Shiva is the only Hindu deity who is revered as a non-iconic, non-anthropomorphic.I refer to the lingam (or linga) and in its isolated form as it is combined with the yoni that you can see in this post and the following one.
Obviously there are several anthropomorphic images of Siva and of course the Mahadeva is also revered in his image 'explicit', the fact remains that he is the only Hindu god whose image is very often replaced by an abstract symbol, the lingam, also called just Shivalingam. And that is the lingam is placed and worshiped in Garbhagrha, the most sacred place of the Hindu temples, the place where is stored the image of the god is worshiped mainly in that temple, the sanctum sanctorum in fact.
The worship of the lingam, the main worship for the Lingayat sect of Shaivism, is very old as it is already present in the prevedic period.
This is a totally indigenous cultic element that - after an initial attempt to oust by the Vedism and Brahmanism - came in its own right to be part of Hinduism. Consider that in the Rig Veda despises those who worship the lingam.
As said the lingam can be alone or combined with the yoni.
Lingam in Sanskrit means 'sign ', 'track', mark and even 'phallus'. While yoni means origin, source, womb and indicates the female genitalia.
The lingam is a column, pillar, usually of stone, but can be any other material, in many texts it is described as a pillar of fire. It is built according absolutely predetermined shapes and sizes.
Its base is square and oriented in the four directions and usually is not visible being buried. The second part is octagonal and supported on the yoni.
The three parts of the lingam to be proportional to size based on many parameters including the caste of those who venerate it.
Typically, the surface of the lingam is smooth, but there are also lingam on which are carved images of God or one or more faces of Shiva. In the latter case we speak of Mukhalingam.
When the faces are five - as in the case of the lingam published in this post – the name is Panchamukhalinga. Five is a number of Shiva, as the syllables of his mantra Namah Shivaya.
The lingam is the symbol of Purusha, the cosmic man, the informal, the unchanging, all unspoken. Instead the symbol of the energy of nature, prakriti, of all that is in the world is the yoni.
One is the immanent cause and the other the efficient cause.
The lingam is in the yoni, it is the power that manifests the unmanifested, is the womb where the lingam deposits its seed to generate all that exists in the universe.
The lingam is a column, pillar, usually of stone, but can be any other material, in many texts it is described as a pillar of fire. It is built according absolutely predetermined shapes and sizes.
Its base is square and oriented in the four directions and usually is not visible being buried. The second part is octagonal and supported on the yoni.
The three parts of the lingam to be proportional to size based on many parameters including the caste of those who venerate it.
Typically, the surface of the lingam is smooth, but there are also lingam on which are carved images of God or one or more faces of Shiva. In the latter case we speak of Mukhalingam.
When the faces are five - as in the case of the lingam published in this post – the name is Panchamukhalinga. Five is a number of Shiva, as the syllables of his mantra Namah Shivaya.
The lingam is the symbol of Purusha, the cosmic man, the informal, the unchanging, all unspoken. Instead the symbol of the energy of nature, prakriti, of all that is in the world is the yoni.
One is the immanent cause and the other the efficient cause.
The lingam is in the yoni, it is the power that manifests the unmanifested, is the womb where the lingam deposits its seed to generate all that exists in the universe.
Lingam means a symbol.
RispondiEliminaFire God has been the main God in Rig-Veda. The body of Rudra is Fire. The flame of Fire is Jyoti. Lingam is also known as Jyotir-Lingam.
Fire has come out from Brahm ब्रह्म that is why he has been also termed as Brahman ब्राह्मणः. The Vedic religion is known as Brahman Dharma ब्राह्मणः धर्म that means those who worship Fire God are performing ब्राह्मणः धर्म. And this ब्राह्मणः (Fire God) has the source of origin (योनि) is ब्रह्म. He is also called as ब्रह्मयोनिम्.
All the words are in original meaning and not in the वाम-मार्गीय genetic meaning. वाम-मार्गीय use to worship in genetic sense and that is why they were hated.
Aryan Invasion is a fake theory.
There was nothing like pre-Vedic. Aryan is an adjective and the origin of the Vedic culture was India only. Rudra was the Number One God of Hindus right from Veda-s to the period of Shankaracharya and for many till date.
If one read Vedas-Upanishada-s and Old Purana-s in chronological order one can realise the unified-ness of Fire-Rudra-Ishvara-Maheshvara-Shankara in his Two Headed-Three-Headed-Five Headed and Single Headed God. Shiva (Rudra)has been termed as Vishva Murthi (The Cosmos is the body of this God) and he covers every thing within him.ईशावस्यमीदं सर्वं. He has three eyes Sun Moon and Fire.
This Cosmic God is worshiped in the form of Egg which is also termed as ब्रह्म-अण्ड = ब्रह्माण्ड. The Cosmos is made of Fire (energy) is known to every body in modern age. Superstring or super particle whatsoever you may call it is after all an ultimate entity.
shirish m dave
smdave1940@yahoo.com
Thanks for your words. The Lingam is a symbol, but also has a sexual connotation that is related to the myths of fertility common in the ancient world. I remember that Shiva, who is Agni and Rudra, tore his phallus and threw it on the ground in the form of a lingam precisely because he did not want to procreate. The lingam has a meaning related to sexuality. To deny this seems very difficult.
RispondiEliminaI know the popular theory in India according to which Hinduism was born in India in full, that there was no Aryan invasion, that the Vedism is the native religion of the subcontinent. But I believe that is a bit ideological theory and not based on historical documents and in particular it does not explain the radical differences between Hinduism and Vedism (haimsha, karma, samsasra, moksha, etc.. all concepts foreign to Vedism and belongin to indian culture).
The fact remains that India and Hinduism came first discoveries and reflections to which the rest of the world came centuries later and the culture of India has an originality, depth, an energy that I can not find anywhere in the world.
Thanks again and nameste.