Why Is Shiva Represented By A Sexual Symbol, Asks A New Book - Devdutt Pattanaik ‘Hindus have long been embarrassed by Shiva’s phallic representation.’ Hinduism is not a static religion. It has evolved with history. In its earlier form, it was known as the Vedic religion, a religion of a pastoral people, commonly identified as the Aryans. Their primary religious activity involved invoking a primal abstract force known as Brahman through a ritual known as yagna to satisfy various material aspirations. Hymns were chanted and offerings made into a fire altar in the quest for fertility and power. That the ritual involved no permanent shrine suggests its followers were a nomadic people.