Lingam
LingaWorship.jpg
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Lingam or Linga (Sanskrit: Gender as in purusha-linga : male sexual organ) is used as a symbol for the worship of the Hindu God Shiva. A stone lingam is a naturally occurring oval stone. The term is not used in the Vedas but used frequently in the Mahabharata. Of the naturally occurring lingam, A lingam at Amarnath in the western Himalayas formed every winter by dripping water freezing into the large lingam is very popular with pilgrims.
Some knowledgeable interpreters of Hindu scripture believe that the linga in this context means "mark,"; others see it as a phallic symbol, representing the generative power of the cosmos and the fertility of Nature. Many Hindus consider it to be liturgically incorrect to worship images of Shiva himself, and thus use the lingam to represent Lord Shiva.
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Interpretations
Different interpretations on the origin, symbolism of the Shiva lingam are prevalent. While the Tantras and Puranas consider the Shiva lingam to be a phallic symbol and a representation of fertility of Nature, the Vedas, Agamas and Shastras make no mention of this aspect. Additionally, the traditional view of Lord Shiva as the destructor, also adds to the controversy. According to Swami Sivananda, although the Agamas do not derive their authority from the Vedas, they are are not antagonistic to them but are all Vedic in spirit and character and are hence authoritative. According to rules of interpretation in Hinduism held by many religious scholars, anything that contradicts the Vedas or is inconsistent with its spirit is not deemed authoritative or is treated as secondary. Accordingly, according to this interpretation, the Puranic and Tantric views, are subordinate to the Vedas and the Agamas which are vedic in spirit. Hence, such views are secondary and are not deemed as authoritative by many religious scholars. With this point of view, then the view of the linga as a phallic symbol does not carry much weight.
Accordingly, many traditional Hindu scholars simply explain the Siva Linga to be an abstract symbol of God. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami explains in the lexicon section of his book, Dancing with Siva, that "Sivalinga is the most prevalent icon of Siva, found in virtually all Siva temples. It is a rounded, elliptical, aniconic image, usually set on a circular base, or pitha. The Sivalinga is the simplest and most ancient symbol of Siva, especially of Parasiva, God beyond all forms and qualities. The pitha represents Parashakti, the manifesting power of God. Lingas are usually of stone (either carved or naturally existing, svayambhu, such as shaped by a swift-flowing river), but may also be of metal, precious gems, crystal, wood, earth or transitory materials such as ice. According to the Karana Agama (6), a transitory Sivalinga may be made of 12 different materials: sand, rice, cooked food, river clay, cow dung, butter, rudraksha seeds, ashes, sandalwood, dharba grass, a flower garland or molasses."
As Shri K. Thirugna Sambantha, in his excellent web site of Saivism, [1], explains it, the Siva linga is the ruparupa aspect because it is not any manifested form of Siva, nor is it formless, because the linga is a concrete piece of stone, which is an emblem of God. Thus, it is intermediate between the formless Absolute, Parasiva, which is beyond the sensory perception of man and manifest forms of Siva. Siva manifests Himself in form for the grace of the embodied human devotee.
There have been other views which connect the origin of the lingam to the early Indus Valley civilisation.
See also yoni.
Tantra
The Tantras consider the lingam to be a phallic symbol and to be the representation Shivas phallus, in its erect form. Accordingly, the lingam contains the soul-seed containing within it the essence of the entire cosmos. The lingam arises out of the base (Yoni) which represents Parvati according to some or Vishnu, Brahma in female and neuter form according to some.
Puranas
The puranas especially the Vamana purana, Shiva purana, Linga purana, Skanda Purana, Matsya Purana and Visva-Sara-Prakasha have narratives of the origin and symbolism of the Shiva lingam. Most of the puranas attribute the origin to the curse of sages leading to the seperation of and installation of the phallus of Lord Shiva on earth, many also refer to the endlessness of the lingam, linked to the egos of Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma.
In popular culture
Something that resembled a Siva linga was called the Sankara Stone in the movie, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
References
- Schumacher, Stephan and Woerner, Gert The encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and religion, Buddhism, Taoism, Zen, Hinduism Shambala, Boston, (1994) ISBN 0-87773-980-3
See also
External links
Sivananda's explanation about Linga being a Symbol of Shiva:
- The Siva-Linga: A Symbol Which Points To An Inference.
- Linga, symbol of Shiva, God who is formless, attributeless and omnipresent.
- Shiva Linga
- A discussion on the Shiv Lingam