SHIVA: THE ULTIMATE DYNAMISM

We associate Lord Shiva with various things: the protector of mankind, the most powerful among the Trinity, the one who drank the most lethal poison to save the world, the indweller of the world of Kailash, the yogi seated on the top of the snowy mountain who watches the world above with his inner eye, the source of all knowledge, arts, crafts, and life force that flows down from heavens in the form of an eternal river coming into contact with which all our karmas are neutralized, and many others.

Shiva in Vedas

In three hymns of the Rigveda, Shiva is portrayed as the fearful and vengeful Rudra and is also labeled as the god of sickness, disease, death, destruction, and calamity. This invoked fear amongst the Vedic people, and they thought that the best way to avoid trouble from such a fearful candidate was to appease him as only Rudra can save them from the wrath of Rudra. In order to avoid pregnancy problems, harm, death, the death of heroes in their wars, they implored him.

The most analyzed hymn is the Satarudriya invocation of the Yajurveda. It depicts him as both terrifying and pleasing: to save them from his own wrath and to bring health and prosperity to people at the same time. He was also said to be the Lord of all beings, while also being called cheat and Lord of all thieves. He was considered to be a giant. But then again, he was also considered to be a dwarf. Some scholars believe that these adaptations might have come after Saiva literature merged with the Vedas, or maybe perhaps because the longer hymns that included Shiva and Saivism were lost to us.

We do find more of his references in Atharvaveda than in Rigveda, which shows the growing popularity of Shiva in time. He is addressed as Sarva, Bhava, Nilakantha, Pasupathi, Nilagriva, Sitkantha, Sobhya. Some hymns state that the names Rudra, Sarva, and Bhava are referred to as different deities.

In Satapatha Brahmana, it talks about eight names of Rudra. In one place, he is considered to be Rudra-Shiva, in other, he is considered to be Agni. He got the name Rudra as he clung to the Prajapathi as Manyú, as Prajapathi was disjointed when other divinities fled, but he remained inside and cried, from which thousands of Rudras originated. The gods were afraid of him when they saw him as the god of hunger and wrath with innumerable heads, with a strong bow and arrow fitted to it, and with his connection with animal sacrifices and snakes.

According to Svetasvatara Upanishad, Lord Shiva was elevated to the status of Brahman by the sage who composed it when he saw the vision of Shiva as the Absolute and Supreme. In the texts, he is even thought of as the god who wields the power of Maya, the delusion by which the world is under his control. Few basic concepts of Shiva and Shaivism are stated in the Upanishad too. In the Atharvasira Upanishad, another important Upanishad that dates much later than the Svetasvatara Upanishad, there are many names of Shiva too and recommends the performances of certain rituals such as smearing of ashes, attaining moksha. Other Upanishads like Brhajjabala and Bhasmajabala talk about important concepts of worshipping Shiva too.

Lord Shiva in the Epics and Puranas

In both Ramayana and Mahabharata, Shiva has been mentioned. In Ramayana, he has been mentioned as Sitikantha, Mahadeva, Rudra, Trayambaka, Pasupathi, and Shankara. We also find his references during the sacrifice of Daksha, his marriage with Parvati, the story of how he drank the most lethal poison during Samudra Manthan, the story of the death of demon Andhaka, the destruction of three cities with the help of Lord Vishnu.

In Ramayana, it talks about how Ravana was a great devotee of Shiva, and moreover, the Ramayana itself is a narration by Shiva to Parvati.

We also find a deeper connection with Shiva in Mahabharata, with seven chapters referring to Shiva. First, the story talks about how Krishna was initiated into Shiva bhakti by Shiva. Then in Shanti Parva, Hari and Hara are proven to be the same. In the same chapter, it talks about how some epithets of Shiva is included in the list of thousand names of Vishnu. Then, when Arjuna met Shiva in the forest, Shiva gave him a powerful weapon to use in the epic war that followed.

Shaivism in the Vedic Period

There are reasons to believe that back in the ancient Vedic times, Lord Shiva or his aspects were worshiped by communities mostly outside of India, such as the Mediterranean, Africa, Central Asia, and Europe. The scholars think that the name Shiva might have a Dravidian origin, as it could have been derived from the word, Chivan or Shivan, which means red color, and even Shambhu, which might have come from the word Chembu or Chempu or Sembu, which means copper or red metal. Likewise, the phallic symbol has an Austric origin.

If we study Celtic gods like Norse Odin and Celtic Cernunnos, we cannot ignore the similarities between them and Shiva. There are many similarities between Saivism and other magical-religious practices of Shamanism in Mexico, American Indian, Inuit, and Australian Aboriginal people.

Also, Shaktism, Samkhya, Yoga, and Tantrism are considered to be concepts that were developed in the ancient traditions, and only later, did they find their way into the post-Vedic Indian culture.

Interestingly, Rama is an incarnation of Vishnu, the god of preservation who engages with the world, whereas Hanuman is an incarnation of Shiva, the world renouncing god. The two paths, engagement, and renunciation are equally represented with Rama and Hanuman and further contrasted with their extremes of too much renunciation and too much worldly engagement through Sugriva and Ravana.

SHIVA IN THE LYRICS OF POETRY

(hope you all like it!)

Shiva is everywhere yet in nothingness,

Shiva is energy to imbibe in and glow out, 

it's not a gender description. 

it's the meeting of energies on the same plane

and rising higher to the ultimate zenith of divinity. 

Shiva a dynamism & thunderbolt in it of Bhairava and Vajrahasta,

yet a soft flowing water in the river of Gangadhara Shiva. 

Shiva, energy formed from ashes like Bhasmabhutah,

and will blow out in ashes like a mist ever radiant, the Kantha shiva. 

Shiv a Strom of Rudra,

yet a gentle blue snowflake dissolved 

and absorb whatever it can, like Neel Kanth. 

Shiva the light of meditation like Dhyanadeep 

illuminating the self darkness like Kedar,

Shiva the simple one the Bhola Nath,

one who wears naga as a Bhushan, the Nagabhusana,

Shiva the energy of Aja, yet born in every one of us who invokes it. 

Shiva the endless journey of being the Mahakala in Mahamaya,

the boundless energy of Mahashaktimaya,

Shiva the ever beautiful in the moon darkness, the Nityasundara and 

from his eye the sun's glow out, the Ravilochna,

Shiva the seen yet unseen like Anatahadrishti imbibing Akshayaguna,

Shiva who can bestow peace of Kailas in a fraction of seconds,

and be a Karak of pralay, the destroyer with the Trimurti,

Shiva who is the protector of protector, the Palanhaar with Pushkara

Shiva the master, the creator of the universe, the Vishwanathan,

riding on his bull Vishvavahana and granting the boons, 

the Varda, for your highest good, the Shoolinshiva.

have your intent pure, the Sarvyoni, the shiva is there,

he's the preceptor of all the energies, the Sarvatapana,

chant the primal sound of AUM, the soul will dive into Pranava, the shiva, 

Shiva the Elixer of life, the Amriteshwara Bhairava resides in you,

it changes into poison the minute you choose to be the destructor. 

It's the existing lighting energy in you residing as a soul, the Paramjyoti shiva,

it just needs your loving vision, the Priyadarshini (also the shiva) to look through,

the Hormonic (hormones) dance in the body is the ultimate Nrityapriya shiva, 

he is the beginning, the Parmeshwara shiva, 

he is the end of unending eternity the Sarvashiva.

ॐ नमः शिवाय

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