இலண்டன் சைவ மாநாடு (சிறப்புமலர்)
7வது சைவ மாநாடு இலண்டன் 2004
SIVA LINGA
S. Sabaratna Mudaliar
(S. Sabaratna Mudaliyar of Sri Lanka was the Deputy Fiscal of Jaffna. In Ceylon, "Mudaliyar" is a coveted
title and not an honorific suffix. He felt that a mischievous propaganda was carried against Hinduism on
purpose. Indeed he was once himself a victim of such vituperative tirade. He woke up in time and assiduously
applied himself to a proper study of Hinduism in general, and Saivism in particular. His outstanding
contribution to Saivism is his work entitled: "Essentials of Hinduism, In the Light of Saiva Siddhanta" (1913).
Hereunder is printed his lecture, delivered at the Jaffna Hindu College Hall, on 21 February 1913. If the
concept of Siva Linga does not lie within the ken of the comprehension of even gods like Vishnu and Brahmma,
can we expect unsympathetic and intolerant fanatics to even glimpse it.)
(- Editor.)
Siva Linga is a sacred object of worship
among the 200 millions of Hindus who occupy the
vast continent of India and the spicy isle of Ceylon.
They represent a seventh part of the population of
the whole world and they enjoy an unrivalled
reputation for their ancient civilization. Their religion
is admittedly the oldest of the existing religions and
it is an undeniable fact that it has created an
exceptionally high degree of spiritual fervour in the
hearts of its adherents. The effect of the religion on
its adherents could be easily gauged from the
standard or morality maintained by them, and am
sure that a crime statistics of the different countries
of the world would show the "Mild Hindu" to great
advantage. The object of worship of such a people
should not be attacked at random, and the feelings
of the 200 millions offended for no mistake committed
by them. I do not think that the propagation of any
religion involves the necessity of offending the
feelings of believers in other religions; but on the
contrary, it is, I think, the duty of every believer in
God that he does not in any way hurt the feelings
of others who likewise believe in God, but in a
different form. I am very sorry to find that this
important duty of man is lost sight of by some of our
Christian friends who would not scruple to call Siva
Linga, our sacred object of worship, a Phallic
emblem. If this is what is known as Christian
principle, I will speak no more of it. Let it speak for
itself.
But I am glad that this uncalled for and
unpardonable attack on the part of a Christian writer
has given the Hindus an opportunity to explain the
true significance of Siva Linga, and I therefore
consider it my duty, as a Hindu, to lay before the
public the little that I know of the subject.
Before entering into an explanation of Siva
Linga, I have to say a few words on the meaning
of the world Linga. Linga is derived from the Sanskrit
root Lika which means to sculpture or to paint and
Linga means one that sculptures or paints. God
being the sculptor of the Universe, He is known as
Linga, and this word has become ultimately to mean
any from or symbol that represents Him. It has
become in a later stage to mean any sign or symbol,
in a general sense, and it is in this sense the word
is used now. Refer to any Dictionary-Sanskrit or
Tamil-, and you will find the meaning of the word as
a symbol or mark a சின்னம்”, a குறி. The word is
used in this sense by Lexicographers, Grammarians
and Logicians; and it may even be found as a
technical term used in this sense in Hindu Logic.
Lingapattiam is the name of a commentary on the
meanings of Sanskrit words, and one could clearly
see in what sense the word is used as the title of
that Book. But of course, in course of time, the word
happened to convey other meanings as well and
among them that of the generative organ, by the
common law of degeneration of words which is not
peculiar to Tamil or Sanskrit alone. Even then, this
degenerated import of the word is not its chief
168
7
வது
சைவ
மாநாடு
இலண்டன்
2004
SIVA
LINGA
S.
Sabaratna
Mudaliar
(
S.
Sabaratna
Mudaliyar
of
Sri
Lanka
was
the
Deputy
Fiscal
of
Jaffna
.
In
Ceylon
Mudaliyar
is
a
coveted
title
and
not
an
honorific
suffix
.
He
felt
that
a
mischievous
propaganda
was
carried
against
Hinduism
on
purpose
.
Indeed
he
was
once
himself
a
victim
of
such
vituperative
tirade
.
He
woke
up
in
time
and
assiduously
applied
himself
to
a
proper
study
of
Hinduism
in
general
and
Saivism
in
particular
.
His
outstanding
contribution
to
Saivism
is
his
work
entitled
:
Essentials
of
Hinduism
In
the
Light
of
Saiva
Siddhanta
(
1913
)
.
Hereunder
is
printed
his
lecture
delivered
at
the
Jaffna
Hindu
College
Hall
on
21
February
1913.
If
the
concept
of
Siva
Linga
does
not
lie
within
the
ken
of
the
comprehension
of
even
gods
like
Vishnu
and
Brahmma
can
we
expect
unsympathetic
and
intolerant
fanatics
to
even
glimpse
it
.
)
(
-
Editor
.
)
Siva
Linga
is
a
sacred
object
of
worship
among
the
200
millions
of
Hindus
who
occupy
the
vast
continent
of
India
and
the
spicy
isle
of
Ceylon
.
They
represent
a
seventh
part
of
the
population
of
the
whole
world
and
they
enjoy
an
unrivalled
reputation
for
their
ancient
civilization
.
Their
religion
is
admittedly
the
oldest
of
the
existing
religions
and
it
is
an
undeniable
fact
that
it
has
created
an
exceptionally
high
degree
of
spiritual
fervour
in
the
hearts
of
its
adherents
.
The
effect
of
the
religion
on
its
adherents
could
be
easily
gauged
from
the
standard
or
morality
maintained
by
them
and
am
sure
that
a
crime
statistics
of
the
different
countries
of
the
world
would
show
the
Mild
Hindu
to
great
advantage
.
The
object
of
worship
of
such
a
people
should
not
be
attacked
at
random
and
the
feelings
of
the
200
millions
offended
for
no
mistake
committed
by
them
.
I
do
not
think
that
the
propagation
of
any
religion
involves
the
necessity
of
offending
the
feelings
of
believers
in
other
religions
;
but
on
the
contrary
it
is
I
think
the
duty
of
every
believer
in
God
that
he
does
not
in
any
way
hurt
the
feelings
of
others
who
likewise
believe
in
God
but
in
a
different
form
.
I
am
very
sorry
to
find
that
this
important
duty
of
man
is
lost
sight
of
by
some
of
our
Christian
friends
who
would
not
scruple
to
call
Siva
Linga
our
sacred
object
of
worship
a
Phallic
emblem
.
If
this
is
what
is
known
as
Christian
principle
I
will
speak
no
more
of
it
.
Let
it
speak
for
itself
.
But
I
am
glad
that
this
uncalled
for
and
unpardonable
attack
on
the
part
of
a
Christian
writer
has
given
the
Hindus
an
opportunity
to
explain
the
true
significance
of
Siva
Linga
and
I
therefore
consider
it
my
duty
as
a
Hindu
to
lay
before
the
public
the
little
that
I
know
of
the
subject
.
Before
entering
into
an
explanation
of
Siva
Linga
I
have
to
say
a
few
words
on
the
meaning
of
the
world
Linga
.
Linga
is
derived
from
the
Sanskrit
root
Lika
which
means
to
sculpture
or
to
paint
and
Linga
means
one
that
sculptures
or
paints
.
God
being
the
sculptor
of
the
Universe
He
is
known
as
Linga
and
this
word
has
become
ultimately
to
mean
any
from
or
symbol
that
represents
Him
.
It
has
become
in
a
later
stage
to
mean
any
sign
or
symbol
in
a
general
sense
and
it
is
in
this
sense
the
word
is
used
now
.
Refer
to
any
Dictionary
-
Sanskrit
or
Tamil-
and
you
will
find
the
meaning
of
the
word
as
a
symbol
or
mark
a
சின்னம்
”
a
குறி
.
The
word
is
used
in
this
sense
by
Lexicographers
Grammarians
and
Logicians
;
and
it
may
even
be
found
as
a
technical
term
used
in
this
sense
in
Hindu
Logic
.
Lingapattiam
is
the
name
of
a
commentary
on
the
meanings
of
Sanskrit
words
and
one
could
clearly
see
in
what
sense
the
word
is
used
as
the
title
of
that
Book
.
But
of
course
in
course
of
time
the
word
happened
to
convey
other
meanings
as
well
and
among
them
that
of
the
generative
organ
by
the
common
law
of
degeneration
of
words
which
is
not
peculiar
to
Tamil
or
Sanskrit
alone
.
Even
then
this
degenerated
import
of
the
word
is
not
its
chief
168