Decoding Lord Shiva
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This definitely holds true with the images of Hindu deities. Taking the image of Lord Shiva, one of the most majestic and endearing deities for all Hindus, this article investigates some aspects of Shiva’s image…the crescent moon near his head, the river Ganga flowing from his hair and the dark blue neck. What can we learn from such imagery?
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December 26th, 2006 at 12:54 pm
Editor:
Why do use word “Lord” when refering to Hindu “God” Shiva?
The sord “Lord” is like a honorary degree. There are several people
in UK are called “Lord”.
Why short change Hindu “God”?
Every month, I look forward to your monthly e-mail bulletin.
Keep up the good work. But, do not use foreign phrases and
short change Hindu “Gods”
Wish you and your team at The Hindu Voice-UK
“Happy and Successful New Year “.
Sincerely,
Ram Sidhaye
Atlanta, GA, USA
December 26th, 2006 at 4:35 pm
I find these facts of Shiva’s image fascinating, I never knew about this before and I am happy to have learnt it today, It is indeed a beautiful explanation, and if only mankind would adapt a way of egolessness and practice humility and keep the negativity out and dwell on the positive and gain spiritual knowledge slowly but steadily, there will be no war no conflict and we can have heaven on earth.
Our religious leaders and the politicians should slowly start promoting this and yes it may not boost their ego or money but let us all look at the bigger picture here, the world is at stake here - with all the wars and dispute constantly and growing in every country, why not introduce positive things and promote these through the media - since the media is a powerful tool.
December 26th, 2006 at 5:00 pm
Sir
For many thousands of years the scriptures of the world and their images have been interpreted and explained to devotees. Even within each religion there are many different explanations from many Gurus.
So which explanation is correct? Maybe the religions and the diversity of versions / teachings they contain should be judged on how well they have achieved their declared aim.
The most accurate version of the teachings of any particular religion must come from the founder of that religion: e.g. the most accurate Christian message was spoken by Christ. And yet has salvation of the world been achieved? All the religions of the world fall into the same category: the original teacher/highpoint can be identified and yet even their teachings have not achieved their aim.
So it can be said that the founder’s teachings do not work - and the re-interpretations of those teachings and images etc are hardly more likely to work than the versions of the originator. Religions just get weaker as time passes.
In Hinduism however the founder is not known to history. So we cannot judge the success of his teachings. We can however be sure that the interpretations given by others to those teachings (Vedas etc) have not resulted in anything better than the other religions. So as with all religious teaching, history has shown us that it doesn’t work. Therefore the knowledge / understandings that the religions are based upon must be incorrect.
In order to have the correct explanation of the image of Shankar, it will take Shankar to explain. So who is Shankar? Who is represented by the cresent moon, a who spouts forth the Ganga from the head of Shankar, the snake and the beads etc - what is the true meaning?
Raven is shown in the scriptures with ten heads. Ten heads means the many opinions of the Gurus. Only one version is correct. Only one can give the correct explanation of the story the scriptures try to tell.
As time proceeds, knowledge/explantions will be given and accordingly the identity of this one will become known.
Naturally supporters of the religions won’t like it, but history tells us they will succumb eventually. Each religions founder came and added his understanding to the pot of false understanding. Only God has the power to destroy the religions; to destroy the diversity of opinion based on wrong understanding. How? - by giving explanations that everyone will eventually, and after the Mahabharat war, will accept.
So to the learned author of the article, I respectfully suggest that in time you may wish to amend your explanations - which are not entirely correct. I have not explained why, I am just one of the ten heads, I wouldn’t believe me. But there will be one whose versions you will beleive.
Jim
December 27th, 2006 at 3:35 am
to say that all religions have failed or that christ’s teachings have not worked is an exercise in great exageration. very few christians bother to read what jesus had to say even though red letter bible makes that imminently possible. people do not practice their old faith because all of us have required a new one. our new faith protects us from any repurcussion arising out of the old faith. incidently every day people get hit by lightening on the road to damascus and it profondly changes them. every day those who dare to drink the halahal become shiva. they hardly need any ones validation. lastly there are parables, symbols and teachings in every religion which invites investigation and discovery. god is not afraid to be discovered but those who claim to talk on his behalf, may have a problem. let me know if you ever find a hindu who claims a monoply on truth/god…………..
December 27th, 2006 at 4:03 pm
why is river ganga flowing from parvatis mouth and she is held in shivas locks ?
December 28th, 2006 at 6:21 pm
Do Hindus really care what those photos represent symbolically?
For many, I dont think so.
Symbols are important, but how many of us truly know the depth of the meaning of the many symbols of God?
Are these symbolic explanations for the benefit of the nonbeleivers?
The description on symbolism and their explanation is emphasised a lot more these days.
Any reason why?
Are Hindu kids asking too many questions for which explanations need to be given?
December 28th, 2006 at 7:03 pm
If Hindus do not care what these photos represent then they are the losers.
This article is trying to explain your second question?
The reason why the symbolism and their explanation is emphasised a lot more these days is because we have become like the English - in days gone bye we were never told anything. If you were a serious seeker you would delve into books which led you to information like this. and you would be more enlightened than you were before. There is too much information floating around which is just looked at and discarded with a delete button.
No Hindu parents of Hindu Kids are asking too many questions thinking their kids want to know all this.
January 3rd, 2007 at 4:24 pm
The Torah was originally written without vowels. As such Jews had to interpret the book as they read. Certainly there was a consensus on how to insert vowels but what a remarkeable statement. Here is a scripture that says the answers are what you insert. The society provides a framework on how to do this but it is really up to you.
Likewise symbols. A picture connecting the Akasha Ganga with Our Ganga brings home a lot of metaphysics. Now one may be a verbal learner and thus use only the left 1/3 of their brain to understand something. Or one could use the 1/3 of the whole brain which is visual, 1/3 of the right brain for synthetic perception, or the front 1/2 which is entirely processor space. But it certainly would be better to use your whole brain.
Like the Torah, our symbols have a social construct, like the Torah we must interpret this for not just abstract meaning but also meaning for our personal life.
If I tell you do not kill, someone will say any killing is wrong, some will say that this is a qualified statement about our own tribe (ie the Jews killing the Egyptians and Canaanites), some will say it is a referrance to the futility of ego in attempting to gain control of another’s life while we fail to control our own. - thus even words become symbols.
Then we humans use symbols to discuss the deeper meaning, we need a social context and then debate.
If we as parents then disregard the social context, the questions themselves are lost. If no one asks why Arjuna rides a chariot with Krishna as the charioteer, who can find the metaphor of a soul being carried in this material world while god takes us from one point to the next, even at our own behest? If someone says Ganga is just a river, then perhaps we are just matter decomposing at the universal rate of entropic increase.
As to the “failure” of religions, all religions are guides. The truth is success and the truth is never failed. It is our man bound religions that fail because we want to keep them man-bound. We want to say we know when we know not. Religions that worship man will always become less than the founder. Religions that worship truth will always find more and more wonderful ways to express the truth.
What does AUM mean?
hariaum
January 6th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
great article…the crescent moon symbolizing the humble mind is extremely inspiring; reference to the sacrifice of Shiva and the Ganga are great
January 13th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Everything in Hinduism is symbolic.
How does one react to this?
Humour or symbolic gone mad
1-Brahma**
Systems Installation
2-Vishnu
Systems Administration & Support
3-Lakshmi**
Finance and Accounts consultant
4-Saraswati**
Training and Knowledge Management
5-Shiva**
DBA (Crash Specialist)
6-Ganesh
Quality Assuarance & Documentation
7-Narada**
Data transfer
8-Yama
Reorganization & Downsizing Consultant
9-Chitragupta**
IDP & Personal Records
10-Apsaras
Downloadable Viruses
11-Devas**
Mainframe Programmers
12-Surya**
Solaris Administrator
13-Rakshasas**
In house Hackers
14-Ravan**
! ;Internet Explorer WWWF
15-Kumbhakarnan
Zombie Process**
16-Lakshman**
Support Software and Backup
17-Hanuman**
Linux/s390
18-Vaali**
MS Windows
19-Sugreeva**
DOS
20-Jatayu**
Firewall
21-Dronacharya**
System Programmer
22-Vishwamitra**
Sr. Manager Projects
23-Shakuni**
Annual appraisal & Promotion
24-Valmiki
Technical Writer (Ramayana Sign off document)
25-Krishna
SDLC ( Sudarshan Wheel Development Life Cycle )
26-Dharmaraj Yudhishthira
ISO Consultant (CMM level 5)
27-Arjun**
Lead Programmer (all companies are vying for him)
28-Abhimanyu**
Trainee Programmer
29-Draupadi
Motivation & Team building
30-Bhima **
MAINFRAME LEGACY SYSTEM
31-Duryodhana
Microsoft product Written in VB
32-Karna **
Contract programmer
33-Dhrutarashtra**
Visual C++
34-Gandhari**
Dreamweaver
35-100 Kauravas**
Microsoft Service Packs and patches *
January 19th, 2007 at 7:48 am
There is no response to the above question
This is the problem facing Hindu parents today. They cant explain Hinduism in clear terms.
January 19th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
a) No response because the relationship is totally unclear, case to mind is ‘Square Peg Round Holes’ it seems forced.
b) If its a humorous list ??? Why?
c) Terms are unclear. As a father with a very curious 10year old boy. I have found that if :-
I teach him Surya is the Sun, Vayu the Wind, Agni - Fire, Indra the Rain / Thunder, etc then he feels God physically about him.
When I show him Hindu Heritage with the Horse & Grand feasts with Mitra (The bringer of light) with Varun (The Skyfather) and Indra as Champion etc. He sees a free faith un-shackled, without restiction.
I explain to him simple matters. We do not use pawalagee / namaste / ram ram. We use Veda Shakti (Power to the Vedas) so that at every instance he understands our Heritage is alive. The Vikings are gone, The Greeks no more, The Egyptians Gone, The Russains (Lord Perun) - Gone, The Lakotas (Now Christians), Hopi Indias (Christians) etc. We are the only faith of the Old World that still lives freely.
When I tell him he is Hindu, born to bring advancement and aid to this planet this is what he sees as Hinduism.
Pandit Deeno Sharma
Veda Shakti
January 21st, 2007 at 1:13 am
Bring back the authority of the RG Veda and this time create a graphic novel out of it (comic book to you non Marvel readers).
With exciting action panels, bubble captions and zzzzzzzzzooooooooooooom this is one way of taking what is the wisdom of the ages and making it easier to understand to our children..
Once they have seen and read the majestry of THE VEDA, then a translation can be given to them and their minds can begin… through multiple readings - to uncover the Brahman within.
All the knowledge we need to do anything we want to do is already within in us.
But have we ever considered that the Veda’s and the words that it contains are cyphers that, when read over and over, spark off an inner journey along the millions of neurons that we have and finally fall into the ultimate repository of ALL KNOWLEDGE — the SUB CONSCIOUS and in here in an infinite cloud of energy we gain our insight from GOD???
just an idea
but any time I read the Veda or the Gita I do not see what was not there before, but I discover something in me that I had “forgotten” over aeons of walking this road of “samasara”…
January 21st, 2007 at 1:20 am
I like that Deeno my mate,
the FAITH OF THE OLD WORLD - that will become the FAITH OF THE FUTURE…
for if we take our LINE OF TIME and take the two ends and join them don’t we get a CYCLE OF SAMASARA….
then that means the FAITH OF THE OLD WORLD MEETS THE FAITH OF THE FUTURE…
ROCKING…
January 21st, 2007 at 11:52 am
Jack writes with spirit.
Please Hindus read hs work. Youth will find their feet. Parents if you read this ask your young to read Jack.
January 22nd, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Passion is good.
But the distinction of old world and new world is false and dangerous. The distinction is prone to nostalgia which is more often false than true. Many nonhindus see hinduism as an old fashioned ancient relgion without relevance to modern society. Unfortunately, many hindus still see it this way. This becomes the primer for conversion to a “modern” religion with a “living” god.
The cycle of samsara, is itself an idea of maya - avidya.
The truth must always be incorporated (enbodied) into ourself today. It is not the past nor the future that matters to our temporal existence. Our time is now. Tomorrow is someone else’s turn. The past is someone else’s. Our tradition is a ongoing daily, moment to moment becuase our tradition is truth.
We read the past to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again. But we believe in the immanent and transcendental reality that is beyond time.
hariaum
January 22nd, 2007 at 5:29 pm
I wholly disagree.
The Past is us. The Current is us. The Future is us. There is no-onesles turn. WE Hindus live forever therefore we were there at Soamnath, We are here now, And will be there in 2026 and beyond. The Joys of being Hindu. We Live Forever.
There is no OLD world and New. There is no need to Modernise this religion.
Surya rises. Indra brings the Thunder and Varun guards over us. This is our way. And nothing (but apendages) needs to change.
Reading the PAST? Then read CGM, he came as hindu and bulit a vast empire. He became Jain and our strength waned. Vedic Pride falling as new texts take Precedence. Pls refer to the current celebration calender of the Hindus.
The Gita a Jain inspired book to appease the CGM clan that the Vedics will limit military glories. So in fact it seems we may read but we fail to see beyond the words.
Veda Shakti!
January 22nd, 2007 at 5:53 pm
I we are temporal than we are not part of Sanatana.
It is our ego that is temporal. The eternal part is that which is beyond time. That is the way that we are immortal.
We are immortal not because we are hindu but becuase that is the nature of creation.
Hindus who worship the vedas have also failed; else why are they not in charge of the world right now? Either no one gets it or those who got it could not muster the strength to keep it, or completing philosophies offered something they did not.
We agree that it is not in the reading of the past but in the contemporary living of the truth that the vedas (knowledge) are revealed to us.
As to the Gita being Jain, I think misses the whole point of the Gita and the Vedas. I don’t care what title you put on it but a truth should be saught. A book of “love” can result in hate. A governement called demoncratic can oppress millions and kill off millions. The Ramayana and Mahabharat are called religious texts so billions ignore them. If a person is seeking the turth than these two texts become the most important books to read simply from the perspective of literary competance and human history. The vedas are knowledge. But the truth is always revealing itself and someone who denies the truth as immanent and contemporary is in avidya.
hariaum
January 22nd, 2007 at 6:16 pm
No we are Immortal Because we are Hindu. Or that’show it should be.
The Vedas.
Yes those blooded by these books should hold great power. However, due to its burial (read the Hindu celebration calender) power has waned.
It is thought by many Western Scholars that there once existed a Vedic Super State that ran from Cambodia to Israel. So it seems true that The Vedas can hold extraordinary power.
Perhaps we together will lift it to its place of Power.
Veda Shakti!
PS - Why Hari Aum? Whay exactly does it mean?
January 22nd, 2007 at 6:28 pm
I am nothing because I chose to call myself something. I am something becuase I chose ownership of my actions. That choser is immortal, all names are irrelevant.
I believe that the Vedic culture was from India to Ireland (follow the language and belief structures). The hitites were a caucasian group that were on the fringes of the Vedic culture and as nomads would invade into neighboring territories - the middle east and egypt. Their remnants and interactions with the locasl became the Persians…
Once extraordinary powers, that’s nice, but what of today?
Power is not mine, I don’t want it and don’t trust any other human being or collection of such with it. It is Indra, Vayu, … Krishna. I am happy to let them manage it.
What is Hari?
What is AUM?
The goal and the way are one, I am but another arrow in flight.
hariaum
January 22nd, 2007 at 6:49 pm
I thought Hari was the name of God and Aum being the Premordial sound?
Extraordinary powers? What of today? Can you comfortably say that we Uphold The Vedic Way? Before you answer please consider the Hindu clebrations from Jan to Dec annually and identify any that come from the Rg Veda!
January 22nd, 2007 at 9:11 pm
A society is just that. I have no desire to identify with a group. I have a desire to identify with Brahman. Whether I follow the rituals of one society or another is a matter of temporal relevance “to avoid an error”- marriage, work… and of prarabdhakarma. My body may or may not gain by the temporal reality of this world. My reality may or may not gain by temporality. My identity is with Brahman that has nothing to gain; thus I have nothing to gain (or to lose). The vedic way is to seek Tat Sat. The vedic way is to know. thus the vedic way informs our decisions.
The rituals are just that. From Gayatri, to Rg, to SatyaNarayan Puja, the goal is important and the gain is important and gratitude to the Ishvara is important. But the vedic way, the transcendant and immanent way of God is truth and the truth has no need for an outer (there is nothing outside of Tat Sat) and is thence desireless. Being the nature of compassion (anand), Tat provides us a feeling of power to help us with our desires. Being the nature of truth (Sat), it provides us the history and teaching of our elders and the mental capacity to study them. Being the nature of conscience-nous (Cit) it provides us a construct of learning and loving in a system of actions. Thus (satcitananda), we are ALL compelled to be on the vedic way. Any way not in reality is not really a way.
The chants and teaching of a book are not simple historical practices. They are designed to help us on this path; only the lesser form of hinduism (which is acceptable for we too must be compassionate) teaches us how to glorify our ego based desires - from entry to heaven to the fall of rains for our children to eat. But we on the lesser path must remember, else we will be reminded, that food is to be consumed then the consumer becomes the food. That is when we look to the true path and understand the reality of the vedas (what appears to be mystic - mysterious - becomes fact - the immanent transcendant).
hariaum
January 22nd, 2007 at 9:18 pm
As to AUM see mandukya upanisad. It is the bow that launches our atman into brahman. It is the states of consciuosness. It is the primordial sound of the universe; what is the primordial sound of the univers - it is the sound of the individual soul connecting to the supreme. It is agni, it is soma, it is the path.
Of note I recently read Narada Bhakti Sutra. It begins with HariAum. So I probably ran into the phrase some time ago and it stuck.
hariaum
January 22nd, 2007 at 9:31 pm
A nice explanation
January 22nd, 2007 at 9:33 pm
Is it your belief that we promote Vedic celebrations?
January 23rd, 2007 at 4:47 pm
We promote truth - perhaps a new word: Vedism. We should celebrate the life we are given in its many respects. I would not be a fan of bringing back the horse sacrifice. I would be a big fan of the wise getting together and chanting slokas of peace and unity. So I suppose my answer is that I would be selective to contemporary needs but always in remembrance of where we came from.
hariaum
January 23rd, 2007 at 7:44 pm
You glide around my request like a veteran Bhramin, impressive!
I must request with every kindness your list, if any, of Vedic celebrations or Jayantis’, Ashtmi’s, Nawmi’s or other seasonal celebrations of Vedic Gods.
Any other reader feel free to input.
Veda Shakti!
January 24th, 2007 at 5:56 pm
none: I am lucky to know (before hand) when diwali, holi, etc. are.
hariuam
January 24th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
We celebrate
Ram Nawmi - Ram
Shiva Ratri - Shiva
Janam Asthmi - Krishn
Hanuman Jayanti - Hanuman
Navratri - Durga Devi
Danesh Charutr - Ganesh
BUT - NO Indra, Vayu, Rudra, Mitra, Pusan, Varun etc
POINT
WE HAVE BURIED OUR VEDIC PAST - By design / Shame?
WE HAVE STRAYED FROM THE CORE AND NOW THE CORE DOES NOT SEE US
Veda Shakti!
January 26th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
The core is truth.
It is delusion to think we have strayed from truth which is all-present.
Who does not celebrate Indra (the king of heaven - christians and muslims do)
who does not celebrate Vayu, the energy, the prana, the shakti that moves the whole world (business’ and entrepreneurs do)
…
Don’t buy into the simplistic personification of Indra that the west will have you believe. Tat is much greater and pervasive than that.
Is it shame - yes. After a thousand years of colonialism people believe that hinduism is an ancient long gone religion to be put in history books like Sanskrit. But there are more sanskrit speakers than Italian or Greek speaker, perhaps more than German or French speakers even. The truth is always worship,even in error by someone looking for power (Ravana, Jesus, Mohamed…) they worship the truth - this is Ved. A piece of this we call Veda.
But please join up and celebrate whatever ishvara you want. Through that ishara we will find Brahman.
hariaum
January 26th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
Again Spoken in the beautiful silken tones of a Bhramin. Beautifully rolling phrases with stlye and charm that any politician would be proud to deliver.
One problem. This is not a presentation of political one-upmanship. The truth is my quest and the quest of thinking Bhramins. For when rolling phrases become definitive statements correlating to direct questions then the issues of NE India will cease.
The West does not design my thinking and thankfully not the East. If the East was my founding thought I would be promoting The Gita / Janam Ashtmi / Hanuman Jayanti etc. My belief is the Vedic path. To find how much of it is current and as it fell from in reverence from our structure what were the consequences, eg. Mahmud (The first mass murder of Hindus). The Moghuls wiping out our stations of learning. The Brits treating us as coolies whilst we surrender the name Aryan to the Pink Peoples of the North. These are truths. Not some mercurial Bhraminesque poetic statements. Youth needs direct answers and the thinking HIndu needs empirical evidence. Any Pandit SERVING the community will attest to this!
The Direct question. The Vedic Gods are not celebrated in their own rights. WHY? Ganesh is, So is Rama, So is Lord Shree Krishna etc. None mentioned in our Rg Veda (The Core of this faith) are remembered. Why even Great Mitra whose came to us on Dec 25th to bring ligth from dark mid winter, even his day is now taken by the Pink Ones as Jesus’s birthday (actually born Jan 7th). Another drift from our core!
What the young and those threathened with conversion want are direct answers. What is the CORE. Ans. The Rg Veda. It blossomed into this faith.
Navin and others seem undisturbed by the fact that
a) these current celebrations have no reference point in the Rg Veda
b) Rg Veda celebrations are no longer present
and the ramifications of these facts. It is evident that we have ‘drifted from the core - the Rg Veda’ This is not some fanciful blaming of Western thought. This is the truth. The BLAME RESTS WITH US HINDUS!
Veda Shakti!
February 9th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
hinduism is the most open religion, dharma philosophy in the world .
You have spoken of SHIVA and there is no diety in modern world that come close to the open worship and belief of shaiva sect .
creation , destruction , humankind all have devolped with the surpeme command of shiva . the act of union between sexes is permitted through shiva he even gives non sexual genders protection. Shiva is half man half women , the only one with such a personality in all modern day gods.
Shiva allows intoxication in worship (Bhang) no deity in modern days allows this freedom to worship, we may use any form of devotion to reach to the level (consciousness) that will allow us to reach Shiva in his greatness. We can sing, pray , penance or dance to please the lord Shiva.
This is the ultimate advice to all …..be open in your worship to the Lord …shiva can be revered in a simple stone which embodies his unique ness , he says i can be reached through a stone , i am everywhere , i am in your heart , wherever you need me ….om nama shivah
shiv shankar bholenath
February 9th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
the symbols of Shiva can be very powerful . The matted hair is showing the divinity of the the Lord. The blue appearence due to the poison he has taken showing his undestruction. the hair is unkept and long showing his unruly manner and mighty body.
eyes heavy with mediation and bhang shows full devotion to gods of the earth. snakes around the neck are his protectors that shows his sterness and unpredcetable character. his hair flows ganges that is produced by him .
July 4th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Everybody who worships Siva, the great god of Hindus, or those who have seen Siva-worship, known what Siva-lingam is Shiva lingam, also called as Pindi, is composed of two parts. A central oval mass standing like a pillar is ‘Bana’ and around this Bana, there is an oval or oblong ‘Salunka’ or ‘Vedi’.
Chant Om namashivah, Om namashivah, Om namashivah