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Thread: Shiva the person and ParamShiva

  1. #1

    Shiva the person and ParamShiva

    Namaskar ,

    If Shiva is all that is , then who is that Shiva we see in temples and many
    photographs ? The one with matted hair and Trishul and damru etc .
    Who is this person Shiva ? How is he diferent from Paramshiva or the supreme Shiva we talk about in Kashmir shaivism ?

    Can someone please answer my query .


    AUM NAMAH SHIVAY

    Caitanya

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    Re: Shiva the person and ParamShiva

    Namaste Caitanya!

    To conceal Himself and then to reveal Himself, how would this be possible except within this special theater, which is the cosmos? This cosmic theater lives, moves, and has its being within the dynamic consciousness of its unbaffled Creator. By His wish, the wish of Supreme Consciousness, this cosmos functions as a theater in which a variety of characters have their roles to play. You and I have our roles to play. And also God enters this theater to play a role, becoming a character in His own play.

    Yes, among the characters in this theater are Devata, divine personalities, including Parvati’s husband who has the moon for His crown and Ganga spilling from His dreadlocks. Shiva, the form of our beloved Lord, is none other than God playing the role of God. But in His case, the cosmic theater is like a waking dream, because Self-awareness is retained continuously. When the Creator appears in the world in the form of Shiva, the effects are not like the bull in the china shop, toppling the whole theater. Rather, respecting the created reality of the theater, He keeps His exercise of power within limits, intervening in small but significant ways.

    Furthermore, the function of Shiva is revelation. Shiva embodies the grace-bestowing aspect of the Supreme. If we come to love Him and trust Him, then eventually we too can live in this world while knowing the ultimate reality of One Self.

    That is how I see it. Other ideas?
    Last edited by TrikonaBindu; 21 May 2013 at 03:08 PM.

    Mahadeva Smaranam OM namah shivaya
    Mrtyunjayaya rudraya neelakanthaya shambhave
    Amrteshaya sarvaya mahadevaya te namah

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    3 aspects of Siva

    Namaste

    Siva comes in 3 flavors , as per Saivism.
    1) Parasiva, the relationless absolute, called in Advaita Vedanta as Brahman,
    the Eternal.
    2) Satchidananda, the Light flowing through all form, the Uncreated.
    3) Parameswara, the Supreme Lord of all beings, whose body is this universe.

    Regards
    Ra K Sankar

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    Re: Shiva the person and ParamShiva

    Quote Originally Posted by caitanya View Post
    Namaskar ,

    If Shiva is all that is , then who is that Shiva we see in temples and many
    photographs ? The one with matted hair and Trishul and damru etc .
    Who is this person Shiva ? How is he diferent from Paramshiva or the supreme Shiva we talk about in Kashmir shaivism ?

    Can someone please answer my query .


    AUM NAMAH SHIVAY

    Caitanya
    Namaste, caitanya.

    The 'Lord Shiva' we see in photographs (Shiv Shambu) is only an artist's representation of what the sage and seers of ancient times have told us Lord Shiva 'looks like' according to His many Leelas (Divine Passtimes). I honestly don't know how accurate that is...but it seems to please devotees and draw them unto Him, so it's all good.

    In one of the Leelas of Lord Shiva, he appears as a beam of Light (Jyotir Lingam) without beginning, middle nor end and asks Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu to go in opposite directions to find the ends of it...after they were quibbling among themselves over who is the 'greatest God there is'...well, we all know how that turned out.

    In essence, "Personal Shiva' and 'Impersonal Shiva' are one and the same, only we make that distinction because the human mind is unable to understand the complexity of ParamShiva/Rudra, so we worship Lord Shiva in either personal form (saguna) or in the form of a Lingam which represents His impersonal (nirguna) form.

    ....and that's all I know about it.

    Aum Namah Shivaya

  5. #5

    Re: Shiva the person and ParamShiva

    Namaste Chaitanya,

    I will attempt to answer your question.

    The shiva that one sees in pictures and statues is his saguna form and the lingam is his nirguna form which is also considered to be formless.It has become easy for some of us to relate to his saguna form and eventually his nirguna form.For every role and function god takes a form to excecute the former.Example: in his ash covered meditative form he takes the role of an asthetic who lives amongst nature.
    He has another form though,We see it when we look in the mirror and even dont realize this and the question we have to ask ourselves is what are our functions.For he is favourably disposed in all of mankind..


    Ohm Namah Shivayah

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