A Column of Light on Shivratri
R Ananda
February 19, 2023, 03:34:11
There are lakhs of Shiva temples all over India. These include the famous temples at Amarnath in Kashmir, Somanath in Gujarat, Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi and Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain.
The names of these Shiva temples define Shiva’s various divine functions, exalting Him (Shiva), as the Supreme Soul. Amarnath - meaning the immortal one, Vishwanath being the Lord of the Universe and so on.
A Jyotirlinga is a cosmic pillar of fire that is the formless aspect of Lord Shiva. The word Jyoti has many different meanings, viz. flame of a lamp, light, radiance, brightness, etc. The word linga also has different meanings, but here it means “a symbol or sign.” Therefore, Jyotirlinga means “radiant sign of fire.”
The Linga, or Lingam is worshipped as the very image of Shiva. The linga indicating the Shiva has neither a male nor female human form, like any of the other deities. Shiva, the Lord,on the other hand, is an incorporeal point of Light.
The 12 Jyotirlingas are the 12 Shiva lingams in the 12 temples of Lord Shiva in India. Hindus believe that these are all swayambhu (self-manifested) Shiva lingams. They also believe that the Jyotirlingas are most sacred of all Shiva lingams.That is why the 12 well-known Shiva temples in India are also known as Jyotirlinga Math, signifying his form of Light. The names and locations of the 12 Jyotirlingas are:
• Somnath – Gir Somnath In Gujarat
• Nageshwar – Daarukavanam In Gujarat
• Bhimashankar – Pune In Maharashtra
• Trimbakeshwar – Nashik In Maharashtra
• Grishneshwar – Aurangabad In Maharashtra
• Vaidyanath – Deoghar In Jharkhand
• Mahakaleshwar – Ujjain In Madhya Pradesh
• Omkareshwar – Khandwa In Madhya Pradesh
• Kashi Vishwanath – Varanasi In Uttar Pradesh
• Kedarnath – Kedarnath In Uttarakhand
• Rameshwaram – Rameswaram Island In Tamil Nadu
• Mallikarjuna – Srisailam In Andhra Pradesh
Each of the twelve Jyothirlinga sites take the name of the presiding deity – each considered a different manifestation of Lord Shiva. At all these sites, the primary image is lingam representing the beginningless and endless Stambha pillar, symbolizing the infinite nature of Shiva.
Legend has it that at some point of time, India had 12 active volcanoes. Indian mythology believes that the land of India, or the Indian Peninsula was created by Gods and therefore, at the site of these 12 volcanoes, Lord Shiva established these Jyotirlingas and therefore, there are no active volcanoes in India.
Another interesting scientific fact to note is that, if one connects the 12 Jyotirlingas, one gets the pattern of the Fibonacci series of mathematics. It is a wonder therefore, that our ancestors were so well equipped,in those times on the nuances of mathematics.
Essence of Light in Other Religions
This is a similar resonance in other religions also, like in Sikhism, God or the Supreme Soul is defined as “Ek Onkar, Nirakar” or a point of light, without form. Muslims also define and agree to the concept of “Allah Noor” or the Supreme as a point of light. He is the light of the skies and earth meaning He guides whatever order follows in the entire universe. Noor is used in the meaning of guidance in many places in the Quran and Hadith.
Similarly, light has an important symbolic value in Buddhism. The teachings of the Buddha are often referred to as the light that pierces through, and drives away, the darkness of ignorance. Visit to any Buddhist temple or an organisation, will enable one to see a symbol of light in many instances.
Similarly, Parsis, the followers of Zoroastrianism, being the smallest community in India, also hold fire in very high esteem, considering it to be the purest element. Fire is associated with light, warmth, energy and creator of life and hence each and every ritual of theirs involves the presence of a sacred fire.
What is Shiva
Coming back to Shiva,The three lines marked on the Shivalinga known as Tripundi, symbolise the three-fold characteristics of the Trimurti or the lord of three subtle deities.
(a) Trinetri or the one who has the third eye of wisdom.
(b) Trikaldarshi or the one who surveys the three aspects of time.
(c) Trilokinath or the lord of the three worlds.
Shiva is also known as Shambhu or Swayambhu, meaning self-manifested and Sadashiva meaning eternal and that he is the Supreme Soul.
Legend tells us that Rama invoked Shiva at Rameshwaram and Krishna offered his prayers to Him at Gopeshwar Vrindavan. Memorials to these legends also indicate that Shiva is worshipped as the Supreme Father of all deities. Shiva is praised as the Creator, Sustainer and Destroyer. But what does he create, sustain and destroy? If he is the sustainer, then what accounts for the scourge of poverty, hunger and sickness in this world? Does he cause the destruction and death of his creation? The Trinity or the divine triad in many faiths symbolises these three roles of God.
Creation and Sustenance
God does not create the elements and all the constituents of nature. Nor does He create human beings or human souls. Matter, souls and God are neither created nor destroyed; they are eternal and imperishable. Each has its own unique attribute, power and function. The drama of the world is an eternal interplay of these three forces. Everything in nature is cyclic; everything that is seemingly born, grows and dies is actually being renewed, from one form to another.
So, what does God create? In reality, God does not create a new world out of nothing; He rejuvenates the old by divinising man’s intellect with wisdom, imparted through Brahma, who along with Vishnu and Shankar makes up the Trinity. The literal meaning of the word Shiva is benefactor Supreme Soul. Shiva brings benefit to all souls by performing the divine functions of creating a new pure world where righteous, divine and happy human beings live, destroying all vice and evil from the old, impure world.
Destruction or Transformation
Shivratri, the night, symbolises the darkness of ignorance. Shiva carries out his task of transformation when human beings, lost in the night of ignorance, touch the nadir of moral degradation and unrighteousness rules the world. The process of renewal implies destruction of the old for a new structure cannot be raised upon a dilapidated one.
Destruction is inherent in the eternal scheme of the world drama. Nothing that is created stays new forever. Everything in this world degenerates and changes form with the passage of time. The same is true with India. When unrighteousness reaches extreme proportions, the perverted human intellect devises deadly weapons of mass destruction, which play their part in destruction of the old world. The process is speeded up by natural calamities and civil wars.
So, Shivshankar symbolises the annihilation of all that is bad and vicious. Destruction is not a direct or wilful act of God; it is a corollary to the process of establishment of a new world order. It is a blessing in disguise because it removes all that is evil and impure, and liberates humans from the bondage of sin and sorrow.
Once the process of destruction is complete, an era of complete purity, peace and prosperity, called Satyuga or Golden Age dawns on earth, marking the beginning of a new cycle of world drama where all human beings are free from vice; they are divine and virtuous. Even nature is at her prime. Rulers are elevated beings, who are created in the image of God, and this concept is depicted in the form of Vishnu, the four-armed sustainer.
God’s role is unique; He performs the highest task of purifying the world and yet, remains free of the bondage of action. He does not enjoy the fruit of his divine work, which is why he is known as akarta and abhogta (beyond action and its results).
Om Shanti
(Tripurainfo)