4. Shiva Lingam as a Non-sexual Thing
As there are a few stories in the Puranas that associate the Shiva lingam with sexual organs, there are also many stories that suggest it is a purely spiritual thing. As there are some temples where it is depicted as a sexual organ, there are many other temples that suggest the opposite. In this chapter, we will see all the things that point to it being not related to sexuality.
4.1 – The Shiva Lingam as a Cosmic Pillar
A large number of Hindus believe that the Shiva lingam is a cosmic pillar that symbolizes Supreme Brahman, but why do they think so?
There is a story in the Puranas that states that it is a cosmic pillar. This story is known as Lingodbhava (emergence of the Linga). Once gods and sages asked Lord Brahma about the origin of the linga, its substratum, and what it really is? Therefore, he narrated this story to them.
The Lingodbhava Story (Linga Purana, 1.17.6):
Image 4.1.1 – Painting of Lord Shiva Appearing from the Column of Light
At the end of the Kalpa (a period of 4.32 billion years), there was only a single vast sheet of water. Lord Brahma saw Lord Vishnu having a yogic sleep on the bed of Shesha (a serpent deity in Hinduism). He woke him up with the blow of his hand and asked him who he was. Lord Vishnu told him that he was the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of the world. It infuriated him because he believed he was the creator, sustainer, and destroyer of the world. Then they got into an argument about who was superior.
The argument turned into a furious fight, and then suddenly a Jyotirlinga, a huge infinite pillar of light, appeared in front of them. It had thousands of clusters of flames. It had no beginning, middle, or end. It was the source of the universe. They were deluded by it. They forgot their fight and decided to test it. Lord Brahma assumed the form of a swan and went upwards. Lord Vishnu took the form of a wild boar and went downwards.
They both traveled for one thousand years but could not find the end of the lingam. Therefore, they returned to where they started. They bowed to the lingam and wondered what it was. Then a loud sound “Om” came out of it, and the letters “अ” “ऊ” and “म” (A, U, and M) appeared on the lingam. Above those letters, they saw Lord Shiva along with the goddess Uma. Lord Shiva told them that they both were born out of him, but they had forgotten about that.
The same story with a little bit variation is mentioned in the Shiva Purana, Kurma Purana, Vamana Purana, Skanda Purana, Brahmanda Purana, and Vayu Purana.
The day this incident happened is celebrated as Mahashivaratri (the Great Night of Lord Shiva) by Hindus.
It is a well-known fact that many stories in the Puranas are elaborations of the stories in the Vedas. The root of this story also can be found in the Atharvaveda.
There is a hymn in the Atharvaveda (X-7) sung in praise of the Yupa-Stambha (the sacrificial post), in which a description is found of the beginningless and endless pillar. The sages used to perform a yajna (a ritual performed in front of sacred fire) to propitiate gods. Many scholars believe that the yajna fire, its smoke, ashes, and flames, the Soma plant, and the ox that used to carry on its back the wood for the fire, gave place to the conceptions of the brightness of Lord Shiva’s body, his matted hair, his blue throat, and the bull as his carrier. In the Linga Purana and other Puranas, the same hymn is expanded to establish the glory of the cosmic pillar and the superiority of Lord Shiva.
But again, the question arises why was Lord Shiva associated with this cosmic pillar, and why not Lord Brahma or Lord Vishnu? The answer to this question could be the fact that Rudra (a fierce deity) in the Vedas is depicted as Lord Shiva in the Puranas and is associated with storm, lightning, and fire.
The Story of Vishwakarma:
Vishwakarma (the architect of gods) stood before a cylindrical shaft to create a sculpture that would be the perfect form of God, but he realized that God cannot be contained in an icon. Therefore, he placed the shaft in a basin and declared this aniconic representation as linga, which means attribute – of that which is formless.
This story also has a base in the Vedas. The Vishwakarma Sukta (Rigveda 10.82.6) mentions that Hiranyagarbha is set upon the navel of the Supreme cosmic creator.
The story of Lingodbhava seems to be the combination of Vishwakarma Sukta and Yupa-Stambha.
Sthanu:
It is one of the names of Lord Shiva, which means a pillar. As we cannot build an infinite pillar, it is represented by a small part of it.
In the Shiva Purana Lord Shiva says that the Shiva lingam is the column of fire (Vidyeshwar Samhita, Ch. 9).
“The day on which I manifested myself in the form of a column of fire is the Ārdrā star in the month of Mārgaśīrṣa (November-December), O children (verse 15).
O sons, this column without root or top will henceforth be diminutive in size for the sake of the vision and worship of the world (verse 19).”
Therefore, many Hindus and many scholars believe that the Shiva lingam is a cosmic pillar that symbolizes Supreme Brahman.
If you are a believer, then it will not be hard for you to accept that the lingam is a pillar of fire, but a non-believer would say that these are just fictional stories.
4.2 - Shiva Lingam as Hiranyagarbha
Image 4.2.1 – Pahari painting of golden cosmic egg Hiranyagarbha
According to the Hindu scriptures, the universe was born from an egg that is called Hiranyagarbha. Hiranyagarbha means a golden womb or egg. The Sanskrit word for the universe is Brahmanda that means an “egg of Brahma” or “an expanding egg.”
The Hiranyagarbha separated into two to form the sky and the earth.
Rigveda (10.121.1):
hiraṇyagarbhaḥ samavartatāgre bhūtasya jātaḥ patirekāsīta |
sa dādhāra pṛthvīṃ dhyāmutemāṃ kasmai devāyahaviṣā vidhema ||
Meaning:
Before the manifestation of the golden womb or the golden egg, he was the sole lord of every creature.
He upheld this earth and sky. Which deity should we worship with the offering?
One of the shapes of a lingam is like an egg and represents the universe. As an egg or the universe has no beginning or end, the lingam also does not have any beginning or end. Therefore, many Hindus believe that lingam is nothing but a symbolic representation of the source of the universe, i.e., Hiranyagarbha.
The concept of a cosmic egg is also a part of many ancient cultures, including but not limited to Greek (orphic egg), Egyptian (egg of the Ogdoad), and Norse.
We have seen that the Puranas are sometimes henotheistic in nature. Shaivites believe that Lord Shiva is the greatest of all gods. Therefore, it is quite possible that they associated Hiranyagarbha with Lord Shiva. To make the worship easier as well as to include the consort of Lord Shiva in the worship, they placed it on a pedestal and declared that this pedestal represents the goddess Uma and they both represent Purusha and Prakriti.
Further, they might have put these two things on the top of Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma to recognize their contribution and also included them in the worship.
But because of its shape, the common people started looking at it as sexual organs. Thus, the spiritual meaning behind it was forgotten, and the physical meaning became popular.
Lingayatism is a dedicated sect or a sub-sect to the lingam. In Lingayatism, the lingam itself is considered to be Supreme Brahman and is never said to have any sexual connotations. They believe it is the source of the universe.
The Vishwakarma Sukta (Rigveda 10.82.6) mentions that the “primeval womb,” i.e., Hiranyagarbha is set upon the navel of the Supreme cosmic creator.
“The waters, they received that germ primeval wherein the Gods were gathered all together. It rested set upon the Unborn's navel, that One wherein abides all things existing.”
It explains why the lingam is placed on the pedestal and the pedestal is called yoni (source).
Image 4.2.2 – An Egg-shaped Lingam Placed on a Pedestal with a Spout
Credit: Photo Dharma (licensed under CC-BY 2.0)
To some Shaivites, the Shiva lingam symbolizes the axis of the universe.
According to the Skanda Purana, a lingam is not the universe but is something from which the whole universe originates and then merges into it at the end (1.7.2).
It is also mentioned in the Lingodbhava story that it is the source of the universe.
Shaligram, the formless aspect of Lord Vishnu, also looks like Hiranyagarbha.
Image 4.2.3 – Lakshmi-Narasimha Shaligram
Credit: Arnab Datta (licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0)
This assumption seems quite logical and explains many things. It also explains why Banalingas are worshiped and why swayambhu lingams are considered more sacred than the other lingams.
Many Hindus believe in spirituality. They say that we should not look at the things in Hinduism literally but metaphorically. In terms of the Shiva lingam, they believe that the lingam and the peetham are a symbolic representation of Purusha (the masculine principle) and Prakriti (the feminine principle) which, is nothing but the Supreme Brahman. This is also mentioned in the various Puranas.
What are Purusha and Prakriti?
God is formless, but it manifests itself through Purusha and Prakriti. Purusha is consciousness, and Prakriti is the material world. Purusha expresses itself through Prakriti. Prakriti binds Purusha. Purusha is constant, but Prakriti changes. It multiplies and breaks down into cruder and more basic forms. It has three binding principles, viz. sattva guna, tamo guna, and rajo guna.
The universe that we are seeing has come into being because of Purusha and Prakriti. That is why Hindus say God is everywhere. In terms of living beings, the physical body is Prakriti and the consciousness is Purusha. Shiva and Shakti exist within each of us as the masculine and feminine principles. It is explained in a beautiful story in Hindu scriptures.
The Story of Ardhanarishvara:
There are many versions of this story, but I found this one more appropriate.
One day, a few sages came to visit Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati on Mount Kailash. To show their respect, they wanted to circumambulate them, but there was one sage named Bhringi, who was a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva and considered Goddess Parvati inferior to Him. As Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati were sitting close to each other, he was not able to circumambulate him. So, he asked them to separate for a while. Lord Shiva tried to convince him that he and his consort are equal, but the sage was adamant.
Then Goddess Parvati sat on the lap of Mahadeva, but the sage transformed himself into a black bee and tried to pass between them. It infuriated Goddess Parvati, and she cursed him that the part of her in his body would leave him. Immediately, the sage turned into ashes. Other sages requested Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati to give him his life back. They agreed to do so, and the sage was brought back to his original form. Then, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati intermingled and showed the sages their Ardhanarishwara form. The sage Bhringi apologized for his mistake and got his lesson.
In the Taittiriya Aranyaka of Yajur Veda (10.24.1), Rudra is called the Purusha (universal consciousness) and the soul of creatures.
“All this verily is Rudra. To Rudra who is such we offer our salutation. We salute again and again that Being, Rudra, who alone is the Purusha and the Soul of creatures. The material universe, the created beings, and whatever there is manifoldly and profusely created, in the past and the present, in the form of the world—all that is indeed this Rudra. Salutations are to Rudra who is such.”
According to the Katha Upanishad (2.3.17), the Purusha is the size of a thumb.
“The Purusha of the size of a thumb, the internal âtman, is always seated in the heart of all living creatures; one should draw him out from one’s own body boldly, as stalk from grass; one should know him as pure and immortal; one should know him as pure and immortal.”
The shape of the Shiva lingam resembles a thumb. It explains why it is in that shape. A swayambhu Shiva lingam also looks like a thumb.
The Brihadaranyaka (V5.6.1) Upanishad says Purusha is like a grain of rice or barley.
Meaning: This being identified with the mind and resplendent (is realized by the Yogins) within the heart like a grain of rice or barley. He is the lord of all, the ruler of all, and governs whatever there is.
This could be the reason behind the worship of Bana-lingam because it looks like a grain of barley or rice.
The above arguments explain why the Shiva lingam is considered a symbolic representation of Purusha and Prakriti. The only problem I see is that in the Katha Upanishad, it is mentioned that Purusha is the size of the thumb and not the shape of the thumb.
But I think it is quite obvious. Let us assume that you have not seen a cricket ball and I want to tell you how it looks. If I tell you that a cricket ball is the size of an apple, then obviously, you would assume that it is round, otherwise I would not have given you an example of a round object.
The same logic applies here. As it is mentioned that it is the size of a thumb, then most probably it would look like a thumb! Hence, it is quite possible that people started worshiping the Shiva lingam in the shape of a thumb.
Therefore, in terms of the Shiva lingam, the lingam symbolizes Purusha (Shiva), and the peetham symbolizes Prakriti (Shakti). Hence, it is the Niskala form of Supreme Brahman.
Swayambhu means self-manifested. The swayambhu Shiva lingams are the lingams found naturally. These types of lingams are considered to be the most sacred. There are about 64 temples in India that have swayambhu Shiva lingams. The 12 Jyotirlingas are believed to be swayambhu lingams. The most famous of them is the Kedarnath Shiva lingam in Uttarakhand. Also, the snow lingam at Amarnath, which forms between May and August every year, is very popular. See Image 1.3.1.
If you look at them, you would notice that they do not have any pedestals. They look like pillars or eggs. They are free of any form of human imagination.
The Bana-lingams are also considered to be swayambhu. They look like an egg.
None of them looks like a phallus.
Therefore, we can say that the Shiva lingams in their most natural form look like a pillar or an egg rather than a male sexual organ.
Image 4.5.1 – Shiva Lingams in 12 Jyotirlinga Temples
Image Credit: Kamakoti.org
The 12 Jyotirlinga temples are the temples dedicated to Lord Shiva where he is worshiped in the form of a lingam. According to the Hindu scriptures, all of these are swayambhu Shiva lingams, but according to the website of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham and Wikipedia, the one at Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain is the only swayambhu lingam, but if you look at the picture of the Kedarnath Shiva lingam (see image 3.4), it also seems to be swayambhu. All these 12 temples are in India.
A Jyotirlinga is a devotional representation of Lord Shiva. The word Jyoti means radiance. Therefore, Jyotirlinga means the “radiant sign of Lord Shiva.”
Following are the names of 12 Jyotirlinga temples:
1. Somnath Jyotirlinga:
It is considered the first of all Jyotirlinga. The Somnath Temple is located in Prabhas Patan in Saurashtra, Gujarat. It was desecrated and built many times. It was last reconstructed in 1950-51.
Somnath means “Lord of the Moon,” which is one of the names of Lord Shiva. The story of Somnath Jyotirlinga is mentioned in the Shiva Purana (4.14).
According to it, the Moon-god (Soma or Chandra) married 27 daughters of Daksha Prajapati, but he paid more attention to Rohini only. His other 26 wives complained to Daksha about this. Daksha told Moon-god to give equal attention to all his wives, but the Moon did not listen. The infuriated Daksha cursed him that he would fall prey to the wasting disease. Chandra’s body started wasting immediately, but this was diabolical for the world. Therefore, gods went to Lord Brahma for a solution, who in turn advised Chandra to worship in the form of a linga.
Chandra did penance for six months. Propitiated Lord Shiva appeared there in the form of a Jyotirlinga and blessed Chandra and reduced his curse. He told him that he would decline day by day in one fortnight and increase steadily in another. For increasing the glory of the region and the moon, Lord Shiva stayed there in the form of Someshwara.
2. Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga:
It is situated at Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh. It is the only temple where both Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati stayed in the form of a Jyotirlinga. In the remaining 11 Jyotirlinga, only Lord Shiva stayed there. It is also one of the 18 Shakti Peethas of Goddess Parvati. It is also known as the “Kailash of the South.”
According to the Shiva Purana (4.15), when Lord Kartikeya returned to Mount Kailash, Sage Narada informed him about the marriage of Lord Ganesha and corrupted his mind (Lord Ganesha is a younger brother of him, and he got upset because he was supposed to get married before him). Upset Kartikeya went to Mount Krauncha for ascetic practice against his parents’ advice. His distressed parents went there to convince him, but he went further out of disregard for their love. Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati stayed behind assuming the fiery form. After this, Lord Shiva started visiting him on every no-moon day and Goddess Parvati on full-moon day.
3. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga:
The Mahakaleshwar Temple is located in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the seven Mukti-Sthala (liberation places) per the Hindu scriptures. The story behind this Jyotirlinga is as follows (Shiva Purana, 4.16):
In the city Avanti, there lived a Brahmin named Priyamedhas and his four sons who were staunch devotees of Lord Shiva. Once a puissant Asura, Dusana, along with his great army attacked Avanti. But the Brahmin and his four sons were not afraid of him and performed worship of Lord Shiva in the form of a linga. On seeing this, Dusana ordered his people to kill them. When the Asuras desired to kill the Brahmins, a spot near the linga caved in with a loud report, and Lord Shiva rose in his Mahakala form. Then he reduced Dusana and his army to ashes with a mere sound of Hum. Propitiated by the devotion of the Brahmin and his sons, Lord Shiva asked the Brahmins to choose the boon they wished to have. Brahmins requested him to stay there to protect people. Lord Shiva accepted their request and stayed there.
4. Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga:
The Omkareshwar Temple is located in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh on an island called Mandhata or Shivpuri in the Narmada River. Omkareshwar means “The Lord of Omkara.” The story of Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga is mentioned in the Shiva Purana (4.18).
One day, Sage Narada visited Vindhya Mountain and found that it had become very arrogant. To dispel its pride, he told it that Mount Meru was loftier than it. Then Vindhya made a linga and started penance. After six months, propitiated Lord Shiva told him to ask for a boon he wished.
Vindhya asked for the intellect to achieve its object. Lord Shiva fulfilled his desire. After getting enlightenment, Vindhya came to know how petty his desire was and abstained from it. At this time, gods and sages requested Lord Shiva to stay there. Therefore, Lord Shiva stayed there for the happiness of the world.
5. Baidyanath Jyotirlinga:
The Baidyanath Temple is located in Deogarh in Jharkhand. It is also called Vaijnatha or Vaidyanath. There is some controversy related to the status of this Jyotirlinga as there are other two temples in India believed to be the real temple. The one is Vaidyanath Temple in Parli, Maharashtra and the other is The Baijnath Temple in Baijnath, Himachal Pradesh.
To propitiate Lord Shiva, Ravana offered his 10 heads in the sacrificial fire. Therefore, to cure him Lord Shiva appeared here. Hence, this Jyotirlinga is known as Vaidyanath which means “Lord of the Doctors.”
According to another legend, Ravana asked for the image of Lord Shiva to take with him to Lanka. Lord Shiva granted him the boon with one condition that at whichever place he keeps the Shiva lingam, it would be fixed there. While coming back to Lanka, Ravana had a very strong desire of passing urine. He told a cowboy to hold the lingam for a while but did not return for a long time. Therefore, the cowboy put the lingam down and went away (Shiva Puran, 4.28). Some believe the cowboy was Lord Ganesha.
6. Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga:
The Bhimashankar Temple is located in the village Bhorgiri in Pune District, Maharashtra. The river Bhima also originates at this place. Bhima (not to be confused with one of the Pandavas) was an Asura on whose name this place got its name. The story of Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga is found in the Shiva Purana (4.20).
Bhima was the son of Karkati and Kumbhakarna. He propitiated Brahma and asked for unequaled strength as a boon. Then, he defeated Indra and other gods in battle, including Lord Vishnu. Then he started conquering the Earth.
Sudakshina, the king of Kamapura, was a great devotee of Lord Shiva, but he was defeated by Bhima in a terrible battle. The king started a great meditation in front of the Shiva lingam. Then someone informed Bhima that the king was performing black magic against him. Infuriated, Bhima went to the king and tried to strike the Shiva lingam with his sword. The moment the sword touched the lingam, Lord Shiva manifested himself from the Shiva lingam and broke his sword. A fierce battle broke out between them. In the end, he reduced Bhima to ashes only with Hum sound.
Then the gods requested Lord Shiva to stay there for the welfare of people. Therefore, he stayed there in the form of a Jyotirlinga.
7. Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga:
The Rameshwaram Temple is located on the island of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu.
According to the Shiva Purana (4.31), Lord Rama, Lakshmana, Hanuman, and the army of monkeys were assembled at the shore of the sea. They wanted to cross the ocean to defeat Ravana and get back Goddess Sita. He made a Shiva lingam there and worshiped Lord Shiva with devotion. Delighted by his worship, Lord Shiva appeared before him and told him to ask for a boon. Lord Rama requested for his victory in the imminent fight with Ravaṇa. He granted him the boon.
Then Lord Rama also requested him to stay there for the welfare of people. Therefore, Lord Shiva stayed there in the form of a Jyotirlinga named Rameshwara.
8. Nageshwara Jyotirlinga:
The Nageshwara Temple is located in Dwaraka, Gujarat. It is believed that worshiping this Jyotirling protects you from all types of poisons. When a demon and demoness abducted a great devotee of Lord Shiva and tried to kill him, Lord Shiva appeared here and killed all the demons. Lord Mahadeva stayed there in the form of a Jyotirlinga.
9. Kashi Vishwanath:
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple is the holiest place for Hindus. It is located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It is the most important Jyotirlinga. Hindus believe that the person who dies in Kashi attains salvation. The Shiva lingam at Kashi is installed by Lord Shiva himself. Avimukta requested him to stay there along with Goddess Uma. Therefore, Lord Shiva stayed there in the form of the Jyotirlinga.
10. Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga:
The Trimbakeshwar Temple is located in Nashik, Maharashtra. It is also the source of the Godavari River which is known as “Gautami Ganga.”
Lord Varuna blessed Sage Gautama with a pond with an inexhaustible source of water.