July 28, 2013: It is difficult to believe that God would ever discriminate to selectively accept prayers from Hindus and grant them boons, ignoring others. Had it been so, then there would not have been only one Sun in the galaxy, which, overriding all divides, is available in equal proportion to all and sundry. What then is the reason that within the galaxy of so many other deities, ancient India’s learned masters accorded so much importance to Lord Shiva and assigned a month-long service to Him?

Answer lies in the philosophical import of the symbolism of Lord Shiva and His baraat (marriage procession). It comes out with the universal law of “unity in diversity” underlying the living world, with all its enormity and diversity but together forming an organic unity. Barely-clad Shiva, with a lunar crescent overhead, His poison-affected blue neck encircled by a venomous snake and armed with a trident and damru (hand-drum) in his two arms, is perceived seated on an ox. Ganga flows down His matted-hair. His marriage party comprises of an assortment of varied creatures such as ghosts, goblins, humans, animals, birds, devas (heavenly forces driving the living order), demons and the like.

It is in everybody’s knowledge that Moon does not have its own light. It actually reflects light drawn from all stellar bodies to imply convergence of all energies drawn from cosmic sources. This being over Lord Shiva’s head implies that He is perceived as repository of all those energies. He puts them all in force through the sound notes excited by the damru, to create a living order comprising of all varied creatures that runs in succession, as would recycling of water through the natural course of evaporation, cloud-formation, and raining back to the water bodies imply. The river water stream flowing down its course provides the platform for creation and sustenance of living organism, a fact very much in conformity with the scientific belief that live organism sprang out of water base.

All the diverse creatures forming His baraat suffer from inherent incommunicability, and many of them are in conflict with each other. Even though aware of their individual limitations, Lord Shiva still ignores those limitations, as would his half-closed eyes mean, so as to be in accord with all of them. Not only that, He rather absolves them of all the three types of sins — physical, external and cosmic — through the three phalanges of His trident, and absorbs them in the form of snake-venom around His neck. Lord Shiva, who is perceived in a creator’s role, would not do all this ignorantly or under any compulsion. If He does that, it is all purposeful. For, He is aware that if all and sundry in His court carry individual limitations, they are also endowed with some virtues as would be necessary to collectively sustain the living order. For instance, even a termite that otherwise spoils our wooden material and paper, creates hole up to three metres in the earth’s mass to facilitate entry of oxygen in the deep structure of soil matter to strengthen its fertility. But the poor termite has to meet its end before the crop comes up.

There is nothing in existence that would be there without a purpose. In fact, all living organism together create an organic unity, all set to an interdependent mechanism whose very existence would be at stake in the absence of even one. Lord Shiva, therefore, wishes to get the best out of all creatures so as to ensure a smooth run of the living world, as would His being seated on the Ox imply. Anybody having little exposure to rural background would know that till the desired destination is reached a pair of oxen pulling a bullock-cart moves unprovoked maintaining a constant speed. Lord Shiva is able to carry on his task because He also enjoys the confidence of all creatures in His court, because He is an epitome of patience, forbearance and selflessness.

To sum up, the symbolism of Lord Shiva presents before us the art of leadership that could facilitate efficient run of the collective existence. We need to be reminded again and again of this concept, which is why our ancient masters accorded special status to Lord Shiva.

Source: The Pioneer, DT. July 28, 2013.