Iconography of Lord Siva (dealt Partially)

Thousands of gods there are in the world who grant puerile benefits; even in my dreams I don’t think of following them or of the benefits granted by them. O Shambo!!! O Siva!!What I have been for a long time asking for is the worship of thy lotus feet, which does not come easily to those that are nearer to thee, Such as Vishnu and Brahma.
-Sri Adi Sankaracharya (SIVANANDALAHARI verse 4)

Mahadeva (The Great God) Deva Deva (Lord of Lords) Sarva, Bhava, Rudra, Pasupati, Isana, Bhima, and Ugra are all names ascribed to this god by the Vedas, this Great God remains a mystery in all his aspects on the other hand titles like Digambara (naked) Bhikshastana (one who goes begging) Smashanavasi (dweller in the burial ground) are also ascribed to him ;to understand him one has to analyze the Iconography of this Great god, his various forms of what they signify, hand gestures, the list can go on... in the Beginning was Parameswara who said let me split into three, then came Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra. Looking at the iconographical stand point, this Great god appears to be more like an ascetic, dances like a demon, with body smeared with Ash, the skulls and the snakes for his body ornaments, a wooden staff and Rudraksh rosary is what he carries and also wears them, and he wears a hide of a Lion carries with him a trident, usually spends his time in the cremation grounds and wanders about ,no place he calls his ,no abode he calls his, continues wandering like a vagabond, a mad man is what he appears to be. He is often surrounded by a group of Ascetics just like him, imparting the imparted, resembling a Guru and the title ascribed to him Jagadguru, adiguru a guru who knows the truth, holds the truth in his hand (fire), and “who is truth himself” revealing to the seeker the truth, and to others he remains a mere man leaving their mind with a whole lot of questions like,
- If god why smear ash, live in cremation ground?
- Why wander like a vagabond?
- Why rosary, upon what and who he meditates?
- Why his entire attire like a yogi?
- Why not he wear gold and ride a chariot if he is god?

As rightly said by Dattapeeta pujya guruji Sri Ganapati Sacchidananda swamy during the disclosure of Sri Guru Gita that A fool says to another fool that my Guruji eats Chapatti and idly, to the fool who says that The great Guru appears to him like a mere human being eating chapatti, idly and sits under a fan, but to the wise and the seekers of the truth he is Brahman himself!! Why shouldn’t a guru eat Chapatti or idly or sit under a fan????? for he is that idly, chappati, and the rotating fan, the whole of Universe is his.
“Salutations to god who is in the form of preceptor” says and ends every verse in the Dakshina Moorti stotram or Dakshina moorti Upanishad that occurs in the Vedas.

Lord in the form of Dakshina Moorti a youth surrounded by a group of powerfull older rishis contemplating and seeking the truth and some knowing the truth surrounded the Lord Dakshina Moorti who imparted knowledge, the saints or rishi’s who assembled here are no ordinary ones, some assembled here were Guru’s of Rama, Krishna, Parashurama. The lord reveals to them the truth by silence, the lord never spoke a word ,but the Great rishis understood what he meant. Their doubts were cleared!!

We being mere terrestrials would have walked away saying may be the lord has nothing to say today, lets come another day, Sri Adi Sankaracharya pleads the lord in Sivanadalahari not to keep quite while revealing to him the truth referring here to Lord Dakshina Moorti , and that he is not able to decipher the Lords silence and says please speak to me the truth, when Great saints like Sankara can express their inability to know the Lord ,I don’t wonder why we have got him understood all wrong, we are mere terrestrials ,when celestials like Surya ,Indra ,Varuna ,Chandra can miserably fail to know him ,imagine our plight.

We are all materialistic people; we look at most of the things from the stand point of Materialism, we’ve also changed our principles, values, Laws according to time we believe in change, adaptability, flexibility which comprises our entire life, placing these things high up, all of which shall miserably fail when compared to God who is ever Omniscient ,Omnipotent and forever constant.
I’m not surprised when asked a man in our society what god to him or her is!! the reply would be: one who can give back life, fulfill all my desires, help me build my own house, help me with all kinds of things, appearing with dazzling gold and diamond studded crown, dressed in silk robes, landing on a chariot from heaven (which we don’t even know, where it is) made completely of gold, having servants, able to perform miracles and what not. Gold and silk here are materialistic things which we have placed high up in our lives, and when any demi-god wears all of them he appears as the ultimate to us, we believe all these are qualities of God to appear rich.
The final nail to the learning of Sri Adi Sankaracharya was given by the Lord at Kasi, after Sankara took a dip in the Ganges and stepped out, there was an untouchable with four dogs close in Proximity with Sankara, as in those days such people were asked to keep away, as the untouchable approached Sankara, Sankara said O Untouchable man please keep distance from me as I have taken a dip in the Ganges, the man immediately replied; “are you referring to me or my body” Sankara quickly realized he is in the presence of the Supreme Lord Siva , bows down in reverence and what results is a Beautiful Hymn to the Lord, the four dogs represent the four Vedas.

For People like Ramanujacharaya (Visistadvaitha) and Madhawacharya (Dvaitha) view of god was different, during their time the Ascetic crowd(AGHORA and NagaBaba Cults) behaved bizarre and did some crazy things which came as a shock to Indian society and used the name of Lord Siva, which eventually influenced their opinion on God. And God to them was Lord Vishnu because of most of the factors prevailing at that time and few that I’ve mentioned.(Silk and Gold ,appearing rich)
The Lord always offers different paths to reach him, had he not split himself into three at the beginning of creation (Brahma Vishnu and Rudra) people like Ramanuja and Madhawa would have remained Atheists all their lives, based on their way of thinking and life style the Lord appears to them, if your a Christian and want a free way of life the Lord gives you just Ten commandments, if your a Muslim and can keep the Lord in your Heart the Lord is Allah ,if your an ascetic and can give up everything and eventually enjoy everything the Lord appears to you as Siva, if your a Materialist and can’t give up your desires and still want to hold on to them, the lord appears as Vishnu (alankarana Priya).

All the paths will help you reach god, provided you adhere to it. Reaching god is like passing an exam ,based on the paths you take the marks you get, to me and to me I believe and truly know the ascetic path is the best and I shall clear my exam with blazing marks 100 out of 100. Reaching God or going to the next class in a fantastic way. I don’t need 35 ,it remains a threat always, because one mark short and I’m paying the prize.
This Great God (Mahadeva), this Bhikshastana , this Ascetic, this mad man, this Untouchable, is also Tripurari ,Arunachaleswara, Lord Vishwanatha, Lord Rameswara(Ramanatha Swamy), Lord Nataraja who in his playful cosmic dance ,dances the whole creation out of existence and also creates it, he created this universe and Gods and said to them go now go ahead and rule your quarters, I shall sit here like an ascetic holding the truth in my hand, anyone hungry for it shall come to me(the fire in the hand of Lord Nataraja or Lord Dakshina Moorti represents the light which leads the soul from darkness ,he is the torch bearer and the truth himself. He is the power behind devas ,if gods are able to give boons it’s all because of the power that they derive from him. In Samaveda ( Kenopanishad Part 4 verse 1)
Divine Mother Uma explains to Indra that it had been Lord Siva (BRAHMAN) who was responsible for the glory and victory of the gods. What a way to know the truth, divine mother herself revealing the truth to Indra. When things go out of hand and beyond control these gods approach this ascetic for help like in the case of Tripurari(destroyer of triple cities) when these demons Tripurasuras defeated all the gods including Brahma and Vishnu ,the Lord had to step in where the stage was grand, Lord Siva for the first time showed the whole cosmos and the universe how powerful he could get, he gained one half of the strength of all gods and became Mahadeva, with Vishnu as his Arrow, Agni as its barb, Yama as its feather, Veda as the bow, Savitur as the bow string, and Brahma as the Charioteer, Sun and moon became the wheels of the chariot, the axle which connected them was Ganesha and destroyed the Tripurasuras, the event had universe for its stage.
From time immemorial Vaisnava’s have Accused the glory of Lord Siva like in the case of Bana and Krishna , Mohini and Basmasura, Arjuna and Kirataka, is it a big deal for Tripurari to destroy Basmasura ,just because the demon obtained a boon from the Lord the Lord had to spare him and the task of killing him had to be completed by Lord Vishnu in the form of Mohini, Vaisnava’s have brought up such small issues and made it big. Adi Sankara praises Lord Vishnu in Sivanadalahari for impressing Lord Siva by his Mohini form, as a result today we have Lord Ayyappa ,when Sankara himself looks at it as a beautiful event ,look at these fools on the other hand accusing Lord Siva, although born in a staunch Vaisnava family ,I’m truly ashamed by their acts and words against Lord Siva, I whole heartedly want to render apology on Vaisnava behalf to the Lord ,placing it at his lotus feet.

Looking at the iconography of this Great God who is an Ascetic, Smashanavasi, Digambara, Bhikshastana, wanderer, untouchable, he lives like this, it is up to the seeker of the truth to decipher his iconography
Some of my observations after “partially” analysing his Iconography

- Nothing in this universe belongs to you ,your own body that you love and caress leaves you at the time of your death, so why be possessive about materialistic things that will soon disappear in course of time.
- Give up everything to gain everything( don’t say this house belongs to me ,look beyond it and say this earth is my house)
- Why wear clothes when this body does not belong to you (you were born naked....... this emphasises that truth is always bitter
- Living in cremation ground hmmm when I come to your house I’m sure your gonna make me sit on the floor for saying all this and for what I am, but I’m sure if a minister comes home your gonna make him sit on the sofa or if possible make him sit on your head which implies we accept people based on their profile or status,but to the lord who resides at the cremation ground all are equal, a rich fellow is sleeping next to a poor fellow, their is no special place offered to the rich fellow all are equal, all your money , attitude, ego, class, all I mean all ends here in the cremation ground and you become pure (soul) based on deeds you’ve done, he has Samanatva in him he treats everyone equal which is why he is called the Great God (Mahadeva)
I shall place all these words at his lotus feet, for his greatness makes me happy and pours immense bliss in my heart, eventually driving me for self realization.

There’s bliss all over me when I think of the Greats like bagawan Ramana maharshi, Swamy Sivananda, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Sri Lahiri mahasya, Pamahamsa Yogananda, Sri Swamy Sri Yukteswar Giri and a lot of others too, their love for the Lord, although Maha avatar Babaji was the guru of this linage
- Maha avatar Babaji (Guru of Lahiri Mahasaya)
- Lahiri Mahasaya (Guru of Sri Swamy Sri Yukteswar Giri)
- Sri Swamy Sri Yukteswar Giri (Guru of Paramahamsa Yogananda)
- Paramahamsa Yogananda.
Siddha Boganathar was the Jnana Guru of Maha Avatar Babaji and Babaji Pleaded and took severe penance asking Agatsya Muni to initiate him which clearly shows that the above mentioned gurus knew Lord Siva to be the supreme, and considering the Vaisnava Acharyas deep down in my heart, somewhere I have a great respect for them, had they not mocked Lord Siva, had they not spoke about Dvaitha and had they not attacked the Shaivites,
I wouldn’t have know my Lord or his Greatness , they were the ones who raised the doubts in my head, cornering me and pushing me to know the truth and eventually helping me, let Lord Siva forgive A.C Pabhupada(founder of ISKON) my first Guru who created a hurricane in my mind and heart pushing me to go beyond Vaisnavism and realise the truth.

Om Namah Sivaya !!!!! Sivaya Brahmaney Namaha.