IS SHIVA GOD OR A DEMIGOD?

IS SHIVA GOD OR A DEMIGOD?

"SHIVA" means the auspicious one.

It is humanly impossible to explain Shiva, just as it is impossible to explain the universe.

However, from human intellect .....he is the one from whom the brahman emerges, in whom it stays and within whim it goes back. You must not get interpret the word brahman as the universe. brahman is the one who is the base and cause of the universe. brahmman hold the universe. Shiva is the cause of all causes. He must not be seen as a Human-God. That's a wrong notion. Scriptures call him the Nirgun Brahman and the Sagun Brahman which means that as Nirgun he is devoid of any qualities that can be comprehended by the limited intellect and senses of humans and as sagun the whole brahman is he and the gunas of the entire brahman are held by him.

AN EXPLANATION, THEORY AND LAW MUST BE BASED ON SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT PROCESS, LOGIC AND SPIRITUALITY. MERELY MYTHOLOGY THAT LACKS A SCIENTIFIC OUTLOOK, LOGIC AND SPIRITUALITY CAN NOT BE TRUE OR HELPFUL. MANY SECTS IN INDIA WISH TO ESTABLISH SUPERIORITY DUE TO THEIR EGOS ATTACHED TO THE FAITH SYSTEM BUT THEY FAIL TO EXPLAIN ANY SCIENCE, LOGIC, PHILOSOPHY IN THEIR ARGUMENTS

OUR SUPREME TEXTS ARE THE VEDAS AND THE AGAMAS. REST OF THE TEXTS ARE INTERPRETATIONS OR DERIVATIVES OF THE VEDAS AND AGAMAS. HENCE, PHILOSOPHERS LIKE ADI SHANKARACHARYA ONLY CONSIDER VEDAS AS THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY. ANY PURANA, UPANISHADS OR SHASTRA THAT REFUTES THE VEDAS IS TO BE REJECTED.

PURANAS are written by rishis. Though they are philosophical texts that are based upon Vedas and Agamas yet they are not authoritative in nature.

FIRST, you need to understand that there exists no duality. BRAHAMMA-VISHNU-MAHESH are only the three functions of Shiva. Let me explain you with an example. You are your mother's son, sister's brother, teacher's student, an employee, a boss.....however, you are one single source. Similarly, Shiva is one single source who is Formless, deathless, birth less, changelesss,beyond sexes, beyond time. When Shiva creates hes is-Brahamma. When he preserves, he is-Vishnu and when he destroys in order to reproduce, he is-Shankara. All three are the functions of Shiva but none explain him......just as you are a son, brother, employee etc. No single function can explain you.

Now you need to Understand how creation came to being. Shiva, who is nirakar remains the 1st cause as JYOTIRLINGA and The Last cause as RUDRA. Lets start from the end and in a logical manner. Whatever remains in the end becomes the first cause of creation of anything new that is created. According to the vedas :

"AT THE TIME OF SANGHAAR/DISSOLUTION BRAHMA AND VISHNU DISSOLVE BACK INTO RUDRA........THUS REMAINS ONLY RUDRA AS THE NEXT CAUSE OF CREATION" (u need to understand the philosophy behind this also. destruction is the last process and preservation and creation merge finally into dissolution)

Now, coming to creation. What ever remains at destruction becomes the cause of creation. Hence, when all merges back into Rudra, it is he in the form of JYOTIRLINGA that becomes the next cause of creation.

JYOTIRLINGA is derived from sanskrit roots- jyoti(light)+linga(symbol

). Thus,Jyotir Linga means symbol of light/Shiva/Rudra etc.

From the Jyotirlinga emerge Vishnu and from the naabhi of Vishnu emerges Brahma (Im not getting into the details of the mythological aspect of this story).

ATOMIC SCIENCE BEHIND SHIVA-VISHNU-BRAHAMMA

When we talk of science behind the trinity.......we have to take into account the structure of SHIVALINGAM.

The outcome of the scientific research is that the world came into existence with the formation of Molecules. According to Science, two atoms make one Molecule. The valency of molecules indicates the combination of the atoms.

It is essential to have a clear idea of the structure of an atom according to the findings of the Danish scientist, Niels Bohr., the nature of which is given below.

An atom is made up of Proton, Neutron and Electron.

Neutrons do not have a charge and so would continue on in a straight line.

The nucleus of an atom is composed of positively charged Protons and neutrally charged Neutrons. Almost all the mass of an atom is in its nucleus. The nucleus is the very dense region consisting of Protons and Neutrons at the centre of an atom.

Electrons are negatively charged and so would be deflected on a curving path towards the positive plate.

But the whole atom is electrically neutral on account of the presence of equal number of negative electrons and positive protons.

The electrons revolve rapidly round the nucleus in circular paths called energy level. The energy levels are counted from centre outwards.

Each energy level is associated with a fixed amount of energy.

There is no change in energy of Electrons as long as they help revolving in the same energy level and the atoms remain stable.

The Bohr model shows that the electrons in atoms are in orbits of differing energy around the nucleus. It is like planets orbiting the Sun.

An examination of the image of Shiva Lingam in the context of Bohr model, would demonstrate the puzzling truth that Brahma has created the world. The behaviour of Proton, Electron, Neutron and Energy are well demonstrated by Shiva Lingam.

Vishnu signifies Proton with positive electrical charge.

Mahesha signifies Neutron with no electrical charge.(THUS, SHIVA IS NEUTRAL)

Brahma signifies Electron with negative electrical charge.

Sakthi is Energy. Sakthi is a type of energy field represented by a Disc.

Shiva Lingam represents the atomic structure. According to the Rishis, Shiva and Vishnu are present in the Lingam. In Sanskrit, the three lines signify multiple. In the atomic structure, there are Protons and Neutrons which are surrounded by fast spinning Electrons.

Sakthi is represented by a Disc in oval shape with three ridges carved at its periphery. She is Energy and plays a vital role in the Universe.

If one look at the portrait of Vishnu, a lotus is depicted as arising from the navel of Vishnu and Brahma is shown as seated on the lotus. Lotus signifies Energy which has the force of attraction. The stem of the lotus can bend because of its flexibility signalling that Brahma moves around Vishnu. This is a message that Electron is attracted to Proton because of the opposite electric charge.

Moreover, Neutron is depicted as Shiva which has no charge at all. The nucleus of the atom also contains neutrons. Neutrons are about the same size as Protons, but have no electric charge. Neutrons are bound very tightly in the atom’s nucleus with the Protons. When the atom’s nucleus contains as many Neutrons as Protons, the atom is stable.

Similarly, the ancient sages provided the idea that when Shiva is not disturbed and separated, he remains calm. Shiva remains calm because Sakthi takes the form of Renuka. The energy which forms the molecules is denoted by its valency, which in Sanskrit is Renuka. Renuka is one produces Renu or molecule. Two atoms make one molecule. Hence ancient Hindu sages brought the idea of Sakthi as Shiva’s wife and as part of Shiva and dances around Shiva throughout. However, when Neutron is disturbed and separated natural disaster occur, which signify that Shakthi turns out to be a terror known as Rudrani (Kali) performing destructive dance, signalling natural disaster.

The actual producer of molecules is Electron which signifies Brahma. Modern physics shows that Electrons are shared between the atoms to form a molecule. Therefore the Hindu concept that Brahma created the earth is in conformity with Science.

NOW THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCES-

As per Archaeological Survey of India and Archaeological Survey of other countries......only proof of SHIVA-SHAKTI worship have been found at the sites of Mohenjodaro and Harrappa.

Thus Shaivism or Shiva worship is the oldest form of worship known to mankind as per Archaeological survey reports and the worship of Vishnu and brahamma did not exist. Avtars Krishna came much later during the Dwapar yug and no avtar is mentioned in the Vedas

THE PASHUPATI SEAL- in which the three faced male god is shown seated in a yogic posture, surrounded by a rhino and a buffalo on the right, and an elephant and a tiger on the left, make the historians conclude that the people of those days worshipped Lord Shiva who is the Lord of the Beast (Pashupati) and the male principle of creation. Discovery of a large number of conical or cylindrical stones show that the people worshipped lingam, the symbol of Lord Shiva.

A large number of excavated terracotta figurines are those of a semi-nude figures which is identified with some female energy or Shakti or Mother Goddess, who is the source of all creation. She is wearing numerous ornaments an a fan-shaped head dress. It is concluded from the smoke stained figures that the people offered burnt incense before her.

The above mentioned piece about Shiva-Shakti worship is based upon international research and archaeological evidences.

For your reference and clarity here are the pictures of Pasupatinath Seal and Shivalingam excavated from the sites of Mohenjodaro:

CREATE NO CONFUSIONS FOR YOURSELF............FOLLOW TRUTH BASED ON RESEARCH, EVIDENCES AND LOGIC IN LIFE AS WELL AS IN RELIGION.

ALL IS SHIVA AND SHIVA IS ALL

AS SAYS KRISHNA IN MAHABHARATA "Shivay Srwadhi Sadhikay".....nothing happens without the grace of Shiva.

DIYA VANDANA SHARMA

Ph.D Scholar- Advait Vedanta

Department Of Philosophy

Annamalai University