Upanishad Dnyaan : Shivling {उपनिषद ज्ञान : शिवलिंग}

Upanishad Dnyaan : Shivling {उपनिषद ज्ञान : शिवलिंग}

This article is a reproduction of a verse of the Mahanarayan Upanishad, षोडशोनूवकः {16^th Anuvak}, which is being reproduced here from two sources : one – the original book where I first came across this, Mahanarayan Upanishad by translated by Swami Vimalanand, and 2^nd – the website Śrī Vaiṣṇavism. A third confirmatory source is the site Speaking Tree. The commentary has also been taken from both sources. The objective of this is to apprise those among us Hindus / Sanaatan Dharm followers who may not be aware of this.

Some of us have been lead to believe, to quote The Speaking Tree : “{It is unfortunate for some critics to have an imaginary invention on the image of Shiva Lingam as a male organ}. During my morning prayers and reading, I came across this verse from the above Upanishad; and given the interpretation that is prevalent in some sources [One can refer Wikipedia as an excellent example, which is linked here] and in some people, I thought of doing my bit to place the reality in front of the readers of my blog. So what does the Shivling represent? It is not representative of any phallus;; but it is best if you read the sources themselves; these are matters of faith. Read on…

षोडशोSनुवाकः

निधनपतये नमः। निधनपतांतिकाय नमः। ऊर्ध्वाय नमः। ऊर्ध्वलिंगाय नमः।  हिरण्याय नमः। हिरण्यलिंगाय नमः। सुवर्णाय नमः। सुवर्णलिंगाय नमः। दिव्याय नमः। दिव्यलिन्गाय नमः। भवाय नमः। भवलिंगाय नमः। शरवाय नमः। शर्वलिंगाय नमः। शिवाय नमः। शिवलिंन्गाय नमः। ज्वलाय नमः। ज्वलिंगाय नमः। आत्माय नमः। आत्मलिंगाय नमः। परमाय नमः। परमलिंगाय नमः। एत्तसोमस्य सूर्यस्य सर्वंलिंगं स्थापयति पाणिमंत्रम पवित्रम ।।१।।  

[Self input on Google Translate from Mahanarayan Upanishad]

nidhanapataye namaḥ . nidhanapatāntikāya namaḥ .
ūrdhvāya namaḥ . ūrdhvaliṅgāya namaḥ .
hiraṇyāya namaḥ . hiraṇyaliṅgāya namaḥ .
suvarṇāya namaḥ . suvarṇaliṅgāya namaḥ .
divyāya namaḥ . divyaliṅgāya namaḥ .
bhavāya namaḥ. bhavaliṅgāya namaḥ .
śarvāya namaḥ . śarvaliṅgāya namaḥ .
śivāya namaḥ . śivaliṅgāya namaḥ .
jvalāya namaḥ . jvalaliṅgāya namaḥ .
ātmāya namaḥ . ātmaliṅgāya namaḥ .
paramāya namaḥ . paramaliṅgāya namaḥ .
etatsomasya sūryasya sarvaliṅgaɱ sthāpayati pāṇimantraṁ pavitram .. 1..

[from http://srivaishnavism.redzambala.com]

1. By these twenty-two names ending with salutations they consecrate the Śivaliṅga for all— the Liṅga which is representative of soma and sūrya, and holding which in the hand holy formulas are repeated and which purifies all.

Commentary:

Here there are twenty-two salutations suffixed to the twenty-two Divine Names uttered at the time of the consecration of the emblem of Śivaliṅga in a public temple, or at home for private worship, or on the body of a devotee of Śiva.

In the serial order of the text here are given an English version of the Names above:

1. The Lord of the dissolution of the universe—Śiva is here considered as the aspect of the Supreme responsible for the final dissolution of the universe.

2. The end-maker or Nidhanapati is Yama, who is responsible for the death of all creatures. At the time of universal absorption Śiva alone remains, the whole pantheon of gods including Yama being retracted into Him.

3. The Most High, standing at the head of the categories, which evolve into the universe, namely Śiva who is the unity of Power and Power-holder

4. The principle of Sadāśiva embodying the power of Intelligence.

5. He who is beneficial and charming to creatures.

6. He who is visualized as the Liṅga made of gold.

7. He who is endowed with attractive splendour.

8. He who is of the form of Liṅga made of silver.

9. He who is the source of bliss in heaven.

10. He who is worshipped in the paradise as the Liṅga, established there by the devotees—or He who is worshipped as the divine emblem.

11. He who is the source of the cycle of birth and death.

12. He who is worshipped as the Liṅga by human beings.

13. He who is the suppresser of the universe at the time of final dissolution.

14. He who has the shape of the Liṅga emblem of Śarva, who gives bliss.

15. He who is most auspicious.

16. He who has the form of Śiva Liṅga.

17. He who has the form of a flaming splendour.

18. He who has the form of the brilliant Liṅga.

19. He who is the Spirit (Ātman) dwelling in all creatures.

20. He who is concealed in the heart of all creatures being their inmost Self.

21. He who is unsurpassed.

22. He who is the Supreme Lord of bliss and liberation indicated by the Liṅga emblem.

The term Liṅga in Sanskrit means an indicatory mark or emblem which symbolically represents that for which it stands. Śiva Liṅga represents the Supreme Being denoted by the word Rudra Mahādeva.The Chāṇḍogya III 19 1 describes that the whole universe was hatched out of a golden egg, which lay a complete year before it brought forth offspring. The spherical dome of the heavens above, appearing to us capping the earth on which we live, may be likened to an enormous semi-section of an egg containing the world.

Perhaps this golden egg landed itself to be fancied as the visible symbol of the limitless all-inclusive Divine Reality into which the manifold universe was believed to be reabsorbed at the end. The Liṅga which is worshipped by the devotee of Śiva is but a handy replica or a convenient diminutive form of the universal semi-spherical emblem of the Unlimited.

Śiva Liṅga may be carved out of stone, naturally found as stalagmite, or shaped out of gold, metal and the like. The Liṅga, therefore, is a symbol concealing a truth behind. This word occurring in various compound names above are to be interpreted in the light of the tradition behind the word. For further details about Śiva Liṅga and its worship the Purāṇas and Āgamas may be consulted.

Bibliography

1.  Mahā Nārāyaṇa Upanishad | Section 14-22 http://srivaishnavism.redzambala.com/upanishad/maha-narayana-upanishad-with-commentaries-14-22.html#16
2. ·    11 Little Known Facts About The Shivling : https://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/little-known-facts-about-shivalinga/239906
3. ·        Lingam – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingam
4. ·        Mahanarayan Upanishad – Translated by Swami Vimalanand : Sri Ramkrishn Math