ABODE OF COSMIC ENERGY

THERE ARE ATTEMPTS TO MISINTERPRET THE MEANING AND SYMBOLISM OF SHIVALINGA. THE 129TH SHUKTA IN THE 10TH MANDAL OF RIGVEDA'S NARADIYA SHUKTA CLEARLY STATES THAT 'SHIVALINGA IS RELATED TO THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE'. IT IS THIS COSMIC ENERGY THAT HINDUS STARTED WORSHIPPING THROUGH THE SYMBOL OF A STAMBHA OR PILLAR. THUS THE TRADITION OF WORSHIPPING SHIVA AS A LARGE, ROUNDED PILLAR BEGAN. THE SHIVALINGAS FOUND IN ANCIENT TEMPLES ARE HUGE AND GRAND

- PRASHANT POLE

Last year in May when a survey was conducted through the precincts of Gyanvapi mosque, a Shivalinga was found. While the entire country rejoiced at the discovery, there were a few who made fun of it and passed offensive comments on the Shivalinga. Some even dismissed the worshippers of the divine Shivalinga as barbaric and regressive. Danish Qureshi, a spokesperson of Asaduddin Owasis’ AIMIM posted a disgusting remark that led to his arrest too.

In the midst of all these cacophonous controversies, I kept wondering how come the progressive Hindu society took to worshipping linga of a deity. Since time immemorial, our faith is mounded along scientific assumptions; its every little aspect is dictated by causality. It is scientific and logical. Why linga worship?

It is also suggested that the platform on which Shivalinga is mounted symbolises Devi Parvati’s yoni. And that the structure enacts their union. For me, this suggestion too was quite unpalatable. It begs attention that Hindu dharma looks at things through symbols. Bhagwan Shiva is seen as a symbol of cosmic annihilation. And Shiva-Shakti union symbolises the very process of creation. Under the circumstances, a literal enactment of union appears unlikely; the aforementioned relationship between Shivalinga and the platform is thus wrong.

The question remains: what then is a Shivalinga?