Shiva : the supreme consciousness

 

The word Shiva is a mixture of three root Sanskrit words i.e Sha+E+va and when the word E is removed then Shiva becomes Shava . So according to our tradition and believe system Shiva is depicted as the supreme consciousness and the supreme being of the universe and Shava is the dead body. A dead body is that object which has no consciousness at all. Consciousness is Chetna which provides force to the body to maintains the prana Shakti . So when the consciousness is out of our body then this living body will become dead body.

 As they say , जो दिख रहा है वो शब है और जो देख रहा है वो शिव है।(the one who is watching us is Shiv and all of those things which are watched by Shiva are dead bodies) So we all have that energy which flows throughout our body(annamaya kosoh) and which makes us alive has the root in shiva. 

People often disseminate misinformation regarding Shiva as he is a hooligan ,lives in naked etc etc. But in reality still today we don't know what is the Shiva tattwa (principles of Shiva). By the grace of our ancient Rishis and Sadhus what we know about the principles of Shiva are like Shiva is formless , selfless, has no attribute etc.

 "नामानी शमीसान निर्वाण रूपम " is the line which explains the form of Shiva .  Shiva has no form yet he is every where . That is the reason why Shankaracharya says Shivaham,Shivaham. 

But a common man is not able to understand the tattwa of that formless Shiva so the seers made a symbolic representation of Shiva in the form of Lingam . Also after vedic period it was the time of Purans when people started worshipping The Trimurti and Shiva now regarded as Shankar .. (we will discuss about the attributes of Shankar and the difference between vedic Rudra and puranic Shankar in future).

 Whatever the subject now we are worshipping shiva as Shankar and the most important day for Shiva is The Mahashivratri.

In conclusion , Shiva is the supreme consciousness and formless yet omnipresent . And all of us derive our consciousness from that Supreme being.

Om Namah shivaya .

(Views are personal)

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Jay sitaram