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 THE
SHIV LINGA
Shiva
being synonymous with destructive energy is worshipped
as the consort of Parvati or Shakti. Shakti is the
constructive destruction of the Tamasic qualities, the
base form inherent in all. The trinity comprising of
Brahma the creator, Vishnu the sustainer and Siva the
destroyer represent the universal principle of creation,
sustenance and destruction. Energy is neither created
nor destroyed, but just changes from one form to
another. You and I have existed before, are existing and
will continue to exist, but in different forms!
Shiva
is represented as destroyer only to create. Shakti his
consort was born to cohabit and create and also to
annihilate something to shape it back to its original
form. Parvati
incarnated herself as Kali to slay the demon Raktabheeja.
There is a devil in each of us and mighty courage (Shakti)
is needed to conquer and destroy the devil in us, only
to restore out true potential. The various demons and
devils that mythology created, are the various demonic
qualities present in each of us. Shiva and Shakti are
thus worshipped to enable man to obliterate that which
is base and bring out the finest of the human spirit.
Linga
The
word ‘linga’ in Sanskrit literally translates to
symbol or a sign. Dually, the word also means gender or
the phallus. While it is human imagination that painted
pictures of Mother Mary, Raama, Lakshmi or Krishna, in
reality, the infinite is infinite and formless. When
Raama set out to rescue his wife Seeta and wage a war
against Ravana, his mission seemed impossible with the
ocean being insurmountable. Before venturing to cross
the ocean-a perilous task, he invoked the blessings of
the Almighty or the infinite force. By simply creating a
symbol with sand and mixed with water in an elliptical
shape, he infused the power in the symbol, thus
instantly making it omnipotent!
The
logic is that God or the Supernatural force is formless
and shapeless. Your faith in this form or symbol is what
makes it potent.
The
linga usually is made of stone, crystal, glass or plain
clay, signifying the power in all of universal
creations. The linga itself has three parts-the lowest
part which is a square is known as Brahmabhaga,
representing Brahma the creator, the middle portion
which is octagonal represents Vishnu the sustainer and
the cylindrical portion that projects outside is the
Pujabhage, thus called, as this is the portion that is
worshipped. The former two are inside the pedestal. One
linga or symbol represents all the three forms of
universal energy.
Linga
the phallus!
Linga
in Sanskrit also means gender or the phallus-the male
reproductive organ and the pedestal or region where it
is worshipped is representative of the ‘yoni’ or the
female reproductive organ! The worship of the Linga in
reality is the worship of creative energy and
enlightenment. The worship of the Shiva linga is the
worship of the yin and the yang the masculine and the
feminine principle in you and me. Kaama is desire and
Rati is the union that forms out of this desire. Thus,
the worship of the linga is the worship of desire.
The
linga imbedded in the yoni which is fit for worship, is
also the worship of that which is outstanding, creative,
yang, ascending and gregarious. The yoni represents the
worship of that which is internal, yielding, yin,
generative, descending and serene. The linga or the
phallus contains the seeds within symbolizing the potent
power to regenerate and the yoni that receives,
cp-operates and sustains is the actual generator of
life!
One
without the other is useless. None is superior and none
is inferior! The fall of the valleys implies the rise of
the mountains. Valleys are formed due to the formations
of titanic mountains and mountains exist because of
valleys!
The
linga also represents the erect spine when man has
converged all his attention in yogic posture in
realizing the God in him. The linga arising out of the
yoni or the base around it, represents the rotation and
revolution the planets make around the sun! The worship
just accords utmost reverence to duality and opposite
forces that govern the universe. It’s not just the
worship of the masculine or the feminine principle or
forces, but the worship of the masculine and feminine
forces existing in every male and the masculine and
feminine forces existing in every female! Finally, the
worship of Shivalinga is also the worship of the
yoni-the sensuality in you.
It
also signifies the yin and the yang inherent in all
beings. Shakti is worshipped as a yang form in the
incarnation of Kali, and the same Shakti is worshipped
in her yin manifestation as Parvati. Shiva is yin in his
meditative stance and yang as the cosmic dancer-Nataraja!
If
you transcend beyond the gross level, you could progress
to the spiritual realm of perceiving equality in
duality. It is the worship of the logical and the
creative. It is the worship of the rational and the
eccentric. Every individual is made up of similar
desires, some hidden and some unearthed, some prominent,
while some concealed, some conditioned, by societal
mores, while others unconditioned by a free spirit!
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