Brahamamuraari Suraarchita Lingam, Nirmal
Bhaasita Shobhita Lingam,
Janmajadukha Vinaashaka Lingam, Tat Pranamaami
Sadaa Shiva Lingam.
I bow to Lord Shri Shiva in his eternal form the Lingam, who is worshipped by Brahma, Vishnu and the demigods, which is adorned by pure ornaments, who is the remover of the sadness of birth and rebirth.
Lord Shiva Ji is recorded in the Shiva Purina as appearing between Lord Brahmha and Lord Vishnu when fighting at the beginning of time as an unending pillar of light. After the fight was resolved, Lord Shiva emerged from the pillar of light and there was a black stone Lingam, oval shaped. Lord Shiva announced there that this was his eternal form and should be worshipped by all his devotees.
Indeed, the earliest civilization in the world at Mohenjodaro and Harappa sites in India contain the Shiva Lingam, and it was worshipped by our Hindu ancestors there. The Shiva Lingam, the black stone is said to be ’Svayam-Prakat’ – self manifested in the river Narmada in India. The Shiva Lingams taken from that river need no formal Pratishtha rituals as we are promised by Lord Shiva that he resides in them specifically, just as Lord Krishna resides in the Shaligram of the Gandaki river.
That stone is then placed in a ‘Jalahari’ pedestal. the pedestal allows a controlled run-off of the water used in the Pujas. It represents Mother Parvati, and together the Shiva Lingam and Jalahari represents the union of the doer and the energy which is responsible for action in creation.
Hindus bathe the Shiva Lingam with water in a process called ‘Abhishek’ as when Lord Shiva drank the poison produced at the time of creation, he started to get overly hot. So mother Ganga showered her waters on his head, and the
demigods all offered water from the sacred rivers to cool him. This is immensely pleasing to Lord Shiva as revealed in the Puranas. When installed in a Mandir, the Shiva Lingam is worshipped together with:
