A very important part of worshiping Shivalinga is by offering milk.
“Why do we offer milk to Bhagavan instead of giving it to the poor?” – This is a common question we hear these days, often brought up by those with a communist bent of thought.
Pujyapad Puri Shankaracharyaji (Maharajaji), responds to this question and explains the reason behind this practice.
Is it so that Hindus are not to donate wealth to the poor?
No. According to our system money must be offered to the poor.
Maharajaji gives an explanation based on the Shrimad-Bhagavatam – If anyone wishes to see his decorated reflection, he needs to decorate his own face and not the mirror. In the example shared, Bhagavan represents the persons face. The jiva is only the reflection of Bhagavan. Bhagavan is complete. There is no lack in him. The jiva, who gives offerings to Bhagavan with a feeling of devotion, receives everything back, that too, in great abundance.
Similarly, we could also ask the reason for offering Suryadeva water instead of offering it to someone who is thirsty.
In our tradition there is no limitation on giving water to the thirsty. We make arrangements to offer water to all by making drinking sources on the roadside, public taps, wells, etc.
Maharajaji shares a story from his youth, when he was in Delhi. On one occasion his elder brother asked him if he offers water to Suryadeva, daily. Maharajaji wished to get a scolding from his brother since that never happened normally.
To agitate him he questioned him back like a nastika – “If I do not offer water to Surya Bhagavan he will remain thirsty?”.
On hearing this statement his brother expressed his anger and explained to him – “We do not offer water to Suryadeva to help him. He is the giver of water to us all. Through his rays, the sun takes in the water from the all the water bodies – the seas, oceans and rivers. He purifies this water and gives it back to us in the form of rain in a much larger volume. Our offering of water is an act of gratitude. It is a way of receiving more water from him.”
Who stops us from giving milk to poor? That can be done too.
If we offer food to Bhagavan, will it hugely reduce the quantity of food available to us?
When we offer Bhagavan food, does it reduce, increase or remain the same quantity? It can’t reduce. So we eat what we offer to Bhagavan and fill our stomach with it.
When we offer Bhagavan prasada, after the bhoga, we distribute it to everyone.
Are we stopped from offering this prasada to the poor? Is it written anywhere that we must not offer this to the poor?
Our Santana system was such that it did not maintain poverty. Offering Bhagavan is a way of giving ourselves and everyone else. When we water the roots of a tree, it is nourished and becomes lush. When the source of everything is Paramatama tattva, then whatever we offer Him comes back to us. Paramatama is complete.
We can also say that we should give food to poor instead of offering ahuti into a fire during a yajna. If one is not a student of science one would think like that. The ahuti offered in a yajna becomes one with the fire and takes the form of food for the devatas. It reaches the suryamandala and ultimately takes the form of rain.
Devata means – one who gives. So whatever is offered to devatas, is purified by them and returned to us in a thousand times bigger quantity.
Offering to devatas does not mean we must not give anything to the poor. There is a lot for the poor. On all occasions – yajnopavita, marriage, yajna, etc, food is given to all and everyone is nourished through these practices.
Our ancestors created a system that fills the stomach of crores of people.
If we go for darshana to Jagannatha Puri or Balaji, we can see that the bhoga given to Bhagavan Jagannathaji and Balaji comes back to us as prasada. Thousands of people go for darshana daily. It is because of these yatris that go for darshana, the bus and train operators, business people and many more get benefited. The system created by one mahatma through an act in the name of dharma, provides livelihood to hundreds and crores of people over thousands of years.
To understand the Santana systems (like that of offering pujas to devas) and to make an accurate judgement of these practices, we need to think from a subtle mind and learn about the science behind the systems. Offerings made in worship are method of receiving from the devatas.
To address the question on why milk, specifically, is offered to Shivalinga, Maharajaji gives the explanation that follows.
Why do we drink milk? On being born, do we have halwa, orange, apple or do we drink milk? Our first food is milk. If we give a little baby something salty, he will spit it out. The taste for salt is developed later in life. Be it man or animal, the first food is milk.
Cow milk, ghee, panchagavya, ghrita- all these are superior. In our Santana system, many things are offered to Bhagavan during worship. Milk is supposed to be offered in the ceremonial bathing (abhiseka) that is part of the service to the divine Bhagavan Shiva. It pleases Him.
Bhagavan is the one who gives milk to everyone. There is an ocean of milk or Kshirsagara and He is the very source of it. The same way in which a powerhouse supplies electricity to our homes, and a reservoir is the source of the water that flows from the taps.
The one who is the source and Svami of the Kshirsagara and is responsible for giving milk to us all – to express our appreciation towards that Bhagavan Shiva, we offer a few litres milk.
Offering milk to Shivalinga is an expression of our gratitude.