SHIVA LINGA MEANS COSMIC PILLAR OR RAY OF LIGHT OR STAMBH
In Pre-Historic period dating back to 2ndMillenniumBCE devoteesasked Rishi Atharvanathe co-author of Atharveda, where is God and how he looks? Rishi Atharvana described that God is like Yupastambha or Lingam and is like endless Pillar or ray of Light. In Sanskrit the world Lingam transliterated as Linga, has diverse meaning ranging from spiritual meaning such mark, Stambha, sign or Characteristic and in common language gender and sex.
As described by Rishi Atharvana,devotees in post Vedic period, started constructing Temple installing big Stambhas or Lingam and offered Prayers. In those periods Idol Worship was unknown to the people. People worshiped only Stamhbas or Lingam as God. To Prove that in post Vedic Period Big Shiva Lingam were installed a few examples are quoted below. In GuddimallamTemple known as ParasurameshwaraTemple located at Renigunta Chittor District of Andhra Pradesh which was constructed in First century BC has Shiva Linga which is about 5 feet in height and one foot in thickness.
The JuttikaShivaTemple located at Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh belongs to pre Ramayana period has Shiva Linga tall in size. The DraksharamamShivaTemple in East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh which was constructed in mid 800 Ad has Shiva Linga which is 2.6 metres or 7.8 feet in height. The Bhojpur temple located near Bhopal Madhya Pradesh which was constructed in eleventh century has Shiva Lingam which is 18 feet in height and 7.5 feet in circumference.
From the above facts it is clear that in post Vedic period Shiva Lingam were huge in size. Many devotees started performing puja by bathing the lingam and offering abhishekam. By regular bathing the surface of Lingam became smooth and u shaped. These examples are given here to prove that even in post Vedic period it was called Shiva Lingam.As the Lingam was tall in size no one inferred that it is sexual organ. Later due to inconvenience in going to Temple each day to perform Puja, people started installing Shiva Linga or Stambhas in their houses. As large Lingam or Stambhas cannot be erected in house they started reducing the size of Lingam or Stambhas. The Indians even during post Vedic period were genius and spiritually evolved. They felt size does not matter as God is God in any size. As Shiva Lingam or Stambhas is to be made from single stone the upper portion was carved as Lingam or Stambhas and the lower portion as the base which was wide in size so that the Lingam should not tilt or fall. Further the base was made circular with slight in-depth with an outlet so that Abhishek water should flow in one direction. When people started installing small size Shiva Linga certain sect of people by looks started assuming that Shiva Linga is a Phallus and the base as yoni which is blatantly wrong.
The Shiva Purana described Lingam as the beginning less and endless Pillar interpreting as a Cosmic Pillar symbolizing the infinite nature of Shiva. The Linga Purana stated that the nature itself is a Linga meaning the Lingam is devoid of colour, taste, hearing touch etc and is spoken as Prakarti or nature. Another authentic reference comes from Skanda Purana where lingam is clearly indicated as the Shiva Lingam is Shiva from where the whole universe is created and where it finally submerges... One of the first uses of the term ‘lingam in association with Shiva is found in the Shvetasvatara Upanishad .It says that Lord Shiva, the Supreme Being, has no Linga (sign or symbol). In simple terms it means it is impossible to define Brahman who is formlessShiva. Swami Vivekananda at the Paris Congress of History of Religions in 1900has clearly stated that Shiva Linga has its origin in the idea of the Yupa Stambha the sacrificial post idealised in Atharveda. Greatest Indian Spiritual Masters including Ramakrishana Parahamsa,Ramana Maharishi alsoshared the same views.
BY BRIJ BHUSHAN DUBEY