[Reader-list] Shiva in it's Form

[Pawan Durani]

Dear Shuddha ,

My friend Rabindra had explained the Shiv Lingam as follows , I am
quite sure that those who really intent to understand the logic would
try to study it carefully and understand it . It is not about winning
an email exchange competition , which i believe is also atleast not
what you are looking for.

Recently there have been several ignorant statements made regarding
“LINGA” in several Hindu sites by the Hindus who are completely taken
by the western scholars. Who in turn, either because of their devious
motives or at best because of ignorance about the sanskruta
vayaakarNa, have completely mistranslated or misconstrued the meanings
of our scriptures and our sacred categories. In any case, since Hindus
have stopped learning the Sanskruta language and west has spent
millions to translate and interpret our tradition our old and young
learn the tradition from the English translations created by the west.
Because we have become linguistic aliens hence cultural aliens in our
own land we lap-up all the non-sense the Christian-west dishes out
about us.

In order to bring out the systematic distortions brought in by the
west about understanding our traditions we need to understand the
notion of “pada” in sanskruta language. There are very many other
aspects of the Sanskruta vayaakarna whose ignorance among the western
Sanskruta experts, exponentially distorts the meanings. But the
understanding of “pada” and its meaning will bring out the issue.

VarNa is the basis of Sanskruta language. In Sanskrit language there
is a concept called “pada”, which people who are English centered,
translate as word. However the “pada” the smallest “finished” unit
used in Sanskrit communication has in it aspects which have no
parallel in any other language.  These aspects render the construction
of the lexical dictionary for the Sanskrit impossible.

A Sanskrit “pada” is an end product of three aspects. A “pada” is
constructed out of a “prakruti” (a base word) a pratyaya (a modifier)
and prakriya (the process of joining together the base word (prakruti)
its modifier (pratyaya) and the process (prakriya). Once a pada is
complete its meaning is completely fixed. It has no alternative
meanings. To make things simpler there are verb type prakrutis and the
noun/pronoun type prakrutis. The standard Sanskruta provides a list of
the verb type prakrutis and also a list of noun/pronoun type
prakrutis. ( I may add that one can always add noun-type prakruti in
the language with the assigned meaning, rest of its usage is
completely governed by vayaakarNa.) However in order to construct a
Vaakya, one has to fist construct the pada. But as pointed out above
that needs “modifiers” and the “processors”. The verb type modifiers
called “tiNganta” and the noun-type modifiers called “subanta” are
also already given by the grammarians. Further more a “pada” may have
gone to multiple turns through the above processes and the meaning
will depend on the complete history of previous processing and at each
stage on the “base, modifier, and processing” aspects. An Noun-type
can become a verb type and vice-versa through these process back and
forth. Since meaning depends upon all three aspects at each stage and
the history of the intermediate changes, it is impossible to create a
lexical Sanskruta dictionary.  It is because of this impossibility,
when ever you see a Sanskruta dictionary you find a plethora of
meanings assigned to a Sanskruta word. Some times confusing the’
prakruti” with the “pada” and some times not even realizing the
intermediate processes the “pada” may have gone through. Hence any one
who uses these dictionaries, can pick any one of the tens or some time
hundreds of meanings assigned in the dictionary and bring out a
meaning they want to show. On the other hand the “pada” has a
completely fixed meaning. What I have pointed out is only a tip of the
iceberg. Most of the westerners do not go through the PANini or
Sidhanta Kaumudi. They use a model of lerningthe sanskriut which may
be suitable for other languages but not for Sanskruta. In fact even
after going through PANini it will not be possible to understand veda
completely. To understand the Veda one has to go through further
studies of Nirukhta, shixsha etc. etc.

Take the case of interpretation of the “Linga” in the Shiva Linga. It
is always interpreted by the westerners as ‘Phallus”. Which lot of our
ignorant Marxists and “pseudo-secularist” gulp down and start beating
other Hindus who identify themselves with the tradition.

In Agama we are told that “ लीय्ते यस्य तद् लिङ्गम्” , i.e  Whatever
brings the absorption “लय” occurs that is “लिङ्ग”. It goes onto
enumerate five “लिङ्ग”.  १. ब्र्ह्माङ्ढ लिङ्ग २. पिण्ढ लिङ्ग ३. आत्म
लिङ्ग ४. ज्ञाण लिङ्ग ५. शिव लिङ्ग.  Clearly linga here is meant either
as the indicator in which one can get absorbed. Clearly the linga of
Atma and Jnyanam can not be phallus unless of course some one has a
different axe to grind. These are the Lingas in which one can get
absorbed. If you see the “pulinga and striya linga” in this sense
these also fit as indicators of that which can bring forth absorption.

Next consider Prana-linga, in the sense of PraNa Shaktee it is also an
indicator in which tradition talks of absorption. However as a “KauSha
as in Prana-maya-KauSha” the linga can only be an indicator and not a
phallus.

Then there is a use of word Linga in VayaakarNa as follows,
धातु-सूत्र-गणोणादि-वाक्य-लिङ्गानुशासनम्
आगमप्र्त्य्यादेशा उपदेशा: प्र्कीर्तिता:

Not even a highly diabolically motivated individual can translate it a
anushasana of phallus of Vaakya. As in this case he will certainly set
himself as a laughing stock among its readers. But then may be I ma
being generousJ.

Next time you read about Shivalinga in the aspect of phallus, don’t
condemn Hindu tradition, instead condemn the ignorance of the author.

Ravindra



AkulasyAsya devasya kulaprathanashAlinee
KOulikI sA parA shaktiraviyukto yayA prabhu:
ArUpasya kuto dhyAnam nirguNasya cha nama kim
pUrNasyAvAhanam kutra sarvAdhArasya chAsanam