Guest guest Posted September 27, 2002 Report Share Posted September 27, 2002 --- "S.V.SWAMY" <swamy wrote: > Thu, 26 Sep 2002 16:23:28 +0500 > "Sri MSR"<miinalochanii > "S.V.SWAMY" <swamy > Lingashtakam > CC: "Gopi Krishna"<gopi > > Dear Siva Bandhu Sri Ravi, > > Many thanks for posting the twelve names of Siva. And thanks for the > invitation for posting the meaning of Lingashtakam. > > In the same digest of Amba-L, there was a nice translation (not word > by > word, but a good gist) of Lingashtakam. However, I consider your > request as > Siva's command and am sending you the same. I am also enclosing my > friend > Sri Gopi Krishna's reaction to that and my response to his reaction. > You > may post whatever you feel is appropriate. I am aware that the mail > is very > long. > > Om Nama Sivaya. > > Swamy SV > > P.S: A note to Gopi Krishna: Dear brother, in my earlier submission, > I > wrote that I am not sure of the meaning of 'Ashta dalopariveshtitha > Lingam', though I guessed that He is stationed on a eight-petalled > lotus. > Later, I got into my hand a Siva Yantra, like a Sri Yantra, again > thanks to > our friend shri KV Ragahva Rao. The lotus is eight-petalled! Jacek > Pollner > sent a very long and complicated email telling me the esoteric > meaning of 8 > petalled lotus. Will share with you some other time. Om Nama Sivaya. > > ----- > Lingashtakam - Meaning > > A small introduction > > Lingashtakam is a hymn in praise of Sri Siva, also called Maheswara, > Rudra, > Pasupati etc. The Linga is a symbol for Siva, just like Sankha and > Chakra > are symbolic of Sri Vishnu. Linga is also a symbol of manliness, a > male, > and it is appropriate since He is the Adi Purusha. While Para Brahma > is > considered to be Nirguna, i.e. without any discernible attributes, > once > He/She/It decides to manifest in Saguna form (for reasons beyond our > intelligence), we have Purusha (male) and Prakriti (Nature, > considered to > be feminine). And we have the Trinity (the creating, preserving and > destroying aspects) of Devas and Devis. Brahma, Vishnu and Siva in > the > male aspects and Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati their female aspects, > their > consorts. > > If we look at it from a Physicist's point of view, pure energy (not > of a > single color, but the total electromagnetic spectrum, i.e. pure white > light) comes close to Nirguna Para Brahma, where as Matter is the > Saguna > form. When the white light splits into various colors, we have > Gunas.We > have positively charged particles (can be thought of as male), > negatively > charged particles (think of as female) and neutral particles which > represent the Purusha-Prakriti pair (the Ardhanareeswara Tatvam). > > Anyway, Lingashtakam is very nice to recite and a gist of its meaning > is > attempted below. I confess that a word by word translation is beyond > my > capability. I hope you enjoy. > > 1) Brahma Murari Surarchita Lingam - The Lingam (Siva), who is > worshipped > by Brahma, the creator, Vishnu (Murari means enemy of Mura, a > rakshasa, and > refers to Vishnu) and other Gods > > Nirmala bhasitha sobhita Lingam - The Lingam, which is spotlessly > pure, > resplendent and beautiful (Vishnu is considered dark colored, while > Siva is > considered to be white colored, like camphor and obviously They all > are > pure and spotless in their brightness) > > Janmaja Dukha Vinasaka Lingam - The Lingam, which destroys our sorrow > born > of being born (i.e. getting trapped in the birth and death cycle). > That is > He, gives us Moksha, liberation from the birth - and - death cycle. > > Tat pranamami Sadasiva Lingam - I bow (pranam is bowing and pranamami > means > I bow) to That Linga(m) (as described above) who is none other than > Sada > Siva, the Eternal Siva. Siva means One who does good and makes us > happy. > Sada is eternal. Siva is supposed to be Layakaraka, destroyer, so the > question comes how can He, who destroys do good? The answer lies in > understanding what is that which is being destroyed. It is our > ignorance, > and arising from that ignorance - all the Materialistic desires, > Vasanas > (deep rooted desires which come with us from birth to birth), and the > sorrow of being trapped in the birth-death-birth cycle, the cycle of > Karma, > that is being destroyed by Him. So destruction is good. And our true > Self, > which is not different from Siva (Chidananda Roopa Sivoham Sivoham, > says > Sri Sankara in Nirvana Shatkam), comes forth once the dirt (mala) of > ignorance (Avidya) is removed by Him. He can do it because He is > Nirmala > (without dirt and dirt cannot stick to Him). Since He can burn off > all the > dross in us, He makes us pure like Him. Om Namah Sivaya. > > 2) Deva Muni Pravara Archita Lingam - I bow to that Linga(m) (Siva), > who is > worshipped by the best (pravara) of gods and Munis (saints who > observe > silence). Mauna is silence, a sadhu who observes silence is a Muni. > Mere > closing of the mouth (not speaking physically is not silence, silence > of > the mind, i.e. freedom from thoughts is real silence. Only in such a > still > mind does the light of the Absolute, Siva glow brightly). > > Kama dahana karunakara Lingam - I bow to that Lingam (Siva), who has > burnt > off the God of desire, Manmadha, Kama, by the fire from His Third > Eye. And > I bow to that Siva Linga, Who took pity on Rati, Kama Deva's wife and > restored him to life. > > It may appear a little ironic that Siva, whose Linga, which resembles > an > erect phallus (as per some anthropologists and sociologists) and is > a > symbol of male sex, should burn off desire, deified as Kama Deva. But > He is > also described as Urdhvareta (one who is a perfect celibate and who > has > lifted up, sublimed His sexual desire and the semen into great > spiritual > energy through yoga and through stilling His mind (that is why He is > worshipped by the best of Munis, since He is the best among them). > So, when > desire tries to disturb His equanimity, His still mind, He burns off > the > desire by Jnana, which is represented by the fire from His Third Eye. > Desire arises from Avidya, and is destroyed by true Vidya. > > Having burnt off the desire, He listens to the pleas of Rati Devi, > the > consort of Manmatha (literally meaning churner of the mind!), also > called > Kama Deva (God of desire) and takes pity on her. Thus He is > karunakara, the > one who shows kindness. He restores Kama to life, so that physical > procreation can continue for the welfare of the world. > > Kumara Sambhavam (The birth of Kumara, Shanmukha) is the result of > Siva > marrying Parvati (Daakshayani, the daughter of Daksha, who was the > consort > of Siva, immolates Herself and later takes birth as Parvati, the > daughter > of Himavantha, the Snow Mountain. She does great penance and wins > Siva's > hand in marriage. Kumara is born, who becomes the commander-in-chief > of the > Deva's army and kills Tarakasura, the Demon of the Stars). The story > of > Kama being burnt down and being reborn is a part of that story. > > Ravana Darpa Vinasana Lingam - I bow to that Siva, Who has destroyed > the > pride and arrogance of Ravana, one of His greatest devotees. Ravana > was no > doubt a great devotee of Sri Siva, but He was also a great egoist and > his > devotion was not the Satvik type. Once he tried to uproot Kailasa > Mountain > along with Siva and Parvati etc. Parvati gets frightened and asks > Siva to > do something. He smiles and just presses down with His great toe of > His > foot and the mighty Ravana is trapped and pinned down under the > mountain. > He then realises his mistake and prays to his deity Sri Siva, who > releases > him and blesses him. > > Tatpranamami Sada Siva Lingam - I bow (in true humility) to that > Eternal > Blissful Symbol of Sada Siva. > > 3) Sarva Sugandha Sulepitha Lingam - I bow to that Linga, Which is > well > anointed by all pleasantly smelling perfumes. Again one may wonder, > why > should a stone, which cannot feel anything, be worshipped and > decorated > with flowers, anointed by Sandal and other pleasant and expensive > perfumes. > The answer is in perception. The Lingam is a symbol of Sri Siva, so > we > worship Him through our worship to His Lingam. > > Another perception. It is well known that pleasant perfumes, flowers > etc. > are linked to the bed room and sexual pleasures. A normal man gets > excited > by such perfumes and takes up satisfaction of his sexual excitement > with a > woman. Whereas in the midst of all such temptations too, one should > remain > steadfast like a stone. Sri Siva in His Linga form is teaching us > this > valuable lesson. > > Buddhi vivardhana karana lingam - I bow to that Lingam, Which is > responsible for the unfoldment (expansion / growth) of my intellect. > So > what appears to be a sex symbol in a primitive culture is actually a > thought-provoking and intellect expanding Grace of Siva! (If desire > gets > upper hand, intellect takes a back seat. Desire if fulfilled leads to > temporary torpor and languor, but later leads to more desire, > unsatiable. > And desire unfulfilled leads to anger, krodha, which in turn leads to > Sammoha, which leads to loss of Smriti, what is remembered, loss of > Smriti > leads to destruction of intellect - Bhagavad Gita). By telling the > Sadhaka > that in the midst of all temptations too one should remain rock > steady, the > Linga is leading the Sadhaka in the right direction and is expanding > his > intellect, and thus helping in destruction of the desires, which are > the > roots of the punarapi jananam - punarapi maranam (born again - death > again) > cycle. > > Siddha Sura Asura vandita Lingam - The Lingam which is worshipped by > (bowed > to by) Siddhas, gods and demons. Siddhas are a special group of gods > with > special powers, Suras are gods and Asuras are Rakshasas or demons. > Sri Siva > is worshipped by all, whether they are Satvik or Tamasik. Normally > Asuras > don't worship Vishnu. But Siva is supposed to be easily pleased by > devotion > and sanctions the devotee's desires. Of course, being a Sarvajna (All > - > knowing) He knows what is in store for them after they get the > powers, > which they can't handle and destroy themselves! I feel He is a great > teacher teaching them valuable lessons in their spiritual > development! > > Tat pranamami Sada Siva Lingam - same as above > > 4) Kanaka mahamani bhushita Lingam - I bow to the Linga, Who is > decorated > with gold and great jewels. Normally gold and jewels are signs of > prosperity. So a devotee of Siva also will get a lot of prosperity if > He > decides. But He reminds them to remain unaffected by all the show and > pomp. > Whether we pour water over Him, or milk, whether we worship him with > simple > Bilva leaves or very pleasantly perfumed flowers, He is easily > pleased. He > is Bhaktha Sulabha (easily obtained by devotion). > > Phani pathi veshtitha sobhitha lingam - I bow to that Linga, Who is > surrounded by the king of snakes (Phani means One who has phana, > snake, > pati is king). He looks all the more beautiful because of this. Snake > is > supposed to represent wisdom and intelligence. Snake also represents > sexual > desire. So He is surrounded by the King of Snakes. He, of course > remains > unaffected by any thing and everything. > > Daksha Suyagna Vinasaka Lingam - I bow to that Linga, Who destroyed > the > good yagna of Daksha. Daksha was a great Prajapati (Lord of men). He > once > decided to conduct a great yagna (ritualistic sacrifice). He invited > everyone including Brahma and Vishnu, but not Sri Siva, who also > happened > to be his own son-in-law. Sati, Dakshayani , the daughter of Daksha > was > given in marriage to Siva. What made Daksha act like this, is > difficult to > understand. "Vinasa kale vipareeta buddhi" goes the saying. When > destruction is looming ahead, the intellect goes astray. Something > similar > happened and Daksha invited his own ruin by insulting Sri Siva. Sati > felt > offended and immolated Herself in yoga agni. Siva got angry and > created > Veera Bhadra and ordered him to destroy the yagna. So an action which > was > started with good intentions ended up in flames and utter chaos. > Daksha > lost his head and later on being requested, Siva cooled down and > allowed > Daksha to be brought back to life by fixing a goat's head to Daksha's > torso. > > Tat pranamami Sada Siva Lingam - as above > > 5) Kumkuma chandana (lepita) sobhita Lingam - I bow to that Linga, > Who is > shining (anointed by) with the lustre of Kumkum and Chandan. Kumkum > is > bright red in color and sandal is white or light brown in color. Siva > in > the form of Linga is shining because of the sandal paste and the > kumkum > that is applied by His devotees. Chandan is cooling and kumkum > represents > warmth of courage. So He represents both. To those who need courage, > He > gives courage and to those who need peace of mind, He gives that. > > Pankajahara susobhita Lingam - I bow to that Linga, Who is shining > very > well because of the garland of lotus flowers. Panka is mud, pankaja > is > lotus which is born from the bed of a lake. The specialty of lotus is > that > though it is born from mud or dirty water, it remains free from all > impurities. That is why lotus has become a symbol of purity. He has a > garland of lotus flowers. Thus, He again signifies that it is > possible for > us, His devotees to remain pure and unaffected in the midst of all > materialistic temptations and distractions. The use of the word > pankaja is > thus very significant. > > Sanchitapapa vinasaka Lingam - I bow to that Linga, Who destroys all > accumulated sins. Siva is destroyer. So, He destroys the accumulated > sins > of His devotees, who pray and surrender their egos to Him. > > Tatpranamami Sada Siva Lingam - Same as above. > > 6) Deva gana archita sevita Lingam - I bow to that Linga, Who is > worshipped > and served by all the different Devas. There are different deva > ganas, > including Suras, Siddhas, Sadhyas, Yakshas etc. But all of them > worship Him > and serve Him since in that only, their salvation lies. > > Bhavair bhaktibhi revacha Lingam - I bow to that Lingam, Who is Bhava > and > Bhakti. Since Siva is in all of us, when we bow to Him in the Linga, > He is > worshipping Himself! In Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram also, a > similar > thread occurs. Yagno, Yagnapatir, Yajwa, Yagnango, Yagnavahanah…He is > Yagna, Yagnapati (i.e. the God for whom the Yagna is conducted, He is > the > Yajamani, He is the offering, He is the carrier of the offering…). > Chidanandra roopa sivoham… says Sri Adi Shankara in Nirvana Shatkam. > True > Advaita!!! So, when I bow to Sri Siva in Linga form, I am worshipping > myself, since my true nature is Sat, Chit and Ananda. > > Dinakara koti Prabhakara Lingam - I bow to that Linga, Who is as > bright as > a Billion Suns. Dinakara is Sun. He is also called Prabhakara, since > He > lights us everything with His rays. Koti is one hundred lakhs, ten > million. > But koti also means a big group. Sri Siva destroys the darkness of > Ajnana, > Ignorance and all the associated problems, which tie the Jeeva to the > birth-death cycle. It is a like a long, dark night. When His grace > falls on > us, it is day. In daylight, we see the real nature of things. Like in > the > darkness a rope is mistook for a serpent and causes fear. In daylight > (or > for that matter any light strong enough, i.e. God's and Guru's > grace), the > illusion is dispelled and the true nature of the object, that it is a > harmless rope is realised. Similarly due to Siva's grace, the > Jeevatma > realises that it is not body, not mind, nor intellect etc., and > realises > that it is Siva himself!!! > > Tatpranamami Sada Siva Lingam - as above. > > 7) Ashtadalopariveshtita Lingam - I bow to that Linga, Who is well > surrounded by eight petals. Sri Siva is also called as Ashtamoorthy. > The > Siva Yantra has eight petals! > > Sarva Samudbhava karana Lingam - I bow to that Linga, Who is the > cause of > all creation. Here Sri Siva is being described as Creator. That is He > is > the Creator of the Creator Brahma! So He is Narayana, Vishnu also! He > is > Para Brahma, Parameshwara!!! > > Ashta daridra vinasaka Lingam - I bow to that Linga, Who is the > destroyer > of Eight types of Poverty. Sri Hanuman, Who is considered to be the > Amsa or > Avatar of Sri Siva is described as "Ashta Siddhi Nava Nidhi ke data!" > by > Sri Tulasidas in His celebrated Hanuman Chalisa. When God is pleased > with > our devotion, He or She can give us all Siddhis, Nidhis etc. Sri > Krishna > gave His childhood friend Sudama (also called Kuchela) a big city of > golden > buildings and palaces because He was pleased with the handful of > pounded > rice brought by His friend and devotee! Patram, Pushpam, Phalam, > Toyam (a > leaf, a flower, a fruit, water), whatever is offered with devotion I > accept > from my devotee with pleasure, tells Sri Krishna in Gita. > > Tat pranamami Sada Siva Lingam - as above > > 8) Sura guru sura vara poojita Lingam - I bow to that Linga, Who is > worshipped by the Preceptor (Guru) of Suras, devatas. Sri Brihaspati > is the > guru of devas. It is interesting to note that Sri Sukracharya, the > Guru of > Asuras, Daityas, Rakshasas also is a great devotee of Sri Siva. Pl. > see > Hymn No.3 above, where He is described as being worshipped by > Siddhas, > Suras and Asuras. Brihaspati represents Knowledge (intellect, > Buddhi). And > Buddhi has to worship the Soul within. By that Buddhi expands (please > see > Buddhi vivardhana karana Lingam). Suravara means the best of Suras, > Devas. > Indra is the chief of Devas. And He too worships Sri Siva. Indra is > the > chief of Indriyas, the sense organs. There are 5 karmendriyas (organs > with > which we work) and 5 Jnanendriyas (sensory organs). All must be > devoted to > Siva to get full benefit. > > Sura vana pushpa sadarchita Lingam - I bow to that Linga, Who is > worshipped > by the flowers of the Garden of Devas. Parijata is the Tree whose > flower > bestows on the wisher all the desires. But Parijata feels blessed and > fulfilled when offered to Sri Siva. The flower, which can fulfill our > desires, has only one desire and that is to be at the feet of Sri > Siva! > Sadarchita, means truly worshipped. True worship is offering oneself > in toto! > > Paramapadam paramatmaka Lingam - I bow to that Linga, Who is the > Eternal > Abode, End of the Journey (padam is foot, parama padam is the > ultimate > foot, and that is the end of the journey by us!), paramatmaka is > belonging > to Paramatma, the Supeme Soul, of which We, the Jeevatmas are also > frgments. So when the fraction merges into the whole, true Yoga, > union > takes place. Linga as the Symbol of Sexual union represents man's > urge for > that ultimate union with Himself! > > Tat pranamami Sada Siva Lingam - as above > > Phala Shruti: Listen to the reward (of reciting)! > > Lingashtakamidam punyam yah patheth Siva sannidhau - This > Lingashtakam > (collection of eight hymns about Linga) is very holy and reciting it > in the > Sannidhi (in the front of, in the vicinity of) Sri Siva gives punyam, > a lot > of merit. Even mentally imagining oneself to be near Siva while > chanting > the Ashtakam gives a lot of benefit. > > Sivaloka mavapnoti sivena saha modate - He (who recites the above) > attains > Siva Loka (Kailasa) and enjoys the company of Sri Siva! > > Om Nama Sivaya. > > > Gopi Krishna's comment on the meaning of Lingashtakam: > > As I'm reading the interpretation, HE gives a sudden thought that > linga is > NOT the mere symbol of manliness because HE is the Adi purusha, > though a > few commentators interpreted it so earlier also. The real > explanation, > which totally different from the above, as given in the Guru-gita, is > the > sivalinga indicates "brahmand or cosmos" The Linga is in the centre, > because it (HE) is the primemover of the cosmos. The Brahmand is all > around > HIM . That means HE is the prime mover as well as the brahmand, the > creation, HE is both within & without. HE is Purusha as well as > Prakriti. > So this gross explanation of reducing the prime principle, the cosmic > consciousnmess, into male & female may not sound proper, I feel. That > is > why siva is ardha naareeshwara..HE/SHE /IT is everything. > > Though in some texts, it has been interpreted that HE is the only > Purusha, > being the Creator or Author of the shristi, and the shristi is > Prakriti or > HE is Aadipurusha and the prakriti is Adi-Shakti. Being the part of > the > shristi, all of us are considered as females as well. But, I do not > know > how far it is right to look at Siva-linga that way. > > My feeling is that by categorising the Creator as a male or a female, > we > are only re-inforcing the body-consciousness which we are trying to > overcome through various means of saadhana. We must move out of this > shackle of body consciousness. So to think of God as male or female > is > imposing severe limitations on our own growth. Isnt it? Are we not > victims > of such limitations? > > As Om has no gender, the Creator is also neither male nor female. God > is > infinite and any interpretation, which may lead to create > body-consciousness, may better be avoided. > > You do not believe it, in one of the quiz programmes, it was asked > that who > is that deity, who looks like the male organ? I was really shocked. > > Please correct me if I'm wrong. > > Love and respects. > > Gopi Krishna. > > > Swamy's Response: > > Hari Om. Om Nama Sivaya. Om Sri Guru Para Brahmanenamah. > > If you think of Sri Siva as the Para Brahma Swarupa, you are of > course > right. Same thing holds for each of the Trinity. > > Actually our consciousness keeps shifting over several planes. In the > meaning which I drew I was seeing Him in the Purusha form. Siva and > Parvati > are the Adi Dampatulu. And the role of Dampatulu is to procreate! He > is > Pasupati, we are all Pasus (animals!). Pasu is one which is bound by > Pasa > of desire. > > As Saguna Para Brahma Sri Siva (as Vishnu) is the supporter of this > Universe. Brahmand literally means Great Egg. Why Brahmand, The whole > Viswam (universe) is supported by Him. Linga is the Central Pillar > supporting the Universe. And since all of us are Pasus, bound to him > by our > Karma, Kama and Bhakti, He is the Central Pillar, around which we > keep > orbiting. > > Bilva Mangala saw Sri Siva in the breast of his amour! And someone > sees an > erect male organ in Linga! It is a question of perception! Ekam Sat > Vipram > Bahudha Vadanti! The truth is One, but perceived differently by > Learned > people. And the absolute Truth is unknowable by any or all of our > sense > organs including intellect! > > Why should one feel bad or embarrassed to link God and Kama! Kama, > Desire > is also His creation! Tantra is one path for liberation! He gives us > a > chance, through our intellect, to discriminate what is right and what > is > wrong and channelise the desires not for selfish pleasure but for > universal > welfare. > > That in essence is what Lingashtakam means to me. Sorry if I have > offended > your sensitivity in any way. By the way, your name Gopi Krishna also > signifies different things to different people. It signifies a > cowherd who > violated all social norms and entered into immoral relationships and > committed adultery! It also signifies the Purushottama to whom > everyone > belongs and the Gopis realised the ultimate truth. Their relation was > that > of Jeevatma to Paramatma. > > Swamy > ------- > > I read it today again to see whether it needs any changes, but don't > see > any need. so I submit it to you. > > Yours > > Swamy > > ---- > > > > > > > > New DSL Internet Access from SBC & http://sbc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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