Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Parvati worshipping Shiva’s linga or Shiva’s phallus.
It is believed that the linga of Shiva, cursed by the sages, fell on the earth and burnt everything before it like fire. Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva, took the form of a yoni or vagina and calmed it by holding the linga in her yoni.’
According to the Hindu mythology:
‘During the great mythical churning of the ocean called Samudra Manthan, a pot of poison emerged from the ocean. The gods and the demons were terrified as it could destroy the entire world. When they ran to Shiva for help, he in order to protect the world, drank the deadly poison but held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. This turned his throat blue, and since then he came to be known as ‘Nilkantha’, the blue-throated one.’
The phallus symbol representing Shiva is called the lingam. It is usually made of granite, soapstone, quartz, marble or metal, and has a ‘yoni’ or vagina as its base representing the union of organs. Devotees circumambulate the lingam and worship it throughout the night. It is bathed every three hours with the 5 sacred offerings of a cow, called the ‘panchagavya’ – milk, sour milk, cow dung, cow urine, butter. Then the 5 foods of immortality – milk, clarified butter, curd, honey and sugar are placed before the lingam. Datura fruit and flower, though poisonous, are believed to be sacred to Shiva and thus offered to him.
Maha Shiva ratri is going to be celebrated tonight.
All through the day the devotees keep severe fast, chant the sacred Panchakshara mantra “Om Namah Shivaya”, make offerings of flowers and incense to the Lord amidst ringing of temple bells. They maintain long vigils during the night, keeping awake to listen to stories, hymns and songs. The fast is broken only the next morning, after the nightlong worship.
Shivratri is considered especially auspicious for women. Married women pray for the well being of their husbands and sons, while unmarried women pray for an ideal husband like Shiva, who is the spouse of Kali, Parvati and Durga.
Hindus not only worship penises, they worship vaginas too.
The erotic parts of Hindu mythology are fascinating but the truth is, like other religions, Hinduism is also a highly patriarchal religion. There are many rituals for women to pray for the well-being of their husbands and sons but there is no ritual for men to pray for the well-being of their wives and daughters.
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bharat dosi
March 10, 2013 at 6:06 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
please read Amish book Mehula about this subject .
irisvanderpluym
March 10, 2013 at 6:13 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Hmmm. I think I’ll celebrate tonight…with a few, um, modifications to the ritual.
suman
March 10, 2013 at 9:11 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
“Man is made by his belief, as believe so he is”. So it depend upon the person what he/she believe in, no body is right and no body is wrong, its the way we look at the things around us ….what is good to us is bad for others and whatever bad for us may be good for others…., its only our point of view doesn’t match with our opponents..
baba
March 10, 2013 at 10:03 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
There is no Truth – only Perception.
Animesh
March 10, 2013 at 10:25 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
I am not so religious but I know little about this. What you mentioned here is not 100% true. You have made a mistake by saying Shiva’s Linga is the part of his genital. The explanation of the Shiva-Linga as a phallic emblem was brought forward by the most thoughtless, and was forthcoming in India in her most degraded times, those of the downfall of Buddhism.In fact the Shiva-Linga had its origin in the idea of the Yupa-Stambha or Skambha—the sacrificial post, idealized in Vedic ritual as the symbol of the Eternal Brahman.
partha
March 11, 2013 at 10:33 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Dear Taslima,
Are you happy without embracing any religion and its faith. You have done enough harm to yourself along with our society. Man and woman are just born, nonody made them purposely. Either God or nature has made them to preserve this beaitiful world. There are many differences scientifically or otherwise. Please accept it. Mother Nature is great, please accept man and woman in their own form. Do not try to go against nature, it will definitely harm. In Hidu mythology Man and woman has equal rights. Lord shiva and Parvati had equal power too.
So forget all agony and embrace Islam your original religion, come to main stream society and enjoy life. Better say sorry to your countrymen for all you did wrong and go back to yoiur country and live happily over thre. Good wishes to you.
Taslima Nasreen
March 11, 2013 at 3:01 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
You are an ignorant, idiot, filthy religious fanatic. If you believe in women’s equal rights, you would not have misogynistic systems like sati, dowry, widow suffering etc. and you would not have continued raping, abusing, murdering children and women everyday.
Taru Dutt
March 13, 2013 at 12:41 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
WELL SAID, Taslimadi!
tuneeer
March 11, 2013 at 4:46 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Hindus shows the greatest respect to women than any other religion,
we worship Durga,Lakshmi and saraswati for 4 days continuously in the month of October.
then in November we worship Kali.
every house of Hindus have more female deities than males
don’t talk rubbish Taslima
Taslima Nasreen
March 11, 2013 at 6:35 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
You guys worship goddesses. But you hate,harass, exploit, abuse, rape, gang-rape, traffic, murder your girls and women everyday. Go see the statistics. It is very high compare to other countries which do not worship goddesses.
Jockaira
March 11, 2013 at 9:32 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
There’s religion, then there’s culture…
Each excuse the other.
Taru Dutt
March 13, 2013 at 12:42 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Indians worship goddesses but have nothing but hatred and contempt for real women.
secular
March 26, 2013 at 3:51 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
THis article is completely FALSE and has no meaning in real, not even closely related to any Genuine Hindu sculpture,
the reality is http://dp999.wordpress.com/2008/06/23/misconception-about-shiv-linga/
and as far as dowry, sati or widow suffering is concerned, please prove it to me these are orignially hindu culture, prove it to me its written in the sacred books like the vedas and i shall convert, go to the past, read history, find out why such systems had emerged within the Hindus, do your research and then open ur guttury mouth.
there are many things. that can be easily misinterpreted, its upto the person how pervert minded he or she is and you my honey just proved me right by writing this article.
If you DO NOT KNOW, about a religion or its customs or culture don’t bloddy comment.
Taslima Nasreen, u r most blind mind F****d b***h ive ever come across in my life.
and i will consider legal action for posting such a misleading article in public space and hurting religios sentiments.
good luck.
Aditya
March 26, 2013 at 4:17 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Dear Taslima,
On the one hand your observations about the condition of women is true and are reflected in the crime statistics. It is deplorable and something that rather should not happen.
But for you to base your observations that they have root in religion is not correct. Infact the story that you have written about Mahashivratri above is factually incorrect, it is no different than any common place written stories.
Shiv-lingam has nothing to do with the Shiva’s phallus, the representation Shiva-linga is just the representation of Shiva whose nature has no beginning and no end and is generous and bholenath (the simple one); On Maha-shivratri it is not just Shiv Panchakshara mantra that is chanted, but Rudram-Chamkam, Shiv mahimna amongst others.
As far as Hindus treating women is concerned, I am the one who does the fast on Shivratri and not my wife;
and there are many like me who do so, you may quote examples of everything wrong and curse Hinduism but for every tragedy that you quote, there are 1000 others who respect/revere and love our mothers/daughters/wife.
You also mention Sati, for your information Sati was abolished by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in 19th Century and is not practiced anymore. Additionally the practice of Sati had its roots in Jauhar that wives of Rajput rulers did to escape the rape/mutilation/humiliation at the hands of Muslim invaders who did incredible damage to Hindu religion and Indian Culture.
You want to highlight all that is bad sure do, but cursing religion has no end and is not fair. My knowledge of hinduism never told me all what you say so conveniently state in your writings. You are a writer of decent repute that comes with responsibility towards your readers.
Aditya.
hargovind
March 26, 2013 at 5:30 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
Tasleema,
I think you deserve what you got. Don’t forget that you are in our country and at our mercy. Stop abusing Hinduism and don’t try to teach us. If the Hindus also go against you, you would have nowhere to hide. I once had sympathy for you, but now I think they should not have let you out of the country alive.
It’s Sunday — and we are totally worshiping the Lord! |
March 10, 2013 at 7:58 pm (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
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March 26, 2013 at 8:25 am (UTC 5.5) Link to this comment
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