LINGA POOJA
DR. SHRINIWAS
KASHALIKAR Dharma is that which holds together the orchestration of the universe in harmony throughout millennia.
Lnigm chinnhenumane cha sankhyokta prakrutavapi Sivamurti visheshe cha mehanepi napusakam Layam gacchanti bhootani samhare nischalam yatha srushtyakale punah strshtim tasmat lingamudahrutam From the essence of these two shlokas; it appears that there are three basic phenomena in the universe viz. formation, maintenance and
destruction. This is similar to anabolism, catabolism and metabolism. But from the Adwait philosophical point of view, these transitions are mere contingents. Hence the substratum of these, or the field in which these contingents appear; is beyond time and supreme or super living. The form of this; viz. SHIVA is lingam. It is therefore supposed to be neutral i.e. beyond any kind of attribute. Today I realize that; the stories from Linga Purana about the fight for supremacy between Vishnu and Brahma; are symbolic and should never be taken verbatim. I should not look at and think of; in a vulgar manner; the worship of linga as “a vestige of primitive, barbaric culture of phallus worship”, due to my intellectual or cultural retardation.
Lingapooja; even if it is of the phallus and vagina, which signify the procreation and symbolize the creation; is in essence; remembering, reorienting and reestablishing one’s true nature. Since such remembrance of one’s true self is almost impossible; or at least may not be easy for every one; the ritual of worshipping the form of linga has become a part of culture. Specific days and specific places appear to be conducive to this realization of one’s true self and hence there are places of JYOTIRLINGA in as much as there are specific days called MAHASHIVARATRI. The scholars of astrology can shed light on this. I realized that it is essential to appreciate the root of every tradition and identify it in its original universal form and remove the cobwebs of
sectarian paradigms, due to which it becomes either a monopoly of a sect and/or an issue of sectarian strife. This is also essential for me; so as to avoid contempt, hatred, prejudice and antipathy towards a particular tradition, because of my own limitations, short comings, subjectivity, superficiality and fanaticism; and blossom along with others!