Another favourite Shaivite work of (A)Art-i for #MahaShivRatri – this depicts a ShivLing , which we might succinctly describe as a Shaivite Altar, although which has as its essence both the Axis Mundi of the universe entire and the Sthambha – the Sacrificial Post – of the Vedic religion.

It is closely correlate with the Irminsul of the Germanic Indo-Europeans – and, indeed, the offerings of white liquid (of Urdarbrunnr) to the Limb of Yggdrasil that we find attested in the Gylfaginning, are quite directly cognate to our understandings of the libations we pour upon the ShivLing.

As we should expect ! For Shiva and Odin … are the Same Great God known by multiple names amidst the Vedic & Eddic spheres.

I took a further look at the relevant conceptry in this previous article, which also touches upon some potential Greek co-expressions – https://aryaakasha.com/2020/12/23/an-odinic-post-on-an-odinic-post-a-shivling/

Now one thing that I love about this depiction – is that it shows Shiva in His Cosmic Function. The Pillar of the Universe, most certainly … but also receiving the irrepressible and implacable force of the Celestial River into His Hair from Above, so as to thence distribute it out through the cosmos (The Hair in question depicted here whirling out wide – as it should be, Sanskrit Jatta, Vyomakesha and Greek Kyanokhaitis that it is). Something which can only be done by He – as any other being would be reduced to pulverization by the incredible force and purity of the Stream undiluted from Absolute.

In quite the resonant manner (given the ultimate source of the liquid elixir in question), if we look closely at this image we also see the Shiva that is the ShivLing (a Jyotirlingam, indeed – a Lingam of Stars and Starlight!) becoming Shyena – the Raptor Who bears the Soma to deliver it from Above in exactly the same manner that Odin in Eagle Form brings the Mead of Poetry.

A River of Stars [and consider the Germanic Irmin’s Way – the Milky Way; as well as the parallel IE conceptry of the River of Souls running to the Head of Orion] and a Map for Existence ; a depiction of Worship and its immanent resonancy with the Universe Entire – and of course, of the Great God, the Indo-European Sky Father, Lord Shiva !

Exactly what the Dhatta Ordered !

ॐ नमः शिवाय