Metaphorical Understanding of Mythological (Puranic) Shiv
Depictions
Shiva is mythologically represented in a variety of forms: in a pacific mood with his consort Parvati and son Skanda, as the cosmic dancer (Nataraja), as a naked ascetic, as a mendicant beggar, as a yogi, as a Dalit (formerly called untouchable) accompanied by a dog (Bhairava), and as the androgynous union of Shiva and his consort in one body, half-male and half-female (Ardhanarishvara). He is both the great ascetic and the master of fertility, and he is the master of both poison and medicine through his ambivalent power over snakes. As Lord of Cattle (Pashupata), he is the benevolent herdsman—or, at times, the ruthless slaughterer of the “beasts” that are the human souls in his care. Although some of the combinations of roles may be explained by Shiva’s identification with earlier mythological figures, they arise primarily from a tendency in Hinduism to see complementary qualities in a single ambiguous figure.
Classically, Shiva’s depiction is white because of the ashes of corpses smeared on his body. He has a blue neck because of withholding poison in his throat. He wears a crescent moon and the Ganges River as decorations in his hair, a garland of skulls, and a serpent around his neck. He has three eyes and, according to different myths, either two or four hands.
The symbolism of Shiva’s form
In Hinduism or Sanatana Philosophy, symbols and metaphors find usage to communicate a message or teach a lesson meaningful in our day to day life. Almost everything is symbolic in the representation of various Gods and Goddesses.
Pictures and idols of Shiva are depicted with a snake around his neck. Many take it as a literal reality. However, it is merely a symbolic representation. We shall try to understand the symbolic meaning of the snake coiled around the neck and the other decorations adorning the picture of Shiva.
Snake
There are different figurative explanations for the snake around the neck of Shivji.
- Snake or serpent is looked upon as a dreadful enemy of man. Whenever we see a snake, fearful emotions get generated within us, and the instant reaction is to try and kill it. So, the symbolic meaning of Shivji adorning the serpent around his neck is a suggestion of shunning ‘enmity’ and embracing it. This is expected of people undertaking the path of Dharma (righteous living).
- Snake stands as a representation of ‘ego’ or anger. Whenever anyone says something to our dislike, like scolding, cursing, bad-mouthing, telling the truth to our face etc., our ego gets hurt, and we react differently with anger. Our ego remains firmly embedded within us and recoils like a snake when poked. Shiva wearing the snake around his neck symbolises the conquering of ego, so to say, defanging it and allowing no place for it within. It also means controlling our anger.
- In a spiritual sense, one must rise above mundane things or be detached from worldly/materialistic longings. We are very much vulnerable to it. The snake, a deadly creature around Shiva’s neck, indicates his invulnerability to such deadly desires.
- Another figurative understanding is compassion and the ‘live and let live’ policy. The snake around Shiva’s neck represents his compassionate nature and the policy of ‘live and let live’.
- Another metaphorical message conveyed is to get out of the cycle of birth and death.
- The serpent also represents Kundalini, the spiritual energy that lies coiled in the mooladhara chakra at the base of our spine. It is also known as the Mooladhara wheel of energy. It needs to be awakened, as happens during self-awakening or self-realisation. The energy rises from the Mooladhara wheel to the highest Sahasrara through the Sushumna channel, awakening five other wheels on its way up.
- Finally, an explanation for the three coils of the snake in the neck of Shivji. The three coils indicate transcending the three times, past, present and future.
Moon
Shiva’s matted hair is decorated with a crescent moon. Moon is always related to coolness. The symbolic meaning is that one should keep one’s head cool, not be given to anger.
Moon also indicates the calmness of mind, and so wearing the moon on the head suggests keeping the head cool or maintaining calmness of mind at all times and conditions.
The Ganges on the head
The Ganges is symbolic of knowledge and purity. Knowledge is an aspect of the mind and not the heart. That is why the Ganges appears to come out of the head of Shiva.
Gita says:
न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते |
तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्ध: कालेनात्मनि विन्दति ||
Gita, 4/38
na hi jñānena sadṛiśhaṁ pavitramiha vidyate
tatsvayaṁ yogasansiddhaḥ kālenātmani vindati
Gita, 4/38
There is nothing as sacred and purifying as divine knowledge in this world. One who has attained purity of mind through the prolonged practice of Yog receives such knowledge within the heart in due course of time.
Knowledge has the power to purify, elevate, liberate, and unite a person with God. It is thus supremely sublime and pure. But a distinction needs to be made between two kinds of knowledge—theoretical information and practical realisation.
One kind of knowledge is acquired by reading the scriptures and listening to a Guru. This theoretical information is insufficient by itself. It is as if someone has memorised a cookbook but never cooked. Such theoretical knowledge of cooking does not help in satiating one’s hunger. Without rational knowledge, one cannot distinguish between righteousness-unrighteousness, right-wrong, appropriate-inappropriate etc.
Similarly, one may acquire theoretical knowledge about the soul, God, Maya, karma, jñāna, and bhakti from the Guru, but that does not make a person God-realized. However, when one undertakes spiritual endeavours, as per the theory, it purifies the mind. Then, from within, one realises the nature of the self and its relationship with God. The Sage Patañjali states:
śhrutānumāna-prajñābhyām anya-viṣhayā viśheṣhārthatvāt
Yog Darśhan 1.49 [v36]
“The knowledge attained by realisation from within through the practice of Yoga is far superior to theoretical knowledge of the scriptures.” Shree Krishna is extolling such realised knowledge as the purest sublime thing. Hence, the need to adorn the knowledge-form of the Ganges.
Riding on a bull
We know that Godhead Shiv has many followers. Isn’t it a little comical that the followers ride in automobiles costing lakhs of rupees while the adored one is riding on a bull!
The white bull is a symbolic representation of ‘Righteousness or Dharma’. The four legs of the righteous bull represent the four Vedas, the treasure books of knowledge. The one who imbibes the knowledge of all four Vedas alone is righteous.
Drinking intoxicant (Bhaang)
Shivji is an ascetic ever immersed in a meditative trance. How can such a divine being ever partake of any intoxicant? Ayurveda says so: “Buddhi tummathi yadh dravyam madhkahari thadhuchhyathe”. It means intoxicant is said of that which corrupts senses and intelligence. How can one bereft of intelligence and senses be righteous? Intellect is the seventh sign of righteousness (Dharma). In reality, Shivji is not intoxicated by any intoxicant but intoxicated by intense meditation. A person who gets inebriated remains unaware of the world. Similarly, Shivji also remains oblivious of the world, intoxicated in his meditational concentration on the Supreme Lord (Paar Brahm or Paramatma).
Three eyes
All have two outer eyes, and the third eye represents the inner vision. We witness and remain involved in worldly drama with the outer eyes. A true spiritual practitioner is one whose inward vision (third wye) is awakened.
As elucidated above, the mythological pictures of Shiva actually convey meanings which are metaphorically represented and are not the actual appearance of Shivji.
