Excerpt - Symbolism of Shiva Linga

[Guest guest]

(...At the Congress of the History of Religions in Paris held from Sep

3 to 8, 1900... )

 

Excerpt from the book

Vivekananda - East meets West

by Swami Chetanananda

 

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Being scheduled to speak on 7 Sep he (Swami Vivekananda) was present

when a paper was read that morning by a Mr. Gustav Oppert,

a German Orientalist, who tried to trace the

origin of the Shalagrama-Shila and the Shiva-Linga to mere phallicism.

To this the Swami objected, adducing proofs from the Vedas, and

particularly the Atharva Veda Samhita, to the effect that the

Shiva-Linga had its origin in the idea of the Yupa Stambha or Skambha,

the sacrifical post idealized in Vedic ritual

as the symbol of the Eternal Brahman.

 

The Shalagrama-Shilas were natural stones, resembling the artificially

cut stones of the Dhatu-Garbha, or " metal wombed " , stone reliquaries

of the Bauddha Stupas, and these, being first worshipped by the

Buddhists, gradually found their way into Vaishnavism.

The explanation of the Shalagrama-Shila as a phallic emblem was an

imaginary invention.A degenerate period in India, following the

downfall of Buddhism, had brought on the association of sex with the

Shiva-Linga.

In reality, the Shiva-Linga and the Shalagrama Shila had no more to do

with sex worship than the Holy Communion in Christianity had in common

with cannibalism.

 

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Note: This is the last posting from me for this book.

I am taking a small break for a while.....

 

regards

 

ramasamy