GLORY OF LORD SIVA

[Ms Tercy Lonan]

GLORY OF LORD SIVA
OM I bow with folded palms to Lord Siva Who is the Lord of the universe, World Teacher,
Who is the Destroyer of Tripuras (three cities of lust, anger and egoism), Who is the Lord of Uma,
Gauri, Ganga, Who is full of light, knowledge and bliss, Who is the Lord of Yogis, who is the
storehouse of knowledge and Who is known by the various names as Mahadeva, Sankara, Hara,
Sambhu, Sadashiva, Rudra, Soolapani, Bhairava, Uma-Maheshwara, Neelakantha, Trilochana,
Tryambaka, Viswanatha, Chandrasekhara, Ardhanaareesvara, Maheshwara, Neelalohita, Parama
Siva, Digambara, Dakshinamurthi, etc.
How merciful He is! How loving and kind He is! He even wears the skulls of His devotees
as a garland around His neck. He is an embodiment of renunciation, mercy, love and wisdom. It is a
mistake to say that He is the destroyer. Lord Siva in reality is the regenerator. Whenever one’s
physical body becomes unfit for further evolution in this birth, either by disease, old age or other
causes, He at once removes this rotten physical sheath and gives a new, healthy, vigorous body for
further quick evolution. He wants to take all His children to His Lotus Feet quickly. He desires to
give them His glorious ‘Siva-Padam’. It is easier to please Siva than to please Hari. A little Prem
and devotion, a little chanting of His Panchakshara (the Mantra OM NAMAH SIVAYA which has
five letters) is quite sufficient to infuse delight in Siva. He gives boons to His devotees quite readily.
How large is His heart! He gave Pasupatha Astra (a weapon) to Arjuna, without any difficulty, for
his little penance. He gave a precious boon to Bhasmasura. In Kalahasthi, near Tirupathi, He gave
Darshan to Kannapa Nayanar, the devoted hunter. In Chidambaram, even the untouchable saint
Nandan had the Darshan of Lord Siva. He ran with tremendous speed to make the boy Markandeya
immortal, when he was in the clutches of the God of Death—Yama. Ravana of Lanka pleased Lord
Siva, with his Sama-chantings (Sama is one of the three Vedas). He initiated the Four Divine
Youths (Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanathana, Sanatkumara) into the mysteries of Jnana, in the form of
Dakshinamurthy. In Madura He assumed the form of a boy and carried earth on His head for a
devoted lady. Look at His unbounded mercy for His devotees! When Brahma and Vishnu went to
find out the Head and Feet of Lord Siva, He assumed the form of an infinite, expansive blaze of
light. They were baffled. How magnificent and self-effulgent He is! He lived for several years in the
house of Pattinathu Swami of South India, as his adopted son, and disappeared, after giving him the
small note: ‘Even the broken needles will not follow you after death.’ The reading of this note was
the starting point for attainment of Jnana for the Swami. Why do you all not attempt this very
second, with sincerity, to realise God?
Hatha Yogis awaken the Kundalini Shakti that is lying dormant in the Muladhara Chakra,
by Asana, Pranayama, Kumbhaka, Mudra and Bandha, taking it up through different Chakras
(centres of spiritual energy) viz., Swadhisthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha and Ajna, and join
it with Lord Siva at the Sahasrara, the thousand-petalled lotus at the crown of the head. They drink
the nectar of Immortality. This is termed Amrita-Srava. When the Shakti is united with Siva, full
illumination comes to the Yogi.
Lord Siva represents the destructive aspect of Brahman. That portion of Brahman that is
enveloped by Tamo-guna-pradhana-Maya is Lord Siva Who is the all-pervading Iswara, and Who
also dwells in Kailasa. He is the storehouse of wisdom. Siva minus Parvathy is pure Infinite Being.
With Maya, He becomes Saguna Brahman (personal God) for the purpose of pious devotion of His

devotees. Devotees of Lord Rama must worship Siva also. Rama Himself worshipped Lord Siva at
the famous Rameshvaram. Lord Siva is the Lord of ascetics and Lord of Yogins robed in space
(naked - Digambaras).
His Trisul (trident) that is held in His right hand represents the three Gunas—Satva, Rajas
and Tamas. That is the emblem of sovereignty. He wields the world through these Gunas. The
Damaru (drum) in His left hand represents the Sabda Brahman (OM) from which all languages
have been formed. It is He Who formed the Sanskrit language out of the sound of the Damaru. The
wearing of the crescent moon on His head indicates that He has controlled the mind perfectly. The
flow of the Ganga represents the nectar of immortality. Elephant represents, symbolically, the Vritti
(mental modification) of pride. Wearing the skin of an elephant denotes that He has controlled
pride. The tiger represents lust and his sitting on the skin indicates that He has conquered lust. His
holding a deer in one hand indicates that He has removed the tossing or wandering nature of the
mind. Deer jumps from one object to another. His wearing of serpents around His neck denotes
wisdom and eternity. Serpents live for a large number of years, and represent Time which glides
away smoothly! He is Trilochana (Three-eyed), in the centre of whose forehead is the third eye, the
eye of wisdom. Nandi, the bull that sits in front of the Siva Lingam represents Pranava (OM). The
Lingam represents Adwaita (monism). It points out ‘I am one without a second’ just as a man raises
his right hand above his head pointing out his right index finger only.
Kailas hills in Tibet are a huge range with a central, beautiful, naturally carved and
decorated shining peak, eternally clad with silvery snow, 22,980 feet above sea-level. Some take
the height to be 22,028 feet. This particular peak is in the from of a natural, huge Siva Lingam. This
is worshipped as the form of Lord Siva from a distance. There is neither a temple nor a priest, nor
daily worship here. I had the fortune to have Darshan of Kailas through the grace of Lord Siva on
July 22nd, 1931. I even climbed with panting breath to the foot of Kailas peak where the river Indus
takes its origin. It is a picturesque and soul-stirring scene. You will have to ascend from Didipha
Guha, the first halting place in the Parikrama (circumambulation) of Kailas which covers 30 miles.
It takes three days. On the way comes the famous and sacred Gauri Kund which is eternally covered
with snow. You will have to break the snow when you take a bath.
The following are the twelve Jyotir Lingas of Lord Siva:
1. Somnath in Gujerat.
2. Mallikarjun in Sri Saila Parvat near Tirupati.
3. Mahakalam in Ujjain in Gwalior State.
4. Omkareshwar on the banks of the river Narmada in Amaleshwaram.
5. Bhaijnath near Gaya.
6. Naganath in Southern India.
7. Kedarnath in the Himalayas.
8. Tryambak, near the source of the Godavari, in the Nasik district, Bombay.
9. Rameswaram in South India.
10. Bhima Sankar, near Poona.
11. Viswanath in Banares.
12. Grineshwar (Gokarna) in Kharwar district.

Even if people remember these 12 places both morning and evening, the sins of seven births
will be destroyed.