He is the source of fertility in all living beings. He has gentle as well as fierce forms. Shiva is the greatest of renouncers as well as the ideal lover. He destroys evil and protects good. He bestows prosperity on worshipers although he is austere. He is omnipresent and resides in everyone as pure consciousness.

Shiva is inseparable from Shakti - Parvati the daughter of Himavaan - Haimavati. There is no Shiva without Shakti and no Shakti without Shiva, the two are one - or the absolute state of being - consciousness and bliss.

The five mantras that constitute Shiva's body are Sadyojaata, Vaamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha and Eesaana. Eesaana is Shiva not visible to the human eye, Sadyojaata is Shiva realized in his basic reality (as in the element earth, in the sense of smell, in the power of procreation and in the mind). The Vishnudharmottara Purana of the 6th century CE assigns a face and an element to each of the above mantras. (Sadyojaata - earth, Vaamadeva - water, Aghora - fire, Tatpurusha - air and Eesaana - space).

The names of the deified faces with their elements are Mahadeva (earth), Bhairava (fire), Nandi (air), Uma (water) and Sadasiva (space). Panchamukha lingams have been seen from the 2nd century onwards. The Trimurthi Sadasiva image of Shiva in the Elephanta Caves near Mumbai is a portrayal in stone, of the five faces of Shiva. The fourth and the fifth heads are not seen in this image here.

The works of sages Vyasa, Vasishta, Patanjali, the poet Kalidasa, the tamil saint poets Nayanmars - Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar, the poet Manikkavachakar, the mystic tamil siddhas, tantric philosophers, the spiritual leader Adi Sankaracharya and others such as Basavanna and Appayya Deekshitar speak of the attributes of Shiva."