👋👌 On Mon, 21 Jun 2021 at 06:16, 'gopala krishnan' via iyer123 < [email protected]> wrote:
> *DIVINE INFORMATION PART 37* > > *There are 1571 words in this posting counted by the computer. > Approximately 157 sentences counting 10 words/sentence* > > While going through one of my external memory device, I came across some > good information stored from websites. I thought of sharing interesting > ones from them as a series. > > In part 37, I am starting with 130TH item in this posting. Kindly note > the series is a compilation. > > Sincerely, > > Gopala Krishnan 21-6-21 > > *130 All about Lord Shiva* > > The common thread of thought in the religious beliefs of the Indian > subcontinent upholds a single Reality (as in absolute monoism) and holds in > reverence each of the several manifestation of the Ultimate Reality in the > forms of Gods. > > *Bhrama*, *Vishnu* and *Shiva* are revered as the Supreme Trinity of > multitude of manifestations of Divinity. It is said that all that is true, > all that is good and all that is beautiful is God (*Satyam Shivam > Sundaram**). * > > *Shiva* is referred to as 'the good one' or the 'auspicious one'. Shiva - > *Rudra* is considered to be the destroyer of evil and sorrow. Shiva - > *Shankara* is the doer of good. Shiva is 'tri netra' or three eyed, and > is 'neela kantha' - blue necked (having consumed poison to save the world > from destruction. > > Shiva - *Nataraja* is the Divine Cosmic Dancer. Shiva - *Ardhanareeswara* > is both man and woman. > > My note- In Sankaran Kovil near Rajapalayam in Tamilnadu, Lord Siva is in > ArdhaNareeswara roopam. Many Brahmins have kula deivam Sankaran Kovil or > sankaran kovil and sadavudayar kovil together. > > He is both static and dynamic and is both creator and destroyer. He is the > oldest and the youngest, he is the eternal youth as well as the infant. He > is the source of fertility in all living beings. He has gentle as well as > fierce forms. Shiva is the greatest of renouncers as well as the ideal > lover. He destroyes evil and protects good. He bestows prosperity on > worshipers although he is austere. He is omnipresent and resides in > everyone as pure consciousness. > > *Shiva is inseparable from Shakti - Parvati the daughter of Himavaan - > Haimavati. There is no Shiva without Shakti and no* Shakti without > Shiva, the two are one - or the absolute state of being - consciousness and > bliss. > > The five mantras that constitute Shiva's body are *Sadyojaata, Vaamadeva, > Aghora, Tatpurusha and Eesaana*. > > *Eesaana* is Shiva not visible to the human eye, *Sadyojaata* is Shiva > realized in his basic reality (as in the element earth, in the sense of > smell, in the power of procreation and in the mind). > > The *Vishnudharmottara* Purana of the 6th century CE assigns a face and > an element to each of the above mantras. (*Sadyojaata* - earth, > *Vaamadeva* - water, *Aghora* - fire, *Tatpurusha* - air and *Eesaana* - > space). > > The names of the deified faces with their elements are *Mahadeva** > (earth), Bhairava (fire), Nandi (air), Uma (water) and Sadasiva (space).* > > > *Panchamukha* lingams have been seen from the 2nd century onwards. The > *Trimurthi > Sadasiva* image of Shiva in the *Elephanta Caves > <http://www.templenet.com/Maharashtra/elephanta.html>*near Mumbai is a > portrayal in stone, of the five faces of Shiva. The fourth and the fifth > heads are not seen in this image here. > > The works of sages Vyasa, Vasishta, Patanjali, the poet Kalidasa, the > tamil saint poets Nayanmars - Appar, Sundarar, Sambandar, the poet > Manikkavachakar, the mystic tamil siddhas, tantric philosophers, the > spiritual leader Adi Sankaracharya and others such as Basavanna and Appayya > Deekshitar speak of the attributes of Shiva. > > *131 Significance of the Shiva Lingam* > > The non antrhropomorphic *Lingam* form of Shiva is what is held in > reverence in temples all over the sub continent. *The Lingam is a > symbol. It is a symbol of that which is invisible yet omnipresent*. It is > hence a a visible symbol of the Ultimate Reality which is present in us > (and in all objects of creation ). > > The *Shivalingam* denotes the primeval energy of the Creator.It is > believed that at the end of all creation, during the great deluge, all of > the different aspects of God find a resting place in the Lingam; Bhrama is > absorbed into the right, Vishnu to the left and Gayatri into the heart. > > The Shivalingam is also a representation of the infinite Cosmic Column of > fire, whose origins, Vishnu and Bhrama were unable to trace. (see > Lingodbhavar <http://www.templenet.com/beliefs/lingod.htm>). > > Legend has it that Parvati fashioned a Shivalingam with a fistful of sand > at Kanchipuram and worshipped Shiva; this lingam is known as the > *Prithvilingam*, denoting the primordial element earth. > > Shivalingams in several temples are swayambus, or that which appeared on > their own, or that which is untouched by a chisel. On the other hand, there > are temples where the Shivalingam is carved out of stone and installed. *The > highly polished Shivalingams of the Pallava period bear several stripes,* > as in the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram. > > The Shivalingam is generally mounted on a circular or quadrangular > receptacle called the *Avudaiyar*. > > This pedestal is designed so as to drain off the water offered during > ablution ceremonies. > > In temples such as Kanchipuram, abhishekam is offered only to the pedestal > and not to the Shivalingam made of sand. > > *The bottom of the pedestal represents Bhrama, the octogonal middle > represents Vishnu and the upper circular portion represents Shiva*. > > The upper portion of the Shivalingam may be of various shapes, > cylindrical, elliptical, umbrella shaped. Images may also be (rarely) > carved on a Shivalingam. > > *Nandi*, the bull is depicted facing the sanctum in all Saivite temples, > symbolizing the human soul *Jeevatma* yearning for realizing its oneness > with *Paramatma*, the ultimate reality. > > Typically, the processional bronze images of Shiva are those of > *Somaskanda*, *Chandrasekhara*, *Bhikshatana* and *Nataraja*. > > Although in most Shiva temples, the central shrine enshrining the > Shivalingam is of the greatest importance, the Nataraja shrine is of > greater importance at Chidambaram > <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/s122.html>, the Somaskandar - > Tyagarajar shrine is of greater significance at Tiruvarur > <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/s023.html>. > > *132 Lingodbhava - Origin of Shiva Linga Worship* > > Lingodbhavamurthy is an iconic representation of Shiva, installed in the > rear devakoshta (niche) of the garbagriha (sanctum) of all Shiva temples. *The > story of Lingodbhavar is that of the attempts of Vishnu and Bhrama to > discover the origins (the beginning Aadi and the end Antha) of Shiva,* as > stated in three of the puranas - the Kurma Purana, the Vayu Purana and > Shiva Purana. > > Vishnu was engaged in his yoganidhra - the slumber of yoga - at the end of > a kalpa, in the waters of the great deluge, when there appeared before him, > Bhrama emerging from a great illumination. *Bhrama introduced himself to > Vishnu as the Creator of the Universe*, to which Vishnu replied that he > was the architect of the Universe. An argument ensued between both as to > their superiority over one another, when there appeared before them - *a > huge lingam of fire* - with tongues of flames blazing out of it. > > Curious to trace the origins of this column of fire, Bhrama assumed the > form of a swan and flew upwards, while Vishnu assumed the form of a boar, > and burrowed down into the earth. Days of search in either direction > proved futile, and hence the duo surrendered to this column of fire with > prayers. > > Shiva then appeared out of this column of fiery lingam, with a thousand > arms and legs, with the sun, moon and fire as his three eyes, bearing the > pinaka bow, wearing the hide of an leephant, bearing the trishul, and > *addressed > Vishnu and Bhrama in a thunderous voice, explaining that the two were born > out of him,* and that the three were then separated out into three > different aspects of divinity. > > The non-anthropomorphic form Shivalingam is a representation of this > infinite cosmic column of fire, whose origins were not tracable by Bhrama > or Vishnu. The Shivalingam is the center of reverence and worship in all > Saivite temples. > > The manifestation of Shiva in this column of fire in front of Bhrama and > Vishnu, is carved in stone, as the *Lingodbhavamurthy* manifestation of > Shiva, and is always enshrined in the rear niche of the sanctum enshring > a Shivalingam. *Since most temples face east, Lingodbhavar faces West.* > > This legend described above is held at the vast *Arunachaleswara temple > complex at Tiruvannamalai <http://www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/s004.html>*, > where the sacred Annamalai hill itself, is considered to be a manifestation > of this cosmic column of fire. Tiruvannamalai, is one of the Pancha > Bhoota Stalas, representing the primordial element fire. > > There is another interesting aspect to this legend. While Bhrama was > flying upwards in the guise of a swan, he saw the petals of a ketaki flower > drifting down. *Tired by the futility of his efforts to reach the top of > the mysterious column of fire, Bhrama requested the flower to acquiese to > his lie that he had seen the top of the column where the flower had > previously resided* > > Accompanied by his accomplice, Bhrama confronted Vishnu and asserted that > he had indeed discovered the origin of the cosmic column. An enraged Shiva > appeared out of the fiery column and cursed Bhrama so that he would not > be worshipped in temples on earth. This legend relates to the fact that > there are hardly any temples dedicated to Bhrama in India. > > There is a shrine to Bhrama at Uttamar Koyil > <http://www.templenet.com/df004.html>in Tamilnadu, and Bhrama is also > represented in the devakoshtas (niches) in Shiva temples; there are temples > for Brahma rarely in other places also. Famous one in Pushkar(Rajasthan) > > *My note- I have visited Uthamarkovil temple.* > > *I will continue in next posting * > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "iyer123" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/iyer123/321106384.1603946.1624236400930%40mail.yahoo.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/iyer123/321106384.1603946.1624236400930%40mail.yahoo.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZoo-iZP%3D3SBWuVkLhPi_UxQpGf4NomgKfCpfkQswxRmRPg%40mail.gmail.com.
