why Lord Shiva is portrayed as smoking weed and drinking alcohol

Hey guys, today let's take a look at why Lord Shiva is portrayed as smoking weed and drinking  alcohol.  In fact, we have a temple called Kaal Bhairav temple in which Lord Shiva is fed alcohol  every day.  There is a mouth carved in the lingam, and alcohol is poured through it as a ritual.  Every year, on Shivarathri, which is the night dedicated to Shiva, his devotees smoke weed  before praying to him.  Why is Lord Shiva depicted as an alcohol drinker and a smoker of Marijuana?  This is very confusing to the common man, who thinks that Gods should not indulge in  these evil acts.  To understand this, let's go back in time many thousand years ago and assume that human  beings were primitive.  We have about 400,000 species of plants.  How did we find out which plants can be used as food, and which plants are poisonous?  Which plants make you sick and which plants heal sickness?  The ancient Indian system of medicine called Siddha documents more than 100,000 plants  and their medical uses.  How were these documented?  In fact, their documentation is so accurate that even today, they are being absorbed into  modern allopathic medicine.  For example, in the year 2000, a medicine called Virohep was launched to treat Hepatitis  B. The manufacturers of this medicine, have openly stated that they extracted the chemical  from the herb mentioned in ancient Indian texts, and made them into pills.  It is now available all around the world and is accepted by doctors as a very effective  medicine.  So, how were such advanced medicines documented at least 2000 years ago in India?  According to traditional Siddha medicine, Shiva comes from a planet called Shivalokha,  and begins experimenting and documenting the properties of plants on earth.  These experimental techniques and results were then passed on to 18 saints who documented  the rest of the plants.  Of course, historians and other experts will tell us that this is nonsense, and ancient  Indians found out these properties of plants by trial and error or by accident.  But we have solid evidence that ancient Indians tested these plants just like modern day scientists.  In the ancient Hoysaleswara temple, we can see this strange carving.  What does it show?  It shows an alcoholic drink called toddy being extracted from palm trees, and collected into  a container on the ground.  But you can something extraordinary - the saint is watching two animals - a bird and  a snake drinking from the container.  It actually shows they were testing the effect of alcohol on animals first, before beginning  to use it on human beings.  This is exactly what scientists do today, they test it on animals first before giving  it to humans.  Right next to the carving of animal testing, watch how a man gives a similar container  full of toddy to a woman, and the woman is clearly refusing it, look at the hand gesture.  But why make alcohol at all, isn't it evil to drink alcohol?  Why are these things even carved on a temple?  Indian traditional medicine explains alcohol and other intoxicants as absolutely necessary  for performing surgeries.  Take the simple case of tooth extraction.  How can we do this without sedating someone?  After all, ancient Indian texts explain complex surgeries such as eye operations, amputations  and even plastic surgeries.  The ancient text called Sushruta Samhita clearly explains how alcohol must be given to patients  before surgery.  But what about Weed?  Why is Lord Shiva shown smoking pot?  Today Marijuana is thought of as a drug, but it was considered a sacred medicinal plant  in India.  Lord Shiva, who is the father of traditional Siddha medicine was the first to test Marijuana  on animals, and on himself, before giving it out to human beings.  Popularly known in India as Ganja or Bhang, it is was used to relieve anxiety and pain  since 2000 BC, which is 4000 years ago.  Ancient Indian traditions recommends using marijuana once a year to maintain good mental  and physical health.  This is why weed is smoked in India and Nepal by devotees on the night dedicated to Shiva.  The medical properties of Marijuana are well documented in ancient texts - it stops Nausea  and increases appetite, it can relieve muscle spasms and treat many other diseases.  There is also a cult called Aghoris - these people have dedicated their lives to Shiva,  they smoke weed on a weekly basis and claim it keeps their brain sharp.  A recent study in the United States shows that THC, an active ingredient in Marijuana  can prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease and can keep the brain sharp.  We see a very interesting pattern emerging in the western world.  People who have denounced and ridiculed the use of Marijuana by Hindus calling it a barbaric  or evil act are slowly turning in favor of medical marijuana.  We now have medical marijuana legalized in more than 30 states in the US and in 15 countries.  So, now you know why Shiva is shown smoking pot or drinking alcohol - nothing is evil  about it as long as you know how to use it, just like any other tool you have.  If you use a screwdriver to poke your eyes, don't blame the screwdriver.  I hope you liked this video, I am Praveen Mohan.  Thanks a lot for watching, don't forget to subscribe and also click on the bell button  to get all the updates.  Like and share this video with your friends and I will talk to you soon.  Bye!