Shivoham shivoham

Shivoham shivoham

nothing wrong in visiting a temple or worshiping an idol..

the Divine One is present there too,

and those who visit also carry the thought of Him usually when they visit...

Sivaanandalahari - 12* of Shankara

गुहायां गेहे वा बहिरपि वने वाऽद्रिशिखरे जले वा वह्नौ वा वसतु वसते: किं वद फलम् ।

सदा यस्यैवान्त: करण-मपि शंभो तव पदे स्तितं चेध्यॊगोऽसौ स च परम-योगी स च सुखी ॥

"whether one resides in a far off cave or in a residential flat,

in the open ground or inside a forest or on the top of a mountain,

in water or in fire...

is the place of residence really matter?

Oh Lord Shambu, if one's inner spirit is always fixed at your feet,

then He is yoga,

He is the yogi,

and he is enjoying the greatest comforts.. "

So ultimately for the one who can see God everywhere,

the idol and temple are also okay..

For a person not so disposed, no place is okay...

A story is told of Avvaiyaar the Lady Saint of Tamil..

Once she was passing through a village and she was tired walking for long in hot sun..

She saw a temple of Shiva.. and the mandapam was open..

She went there, and rested there sprawling her tired legs pointing to wards the sanctum.. where Shivalingam was consecrated..

Someone came and asked..

"Old lady, why are you showing your feet to the lord? "

She replied..

" Son, just show me a direction where I can place my feet and that will not point towards that eternal Shiva.."

Here Shiva is the universal Lord, and forget any philosophy or religion involved..

Still that is the truth..

Of course, this is not to say we should show our feet to the idol in the temple..

Just only a reminder that we can feel the presence of the Divine everywhere.

Shivoham, Shivoham