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Thread: Shiva Linga - Significance?

  1. #11
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    Re: Shiva Linga - Significance?

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~

    Namasté

    Quote Originally Posted by yajvan View Post

    Liṅgaṃ लिङ्गं - means 'mark' or 'sign'. It is my POV that śiva-liṅgaṃ is a 'mark' or stambha स्तम्भ ( some write stamba स्तम्ब). Stambha is a post , pillar , column , beam. But what kind of pillar? A yūpa यूप stambha स्तम्भ, or sacrificial piller. This stambha some say, is a cosmic column; that is, it connects heaven or svar with earth or pṛithvī ( pṛithvī = the material level of creation).

    Here is another view for your consideration... I am not promoting this idea, just another point of view; we may or may not agree with it, of which no harm is done.

    Another view of liṅgaṃ लिङ्गं suggests its connection to the following:
    likh लिख् - to paint, engrave, write; to make smooth, polish. The notion here is Śiva liṅgaṃ as the 'mark' or 'symbol' suggests He is the Supreme Creator, the Supreme Sculptor of the universe ( from ' to make smooth, polish' suggesting the sculptor).

    Another view:
    ling+gam : ling लिण्ग्- is to go to; gam गम् is to go towards or approach;

    Śiva liṅgaṃ is the 'mark' or 'symbol' which makes one go towards or approach Śiva. It is suggested that this liṅgaṃ is a natural object for meditation and the mind finds its ease with its shape. Recall that this was one of srivijaya's original questions in post 1:
    Beyond being an object of veneration, is there a meditative significance, or instruction, for Shaivite contemplatives?


    oṁ liṅgaya namaḥ

    praṇām
    Last edited by yajvan; 19 January 2009 at 07:38 PM.
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

  2. #12
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    Re: Shiva Linga - Significance?

    That which is without letters (parts) is the Fourth, beyond apprehension through ordinary means, the cessation of the phenomenal world, the auspicious and the non-dual. Thus Om is certainly the Self. He who knows thus enters the Self by the Self.

  3. #13

    Re: Shiva Linga - Significance?

    What I had learned was that the Shiva Linga was a symbol of the characteristic of Shiva that He is without any beginning nor end. So the first Shiva Lingas were spheres or oval-shaped, but so that these things would not roll away, it had to be mounted on something. Then the base of the Linga evolved so that performing an abhisheka would be easier. The view that the Shiva Linga is a phallic symbol and its base is a yoni or vagina is entirely incorrect and is a disgusting fallacy created by the British colonists and Christian evangelists to discount and degrade the Hindu religion.

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    Re: Shiva Linga - Significance?

    Quote Originally Posted by OmSriShivaShakti View Post
    What I had learned was that the Shiva Linga was a symbol of the characteristic of Shiva that He is without any beginning nor end. So the first Shiva Lingas were spheres or oval-shaped, but so that these things would not roll away, it had to be mounted on something. Then the base of the Linga evolved so that performing an abhisheka would be easier. The view that the Shiva Linga is a phallic symbol and its base is a yoni or vagina is entirely incorrect and is a disgusting fallacy created by the British colonists and Christian evangelists to discount and degrade the Hindu religion.

    Namaste,

    I entirely disagree with this.

    Rather, the notion of "disgusting" is entirely degrading to the symbolism.

    Yoga is ecstatic, UNION.

    Perhaps y'all would consider me perverse for saying so, but I must say that pure union with the divine is only marginally replicated by the physical.

    ZN
    yaireva patanaM dravyaiH siddhistaireva choditA .
    shrI kauladarshane chApi bhairaveNa mahAtmanA .

    It is revealed in the sacred doctrine of Kula and by the great Bhairava, that the perfection is achieved by that very means by which fall occurs.

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    Re: Shiva Linga - Significance?

    Quote Originally Posted by Znanna View Post
    Namaste,
    Yoga is ecstatic, UNION.

    Perhaps y'all would consider me perverse for saying so, but I must say that pure union with the divine is only marginally replicated by the physical.

    ZN
    Namaste ZN,

    You speak wisdom. The objection usually is to those views which do not know or talk of the divine. Moreover, the linga (indicatory mark) of the one who is unlimited, is also of unlimited significance.

    I agree that primarily it is ecstacy, as Shiva is known as more blissful than the bliss. But I chose to say that it is not the physical phallus.


    (In upanishad it is said that the raised parts of us are special seats of divinity. I have thought and can come to no other inference that the breasts -- the source of imperishable milk and phallus -- the source of imperishable life, are indeed such parts. Yet breasts and phallus again are indicatory.)

    Om Namah Shivaya
    Last edited by atanu; 17 June 2009 at 11:41 PM.
    That which is without letters (parts) is the Fourth, beyond apprehension through ordinary means, the cessation of the phenomenal world, the auspicious and the non-dual. Thus Om is certainly the Self. He who knows thus enters the Self by the Self.

  6. #16
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    Re: Shiva Linga - Significance?

    With all the philosophy, historical debate, symbolism etc., put aside for but a brief moment, when one (speaking from personal experience, perhaps others will differ) stands in front of lingam in humble sincere worship, a scintillating energy radiates outward from it to the devotee. This energy is God, the unmanifest cause of all things, working in unseen ways on the devotee's ego and heart, magnetically drawing the devotee inward and closer. The Self, effulgent in light, beckons. Im my humble opinion, this is the real significance.

    Aum Lingesvaraya Namaha

    Aum Namasivaya

  7. #17

    Re: Shiva Linga - Significance?

    "Perhaps y'all would consider me perverse for saying so, but I must say that pure union with the divine is only marginally replicated by the physical."

    Yes Znanna, I would consider you perverse for that and I still maintain my position that this explanation of the Linga and Yoni as sexual organs was created by anti-Hindu British colonists.

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    Re: Shiva Linga - Significance?

    Quote Originally Posted by OmSriShivaShakti View Post
    "Perhaps y'all would consider me perverse for saying so, but I must say that pure union with the divine is only marginally replicated by the physical."

    Yes Znanna, I would consider you perverse for that and I still maintain my position that this explanation of the Linga and Yoni as sexual organs was created by anti-Hindu British colonists.


    Namaste,

    Yoga is union.

    As most humans only know "union" in a sexual sense, that is the closest proximity.

    The embrace of the Beloved, the Twin, the other which is the same, the closest analogy is sex in our mental perspective, I think.

    Just to put it into context, I'm celibate for the past 30 or so years ... in a physical sense anyways

    ZN
    yaireva patanaM dravyaiH siddhistaireva choditA .
    shrI kauladarshane chApi bhairaveNa mahAtmanA .

    It is revealed in the sacred doctrine of Kula and by the great Bhairava, that the perfection is achieved by that very means by which fall occurs.

  9. #19
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    Re: Shiva Linga - Significance?

    Namaste,

    I have not read any authentic scripture which says that the Shiva Linga is the depiction of phallus & the base is the depiction is the "yoni"/Vagina. I don't know how it started. If anyone knows, he may please make me enlightened on this issue.

    In Hindi/Samskrit, Linga has another meaning, "symbol". It must be understood that Lord Shiva is one of the earliest Godheads worshipped in Hinduism. In Hindu tradition, the shape is not important for the deity. If anyone has seen a proper Hindu Pooja, it would be clear to him that a shapeless lump of cow dung placed near pooja place is worshipped as Lord Ganesha after invoking Lord Ganesha. If you go to villages in India, there are Kuldevatas (the deity of the family) placed in the Pooja Room which are just rounded lumps of earth. Similarly, there are many temples where the Mother Goddess is worshipped but the image kept is just rounded lumps of earth. When I went to a Rameshwaram, the priest on the sea beach made a lump of wet sand made in somewhat round shape as Lord Shiva for worship.

    So, the shapes are not at all important in Hinduism. The round shape & cylindrical shape are easy to form with hand & that is why it was widely adopted as symbol of Lord Shiva, imho. Why waste time in carving out images of Lord Shiva in human body shape when he can be worshipped in simple image !

    West's obsession to Sex is well known. It raises very high curiosity among them, if they are told that there is Deity which is in the shape of phallus ! Then it becomes saleable ... it has a market value. Otherwise who is interested in Lord Shiva ?

    You tell any Hindu in India that this symbol of Lord Shiva is nothing but the phallus & then be ready to face the music !

    -------------------------------------
    Some talk about this symbol as Union ... was the separation from the Source as male & female ? Who is the male & who is the female here ? What about those who are not born from sex.

    I don't think that there is anything wrong with Phallus or Vagina & they & their union are certainly not dirty ... the dirt is in our mind. This creation comes from the union of phallus & the vagina & we all have come from that union. So, how can they or their union be dirty ? However, linking this symbol with Lord Shiva has no authoritative scripture's support, as far a I know. This is simply an outcome of the business-sense of some vested interests who coined this idea to make it saleable.

    I don't mind being proved wrong but let someone quote some original authoritative scripture.

    OM
    "Om Namo Bhagvate Vaasudevaye"

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    Re: Shiva Linga - Significance?

    http://exoticindia.com/article/formsofshiva

    Namaste,

    According to this article, the image/symbolism predates Vedas by considerable years, thus it could be argued that scriptural reference might be irrelevant, as the artifacts are a precursor.


    ZN


    ETA - that said, the more metaphysical (rather than physical) symbolism of no beginning, no end, also pertains, IMO
    Last edited by Znanna; 19 June 2009 at 10:57 PM.
    yaireva patanaM dravyaiH siddhistaireva choditA .
    shrI kauladarshane chApi bhairaveNa mahAtmanA .

    It is revealed in the sacred doctrine of Kula and by the great Bhairava, that the perfection is achieved by that very means by which fall occurs.

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