The Shiva Linga and its Meaning

Written by Dr. David Frawley

The sexual symbolism of Tantra, like the subject of sexuality in general, has always
engaged the human mind. The modern mind seems to be obsessed with it as well. Many
people into Tantra, as well as most of the scholars who write on it, seem unable to move
beyond the physical suggestions of these symbols to their spiritual indications. This has
kept the study and practice of Tantric Yoga at a superficial level in which its deeper
cosmic and creative energies remain latent.

There is an inclination to reduce the Shiva linga and Shakti yoni, the two main Tantric
symbols of ascending and descending forces - which are often represented by upright
conical stones for the Shiva linga and ring stones or basis for the Shakti yoni - to merely
the male and female sex organs, which is but one of their representations, and their erotic
glorification. There is the tradition of Tantric sexuality of mithuna which uses sacred sex
as part of Yoga practice. But it is not the only practice of Tantric Yoga and when done is
integrated into a much larger array of practices.

It would be wrong to look at the linga and the yoni only in human sexual terms, just as it
would be to see the Deities of Shiva and Shakti as only symbols of sexuality. Sexuality,
no doubt, is the strongest of our biological and psychological urges. Yet sexuality
reflects greater and higher forces, of which it is a manifestation.

The polarity of forces that we discover in sexuality is mirrored in the great dualities of
nature from electricity and magnetism, to the forces of fire and water, the sun and the
moon, and the forms of the mountain and the valley. It is this universal duality and
polarity that is the basis of Tantric Yoga, working with it, and through it returning to the
pure unity behind it. Sexuality is an important force that we must understand in the
process, whether we choose to express it in a human relationship or renounce it for a
more solitary path of practice.

The Shiva linga is often portrayed in an upright conical form much like the male sexual
organ. Indeed, some Shiva lingas are quite phallic in their appearance, but there are many
other types of lingas which are not. The linga is the symbol of the universal power, the
cosmic masculine force or the Shiva principle. It has many forms in nature.

In the Sanskrit language, the word linga refers to a ‘chief mark’ or ‘characteristic’ of
something. As a term, it is not per se a synonym for the male sexual organ, as some
would believe. Linga indicates what is outstanding and determinative. In this regard, the
male sexual organ can be said to be the distinguishing characteristic or linga of a man at
a physical level, but linga in other contexts can have quite a different meaning.

In Yoga philosophy, the term linga refers to the subtle body, which is the dominant
principle in our nature over the physical body. The Shiva linga is also the subtle body
and can indicate the upper region from the heart to the head. The linga is a place where
energy is held, generated and sustained.

The problem is that the modern mind, particularly since Freud, often tries to use sex as
the main means of interpreting life, extending even to art and spirituality, which we try to
understand according to sexual symbolism or the sex life of the persons involved! This
‘sexual reductionism’ misses the deeper and broader sensitivities and inspirations that
people have.

Clearly sexuality is there for most everyone, but real spirituality and genuine creativity
are not! Some scholars have gone so far as to try to reduce Hindu Devatas, Gods and
Goddesses to sexual symbols, as if a figure like Ganesha, with his head cut off by his
father, was nothing more than another manifestation of the Oedipal complex, missing his
deeper yogic implications altogether. Of course, such psychological studies have been
done on Christianity and Judaism as well. Freud, himself a Jew, tried to reduce Moses to
the Oedipal complex, starting off this trend. Such studies do not help us understand what
the spiritual path is all about, but get us further caught in our biological impulses as the
primary factors of life. Naturally, such efforts to turn a religion into a sexual neurosis is
not appreciated by Hindus any more than by Christians and Jews!
Symbolisms of the Linga

The Shiva linga represents the ascending energy of consciousness and life in nature. We
see this in such forms as the mountain, the thunder cloud, the tree, and the upright human
being. Many lingas like that at Kedarnath - the most important Shiva site in the
Himalayas - are rocks in the shape of small mountains. Many other lingas are associated
with light, the lingas of the Sun, the Moon and Fire. There are the twelve famous
Jyotirlingas or light forms of Shiva at twelve special temples throughout India.

The state of Tamil Nadu has special Shiva linga forms for the five elements with lingas
of earth, water, fire, air and ether at special temples in the region. In this regard, each
element has its Shiva linga or determinative force. The famous hill of Arunachala, where
the great enlightened sage Ramana Maharshi stayed, is said to be the fire linga of lord
Shiva.

Other Shiva lingas are associated with gold or crystal, the light powers in the metal
kingdom. The Shiva linga is often described in terms of light, crystal or transparency.
Shiva himself is said to be pure light or light in its primal undifferentiated state, Prakasha
matra.

The Shiva linga is connected to the upward pointed triangle, which is also the symbol of
fire. The linga is present in the male sexual organ both in plants and in animals. But we
should not ignore its other forms in recognizing that. The worship of the linga is
connected more generally to a worship of pillars, obelisks, standing stones and pyramids.
Tantric linga worship is connected to Vedic pillar worship (the Vedic stambha, skambha,
dharuna), which has parallels throughout the ancient world and in indigenous cultures in
general who can still perceive the spiritual powers behind the formations of nature.

The Shiva linga is often a pillar of light. In special Vedic fire rituals, the fire could be
made to rise in the shape of a pillar which could also then take the shape of a man! In
fact, the term Dharma originally refers to what upholds things and can be symbolized by
a pillar. The Shiva linga is the universal pillar of Dharma. The pillar is also an inner
symbol indicating the erect spine and concentrated mind.

In terms of our human nature, there are several lingas or characteristic marks. The force
of Prana is the linga or pillar force upholding the physical body according to the currents
that emanate from it. This is the inner ‘Prana Linga’. Our deeper intelligence or Buddhi
provides us the power of insight to discern higher realities, the ‘Buddhi Linga’. The
Atman or higher Self is the ultimate linga or determinative force of our nature that
remains steady and elevated (transcendent) throughout all of our life experience, the
‘Atma Linga’.

The linga and the yoni always go together, first of all on the level of opposites, as the
upward and downward pointed triangles. The linga with the yoni below it, the standing
stone and the ring base, show the union of male and female energies, not just in
sexuality, but also as electro-magnetic forces.

In addition, the linga in its movement creates a yoni, just as a point in its movement can
create a circle. We can see this in the circular movement of the stars, planets and
nebulae, as well as many other diverse phenomena in the world of nature. The central
luminary is the linga and its field of revolution is the yoni. The planets form a yoni or
circle as they revolve around the Sun as the linga, of the solar system, its central
principle or axis. Yet the Sun itself is revolving around other stars and creating a yoni or
circle of its own.

Stonehenge, and other similar sacred sites that have standing stones formed into great
circles, show the union of the linga and the yoni, the cosmic male and female or Shiva-
Shakti principles. The linga and the yoni are also united in the chakra or the wheel, with
the linga as the axis and the yoni as the circumference. The Hindu usage of chakras in
ritual and in art also reflects these two powers. Each chakra of the subtle body shows the
union of the Shiva and Shakti energies operative at its particular level of manifestation.
The Shiva energy is the upward current running through the spine or Sushumna and the
Shakti energy is the horizontal current through which it travels, forming the various
lotuses of the chakras. Together they form a spiral of forces. Both forces are necessary to
create this dynamic motion.

The experience of the Shiva linga in Yogic meditation is an experience of a pillar of

light, energy, peace and eternity, expanding the mind, opening the inner eye and bringing
deep peace and steadiness to the heart. From it radiate waves, currents, circles and
whirlpools of Shakti spreading this grace, love and wisdom to all. To concentrate our
awareness in the linga is one of the best ways of meditation, calming the mind and
putting us in touch with our inner Being and Witness beyond all the agitation and sorrow
of the world.

In Ayurvedic healing, the creation of the Prana linga or concentration of Prana at a subtle
level is what allows deep healing and rejuvenation to occur. In Vedic astrology, the
Shiva linga represents the power of light behind the Sun, Moon, planets and stars. In
Vastu Shastra, the Shiva linga is used to stabilize the spiritual and vital energy in a
house, as a conduit of cosmic forces.

To understand the ultimate secrets of life we must be able to look at the primal powers of
existence, including the needs for sex and food, according to their broader connections
and universal implications. Human sexuality is only one of the many manifestations of
the cosmic forces of duality, of a greater Divine sexuality as it were, which transcends all
creaturely existence.

We must learn to see the cosmic energy behind human sexuality rather than try to reduce
spiritual polarities to our own physical and emotional inclinations. This is another aspect
of Yoga in which we must look beyond human psychology to the universal
consciousness.
Inner Experience Leads Me to Ma Tara
Written by Shambhavi Lorain Chopra

‘‘Saktivikase tu siva eva'' - Pratyabhijnahrdayam 13

On the unfolding of Sakti, one becomes Siva.

At the early hour of Brahma Muhurta, the sacred time of Brahman, on a beautiful, still dawn of
the thirtieth day of the month of March, I woke up to the resounding, powerful vibrations of
the sound OM.........… The white washed walls of my temple room resonated with its
reverberations. Was it a thunderous beckoning from the heavens, a shower of rain hailing the
springtime? The undulating OM sound seemed to originate from outside my window and
permeated the walls, causing my entire being to quiver. I lay back taking in this amazing
current, woken abruptly from my sleep.

And there She was in Her Splendorous form, the Goddess Tara, Her nila (deep blue colour)
skin glowing in the semi-darkness of my room. The faint light from the lit diya (ghee lamp)
enhanced her beauty as she stood to the left side of my bed, an arm outstretched towards me
carrying a Munda, a skull in Her palm! My body was soaked in sweat from the shock and fear
of Her presence. I sat up in bed and wiped the drenched sweat from my neck and breasts and
with a trembling hand switched on the lamp by my bedside. The gentle strains of light from
the lamp filtered through my room.

There was still a quaint trembling in my body. I found my balance and walked over to my
Sacred Space in the corner of my room, which is my Temple, and knelt before her Immense
Presence. I lit an incense of sandalwood and prayed in silence, tears rolling down my cheeks
onto my naked thighs.

I felt almost like a zombie, in a trance, trying to convince myself of the beautiful darshan of Ma
Smashan Tara……And so began my tryst with The Dasha Mahavidya Goddesses, The Ten
Wisdom Goddesses...............and my whole life began to metamorphose. The realization of all
my years of passionate sadhana seemed to be manifesting itself. My need to delve even
deeper into experiencing Tantra, through meditation, Mantra yoga, and Bhakti yoga was
beginning to make its mark on my inner process.

And Life was falling in love all over again, waking up each day to experience the ecstasy and
passion in everything around me. This encounter with the Goddess was a complete shift from
my dalliance with Shiva, whom I had been trying to woo through intense bhakti for several
years.

One afternoon while stilling myself through meditation, I sought guidance from the Divine
Powers to clearly show me the date when Ma would begin to connect with me. I asked my
pendulum, “Show me a number when Ma will appear to me!” The answer was “9”, the ninth of
April 2003! My mind began calculating, realizing the significance of this date. The entire
configuration added up to a count of 9 (09.04.2003), which happened to be the date of the
spring Nava Ratri and my destiny number. The same day a psychic whom I met asked me to
wear a nine-faced (Nava Muhki) Rudraksha bead, which is ascribed to Goddess Durga, on my
left arm. The journey was on!

Yogini, the Enlightened Woman

Written by Shambhavi Lorain Chopra
From the book, Yogini, Unfolding the Goddess Within by Shambhavi Lorain Chopra (Wisdom
Tree Books, www.wisdomtreeindia.com)

"Aham Prema"
I am Divine Love

In the Bhavani-nama-sahasra (the Thousand Names of the Goddess Bhavani) as beautifully

explained by Pandit Jankinath Kaul, "A Yogini is one who is possessed of magical powers.'' Para
Shakti, the Supreme Shakti, in the form of Durga is given the name Yogini. She assumes
various forms and takes on different divine energies to maintain harmony in the Universe, to
combat evil and uphold the good. A woman who gains a transcendental state in sadhana comes
back as a celestial Yogini or Bhairavi, a female adept at Yoga. She carries the energy of Durga
within her.

A true Yogini is an enlightened woman with exuberant passion, spiritual powers and deep
insight. Yoginis communicate a sense of freedom, a sheer mastery in whatever they do. With
their compelling gazes, they can hypnotize even a great yogi and are capable of changing their
shapes at will. Tantric scholars have written about Yoginis as independent, outspoken,
forthright women with a gracefulness of spirit. Without them, yoga can fail in its purpose and
remain sterile.

Shakta texts honor both women and the Earth alike as sources of energy, vitality, physical and
spiritual well-being. Noting this analogy between a Yogini and the earth, an eleventh-century
Tibetan Cakrasamvara commentary states: “Having recognized a Yogini who will delight and
transmit energy and power to him, and feeling passionately attracted to her, if the male
aspirant does not worship that Yogini, she will not bless the yogi, and spiritual attainments will
not arise.'' Miranda Shaw’s book, Passionate Enlightenment, which was introduced to me by
Lokesh Chandraji, first exposed the world of the Yogini to me from a Buddhist perspective.

In Hindu thought, the Yogini represents the Yoga Shakti herself, the Kundalini, as well as the
resident powers or female deities of the different chakras. The Yogini possesses the power of
Yoga herself and can awaken that in others, not only generally but at any point or place in the
body or mind. A man's ability to achieve the higher states of Yoga can be facilitated by his
association with such a female companion who reflects this energy.

Just as a Goddess blesses and benefits her devotees, and the Shakti vivifies all biological,
cultural, and religious practices, so a woman can channel this life force or spiritual energy to
her consort-devotee. A woman is no more depleted by providing this spiritual nourishment than
a mother by nursing her child. In fact, it causes deeper energies to well up from within her.

This spiritual energy is not something that a man can extract or take from a Yogini at will. She
chooses when and on whom to bestow her blessings. Her ability to enhance a man's spiritual
development depends upon her innate divinity as awakened and brought to fruition by her own
yogic practices, which include envisioning herself in the forms of various Goddesses and
investing herself with Their appearances and ornaments, tender and wrathful expressions, and
supernatural powers for liberating beings. By conferring energy and grace upon a man -
''blessing '' or ''empowering'' him - she is not weakening herself but rather sharing her energy
voluntarily with one who has won her favour by meeting the various requirements that she may
impose.

This relationship parallels human-divine relationships in so far as the deity is the benefactor
and the human devotee is the beneficiary. Although the Deity may derive some gratification
from the relationship, the devotee has much more to gain than does the sovereign object of his
devotion. What supplicants ultimately want from their deity is supreme deliverance or
liberation, and this is what male Tantrics should seek to gain from their relationships with
spiritual women. Tantric texts reiterate that a man cannot gain enlightenment without
respecting women and allying himself inwardly with a woman. The woman's beneficence is a
gracious, yet voluntary response to her devotee's supplication, homage and worship.

The Goddess is a great Yogini, devoted to Shiva, yet matching His powers. She is the
embodiment of pure energy, the Mother and matrix of all manifestation, the source of all time,
space and creation. As they practiced Yoga together, Shakti accepted Shiva as her Guru, and
he taught her the ways of transcendent being to guide her to her ultimate liberation. Shiva in
turn also accepted Shakti as his Guru, and she initiated him into his ultimate liberation through
putting him in touch with the supreme power of consciousness.

The Goddess Chhinnamasta, the deity who cuts off her own head, symbolizes the great Yogini,
the wonderful consciousness beyond the mind. She represents the opened Third Eye from
which flashes forth the lightening of direct perception that destroys all duality and negativity.
She is the Yoga Shakti or power of Yoga in its most dramatic action of granting enlightenment.
Hence she is also known as Vajra Yogini. The Vajra is the supreme lightning force of the inner
Self.

Chhinnamasta is the Para-Dakini, the supreme or foremost of the Dakinis, the attendant
Goddesses on the yogic path, who are the yoginis as the powers of the chakras. Sadhakas
seeking the path of occult or yogic powers should worship her, as reiterated by David Frawley
in his book Tantric Yoga and the Wisdom Goddesses, invoking her through the mantra based on
her name as Vajra Vairochani. This facilitates all inner transformations in a dramatic way.
The Yogini is also Bhairavi or the Goddess of Fire below in the muladhara or root chakra. It is
she who becomes Chhinnamasta as she reaches the third eye and opens the crown chakra
beyond. Her blood is light that illumines everything.

Mary Magdalene was such a Yogini, manifesting her Shakti through the flow of light from her
heart and soul. Her Divine love was unconditional and independent of external situations and
dogmas. Yet Divine love is not limited to the ascetic. In my understanding of Tantra, if two
spiritually evolved beings come together in unconditional love, they also can create an energy
field that is most positive and rare, exuding high vibrational levels of peace and love into the
universe.

The ancient cultures of Egypt, Greece, Tibet and India have esoteric traditions glorifying the
initiatory power of the woman. She is considered to be the high priestess who unfolds all higher
knowledge and powers for us. She is Sophia, the source and font of wisdom or Prajna, the
deepest insight into the nature of things. Tantric teachings stress the importance of physical
beauty in a companion but only to initially stimulate and then elevate passion from the sensual
to the spiritual plane. The beauty of the soul surpasses physical beauty.

The ‘initiatory’ power of woman is tremendous, providing the force of passion that is necessary
for developing experiential mysticism. By sharing the secrets of love, a woman can bestow
transcendental power on her lover. The highest form of Shakti is the direct expression of the
wisdom-energy she releases, creating a joyful transformation. A woman can initiate her partner
into such mystical experiences through trust, surrender to higher ideals and spontaneity. It is
the Goddess within each woman who really initiates.

To be a Yogini is the highest spiritual goal for all women. It is the way to become one with the
Goddess within and to bring her out in expression to uplift the world that is really her creation.
Yet it is not an outer appearance but a state of inner energy and ecstasy that makes the Yogini.
She cannot be manipulated, defined or even ever entirely known