This is just another way of looking at the Hindu Gods. The one that fascinates me the most is Shiva…. I have always seen him as the Greatest Scientist of his time. This is an attempt to give reasons to my opinion on Shiva the Great Scientist.
Before I start giving reasons ..I would like my readers to think of a Airplane. Since we all have seen a airplane its quiet easy to imagine it right. Now try explaining it to a person who has never seen one, obviously it would be something like a thing that can fly with a carriage for people to sit in between the wings … what this person probably will imagine is a bird carrying a carriage in between its wings and flying around, cause the only thing they has seen flying is a bird.
Keeping the above example in mind think of all Ramayan and Mahabharata stories. This I will cover in other articles in detail. Right now my focus is Shiva.
Shiva is considered to be the most powerful as well as the most destructive God or Deity. There are 3 different ways Shiva is portrayed.
1. As a person with snake in his neck with a Damroo and Trishul in his hands and Ganga flowing from his Head.
2. As Shiv Ling
3. Nataraja
The Story of Shiva is he is married to Parwati and has 2 sons Ganesh and Subramanium.
The part of history that attracted me to Shiva and actually got me going on this subject is about him putting a head of Elephant on his son Ganesha and a Goat head for his Father-in-Law. Ganesha’s story most people know but the story of Himavat is in the Amar Chitra Katha , it goes like this that Shiva was invited to a yajna to Himavat’s palace and while Shiva was seated Himavat didn’t look at him and so Shiva got angry and cut off his head and after seeing Parvati crying for her father he put a Goat head to Himavat and saved his life.
Replacing heads at 2 different occasions makes Shiva the greatest Surgeon of his times. Also consider this that he was not only a Surgeon but also a great scientist of his times.
When we talk about Thomas Edison this is the kind of picture people paint for this great scientist who gave us the light Bulb. (picture on the left)
So when someone makes an invention they are remembered not only by their face or picture but also a picture of their invention is added to their picture profile.
You might ask what I am getting at. Here it comes….. If Shiva was the greatest Scientist of his times then his picture should also show a symbol or a picture of his inventions right. That’s how human mind portrays things. Bang ! See the picture on the right.
The Shiv Ling is in this picture with Shiva.
Observing the Shiv Lingam people have tried to resemble it with different things but the
closest it comes to resemble is the Nuclear Reactor in shape and under the conditions it is kept.
Nuclear Reactors are usually Dome shaped and has a platform on which it rests upon similar to the lingam, Also notice that the Shiv Ling always has water dropping on it which is the same conditions a nuclear reactor is kept.
Shiva is considered as a Creator and Destructor at the same time. Nuclear energy is constructive and destructive at the same time.
Shiva Temples are always built near water bodies same conditions apply for a Nuclear Plant.
The water flowing from the lingam is not used as prasad giving the indication that the water is contaminated and should flow away.
People don’t do parikrama ( going around the idle) which is a usual thing to do around deities. On prestigious Priests and care takers can go around the Shiv ling.