Lord Shiva -The Enigmatic & Auspicious “ONE”

“His burden didn’t feel any lighter, but he felt strong enough to carry. “ 
– Shiva trilogy: Immortals of Meluha

In Hinduism representing Shiva as the generative power, all of existence, creativity and fertility at every cosmic level belongs to Him. Shiva ( known as Mahadev or Omkara or Shankara or Maheshwar) all the epithets regarded as supreme gods in Hindu mythology Shiva with other two Bramha and  Vishnu. It is said that on the consummation of marriage Lord Shiva, the Maha Shivratri celebrated in every 14th of lunar-solar month of Phagun/ February.

Maha Shivaratri: Festival of Lord Shiva

The Maha Shivaratri is mentioned in several writings in Puran. People celebrate the mark of Lord Shiva with festival, fasting, reverence of him as Lingam with enchanting Om Namah Shivaya. Lingam symbolisation is of Creator, Evolution, Existence, Preserver, Destroyer & Involution. It flows divine positive energy that keeps the soul pure and bliss. Apart from this, the enchanting of “Om Namah Shivaya” has a different iconography of its own. That means the whole universal consciousness is ONE. (🕉️)

Om: Soul

Na: Earth

Mah: Earth

Shi: Fire

Va: Pranic

airYa: Sky

Chanting ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ harmonizes the five elements i.e peace, love, harmony and consequently bliss and joy of the universe. The enchanting Aum/Om itself has a cosmic vibration enlighting the whole universe.

Also Read: How to Worship Lord Shiva on Mahashivratri?

The five eternal meaning of the icon defines:

• Wakeful State (Jurgat) – When life awaken from the conscious state.
• Deep Sleep (Subupti) – The hidden state, that is not known to us, unmanifested state.
• Transcendental state (Turiya) – Self-enlightenment, the silence state known as deep consciousness.
• Illusion (Maya) – Our experience with the world, that differentiates with the state of enlightenment “Turiya”.
• Dream State (Swapna) – the state of in-between neither awaken nor deep sleep.

The enchanting of the icon elevates the energy for awakening the eternal soul.

Generally, Lord Shiva is depicted from old ages as a diety that has the body smeared in corpse ashes, blue neck for holding poison, entangled hair or jata adorned with crescent moon with Ganges flowing from heaven to earth i.e patal-lok, and the three eyed lord wearing deer skin with a small damru and a skull attached with club and a skull garland around the neck with serpent, riding on bull as it’s Vahan or vehicle. Adding to it, the three horizontal lines of ash or Vibhooti on forehead represents three Gunas or qualities that are Rajas, Tamas & Sattva i.e Activity, Darkness and Purity.

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The six things wore, each depicts Shiva outlook differently.

• Crescent Moon: Wisdom is symbolises
• Snake: Depicts alertness
• Trident: Trisul, above all three states, i.e waking, dreaming and sleeping
• Third Eye: Trinetra i.e  Alertness, knowledge and wisdom are related.
• Dum: Damru it symbolises creation i.e expansion and collapsing
• Bull: Vahan or vehicle depicting righteousness. That you are truthful and infinite consciousness is with you.

Lord Shiva is a god of ambiguity and paradox. He is depicted with an ambivalent nature when worshipped and on his honour the d- day is worshipped as the Maha Shivratri.

Also Read: Happy Mahashivratri Images

The source of energy lying in the universe is always neglected due to the daily hustle and bustle of life. Maha Shivratri marks as a remembrance to take our awareness to the basis of our existence: Lord Shiva. The one who drives the existence of humanity.

“I don’t believe in symbolic gods. I believe that God exists all around us. In the flow of river, in the rustle of trees, in the whisper of the winds. He speaks to us all the time. All we need to do is to listen”
– Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi.

Together in the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri let’s chant a loud               HAR HAR MAHADEV ……. !!