The beauty of Nature is but a reflection of the Beauty that is God. But, like all images, it is not substantial. Flowers fade, clouds scatter into new patterns, physical charm is but a flash that disappears in a moment, but, Divine Beauty is eternal, full, free. That Sundaram, is Satyam, unaffected by the passage of Time, unchanging with the location; that Sundaram is the real Shivam, the only Good that is. Pursuing paltry physical beauty leads man astray; it is as calamitous as the pursuit of trivial joy.
Shivam is Goodness; the Body is for realising Goodness, which is total goodness. But, the body is not itself goodness or godness; it is an instrument that breaks down every moment and that is rebuilt every moment giving weaker in the process. The father says proudly, My son is growing fast, but really, this life is ebbing fast. The body is valuable, only on account of its use in realising God. So also a Mandir or this Shivam is valuable only when you are able to realise the God that dwells therein. The Gopuram or Tower of Temple or Mandir is like the raised hand of God calling on the weary pilgrim to halt and take rest and proceed faster to the goal he is seeking. In most places, these old towers are hidden in the forest of chimneys that have crowded around them in recent times. The smoke from these factories and the song of hatred that emanate from faction and greed tarnish the atmosphere of the temple towers.
Even the temples have been denigrated by bargaining for fees and collection of toll for religious services. The stream of ananda that flows from worship is interrupted by demands of monetary contributions, Temples are not allowed to pour into the social mind a constant stream of peace and joy.
The construction of this Mandir named Shivam is a special sadhana for the residents of Bhagyanagara (Hyderabad ). Its appearance is unique, for it is to be built in the shape of a Linga, the form most approximate to the conception of the formless, attributeless Absolute.
‘The Linga is the form of God, emerging from the Nirakara (formless) to the Sakara (one with form). Other Akaras (Forms) are all subsumed in the Linga Form.Prakriti, the objective world, is the base; it signifies that the Lord is established in that manifestation of His, which is the concrete presentation of His Play, His Potentiality and His Power. That is why the Lord is described as Shiva Shakti Atmaka Swarupam – ‘the Supreme One which became the Shiva and the Shakti,’ meaning, ‘that which is the latent and the patent.’
‘You will notice that the base has a horizontal superstructure, over which the cylindrical Linga is placed. The base is Satyam (truth), the structure over it is Shivam (Goodness) and the Linga is Sundaram (beauty). One is the flower, the second is the perfume and the third is the wind, the Formless that wafts the fragrance, which is the symbol of mangalam (auspiciousness) that is Shivam. Truth is the base on which the Universe and all that it implies rest.
The message this building will convey is that man is the embodiment of Satyam, Shivam and Sundaram, and it will call on all to live up to that glory. One has to realise the Truth and demonstrate in thought, word and deed that Truth is the very basis of their existence. Know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you strong and steady, kin with all, and free from the bonds of lust and hate. Man has to learn the lesson of Shivam: swallow the poison of anger and greed, and make it ineffective in its effort to harm the world. Spread consolation and comfort through speech and action.’ (Radio Sai E-Journal, Vol. 6: 5, May 2008)
Why this Mandir? You may ask. Is it for my stay whenever I happen to visit Hyderabad? I do not need a huge building, nor the furniture and appliances you are proposing to collect here. It will serve more the needs of those who have now to follow me around from house to house. Since I have no fixed residence, they are hard put to it, woman and children, the well and the ill, to know where they can await me. It also gives me another excuse to come to Hyderabad for, I am surely coming to ‘open’ this Shivam, when it is completed. (SSS Vol.8, pp. 128-129)
You are the breath, the swasam. So long as there is breath, you are Shivam; when that leaves, you become shavam (a corpse). So, treat the world as a two day fair, treat life as a two-hour play, treat the body as a two-second bubble. Develop love and devotion to the highest ideal, God. (SSS Vol. 6)
What is Shivam? It is the consciousness that you are the Indweller, the Inner Motivator, the Antaryamin. How can you hold fast to Shivam? By fixing your mind on the Name of the Lord, the Indweller. By the repetition of the Name, with the alert awareness of the Glory It summarises. The Name is the container of immeasurable potence. The Word has much power; in fact, even common words denoting things do possess some potency. For example, when the word denoting some thing very sour to the taste is pronounced within hearing, you find that your tongue waters. When the word denoting some thing that is awfully disgusting is pronounced within your hearing, you are afflicted with nausea. When such is the effect of the pronunciation of common words, what can we say of the tremendous transformation that takes place when the sweet sustaining Name of the Ever-present Indweller is pronounced! It purifies, it cleanses; it elevates; it spreads its fragrance in the atmosphere; it inspires. (SSS Vol.7)