Shiva’s Adornments – The Symbols and Symbolism of Shiva

Shiva’s Adornments – Why he wears, what is wears

Moon

The moon is refereed to as soma, the source of intoxication. Shiva has the moon because he’s a great yogi who is intoxicated all the time, but he sits in great alertness. To enjoy intoxication, you must be alert. That’s how yogis are – totally drunk but fully alert.

The Third Eye

The most significant aspect of Shiva is that he opened his third eye. What is means is, through these two eyes you can only see that which is physical. So this arousal of a new dimension of perception, through which one can perceive that which is beyond the physical, is referred to as the Third Eye.

Snake

The Snake indicates that Shiva’s energies have reached the peak. Snake is a symbolism for kundalini, the unmanifest energy within you. A coiled-up snake is hard to see unless it moves. Kundalini is also such that only when it moves, you realize there is so much power within you.

Trishul

Trishul symbolizes the three fundamental aspects of life. This can be called Pingala, Ida and Sushumna or man, woman and divine. These are the three basic nadis – the left, the right and the central – in the energy of body of the human system.

Nandi

Nandi symbolizes eternal waiting. One who knows how to simply sit and wait is naturally meditative. Nandi is sitting, very active, full of alertness, full of life, but just sitting, that is meditation.