Sri Shiva

ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम् ।

उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात् ॥

Om tryambakaM yajAmahe sugandhiM puShTivardhanam |

urvArukamiva bandhanAnmRutyormukShIya mAmRutAt ||

O Lord, We worship and adore you, the three-eyed one. You are sweet gladness, the fragrance of life, one who nourishes us, restores our health and inspires us to thrive. As the melon ripens and naturally frees from the vine, so also free us from the bondage Samsara and guide us to the state of immortality.

Manifestation

Shiva, also known as Maheshawara or Mahadev, is one the principal Hindu deities that forms the divine trinity. Brahma – the creator; Vishnu – the preserver; and Shiva – the transformer. They are the personifications of the supreme consciousness (Brahman). Shiva is also worshiped as time and cosmic power with no beginning and no end. He is Parvati/Durga's husband and Ganesha and Kartikeya (Subramanya)'s father.


Physical Attributes and Symbolism

  • Shiva is depicted by wearing a tiger or leopard skin around his waist.
    • Tiger is the vehicle of Shakti/Durga. This represents his control of energy and conquering of uncontrolled power and lust.
  • Snake around neck.
    • Snake wrapped around 3 times – each coil representing: past, present, future. But his control over the snake represents his independence of time and death.
  • His upper body is bare and covered by ash.
    • Transcendental aspect of his nature, beyond all material and birth and death.
  • His matted hair adorns a crescent moon.
    • Represents wind/air as the form of breath/life in all living beings.
  • The Ganga river flows from the top of his head.
    • The purest form of water originating from Ishwar and flowing to all living beings on earth.
  • The third eye is depicted on his forehead.
    • Spiritual power and knowledge, ability to annihilate evil.
  • His eyes remain half open.
    • As Shiva opens eyes the creation begins, as he closes eyes, destruction happens. Eyes half open signify the existence of the universe in the cycle of birth and death.
  • He has a crescent moon on his hair.
    • Control over time and universe.
  • His throat is blue, which is why he is called ‘Neel-Kantha’. (More in ‘well known stories’)
    • This is from when he sacrificed himself for all beings by holding poison in his throat.
  • He holds the trishula (trident) as his weapon with a damaru (drum) tied to it. He also holds a conch, a water pot, and a necklace made of Rudraksha beads.
    • Trishula: Three prongs represent will, action, and knowledge and the three human qualities: rajas (passion, action), tamas (darkness, chaos), sattva (goodness, harmony)
    • Damaru: Creates the cosmic sound of AUM (“OM”). This OM sound is said to be the first vibration of the universe, through which everything else was created.
    • Conch: Auspicious sound at the start of every Hindu ritual.
    • Water Pot: Contains amrit (nectar).
    • Rudraksha: Japa mala (necklace for chanting) with 108 beads made from seeds of the Rudraksha tree. Rudra: uncompromising / Aksha: eye
  • Shiva is depicted as both an ascetic yogi and as a householder. He can be shown sitting crosslegged with eyes closed in a deep meditative state or sitting next to his consort Parvati, and children, Ganesha and Kartikeya (Murugan).
  • Nandi, the sacred bull, is always present in front of Shiva. He is Shiva’s form of transportation and his gatekeeper.


Qualities

  • Satyam: Truthful
  • Shivam: Auspicious, Gracious
  • Sundaram: Beautiful, Graceful
  • Subham: Good, Positive
  • Rudra: Fierce and roaring like a storm
  • Bholenath: Innocent, easily pleased by sincere devotion


Ways of Worship and Types of Devotees

The Hindu tradition that primarily worships Shiva is called Shaivism. Shiva can be worshipped in two forms:

  1. Nirguna (without differentiating qualities); anionic form.
  2. Saguna (with differentiating qualities); human form.

The anionic form is called ‘Shiva Lingam’. Lingam in Sanskrit means “the form”. The Lingam, which looks like an ellipsoid, represents the un-manifest beginning to manifest at the start of this cosmic creation. The peetham, or base on which the lingam stands, denotes Parashakti (the manifest energy of the supreme consciousness) in this cosmic cycle.


In our temple, the Lingam is represented in the form of Sri Somasundareshawara. This is similar to the one that can be seen in the Meenakshi temple, in Madurai India. Devotees worship Shiva by performing Vedic rituals, chanting his name (Om Namah Shivaya), saying mantras and meditating by focusing on his image.


Mahashivaratri, also known as the ‘The Night of Shiva’, is a special festival celebrated with devotion in honor of Lord Shiva. It falls on the 14th night of the new moon in the Hindu month of Maagha/Phalgun. It is a moonless night and falls during the months of February or March. Devotees observe a full day fast to celebrate this festival. It is believed that on this day, the stars in the Northern Hemisphere are at most optimum positions, which are believed to help boost a person’s spiritual energy. It is also believed that the Shiva principle (Tattva) is most active on this day of the year.


Many Indian classical dances, such as Bharatanatyam, have their root in Shiva’s Nataraja form and cosmic dance. Many of the forms and mudras in these dance forms depict and mirror those of Shiva’s cosmic Tandav dance.


Avatars

KalaBhairva is the fierce incarnation of Lord Shiva.

Nataraja is Shiva as a cosmic dancer. His vigorous Tandav dance is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation, and dissolution. The dance includes Shiva’s ferocious and joyful forms.


Regions most worshiped

Shiva is worshiped is most parts of India and Nepal as well. The famous Pashupatinath Temple is in Nepal. His references are also found in Buddhism and as Daikokuten, in Japan.


Well-Known Stories

  • One day, Brahma and Vishnu were arguing about which one of them is more powerful. At the same time, a massive, fiery pillar appeared, extending beyond the view of the earth and sky. Brahma and Vishnu ran to find where the pillar had appeared. Once the found the pillar, Brahma turned himself into a goose and flew to the top. Vishnu turned into a boar and dug the earth to look for its root. They were both unsuccessful. Then, Shiva emerged from an opening in the pillar. Brahma and Vishnu both recognized Shiva’s great power and accepted that Shiva is the third supreme god. This is how the divine trinity was formed.
  • Samudra Manthan: Once the Gods and demons all came together to churn the ocean. During this process, many things emerged and were divided equally between all: gems, animals, food, nectar, etc. After all the great things, a poison started spreading, and all who came in contact perished. The Gods all rushed to Shiva for help. He used his power to drink he poison so all others could be saved. To prevent the poison from spreading through his body, his wife Parvati used her power to contain the poison in his throat so it wouldn’t spread to his heart. This turned his throat blue, giving him the name “Neel (blue) Kanth (throat)”. The true significance of this story is that just like the poison, we are surrounded by negative things. We can intake (hear/see) those things, but must have the ability to prevent them from being fully absorbed into our body and minds.


Fascinating Facts

  • Lingas that are formed naturally from the earth are called svayambhu-lingas (self-created). There is a cave in the northern state of Jammu, located in the city of Amarnath. A svayambhi-linga made of ice is formed inside the cave every year. The Linga is formed naturally by the stalagmite that drips from the roof of the cave. Devotees from all over the world travel to Amarnath to perform pilgrimage before the entrance of the cave is completely closed by ice.
    • There are 12 Jyotirlingas in India. These are 12 natural, self-manifested Shiva-Lingas throughout India, and are considered as auspicious places for devotees. These 12 temples are spread across 11 states in India. These lingams represent and symbolize the infinite and natural power of Shiva.
  • Shiva Linga in our temple was obtained from the banks of Narmada River. This is a svayambhu-linga, also known as Narmada-Linga or Bana-linga. Bana-lingas are made of crypto crystalline quartz, which are said to have been formed from a meteorite that came to Earth several million years ago. They are polished into the traditional ellipsoid/egg shape by the action of the river.


Other Popular Names

  • Shiva – who is always pure
  • Shankar – who gives happiness and prosperity
  • Neel Kantha – blue throated one
  • Trilokesha – Lord of all three worlds
  • Mahadev – Greatest of all the Gods
  • Ananta – one who is eternal/unending
  • Jattadhar – Lord with the matted locks
  • Mrityunjay – Lord who conquers death
  • Rudra – one who roars
  • Shulapani – one who carries a trident


Popular/Well-known Prayers

  • Om Namah Shivaya
  • MahaMruntunjaya Mantra
  • Rudram
  • Shivashtakam