Shiva-ratri

Giriraj Swami: The Vedic literatures inform us that there are two categories of controllers: God, the Supreme Lord (Bhagavān, full in all opulences), and the demigods (devas, appointed servants of the Supreme Lord placed in charge of the various departments of the management of the universe). The Supreme Lord is compared to the king, the absolute sovereign, whereas the various demigods are likened to the king’s ministers. They are placed in powerful positions by the king in consideration of their faithful service to him. They are always dependent on the king—always his faithful servants. The Supreme Lord can grant any boon to His worshipers, even up to liberation from material bondage. The various demigods, however, can grant only material facilities within the material world, and then too only with the sanction of the Supreme Lord. That Supreme Lord is Krishna, or Vishnu, as confirmed throughout the Vedic literatures.

The Bhagavad-gītā, the essence of the Vedic literatures, spoken by Krishna Himself, recommends complete and exclusive surrender unto the Supreme Lord:

sarva-dharmān parityajya
mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.” (Bg 18.66)

Lord Krishna further advises us to become devoted to Him:

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam
ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ

“Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances to Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.” (Bg 9.34)

Demigod worship, on the other hand, is discouraged in the Bhagavad-gītā. Lord Krishna explains:

antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ
tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām
devān deva-yajo yānti
mad-bhaktā yānti mām api

“Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.” (Bg 7.23)

Later in the Gītā the Lord elaborates:

ye ‘py anya-devatā-bhaktā
yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ
te ‘pi mām eva kaunteya
yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam

“Those who are devotees of other gods and who worship them with faith actually worship only Me, O son of Kuntī, but they do so in a wrong way.” (Bg 9.23)

Lord Shiva, also called Rudra, is the demigod in charge of the material mode of ignorance (tamo-guṇa), and he is in charge of destruction. He is worshiped by persons who are influenced by ignorance, and he supervises their activities.

ananta brahmāṇḍe rudra — sadāśivera aṁśa
guṇāvatāra teṅho, sarva-deva-avataṁsa

“Rudra, who is an expansion of Sadāśiva and who appears in unlimited universes, is also a guṇāvatāra [qualitative incarnation] and is the ornament of all the demigods in the endless universes.” (Cc Adi 6.79)

Thus, Lord Shiva is a demigod, albeit the best of them. Yet he also has another feature: he is a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord. And the service and worship of pure devotees of Lord Krishna is most highly recommended for everyone:

yat-sevayā bhagavataḥ
kūṭa-sthasya madhu-dviṣaḥ
rati-rāso bhavet tīvraḥ
pādayor vyasanārdanaḥ

“The service of the feet of pure devotees vanquishes one’s material distresses and enables one to develop transcendental ecstasy in the service of the Personality of Godhead, the unchangeable enemy of the Madhu demon.” (SB 3.7.19)

Lord Shiva himself instructs Parvati:

ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ
viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param
tasmāt parataraṁ devi
tadīyānāṁ samarcanam

“Of all kinds of worship, the worship of Lord Visnu or Krsna is the topmost. But above even the worship of Lord Visnu is the rendering of service to Vaisnavas, who are related to Lord Visnu.” (Padma Purana) Thus, the worship of Vaisnavas, devotees of Visnu or Krsna, is considered the highest.

Sometimes the Lord Himself worships His devotee. For example, Lord Ramachandra worshiped Lord Shiva. Thus, if the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself worships His devotees, such as Lord Shiva, then certainly His other devotees may too. They should not, of course, think Lord Shiva is equal to or independent of Lord Vishnu. Rather, they respect and worship him as a pure devotee of Vishnu. And they may accord him the same respect as they give the Lord Himself.

Vaishnavas generally do not go to demigods’ temples. Still, Lord Chaitanya, who is Krishna Himself in the role of Krishna’s devotee, regularly visited the temple of Lord Shiva in Varanasi (Benares). Why? Srila Prabhupada explains that a Vaishnava gives due respect to all—so what to speak of to demigods, who are faithful servants of the Supreme Lord. Lord Chaitanya offered obeisances and prayers to deities of Lord Shiva in temples throughout South India during His travels there, though, as the Caitanya-caritāmṛta also states, the devotees of Lord Shiva in those places became Vaishnavas by the Lord’s influence.

Lord Shiva’s position in particular is special because, as Srila Prabhupada has stated, “Shiva is almost Vishnu.” The Brahma-Samhita compares Lord Vishnu to milk and Lord Shiva to yogurt. Yogurt is almost milk, but it is not milk. Milk can become yogurt, but yogurt cannot become milk. In the same way, although Lord Vishnu transforms Himself into the form of Shiva, Lord Shiva can never become Vishnu.

kṣīraṁ yathā dadhi vikāra-viśeṣa-yogāt
sañjāyate na hi tataḥ pṛthag asti hetoḥ
yaḥ śambhutām api tathā samupaiti kāryād
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

“Milk is transformed into curd by the action of acids, but yet the effect curd is neither same as, nor different from, its cause, viz., milk, so I adore the primeval Lord Govinda of whom the state of Śambhu [Siva] is a transformation for the performance of the work of destruction.” (Bs. 5.45)

Lord Shiva is discussed in many places in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which is the “spotless Purana” (amalā purana) glorified by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Jiva Gosvami has established the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the highest Vedic evidence, and Lord Shiva is exalted in many pastimes described in the Bhāgavatam.

In one such pastime, when the demigods and demons were churning the ocean of milk, the ocean turned to poison. The poison threatened the entire universe, and no one knew what to do. Lord Shiva, being magnanimous, and at the same time inconceivably powerful, drank the entire ocean and kept it in his throat. Consequently, his throat turned bluish, and ever since has been marked by a beautiful bluish line. Lord Shiva is considered exceptionally attractive with his heavenly bluish throat, and thus he is famous as Nila Kantha, or “the one with the blue throat.”

In another pastime, the Pracetas, the sons of King Pracinabarhi, met Lord Shiva on their way to perform austerities in worship of Lord Vishnu (Krishna). Because the princes were Vaishnavas, Lord Shiva showed them his mercy and instructed them in mantras for the worship of Vishnu. In his discussion with the Pracetas, he explains the respect due to devotees of Lord Vishnu—including himself. He tells them:

atha bhāgavatā yūyaṁ
priyāḥ stha bhagavān yathā
na mad bhāgavatānāṁ ca
preyān anyo ‘sti karhicit

“You are all devotees of the Lord, and as such I appreciate that you are as respectable as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. I know in this way that the devotees also respect me and that I am dear to them. Thus no one can be as dear to the devotees as I am.” (SB 4.24.30)

In the purport, Srila Prabhupada explains: “It is said, vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ: Lord Shiva is the best of all devotees. Therefore all devotees of Lord Krishna are also devotees of Lord Shiva. In Vrindavan there is Lord Shiva’s temple called Gopisvara. The gopīs used to worship not only Lord Shiva but Kātyāyanī, or Durga, as well, but their aim was to attain the favor of Lord Krishna. A devotee of Lord Krishna does not disrespect Lord Shiva, but worships Lord Shiva as the most exalted devotee of Lord Krishna. Consequently whenever a devotee worships Lord Shiva, he prays to Lord Shiva to achieve the favor of Krishna, and he does not request material profit.”

For Gaudiya Vaishnavas, Lord Shiva has special significance. Although the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam concludes, vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ, śambhuḥ, or Lord Shiva, is the ideal Vaishnava, yet in other places the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other shastras proclaim that the residents of Vrindavan, and especially the gopīs, are the highest devotees. So how do we reconcile these different statements? One answer is that Lord Shiva is the greatest Vaishnava in the material world, whereas in the spiritual world the residents of Vraja, especially the young gopīs, are the highest. And Lord LShiva, desiring to serve Lord Krishna and the gopīs in the spiritual realm, took up residence in Vraja.

Lord Shiva is known as Ksetrapala, the protector of sacred areas. In particular, he wanted to protect Krishna in His childhood pastimes. Therefore, he took up residence in Vraja near Nandagrama, where he is known as Nandisvara Mahadeva. Similarly, he took up residence at Govardhana near Manasa Ganga, and there he is known as Cakresvara Mahadeva. He took up residence in Kamyavana, where he is known as Kamesvara Mahadeva. And he took up residence in Vrindavan itself, and there he is known as Gopisvara Mahadeva.

Gopisvara Mahadeva is considered one of the most merciful personalities in Vraja. The deity of Gopisvara Mahadeva and the other principal deities of Lord Shiva in Vraja were established by Lord Krishna’s great-grandson, Vajranabha. This particular deity is worshiped as a regular shiva-lingam during the day, as in other temples of Mahadeva, but in the evening the pujaris dress the deity in a sari, with jewelry and ornaments just like a Vraja-gopī. The history of Gopisvara Mahadeva, as received through disciplic succession, is as follows:

Of all the forms of Godhead, Krishna is considered the highest. He has four qualities that even Lord Narayana does not possess. Among them are His very sweet pastimes (līlā-mādhurya) and His circle of very special, loving devotees (prema-mādhurya). Of all such devotees, the gopīs are considered the highest. And of all such pastimes, His rasa-līlā is considered supermost. Therefore, Lord Shiva wanted to participate in the mahā-rasa, where Krishna dances and plays with the gopīs.

Understanding that entering the rasa dance requires special qualification and mercy, Lord Shiva performed austerities in Vraja and thus was able to please Paurnamasi, who is the personification the spiritual energy (yoga-māyā). In Krishna’s Vrindavan pastimes, she is an elderly brahmani and the śikṣā-guru for the vraja-vāsīs. Under her instruction, Lord Shiva bathed in Brahma-kuṇḍa (some sources say Mana-sarovara, and still others the Yamuna River). When he emerged from the sacred waters, Lord Shiva had the beautiful form of a gopī. No one can enter the rasa dance with Krishna unless one is a gopī. So Lord Shiva in the form of a gopī went to the area of the rasa dance near the Yamuna in Vrindavan, and when the other gopīs noticed her, they approached her and began to ask her questions: “What is your name?” “Who is your husband?” “What does he do?” “Where is your house?” They asked so many questions she could not answer. So the other gopīs concluded that this so-called new gopī was not actually one of them. They became angry at the imposter and began to slap her cheeks.

Shiva, in the form of the gopī, then began to desperately call out the name of Paurnamasi. Immediately Paurnamasi appeared and stopped the gopīs. She told them, “Don’t beat her. She is actually Lord Shiva, a great devotee.” Because of Paurnamasi’s position as their spiritual guide, the gopīs listened to her. Then Paurnamasi told Lord Shiva, “Actually, you cannot participate directly in the rasa dance. The rasa dance with Krishna is only for gopīs. But you can stay near the arena of the rasa dance and witness it and protect the area from others who are not qualified to enter.” She also gave Lord Shiva the benediction that he could bestow upon devotees the qualification to enter the rasa dance.

The deity of Gopisvara Mahadeva established by Vajranabha resides near Vamsivata, the famous tree near the Yamuna where Krishna played on His transcendental flute to call the gopīs for the mahā-rasa dance. Every evening around the time of sunset, the pujaris of the Gopisvara Mahadeva temple dress the shiva-lingam there as a gopī.

Lord Shiva has instructed Parvati that the worship of Vaishnavas is the highest. Srila Prabhupada explains that Krishna has many devotees in different mellows or rasas: dāsya-rasa, sākhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa, and mādhurya—rasa. Of all of the rasas, mādhurya—rasa, or the conjugal mellow, is the highest. Therefore, serving and worshiping devotees in mādhurya—rasa is the highest of all types of worship.

Appreciating all these transcendental truths, devotees pray to Gopisvara to grant them the pure love that enables one to enter the conjugal pastimes of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna in Vrindavan. Offering homage to this dedicated devotee of the gopīs,* Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura prays:

vṛndāvana-vani-pate jaya soma soma-maule
sanandana-sanātana-nārada-deyā
gopīśvara vraja-vilāsi-yugāṅghri-padme
prema prayaccha nirupādhi namo namas te

“O gatekeeper of Vrndavana! O Soma, all glories to you! O you whose forehead is decorated with the moon (soma), and who is worshiped by the sages headed by Sanandana, Sanatana, and Narada! O Gopisvara! Desiring that you bestow upon me limitless love for the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Madhava, who perform joyous pastimes in Vraja-dhama, I offer my obeisances unto you again and again.” (Sri Sankalpa-kalpadruma, 103)

It has been said that Sanatana Gosvami was an especially close friend of Lord Shiva in Vraja. In Vrindavan, Sanatana Gosvami stayed at the Madana-mohana Temple, near the Yamuna. And at Govardhana, he resided at Cakra-tīrtha near Manasi-ganga, just opposite Cakresvara Mahadeva. There he once was so disturbed by mosquitoes that he decided to leave. He couldn’t perform his sadhana or write his books. When Cakresvara Mahadeva, Lord Shiva, saw Sanatana Gosvami preparing to leave, he became concerned, because he wanted Sanatana to be near him there. So he came to the Gosvami, disguised as a brahman, and asked him why he was leaving. Sanatana replied that he was being disturbed by the mosquitoes so much that he couldn’t do his work. Lord Shiva was relieved to hear that the trouble was something he could so easily resolve. He requested Sanatana Gosvami, “Just stay one more night, and by tomorrow your problem will be solved.” Then Lord Shiva summoned the demigod in charge of insect life and ordered him, “Keep your mosquitoes away from my friend!” Thereafter, no mosquitoes came there, and Sanatana Gosvami continued to stay at Cakra-tīrtha up until the end. Although he would also visit Vrindavan, he resided at Cakra-tīrtha and entered into samadhi there.

Hare Krishna.

Are there any questions or comments?

Sarvatma dasa: I received something in the mail today. It’s a pastime. I don’t know how bona fide it is, but it was sent by a devotee who is a disciple of Jayapataka Swami. It’s nice.

“In 1879 the British, under the leadership of Colonel Martin from the British cantonment at Malwa, attacked Afghanistan. In the beginning Colonel Martin used to send messages to his wife. But the battle continued for a long time and Lady Martin did not get any more messages from her husband. She was very worried.

“Riding on a horse one day she went out and on the way she saw in a temple some people worshipping Lord Shiva. She asked what they were doing. An old Brahmin replied that they were worshipping Lord Shiva. On inquiry from Lady Martin, he explained the greatness of Lord Shiva. Seeing her very worried, he asked her, ‘What is the matter?’ She explained the situation.

“He suggested her to observe the eleven day laghu rudri anuṣṭhāna of the mantra, oṁ namaḥ śivāya. Lady Martin prayed to Lord Shiva that if her husband returned safely from the battlefield, she would build a Shiva temple, and she started to observe the eleven day anuṣṭhāna.

“At the end of the eleventh day a messenger came to the temple and handed over a letter from Colonel Martin to her. In the letter he had written, ‘In the battlefield we were surrounded by the Pathana soldiers. I would have died along with others in the regiment. In such a precarious situation I observed a yogi with matted hair from India appearing in the battlefield, wielding a trident weapon. By seeing the yogi, the Pathana soldiers fled away. Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid. I am Lord Shiva. I am pleased with the worship of your wife, and I have come to save you."’ Reading the letter Lady Martin burst into tears, and bowing her head she started praying to Lord Shiva.

“After a few days Colonel Martin returned to the cantonment. Now both husband and wife started praying to Lord Shiva regularly. As per the wish of his wife, Colonel Martin built a Shiva temple in 1883 at the expenditure of 15,000 rupees. The inscription in that temple at Malwa still exists. This is the only temple built by an Englishman in India.”

Giriraj Swami: Ordinary people do approach Lord Shiva for material boons, but pure devotees approach him only for pure devotional service. For example, the young gopīs of Vrindavan prayed to Lord Shiva to get Krishna as their husband. Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami has written:

muda gopendraṣyatmaja-bhuja-pariṣvaṅga-nidhaye
sphurad-gopī-vṛndair yam iha bhagavantam pranayibhiḥ
bhajadbhis tair bhaktyā svam abhilāsitam āptum acirāt
yamī-tire gopīśvaram anudinam tam kila bhaje

“Desiring to quickly attain the treasure of the embraces of Lord Krishna, the splendid and affectionate gopis devotedly and happily worshipped Lord Siva on the bank of the Jamuna. I daily worship Gopisvara-tirtha, where the gopis performed their worship.” (Sri Vraja-vilasa-stava, 87)

Srila Prabhupada confirms: “The gopīs worshiped Lord Shiva in Vrindavan, and the Lord is still staying there as Gopisvara. The gopīs prayed that Lord Shiva bless them by giving them Lord Krishna as their husband. There is no harm in worshiping the demigods, provided that one’s aim is to return back to Godhead.” (SB 4.30.38p)

Still, the story you read was nice.

Thank you. Hare Krishna.

* “Gopisvara” (in Sanskrit) means “he whose controllers are the gopīs” (yasyesvara gopyah santi sah) as well as “the controller of the gopīs” (gopīnāṁ isvarah). The former meaning applies to both Krishna and Shiva, the latter only to Krishna.