Shiva Tattva - HH Bhakti Rasamrita Swami Maharaj

kṣīraṁ yathā dadhi vikāra-viśeṣa-yogāt
sañjāyate na tu tataḥ pṛthag asti hetoḥ

yaḥ śambhutām api tathā samupaiti kāryād
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

--CC Madhya 20.310

Translation--

“ ‘Milk changes into yogurt when mixed with a yogurt culture, but actually it is constitutionally nothing but milk. Similarly, Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, assumes the form of Lord Śiva [Śambhu] for the special purpose of material transactions. I offer my obeisances at His lotus feet.’

Lord Shiva is very important to us, and when we indulge in the glorification katha of Lord Shiva, it is very beneficial to our devotion.

This sloka is taken from brahma sanhita which establishes the relationship between Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva

Question - Is Shiva God or not ? Yes, No or Don't Know

Yogurt is milk or not ? Yes, No, Don't Know

Yogurt is Milk - It is made from milk only.

Yogurt is not Milk - When milk changes, it becomes yogurt. Yogurt has different form than milk.

Difference is only a drop of sourness.

Both are correct statement.

This is what lord Brahma says in brahma sanhita.

vikāra-viśeṣa-yogāt sañjāyate -
When there is Vikar/Transformation in Milk.

tataḥ pṛthag - It is same and it is different also.

Important Note -

Milk becomes curd, then there is no milk. But it doesn't mean when Krishna expands as Lord Shambu, he is not there. He is still there.

Trigunatit - Lord Krishna is above 3 gunas of material nature. He never touches these 3 gunas

Lord Shiva being an expansion of Lord Krishna, touches the 3 gunas of material nature.

This is the only difference.

If we consider Lord Shiva as completely isolated and standalone from Lord Krishna, it is Aparadha towards Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna both.

Hence we should understand the similarity and difference carefully.

It is not necessary that devotees of Lord Shiva become devotees of Lord Krishna, but if one thinks Lord Shiva is different -

It is against the teachings of Bhagwatam

It is against the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Devotees of Lord Shiva are called "Shaivas", Devotees of Lord Krishna are called "Vaishavas"

When Nityanand Prabhu saw Shaivas and Vaishavas fighting, he started laughing.

A person who has truly understood the principles of Vaishnavism will never make difference between Shiva and Krishna.

Jad Vastu - doesn't have any chetna

Chetan Vastu - has chetna

Chetan Vastu makes use of Jad Vastu to do it's things.

Atma/Soul - Sat + Chit + Anand - Brahma Tattva

Brahma/chetan Tattva never gets destroyed not changed.

Aham Brahmasmi - doesn't mean we are god

We all are Anu-brahma, but Krishna is Param-Brahma

These are categorisations in Brahma-Tattva

Based on categorisation, a soul gets its body

The most tiny particle of Brahma is atma/soul.

नित्योऽनित्यानां चेतनश्चेतनानाम्
एको बहूनां यो विदधाति कामान् ।
तमात्मस्थं येऽनुपश्यन्ति धीराः
तेषां शान्तिः शाश्वती नेतरेषाम् ॥

--Katha Upanishad 2.2.13

Translation-

There is One who is the eternal Reality among non-eternal objects, the one truly conscious Entity among conscious objects and who, though non-dual, fulfils the desires of many. Eternal peace belongs to the wise, who perceive Him within themselves-not to others.

Srila Prabhupada has taken example of different types of bulbs.

Different bulbs are of different sizes, power consumption and light.

Various expansions of Lord Krishna through his own inner potency - Vishnu Tattva

Who are we - Jiva Tattva

Where is Lord Shiva comes in this lineage?

Is Lord Shiva Vishnu Tattva or Jiva Tattva?

Lord Shiva is purely not Jiva Tattva or Vishnu Tattva, he is of a different Tattva

He is Shiva Tattva. He has a standalone position.

There is another Tattva - Shakti Tattva - Supreme - Radharani

Vishnu Tattva

Shiva Tattva

Jiva Tattva

Shakti Tattva

Gunas of Bhagwan Vishnu -

Ananta Gunas. 64 Important Gunas

Sanatan Goswami has said -

Ananta Krishne re guna Chousathi Pradhan

Ek ek guna suni judaye Bhakta kaan

Jivesvete vasantpi bindu bindu tvaya kwachit,

Paripurna tvayabhapi tatreva purushottameva

All gunas exist in the supreme personality of Godhead in their full nature and potency. Like ananta Sagar.

In jiva Tattva they exist in the form of tiny droplets (which can not be even seen), that too sometimes.

At max, 50 gunas can appear in a jiva Tattva, in different permutations and combinations. That is also extremely rare.

Vishnu Tattva - 60 gunas (10 extra gunas as compared to Jiva Tattva)

Sri Krishna has 4 extra gunas as compared to Vishnu Tattva

How much gunas Lord Shiva has?

Lord Shiva has 55 guna

Girishadyeshu - Lord Shiva and entities of Shiva Tattva - 55 guna

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has said--

Sada swaroop sampraptah

Sarvagyon nitya nutanah

Sachitananda sandrahanga

sarva siddhi nishedhitah

Sada swaroop sampraptah - One who never changes and is always sthir in his own swaroop

What is the Swaroop of Jiva -

Jive ra Swaroop hoye Krishnere nitya dasa

Sarvagyon - He who knows everything, regardless of time, place and circumstances

nitya nutanah - The one who is always eternally fresh and new. Never gets old. His body is transcendental, not material.

Sachitananda sandrahanga - One who body is Sat Chit Anand in dense form

Our soul is sat chit Anand, but body is material

sarva siddhi nishedhitah - One who eternally has all types of Siddhis in their true natures.

5 unique Gunas of Lord Shiva -

Eternally unchanged

Knowing everything

Eternally new and fresh

Sat Chit Anand body in dense form

Having all types of Siddhis in true nature

Lord Narayan has 5 more gunas than Lord Shiva

Lord Krishna has 4 more Gunas than Narayan

Above all these knowledge, if one honestly does hare Krishna mahamantra, that can be sufficient.

Lord Krishna selects Lord Shiva to perform very special designated task in material world.

From Shambhu, comes Shiva, Rudras.

Lord Shiva primary task in this material world is destruction.

Lord Brahma - Jiva Tattva

For destruction Task - Tamo guna is required

For construction Task - Rajo guna is required

For maintaince Task - Sat guna is required

E.g., Marriage can be created and destroyed easily. Difficult is to maintain.

Hence Lord Krishna in his expands in form of Vishnu for maintaining this material world.

Guna Avatars -

Vishnu

Brahma

Shiva

Nataraj - Tandav dance of Lord Shiva

Destruction is important in material world so as to maintain the dukhalayam characteristic feature of this material world.

Otherwise if there will be no destruction, this material world will become sashwatam.

Lord Shiva maintains the Ashaswatam status of this material world, through destruction. This is very important Seva Lord Shiva does in this material world.

Lord Shiva delivers Tamo guni people - Bhootnath (entities who do not have any type of body or gati )

Lord Shiva is so powerful and karunamaye that he delivers bhoots from their most fallen stages. Gives them shelter. lord Shiva is bholenath.

Lord Shiva is Ashutosh - He becomes satisfied and Happy with very minimal efforts of Seva

There is always a shiv ratri on every Krishna pakhsya chaturdashi

Like lord Krishna becomes satisfied by offering tulsi, Lord Shiva gets satisfied by offering bel leaves.

Lord Shiva constant takes the holy name of Lord Ram.

Lord Shiva tells Mata Parvati -

राम रामेति रामेति रमे रामे मनोरमे।

सहस्रनाम तत्तुल्यं रामनाम वरानने॥

– श्रीरामरक्षास्तोत्रम्

Translation--

By meditating on "Rama Rama Rama" (the Name of Rama), my Mind gets absorbed in the Divine Consciousness of Rama, which is Transcendental. The Name of Rama is as Great as the Thousand Names of God (Vishnu Sahasranama).

The Ram referred here - Lord Sankarshan

One who constantly takes Holy name, is a devotee. This establishes that Lord Shiva is one of the Greatest devotee.

Another important Seva of Lord Shiva -

There are 84 lakh species in this world. Their bodies made up of Jad Vastu.

Jad Vastu is in control of bahiranga potency - Maya

Maya is Maa Durga

Mata Durgas husband is Lord Shiva

Mata durga is Workshiped through Mata Amba

Maa Durga is mother of all 84 lakh species of living entities

This way, Lord Shiva is father of all 84 lakh types of species in living entities

But in BG, Lord Krishna says -

सर्वयोनिषु कौन्तेय मूर्तय: सम्भवन्ति या: ।

तासां ब्रह्म महद्योनिरहं बीजप्रद: पिता ॥

--BG 14.4

Translation-

It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.

Then Lord Krishna is actual father or Lord Shiva ?

Lord Krishna - Supreme Father

Lord Shiva - Representative Father

Lord Shiva renders the Seva of being Representative Father of all living entities, because lord Krishna never touches Maya.

This way, all the 84 lakh types of species in living entities are created in this material world.

Srila Prabhupada ki Jai