Category:God and Lord Siva
Theme Analysis
The ontological position of Lord Śiva is one of the most profound subjects in Vedic philosophy. Śrīla Prabhupāda perfectly clarifies that according to the principle of acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, Lord Śiva is simultaneously one with and different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu. Using the classic analogy of milk and yogurt, he explains that while yogurt is nothing but transformed milk, it cannot act as milk. Similarly, Lord Śiva is an energetic expansion of God, occupying a unique marginal position between the ordinary jīvas and the supreme viṣṇu-tattva. Despite his immense cosmic power and his role as the annihilator of the universe, Lord Śiva is fundamentally the greatest of all devotees. He operates strictly under the direction of Lord Nārāyaṇa, and there is absolutely no difference of opinion between them. To consider Lord Śiva equal to the Supreme Lord is a severe offense known as pāṣaṇḍī, but to disrespect him is equally dangerous. Pure devotees understand that Lord Śiva is the most exalted servant of the Lord, proudly subservient to his supreme master and always meditating on His lotus feet.
- The Milk and Yogurt Analogy: Lord Śiva is an expansion of Lord Viṣṇu who comes into contact with the material modes of nature. Just as milk turns to yogurt when mixed with a sour substance, Viṣṇu expands as Śiva to interact with māyā.
- The Greatest Devotee: Above all his cosmic titles, Lord Śiva is the greatest Vaiṣṇava. His mind and consciousness are eternally fixed on the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and he actively preaches that satisfying Lord Viṣṇu is the ultimate goal of life.
- The Pāṣaṇḍī Misconception: It is a great illusion to place Lord Śiva on the exact same platform as Lord Nārāyaṇa. The Supreme Lord is the master of the illusory energy, whereas Lord Śiva deliberately accepts māyā to perform his duties.
- Proud to be Defeated: During the pastime of Mohinī-mūrti, Lord Viṣṇu bewildered even Lord Śiva with His internal potency. Upon realizing this, Lord Śiva was not ashamed, but proudly rejoiced at having such an unconquerably powerful master.
- Perfect Universal Harmony: Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu, and Lord Śiva manage the modes of nature in perfect synchronization. Because Śiva acts entirely on the order of the Supreme Lord, there is never any clash of absolute purpose between them.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: There is No Difference of Opinion Between Lord Śiva and God.
Subcategories
This category has the following 2 subcategories, out of 2 total.
Pages in category "God and Lord Siva"
The following 129 pages are in this category, out of 129 total.
A
- A beautiful woman generally cannot induce Lord Siva to be lusty, but Lord Visnu was considering whether there was any form of woman who could enchant him
- A devotee never considers Lord Narayana to be on the same platform with Lord Brahma and Lord Siva
- A pasandi is one who considers the great demigods such as Lord Brahma and Lord Siva equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana - Hari-bhakti-vilasa 7.117
- A pasandi is one who thinks that the Supreme Lord Narayana, the Personality of Godhead, is on the same level with the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma and Lord Siva
- According to the philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva, Lord Siva is not different from Lord Visnu, but still Lord Siva is not Lord Visnu, just as yogurt is nothing but milk and yet is not milk nevertheless
- After describing the universal form of the Lord, Lord Brahma explained that his position and Lord Siva’s position are controlled by Lord Visnu
- After hearing Lord Siva's statement, Banasura, who was very much puffed up with his power, became elated that he would meet someone able to smash him to pieces. Banasura then returned home with great pleasure
- All three, namely Brahma, Visnu and Siva, are incarnations of the Garbhodakasayi Visnu
- Although Citraketu never meant to insult Lord Siva, he should not have criticized the lord, even though the lord was transgressing social customs. It is said, tejiyasam na dosaya: one who is very powerful should be understood to be faultless
- Although Lord Siva is never defeated by anyone, when defeated by Lord Visnu he felt proud that he had such an exalted and powerful master
- Although Lord Siva was aghast at the potency of Lord Visnu, he did not feel ashamed. Rather, he was proud to be defeated by Lord Visnu. Nothing is hidden from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for He is in everyone's heart
- Although Prahlada was born in a demoniac family and although the Lord had never before placed His lotus hand on the head of Brahma, Siva or the goddess of fortune, His constant companion, Lord Nrsimhadeva kindly placed His hand on the head of Prahlada
- Although we (Yamaraja, Indra, Candra, Siva, Brahma and Surya) are in the mode of goodness, we cannot understand the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What, then, is to be said of others, who, under illusion, merely speculate to know God?
- Ambika (goddess Durga), who was known as Daksayini (Sati), again accepted Lord Siva as her husband, just as different energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead act during the course of a new creation
- Anasuya, the wife of Rsi Atri, prayed before the Lords Brahma, Visnu and Siva as follows: "My lords, if you are pleased with me, and if you desire me to ask from you some sort of blessings, then I pray that you combine together to become my son"
- At Vrddhakola, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the temple of Sveta-varaha, the white boar incarnation. After offering Him respects, the Lord visited the temple of Lord Siva, wherein the deity is dressed with yellow garments
B
- Bali Maharaja washed the lotus feet of Vamanadeva, and the water with which he did so became equal to the Ganges. Bali Maharaja, who perfectly knew all religious principles, therefore took that water on his head, following in the footsteps of Lord Siva
- Because Lord Siva is directly an incarnation of Lord Visnu, he is situated as Lord Visnu's direct representative. This fact is corroborated by a Vedic mantra: patim visvasyatmesvaram sasvatam. sivam acyutam
- Because Lord Siva wanted to see Lord Visnu's form as a woman (Mohini-murti), Lord Visnu decided to impersonate a woman and show him a form that would immediately put him in an ocean of lusty desires
- Before the creation there was none except Vasudeva. There was neither Brahma nor Sankara. Only Narayana was there and no one else, neither Brahma nor Isana
- Being pleased with Banasura, he (Siva) said, "Whatever you desire you can have from me, for I am very much pleased with you." Banasura replied, "My dear lord, if you please, you can remain in my city just to protect me from the hands of my enemies"
- Bhisma wanted to impress upon Maharaja Yudhisthira that since time immemorial no one, including such demigods as Siva and Brahma, could ascertain the real plan of the Lord. So what can we understand about it?
- Brahma, Visnu and Siva are His three incarnations of the material qualities. Creation, maintenance and destruction respectively are under the charge of these three personalities
- Brahma, Visnu and Siva are qualitative incarnations. Empowered incarnations are those like the Kumaras, King Prthu and Maha-muni Vyasa (the compiler of the Vedas)
- By a combination of potential energies of the Lord there is the manifestation of creation, maintenance and annihilation in due course of time and by different agents like Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara
- By the supreme desire of the Personality of Godhead, everything can be done. This was to be a test (Lord Visnu's form as a woman - Mohini-murti) of whether Lord Siva could remain unagitated
D
- Dear Lord, by virtue of a moment's association with Lord Siva, who's very dear to You and who is Your most intimate friend, we were fortunate to attain You. You're the most expert physician, capable of treating the incurable disease of material existence
- Demigods such as Lord Brahma and Lord Siva come in contact with the material energy, and their power and potency are therefore of different gradations
E
- Each Vaikuntha planet is full of spiritual bliss, complete opulence and space, and each is inhabited by incarnations. If Lord Brahma and Lord Siva cannot estimate the length and breadth of the spiritual sky and the Vaikuntha planets
- Even the great demigods like Brahma and Siva cannot be compared to the Supreme Lord. In fact, the Lord is worshiped by demigods such as Brahma and Siva (siva-virinci-nutam). BG 1972 purports
F
- For creation, maintenance and annihilation, the Supreme Lord incarnates into three - Lord Brahma, Lord Visnu and Lord Siva - after manifesting the material cosmos
- Freed from all sinful reactions are those who concentrate their minds with great attention upon My expansion of energy the goddess of fortune; Lord Brahma; Narada Muni; Lord Siva; Prahlada; My incarnations like Matsya, Kurma and Varaha
H
- Hari (Visnu, Narayana) is the formal expansion of the Lord, Mahesa (Siva) is the formal energetic expansion of the Lord, and Devi is the Lord's energetic expansion. The living entities are also energetic expansions of the Lord
- He (Lord Siva) was allured by the beautiful woman Mohini-murti, but when his semen had been fully discharged, he came to his senses and realized how he had been victimized as soon as he saw the woman in the forest
- He (Lord Visnu) is the leader of all the demigods because all the demigods, including Lord Siva and Lord Brahma, exist under His protection - SB 10.4.42
I
- I (Brahma) adore the primeval Lord, Govinda, of whom the state of Sambhu is a similar transformation for the performance of the work of destruction - BS 5.45
- I am engaged by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to create. Following His orders, Lord Siva dissolves everything. The Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form of Ksirodakasayi Visnu maintains all the affairs of material nature
- I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is greater than any of us and under whose control are situated all the demigods, material elements and senses, and even Lord Brahma and I myself, like birds bound by a rope
- In his Bhakti-sandarbha (213), it is clearly explained that a pure devotee’s observation of the spiritual master and Siva as being one with the Personality of God exists in terms of their being very dear to Him, not identical with Him in all respects
- In the Adi Purana the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself says: Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, the goddess of fortune and even My own self are not as dear to Me as the gopis
- In the Padma Purana Lord Siva explains to his wife, Parvati, the goddess Durga, that the highest goal of life is to satisfy Lord Visnu, who can be satisfied only when His servant is satisfied
- In the Sruti-mantra it is said that only Visnu, the Supreme Lord, existed before the creation, and there was no Brahma, Siva or other demigods
- In the Vamana Purana it is said that the same Visnu expands Himself as Brahma and Siva to direct the different qualities
- It is said that the Lord is siva-virinci-nutam (SB 11.5.33)-always worshiped by demigods like Lord Siva and Lord Brahma
- It is said there (Brahmanda Purana) that Anasuya, the wife of Rsi Atri, prayed before the Lords Brahma, Visnu and Siva
L
- Lord Brahma, who was born of Garbhodakasayi Visnu, fathers Lord Siva, from whom all the other demigods gradually evolve. Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and Lord Visnu are incarnations of the different material qualities
- Lord Narayana then informed Lord Siva that this demon, Vrkasura, was killed as the result of his sinful activities
- Lord Nrsimhadeva was so very angry that the great demigods like Lord Brahma and Lord Siva and even the goddess of fortune, who is the Lord's constant companion, could not pacify Him, even after offering prayers of glorification and praise
- Lord Ramacandra, whose lotus feet are worshiped by Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, had assumed the form of a human being. Thus He performed the funeral ceremony of Jatayu, who was killed by Ravana
- Lord Sambhu (Siva) was not to be captivated by the external potency, but because Lord Visnu wanted to captivate Him also, He exhibited His internal potency to act the way that His external potency acts to captivate ordinary living entities
- Lord Siva accepts maya, but in the presence of Lord Visnu, maya does not exist. Consequently Lord Siva has to be considered a product of maya
- Lord Siva cannot be victimized by maya. Therefore it is to be understood that Lord Siva was being thus harassed by Lord Visnu's internal potency (in the form of Mohini-murti)
- Lord Siva is in the marginal position between the Personality of Godhead and the living entities, or jivas
- Lord Siva is praying to the Personality of Godhead to be kind to us so that simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra we can understand everything in both the material and spiritual worlds
- Lord Siva prayed to Lord Sankarsana, "My dear Lord, please liberate all Your devotees from material life and bind all the nondevotees to the material world. Without Your mercy, no one can be released from the bondage of material existence"
- Lord Siva said, "My dear Lord, only by Your mercy and grace can the living entity get the human form of life, which is a chance to get out of the miserable condition of material existence"
- Lord Siva said: My dear Lord, my mind & consciousness are always fixed on Your lotus feet, which, as the source of all benediction & the fulfillment of all desires, are worshiped by all liberated great sages because Your lotus feet are worthy of worship
- Lord Siva wanted to see the Mohini-murti, which was captivating the entire world, and Lord Visnu was gravely thinking of how to captivate Lord Siva also. Therefore the word bhava-gambhiram is used here - in SB 8.12.14
- Lord Siva was already aware of the supreme power of Lord Visnu, but when he was actually put into bewilderment, he felt proud to have such an exalted master
- Lord Siva was supposed to be above all this attraction (between man and woman), but he was victimized by the captivating power of Lord Visnu
- Lord Siva's desiring to see Lord Visnu reveal the most attractive and beautiful form of a woman (Mohini-murti) was certainly a joking affair. Lord Siva knew that he could not be agitated by any so-called beautiful woman
- Lord Siva, Narada the sage amongst the demigods, and Kapila, the incarnation of Godhead, all know very confidentially about His glories through direct contact
- Lord Siva, who is also known as Visvanatha, is the lord of the kingdom of Kasi. The temple of Lord Visvanatha is still existing in Varanasi, and many thousands of pilgrims still gather daily in that temple
- Lord Siva, who is carried by a bull, went to the place where Madhusudana, the Lord, resides. Accompanied by his wife, Uma, and surrounded by his companions, the ghosts, Lord Siva went there to see the Lord's form as a woman
- Lord Siva, who is considered to be most tolerant, was also struck by Cupid's arrow because he also became mad after the Mohini incarnation of the Lord and acknowledged himself to be defeated
- Lord Vamana pierced the covering of the universe with the toes of His left foot. A few drops of water from the Causal Ocean leaked through this hole and fell on the head of Lord Siva, where they remained for one thousand millenniums
- Lord Visnu can captivate anyone, even such a strong personality as Lord Sambhu
- Lord Visnu had to think twice about what kind of beautiful form would bewilder even Lord Siva. Consequently He was smiling gravely, as stated in the previous verse (prahasya bhava-gambhiram) - SB 8.12.14
- Lord Visnu in the form of a brahmacari released Lord Siva from the impending danger and saved the whole situation
- Lord Visnu told Lord Siva, "I will show you My form as a woman (Mohini-murti), and if you become agitated by lusty desires, do not blame Me"
- Lord Visnu, by His mystic power, would assume a form that would captivate even Lord Siva. Therefore Lord Visnu was grave and at the same time was smiling
- Lord Visnu, Lord Brahma, and Lord Siva have each taken charge of one of these modes - Lord Visnu of sattva-guna, Lord Brahma of rajo-guna, and Lord Siva of tamo-guna. Yet these three controllers are not under the influence of the gunas
M
- Mahendra, the King of Heaven, was generated from the prowess of the Lord, the demigods were generated from the mercy of the Lord, Lord Siva was generated from the anger of the Lord, and Lord Brahma from His sober intelligence
- Milk is compared to Visnu. As soon as milk touches a sour substance, it becomes yogurt, or Lord Siva. Although yogurt is constitutionally milk, it cannot be used in place of milk
- My dear great and powerful Lord Siva, you were created first from the mouth of Lord Brahma in order to protect the brahmanas in pursuing education, austerities, vows and self-realization
- My dear King Yudhisthira, the demigods then approached the Lord. They were headed by Lord Brahma, King Indra and Lord Siva and included great saintly persons and the residents of Pitrloka, Siddhaloka, Vidyadhara-loka and the planet of the snakes
- My dear lord (Siva), you have given me (Banasura) one thousand arms, but I do not know what to do with them. They are simply a burden; I cannot use them properly in fighting, since I cannot find anyone competent to fight with me except your lordship
- My dear Lord Siva, you are a shareholder of a portion of the sacrifice, and you are the giver of the result. The bad priests did not deliver your share, and therefore you destroyed everything, and the sacrifice remains unfinished
- My dear lord, by your mercy the performer of the sacrifice (King Daksa) may get back his life, Bhaga may get back his eyes, Bhrgu his mustache, and Pusa his teeth
- My dear Lord, I wish to see You exactly in the form that Your very dear devotees worship. You have many other forms, but I wish to see Your form that is especially liked by the devotees
- My dear Lord, the impersonal Brahman spreads everywhere, like the sunshine or the sky. And that impersonal Brahman, which spreads throughout the universe and in which the entire universe is manifested, is You
- My dear lord, you are never bewildered by the formidable influence of the illusory energy of the SPG. Therefore you are omniscient and should be merciful and compassionate toward those who are bewildered by the same illusory energy
- My dear lord, Your Lordship has introduced the system of sacrifices through the agency of Daksa, and thus one may derive the benefits of religious activities and economic development
- My dear Lord, Your lotus feet are the cause of all auspicious things & the destroyer of all the contamination of sin. I therefore beg Your Lordship to bless me by the association of Your devotees, who are completely purified by worshiping Your lotus feet
- My Lord, O Aniruddha, You are the authority by which the doors of the higher planetary systems and liberation are opened. You are always within the pure heart of the living entity. Therefore I offer my obeisances unto You
- My Lord, You are the provider of the Pitrlokas as well as all the demigods. You are the predominating deity of the moon and the master of all three Vedas. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You because You are the original source of satisfaction
N
- Neither I (Lord Siva), nor Brahma, nor the Asvini-kumaras, nor Narada or the other great sages who are Brahma's sons, nor even the demigods can understand the pastimes and personality of the Supreme Lord
- No one can be equal to God, and no one can be above Him. Even Lord Brahma and Siva, the most exalted demigods, are subservient to Him and pay their respectful obeisances
O
- O my Lord, I, who am considered to be the best of the demigods, and Lord Brahma and the great rsis, headed by Marici, are born of the mode of goodness. Nonetheless, we are bewildered by Your illusory energy and cannot understand what this creation is
- O my Lord, You deliver Your devotees from the clutches of material existence. Nondevotees, however, remain entangled in material existence by Your will. Kindly accept me as Your eternal servant
- O Supreme, because I (Prahlada) was born in a family full of the hellish material qualities of passion and ignorance, what is my position? And what is to be said of Your causeless mercy, which was never offered even to Lord Brahma, Lord Siva or Laksmi?
R
S
- Seeing Lord Siva very much aggrieved and disappointed, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu, considered how to stop this nuisance created by Maya Danava
- Since Lord Siva was being harassed by the woman (Mohini-murti), it is to be understood that this was being done not by a woman but by Lord Visnu Himself
- Siva is one of the many sons of Brahma, and he annihilates the creation. Therefore the original creator of the universe is Visnu, and He is also the maintainer of the created beings by His causeless mercy
- Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura remarks that Mohini-murti dragged Lord Siva to so many places, especially to where the great sages lived, to instruct the sages that their Lord Siva had become mad for a beautiful woman
- Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura remarks that when Lord Siva was offering obeisances unto Lord Visnu, Lord Visnu arose and embraced him. Therefore the word srivatsankena is used here - in SB 8.12.41
- Sthana: the maintenance of the universe by the PG, Visnu. Visnu’s function is more important and His glory greater than Brahma’s and Lord Siva’s, for although Brahma is the creator and Lord Siva the destroyer, Visnu is the maintainer
T
- The adjustment is that the Lord, being bhakta-vatsala, or one who wants to please His devotees, assumes such features so that devotees like Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and other demigods may be pleased
- The Atharva Veda (Maha Upanisad) also states, "Only Narayana existed in the beginning, when neither Brahma, nor Siva, nor fire, nor water, nor stars, nor sun, nor moon existed. The Lord does not remain alone but creates as He desires"
- The demigods like Brahma, Visnu, Mahesvara, Indra, Candra and Varuna are undoubtedly different forms of the Lord for execution of different functions; the different elemental ingredients of material creation, as well as the multifarious energies
- The difference (between Lord Siva and Lord Visnu) is like that between milk and curd. Curd is nothing but milk, and yet it cannot be used in place of milk
- The different manifestations of Lord Siva, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Sadhyas, the Visvadevas, the two Asvins, the Maruts, the forefathers and the Gandharvas, the Yaksas, Asuras, and all perfected demigods are beholding You in wonder. BG 11.22 - 1972
- The energies are acting by combination and permutation by the indication of the Lord, and the acting agents, like Brahma, Visnu and Siva, are also different incarnations of the Lord
- The entire material world is situated on the hoods of Lord Sankarsana. From His forehead He transmits to Lord Siva the power to destroy this material world
- The Gandharvas said: Dear Lord, all the demigods, including Lord Siva, Lord Brahma, Indra and Marici and the great sages, are all only differentiated parts and parcels of Your body
- The Garbhodakasayi Visnu purusa-avatara expansion of Lord Visnu accepts the material modes - sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna - and thus incarnates as Lord Visnu, Brahma and Siva. These are incarnations of the material qualities
- The lord (Siva) had to take shelter of Visnu to save himself from trouble, and the Lord Visnu, by His illusory potency, asked Vrkasura to make an experiment with his own head
- The Lord of sacrifice accepts Indra and Visnu. Visnu is the chief of the primal demigods, including Brahma and Siva, and Indra is the chief of the administrative demigods. BG 1972 purports
- The mark of Srivatsa adorns the chest of Lord Visnu, and therefore when Lord Visnu embraced Lord Siva while being circumambulated, the Srivatsa mark touched Lord Siva's bosom
- The material energy is a potency of the Lord which is displayed in time, accepting the three qualities of goodness, passion and ignorance in the forms of Visnu, Brahma and Siva
- The prajapatis offered their prayers as follows: O Supreme Lord, Lord of even Brahma and Siva, we, the prajapatis, were created by You to execute Your orders, but we were forbidden by Hiranyakasipu to create any more good progeny
- The SP of Godhead knew that because Lord Siva is not an ordinary person, he cannot be bewildered even by the most beautiful woman
- The Supreme Lord, who can award liberation to anyone, showed more mercy toward the gopis than to Lord Brahma, Lord Siva or even the goddess of fortune, who is His own wife and is associated with His body
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead controls all the most important demigods - especially Lord Brahma and Lord Siva - exactly as the owner of a bird controls it by binding it with a rope. Sometimes vultures are controlled in this way
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the supreme independent controlling person, and all the demigods, including Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Indra (the King of heaven), the king of the moon planet and the king of the sun planet, work under His direction
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, is not like a material object that can be known by experimental knowledge or sense perception. In the Narada Pancaratra this fact has been explained by Narayana Himself to Lord Siva
- There are qualitative incarnations such as Brahma, Visnu, and Siva (or Rudra) who take charge of the different modes of material nature
- There he saw Lord Mahadeva (Siva), the servant of Lord Rama. He then went to Ahovala-nrsimha
- There is no difference of opinion between Lord Siva and Lord Visnu
- This (prayers by Anasuya) was accepted by the lords (Brahma, Visnu and Siva), and as Dattatreya the Lord expounded the philosophy of the spirit soul and especially instructed Alarka, Prahlada, Yadu, Haihaya, etc
- Twelve personalities - Brahma, Narada, Lord Siva, Kumara, Kapila, Manu, Prahlada Maharaja, Janaka Maharaja, Bhisma, Bali, Sukadeva Gosvami and Yamaraja - are agents of the Lord authorized to speak and propagate the principles of religion