Sadashiva, Rudra and Shiva
Radhika Gopinatha dasa
Professor of Vedic Theology and Religious Studies: Present society needs a new paradigm of devotion to God.
Today I will discuss the special position of Shiva, his various forms, and his position relative to Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna. We are Jiva Tattvas, Lord Vishnu comes under Vishnu Tattva.
What is Shiva Tattva?
Shiva-tattva or the identity, function and position of Lord Shiva is the one of the most difficult spiritual truths to comprehend.
Confusion arises from the fact that Lord Shiva has different forms and abodes that are situated either in ignorance, pure goodness or complete transcendence. In addition, the individual names of these forms and abodes are interchangeable depending on the scriptural reference.
Picture reviewed - theyogacoach.com which takes an exclusive approach from Shiva position by yogis.
The following will give an enhanced understanding of Shiva compared to the above.
For example, some scriptures say the completely transcendental Sankara is the source of the material Shiva. And other scriptures say Sankara is a name of one of the Rudras, the material expansions of Shiva that madly dance in ignorance at the time of universal destruction. One Vedic scripture says one thing, and another says the opposite. What is the result? CONFUSION!
Both Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva have a variety of forms and expansions within the spiritual and material realms. The easiest way to understand the Vishnu-Shiva relationship is by accepting Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s philosophy of “achintya bheda adheda tattva”, which means that God, Bhagavan Sri Krishna, is inconceivably, simultaneously one with and different from His own multifarious energies.
This two part article will present the Gaudiya Vaisnava conclusions (siddhanta) regarding Lord Vishnu and Shiva.
Bhagavan Sri Krishna expands into four forms known the chatur-vyuha comprising Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha.
Sadashiva and Maha-Visnu arise from Sankarsana; Garbhodakasayi Vishnu arises from Pradyumna; and Kshirodakashayi Vishnu (Paramatma) arises from Aniruddha.
In other words, Sri Krishna in His form as Lord Sankarsana expands as Sadashiva. However, Sri Krishna alone is the supreme, the origin and cause of all causes. In Gita (10.8), Sri Krishna emphatically proclaims this: “I am the source of everything and everything emanates from Me, aham sarvasya prabhavo, mattah sarvam pravartate.”
“Lord Shiva knows that Sankarsana is the original cause of his own existence, and thus he always sits in trance meditating upon Lord Sankarsana.” (SB 5.17.16.)
Sadashiva’s abode is called Sadashiva Loka, and it is situated above the material universe, slightly below Goloka. It is eternal, spiritual, inexhaustible, full of eternal happiness, and devoid of any disease.
Srila Sanatana Goswamipada: “The abode of Shiva lies outside the material universe and all its seven coverings.” (Brhad Bh. I.2.96)
Srila Rupa Goswamipada: “Shiva’s abode is manifest in the northeast part of Vaikunthaloka.” (Laghu Bh. I.5.298) “Sadashiva Loka is attained by the best of Lord Shiva’s devotees who know that Shiva is nondifferent from Sri Krishna and not by others.” (BBT tika, Brhad Bh. I.2.96)
III. Oneness: Sadashiva is Narayana
Sri Baladeva Vidya Bhusana: “Sadashiva is without a trace of tamo-guna. He is the cause of all causes, and He is the Narayana vilasa form (anga-bhuta) of svayam-rupa Krishna (svayam-prabhoh). In the Taittiriya Upanisad, the names Narayana, Acyuta and Shiva are used to indicate only one person.” (tika Laghu Bh. I.2.31) “The Sadashiva mentioned in the Brahma-samhita is a vilasa expansion of Krishna, a form of Narayana. (tika Laghu Bh. I.5.298)
Vilasa are the expanded forms of Godhead endowed with different degrees of potency from the original Godhead, Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Sri Jiva Goswamipada (Paramatma Sandarbha 17): “Brahma-samhita (5.8,10) says that Lord Sadashiva is a direct expansion of Lord Vishnu. However, the other Shiva, the demigod Shiva, is not a direct expansion of Lord Vishnu.”
Vrindavana das Thakura: “While visiting the Lingaraja Shiva temple in Bhubaneshvar, Sri Chaitanydeva manifested symptoms of ecstasy. And a favorite kirtan mantra of Gauranga Mahaprabhu was a praising of the combined form of Krishna Hari and Shiva “Hari-Hara;” (hari-haraya nama krsna yadavaya namah).
Srila Visvanatha Cakravartipada: “Lord Sadasiva is transcendental to the three modes of material nature. He is the vilasa expansion of the Supreme Lord, Vishnu. And Sadasiva is also the source of the Siva serving as one of the guna avataras. Thus Sadasiva is equal to Lord Vishnu, superior to Lord Brahma, and superior to and separate from the conditioned, guna-bound jivas. (Bhagavatamrita-kana) [Shiva is Shiva-tattva; jivas are jiva-tattva]
Srila Prabhupada: “In the Vayu Purana there is a description of Sadashiva in one of the Vaikuntha planets. That Sadashiva is a direct expansion of Lord Krishna’s form for pastimes. It is said that Lord Shambhu [Shiva] is an expansion from the Sadashiva in the Vaikuntha planets (Lord Vishnu)” (Cc. 1.6.79 pur.)
Sadashiva Mahavishnu Sri Advaita Prabhu ki jai!
Shankara Bhagavan ki jai! Vaishnavanam Yatha Shambu ki jai!
A journey beyond multiple Universes and towards spiritual world
After passing through the eight material coverings, and after crossing the Viraja (the river that divides the material world and the spiritual world) and the planet of Lord Brahma (the highest material planet), one comes to the planet of Shiva called Shiva-dhama one portion of which, called Mahakala-dhama, is enveloped in darkness; interpenetrating this portion of Shiva-dhama, there shines the Sadashivaloka, full of great light. This Shiva-dhama is situated on the boundary of material and spiritual worlds, its 3/4th?portion lying in spiritual realm and 1/4th?portion lying in material realm. Here Lord Shiva resides in his eternal form of Sadashiva.[2]
Lord Shiva enlightening his ever inquisitive consort Parvati Devi.
Thus, when the material modes come into contact with Lord Vishnu, by his own sweet will, He takes on the quality of a demigod and also associates with the modes of material nature as Lord Shiva. Although ultimately He is the controller of the modes of material nature, He willingly accepts that contact and that influence. In each material universe, this manifestation of Lord Shiva, as the demigod in charge of mode of ignorance, is not eternal.
Sometimes there are statements from Siva-Sastras and Bhagavat-Sastras, that apparently appear to contradict each other. In this regard, Karttikeya, the son of Lord Shiva, says in?Skanda-Purana:
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“Accept the verdict of the Siva-Sastras (like Siva-Purana etc) as long as it is in line and in accordance with the conclusions of Bhagavat-Sastras (Srimad Bhagavatam), because there is only one Supreme, Lord Visnu, the knowledge of whom is the only means for liberation. This is the conclusion of all the revealed scriptures and anything else other than this conclusion is meant only for the bewilderment of people in general.”
When Lord Chaitanya visited Lingaraja temple in Bhubaneswar, he danced ecstatically in front of the Shivalinga for the pleasure of His dear devotee and spoke eight beautiful prayers known as Shivastakam glorifying Lord Shiva. These prayers are recorded in Sri Chaitanya Charita Mahakavya, the diary of Srila Murari Gupta. Therein Lord Chaitanya addresses Lord Shiva as the Guru of whole world.
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I offer my respectful obeisances again and again unto you, who is forever enquired of confidentially by Shri Narada and other sages; unto you, who also grants favor to them very quickly; unto you, who bestows the happiness of hari-bhakti; unto you, who creates auspiciousness and unto you, who is the Guru of everyone.(Shivastakam 7)
The scriptures describe that to consider Lord Shiva or Lord Brahma on the same level as Lord Vishnu is an offense. At the same time, to consider Lord Shiva as different or independent from Lord Vishnu is also an offense. Therefore, vaisnavas offer Lord Shiva all due respect as the topmost devotee of Lord Vishnu. On the holy occasion of Mahashivaratri, devotees may pray to Lord Shiva to help them progress on the path of Krishna bhakti swiftly. This is the greatest benediction that Lord Shiva is very keen to offer to all living entities.
Lord Shiva is therefore explained in Brahma-samhita (5.45) in this way -[3]
"kshiram yatha dadhi vikara-vishesha-yogat
sanjayate na hi tatah prithag asti hetoh
yah shambhutam api tatha samupaiti karyad
govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami"
Lord Shiva is considered to be like yogurt (dadhi). Yogurt is nothing but transformed milk; nonetheless, yogurt cannot be accepted as milk.?
Similarly, Lord Shiva holds almost all the powers of Lord Vishnu, and he is also above the qualities of the living entity, but he is not exactly like Vishnu, just as yogurt, although transformed milk, is not exactly like milk.?(SB Canto 4.30.24, Purport)
Learned scholars in transcendental subjects have carefully analyzed the summum bonum Krishna to have sixty-four principal attributes.?
All the expansions or categories of the Lord possess three different percentages of these attributes.?
But Sri Krishna is the possessor of the attributes cent percent. And His personal expansions possess only up to ninety-three percent of these transcendental attributes. Lord Shiva possesses almost eighty-four percent of the attributes.”?(SB Canto 1.3.28, Purport)
Lord Shiva is considered the father of this universe, and material nature, or goddess Durga, is considered the mother.?
Shiva is neither the Supreme Lord nor a jiva-tattva (an independent spirit soul), the category to which we belong).?
Shiva is the personal form through which the Supreme Lord works to inject the living entities (jiva-tattvas) into this material world.
Lord Shiva is in charge of the tamo-guna, the mode of ignorance, and is thus in the category of incarnations known as gunavataras.?
Srila Prabhupada writes -?
"The dissolution of the three worlds is effected by the incarnation of darkness, Rudra [Shiva], represented by the fire of eternal time which blazes over the three worlds."?(SB Canto 3.11.28, Purport)?
Shukadeva Goswami says -
"Thereafter, at the end of the millennium, the Lord Himself in the form of Rudra, the destroyer, will annihilate the complete creation as the wind displaces the clouds."?(SB Canto 2.10.43)
Shiva’s Personality of Ashutosha (pleased very quickly)
From being simple-hearted to being tricky, from being easily pleased to blazing with anger, Lord Shiva displays many facets of personality, all in the service of his dear Lord Sri Krishna.?He exhibits dependence on Krishna and His devotees as well, as surrender and service to them.
One of the prominent attributes of Lord Shiva is being quickly pleased with anyone.?
Amongst all the demigods, Lord Shiva can be pacified even by the lowest class of men, who need only offer him obeisances and leaves of a bael tree.?
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5 个月You forgot to add in the beginning ' According to Vaishnavism '
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11 个月As evident truth is not getting digested in comment section...4 vaishnav sampraday have unanimously agreed on golokachart nd position of Vishnu Shiva n jeev tattva Some have not completely read iswar, hans n other geetas thus stupid peeps r comparing other geetas with bg from Mahabharat... May lord Sadashiv bless them to get to the right understanding to get them home to Sadashiv lok?
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1 年Hare Krishna Dandavat Pranams ?? Radhika Gopinatha dasa Prabhuji Whether we follow Advaitha/Dwaitha/Vishista Advaitha to worship any aspect of God we love (Whether it is Shakti, Shiva or Vishnu; our prime Gods/Godesses) - We must practice: 1.Uninterrupted, Unalloyed, Pure devotion for our Ishta Deva to attain love of God. This is the state of pure goodness above the three modes of material nature. 2.The 4 regulative principles - No meat eating, No illicit sex, No cheating, No intoxication. ? Because of these two reasons, I joined Iskcon and quit non-veg, drinking, smoking as soon as I joined in 2022 Feb. Without practicing the above two bhakti practices, we can't boast ourselves as Vaishnavas, Shaivites or Shakti devotees. And our reading of "N" number of Vedic literatures and Puranas is of no use unless that is put into practice which ultimately turns into self-realization. That self-realized state is given in Gita: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/18/54/ One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me ??
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1 年This is ISKCON fake version which is being spread by ISKCON devotee, which have alter the Bhagwad Gita according to their versions