I bow to the Lord of the Universe, to the three-eyed Great God. To that who is Rudra, the Fire that consumes the Universe, to that who has Blue Throat, to the one that has conquered death, to the Lord of All, always auspicious, I greet and bow to the Great and Glorious God.
YajurVeda
Shiva is one of the three Gods of the Hindu Trinity together with Brahma and Vishnu. The general understanding presents us each one of these Gods representing a type of activity, being Brahma the Great Generator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the Transformer or Destroyer; nevertheless, the true tradition approaches the manifestation of Lord Shiva like the Cosmic Creative Father, that is to say, creator, transformer and regent of preservation through Vishnu's Avatars.
Shiva is considered The Great God (Mahadeva) of the Universe, the Ancient Tradition conceives Him as such since millennia ago. In the first Sacred Writings granted to humanity from the very Creative Father's Consciousness, the Vedas, Shiva is praised and worship by the name of Rudra; and according to certain erudite, it was already worshiped in pre-Aryan or pre-Vedic times. Shiva means "the Radiant one", and it is translated possibly as the "auspicious" or "the one that is not favourable."
Shiva is represented anthropomorphically as a Being of the Blue Race, with a long black hair from which emanates the Ganges River (sacred river of the Vedic Tradition) with snakes around the neck, a Trident in His left hand, invariably sat down on a tiger skin, and with a rich mystic symbolism in each one of the objects that surround Him. His attributes or instruments are several, having each one a deep meaning:
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Shivalingam: Lingam is the form or symbol that is more used to worship the Consciousness of Lord Shiva. In India, there are some places considered absolutely sacred and blessed that are powerful vortexes of Light associated to Shiva, where Lingams are worshiped since millennia ago. Lingams are stones in with a cylindrical shape, associated to the image of the masculine phallus as symbol of the Creative Principle that are hold by a base or Yoni, symbol of the feminine force or Shakti. |
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Trishula: In all image or statue of Lord Shiva can be observed the trident, government’s symbol or regency of Lord Shiva over all the vibrating spectrum of the existent thing, expressed in the three Gunas. |
All deities of Hinduism possess their Shakti or feminine aspect that could be seen as complementary; although, it could be said with absolute certainty that more than a complement it is the aspect of cosmic balance. Shakti or feminine energy of Shiva assumes, just as Him, different aspects, being Durga Her primordial manifestation. Durga is manifested, according to Her activity, as Parvati, Kali, Laxmi, etc.
Understanding in a wide way the Light's Force expressed in Lord Shiva is more an approach of Love that something theoretical. Nevertheless, if it is wanted to deepen in the Creative Father's Cosmology the compared commentary among the activity Shiva/Shakti and the Western Kabala can be revised.
