Divine dance by shiva

                                                  Writer : Pro.Dr. V.K.Trivedi 

Who is Shiva? And what is the meaning of the shivalinga, Shiva’s symbol or icon?Who is Parvati? Why do people go on pilgrimage 

to places like the Amaranath cave in Kashmir? What is the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?What is the meaning of Shiva’s dance?

           

             In the Vedic way God, or Brahman, is perceived as being beyond logical and associational categories. That is why it is viewed as the entity that has all attributes or is beyond all attributes! But it assumes various forms when the context of the inquiry is limited. This is how a single all-pervading, omniscient entity takes many forms and comes to have many names.

Each name is a deva, a bright point of consciousness that represents different angles to the same effulgence! These devas reside within us and also without. The essence of the tradition is knowledge. Veda means knowledge. And the tradition is called vaidika, “Vedic,” or equivalently Arya Dharma, “the noble way,” Satya Dharma, “the way of the truth,” or Sanatana Dharma, “the eternal way.” God or Brahman are synonymous with truth.

Ordinary knowledge is paradoxical because it is limited knowledge. On the other hand, true knowledge cannot be apprehended in terms of conditioned experience or language. Symbols are used to represent transcendental notions of reality and existence. But it is understood that these symbols are only to help one obtain this experience. These symbols must be infused with movement since the underlying reality is that of change.

The Atharvaveda has a very famous hymn which throws light on the mystery of Shiva. This is the hymn to skambha, the cosmic frame or pillar of creation. This is the pillar which gives a unity to the creation.

It may also be visualized as the axis around which the stars move.