Are the Hindu gods ( vishnu, shiva, ganesha etc) and places ( vaikuntam , kailasam) etc Metaphorical / symbol isms or real? Did Lord Shiva walk on eArth Or is he metaphorical for a deeper spiritual concept?
You should first consider that God is one. He can manifest himself according to love of devotee. If you love him as Krishna he will remain Krishna for you, if you love him as Shiva he will be remain Shiva for you. As Krishna says in Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four-Verse 11 also. "ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham mama vartmanuvartante manushyah Arjuna sarvasah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Four verse 11) "Sri Krishna says to Arjuna: Howsoever, men approach Me & surrender unto Me, even so do I seek them; for all men follow Me & My path in all respects." i.e whoever you worship, you actually worship one God in different form or manifestations. Now question arises why God take form? From Thirumanthiram: thiruchiRRambalam viNNinRizin-thu vinaikkIdAy meykoNdu thaNNinRa thALaith thalaikkAval mun vaiththu uL n-inRu urukkiyor oppilA Anan-thak kaNNinRu kAddik kaLimpaRuththAnE. thiruchiRRambalam "Descending from the sky (Supreme state), taking form according to the karama (accumulated by the soul), providing the cool feet as the great protection, melting (the soul) from inside, showing the fountainhead of peerless bliss, (God) got rid of my dirt!" i.e The Shiva who is beyond forms and names, in order to lift up the souls who are suffering due to the dirty parasite called "ANavam",takes forms appropriate to the karma we have accumulated. These are the shivalinga and mAheshwara murthams All these forms are to help us hold on to the Divine. We hold these forms according to our tendencies. They help us open the fountain-head of bliss. Also, from Sivagnana Sidhdhiyar thiruchiRRambalam urumEni thariththuk koNda thenRalum uruvi Ran-tha arumEni yathuvung kaNdOm aruvuru vAna pOthu thirumEni ubayam peRROm seppiya mUnRum n-an-thang karumEni kazikka van-tha karuNaiyin vadivu kANE. thiruchiRRambalam " (God) Taking forms (rupa), standing beyond the forms as formless (arupa) and when taking formless-form (arupa-rupa - linga) got both aspects (form and formless). All the three are due to the Grace that came to help us get rid of our births. " i.e Formless, formless-form (shivalinga) and form are the three ways God stands. All the three are for us to worship and get uplifted. Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha etc and their abode are real and symbolic meaning both. God take form and do leelas so that their devotees learn from their leelas. Many of us search the symbolic meaning of these leelas. Every leela have some story and some moral value so that devotee seek God in that form and learn something from that. You have to seek knowledge from that whether it is symbolic meaning or real moral values. Many see Ramayan and Mahabharat in a symbolic meaning and other see that a real event, it is upto you how you want to interpret. Both have some meaning and own values. did Shiva walk on Earth? This question become answered by above explanation. whole earth is his why cant he walk on earth. He is infinite and as small as atom he is arupa but can have rupa. See what Adi Shankaracharya about Shiva :: "" Forgive me Oh, Shiva My three great sins! I came on a pilgrimage to Kashi forgetting that, you are omnipresent. In thinking about you I forgot that, You are beyond thought. In praying to You I forgot that, You are beyond words."" Om, I am neither the mind, intelligence, ego, nor ‘chitta,’ Nor the senses of smell and sight, neither ether, nor air, I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva! I am neither the ‘prana,’ nor the five vital breaths, Neither the seven elements of the body, nor its five sheaths, Nor hands, nor feet, nor tongue, nor other organs of action. I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva! Neither fear, greed, nor delusion, loathing, nor liking have I, Nothing of pride, of ego, of 'dharma' or Liberation, Neither desire of the mind, nor objects for its desiring. I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva! Nothing of pleasure and pain, of virtue and vice, do I know, Of mantra, of sacred place, of Vedas or Sacrifice, Neither I am the eater, the food or the act of eating. I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva! Death or fear, I have none, nor any distinction of 'caste,' Neither father, nor mother, nor even a birth, have I, Neither friend, nor comrade, neither disciple, nor guru. I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva! I have no form or fancy, the All Pervading am I, Everywhere I exist, and yet I am beyond the senses, Neither salvation am I, nor anything to be known. I am Eternal Bliss and Awareness. I am Shiva! I am Shiva! Adi Shankaracharya, Tad Niskala
