Digest Number 1470

[Guest guest]

On Wed, 11 Mar 2009, " vijivijayan kayen " vijivkn wrote:

 

>  

> dear all

>  

> I heard that SIVA has not become angry (Krodha) at any moment. But the

> PurANAs clearly says that Siva became angry to KAmadeva and by opening

> his third eye, Siva lit KAmadeva in fire.  How to understand this ?

>  

 

When a judge sentences a criminal to jail, is it because he is angry at

him. Or because this is the just punishment? In the same way,

Karunasagara Mahadeva acts dispassionately and only for the sake of

Dharma.

 

How did Shiva Bhagavan get the name Rudra which literally means one who

howls or screams? See Shivamahimnastotra 22. At the time of creation,

Prajapati (Brahma) first created mentally. But the mental creations,

sages such as Narada and Sanatakumaras being pure refused to beget progeny

and took to Vairagya. Then Prajapati decided to attempt a physical

creation by creating a woman Sarasvati and in the form of a deer, uniting

with her in sexual intercourse. As this was technically His daughter,

such a union was incest, an act repugnant to all standards of morality.

Shiva Bhagavan on learning this, howled in dismay at this injustice and

shot Prajapati with the Pinaka bow. (Incidentally this story explains

how, because this creation was marred from the beginning by adharma, life

is afflicted by evil and suffering.)

 

One of the most important sections of the Vedas is called Shatarudriyam or

chamaka which is a praise of Shiva Bhagavan. Shatapatha Brahmana explains

Shatarudriyam as Shantadaivatam -- that which pacifies the divinity. Why

would Shiva Bhagavan need to be pacified? Well in the Shrauta yajnas,

this Shatarudriyam is recited when the foundation is laid for the altar in

order to consecrate the sacrifical ground. It is a request to Rudra

Bhagavan to please leave the premises and allow us to pretend that we

" own " the ground when in reality we are only usurping what belongs to the

Lord of All. In the same way when building a new house we do vastupuja

to Rudra Vastoshpati and then only we have permission to dwell there.

 

Now for the specific example you gave. Tarakasura could only be defeated

by the son of Shiva and Shakti. But the Devas lacked confidence that the

perfect Vairagi Shankara Bhagavan could be convinced to agree to such a

thing. They did not know that Shakti is not some seperate person but one

half of Bhagavan Ardhanarishvar Himself. So they thought that desire

could be employed in order to trick Him into fulfilling their wishes. It

was for this impure motive that Kamadeva was burnt by the fire of jnana.

After the Devas realized their folly, a son Kartik Bhagavan was indeed

born from Shiva-Shakti and the tyranny of the Asura was ended.

 

So you see, when Shiva Bhagavan appears " angry " it is not mindless

violence but only dispassionate action for the sake of a higher good.

 

 

--

Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar