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 What is Linga? 

What is the Linga? And what is the meaning of the symbol? There are few ways to explain the meaning and the symbol of Linga.

1. Linga as Arthabrahma or phenomenal manifestation

Linga is the amorphous representation of Shiv and can be regarded as the highest emblem of Shiv because of its least anthrophomorphic nature. Shiv, Parabrahman, is the highest Divine Principle in intimate union with Divine Power, the Parashakti. The only positive qualities of this Divine Principle are Shat, Chit, and Anand. He is conscious of Himself i.e. He has Atmavimarsha. He is the cosmic Purusha (person) but is Nirakar - has no particular form and has no distinguishing mark. He is therefore inconceivable. ""God cannot be known by the mind or the physical senses"" is consensus of all the sages. It is in this sense Herbert Spensor speaks of God as "" Unknown and unknowable."" What he means is that Deity per se is ""Unknown and Unknowable."" John Fiasco further argues that ""Deity is unknowable to the extent of it is not being manifested to consciousness through the phenomenal world knowable but knowable in order of its phenomenal manifestations: knowable in a symbolic way as the power of being rhythmic life of the universe; knowable as eternal source of moral law."" If we accept this, then Shiv is inconceivable. But if He is not conceived, how can he be worshipped? Yet religious mind craving for eternal happiness cannot be satisfied without worship and cannot do without worship. He, therefore, requires some kind of representation or symbol of God. Without some concrete symbol of God, God would be a formless abstraction devoid of meaning to him/her. Hence it for those, who cannot digest abstract ideas of God, temples are built and images representing Gods in different powers and attributes are consecrated. Whatever may be said against images in the temples, rituals, and ceremonies, the fact remains that they are indispensable at a certain stage of the spiritual evolution life. 

Nirakar Shiv is Amurtha (formless) in his indistinct condition, and is Murtha or Sakar in his manifest condition –manifest in the form of universe. Shiv assumes eight-fold forms and is, therefore, called as Ashtamurthi. Then the Linga represents the whole universe appearing hemispherical placed on something. The Linga, the amorphous symbol of Shiv, thus, represents the Murtha form of Shiv. Hence, the Linga signifies Alinga or Shiv that has no special form or mark. The circular base with round semi-spherical top placed on it fits the description of the idea of Murthavthva.

2. Linga as Shabdabrahma

Shivaparabrahman is the cosmic Purusha having Atmavimarsha. He first vibrates in his Leele (play or amusement) towards creation. The vibration is Nada (a loud roar), the first expression as Nama or name. From his Nada proceeds Bindu (dot), i.e. the form. The couplet Nama and Rupa or Nada and Bindu are known as Onkara or Pravana. The Bindu is the disc-like Peetha and Nada is the line that supervenes the Peetha. The line stands on the Bindu like a cylinder with a rounded top. All this forms the Linga.

3. Linga as the Visvarupa

Shivaparabrahman has no particular form but is all-formed. He is, therefore, called Visvarupa. He is the creator of the Universe and assumes all forms in the Universe. He is hidden in all creatures, and pervades all and forms inner souls of all. He is said to have a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet. He has hands and feet in all directions. The semi-spherical top that supervenes the circular base represents this description of cosmic Purusha, with whom His devotees identify Shiv. The round top on the circular base really consists of thousands of heads, each of the size of a point. The sides of the cylindrical figure represents equally thousands of heads, eyes, and faces in all directions. The semi-spherical top, resembling the visible horizon, is truly symbolical of the universe that surrounds the earth on all sides. Though the symbol has no eyes and feet, or eyes and ears, it has thousands of hands and feet, heads, eyes, and ears in all directions, just as a circle has no face all around but it has faces in all directions at every point of the circumference. Thus the Linga is the closest possible representation of such formless or all-formed God Shiv. 

It is customary in nature that all classes of things in universe must have different shapes and forms. The so-called ""Gods class"" must have different shapes and forms, though nobody knows what those shapes and forms should be. It is only the fancy of the human beings that has endowed Gods with some anthrophomorphic forms. But there is no proof of that. Nonetheless, it is conceivable that Gods have shapes and forms different from those of human beings as human beings have shapes and forms different from those of other animals,