In India, Shiva is still revered. God is eternal, personifying the beginning of everything. His religion is considered the oldest in the world. Then the masculine was considered passive, eternal and static, and the feminine - active and material.
In our article, we will take a closer look at the image of this ancient deity. Many have seen his pictures. But only a few people of Western culture know the details of his life.
Historical data
Researchers believe that the history of the god Shiva is rooted in the Harappan civilization. This is the culture of the ancient Indians who lived in the lands of North India. They were supplanted by the Aryans, who came in the third millennium BC to the Indus River valley. Today, the ruins of their cities are found upstream in Pakistan.
We know the seal of Pashupati and some of the lingams (we will talk about the meaning of this word later) of this period. They were among the finds at Monhejo-Daro and Harappa.
With the advent of the Aryans, a new religion is emerging. This process is comparable to plantingChristianity to pagans in the first centuries of our era. Now a new image appears, with which Shiva merges - the god Rudra, the furious and cruel patron of the storm, war and devastation.
Isn't it true that history tends to repeat itself? Kind pagan gods, like the Greek Pan and satyrs, become an evil force in a new and bright religion. The Aryans believed that it was not sinful to kill "lingam worshipers".
In the Vedas, Shiva is mentioned in the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. In total, the name Rudra has more than half a thousand repetitions.
However, there were also supporters of the old traditions, who were joined by opponents of Brahmanic complexities. What was the point of worshiping the gods all your life if you were not rewarded for it even in the next rebirth? After all, the Vedas say that only brahmins can achieve salvation.
It is noteworthy that in some sects of the new trend (Shramana), one of the main attributes of the ritual was considered the skull of a murdered Brahmin.
In one of the Upanishads (commentaries on the Vedas) is the most complete and systematized content of the philosophy of Shaivism. This treatise consists of one hundred and thirteen texts and is called the Shvetashvatara.
Picture
How is Shiva portrayed? God in his most ancient incarnation looked like a lingam with a tripundra (three white horizontal stripes). This sign denoted the three prisons of the human soul or the three Huns that make up the Mayan world.
Later, Shiva began to be depicted sitting in a lotus position or dancing. In the first version, he had pale skin, was with a blue neck andfour hands. Usually the god sits in a lotus position on a tiger skin, and the skin of an elephant or tiger is draped over his shoulders. His third eye is always open in his forehead. In addition, he has a snake with him. It is thrown over the shoulder, hanging around the neck or in the form of bracelets on the arms and legs. Shiva has two different earrings. Men's in one ear and women's in the other.
The second option is dancing Shiva. Nritya-Murti (statue) can have a different number of arms, be armed or peaceful, but there is always a defeated dwarf under the feet of the dancing god. This is the demon Apasmar-Purush, symbolizing the illusory world in which we live.
Attributes
Like many other gods of the Hindu pantheon, Shiva has many attributes. Traveling in this country, you will see various images of deities. In order to better understand the culture of India, it is worth a little understanding of its symbolism.
Shiva has many weapons - Ajagava (special bow), Bhindipala (javelin), Gada (wand), Khadga (sword), Khatvanga (club with a skull), Khetaka (shield) and many others.
Also an important attribute is the trident of the god Shiva - Trishula. It symbolizes the three stages of evolution, the three gunas, the three faces of time and other concepts.
There are a number of ritual items. Chillum (special smoking pipe), Shankha (shell), Mudra (position of the hands), Kaumudi (jar of immortality nectar), Kapala (skull-shaped bowl), Damaru (drum symbolizing the first vibration of the Universe from which everything originated), Akshamala (special rosary).
Also Shivaa number of energies are inherent: Agni (fire), Ganga (heavenly river, which he pacified) and Shakti (power). And some animals: Naga (snake), elephant and tiger skins, Nandin (white bull), Krishnamriga (doe) and Ankusha (elephant goad).
Thus, we see that Shiva has the attributes of the spheres of knowledge, which are designed to raise a person from our world to the highest.
Family
The Indian god Shiva originally married Sati, or Shakti, daughter of Daksha. But there is a legend according to which the girl committed self-immolation because of resentment against her father.
But after that she is reborn in a new incarnation. Now her name is Parvati (highlander) and her father is the Himalaya mountain range. It is she who is most often portrayed as the wife of the god Shiva.
They have two sons - Ganesha (the elephant-headed god of wisdom) and Skanda (the deity of war, who has six heads and twelve arms and legs), as well as a daughter, Manasi.
Names
In the Western tradition, the Indian god Shiva is known only by this name. However, Hindus know more than a thousand words that are epithets of the deity.
Among them are "Terrible" and "Beautiful", "Majestic" and "Ragged", "Lingam King", "Death Conqueror", "Lord of Creatures" and many others.
The most significant and famous 108 of them. They are pronounced in the form of a prayer and are designed to purify the thoughts of the asker, as well as contribute to his ex altation.
Functions, rituals, holidays
The many-armed god Shiva is the supreme deity in Shaivism. He is revered as a trinityevolution of the universe - birth, growth and death. It is also believed that he will destroy the current world at the end of the mahayuga so that a new one can be created in its place.
He patronizes healers, gave people the mantra Om and Sanskrit. In addition, Shiva is always accompanied by a retinue of demons and spirits.
The two main rituals associated with this god are called the Panchabrahma Mantra and the Rudra Sukta. They are held on the most significant holiday of the year dedicated to Shiva. Mahashivaratri is celebrated at the end of February and means the wedding night of Shiva and Parvati.
The most famous temple
In the town of Baidzhnath, at the beginning of the thirteenth century, a temple of the god Shiva was built. He is called by one of his names - Vaidyanath (patron saint of healers).
Once upon a time there was a sanctuary of a god on this place, but local merchants decided to perpetuate their names by erecting a majestic building. The merchants' names are Ahuk and Manyuk.
Today this temple is the main tourist attraction of the town. It was built in the best traditions of the Nagar (North Indian school of architecture). The building is surrounded by a wall and has two entrances.
Usually, the many-armed god Shiva inside the temple is depicted only as a lingam. Moreover, it is considered svayambhu (“self-arisen”). On the walls of the building are bas-reliefs of many deities, demons and other characters of the Hindu pantheon.
In front of the entrance is a statue of Nandi, the white bull. This animal is one of Shiva's most common vehicles. It symbolizes pure dharma, as well as sincerity, devotion andcourage.
Today Vaidyanath Temple attracts millions of pilgrims and tourists.
Symbol of God
We have already mentioned the word "lingam" many times. It is with him that Shiva is associated. God is often simply referred to by this concept. What is it?
Lingam in Sanskrit means "sign, mark". This is a cylindrical sculpture with a round, rarely hemispherical top. Many researchers tend to see it as a symbol of an erect phallus. The ancient Hindus considered the lingam to be an abstract image of the deity.
Often it is depicted not by itself, but paired with a circle or square, which stands for "yoni" (vagina, womb). Today, these two objects are considered to be the oldest mention of the unity of male and female principles. Only in Hinduism was the masculine eternal and static, while the feminine was temporary, changeable and material.
Some scholars see in the lingam a prototype of a stambha, a special sacrificial pillar. Cattle were tied to it, which was preparing for the slaughter.
There is a special ritual that includes washing the lingam, reciting mantras and offering sacrificial fruits, flowers, incense and other permitted items.
Marriage of Shiva and Parvati
There is a legend in which the first wife of the god Shiva Shakti dies. This was due to rejection by her father.
The legend says the following. Once a divine couple was returning from one ashram. Shiva in the forest bowed to a commoner. His wife was surprised by his behavior. Then God explained that this is the reincarnation of Vishnu. Shakti, to check this, takes the form of Sita, the wife of this commoner, and goes to him. Rama recognizes her as a goddess.
Seeing the new image of Shakti, Shiva ceases to perceive her as a wife, as she reminded him of his mother. The girl is sad and they have a disagreement.
Just at this time, Shakti's father starts a festival, but does not invite the young because of disagreements with Shiva. The girl decides to go there herself. But Daksha turns away from her. In grief, Shakti throws herself into the fire and dies.
Enraged Shiva takes her body and begins to perform his dance of destruction. If Vishnu had not stopped him, he would have destroyed the universe.
After mourning, the god becomes an ascetic in the Himalayas, and Shakti is reborn as Parvati, the daughter of the god of the mountains. In the end, the girl manages to persuade Shiva, and they get married.
In Hinduism, this holiday is called Mahashivaratri and is celebrated every year.
God of gods
As you have already seen, the person we are talking about in this article has many names. Among them there is the god of gods, Mahadev, Shiva. The first two were chosen in December 2011 as the title of a television series. His series are filmed in India to this day.
The plot of the episodes is based on myths, legends and passages from the Upanishads. The main events are taken from the Puranas. In addition, when writing the script, the works of Devdutt Pattanaik, a famous Indian mythologist and religious scholar, were used.
The series has been translated into a number of southern Indian languages. Today, more than one hundred and fifty episodes have already been filmed. Music for themwritten by the Bavra brothers.
"Devon ke Dev…Mahadev" is also known in Russia. Fans of Indian culture can enjoy the series with sub titles.
Thus, today we met with one of the oldest deities in history. Learned attributes, names and other interesting details about Shiva.
Good luck, friends! Travel more often!
