Archive for June 2012

Shiva is worshipped as a lingam to help us contemplate the need to think of Him as the most
basic and essentially formless one.




1. Somnath Jyotirlinga:

Somnath Temple is dedicated to Someshwar, the Lord Shiva with Moon on his head.
Somnath at Somnath Patan, near Veraval at Saurashtra in Gujarat is a pilgrimage center held
in great reverence thoughout India.

Somnath is considered to be the first of the 12 Jyotirlingas
of Lord Shiva. Somnath is situated on the south coast of Saurashtra in Gujarat India. Somnath
Jyotirlingas was established by Lord Moon (Soma).

2.Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga:

Shri Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga is situated in Ujjain. It is a very important religious place for
Lord Shiva devotees. Mahakaleshwar Temple is a famous shrine that comprises one of the
twelve major Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Mahakaleshwar Temple is located on the banks of
Rudra Sagar Lake of Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The Mahakaleshwar
Jyotirlinga is situated below the ground in a Garbha Griha.

This Jyotirlinga is big in size and is encircled by a silver snake. The glorious temple of Mahakaleshwar has been mentioned in several 'Puranas' (scriptures) of the Hindu mythology. Many poets of Sanskrit, including Kalidasa, have sung the praises of this temple. Lord Shiva is synonymous with 'Mahakal' and suggests the perpetual existence of the Almighty.


3. Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga:

is associated with the legend of Shiva destroying the demon Tripurasura. Bhimashankar
Temple is located in the village of Bhorgiri 50 KM north west of Khed (Rajguru Nagar) near
Pune in India. Bhimashankar is also the source of the Bhima River, which flows south east
and merges with the Krishna River near Raichur in Karnataka India.

Amongst the 12Jyotirlinga shrine of Lord Shiva in Maharashtra, the other jyotirlingas are Trimbakeshwar and Grishneshwar. Lord Shiva after getting angry, killed giant Tripurasura. The Heat generated from their war caused the origin of river Bhima. That is why it is called Bhimashankar. The Bhimshankar Temple is a composite of old and the new structures and is built in the Nagara style of architecture.

4. Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga:

Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga is an ancient of Hindu temple in the town in Trimbak in the
Nashik District of Maharashtra India. It is simply approx 30 KM from the main city of
Nashik Maharashtra India. It is located at the source of the Godavari River. Trimbakeshwar
Jyotirlinga is revered as one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva.

According to Shiv Maha Purana, it is because of the earnest request of Godavari River, Gautam Rishi and other gods that Lord Shiva agreed to reside here and assumed the famous name Trimbakeshwar.

All the heavenly Gods promised to come down to Nasik, once in twelve years, when Jupiter
resides in the zodiac sign of Leo. On this a grand fair is organized at this place. Devotees take a holy bath in the Gautami Ganga and then seek the blessings of Trimbakeshwar.

5. Rameswaram Bhole Nath:

Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga is one of the 12 jyotirlinga and located in Rameshwaram Town in
Ramanathapuram District Tamil Nadu India. Rameshwaram Temple is dedicated to Lord
Shiva. The Temple is noted for its close association with Ramayan and the legendary victory
of Lord Ram over demon King Ravan. According to a legend, Lord Rama worshiped Lord
Shiva with his Wife Sita and brother Laxman in the form of a Shiva Lingam, while returning
to Ayodhya after the legendary victory over demon Ravan.

6. Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga:

Omkareshwar Temple is situated on the banks of the Narmada River; Omkareshwar
Jyotirlinga is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva. It is located in
Khandwa District of Madhya Pradesh in India.

It is on an island called Mandhata or Shivapuri in the Narmada River. Vindhya Parvat started worship of Lord Shiva to become greater than Meru and installed a Shiva Linga, named Omkareshwar. Omkareshwar Temple is formed by the sacred river Narmada. This is one of the most sacred of rivers in India.


7. Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga:

Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga is one of the twelve jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva and most sacred abodes
of shiva. It is located in Deoghar of Santhal Parganas division, Jharkhand India. It is also
known as Baba Dham, Baidyanath Dham, Chitabhoomi and Hardapeetha.

Some people thought believe Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga near Parali in Andhra Pradesh and according to other,it is located in Kiragram in Punjab and Dabhoi in Gujarat in India. Legend has it that Ravana meditated upon Shiva, and requested him to come over to Sri Lanka and Lord Shiva but
Shiva Linga was placed on the ground permanently near Deoghar and known as Vaidyanath
Jyotirlinga.

8.Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga:

Mallikarjuna Swamy is one of the12 jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, located at Srisailam in
Andhra Pradesh. When Lord Kartikay ji enraged and went away to stay alone Mount
Kravunja (Kronchgiri Parvat) caused lord Ganesh get married first. Lord Shiva and Goddess
Parvati went on that place, named Srisailam for pacify Lord Kartikay Ji (popular names like
Skand, Shandmukh), he tried to move to another place.

The place where Lord Shiva and Parvathi stayed came to be known as Sri Sailam. Then, they disappeared and enter in a Shiva Linga, named Mallikarjuna. At First, Lord Kartikay Ji worshipped of that Lord Shiva Linga.

9. Kedarnath Jyotirlinga:

Amongst the Twelve Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva, the one at Kedarnath is located in the snow
covered area of Himalayas. Kedarnath Temple is set amidst the stunning mountains of the
Garwal District of Himalayas at the head of Mandakini River in Uttar Pradesh, India. Kedar
is another name of Lord Shiva, the protector & the destroyer. At the entrance of the temple, is
the statue of Lord Nandi, the divine bull of Lord Shiva.

10. Vishwanath Jyotirlinga:

Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga is located in the heart of the cultural capital of India,
Vanarasi. It is also known as Kashi, the holiest pilgrimage place of India. It stands on the
western bank of holiest river Ganga. Kashi or Banaras (Varanasi) is the ultimate destination
of all Hindu pilgrimage searching for Moksha from the cycle of birth and re-birth.
Vishwanath Temple is situated in the district of Varanasi of the state of Uttar Pradesh in
India. Lord Shiva presence there in most enlightened form.

11. Nageshwar Jyotirlinga:

Nageshwar Jyotirlinga situated near Dwarka in Gujarat, India. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas
Shrines of Lord Shiva and known as Nageshwar Mahadev, is considered to protect everybody
from all sort of poison. Nageshwar Temple is located between Dwarka and Dwarka Island
(Daruka Van – old name according to Shiv Puran) in Gujarat on the coast of Surat. The Rudra
Samhita sloka refers to Nageshwar with the phrase ‘Daarukaavane Naagesham’.Dwarka is
one of the Sapta-puris or seven holy towns – Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Kasi, Ujjin,
Kancipuram and Dwarka – and one of the four Dhamas or holy places – Ramesvaram, Puri,
Badrinath and Dwarka.

12. Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga:

Grishneshwar is the 12th Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva and it is located at distance of approx 11
km from Daulatabad in Aurangabad District of Maharashtra India. The Grishneswar temple
was constructed by Ahilyabhai Holkar who also re-constructed the Kasi Viswanatha temple
at Benares and the Vishnu Paada temple at Gaya. Grishneshwar is also known as
Ghushmeshwar. The Lord is also known by several names like Kusumeswarar,
Ghushmeswara, Grushmeswara, Grishneswara.

Lord Kartikeya:

Kartikeya, the second son of Lord Shiva, and Goddess Parvati is also known as
Subramaniam, Skanda, Guha, Shadannana or Sanmukha (because he has six faces).
He represents a person of perfection. He is the war God, the Hindu equivalent of Mars and
Ares. He was created by all the Gods to lead the heavenly hosts and destroy the demons. He
is the most masculine and fierce of all the Gods. He is also fire, Agni and is very Pitta (fiery)in nature. While Ganesh removes all obstacles, Skanda bestows all spiritual powers,
particularly the power of knowledge.

In one hand he carries a spear called sakti which symbolizes the destruction of negative
tendencies in humans. With his other hand he always blesses devotees.
The Lord's vehicle is a peacock which is capable of destroying harmful serpents (symbolizing
harmful ego and bad desires of people).

Lord Ganesha:

The son of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesha has an elephantine countenance with a curved trunk
and big ears, and a huge pot-bellied body of a human being.

He is the Lord of success and destroyer of evils and obstacles. He is also worshipped as the
god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth.

Goddess Parvati :

Goddess Parvati is regarded as the power and divine consort of Lord Shiva - the Destroyer.
Like her consort Shiva, Goddess Parvati is said to have both mild and terrible aspects
Goddess Parvati is known by different names like Lalita, Uma, Gauri, Kali, Durga, Haimavati
etc. Two of her fierce but very powerful forms are Durga (Goddess beyond reach) and Kali
(Goddess of Destruction). As the mother of the universe, Parvati is known as Amba and
Ambika, which means 'mother'. As Lalita, she represents the aspect of beauty.

Goddess Sati:

Sati means `true`. She is said to be one of the daughters of Daksha. Sati is also known as
Dakshayani and is a Hindu goddess of marital felicity and long life. She is worshipped by all
Hindu women for the long life of their husbands. Sati is the first consort of Lord Shiva and
his second wife is Parvati, the incarnation of Sati.

In the Puranas it is mentioned that Sati lures Shiva from leading a lonely life into creative
involvement in the world. Sati or Dakshayani is also known as Uma, Aparna and
Shivakamini.

After her name the act of Sati is named. In Hinduism, Sati is a ritual in which a Hindu widow
burns herself on her husband`s funeral pyre as a final and consummate act of loyalty and
devotion. Goddess Sati burnt herself for the devotion of her husband Shiva.

Sati is the epitome of the divine Prakriti or nature. She was born as a daughter of Daksha
Prajapati. She was named Gauri for her fair and golden complexion. She is also known as
Dakshayani for being the daughter of Daksha.

Panchanana Shiva:

In some temples Shiva is shown with five faces. These five faces are Isana, Tatpurusa,
Aghora, Vamadeva and Sadyojata. Isana faces south east and represents Iswara aspect of
Shiva known as SadaShiva, or the Eternal Shiva.Tatpurusha faces the east. He is Shiva in his aspect as a deluded purusha or ego. Aghora facesthe south and represents the destructive and regenerative aspect of Shiva that, like fire, firstdevours life and then prepares the ground for its renewal. Vamadeva faces north. He is healer and preserver. Sadyojata faces west and represents creative power of Shiva.

Anugrahamurthy:
This is the milder or peaceful aspect of Lord Shiva when he is in the company of his beloved
devotees or his family members.

Ugramurthy:

Also known as Raudra , Bhairava, Kankala or Samharamurthy, this is the ferocious or angry
form of Shiva, generally associated with the events during which Shiva assumed his terrible
form to slay the demons or the wicked.

Tandavamurthy:

Lord Shiva in the Tandav dance forms.

Dakshinamurthy:

This is Shiva in his aspect as the universal teacher, teaching the secrets of yoga, tantras,
yantras, alchemy, magic, occult knowledge, arts and sciences, ancient history or knowledge
of the future to the sages and saints, gods and goddesses and his devotees.


Lingodhbhava-murthy:

This image signifies the importance of Shiva in the form of Linga as the Supreme Self,
without a beginning and without an end.

Bhikshatana-murthi:

This is Shiva in his ascetic aspect, wandering from place to place, with a begging bowl made
of human skull, doing penance or lost in his own thoughts.

Hridaya-murthy:

This is Shiva in a mood of reconciliation and friendship with Vishnu.

Natraja :

Shiva Nataraj's dance represents both the destruction and the creation of the universe and
reveals the cycles of death, birth and rebirth. His Dance of Bliss is for the welfare of the
world. Under his feet, Shiva crushes the demon of ignorance called Apasmara Purusha,
caused by forgetfulness.

Unclad body smeared with ashes:

This form of Lord Shiva symbolizes the transcendental aspect of his nature and indicates that
his presence is much higher than this physical phenomenon. The ashes on the Lord's body is
cemetery ash, which points to the philosophy of the life and death and shows that death is the
ultimate reality of the life. Most things in the universe reduce to ashes when burned and this
aspect of nature is suggested by the ash-smeared appearance of Lord Shiva, who is held to be
the God of destruction in Hindu mythology. The Lord is beyond the cycle of birth and death.

Jata (Matted Hair):

The flow of his matted hair represents Shiva as the Lord of Wind or Vayu, who is the subtle
form of breath present in all living beings. It shows that Shiva is Pashupatinath, Lord Of All
Living Beings.

Sacred Ganga:

The river Ganga (or Ganges) is the most sacred river for pious Hindus. According to a
legend, the river Ganga has its source in Shiva and flows from his matted hair. This is
symbolically represented by depicting Ganga as a jet of water sprinkling out of the head of
the Lord and falling on the ground. Legend has it that the Lord allowed an outlet to the great
river to traverse the earth and bring purifying water to human being. Hence, Lord Shiva is
often referred to as Gangadhara or "Bearer of the river Ganga". The river Ganga also denotes
fertility, one of the creative aspects of the Rudra. It also indicates that Shiva is not only the Lord of destruction but also the bestower of knowledge, purity and peace on the devotees.


The Third Eye:

In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Lord Shiva is depicted as a three-eyed God. Hence, he
is often referred to as Tryambaka Deva, meaning "three-eyed Lord". The sun is said to be his
right eye, the moon the left eye while fire is his third eye. While his other two eyes indicate
his activity in the physical world, his third eye in the center of his forehead looks beyond the
obvious. It stands for spiritual knowledge and power, and is thus called the eye of wisdom or
knowledge. Like fire, the powerful gaze of Shiva's third eye can search evil from anywhere
and annihilate it completely. This is the reason why evil-doers fear his third eye.

Half-Open Eyes:

The half-open eyes of Lord Shiva convey the idea that the cycle of universe is in process.
When the Lord opens His eyes a new cycle of creation begins and when He closes them it
signifies the destruction of the universe for creation of the next cycle. The half-open eyes
signify that creation is going through an eternal cyclic process, with no beginning and no end.

Crescent:

Lord Shiva is typically pictured as wearing a crescent-shaped ornament on one side of his
head. This is why he is often called 'Chandrasekhara' meaning "Having the moon as his
crest". The Crescent is actually the moon in its fifth day phase and symbolizes the time cycle
through which creation evolves from the beginning to the end. The moon is a measure of
time, and thus the Crescent on Lord Shiva's head signifies his control over time. The Lord is
the Eternal Reality and He is beyond time. Thus, the crescent moon is only one of His
ornaments, and not an integral part of Him.

The Snake around the neck:

Lord Shiva is often shown with a snake curled three times around His neck and looking
towards His right side. The three coils of the snake symbolize the past, present and future -
time in cycles. The snake looking in the right direction of Lord Shiva signifies that the Lord's
perpetual laws of reason and justice preserve natural order in the universe. The snake is
believed to be the Vasuki Naga, a deadly cobra. The Lord wearing the deadly snake like an
ornament signifies that He is independent of time and death. It also suggests the dormant
energy, called Kundalini Shakti, that resides within him.

Vibhuti:

The three line of ashes drawn on the forehead of the Lord is known as the Vibhuti. It signifies
the Immortality of the Lord and his manifested glory.

Tiger Skin:

Hindu mythology states that the tiger is the vehicle of Shakti, the Goddess of power and
force. Lord Shiva is often shown seated upon or wearing a tiger skin, which emphasizes the
fact that he is the master of Shakti and is beyond and above any kind of force. Tiger is also
the emblem of lust. The Lord's sitting on Tiger skin indicates that he has conquered lust.
Tiger also represents energy. Lord Shiva is the source of the creative energy that remains in
potential form during the dissolution state of the universe. He activates this energy using his
own Divine Will to project the universe in endless cycles.

The Elephant and Deer Skin:

The Lord also wears elephant and deer skins. Elephants stand in for pride while deer
represent the flickering mind. Wearing elephant and deer skin shows that Lord Shiva has
conquered both these vices.

Rudraksha Necklace:

He is almost always shown as wearing a necklace having 108 beads made with seeds of the
Rudraksha tree. The beads represent the elements used in the creation of the world. The
Rudraksha necklace points to the ‘Rudra’ aspect of the Lord, which is also His other name.
The word 'Rudra' means "strict or uncompromising" and aksha means "eye." It illustrates the
fact that Lord Shiva is firm about His cosmic laws and strictly maintains law and order in the
universe.

Damaru (Drum):

It is the small hourglass-shaped drum that the Lord holds in one of his hands in a specific
gesture called 'damaru-hasta'. The two sides of the drum separated from each other by a thin
neck-like structure represents the two utterly different states of existence, unmanifest and
manifest. When a damaru is shaken, it produces Nada, the cosmic sound of AUM, which can
be heard during deep meditation. According to Hindu scriptures, Nada is the source of
creation. This is one of the attributes of Shiva in his famous dancing representation known as
Nataraja.

Trishul (Trident):

The trident, or the spear with three prongs, is one of the accessories of the Lord and
symbolizes His three fundamental powers iccha(will), kriya(action) and jnana(knowledge). It
also signifies His power to destroy evil and ignorance. As His weapon and instrument of
punishment the trident represents Lord Shiva's manner of punishing the evil doers on all the
three planes - spiritual, subtle and physical.

Kamandalu:

The water pot (Kamandalu) often shown adjacent to the Lord is another of his accessories. It
is said to be made from a dry pumpkin and containing amrit (nectar). Indian Yogis and sages
are seen to carry the Kamandalu as an item of basic necessity. The carrying of the Kamandalu
shows the yogic nature of the Lord. But it has a deeper significance. As a ripe pumpkin has
been plucked from a plant, its fruit removed and shell cleaned for containing the nectar, an
individual too must give up his attachment to the physical world and clean his inner self of
egoistic desires to experience the bliss of the Self, symbolized by the nectar in the
Kamandalu.

Kundalas:

The Kundalas refer to the two ear rings, Alakshya (meaning "which cannot be shown by any
sign") and Niranjan (meaning "which cannot be seen by mortal eyes"), worn by the Lord. The
ornaments in the ears of the Lord signify that He is beyond ordinary perception. It is
noteworthy that the kundala in the left ear of the Lord is of the type used by women and the
one in His right ear is of the type used by men. The dual type of Kundalas represent the Shiva
and Shakti (male and female) principle of creation.

Mount Kailasa:

Lord Shiva is most often shown to be seated with the beautiful Himalayas serving as his
backdrop. Mount Kailash in the Himalayas is said to be His traditional abode. In Hindu
mythology, Mount Kailasa is said to represent the center of the universe. This denotes that
Lord Shiva is 'Kailas' - the bestower of peace and also 'Kailashadhipati' meaning "Lord Of
Mount Kailash".

Nandi, the Bull:

Nandi is the Bull of Lord Shiva and is said to be his vehicle. The bull is a symbol both of
power and ignorance which suggests that Lord Shiva removes ignorance of his devotees and
gives them the power of wisdom. In Sanskrit a bull is called "Vrisha" which also means
"righteousness". The Nandi bull beside Lord Shiva indicates that He is the eternal companion
of righteousness.

According to Hindu mythology lord shiva is the destroyer in the main three supreme god.
There are three supreme gods 1st one is Lord Shiva, Second one is Brahma and third one
Vishnu.

Lord shiva is the destroyer and also has a positive side in that destruction usual leads to new
forms of existence. Lord shiva is described in art with four hand, four faces and three eyes.
The third eye always keeps this power to destroy the creation, not only creation including
gods and humans. In the Vedas, a collection of ancient sacred texts, lord shiva is identified
with the storm god Rudra.

There is a very interesting story behind the birth of lord shiva. One day brahma and Vishnu
both are arguing about which of them are more powerful. That time one great blazing pillar
appears which root and branches extended beyond view into the earth and sky.

Now both god Brahma and Vishnu start to find out the start and end of that pillar. Brahma
turned into goose and flew up to find the top of the pillar, while Vishnu turned into a boar and
dug into the earth to look for its roots. After unsuccessful both came back and seen that there
is a god Lord Shiva emerged from an opening in the pillar. Recognizing Shiva’s great power,
they both god accepted that there is the third power who rules over the universe.

According to one legend, shiva initial materialize when Brahma and Vishnu were arguing
regarding which of them was more powerful. Their quarrel was interrupted by the unexpected
look of a large burning pillar whose roots and branches complete outside sight into the earth
and sky.

Brahma became a goose and flew up to locate the top of the pillar, even as turned into a boar
and dug in to the ground to appear for its roots. Unsuccessful in their search, the two god’s
arrival and saw Shiva surface from an opening in the support. Recognize Shiva’s huge power,
they established him as the third ruler of the universe.

Shiva is lord of the lords and it is really not easy to write/explain
everything about shiva.

However many have tried to explain him and praised him as per their
knowledge but the explanation is endless and it is un-imaginable from
a human being even devas, asuras and other rishi munis have very
little words to explain about the lord almighty.

Shiva means the supreme one, the auspicious one, the pure one and for me the beloved one.
Shiva is named as Pashupati which means the Lord of all living beings either it is humans,
devas, asuras or any creatures. Another name Mahadeva depicts the great God, supreme in all
devas(Gods).

The God staying in a state blissful, enjoying in Its Own Self eternally, without any flaws is
the Supreme Lord shiva. The Perfection is the completeness - there is nothing external that is
required to make the Self blissful. Lord Shiva is reckoned among the Tridevas (trimity).
Brahma is the creator, Lord Vishnu is the preserver and Lord Shiva is the destroyer. Shiva is
the lord of Shakti also.

Lord shiva is the God of all. Like the mother He showers the grace for all the children, but
the misusing children get punished. This Supreme Lord better than a mother does not
withhold the grace, He is our beloved pashupati.

Shiva is 'shakti' or power, Lord Shiva is the destroyer, the most powerful god of the Hindu
pantheon and one of the godheads in the Hindu Trinity. Known by many names - Mahadeva,
Mahayogi, Pashupati, Nataraja, Bhairava, Vishwanath, Bhava, Bhole Nath.