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Every deity is shown wearing a crown except Lord Shiva. He is shown as having the hairs tied (jatA).

Does anybody know why there is no crown?
Maybe any story in scriptures or a 'tAntric' reason or something else?

Vineet
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  • I think of a hint -- shri rAm is wearing crown when he is a king. But at the time he is wandering in jungle because of 'vanavAsa', he is not wearing crown (that time he is having the hairs tied). Same case regarding pAndavas. In lord shiva's case, he is not king of any kingdom (in material world), so maybe because of that he is not having a crown. This is my guess, but I don't have any supporting reference. – Vineet Dec 06 '18 at 09:36
  • There is a tantric reason for it the way the Sri Rama hairs tied in vanavasa and Lord Shiva! But I dont have specific text from tantra principle saying exact reason while I can quote reference which leads to one thing and that leads to shape of hairs at head top – Agamas Tantras Dec 06 '18 at 10:07

3 Answers3

2

It is NOT that Lord Shiva does not wear crown. Various slokas and hymns describe him as wearing crown. For example:

  1. The dhyana-sloka says

'RatnAkalpojjvalAngam' : Whose body is shining by the aura of different jewels.

  1. The famous 'Shiva-Ashtaka-stotra' known to be composed by 'Sankaracharya' starting with 'Prabhum Isham Anisham' mentions

sasa-lanchita-ranjita-san-MUKUTAM': Whose beautiful crown is ornamented by the Moon.

  1. The 'Visvanatha-Ashtakam' composed by Vyasadeva reads

'shitamshu-shovita-KIRITA-birAjamAnam' : Whose crown is beautifully decorated by the Moon.

  1. The 'gentle' form of Shiva is mentioned as

wearing beautiful turban with the Moon.

According to sanskritdictionary.com, bth 'Mukuta' and 'Kirita' mean Crown :

मुकुटम् 1 A crown, tiara, diadem; मुकुटरत्नमरीचिभिर- स्पृशत् R.9.13. [मुकुट is crescent-shaped, the किरीट is pointed and the मौलि has three points.] -2 A crest. -3 A peak, point. -Comp. -उत्पलः a crest-gem.

I have also seen many idols of Shiva of different famous temples being decorated by crowns.

I have also enclosed an image to show that the artists are also familiar with Shiva's wearing of crown.

Reference : 1. Stavakusumanjali, Udbodhan. 2.Sastramulak Bharatiya Shaktisadhana, Upendrakumar Das, RMIC, Vol. 1

enter image description here

  • 'Shiva Ashtaka' stotram which I found, mentions जटाजूट गङ्गोत्तरङ्गै र्विशालं, शिवं शङ्करं शम्भु मीशानमीडे ॥ 2॥ ref. :- https://www.haribhoomi.com/astrology_and_spirituality/shivashtak-shiva-stotra-shiva-stuti |||| it mentions "जटाजूट" – Vineet Apr 21 '19 at 10:43
  • @Vineet Shiva-Ashtaka starts with 'Prabhum isham anisham asheshagunam.. and each fourth line is : pranamami shivam shiva-kalpatarum. –  Apr 21 '19 at 10:47
  • where can I get it online? – Vineet Apr 21 '19 at 10:54
  • @Vineet Its on youtube sung by many. The following linkmalso has this, but it translates 'Mukuta' as 'Crest': http://hariharji.blogspot.com/2012/07/pranamami-shiva-kalpatarum.html –  Apr 21 '19 at 11:03
1

In Sri Kamika Agama Purva Pada, tantravatara pathala. Srikantha Deva(Lord Shiva) reveals the 28 agamas to make thr very form of Shiva. In this scripture He mentions that the Makutagama makes the makuta or crown and other parts of His body. Hence this shows that he wears a crown.

He also is refered to be the one who wears the 'jatamukutam' the crown of jatas(dread locks).

Refrence below.

kāmikaṁ pādayugmaṁ syādyogajaṁ gulphameva ca| cintyaṁ pādāṅguliḥ proktaḥ kāraṇaṁ jaṅghikā bhavet|| 93 ajitaṁ jānudeśaṁ syād dīptemūrupradeśakam| sūkṣmaṁ tu guhyamevaṁ syātsahasraṁ kaṭideśakam|| 94 aṁśumān syāt pṛṣṭhatalaṁ suprabhedaṁ tu nābhikam|
vijayaṁ kukṣideśaṁ syān niśvāsaṁ hṛdayaṁ bhavet|| 95 svāyaṁbhuvaṁ stanau dvau tu analaṁ netrameva ca| vīraṁ kaṇṭhapradeśastu rauravaṁ śrotrameva ca|| 96 makuṭaṁ mākuṭaṁ tantraṁ aṅgapratyaṅgameva ca|
bāhū tu vimalaṁ proktaṁ candrajñānaṁ urassthalam|| 97 bimbatantraṁ suvadanaṁ prodgītaṁ rasanā bhavet| lalitaṁ syātkapolaṁ tu siddhaṁ caiva lalāṭakam|| 98 santānaṁ kuṇḍalaṁ vidyāccharvoktaṁ upavītakam| pārameśāna hāraṁ tu kiraṇaṁ ratnabhūṣaṇam|| 99 vātulaṁ vasanaṁ proktaṁ śivadharma tripuṇḍrake| kalpañcaiva tu saṁyoge śivadharmānulepane|| 100 bimbaṁ puṣpe ca mālye ca siddhāntena niveditam| tantrātmaka śarīreṇa mantramūrtimayena tu|| 101
eteṣāmupabhedaiśca sādākhyaṁ mūrtimat sthitam|

Lord Siva appears in a form constituted of these Agamas. In this form, the Kamika is present ) as His two feet. Yogaja- ankle; Cintya – fingers of the feet; Karana – shank; Ajita – knees; Dipta – thigh regions; Sukshma – the loins; Sahasra – hip region; Amsuman – back portion; Suprabheda – navel; Vijaya – stomach; Nisvasa – heart; Svayambhuva – the breast-spots; Anala – the eyes; Vira – neck portion; Raurava – the ears; Makuta – the crown and the main parts and sub-parts of the body; Vimala – the shoulders; Candrajnana – the chest region; Bimba – the well-formed face; Prodgita – tongue; Lalita – the cheek; Siddha – the fore-head; Santana – the ear rings;Sarvokta – the sacred thread; Paramesvara – ornamental chain; Kirana- the ornaments made of gems; Vatula – the attire; all the auspicious deeds recommended in these Agamas – the three stripes of holy ash; all the specific preparations such as arghya-water and others – the waist-belt and such other items needed for the body; all the directions related to the worship of Siva – the perfumed unguents; all the vereses related to meditation of form(dhyana) denote the various flowers and garlands; the principles set forth in the knowledge-section (jnana pada) – the eatables to be offered to Him.

Sarvajna Peetham
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  • Note that promoting any peetha or personality may be considered spam. Take a look at expected behavior. Welcome to Hinduism Stack Exchange! Visit [help] for more information. – Pandya Dec 08 '18 at 15:49
  • Your answer states that 'shiva' wears 'jatAmukuta'. That is already known. My question starts from this point. Why 'jatA' or 'jatAmukuta'? I have clearly asked this without any ambiguity. – Vineet Dec 10 '18 at 08:16
  • This does not answer the question.Jatamukuta is NOT crown.What the other mentioned sloka says is also indirect. –  Apr 18 '19 at 08:20
  • Also, there is no word 'Makuta' in sanskrit that means crown.There is MUKUTA of course. –  Apr 18 '19 at 08:23
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Lord Shiva is a Bairagi. He has abandoned everything. He has achieved a Nirvikalpa Samadhi. His gaze is always focused on Parmatma. which is His true nature.It is said that his house is crematorium itself. So being a supreme Bairagi , Lord Shiva does not wear a crown.

Edit: Sharing link of the song that calls Shiva as Bairagi.. Link : https://youtu.be/78n1ku39kaY

Pandya
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Deepeshkumar
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