LINGA: LORD SHIVAS PHALLUS The linga, a sacred symbol often worshipped in Hindu temples, is the phallus of Lord Shiva. The origin of the linga is outlined in various Hindu scriptures: From the Kurma Purana -- In the Pine Forest, Shiva seduces the wives of the sages, so the sages curse him for this immoral behavior: When the sages saw Siva naked and excited they beat him and they said, Tear out your linga. The great yogi said to them, I will do it, if you hate my linga, and he tore it out and vanished. -- Kurma Purana 2:38:39-41; cf. Haracaritacintamani 10:74; Yagisvaramahatmya 26a. 14. [OFlaherty, Wendy D. Siva: The Erotic Ascetic. Pub.: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-520250-3. p.132]. From the Bhavisya Purana -- In another version, Shiva (and the other two deities of the Trimurti) rape the sage Atris wife and are punished: One day when the sage Atri was performing asceticism with his wife Anasuya, Brahma, Visnu and Siva came to him and offered him a boon. When Atri continued to meditate, the three gods went to Anasuya; Siva had his linga in his hand, Visnu was full of erotic feeling, and Brahma, beside himself with desire, said, Make love to me or I will die. When she heard this coarse speech, Anasuya made no reply, for, although she feared the anger of the gods, she was true to her husband. But the three gods were overcome by delusion, and they raped her by force. Then she became angry, and she cursed Siva to be worshipped as a linga, Brahma to be worshipped as a head, and Visnu to be worshipped as feet, in order to ridicule them all, and she cursed them all to be reborn as her sons. Because of this, Siva was born as Durvasas. -- Bhavisya Purana 3:4:17:67-78. [OFlaherty, Wendy D. The Origins of Evil in Hindu Mythology. Pub.: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-04098-8. pp.302-303]. Incidently, the behavior of Lord Shivas wife, the goddess Parvati, was not really any better than her husbands behavior. In the Siva and Kalika Puranas, Parvati shamelessly walks out of the bedroom half-naked, revealing her breasts: When the gods interrupted Siva and Parvati, two sons were born of drops of Sivas seed. These sons were then posted at the door to prevent further interruptions while Siva made love to Parvati, having promised the gods that he would not spill his seed in her. One day Parvati came out of the bedroom in great dishabille, half naked, her breasts scored with teeth marks. The two sons chanced to see her like that, and they were upset, but Parvati became angry and said, Why have you looked at me when I was not in a state to be seen by anyone but my husband? You should have closed your eyes. Since you have done this immoral thing, you will be reborn as mortal men with the faces of monkeys. Then they were miserable and protested that it was her fault for having come out so suddenly, and they cursed her to become a mortal queen (Taravati) and Siva to be her husband (Candrasekhara) so that they themselves might be born again as their sons, Vetala and Bhairava. -- Siva Purana 3:21:1-8; Kalika Purana 49:1-92, 50:1-64, 51:1-60, 52:1-155, 53:1-217. [OFlaherty, Wendy D. Siva: The Erotic Ascetic. Pub.: Oxford University Press. ISBN
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 06:25:00 +0000
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