Is Visnu Offended When A Devotee Prays To Siva?

[Shivam 0]

Isn't Visnu and Siva one in the same?

 

If Siva is Pleased when one attains Visnu Bhakti, then isnt Visnu also Pleased when one finds the same love for Siva?

 

Hare Krsna

[nekozuki 0]

It's all the same God, and he is not a jealous God contrary to the belief of some religions.

[Bhakta Don Muntean 0]

 

It's all the same God, and he is not a jealous God contrary to the belief of some religions.

But He is indeed a jealous God - all through the vedas we see that!

 

[nekozuki 0]

 

But He is indeed a jealous God - all through the vedas we see that!

Then why is " it's all the same God" preached throughout Hindusim It's not like the guy is going to burst into flames because he looked at Shiva.

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

 

Isn't Visnu and Siva one in the same?

Vishnu is not offended by who you pray to. But He is happy when you don't pray for material things, and aim only for unalloyed devotion to Him. If you pray to Shiva for a nice wife, big house, good job, etc., it isn't going to please Vishnu nor Shiva. But if you pray to either of them to develop Hari Bhakti and become free from samsara then you will please both of them.

[Shivam 0]

 

Vishnu is not offended by who you pray to. But He is happy when you don't pray for material things, and aim only for unalloyed devotion to Him. If you pray to Shiva for a nice wife, big house, good job, etc., it isn't going to please Vishnu nor Shiva. But if you pray to either of them to develop Hari Bhakti and become free from samsara then you will please both of them.

I never pray to Visnu or Siva for Material Things because Swami Prabhupada established that begging of material things instead of Spiritual Betterment is offensive.

What I am not sure of is if Praying to Lord Siva is also accepted?

If a Devotee of Lord Krsna prays to Lord Siva for spiritual betterment is Krsna also pleased that he is praying pure-hearted to Lord Siva?

[Somesh Kumar 0]

 

I never pray to Visnu or Siva for Material Things because Swami Prabhupada established that begging of material things instead of Spiritual Betterment is offensive.

It's so nice to know this Shivam Prabhu. Your conviction on the statement of Srila Prabhupada! Jai!!!

 

 

What I am not sure of is if Praying to Lord Siva is also accepted? If a Devotee of Lord Krsna prays to Lord Siva for spiritual betterment is Krsna also pleased that he is praying pure-hearted to Lord Siva?

Yes, As Jahnva Nitai Prabhu pointed so nicely in his reply.

 

If the prayer is for spiritual upliftment and Krishna bhakti then praying to Lord Shiva is also pleasing to Krishna. The best example is the Gopis of Vrindaavana who prayed to Katyaayani devi so that they could get Krishna as their husband.

[Guest guest]

Krsnas greatest devoutee is Shiva, and both are pleased if u pray for pure bhalti

[~servant 0]

 

If the prayer is for spiritual upliftment and Krishna bhakti then praying to Lord Shiva is also pleasing to Krishna. The best example is the Gopis of Vrindaavana who prayed to Katyaayani devi so that they could get Krishna as their husband.

Another example seems to be in Sri Brhad Bhagavatamritam by Srilla Sanatana Gosvami.

 

Therein we read about poor brahman who prayed to Kama devi (wife of Lord Shiva) for wealth. She then appeared in his dreams and gave him Gopala mantra.

By this mantra and by Her grace, this brahmana met Gopa-kumara (Sri Sarupa), who gave him everything...

 

namaste

[~servant 0]

 

Krsnas greatest devoutee is Shiva, and both are pleased if u pray for pure bhalti

Yes, it seems so:

 

Visnu purana (5.33.46)

"Whoever is Lord Hari, He Himself is Lord Śiva indeed. Whoever is manifesting as

Lord Śiva, He Himself is Lord Hari. Any human being mistakes both the Lords to be different, he/she surely goes to hell.”

 

 

Vayu-Purana

"But Śri Mahadeva's planet is outside of the seven layers of matter that cover the universe. It is eternal, blissful, real and attainable by His greatest devotees."

 

 

Skanda Purana

"Just as Lord Visnu is pervaded by Lord Śiva, similarly, in Śiva's heart Visnu resides and Visnu's heart is the abode of Śiva."

 

 

Padma Purana

"Anyone who sees difference between the attributes, names etc of Śiva and Śri

Visnu is certainly doing harm to the holy name of Hari."

or

"To see difference between the attributes and names of Śiva and Visnu is not doing

good to the holy name of Lord Hari."

 

namaste

[Bhava 0]

 

Isn't Visnu and Siva one in the same?

We should be careful not to equate Vishnu with the demigods, including Lord Siva. Vishnu is non-different from the Personality of Godhead (Krsna). Lord Siva is in the marginal position between Vishnu and the jivas; he is the via media, and chief of the demigods, Mahadeva.

 

However, though they are not exactly the same, he (Siva) is a plenary portion of Vishnu. This can be understood by the example of milk and curd—one is simply a transformation of the other. Curd is very nice (as every devotee will agree), but milk is the origin, and fundamental constitution of the transformation.

 

In addition, Lord Vishnu is never under the influence of Maya; He is her master. Only He can give freedom to the conditioned souls from her clutches.

 

Who is that Maya? That is Durga, the external potency of Vishnu, and wife of Lord Siva. In His (Vishnu’s) transformation as Siva, he (Siva) is her controller. She is the personified material energy (mother), and Siva is the father. Lord Siva, as explained in the Brahma-samhita, is another form of Maha-Vishnu. As such, he is the father, and she (Durga) is the mother. This union is represented in the siva-linga. Siva is the form through which Lord Vishnu impregnates the living beings into material nature.

[~servant 0]

Hmm.

 

 

 

We should be careful not to equate Vishnu with the demigods, including Lord Siva. Vishnu is non-different from the Personality of Godhead (Krsna). Lord Siva is in the marginal position between Vishnu and the jivas; he is the via media, and chief of the demigods, Mahadeva.

 

Laghu Bhagavatamrita

by Rupa Gosvami

31

Śiva's form named Sadāśiva, who is a direct expansion of the Personality of

Godhead, is the cause of all causes, is free from the slightest scent of the mode of

ignorance, and resides in Śivaloka, is described in the Vayu Purana and other

scriptures.

 

 

 

However, though they are not exactly the same, he (Siva) is a plenary portion of Vishnu. This can be understood by the example of milk and curd—one is simply a transformation of the other. Curd is very nice (as every devotee will agree), but milk is the origin, and fundamental constitution of the transformation.

Gaura Ganoddesa Dipika

by Śrila Kavi Karnapura

76.

Lord Sadāśiva, who formerly appeared as an avesa-incarnation in Vrajabhumi,

appeared in Lord Caitanya's pastimes as Lord Advaita Gosvami, who is nondifferent

from Lord Caitanya Himself.

 

Caitanya Caritamrita (Adi-lila, 6.)

by Krisnadas Kaviraja Goswami

6.4

Lord Advaita Ācārya is the incarnation of Mahā-Visnu, whose main function is to

create the cosmic world through the actions of māyā.

6.5

Because He is nondifferent from Hari, the Supreme Lord, He is called Advaita, and

because He propagates the cult of devotion, He is called Ācārya. He is the Lord and

the incarnation of the Lord's devotee. Therefore I take shelter of Him.

 

 

 

In addition, Lord Vishnu is never under the influence of Maya; He is her master. Only He can give freedom to the conditioned souls from her clutches.

 

Who is that Maya? That is Durga, the external potency of Vishnu, and wife of Lord Siva. In His (Vishnu’s) transformation as Siva, he (Siva) is her controller. She is the personified material energy (mother), and Siva is the father. Lord Siva, as explained in the Brahma-samhita, is another form of Maha-Vishnu. As such, he is the father, and she (Durga) is the mother. This union is represented in the siva-linga. Siva is the form through which Lord Vishnu impregnates the living beings into material nature.

 

 

Laghu Bhagavatamrita

by Rupa Gosvami

31

Śiva's form named Sadāśiva, who is a direct expansion of the Personality of

Godhead, is the cause of all causes, is free from the slightest scent of the mode of

ignorance, and resides in Śivaloka, is described in the Vayu Purana and other

scriptures.

 

Vayu-Purana

"But Śri Mahadeva's planet is outside of the seven layers of matter that cover the

universe. It is eternal, blissful, real and attainable by His greatest devotees."

 

Skanda Purana

"Just as Lord Visnu is pervaded by Lord Śiva, similarly, in Śiva's heart Visnu resides

and Visnu's heart is the abode of Śiva."

 

Padma Purana

"Anyone who sees difference between the attributes, names etc of Śiva and Śri

Visnu is certainly doing harm to the holy name of Hari."

or

"To see difference between the attributes and names of Śiva and Visnu is not doing

good to the holy name of Lord Hari."

[vrajavasi 0]

Radhe Krishna,

 

There were so many discussions as to whether one has to do shiva bhakthi or krishna bhakthi. As i humbly view the issue, it is very simple. If u r dedicated to Lord Shiva, engage in Shiva Bhakthi, Wholeheartedly. If u r dedicated to Lord Krishna, engage in Krishna Bhakthi, wholeheartedly.

 

Paashupatham, the ekagra shiva matham and Shri vaishnavam, the Ekagra vaishnava matham completely condemns the devathanthara bhakthi.

 

Bhakthi per se, with deviations would not then help u to reap the fruits of the bhakthi. Single mindedness and bhava which are prerequisites of bhakthi marga could never never never be attained if one indulge in devathanthara bhakthi.

 

Radhe Krishna

[Kamalasana Das 0]

 

Therein we read about poor brahman who prayed to Kama devi (wife of Lord Shiva) for wealth. She then appeared in his dreams and gave him Gopala mantra.

By this mantra and by Her grace, this brahmana met Gopa-kumara (Sri Sarupa), who gave him everything...

 

namaste

 

 

sri-krsna gopal hare mukunda

 

 

govinda he nanda-kisora Krsna

 

ha sri-yasoda-tamaya prasida

sri-ballavi-jivana radhikesha.

 

 

I have read this on the light of the bhagavat, book as well as in going beyond Vaikutha, a book comentary by Narayana Maharaja.

Gopa-Kumara was doing enfasis in the ´ha sri-yasoda-tamaya prasida´ part of this mantra.

And He was told to be engaged in Bhajana glorifivation of Bhagavan

 

[vrajavasi 0]

Radhe Krishna

is it yasoda tamaya or

yasoda tanaya

 

Radhe Krishna

[Guest guest]

 

If a Devotee of Lord Krsna prays to Lord Siva for spiritual betterment is Krsna also pleased that he is praying pure-hearted to Lord Siva?

Why wouldn't he? Lord Shiva is just an expansion of Lord Krsna. They the same. Hindu's should not be having these sorts of discussions as they are harmful to the whole basic message of Sanatan Dharma.

[Kamalasana Das 0]

 

 

In this

 

 

 

mantra, for Gopa-kumara the emphasis was on ha sri-yasoda-tanaya prasida (O son of Yasoda.), which for him is the primary name of Krsna, the others being secondary. For his particular internal sentiment, ha sri-yasoda-tamaya prasida

 

 

 

is primary because He (sri-krsna gopal hare Mukunda) is Gopa-kumara´s dear friend

 

[xdementorsxkiss 0]

It is absoluely true, 100%, that your prayers will be answered if you do not pray for material things for yourself.

 

I believe it was 2 or 3 summers ago (correct me if I'm wrong) when a lot of chlidren here in the US were missing, and killed.... Why I didn't pray for them? I don't know. I really don't know. But one day I saw on the news that a little girl was kidnapped and missing. I was heartbroken, I was in tears, crying all day.

 

I got on my hands and knees and prayed and prayed and prayed all day and all night for the safe return for that little girl.

 

Most of the time (God forbid, God forbid), the children that are kidnapped get killed. The statistics in the US show that.

 

BUT! That little girl came home SAFE and UNHARMED to her family!

 

& what happened when I prayed for only material things (in the past, no more do I do that)????

 

NOTHING.

 

So, it is 100% that God will hear you.

You may not get everything (because everyone has their own time for living and dying and rebirth), but God will definetely hear you.

 

God bless!

 

HARE KRISHNA!

[vrajavasi 0]

Radhe Krishna,

Shri sathya, Radhe krishna, please understand that the topic of discussion is under Gaudiya sampradaya. What is correct and not correct as such here is supposed to be measured as per the yardsticks laid down under Gaudiya sampradaya.

Even under smartha sampradaya to which I belong, where we do Panchayatana pooja daily as nithya karma ( a karma performed as per Bhagavath Agnya as nishkamya karma with out any manokamna), the worship is performed with all ritual sincereties. But again when it comes to Upasana one should be steadfast. My father who is no more was a shaktha upasaka and he was so dedicated that from morning till night he was engaged either in Gayathri japa or Shodasakshari japa or reading of Durga Sapthasathi or Soundarya lahari. The topic of discussion whenever he happens to make with anyone would be shaktha upasana and nothing else. I am under Radha krishna upasana. The interest and dedication which i am blessed by Guru and Radha Krishna Yugala - From morning till night my mind is preocuupied with Shrimad Bhagavatham and Radha Krishna Yugala. It does not at all mean that I have disrespect for devathanthara. But my deep dedication for my upasya devatha. Whether it is dhyana, yoga, Atmavichara or Bhakthi - What is very badly required is focussed single minded dedication. Even if i go to shiva temple what i pray before the lord is - bless me with more dedication in my bhakthi. At a time a person can not focus his mind in the upasana of more than one deity. Even Rama krishna paramahamsa who did upasana of many deities - u should remember that at any one point of time - he did upasana of only one deity. That is because upasana very badly requires focus and dedication and no obstacle by way of distraction. If my views in any way offend u sathya pl pardon me.

jndasji, Radhe Krishna, I feel although this should not have been ur intention a short reply for a deep subject, looked a curt reply

Radhe Krishna