Lord Shiva
|
Imported quote 12836 In the beginning of Srimad-Bhagavatam it is established, tene brahma hrda: the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, instructed Brahma in the Vedic knowledge through his heart. Therefore the evidence that Vedic knowledge is free from the defects of mistakes, illusions, cheating and imperfection is that it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Janardana, and has thus been followed from time immemorial, beginning from Brahma. The Vedic religion or the principles of the Vedas have been followed by the highly cultured population of India since time immemorial; no one can trace out the history of Vedic religion. Therefore it is sanatana, and any blasphemy against the Vedas is calculated to be atheism. The Vedas are described as setu, which means bridge. If one wants to attain his spiritual existence, one has to cross an ocean of nescience. The Vedas are the bridge to cross such a great ocean. The Vedas describe how to divide the human race into four divisions according to quality and working capacity. This is a very scientific system, and it is also sanatana, for no one can trace out its history, and it has no dissolution. No one can stop the system of varna and asrama, or the castes and divisions. For example, whether or not one accepts the name brahmana, there is a class in society which is known as the intelligent class and which is interested in spiritual understanding and philosophy. Similarly, there is a class of men who are interested in administration and in ruling others. In the Vedic system these martially spirited men are called ksatriyas. Similarly, everywhere there is a class of men who are interested in economic development, business, industry and moneymaking; they are called vaisyas. And there is another class who are neither intelligent nor martially spirited nor endowed with the capacity for economic development but who simply can serve others. They are called sūdras, or the laborer class. This system is sanatana-it comes from time immemorial, and it will continue in the same way. There is no power in the world which can stop it. Therefore, since this sanatana-dharma system is eternal, one can elevate himself to the highest standard of spiritual life by following the Vedic principles. It is stated that formerly the sages followed this system; therefore to follow the Vedic system is to follow the standard etiquette of society. But the followers of Lord Siva, who are drunkards, who are addicted to intoxicants and sex life, who do not bathe and who smoke ganja, are against all human etiquette. The conclusion is that persons who rebel against the Vedic principles are themselves the evidence that the Vedas are authoritative because by not following the Vedic principles they become like animals. Such animalistic persons are themselves evidence of the supremacy of the Vedic regulations.
(More...) Imported quote 12845 Since Lord Siva is the greatest soul among the living entities within this material world, his name, Siva, is very auspicious for persons who identify the body with the soul. If such persons take shelter of Lord Siva, gradually they will understand that they are not the material body but are spirit soul. Siva means mahgala, or auspicious. Within the body the soul is auspicious. Aham brahmasmi: "I am Brahman." This realization is auspicious. As long as one does not realize his identity as the soul, whatever he does is inauspicious. Siva means auspicious, and devotees of Lord Siva gradually come to the platform of spiritual identification, but that is not all. Auspicious life begins from the point of spiritual identification. But there are still more duties-one has to understand one's relationship with the Supreme Soul. If one is actually a devotee of Lord Siva, he comes to the platform of spiritual realization, but if he is not intelligent enough, then he stops at that point, only realizing that he is spirit soul (aham brahmasmi). If he is intelligent enough, however, he should continue to act in the way of Lord Siva, for Lord Siva is always absorbed in the thought of Vasudeva. As previously explained, sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam: Lord Siva is always in meditation on the lotus feet of Vasudeva, Sri Krsna. Thus the auspicious position of Lord Siva is realized if one takes to the worship of Visnu because Lord Siva says in the Siva Purana that the topmost worship is worship of Lord Visnu. Lord Siva is worshiped because he is the greatest devotee of Lord Visnu. One should not, however, make the mistake of considering Lord Siva and Lord Visnu to be on the same level. That is also an atheistic idea. It is also enjoined in the Vaisnaviya Purana that Visnu or Narayana is the exalted Supreme Personality of Godhead, and no one should be compared to Him as equal, even Lord Siva or Lord Brahma, not to speak of other demigods.
(More...) Imported quote 15395 Similarly, by expanding Himself as Lord Shiva, He is engaged when there is a necessity to annihilate the Bramhanda. Lord Shiva, in association with Maya, has many Forms; generally, they are numbered at eleven. Lord Shiva is not one of the living entities-he is more-or-less Krishna Himself. The example is given of the distinction between milk and yogurt. Yogurt is a preparation of milk, but still yogurt cannot be used as milk. Similarly, Lord Shiva is an expansion of Krishna, but he cannot act as Krishna, nor can we derive the spiritual restoration from Lord Shiva that we can derive from Krishna. The essential difference is that Lord Shiva has a connection with the material Nature, but Vishnu has nothing to do with the material Nature. In Srimad Bhagwatam, Tenth Canto, Eighteenth Chapter [10.88.3], it is said that Lord Shiva is a combination of the three kinds of transformed consciousness, known as Baikrik, Taijsa and Tamasa.
(More...) Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/?qg=1065
|