"Satyam Shivam Sundaram"
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| Shiva linga; icon of Lord Shiva |
The Shiva linga is believed to be one of the most potent emblems in Hindu ideals, which is a cylindrical or oval shaped and sometimes it is formless piece of stone or metal. That is the outward symbol of the formless being, Lord Shiva, which also signifies the philosophy of Shiva, i.e. 'Satya' (Truth), 'Gyana' (knowledge) and 'Ananta' (Infinity).
Lord Shiva is addressed as God of Gods (Devadidev) in the ancient Hindu scriptures and worshiped since the time of formation of the Hindu religion. Shiva is worshiped in his 'linga' form across the world, more than his human form. In Sanskrit, Linga means 'a mark' or 'a symbol', so Shiva Linga is the symbol of Lord Shiva, which defines his energy and potential, also its shape like an egg, represents the cosmic egg or the universe (Brahmanda), out of which all creation has been emerged.
In the Rigveda we find the earliest mention of Lord Shiva, where Shiva is addressed as “Rudra”, the verse 2.33.9 mentions Rudra as "The Lord or Sovereign of the Universe". In Rigveda three entire hymns are devoted to him, where the human form and legend of Rudra has been described thoroughly. There is a hymn in the Atharvaveda which praises a ‘stambha’ (pillar) and this is one possible origin of linga-worship.
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| Banalinga |
The Shivapurana describes Shiva as “Ardhanariswar”, which is a form of half male and half female, split down the middle. This symbolizes that the male and female principles are inseparable and conveys the unity of opposites (ekatatva) in the universe. Shiva linga is a representation of this conception, as the masculine part is within its phallic shape and the feminine part is in the egg shape. Linga also symbolizes the creation, which signifies that, the creation is effected by the union of 'Prakriti' and 'Purush', the male and the female powers of Nature and represents the "indivisible two-in-oneness of male and female, the passive space and active time from which all life originates"
Also Lord Shiva has enlightened the method of meditation, and Shiva Linga symbolizes a state of meditation (Shivoham) in the unmistakable language of silence. As, Shiva is addressed as ‘Jogeswara’ in the hymns of “Shri Rudram” in Yajurveda which is more than 2500 years old, also his posture as ‘jogi’ was recognized as ‘Pashupatinath' (Proto-Shiva) yielded from the excavation of Harappan civilization which is dated around 2500 BC. Also from other scriptures we find Shiva with activity of persistent concentration, with half-closed eyes he is immersed in meditation in divine bliss.
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| Interpretation of Shiva linga |
The Hindus worship the Nature, as well the universe is the source of life, so Shiva linga is the finest presentation of the conception of cosmos that comprises the entire pragmatic matter and includes all living and non-living being, as well as reveals the mystery behind creation, i.e. Shiva. As well as worshiping Shiva linga signifies, devoting to the supreme cosmic energy, which is the source of everything.
Thanks & regards,
Milan Chatterjee
PS: Generally the Hindus worship the different Gods and Goddesses in the human form, resembling with the mention in their ancient scriptures. But in some fashion some icons are also worshiped, which symbolizes different deities, such as; worshiping Linga as symbol of Lord Shiva, Shaligram as symbol of Lord Vishnu.
Natural Shiva linga stones are found in the muddy bank of the Narmada river of India, these elongated egg-shaped stones are naturally formed primarily of microscopic quartz, with iron oxide deposits, with a density very close to that of an emerald. It is known as "Banalinga".
Many other interpretation of linga are given by many scholars, as in Hindu religion many new Gods or new forms of Gods have been created over the course of time.
