suba42:I had likened all the 5 interactions which came after the Big Bang, in the sequence Strong Nuclear, Electromagnetic, Gravitational, Weak Nuclear and Electro Weak Interactions, to our Lords. Hope you would have enjoyed it. In it I had compared Lord Shiva to Weak Nuclear (for different reason), but when I read the post comparing Shiva Linga to a Calandria, I was stunned. The same thought emerging to different people across the Globe.
I have
not gone through your article in detail yet as it is some what longish and I couldn't get to reading it fully. But I remember seeing the other article written by some one else likening the
dome in the nuclear plant to a
shiva linga. It is possible for some other highly imaginative persons to come up with many other objects shaped like a cylinder with a flat base and a hemispherical top, which is essentially the 'geometry' of a 'lingam', though we find some variations of this general shape in different 'shiva lingas' in different shrines. I have already expressed what I feel about that comparison in my post #159 itself. I feel the comparison of a contraption with intricate working parts inside, like the Calandria, on the basis of the mere similarity in shape, to an object which is essentially a solid piece of stone (from a purely materialistic point of view) is as childish as the four-year old's behaviour I have pointed out in my post. Once that 'piece of stone' is sanctified through prescribed
'Aagama' rituals and regular poojas are conducted, even though the shape still remains the same and is still sitting in front of him, a true devotee is not conscious of the material or its shape any longer. Only the
Saannidhyam fills his mind. You are perhaps aware of the famous saying
"Kallaikkandaal Naayaikkanom, Naayaikkandaal Kallaikkakanom". No real Shiva Bhaktha can think of the Lingam in the temple as a piece of stone of a particular shape. To him, it is the Lord Parameshwara Himself. So, I feel such comparisons, where the 'shape factor' gets highlighted, are not really adding any 'value' or 'greatness' to either Shiva or His devotees, but on the contrary, they only expose the hollowness of the persons who give any credence to such idle comparisons.
An exception is only in such cases where the devotion is so strong that the sight of the very lingam shape
in any thing, not just only the lingam in a Shiva temple, mind you, immediately transports the devotee to the
Sannidhyam. Here I recall a story I once read about a young boy who was so devoted to Shiva that he had absolutely no interest in any worldly matters and was always in a state of pious rapture. His parents, who were much worried about him, decided to get a beautiful maiden married to him, hoping that her charms would be powerful enough to bring him back to worldly matters. The boy, not really caring, or even realizing what was actually happening to him, went along with the marriage, but with his mind totally with Shiva only. On the night of the marriage, the young couple were sent to their 'first night' room, with the girl having been adequately instructed to use all her considerable charms to seduce him. Accordingly, after the preliminary sequence of falling at his feet, serving him milk, sweet dishes etc., she unwrapped herself from her attire, exposing her mammaries, and gently drew his hands towards her and placed them on her nipples. What 'our hero' saw in front was not the luring beauty of a young and beautiful woman but only two shiva lingams ! The story goes that he immediately folded his hands and started praying to Lord Shiva he saw in front! Such a liberated soul perhaps would have really seen Shiva in any lingam shape, I concede, be it a calandria in a nuclear plant, or even the mere bald head of an ordinary human being, whoever it is!
Now that you have mentioned yourself about your comparison of different natural forces to different gods, do you have any
'valid reasons'' for such an 'allotment' or 'analogy' of different forces to different Gods, or, is it based purely on your
'intuition', so to say?
PS: I think the Forum has provided an opportunity to all members to use a 'nick name' in the 'public' exchanges for some valid reasons. So, I feel we should all stick to it, though I have been myself 'guilty' some times of not strictly adhering to the use of the nick name only to address others till now, I have decided to observe this discipline now onwards strictly.
Thanks for your 'suggestion', but I have no plan to open another gmail account (with a different id, of course) now!! 
