It is very rare to find a Shiva temple without Nandi, the sacred bull. Nandi is Lord Shiva’s mount or vehicle. ‘Nandi’ comes from the Tamil root word ‘Nandhu’, which means ‘to grow, to flourish’ or ‘to appear’. The Sanskrit word ‘nandi’ means ‘happy’, ‘joy’, and ‘satisfaction’.
People have been worshipping Shiva and Nandi the bull for a few thousand years, going back to the Indus Valley Civilization period. The famous 'Pasupati Seal' depicting a seated figure which is believed to be Lord Shiva, and the discovery of many seals depicting bulls among the Mohenjo Daro and Harappa ruins (now in Pakistan) indicate this.
The consecrated statue of Nandi is present in most Shiva temples. The sculpture is usually placed in front of the entrance, head facing the altar. Nandi is depicted in various ways. The most common depiction is a sitting bull with folded limbs. He may be either black or white colored and wears a necklace with a bell. Most depictions portray him as carrying Lord Shiva.
Other depictions show him as half human and half bull. He wears ornate clothing, flowers, jewelry, garlands, and a crown. He also holds a conch shell and a staff.
Nandi the bull represents the Shiva bhakta or devotee. Sometimes he represents Shiva himself.
Saura Purana describes Nandi in all his glory. It wears ornaments that shine like a thousand suns, has three eyes, and holds a trident in its hand. It has four arms.
How Nandi was born
As per the Vayu Purana, Nandi was born to Kashyapaand Surabhi. Other Puranas claim that Nandi was born from Lord Vishnu’s right side and was given to the sage Salankayana. In some accounts, he is the son of the Sage Shilada and was given to him by Shiva.
Many Vedic texts say that Sage Shilada wanted an immortal child. So, he performed many austerities and prayers. Lord Indra heard his prayers and appeared before him. The sage told him that he wanted a strong and immortal child who would become great.
Indra said that only Shiva could fulfill his wish. Shilada then began to worship Shiva. Shiva was pleased and decided to grant his wish. He told the sage to perform a Yagya, and when he did so, a divine child who emanated radiance emerged from the flame. The gods blessed the child, and Shilada named him Nandi.
Nandi the Bull
Shilada took the child home and raised him with lots of care and love. When he was 7 years old, Nandi became well-versed in all the sacred scriptures and texts. One day, Lord Varuna and Mitra arrived to give their blessings to Nandi, but they did not look very happy. When Shilada enquired about the reason, they told him that Nandi would die at the age of eight.
Shilada became dejected on hearing this. He told Nandi what the gods had said. Nandi was sad to find his father in such a distraught state. He prayed to Lord Shiva, who gave him a necklace with a bell. The boy then turned into half-man and half-bull. Shiva also bestowed immortality on Nandi and made him his mount and the head of the Ganas (assistants of Lord Shiva). Shilada and Nandi then accompanied Shiva to Kailas, where they would live thenceforth.
Nandi and the Curse of Parvati
One day, Shiva and his consort, Parvati, were playing dice in the presence of Nandi. Nandi declared Shiva as the winner, though it was the goddess who had actually won the game. He did so due to his devotion to Shiva.
Parvati became angry and cursed him. Nandi asked her to remove the curse, explaining that his actions arose from his devotion to Shiva. Parvati replied that Nandi would gain freedom from the curse if he worshipped Lord Ganesha, one of her sons. He had to offer Lord Ganesha his favorite things and also honor him on his birthday. So Nandi worshipped Lord Ganesha during the Chaturdashi of Bhadrapada (Sept-Oct) month and offered him green grass as penance.
Nandi’s Sacrifice
During Samudra Manthan, the serpent Vasuki served as the rope. During the churning, Vasuki spat out his venom, which was very poisonous and could have destroyed the entire Universe. But Lord Shiva drank the poison, though he did not swallow it. The poison, held in Shiva’s throat, made it turn blue. Some drops of the poison spilled from his mouth. Nandi drank the spilled poison to save Shiva. Amazingly, the poison did not harm Nandi. Everyone was surprised to see Nandi’s power and his devotion to Lord Shiva.
Interesting Facts about Nandi
Nandi is always seen in a seated posture facing the direction of Eswaran. It is rare to see him in a standing posture in a temple. Due to his close association with Shiva, Nandi attains divinity and is also called Nandeeshwara (Bull-God). Hence, it is mandatory to pray to Nandi first before one enters the main shrine of Shiva. During Shivaratri, the Nandi flag is held continuously. This is common among Tamils. Nandi has a special place in Shiva`s heart. He is the one who carries flowers to Mt. Kailash, Shiva’s abode. Nandi is also a divine Guru and guide to many sages. Worshipping Nandi can remove hurdles.
Nandi is a symbol of stability as he stands on the four legs of Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Righteousness), Shanthi (Peace), and Prema (love). Nandi reminds us to uphold the four virtues always.
Nandi's seated posture represents humility. When one enters the place of God, one must submit themselves to the presiding deity.
Nandi facing the lord has a spiritual meaning. Nandi, who embodies Jiva, is found in front of the main shrine. It suggests that the individual soul (Jiva- Nandi) needs to focus on Parameswara (Easwaran). From the yogic point of view, Nandi is the mind which is dedicated to Lord Siva, the Absolute.
The Valiyasala-Kanthalloor Mahadeva (Shiva) temple in Kerala is a rare temple where Nandi is missing. Nandi is present in the same compound but facing a different deity. Every year, the idols of Lord Shiva and Parvati are taken in a procession, and they halt at the Thaliyal Shiva temple nearby to persuade Nandi to come to the place where Shiva is for permanent residence.
One should not stand between Nandi and the deity while worshipping at the temple, as Shiva and Nandi should maintain direct eye contact. The Nandi Flag displaying the emblem of the "seated bull" supposedly represents the flag of Shaivism for Tamils overseas. Nandi was the emblem of the Pallava dynasty (275 CE 897 CE) and the Jaffna kingdom.
Nandi’s Symbolism
Each Hindu deity has its own vehicle or vahana, a bird or animal also acts as the deity’s symbol. Nandi represents Shiva’s strength, energy, power, and virility. He blesses those who worship his master and also protects the temple. Nandi lies at the feet of Shiva or carries him across the sky. This speaks of his devotion as well as power.
As an individual object of worship, Nandi denotes sexual power, procreation, and fertility. He is also the guardian of all four-legged animals as well as the leader of the Ganas, who are Shiva’s servants.
Nandi has many powers. He upholds Dharma/righteousness and is the head of the 18 Siddhars in Hinduism.
Nandi represents justice, purity, wisdom, faith, honor, and courage. He provided the music for Shiva’s Tandava (dance of cosmic creation) by playing the mridangam, a percussion instrument, which made a divine rhythm reverberate across the firmament.
Despite his strength and power, Nandi is kind and sensitive. Hindus believe that he will always help them.
