The Shiv lingam within.

Read many interpretations of shiv linga from brahma vishnu mahesh in each part, to atomic reactor to atomic particles. None seemed to be logical, internal or intuitive to me.

Then...It just came to me... Sit in padmasana. Join your hands in the namaskar pose. Thumbs at the heart chakra...the mudra of joining both palms together brings complete balance to the mind, body and energy. Now, Imagine a spin along the vertical axis, the axis of symmetry. Keep spinning, at higher and higher speeds...Create a 3d model by your own visualisation of the action of spinning. At that speed, what remains is just an outline.

The neck and head almost make a perfect ellipsoid of the lingam as the outer edges are smoothened by the spin . The extended arms are the middle portion of the lingam and base of the lingam is the 3d conical shape of folded legs.

This is the shiv linga. Itself. It's you! This is exactly what is meant by atmastwam 4th shloka in manaspuja composed by adi shanakracharya. The shiv linga is perfect manifestation of self. That's it.

So when shiv linga is worshipped, you are actually worshipping the pure self within.

No wonder, the lingam has bhasma and third eye location at the perfect position. That is the same spot on which we apply bahsma on forehead and the same spot where third eye pineal gland, the seat of "vision" is'

The trishul, damru, snake, moon, deerskin, all have their significance, but are objects held by the self. Not a part of the self. In the manaspuja, there is no reference to trishul, nandi, snake, moon etc. Adi shakaracharya has composed manapuja for shiva, not shankara, which is a form of shiva. Shankara holds the objects like trishul. Shiva is the self, the consciousness.

As lingam puja performed, the shiv lingam is now a symbol of the divine self, not another entity. Hence the bilva patra offered to the shiv lingam is taken and kept in contact with the body, prasad is eaten and water is taken as teertha.

Jal on Shiva.

Thinking about jal on lord Shiva. The putting of water produces a charge on impact and the electromagnetic field travels in both directions.

In earth and water elements... The memory of the energized water is captured in bilva patra. Hence taking a bilva patra is important.

The hardest known rock is granite. Hence the lingam is usually found or created in black granite.

Just water dripping from a pot, keeps energizing the lingam...

The same verses of manaspuja have a completely different meaning as the lingam is within now, which is no longer an abstract shape, it is actually the self.

Having corelated manaspuja and atmashatakam, a state where the shiva abhishek happens on self on the top eternally, with a realisation that shiv tatva prevades everything, is closer to realisation. The co existence of nirguna and saguna.

The eternal aum sound within is now the sound of akhand abhishekam, which is the cosmic connection of the self and universal consciousness.