What is Siva Linga

Posted from an answer given by Sri Krishnan Kartha to a question.

The Lingam (also, Linga, Shiva linga Sanskrit लिङ्गं , meaning “mark,” or “sign,”) is a symbol for the worship of the Hindu god Shiva. While its origins are debated, the use of this symbol for worship is an ancient tradition in India extending back to the early Indus Valley civilization.

The Sanskrit term लिङ्गं , transliterated as linga has many meanings, generally as a mark, sign, or characteristic.It has a number of specific uses in Sanskrit that are derived from this general meaning. Vaman Shivram Apte’s dictionary gives seventeen definitions of the term, including these examples:

• The image of a god
• A symptom or mark of disease
• A spot or stain
• A means of proof,
• a proof, evidence
• The effect or product which evolves from a primary cause
• The concept of grammatical gender
• The phallus

An example of the use of the word linga in general Sanskrit usage to represent the concept of “sign” occurs in this passage from the Bhagavad Gita:

kair liṅgais trīn guṇān etān atīto bhavati prabho 14.21

This is translated by Swami Gambhirananda as “O Lord, by what signs is one (known) who has gone beyond these three qualities?” and by Winthrop Sargeant as “By what marks is he recognized, Who has transcended these three qualities, O Lord?”.[4] In this quotation the word lingais is the instrumental plural form of linga, meaning “by what marks” or “by what signs”.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba defines Linga as 'leeyam gamyathe ithi linga" meaning one which gets dissolved is linga. The preimeival form is that of an egg like the premieval sound is Aum. This egg is called Hiranyagarbha. This is depicted as golden in Upanishads. While widespread sivalinga worship in India has been in the shape of phallus, Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba used to materialise sivalingas in the shape of parabolic eggs. This has to be identified as the true form of sivalinga,it seems. I find that linga got connected with SIva worship later on, since it must have been started as the premieval form. A simlar stone (Hajar al-Aswad) is kept in Kaaba in Mecca.This is said to be given to Abraham by Gabriels. There was many stones as such there, but Prophet Mohamed Nabi removed all other stones. The orthodox muslims believe that the stone is not worshipped in any way but it is doubtlessly respected. The prostrations to the Kaaba is similar to namaskaarams to rudra.

When does it get dissolved? The end of the cosmos is termed as Pra Laya.Laya means dissolution. The cosmos is dissolved by earthern element entering into water, water into fire, fire into Vayu and Vayu into space. Hence, Lingam is leeyam Gamyathe.

However different versions on Sivalinga are detailed hereunder.

An example of use of the word linga as a technical term in philosophy is given in this passage from the Sāṃkhya-Kārikā which describes the role of attributes in recognition of objects perceived by the senses:
Perception is the ascertainment of objects [which are in contact with sense-organs]; inference, which follows on the knowledge of the characteristic mark (linga) [i.e., the middle term] and that which bears the mark….”
The term lingam is sometimes used synonymously for shivalingam, a specific type of icon or altar representing the god Shiva

A. L. Basham says that linga have been found in the Harappan remains, and provides these comments relating to the antiquity of the symbol: “… Śiva was and still is chiefly worshipped in the form of the linga, usually a short cylindrical pillar with rounded top, which is the survival of a cult older than Indian civilization itself…. The cult of the linga, at all times followed by some of the non-Āryan peoples, was incorporated into Hinduism around the beginning of the Christian era, though at first it was not very important.”

Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami explains in the lexicon section of his book, Dancing with Siva, that “Sivalinga is the most prevalent icon of Siva, found in virtually all Siva temples. It is a rounded, elliptical, aniconic image, usually set on a circular base, or peetham. The Sivalinga is the simplest and most ancient symbol of Siva, especially of Parasiva, God beyond all forms and qualities. The Peetham represents Parashakti, the manifesting power of God. Lingas are usually of stone (either carved or naturally existing, swayambhu, such as shaped by a swift-flowing river), but may also be of metal, precious gems, crystal, wood, earth or transitory materials such as ice. According to the Karana Agama , a transitory Sivalinga may be made of 12 different materials: sand, rice, cooked food, river clay, cow dung, butter, rudraksha beads, ashes, sandalwood, darbha grass, a flower garland, or molasses.”

Furthermore, there are instances in Hindu lore where a rock or pile of sand has been used by heroic personages as a Lingam or symbol of Shiva. For example, Arjuna fashioned a lingam of clay when worshipping Shiva. Thus, it is argued, too much should not be made of the usual shape of the Lingam. This view is also consonant with philosophies that hold that God may be conceptualized and worshipped in any convenient form; the form itself is irrelevant, the divine power that it represents is all that matters.

Hindu interpreters often use the underlying meaning of “sign” or “mark” for the Sanskrit word linga as the basis for their commentaries. For example: The name Lingam appears as a name of Shiva in the Shiva Sahasranama where it is translated by Ram Karan Sharma as “(Identifiable as) a symbol of the origin of the Universe.Bansi Pandit, in his book, Hindu Dharma said, that “Shivalinga means “Shiva symbol.”Swami Sivananda, said that “Linga means a mark, in Sanskrit. It is a symbol which points to an inference. When you see a big flood in a river, you infer that there had been heavy rains the previous day. When you see smoke, you infer that there is fire. This vast world of countless forms is a Linga of the omnipotent Lord. The Siva-Linga is a symbol of Lord Siva. When you look at the Linga, your mind is at once elevated and you begin to think of the Lord.”

Western interpreters often use the concept of “male generative organ” as the basis for their interpretations. For example:Monier-Williams provides one defition for lingam as: “The male organ… esp. that of Siva worshipped in the form of a stone or marble column…”.Gavin Flood’s An Introduction to Hindusim refers to the worship of Shiva “in his form as the Śiva liṅga or ‘icon’ found in most Hindu temples. The linga represents a phallus…”

However I must say here that generation is the principle behind Linga since the premieval form is hiranyagarbha that of a golden egg. It may be noticed that all eggs in biosphere is in similar shape. This must have been the reason for the lingam to get connected with phallus later on.

Various interpretations on the origin and symbolism of the Shiva lingam obtain. While the Tantras deem the Shiva lingam a symbol representing the regenerative aspect of the material universe, the Agamas and Shastras do not elaborate on this interpretation, and the Vedas fail altogether to mention the Lingam. But acccording to Vivekananda, the worship of Shivalinga originated from the famous Lingam in the Atharva Veda Sanhita sung in praise of Yupasthambha, the sacrificial post.[citation needed]

In Hindu Dharma, Bansi Pandit explains that “Shivalinga consists of three parts. The bottom part which is four-sided remains under ground, the middle part which is eight-sided remains on a pedestal and the top part which is actually worshipped is round. The height of the round part is one-third of its circumference. The three parts symbolize Brahma at the bottom, Vishnu in the middle and Shiva on the top. The pedestal is provided with a passage for draining away the water that is poured on top by devotees. The linga symbolizes both the creative and destructive power of the Lord and great sanctity is attached to it by the devotees.”

In Veerashaivism, Siva divides from His Absolute state into Linga (Supreme Lord) and anga, individual soul, the two eventually reuniting in undifferentiated oneness. There are three aspects of Sivalinga. Ishtalinga, personal form of Siva, in which He fulfills desires and removes afflictions — God as bliss or joy; Bhavalinga, Siva beyond space and time, the highest divine principle, knowable through intuition; Pranalinga, the reality of God which can be apprehended by the mind. The soul(anga) merges with Siva(Linga) by a progressive, six-stage path called shatsthala and this is called Shunyasampadane- earning eternal nothingness.

According to Swami Dharmananda who is a master of Yoga there is a mysterious power in the Linga, its shape has been designed to induce concentration of the mind. Just as the mind is focused easily in crystal-gazing, so also the mind attains one-pointedness, when it looks at the Linga. That is the reason why the ancient Rishis and the seers of India have prescribed Linga for being installed in the temples of Lord Shiva.

The great warrior Arjuna in epic Mahabharatha worshipped Linga for acquiring Pashupatasthra, great vedic scholar Ravana in epic Ramayana worshipped Shiva to present his mother Atmalinga, legendary rishi Markandeya and numerous rishis spread across timezones have worshipped the simplest looking Linga. Rishis used to leave all materialism to attain spirituality and a lump of soil in forest was what was required to worship and meditate. Scientifically from Lingayatism or Veerashaivism it helps one relate to cosmic energy through meditation of Istalinga worshipped by keeping it on palm.

There are different types of Lingas.I shall make another posting on that.