So, its Amavasya tithi today, the last day of Shravan maas and also Somvaar, the day of Lord Hari, the day of Lord Vishnu, also the day I observed Somvaar Vrat all throughout this month. Curiously, the most interpretative stories of Lord Vishnu often begin with Lord Shiva, one cannot understand Vishnu without first understanding Shiva. During the holy month of Shravan, Mondays or Somvaar is often dedicated to Shiva by many devout Hindus while the general understanding is that Mondays are the day of Lord Hari or Lord Vishnu. The logical explanation of this arrangement is that Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the world, goes to sleep on the day of Devashayani Ekadashi which is the first Ekadashi of the Chaturmaas period during the month of Ashadha. The next month of the Chaturmaas period is Shravan month, followed by Bhadrapada and then Ashwin.
Lord Vishnu and all his Devas (demigods) are said to wake up during the month of Kartik (after Chaturmaas), on the day of Prabhodini Ekadashi. It is believed that during Chaturmaas, the Ethereal energies of Lord Hari are abundant and it is during this time that Shiva is said to become active and Shravan Somvaar Vrat is observed to honor Lord Shiva by some people. Why Shiva becomes active is illustrated in this beautiful story of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. But before reading the story, it is helpful to remember that in the Hindu trinity Lord Shiva is personified as a saintly hermit who is always meditating and he assumes a terrible form everytime he is awake. He represents Tama guna or ignorance and destruction and is infact one of the separated energies of the allpervading Lord while Vishnu represents compassion, forgiveness, cleverness, wit, even humor and overall preservation, another separated energy of the all pervading Lord. So here is the story:
Once when man's wickedness overran all restraining boundaries, an infuriated Shiva transformed himself into a wrathful form known as Bhairava. Thus converted, Shiva began his rampage of destruction, killing, maiming, and ripping out hearts of humans and drinking blood, his menacing laughter thundering all around.
On behalf of humanity, Vishnu approached Bhairava and requested him to stop the slaughter. Bhairava said: "I will go on killing until my bowl is filled with enough blood to quench my thirst." It was common knowledge that Bhairava's bowl could never be filled and his thirst never quenched.
His heart filled with compassion, Vishnu addressed Shiva thus: "Let me give you all the blood you need. You don't have to bleed mankind." So saying, Vishnu struck his forehead with his sword and let his blood spurt into Bhairava's bowl. Ages passed, Vishnu kept pouring his blood into the bowl, while Bhairava kept drinking it.
Bhairava finally realized that Vishnu was sacrificing himself for the sake of the world. Moved by Vishnu's generosity, he declared, "So long as you preserve the world, I will not seek to quench my thirst. But when the world becomes so corrupt that even you cannot sustain it, I will raise my trident and squeeze every drop of blood from the heart of man."
This story has a wonderful message about how the energies of god work within us. An important mantra of Shiva is Om Namaha Shivaya which translates as I am none other than the destroyer (Shiva). While Lord Vishnu is the allpervading god remembered through many names and many chants like Hare Krishna Hare Rama mantra which is a very powerful mantra that strengthens all the three gunas or energies in us, Hari or Hare awakens the Ethereal energies of Jupiter (the teacher of all the gods), Rama or Ram represents the energies of the Sun (the father the provider of means) while Krishna represents the energies of the Moon (the mother the nourisher of life). Consider the fact that the moon has no light of its own and he makes use of the light of the sun. The moon represents our mind while sun represents our physical body while Jupiter represents the Ethereal space that exists within our physical and mental body. Both these elemental energies (Vishnu tatva and Shiva tatva) have their importance and must be cultivated, harnessed and made good use of through devotion to the supreme.
Lord Vishnu and all his Devas (demigods) are said to wake up during the month of Kartik (after Chaturmaas), on the day of Prabhodini Ekadashi. It is believed that during Chaturmaas, the Ethereal energies of Lord Hari are abundant and it is during this time that Shiva is said to become active and Shravan Somvaar Vrat is observed to honor Lord Shiva by some people. Why Shiva becomes active is illustrated in this beautiful story of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. But before reading the story, it is helpful to remember that in the Hindu trinity Lord Shiva is personified as a saintly hermit who is always meditating and he assumes a terrible form everytime he is awake. He represents Tama guna or ignorance and destruction and is infact one of the separated energies of the allpervading Lord while Vishnu represents compassion, forgiveness, cleverness, wit, even humor and overall preservation, another separated energy of the all pervading Lord. So here is the story:
Once when man's wickedness overran all restraining boundaries, an infuriated Shiva transformed himself into a wrathful form known as Bhairava. Thus converted, Shiva began his rampage of destruction, killing, maiming, and ripping out hearts of humans and drinking blood, his menacing laughter thundering all around.
On behalf of humanity, Vishnu approached Bhairava and requested him to stop the slaughter. Bhairava said: "I will go on killing until my bowl is filled with enough blood to quench my thirst." It was common knowledge that Bhairava's bowl could never be filled and his thirst never quenched.
His heart filled with compassion, Vishnu addressed Shiva thus: "Let me give you all the blood you need. You don't have to bleed mankind." So saying, Vishnu struck his forehead with his sword and let his blood spurt into Bhairava's bowl. Ages passed, Vishnu kept pouring his blood into the bowl, while Bhairava kept drinking it.
Bhairava finally realized that Vishnu was sacrificing himself for the sake of the world. Moved by Vishnu's generosity, he declared, "So long as you preserve the world, I will not seek to quench my thirst. But when the world becomes so corrupt that even you cannot sustain it, I will raise my trident and squeeze every drop of blood from the heart of man."
This story has a wonderful message about how the energies of god work within us. An important mantra of Shiva is Om Namaha Shivaya which translates as I am none other than the destroyer (Shiva). While Lord Vishnu is the allpervading god remembered through many names and many chants like Hare Krishna Hare Rama mantra which is a very powerful mantra that strengthens all the three gunas or energies in us, Hari or Hare awakens the Ethereal energies of Jupiter (the teacher of all the gods), Rama or Ram represents the energies of the Sun (the father the provider of means) while Krishna represents the energies of the Moon (the mother the nourisher of life). Consider the fact that the moon has no light of its own and he makes use of the light of the sun. The moon represents our mind while sun represents our physical body while Jupiter represents the Ethereal space that exists within our physical and mental body. Both these elemental energies (Vishnu tatva and Shiva tatva) have their importance and must be cultivated, harnessed and made good use of through devotion to the supreme.
Comments
Post a Comment