By Prerna Bhandari
All of you might have wondered at least once in your life why people smoke up in the name of Shiva. Why is it that Shivratri is celebrated and why does the ‘prasad’ include ‘bhaang’?
Well, that’s because lord Shiva was probably the most hip gods in the history of hindu mythology. If he existed in today’s time, he’d be the most lit.
Speaking of which, do you know how Lord Shiva emerged as a god?
Here, lets find out:
Shiva’s emergence as a god in hinduism
Lord Shiva is god who is unlike the typical gods. He is a yogi yet a hippy, an aesthetic yet a romanticist and sober yet a destroyer. Shiva’s history goes back to the place where the history of all untraceable beings go to, the Vedas.
The first reference to him appeared in the Indus Valley civilisation where he found mention as a god. And after this, as lives of famous people unfound, there was no looking back for Shiva. Every nook and corner of India worshipped Bholenath.
Shiva’s manifestations
Shiva is oddly seen as a Sanyasi in some stories while a romanticist in others. He experienced the life of a yogi in the Himalayas. But when he got bored of chanting the same mantras, he got down and married Devi. Our Bholenaath was so full of love that he decided to make Devi happy before settling down with Parvati.
The Lord surely gives a tough time to his devotees in understanding him. Innocent saint or a wrathful destroyer, one can’t decide for sure.
There’s his Bholenath roop in North India. One can’t really comment whether he is so innocent or super smart where he easily agrees to Ravana’s wish to make Parvati his wife.
Another is the Asutosh roop, where he is quick enough to lose his anger but gains his clam back as quickly as a child who forgives you when you give him a candy.
The bhairava roop is one of his most famous. It literally means that he assumes the most bhayanak roop, a roop in which you would expect your professor when he catches you cheating!
Mythical stories behind the Lord
Shiva’s modernity will be too cool to handle even for today’s generation. He would roam naked with an erect phallus almost as freely as strolling in a park. For those who think masturbating is levels, think again my friends. Though conservation pestered Shiva to cover himself, but he agreed in style. He covered his body with bits and pieces of animal skin as if ready to walk on a ramp show.
Shiva completely believed in the truth of blazing to stay amazing! Be it weed or Cannabis, he would not leave a chance to get high. So much so that he got so stoned once that he punished one crore Gods and Goddesses for not waking up on time and turned them into stones! That must have been one hell of a hung over now.
Whether Shiva was straight or just an experimentalist is not very clear. For a God who got lured by the female form of his chuddy buddy Vishnu, the so called ‘unnatural’ feelings in people seem normal to me now.
Shiva must have been a big fan of black current ice cream. Because no other reason could justify his act of drinking poison from the ocean and storing it in his throat.
Shiva loved challenges and here is to when he took on a big one
Maa Ganga was supposed to descend to Earth but feared that delicate Earth would not be able to handle her flow. On hearing this, the immovable Shiva says, I’ll sit in one place and Ganga can fall on my head.” And here is to how her force restrained, and she started flowing like a river towards civilisation.
Well, Lord Shiva is that character in mythology who leaves all his devotees in awe of his ways and manners. He lived in style and lived it big.
On that note, ‘Shubh Shivratri’!
Picture Credits: Google Images
You may also like: Could Taj Majal Actually Be a Shiva Temple? Taj Mahal or Tejo Mahalay?
