The Image—A Mass of Consciousness

The idol is only a symbol of the Divine. A devotee does not behold therein a block of stone
or a mass of metal. It is an emblem of God for him. He visualises the indwelling Presence in the idol.
All the sixty-three Nayanar saints of South India attained God-realisation through worship of the
Shiva Linga, the image of Lord Shiva. For a devotee, the image is a mass of consciousness. He
draws inspiration from it. It guides him. It talks to him. It assumes the human form to help him in a
variety of ways.
The image of Lord Shiva in the temple at Madura in South India helped the fuel-cutter and
the old woman. The image in the temple at Tirupati assumed a human form and gave witness in the
court to help His devotees. These are marvels and mysteries. Only the devotees understand them.