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| Shiva at the Madurai Temple. |
Lord Shiva is perhaps the
most fascinating of all the characters in Hindu mythology. In the West, he is
often seen as the god of destruction, who works in conjunction with Brahma the
creator, and Vishnu the preserver to ensure the proper birth, functioning and
dissolution of creation. But this is only one aspect of his multidimensional
nature. He embodies many seemingly contradictory elements. Shiva is the Adiyogi, the first yogi, who first transmitted
yoga to humanity. This transmission to the Saptarishis was the first
exploration of the yogic sciences. So he is the Mahayogi, “the Great Yogi,” yet
he is also a Dionysian figure and the most passionate lover.
Ascetic and Householder
As Nataraja, he is the
“Lord of Dance,” as Akhileshvara, he is the Lord of Stillness. He creates the
universe in a wild dance of frenzied joy, his hair streaming out behind him
like the rays of the sun. He destroys the universe with his Rudra Tandava,
bringing one cycle of creation to an end. As Maheshvara, “the Great Lord,” he
is worshipped as creator of the world and the giver of esoteric knowledge,
while as Mahakala, “Transcendent Time,” he represents both the irresistible
march of time and the eternal present that nullifies it. He is the supreme
ascetic whose body is smeared with ashes, meditating in the Himalayas,
indifferent to the world. Yet he is a husband and householder as Parvati’s
husband and Ganesha’s and Karthikeya’s father.
Fearful Yet Beautiful
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| Shiva as Bhairava, who ripped of Brahma's fifth head. |
Lord Shiva also has his
fearsome aspect. He is the wrathful Bhairava, “the Terrible,” garlanded with
serpents and the skulls of his sacrificial victims, with glaring eyes and
pointed fangs. Bhairava haunts the funeral pyres and cemeteries in search of
devotees, to whom he teaches occult secrets of left-hand tantra. Shiva is the
supreme aghori, living a life beyond terrible. Yet he is Sundareshwara, the
most beautiful one.
In his form as
Bhuteshvara he is “Lord of the Elements,” who has complete mastery over the
Pancha Bhutas, the five elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space. He is
considered the origin of the ancient Indian martial art form of Kalaripayattu,
and also of the medicinal system of Siddha. Lord
Shiva, in fact, embodies the limitless
possibilities of existence, reconciling life's complementary aspects into one
dynamic whole. In the Mahabharata story, Shiva is praised: “You are the origin
of the worlds and you are Time, their destroyer.”
Shiva is the
personification of the process of dissolution and re-creation that is
constantly at work from moment to moment. He is life itself. He embodies the
dynamism and change inherent in life. “All flesh is as grass” – even the things
we consider permanent such as the mountains, the oceans, our own personalities,
all are in reality transient As befits the god of change, pulsating with
vitality, he is the personification of the unconscious mind, which is at once a
Pandora's box and our greatest treasure. As the teacher of the ancient
techniques of meditation, he shows us the way to uncover the wellsprings of our
inner life.
Shiva’s Form
Shiva is portrayed in
many forms, depending on which aspect is being represented. Generally speaking,
though, he will be shown with four arms, signifying universal power and the
four directions of space. He is generally seated on a tiger skin, either naked
or with an animal hide to cover his body. The crescent moon adorns the left
side of his matted hair. He holds his trident (trishula), symbolizing past,
present, and future: and his hourglass drum (damaru), the union of male and
female principles, from whose intermingled rhythms all the vibrations of life
spring forth. He has a noose, called pasha, to catch and hold his devotees, and
a number of weapons with which to fight: a bow – pinaka, an arrow – ajagava, a
spear – pashupata, an axe – parashu, a staff or danda, and a club in which a
skull is set, named khatvanga.
Shiva also has a cobra
around his neck. This represents the kundalini, the life energy present in every human being,
rising to its peak, having been set free by yoga. Kundalini literally means
“the Coiled Serpent.”
The worship of Shiva
The worship of Shiva is
as diverse as his many manifestations. Devotees may offer flowers, vilva leaves
and milk. Yet the aghoris also offer feces and urine to Shiva! Usually, the
focus of the worship is the linga, an ellipsoidal form, usually crafted out of stone, that
is properly energized and consecrated. Applying sacred ash or vibhuti is also
part of the worship. The vibhuthi may be prepared from the cremation ground
ashes, burnt cow-dung or burnt rice husks, depending on the purpose for which
it is to be used.
The festival of Mahashivratri, the “Great
Night of Shiva” is celebrated in his honor and is one of the most spiritually
significant festivals in India. It falls on the lunar month of phalgun, which
corresponds to February and March. Mahashivratri corresponds to a time when the
planetary positions create an upward surge in the energies of the human body,
making it a very conducive time for spiritual evolution. Guru Poornima is also
a festival celebrated for Shiva as the first Guru. The festival falls in the
lunar month of Ashada in July.
Shiva
as Nataraja, the aspect enshrined in the Chidambaram Thillai Nataraja Temple.
Several temples where
Shiva is enshrined in various aspects are considered the most important sacred
sites in India. The Chidambaram Temple for instance enshrines Shiva as
Nataraja. The Kedarnath temple enshrines Shiva as Kedareshvara, and the Ujjain
temple enshrines Shiva as Mahakaleshvara. Kashi or Varanasi is also one of the
important places in India. It known as Avimukta, or never forsaken by Shiva,
and is said to be his winter place, while Mount Kailash in the Himalayas is his
summer place.
Courtesy-www.allaboutbharat.org
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