Shiva: A Man, A Myth Or The Divine Reality?

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Shiva has been the most controversial God of the Holy Trinity in Hinduism. Shiva plays the role of the destroyer among the three. A 'destroyer' has an important role to play because only then one realises the importance of creation.

In popular culture Shiva is just portrayed as a blue coloured God who is covered in ash, lives in jungles, has a snake curled around His neck and walks around with a trident. But Shiva is much more than what we conceptualise Him as.

NATARAJA: THE STORY OF THE DANCING SHIVA

Some call Shiva a mythical character. In fact in a few places in the West it has been propagated that Shiva is actually a demon! Some cultures also believe that Shiva was a human who lived in the Himalayas. Then, of course Shiva is also seen as the ultimate reality of the universe. So, which version of Shiva stands true? Let us find out.

Shiva- “That Which Is Not”

The word Shiva literally means 'that which is not' or that which does not exist. Science says that we are born out of nothingness and we go back to nothingness when we die. This is because the basis of existence and the cosmic world is a vast nothingness. All the huge galaxies are just a tiny part of this vast nothingness. And this nothingness has been referred to as Shiva. Thus, everything comes out of Shiva and goes back to Shiva.

The Divine Darkness

Shiva is the destroyer. Hence, He is not the light but the darkness. Do not misunderstand the concept of darkness here. Light is limited. It is not eternal. Any source which gives light has to eventually fade away, giving way to darkness. Darkness is a much vast and a bigger possibility. There is no source for darkness. It is always present in the universe. It is all pervading. Shiva is this divine darkness who is present everywhere. Even if the light goes out, the darkness will remain.

Shiva- The Adi Yogi

At another level Shiva is referred to as the Adi Yogi or the first yogi. That means that He is the first teacher of the universe. He is the basis of yoga and all the wisdom that is present in this world. Now, here yoga does not mean holding your breath in some position. Yoga is the science that is needed to understand the nature of life as to how it is created and how it can be taken out of the framework we have all been set into.

Shiva- The Man

In the yogic culture, Shiva is believed to be the man who lived in the Himalayan region and spread the yogic traditions. Shiva gave a meaning and a possibility of what you could do with every point in the human mechanism. He preached His divine knowledge to the seven Rishis or the Sapta Rishis about how a human could stretch his possibilities and move out of the framework set for him. That is the ultimate goal of the human birth.

Shiva- The God Of The Underprivileged?

It is a known fact that Shiva was added to the Holy Trinity much later. It only seems logical that He was possibly human who was hailed as the God of the underprivileged who sought refuge in His teachings.

Myth Or Reality?

Thus, we can only spend our lives in deciphering who Shiva really is? But does it really matter if He is a man, myth or divine reality? May be the day we can move beyond our limitations is the day we realise Shiva in His true form.