Just In
- 1 hr ago Personality Traits Of April Born Babies: From Being Witty, To Charismatic And More, They Are Full Of Sheer Joy
- 2 hrs ago Festivals In April 2024: Check Out The Full List Of Tyohar And Vrats That Will Fall This Month
- 3 hrs ago April Fool's Day 2024: Strange And Unusual Pranks That Were Pulled Off On 1st April
- 8 hrs ago Daily Horoscope, 29 March 2024: Gemini Businessmen Should Be Careful, Leo May Not Feel Well Today
Don't Miss
- Finance FY24 IPO Frenzy: This Fiscal Year Sees Record Public Issues; 5 Stocks Surge Over 150%; SME Portion Soars
- Automobiles Suzuki V Strom 800 DE Launched In India At Rs 10.30 Lakh – The No-nonsense Adventure Motorcycle
- Technology TECNO POVA 6 Pro Launched in India: Check Price, Specs, Offers
- Education UGC NET June 2024: Application process to begin next week, Know more
- Sports IPL 2024: Who is Allah Ghazanfar? KKR's New Afghanistan Signing replacing Mujeeb Ur Rahman
- News Bihar: RJD, Congress, Left Leaders Announce Seat-Sharing Formula For Lok Sabha Elections 2024
- Movies Crew X Review: Fans Drool Over Bebo's Boldness, Tabu's Glamour And Kriti Sanon's Stunts
- Travel Explore Tamil Nadu's Diverse Wedding Venues
Lord Shiva's Symbolism In Hinduism
The supreme Reality (Brahman) is described as the substratum upon which all creation, sustenance and destruction take place. This,continuous chain of creation and destruction maintains the entire universe. The destruction of the morning is the creation of the afternoon; the destruction of the afternoon is the creation of the evening; the destruction of the evening is the creation of the night. As a result of this chain of destruction-creation, day and night is maintained.
Shiva is married to the goddess Uma, who represents perishable matter (prakriti). The power of destruction is always associated with destructible matter, since this power can manifest only when perishable matter is available.
Lord Shiva is also known as the eternal Lord of Meditation. With a serenely peaceful countenance, He sits in deep meditation on the top of the world on Mount Kailas in the Himalayas, facing south. In this aspect, He is known as Dakshinamurti, the dispenser of supreme Knowledge. The term 'Dakshina' means "that divine power of subtle perception generated in a fully integrated, pure intellect". When this 'dakshina-power flows toward the vasana-conditioned hearts of the disciples, it is said to be "turned southward". Lord Shiva thus assumes the form of a guru and sitting on the peak of Kailash, turned southward to serve all seekers.
The meditating Shiva is seen against the background of the snow-capped Himalayas. The white snow represents the absolute purity of His mind. His posture symbolises the ideal of harmony and poise experienced by a realized person. In that state of perfection, He is in total· harmony with the external environment and happenings.
A seeker who wishes to meditate upon and reach the peak of human perfection must first endeavour to maintain purity of mind, symbolised by snow. An impure and agitated mind cannot concentrate and meditate upon the Truth. Purity of the mind is obtained by practising life of harmony in the face of the challenging situations of the world, and by steadily applying oneself thus until one gains subjective poise.
A life of harmony is attained by rising above one's limited egocentric, view of life and expanding one's mind so as to accommodate a constant awareness of the totality of the world, the entirety of human kind, and the vastness of the universal problems. A life of harmony brings to one's heart an inward peace and poise. By consistently living in harmony with the outer world, one gains sufficient poise, and the problems and challenges of life do not affect one at all. Lord Shiva sitting in meditation is a figurative representation of an ideal "man of poise" who remains ever unaffected by all surrounding disturbances.
A "man of poise" is not to be construed as living a life of idle acceptance or unintelligent surrender to external challenges. On the contrary, such a person is dynamic and serves as the leader of all beings. Drawing inspiration from the dynamic silence within, such a person applies a steady mind in the din and roar of the marketplace.
To
be
continued
About
the
author
Swami Chimayananda
Swami Chinmayananda talks about the symbolism of Lord Shiva in depth. It is an interesting read about Shiva in Hinduism, one among the important Hindu Gods.
- yoga spiritualityMaha Shivratri 2024: Four Prahars Of Maha Shivratri And Know Their Significance
- yoga spiritualityMaha Shivratri 2024: Best Mehendi Designs That Will Capture The Essence Of Mahadev, Videos Inside!
- yoga spiritualityMaha Shivratri 2024: What Does Watching Lord Shiva And Things Associated With Him In Your Dream Mean?
- healthMaha Shivratri 2024: Lord Shiva's Favourite Food Items And Their Health Benefits
- yoga spiritualityMaha Shivratri 2024: Avoid Making These Mistakes If You Want Happy Married Life Filled With Divine Grace
- yoga spiritualityMaha Shivratri 2024: What Are The 19 Avatar Of Lord Shiva? Know The Meaning And Significance
- astrologyMaha Shivratri 2024: These Zodiac Signs Are Lord Shiva's Favourites, They Will Get Special Blessings
- yoga spiritualityMahashivrati 2024: 20 Trendy Baby Boy Names Inspired by Lord Shiva
- yoga spiritualityMahashivratri 2024: An Auspicious Yoga Will Form After 300 Years Will Bring Success And Prosperity
- astrologyMaha Shivratri 2024: Know How Zodiac Signs Will Be Blessed By Lord Shiva On This Day
- yoga spiritualityDo You Know The Founder Of Aghor Tradition? From Staying In A Crematorium To Living Up To 150 Years
- yoga spiritualityKaal Bhairav Jayanti 2023: Wishes, Greetings, Texts, Messages, Images, WhatsApp and Facebook Status