DEPICTION OF LORD SHIVA'S APPEARANCE

Lord Shiva is reckoned among the Tridevas (trimity). Brahma is the creator, Lord Vishnu is the preserver and Lord Shiva is the destroyer. Shiva is the lord of Shakti also.

SCRIPTURAL APPEARANCE

VAMANGE CHAVIBHATI BHUDHARASUTADEVAYAGAMASTAKE |

BHALE BALA VIDHURGALE CHA GARALAM YASYORASIVYALARATA||

SOAYAMAM BHUTI VIBHUSHANAH SURA 

VARAMSARVADHIYAH SARVADA,

SHARVAH SAVAGATAH SHIVAM SHASHINIMAH 

SHRI SHANKARH SHATUMAM ||

Meaning : That Lord Shiva who has on his left side Mother Parvati, who has Ganges and moon on his forehead, who has poison in the throat and cobras on the chest, such an ommipresent greater than the gods, Lord Shiva may protect me.

Now, let us consider this scriptural form of Lord Shiva, with scientific view and see what does God want to preach the common people.

WHY JAGDAMBA PARVATI IS PRESENT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF SHIVA

Jagdamba Parvati is the form of power. Lord Shiva always keeps her on to his left side, because, he himself remains in a state of Tapasya (meditation). People and scriptures too, assume that the left part of the males is inauspicious and trouble-causing. Where as Parvati is the form of power and thus always auspicious. Hence, in order to destroy all the inauspiciousness and obstacles, Lord Shiva keeps Parvati on his left side. Besides, Lord Shiva is himself a form of inauspiciousness as :

AMANGALYAM SHEELAM TAVABHAVATU NAMAIVAMAKHILAM |

TATHAPI SMARTRINAMA VARADA PARAMAM MANGAMASI ||

Meaning : It is famous in the whole world that Lord Shiva is inauspicious,but a giver of all kinds of auspiciousness. Nevertheless, He is the giver of all kinds of auspiciousness for those who remember him. This virtue is because of Parvatis presence with him.

Thus acting on the principle :

NARYASTU YATRA PUJYANTE RAMANTE TATRA DEVATAH

That is where the womanfolk is worshipped, the gods stays there, Lord Shiva preaches the same to his devotees, that if they respecta woman, all the inauspiciousness all the hurdles, would be removed automatically.

WHY MOTHER GANGA ON THE HEAD

The Ganges, the most sacred river in India, shows coolness, holiness and serenity. Lord Shiva holds her on his head, thus preaching the devotees that if they bear coolness, holiness and serenity in their head i.e. if they give up anger, envy and disturbance that haunts their mind they will achieve all kinds of perfections and successes.

WHY THE NEW MOON ON THE FOREHEAD

The moon is shinning but cool celestial body. Lord Shiva wears it on his forehead, thus preaching for peaceful mind and forsightedness. If decision is taken with cool peaceful mind and far sightedness, all the tasks will be completed successfully and an increment occurs in one's honour.

MEANING OF POISON IN THE THROAT

When the Gods and Demons unitedly churned the sea, it was the poison that came out first. Seeing the lethal poison, both the gods and the demons got nervous and reached to Lord Shiva and prayed him to hold it. Lord Ashutosh (Shiva) agreed to their prayers and swallowed the deadly poison. That poison, however, did not reach God's stomach, instead it stuck in the throat turning it blue.

Thus, holding the poison in the neck, Lord Shiva preaches that one should not contain poison in his belly for the other. It also means that one should not even wish ill for the others, leave apart doing. Speaking harsh words is however other thing, but one should not cultivate the feelings of envy and enemity for the others.

WHY IS THE SNAKE ON THE CHEST ?

It is very strange that people are usually scared of snakes because these are poisonous creatures. In scriptures and in practical life, snake is given a name Kaala i.e. the death. But Lord Shiva bears snakes on his chest. Thus he preaches the people that if they do not engage their mind and intellect in the worship of God, death is always facing them. If you keep your mind and intellect busy in prayers and worship, even death can do no harm to you. Instead it would become a means to adorn you.

The reason of having a snake around his chest is that, VISHASYAA VISHAMAUSHDHAMA, i.e. the best antidote for poison is poison itself. Hence to cancel the effect of the poison Lord Shiva has worn poisonous snakes around his shoulders.

WHY IS THE OX THE VEHICLE OF LORD SHIVA ?

Scriptures assume the ox as an incarnation of Dharmraj as is mentioned in Parikshita Kaliyugaprasanga that Kaliyuga is killing the Dharma which is in oxen form.Sage Manu also writes :

VRISHO HIBHAGAWANA DHARMASTASYAYAHKURUT ALUM |

VRISHANAM TAM VIDURDE VASTASMADDHAMA NA LOPAYETA ||

Meaning : An Ox is a different incarnation of the Dharma god, whoever kills it must be taken as a sinner. Hence, one must not cause the disappearance of Dharma. Riding the Ox, Lord Shiva preaches the people that -

DHARMO RAKSHATI RAKSHITAH

Meaning : The protected religion protects the follower. Hence, follow the religious path, no shield is better than it.

DESCRIPTION OF SHIVA PARIVARA

Shiva-Parivara is a conglomerate of strange things. Lord Shiva has Ox as his vehicle and snake as garland. As against it, Parvati, who is the form of Shakti (power) has lion as vehicle. Lion is a natural enemy of OX. Kartikeya's vehicle is a Peacock,who is an ememy of the snakes who adorns Lord Shiva's chest.Ganesh has the mouse as his vehicle. The mouse is a natural prey of the snake.

But amidst these strange diversities Lord Shiva remains submerged in his Sadhana with full concentration. In the world created by Lord Brahma, all the creatures are different from one another. Hence, it is natural that their intellect and thoughts, would be different as well. Thus if unity is maintained in a combined family despite myriad diversities and controversies. The family would never face any wrath on the purpose of(Sadhana) and the means (Sadhan) to achieve it. 

Secondly, even the naturally violent animals give up their instincts in an environment where penance and spiritual Sadhana are performed. It preaches then that if one wishes to live peacefully amidst the diversity of the world. Penance and Sadhana are must.

Apart from Shiva-Parivara many sages also put beautiful examples of the above-mentioned unity in diversity. Those sages and hermits used to live and penance in the huts made in and surrounded by the jungles. With the effect of their penance, it was said the violent animals also used to abandon their natural instinct of violence and all of them then used to roam freely without fear.

APPEARANCE OF KALA BHAIRAVA

Words Bhai - formidable and Rava - Sound, appropriately depict Kala Bhairava, which thus literally means the one who produces sound as formidable and frightening as Kala (death). Kala Bhairava is a Gana (agent) of Lord Shiva and the guard on his gates. One of befitting virtues of the guard is very light sleeper, is an ideal example of faithfulness for his lord.

From Kala Bhairava people must learn to faithfully discharge their duty for their lord and do the allotted task sincerely, so that no task of the lord is marred.