Who Is Lord Shiva ?
The different Vedic gods have particular roles or functions, and represent or control different forces of nature. Thus, they are not all the same. They all have different meanings and potencies to do particular things in the arrangement and management of the universal creation. In this way, most of them have specific positions and purposes to help facilitate the cause for the creation, maintenance, and even the destruction of the universe.
Since our analysis of the Vedic texts indicated that the Bhagavatam was the most ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge, as well as being the commentary of all Vedanta by Srila Vyasadeva Himself, we will include the conclusive descriptions as found in the Bhagavatam to reach our definitive understanding.
The most prominent of all the Vedic gods consists of the Trinity of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. Brahma assists in creating the world, Vishnu maintains it, and Shiva helps in its annihilation. Those that follow the Vedic path, can generally be divided into three main categories ;namely those who worship Shiva and are Shaivites, those who worship Shakti or the Goddess and are Shaktas, and those who worship Vishnu, the Vaishnavas .
One
of the most significant of all the Vedic gods is Shiva.
And one of the most noted of all the goddesses is Shiva’s wife, Durga.
They also go by many other names. For example, Durga is also called Parvati and
Sati, which means chastity. The name Shiva means auspicious. Shiva is known by
many different names according to his function. When, for example, he expresses
himself through space and time, he is known as
Eshwara. He is called Sadashiva when he functions through air, which
incorporates the principles of both sound and touch. Shiva is known as
Rudra when he operates through fire, which incorporates the principles of sound,
touch and form.
Shiva
is the embodiment and controller
of tama-guna, the mode of darkness, inertia, and the tendency towards
annihilation. This is how he assists in the destruction of the cosmic creation
in the end times, as well as in the exhibition of continuous forms of death and
destruction that we see every day. However, this demise and dissolution can also
be viewed as a renewal, which is also considered to be a part of Shiva.
We
can find additional characteristics of Lord Shiva in the Srimad-Bhagavatam
(4.2.2) in which it states that Lord Shiva is the spiritual master of the entire
world. He is a peaceful personality, free from enmity, always satisfied in
himself. He is the greatest among all the demigods. He is the spiritual master
of the world by showing how to worship the Supreme. He is considered the best of
all devotees. Therefore, he has his own spiritual line or sampradaya
called the Rudra-sampradaya that comes directly from him. These days it is also
found in the Vishnusvami-sampradaya, or the Vallabha-sampradaya.
Shiva
is described as the most powerful, second only to Lord Vishnu. In
this way, he is not the Supreme, but is almost as powerful. Although he has
nothing to attain in this material world, he is always engaged for the benefit
of everyone in this universe, and is accompanied by his material and dangerous
energies like goddess Kali and goddess Durga.
They serve him by killing all kinds of demons and impious persons. War
represents Kali’s energy of devastation. Sometimes we see pictures of a fierce
form of Kali standing with one foot on the body of Shiva. This is because Shiva
sometimes has to lie down in front of her to pacify her from killing all the
demoniac people in the world. In this way, Shiva controls the material energy.
Lord Shiva is also in control of the destructive energy, tamo-guna, the
mode of darkness, and is assisted by Kali and Durga in this purpose. Durga helps
him in keeping the majority of the living beings in the darkness of ignorance.
That is why Durga and Kali are described as dangerous potencies. Only those who
are serious about spiritual life are protected from this darkness.
Shiva
is often shown as a handsome young man, with long hair from which flows a spurt
of the Ganga (Ganges) River (an emblem of purity) and in which is also a
crescent moon. He is also white or light bluish in complexion, sometimes with a
third eye between the eyebrows on the forehead, and usually with four arms (a
sign of universal power) holding a Trishula (a trident, showing his ruling
proficiency over the three modes of nature), the Damaru (small hour-glass shaped
drum, the beating of which represents language or the alphabet), and exhibiting
the mudras (hand positions) of Abhaya (protection) and Varada (giving
blessings).
It
is also said that Shiva’s drum represents srishti, the creation; the abhaya
hand (giving blessings) represents sthiti, or preservation; his foot
that presses down symbolizes tirobhava, or the veiling effect; and the
uplifted foot means blessings (anugraha), especially toward seeing
through the veil of illusion caused by ego. When he is shown with an axe, it
represents samhara, destruction.
Sometimes
he is shown with eight, ten or even thirty-two hands. These represent his
various potencies and contain such things as an Akshamala (rosary that signifies
being the master of spiritual sciences), the Khatvanga (magic wand which shows
his being an adept in occult sciences), a Darpana (a mirror showing that the
creation is a reflection of his cosmic form), a chakra (disc), a noose, a
staff, a bow, a Pashupata spear, a lotus, sword, and so on. He is often sitting
on or wearing a tiger skin. The tiger skin represents his command over his
desires, which often consumes common men like a tiger.
Shiva
is often shown with serpents entwined around his arms, waist, neck and hair.
Snakes often invoke fear. So this represents how Shiva is free from fear. The
snake also signifies time. If a poisonous snake bites someone, it is only a
matter of time before that person will die. And time catches up with everyone
sooner or later. So Lord Shiva is the Lord over time and death. These serpents
also indicate that he is surrounded by death but beyond the power of it.
Shiva
is also seen with ash from the cremation grounds smeared over his body. This is
called vibhuti. It symbolizes death or detachment from the world and
lust. It also indicates that our bodies, being inert matter in their essential
form, will also become ashes when we die and if the body is cremated. Thus, we
must rise above the bodily identification and become conscious of our real
identity within. Ash is the sign of Shiva’s complete renunciation of the
world.
Sometimes
Shiva is shown wearing a garland of skulls. The skulls are representative of his
being the lord of destruction and the cyclical nature of the appearance and
disappearance of the material creation.
One
of the most beautiful forms of Lord Shiva is portrayed in his dancing position,
known as Nataraja, the king of dancers.
As Nataraja, Shiva holds his damaru drum in his
upper right hand. This indicates nada, the sound of the universal
development. In his other hand, he holds a flame of destruction. Together these
indicate both creation and destruction, the counterpoints of all material
existence. His right hand is also held in the position of blessing and
protection. As Nataraja, he also wears the skin of a tiger, which he slew. This
represents the ego, which will fight when attacked and must be killed by the
knowledge of the guru, or the wisdom of Nataraja himself. As Nataraja, he is
shown with one foot subduing or standing on the body of Mahamaya, the illusion
which is the cause of all suffering. The other foot is raised upward, which
represents the attainment of the turiya state beyond the states of
waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and the influence of the mind and creation. Thus,
he is completely free from all of these.
There
are many stories that relate how and why Shiva appears the way he does. For
example, Lord Shiva is shown at times with a third eye in between his eyebrows
on his forehead. It is said that his third eye represents the eye of wisdom, or
inner sight. The other two eyes represent the balanced form of love and justice.
Thus, Lord Shiva is not too harsh nor too lenient, but views everything with the
proper proportions of love, justice, and inner knowledge. Together, Shiva’s
three eyes also represent the sun, moon and fire, the means by which the
universe is illuminated. How Shiva got a third eye is explained that one day
Shiva’s wife Parvati covered Shiva’s eyes with her hands and the whole world
was enveloped in darkness. Then Shiva willed the third eye to manifest, which
sent forth light, heat and fire.
Another
story is that once when the heavenly Ganga river was descending onto the earth,
the weight of its force would have crushed the world, so Shiva accepted it on
his head, wherein it stayed until it was ready to be released. The Ganga
River is considered to have entered the universe when the Supreme Lord in His
incarnation as Vamanadeva kicked the outer shell of the universe with His toe,
thus letting in some of the water of the Karanadakashayi Ocean, the spiritual
water that surrounds the universe. This became the holy Ganga. Thus, it is
considered the foot wash of the Lord. So Lord Shiva takes this water on his
head.
Shiva’s
Ganga water is also said to represent the flow of knowledge and devotion to God.
Shiva is known as the foremost devotee of Lord Krishna, Vishnu, or Lord Rama,
which is one of the meanings of the spout of Ganga water on Shiva’s head.
The
Bhagavatam (10.41.15) relates: “The water of the river Ganga [Ganges]
has purified the three worlds, having become transcendental by bathing Your
[Lord Vishnu’s] feet. Lord Shiva accepted that water on his head, and by that
water’s grace the sons of King Sagara attained heaven.”
Another
story is that during the time when the demons and demigods were churning the
ocean of milk, many objects started to be produced from it. One was the moon,
which Shiva took and placed in his hair. This represents the phases of the moon
or the passing of time, which is but an ornament for Shiva since he is not
affected by it. The crescent moon also signifies the happiness of life,
especially when it is based on a spiritual purpose. The rays of the moon enhance
one’s inspiration and energy for spiritual life, just as it is said that the
rays of the moon nourish the vegetable kingdom. It represents the cooling light
of the knowledge of the Self, and the way life should be when lived in that
knowledge.
Another
object that appeared from the churning was the severe poison which Shiva drank
to keep it from spreading. However, Parvati, being alarmed at this, grabbed his
throat so it could not go down, which is where he kept the poison, and which
made his throat turn blue.
Shiva
is often portrayed standing next to or on his bull, Nandikeshvara or Nandi
(meaning joyful). Symbolically, Nandi represents the animal tendencies, such as
the urge for sex, which are tamed and docile by Lord Shiva’s mastery over it.
Thus, he rides on Nandi, who is obedient to Shiva’s command. Nandi also
represents strength and virility. He is often seen in temples of Shiva in a
reclining position in front of the main shrine, gazing toward the image of
Shiva. Nandi also represents the jivatma, the individual soul, and the
animalistic impulses that will carry it away into material existence, unless
such tendencies are curbed.
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