“Lord Shiva takes charge of reforming persons who are ghosts and demons, not to speak of others, who are godly; therefore he is the spiritual master of everyone, both the dull and demoniac and the highly learned Vaishnavas. It is also stated, vaishnavanam yatha shambhuh: Shambhu, Lord Shiva, is the greatest of all Vaishnavas.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.2.2 Purport)

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“How can you be friends with that guy? Just where do you know him from? You should take a look at what your friend is doing. It is not cool. I am about ready to punch him in the face. The only thing holding me back is my affection for you. I cannot believe you would even think of bringing this person to the party. Just where did you find him? You can tell a lot about a person based on the company they keep. I am going to have to reevaluate my assessment of you, as I thought I knew you well enough after all these years.

“The above are some of the harsh words I have been on the receiving end of in the past, due to no fault of my own. There is someone I am supposedly friends with, who behaves boorishly, who is inconsiderate, who is petty, who is envious, and who lacks basic decency and decorum. At the same time, there is a reason we are friends. The relationship with me is different. Or perhaps it is the same and I can just tolerate the insults better. I am not as bothered by the behavior since I have come to expect it.

“In this light, have you ever considered the ramifications of the blessings of Mahadeva, as described in shastra? He is also known as Ashutosha and Shiva. He is the very embodiment of auspiciousness. Though people take subtle jabs at his appearance and his paraphernalia from time to time, it is all in good fun. For anyone interested, just peruse some of the descriptions of the marriage ceremony of Shiva to Parvati. You will get good laughs but feel elevated to a higher realm at the same time.

“Speaking of elevation, Mahadeva has assisted some of the worst characters in history. There was even that asura who turned the boon around to use it against the benefactor. Mahadeva had to run away from Vrikasura, as the demon wanted to touch his object of worship on the head to steal his wife. Narayana saved the day by intervening, in a disguise, and tricking the foolish asura into trying the boon on himself.

“I am not here to insult anyone. If you want to worship Vishnu, that is fine. There is nothing wrong with worshiping Mahadeva. I am just wondering why it is okay to have such negative associations last throughout recorded time. Though Mahadeva is the greatest of the Vaishnavas, or worshipers of Vishnu, he is also known to lift up characters of wicked intent, with the ten-headed Ravana most notable among them.”

If a man carries out a gruesome and heinous crime in the evening, is the restaurant that served him breakfast in the morning liable? Are the manager, the server, and the cook brought into the police station and booked on charges of aiding and abetting? How about the gas station attendant who fueled the getaway car for the criminal? The clothing manufacturer who kept the evildoer warm during the otherwise cold winter night. The utility company that provided the electricity to light up the streets and the building of the crime scene itself?

“But if you have faith still in the words of Lord Shiva, my dear king of the demons, then why don’t you make an experiment by putting your hand on your head? If the benediction proves false, then you can immediately kill this liar, Lord Shiva, so that in the future he will not dare to give out false benedictions.” (Lord Narayana in the guise of a mendicant speaking to Vrikasura, Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Volume 2, Chapter 33)

If we were to view fixtures of nature as utility services of the highest capacity, then they too could share in the blame. Not just for an isolated incident, but for everything else that occurs which we consider to be bad or harmful. The sun gives heat and light to everyone, in fact. There is no discrimination. The same with the rainfall. The cave in the mountain does not ask to see credentials prior to allowing entry. Any person can pick up the fruit that has fallen from the tree. Any person can avail themselves of the shade offered by the same tree.

ब्रह्मोवाच
जाने त्वामीशं विश्वस्य जगतो योनिबीजयो:
शक्ते: शिवस्य च परं यत्तद्ब्रह्म निरन्तरम्

brahmovāca
jāne tvām īśaṁ viśvasya
jagato yoni-bījayoḥ
śakteḥ śivasya ca paraṁ
yat tad brahma nirantaram

“Lord Brahma said: My dear Lord Shiva, I know that you are the controller of the entire material manifestation, the combination father and mother of the cosmic manifestation, and the Supreme Brahman beyond the cosmic manifestation as well. I know you in that way.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.6.42)

Mahadeva plays his role in the material world, and he plays it perfectly. If someone wants to quickly fulfill a desire, they have an option. They know where to go. It is indeed like a business transaction. There is no follow-up. There is no request for a glowing review, such that future customers might consider visiting the same place. You pay the price, which in this case is worship. You get the reward, which reaches the limit of the sky. Whatever you can think of that exists in the material world, you have the opportunity to receive.

Indeed, the greater the reward sought after, the more difficult the payment might be. Mahadeva is not the exclusive benefactor fulfilling this role. The creator, Lord Brahma, has had similar interactions throughout history. The leader of the Daityas notably underwent the severest austerities to receive the boon of de facto immortality. After being denied due to the limitations in Brahma, Hiranyakashipu tried to construct the same through individual requests, presented in succession. Brahma agreed to the individual requests.

नान्तर्बहिर्दिवा नक्तमन्यस्मादपि चायुधै:
न भूमौ नाम्बरे मृत्युर्न नरैर्न मृगैरपि

nāntar bahir divā naktam
anyasmād api cāyudhaiḥ
na bhūmau nāmbare mṛtyur
na narair na mṛgair api

“Grant me that I not die within any residence or outside any residence, during the daytime or at night, nor on the ground or in the sky. Grant me that my death not be brought by any being other than those created by you, nor by any weapon, nor by any human being or animal.” (Hiranyakashipu praying to Lord Brahma, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.3.36)

Despite the interactions with ghosts, evil spirits, and wicked characters, Mahadeva is not affected. Consider the following situation. Imagine that you have a specific interest. You love to talk about a certain person. Within such talks, there is wisdom. You are happy to share this wisdom with anyone who will sit down and listen, quietly and attentively. The more dedicated they are to approaching you to hear, the more enthusiastic you are to talk.

Inject into this situation a third party. This person does not want to hear. They are not interested in the wisdom. Rather, they see that you have a gold watch on your wrist. They are desperate for that watch. They nag you for days and days. Another person sees something valuable in the place you are sitting. They want it. Another person asks for your necklace. After a while, you finally relent. You tell these people to take whatever it is they want. The purpose is not to help them. It is not to increase your detachment. You just want them to go away. Buzz off, so that the people who came to hear you speak can enjoy the experience.

The people taking things from you might be called devotees, but they really aren’t. They just happen to appreciate something that you have. Once they take it from you, they are not really happy. There is an expiration date to the benefits they receive. Meanwhile, someone like Mahadeva goes on singing the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mahadeva is indeed the best of the Vaishnavas, and no asura can ever taint his standing.

निम्नगानां यथा गङ्गा देवानामच्युतो यथा
वैष्णवानां यथा शम्भु: पुराणानामिदं तथा

nimna-gānāṁ yathā gaṅgā
devānām acyuto yathā
vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ
purāṇānām idam tathā

“Just as the Ganga is the greatest of all rivers, Lord Achyuta the supreme among deities and Lord Shambhu [Shiva] the greatest of Vaishnavas, so Shrimad-Bhagavatam is the greatest of all Puranas.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 12.13.16)

In Closing:

Vaishnava of highest standing,
Supreme wisdom commanding.

Despite asuras to assist,
To apply blame resist.

Since work with detachment done,
Even liberation through him won.

But glorifying for pleasure abound,
Talks of Hari best in Mahadeva found.

Categories: questions

Tags: dailyprompt, hare krishna, mahadeva, poem, poems, poetry, shiva