Shiva the Shapeless
The oval-shaped shivlinga that we revere has a far deeper significance. Shiva is the Paramatma or highest soul. Shiva is responsible for the creation of the universe. The round shape represents the formlessness of Ishvara (not to be confused with other devas of devatas). It is pure energy. Shiva’s incarnation as a linga represents his incorporeal nature. Shiva is almighty and does not require an identity—he is neither youthful nor old, male nor female, unborn (anadi) or undead (anant). Shiva has always existed as a knowledge powerhouse. A tripund is commonly used to embellish a shivlinga. The tripund represents Shiva’s three characteristics: trinetri, Trilok Nath, and trikaldarshi.
Shankar, the god
Shankar has a really human appearance. His physical shape is said to be the most beautiful in the Universe. Shankar and his consort, Parvati, live on Earth (in Kailash). He is represented with long, matted hair, which represents his austere days. Shankar’s power over fear is symbolized by a serpent curled around his neck. The trident positioned next to (or alongside) him represents his dominance over all three worlds. He generally wears animal skin, which reminds us of his asceticism. The presence of the crescent-shaped moon on his matted hair or jata is said to have cured the moon God of a curse. The damru represents the world’s non-dual character.
Shankar vs. Shiva
Let’s go through some further contrasts between Shiva and Shankara now that we’ve established the form-related discrepancies. Shiva is said to be the creator of all we know, according to legend (and not known). This specific shivaling, according to the Linga Purana, possesses the divine ability to create, destroy, and re-create the existence of everything. All of us exist because of the Supreme Soul. Shankar, on the other side, is the one who annihilates everything. He not only deconstructs the old global order, but he also deconstructs the world’s impurities, doubts, and shadows.
He has no shape. Shiva is everywhere. Shiva is impersonal, abstract, and includes the whole cosmos. Shiva bestows wisdom to both humans and Gods. There is no such thing as good or evil, friend or foe, truth or untrue for Shiva. Everything is Shiva, both the vices and the virtues. Everything began with him, and everything will eventually merge with him, even Shankara, who is generally responsible for the conclusion. According to Shiv Mahapuran’s various stories, Shankar possesses distinct attributes that determine his individuality. The stories focus on Shankar, who begins as a guru before taking the role of a householder and then identifying as a father.
Shankar=Shiva- How do the two relate to one another?
As previously stated, we frequently use the terms, Shiva and Shankar, interchangeably. People, however, are rarely aware of the tiny variations between the two. We’re not completely incorrect to revere them as one. However, doing so without understanding the core distinction is a form of ignorance. Anyway, returning to the commonalities. The creation tales attribute Brahma and Vishnu’s creation to the everlasting formless Shiva. Shiv came in front of Brahma and Vishnu as a huge linga with no end and no beginning, according to one of the creation tales. This endless pillar of energy charged Brahma with the creation of life as we know it.
Brahma has created man effectively. Although he was pleased with his inventions, he saw that something was lacking, and there was no way for him to reproduce. He sought assistance from Shiva. Ardhanarishvara, Shiva, came in front of him (half-male and half-female). Brahma, transfixed, inquired of Shiva what the significance of his appearance was. Shiva went on to explain to Brahma that the absence of feminine energies (shakti) in the Universe means that something is constantly lacking. Creation will always be incomplete without the union of the masculine and feminine energies. Shiva is created by the force of Shakti.
When Brahma learned about Shakti’s brilliance, he begged her to assist him. Laxmi (Vishnu’s consort) and Saraswati (Brahma’s consort) originated from Shakti’s traumatic separation from Shiva. Shakti then evolved into Prakriti, the universe’s beauty. She was the embodiment of the feminine side of the planet. However, she did so at the expense of her other half, who was heartbroken. According to legend, the remaining half of Shiva turned a blind eye to all of the world’s beauty and began living as an aloof sage. He, on the other hand, went around imparting a great deal of knowledge. Shivaratri commemorates Shiva’s first appearance on Earth in his human form.