PARAKUNNATH SREE VETTAKKORUMAKAN PAYYAN KSHETHRAM (TEMPLE), AROLI, KANNUR, KERALA: In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is iconized as all knowing Yogi who lives a simple life in Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. With the third eye on his forehead, as one of the fearsome power in the universe, Lord Shiva has the snake Vasuki around his neck, crescent moon adorning,

Saturday, 10 June 2017

In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is iconized as all knowing Yogi who lives a simple life in Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. With the third eye on his forehead, as one of the fearsome power in the universe, Lord Shiva has the snake Vasuki around his neck, crescent moon adorning,

In Hinduism, Lord Shiva is iconized as all knowing Yogi who lives a simple life in Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. With the third eye on his forehead, as one of the fearsome power in the universe, Lord Shiva has the snake Vasuki around his neck, crescent moon adorning, Holy River Ganga flowing from Lord Shiva’s matted hear, carrying Trishula and the Damaru as lord’s instruments and blue throat. There are tales of Mahadev having blue throat giving Shankar another name also known as “ Nilkantha ” because he drank all the “ Halahala ” poison that appeared due to Samudra Manthan to protect humanity and its destructive power. Many believe that Lord Shiva’s third eye’s destructive power is the reason that Shiva is called “ The Destroyer ”, but it is also believed that it symbolizes His spiritual wisdom and power.

Shiva is typically depicted with a snake around his neck. Often additional snakes are depicted - one, as a sacred thread around his body, and two more, around his wrists as bracelets or his arms as armlets. Having the snakes wrapped around him suggest his control over desire and the sensual world and the lack of effect that maya (illusory world) has on him. The snakes also stand for the yogic power of kundalini, which is typically depicted as a coiled serpent lying dormant in the muladhara chakra or one of the lower spiritual levels of all beings. The serpent gradually uncoils and moves upward as one taps into his own spiritual self through yogic means. However one needs to be aware of the huge energy stored in the kundalini and must learn not only to release it but also to control it. The depiction of snakes along with Shiva, indicate that Shiva is the master of this cosmic energy and controls it the way he deems fit.