What is the significance of shivling

As the most powerful of deities, temples are built in his honor that includes a Shiva Linga, representing all the energies of the world and beyond. The popular belief is that the Shiva Linga represents the phallus, the emblem of the generative power in nature. According to followers of Hinduism, their teachers have taught that this is not only a mistake, but also a grave blunder.

Such a stance, for example, can be found in the teachings of Swami Sivananda,. In addition to the Hindu tradition, the Shiva Linga has been adopted by a number of metaphysical disciplines. In this case, it refers to a particular stone from an Indian river that is believed to have healing powers for the mind, body, and soul.

To understand these dual uses for the words Shiva Linga, let's approach them one at a time and begin with the origin. They are completely different but connected in their underlying meaning and connection to Lord Shiva. In Sanskrit, Linga means a "mark" or a symbol, which points to an inference.

Shiva Linga speaks to the Hindu devotee in the unmistakable language of silence. It is only the outward symbol of the formless being, Lord Shiva, who is the undying soul seated in the chambers of your heart. He is your in-dweller, your innermost self or Atman , and he is also identical with the supreme Brahman.

The ancient Hindu scripture "Linga Purana" says that the foremost Linga is devoid of smell, color, taste, etc. In the post-Vedic period, the Linga became symbolical of the generative power of Lord Shiva. The Linga is like an egg and represents the Brahmanda the cosmic egg. Linga signifies that the creation is affected by the union of Prakriti and Purusha , the male and the female powers of Nature.

A Shiva Linga consists of three parts. The lowest of these is called the Brahma-Pitha ; the middle one, the Vishnu-Pitha ; the uppermost one, the Shiva-Pitha. The typically circular base or peetham Brahma-Pitha holds an elongated bowl-like structure Vishnu-Pitha reminiscent of a flat teapot with a spout that has had the top cut off.

Within the bowl rests a tall cylinder with a rounded head Shiva-Pitha. It is in this portion of the Shiva Linga that many people see a phallus. The Shiva Linga is most often carved from stone.

In Shiva Temples, they can be quite large, towering over devotees, though Lingum can also be small, close to knee-height. Many are adorned with traditional symbols or elaborate carvings, though some are somewhat industrial looking or relatively plain and simple. Of all the Shiva Lingas in India, a few stand out as holding the most importance. The bottom of the pedestal represents Bhrama, the octogonal middle represents Vishnu and the upper circular portion represents Shiva.

The upper portion of the Shivalingam may be of various shapes, cylindrical, elliptical, umbrella shaped. Images may also be rarely carved on a Shivalingam. Nandi , the bull is depicted facing the sanctum in all Saivite temples, symbolizing the human soul Jeevatma yearning for realizing its oneness with Paramatma , the ultimate reality. Typically, the processional bronze images of Shiva are those of Somaskanda , Chandrasekhara , Bhikshatana and Nataraja.

Although in most Shiva temples, the central shrine enshrining the Shivalingam is of the greatest importance, the Nataraja shrine is of greater importance at Chidambaram , the Somaskandar - Tyagarajar shrine is of greater significance at Tiruvarur. Templenet where Tradition Meets Technology.

So great was the rivalry that Vishnu-worshippers wore vertical caste marks while Shiva-worshippers wore horizontal caste marks; Vishnu-worshippers painted their house with vertical strokes while Shiva-worshippers painted their houses with horizontal strokes; Vishnu-worshippers kept the Tulsi in their house while Shiva-worshippers kept the Bilva plant. People who worshipped Vishnu refused to marry or dine with those who worshipped Shiva. There were, of course, many attempts at reconciliation such as the cult of Hari-Hara, the simultaneous worship of Vishnu and Shiva, that become popular around the fifteenth century.

Even the sixteenth-century classic, Tulsi Ramayana, makes an overt attempt to show that Shiva and Vishnu are one and the same Godhead that cares for humanity. Today, the rivalry between Shiva-worshippers and Vishnu-worshippers is not very evident except perhaps in the temple complexes of Tamil Nadu and in the traditions of the Iyers and the Iyengars. The concept of Shiva constructed by sacred stories, symbols and rituals is quite different from the idea of Vishnu.

Shiva is always a reluctant groom whom the goddess has to force into marriage. Vishnu, on the other hand, is surrounded by women. As Rama, he protects them. As Krishna, he flirts with them.

While Shiva is associated with snow-capped mountains and caves and crematoriums, Vishnu is associated with meadows and rivers and battlefields. Whereas Shiva surrounds himself with dogs, bulls, ashes, skulls, animal skins and narcotics, Vishnu is found amid cows, horses, silks, flowers, pearls, gold and sandal paste. Shiva does not want to be part of society; Vishnu, on the other hand, establishes the code of conduct for society. In temples, Vishnu is visualised as a king.

His anthropomorphic image is bedecked with gold and devotees can see him only from afar. Shiva, on the other hand, is enshrined in open temples.

Devotees are free to walk in and pour water on the oval stone or cylinder that represents him. Vishnu is offered butter and sweets, Shiva is given only raw milk. Clearly, Shiva is associated with ascetic ideals while Vishnu is associated with worldly thoughts. Disdain for the material world is a dominant theme in philosophical schools that consider Shiva their patron deity.

This disdain manifests in two ways: asceticism and alchemy. The former seeks to outgrow all things material and reunite with Shiva. The latter seeks to control the material world and make it do its bidding. Kashmir Shaivism of Nepal, Shiva Siddhanta of Tamil Nadu, and the Lingayat and Vira Shaiva movements of Karnataka tilt towards ascetic ideologies while tantric sects such as the Pashupatas, Kapalikas and Kanphatas tilt towards alchemical principles.

In the former, sexual activity is shunned; in the latter sexual activity is merely an occult ritual. Neither gives much thought to the pleasurable and procreative aspects of sex. And yet, Shiva is represented by a very sexual symbol: the male reproductive organ placed within the female reproductive organ. The quest for the answer has made me write the book. Of course, the easy route is to accept the most common and simplistic explanation: it is a fertility symbol. But to make sense of a mythological image one has to align the language heard stories with the language performed rituals and the language seen symbol.

All dissonances have to be removed so that the real meaning can be deciphered. For centuries it has been used to make people defensive and apologetic. Society has always been uncomfortable with sex, terrified by its primal nature. This book can be seen as yet another effort to shy away from the obvious.