Shiva / Shakti
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Even the oldest Vedic texts explain that ultimately the entirety of the universe is composed of Shiva and Shakti.
Shiva is that which is not, the forever unchanging constant सच्चिदानन्द (eternal truth-consciousness-bliss). Shakti is the creative force in the universe responsible for all physical manifestations, always in perpetual flux and constantly undergoing change. Shakti is the feminine counterpart to Shiva’s masculine; it’s the counter-clockwise to his clockwise, the Moon to his Sun. Feminine and masculine energies are celebrated for having different roles. The harmony of all relationships between the two is dependent on a spiritual balance, much like the Yin Yang concept in Chinese philosophy. Therefore, it was believed that reality is a consequence of the divine consummation of these two forces of nature.
Shakti is where we get our unbridled strength from. She manifests courage, bravery, and the will to transcend insurmountable odds in the form of Durga. She represents the timeless and formless Mother Nature that brings about the inevitable death of our egos as Maa Kali. She represents the abundance of wealth, fortune, power, and fertility in the form of Lakshmi. And she also represents knowledge, wisdom, art, and learning as Saraswati.
The Shivling is a powerful symbol that is used to worship the union between the physical world and the spiritual world. Its the dance between the formless (Shiva) and the form (Shakti). Shiva represents the eternal seer and Shakti represents that which is seen.
