Symbols in Shiva Trilogy
The
new steel nib of mythology - Amish Tripathi in his Shiv Trilogy presents a different
view of Shiva, decodes all symbols, and discloses Shiva from a mythical figure
to a common, blood - throbbing man who establishes himself as a myth. In Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the
Nagas and The Oath of Vayuputras certain
vexed questions are likely to come up and various symbols illuminated the
style. Ashok K. Banker Ramayana Series is a landmark with
various abstract qualities personified; Ashwin Sanghi Krishna’s key is a thrilling story around such theme and Divakaruni
is also a mastermind in Palace of
illusion, in the depiction of Draupadi’s character. It has been a tradition
in Indian culture that traditional stories and myths are studied in the form of
symbols as it’s a land of intellectuals. Symbolism is allocating an object to a
concept or give a form to an abstract phenomenon. Mythical symbols are modified
and took a different form though when demystified and decoded later on. “It is
one of the core basis on which cultures are based” (Sharma, 2015). It’s a
Herculean task to decode these symbols in their real arrangement. Shiva has
been an enigmatic and mysterious figure in masses. There are multiple rituals
and objects related to him that are needed to pay attention to. This paper is
an effort to decode symbols used by Amish. According to research, the
Archeological department found Shiva in the form of Pashupati in the Indus
valley civilization 6000 years ago. However, the image of Amish’s Shiva is not
the image of ash smeared, naked, trident bearer, desolated being. He
demystified all these symbols related to Shiva and established Him as a man of
high values. The Use of a variety of symbols has made this trio of books
amazing. He spelled out the mythical image of Shiva and presented Him as livid
Shiva who is all-powerful yet incorruptible, a quick wit accompanied by an
equally quick and fearsome temper, overall a multifaceted personality. Shiva
enwraps an assortment of symbols in His façade as His blue throat, Somras as
Evil, Symbol of Three, God of Destruction and Ash, Snake or Nagas, Aum,
Ardhnarishwar, snow-clad mountain, etc.
Blue Throat
Shiva’s blue throat is due to the
lethal poison, Halahal. It was produced when Mount Mandara was placed on the
back of Akupara, the divine turtle, and churned by Sesha, the serpent of
eternity in the sea. When this dreadful poison began to spread and culminating
the air; even the existence of the cosmos was at stake Shiva appeared and
scooped up the lethal fluid. Parvati caught hold of His throat and stopped that
from entering into His body. The Poison did not spread in the body of Shiva but
seeped in His neck and turned it blue. Pattanaik here differs, “Vishnu gave
Shiva a new name: Neelkantha…” (Pattanaik, 2017, p. 52). This action of Shiva
saved the earth and turned His neck blue so He was named Neelkanth. This symbol
of the blue throat makes Shiva a power that can even carry poison for the
safeguard of the cosmos and can destroy it to deconstruct. The blue color of
Shiv’s throat symbolizes negative thoughts. He has controlled all negative
emotions. He neither has drunk it nor spat it out. This also indicates slow
poison like Somras which was neutralized by Shiva at the peak of its effect. In
depth, it is carried out that there are various slow poisons like greed, anger,
attachments, and uncontrollable desires that have the same effect of
devastation. This symbol is used by the Amish in Shiva Trilogy. In Meluha, a
myth was circulated that Neelkanth will come and Daksh explains to Shiva, “what
the legends also tell us is that when the problems become insurmountable for
ordinary men, the Neelkanth will appear” (Tripathi, 2018, p. 117). Here also Neelkanth Shiva becomes a symbol of the
preserver of the world by finding out evil related to Somras. His only motto
was to find the evil and take it out from the equation and establish
equanimity. He goes on an elongated search for evil and in this process
encountered many tribes and cultures which give its exclusive point of view and
every time clear the doubt of Shiva. About the myth of Neelkanth, Suryavanshis
and Chandravanshis are having their own prospect and after His meeting with a
beggar who himself was on the verge of starvation but gave Shiva his food
happily and satisfied His appetite; his contentment and satisfaction filled
Shiva with remorse and provided Shiva an idea that “These people aren’t Evil.
They are just different. Being different isn’t Evil” (p. 394).
Somras as Evil
Somras here symbolizes evil. Evil
and goodness are considered the two sides of the same coin. There is
necessitated balance between these two. According to Vasudev Pandits, it’s the
task of every Mahadev to establish this equilibrium by destroying the evil
force. Meanwhile, Somras is emerging as the greatest evil and its adverse
effect was spreading all over the world. Now appeared Neelkanth who drank
Somras (hlahal or poison or evil) and kept that in His throat and His body was
not affected by the ill effects of Somras. The same is referred to in Shrimadbhagwadgeeta, “Yada-yada hi dharmasya, Glanir bhavati bharata/
Abhyutthanam adharmasya, Tadatmanam srjamy aham” (Jayadayal, 2006, p.
238). He was called Mahadev who kept evil in His throat and saved this earth.
It was the will of Shiva that categorized Him as Mahadev. Brihaspati, a close
friend of Shiva reflects on the nature of evil well, “Evil is never in a rush…
It creeps up slowly. It doesn’t hide but confronts you in broad daylight. It
gives decades of warning, even centuries at time. Time is never a problem when
you battle evil. The problem is the will to fight it” (Tripathi, 2018, p. 5).
Brihaspati in astrology is considered a planet of wisdom and learning and his
character represents his scientific temper and reasonability. Shiva is
designated as Mahadev because He was the only pious soul who without any
calamity accepted evil as carrying a purpose of equivalence. He recaps Gopal,
“Evil serves a purpose” (Tripathi, 2018, p. 260).
Number Three
Number three carry a great
significance in the description of symbols related to Shiva. Shiva has three
eyes, a trident, three bilva leaves, three horizontal lines on the forehead,
the rattle drum has two triangles, upward-pointing snow-clad Himayalas is also
a triangle, and the sitting position of Shiva in crossed legs also form an
upward-pointing triangle. This trio is the representation of Aatam, Parmatam,
and Prakriti; Swarg, Narak, and Bhuloka; Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas;
self-preservation, self-propagation, self-actualization. A great mythological
writer Devdutt Pattanaik describes this trio as three subjective
worlds-Microcosm (the private world), Mesocosm (the social world), and
Macrocosm (the rest of the world). In Shivmahapurana, there is a reference of
three floating cities, Tripura which were destroyed by Shiva, and in Amish
Shiva Trilogy these cities are represented by three raised platforms in Meluha
which were later aimed at by Shiva with Pashupatiastra.Shiva
contains three eyes and it symbolizes the power of knowledge. A normal human
has two eyes and these are only for the perception of the external world. These
sensory organs can see only the things which are in front of it. And these
appeared things sometimes can be deceptive. So, in Hinduism, this world of
living organisms is called ‘Maya’. Amish also points out the same, “The
universal truth does exist though it has always been an enigma to human
beings”, “and it will continue to remain an enigma for as long as we are bound
to this mortal body” (Aiswarya & Madhan, 2019, p. 156). This third eye or
pineal gland is not easy to open, a lot of energy is required for it and only
Shiva has this endless energy. The Opening of this eye provided Shiva with a
new metaphysical interpretation of things. As Pattanaik labels a connection
between a sacred mark, Tripundra, and the third eye, “The three lines represent
the three worlds that are deconstructed and destroyed by Shiva’s third eye of
wisdom” (Pattanaik, 2011, p.203). But there is another significance of this
third eye also. When it is opened in anger it can destroy the whole world.
Sadguru in an article says that Shiva was in His meditation and disturbed by
Kamdev, god of love. In fury, Shiva opened His third eye and Kamdev turned into
ashes. In Shiva Trilogy, Shiva devastated by Sati’s cruel murder decided to
destroy Meluha though His aim was to destroy evil Somras yet anger and pain opened
His third eye and demolished the entire city.The
next symbol related to Shiva is His Trident which is a three-pronged spear. It
is the weapon of Shiva and was invented by Him. It represents the war skill of
Shiva and His strategy. It was much more effective than a simple spear. It is a
symbol of the destruction of the evil. In Amish Shiva fought His first war with
evil forces with this weapon and got the victory. So, it’s a powerful force
against demonic supremacies. G. Aiswarya’s comment in her article is worth
quoting here, “This three-pronged spear represents the three fundamental
aspects of life- three energy channels known as Ida, Pingala and Sushumana.”
(p. 158) This study of the trident is based on Nadi Shastra. Ida represents the
left side of the body, conveys feminine energy, and shows the flow of Ganga;
Pingala represents the right side, symbolizes the masculine force with red
color and river Yamuna is linked with it; in the central part of the body is
Sushumana which is the center of knowledge and flows with Sarasvati. Ida and
Pingala epitomize two different flows of energy but when these energies are
mixed Sushumana emerges. Amish has described the symbol of third eye in between the brows as a mark of opening of unlimited source of energy that can be attained by yogis only.
God of Destruction and Ash Bearer
Shiva is a symbolic god of destruction.
In Indian mythology, the trinity of gods is all celebrated. Brahma represents
creative energy; Vishnu characterizes the preservation of the creation and
Shiva epitomizes the destruction of the creation. In Meluha, He came to destroy
Somras, the main source of evil. So, He is called ‘The God of Darkness’
(Karamrisch, 1981, p. 79). Anger is called the step-brother of evil and it is
Shiva who despite being the hot-tempered got victory over His anger and
critiqued evil. Anger as a symbol of evil resides in his body but never gets
powered over Him. His uncle Manobhu also directed Him, “Anger is your enemy,
control it, control it” (p. 201). There is another symbol linked with Shiva –
Ash. The great lord of the world is always smeared with ashes. Ash is a
substance that remains when everything is burnt. It cannot be further
destroyed. It becomes a symbol of the spirit that remains after the cremation.
So, Shiva accepts all selfless entities. He smears ashes on His body that
reminds the mortal nature of the world and the eternal existence of ashes. In Shiva Trilogy when he uses Pashupatiastra to destroy Meluha, the Centre of Somras production and completely destroy it, he emerges as God of destruction.
Snake or Nagas
Next comes the symbol of a snake who
is having its position around Shiva’s neck and dear to Him. Though in
Christianity, the snake symbolizes evil. It is considered an agent of Satan who
poisoned the mind of Adam and Eve as mentioned in The Paradise Lost. Nonetheless, in Hinduism, it is worshipped and
given milk. It represents holy energy and is related to the arousal of
Kundalini chakras in the human body. The human body has 114 chakras or points
which are aroused in a yogic state; establish stability and pacify all desires
and filters all negative energy. Vishudhi chakra is in the mid of the throat
and a snake around Shiva’s neck aroused His Vishudhi chakras and scours all
undesirable feelings and purifies the soul. Amish used symbolically concept of
Nagas. For a snake word, ‘Naga’ is also used. They were not evil people but a
mithya notion spread about them that they eat human beings. They were depicted
as portentous and ominous. However, they were bearing the burden of elite one
and undergoing great pain and suffering. Shiva came as an ‘Avatar’ for them and
adopted them as His most cherished and authentic followers. They became His
Ganas. All misconceptions related to them washed away and they cleared the way
of Shiva towards finding evil. In fact, they aroused Kundalini of Shiva and
guided Him in His mission.
Aum
Amish
Tripathi has also used the symbol of Aum. It is the most pious and adored sound
in Hindu mythology. This sound has some specific vibrating effect on the human
mind. Shiva is adored initially with this sound and it is enchanted ‘AUM NAMAH
SHIVAY’. In Shiva Trilogy, Nandi explains to Shiva the symbol of Aum. He says,
“My Lord, Aum is the holiest word in our religion. It is considered the
primeval sound of nature. The hymn of the universe. It was so holy that for
many millennia, most people would not insult it by putting down in written
form” (Tripathi, 2018, p. 58). He further says that king Bharat created this
symbol to display unity between Suryavanshis and Chandervanshis. The above half
was colored as a white stand for Chandervanshis and the lower-half was shaded
as red for Suryavanshis. To the above right of this symbol, there is a sign of
moon and circle that also symbolizes these two. Shiva attacked Chandervanshis
but, later on, realized their true nature so He has a soft corner for them and
their prince became His favorite. Thus, the symbol of a crescent moon on
Shiva’s head is portrayed. Apart from them, there is a third tribe also. Nagas
also used this symbol but it is drawn in the form of three snakes. Dr. Ashish
clarifies, “…the concept of Om as three snakes symbolizing three rivers is
something interesting” (Gupta, 2019, p. 85). So, the symbol of Aum that is dear
to Shiva symbolizes all three ideologies and Shiva accepted them as they are.
Despite being different they were not evil.
Ardhnarishwar
Here is the new interpretation of
‘Ardhnarishvar’ where Shiva is blended with His female counterpart and
encapsulated in only one identity. This
symbol of Ardhnarishvar established Shiva as a family man and gave the
philosophy of equilibrium to the world also. Devdutt points out, “The divine
inside you is God/ The divine around you is Goddess/ Without either there is
neither…” (Pattanaik, 2017, p. 139). According to Amish, Shiva has accepted the existence of Sati so immensely that he is not possible to be imagined without him. He has acclaimed her as his better half.
Abode of Snow
A snow-clad mountain can be the home
of someone? Shiva, Mahadev has an abode of snow. It represents peace,
stillness, serenity, the cool nature of the lord. Shiva is such a powerhouse of
energy that Kailash is really an accurate home for Him. Pattanaik gives reason
for it, “Shiva is the great Tapasvin. He spends no heat engaging with the
outside world. All the heat he generates remains contained within his body.
Naturally, the world around Shiva, unseen by him, gradually loses all heat and
becomes cold. As a result, the water turns to snow. His mountain becomes
Himalaya, the abode of snow” (Pattanaik, 2017, p. 23). He is essentially not a
part of this world and indifferent to all the alluring things, and has a
“non-hierarchical mindset” (Gupta, 2017). Sitting in absolute isolation on top
of the mountain, Shiva is totally heedless of all the blooms and withering of
the world. Devdutt Pattanaik comments, “Shiva defied categorization”
(Pattanaik, 2017, p. 10) is sound. Mountain is a symbol of passive, inert,
lifeless, cold existence, away from culture and these symbols are transferred
in the character of Shiva also. In Shiva trilogy of Amish, Shiva was a man of tribe from Himalaya but not the passive one. Though it is apparent here that in the ending days of his life when Sati was gone, he became totally introvert and inert. His abode clearly symbolizes his serenity and stillness.
