I once asked my dad who were parents of lord Shiva. Though
the answer he gave was not convincing for me when I was kid. But now when I
start to interpret lord Shiva in a very subtle way, which he is by himself it
started making sense or at least it sounded like why there was such an
explanation for his origin. First let us understand what the Hindu mythology
wants to say about his birth.
There are actually many versions of it. But I would like to
quote the popular version. First it was believed that lord Vishnu who is the
responsible for all the maintenance (jeeva lahari) activities on the creation
was born and from his navel lord Brahma who is the creator of the world was
born on lotus. They were existing in their own infinite time spaces without
knowing that they both existed to each other in infinite peace. But one fine
day they saw each other and it was shocking for each other to see that there
was someone existing on this universe before each other. As time passed there
was this element of Ego got into both of their head and they started to prove
each other to be greater than the other one. This led to a cold war between
each other to say that “I” am great than the other one. This was the origin of “I” self on this
universe. But later the quarrel led to fight and that initiated the existence
of someone greater than both to give decision on who is great. Then came this
voice from an infinite oval shaped object called as lingam from behind. Both
agreed to listen to it as “he” was third party and was neither on each side. This
infinite lingam had no ending and no beginning. It said who will find the
starting point of this lingam would be greatest. So, both brahma and Vishnu
chose one side of lingam to move in search of the edge. Both went on for years
searching for the end but neither of them could find it. But now there is a
twist in the story brahma who went to one side of lingam found his favourite
flower “kedake” floating in the infinite time space. Since “I” (Aham) in Brahma
grew a bit greater than Vishnu at this point of time he made a cunning idea of
lying to lingam. He asked kedake to help him in this lie also. He declared that he found the end and kedake
is his witness. Then there came lord Shiva out of lingam to punish Brahma for
lying. And the mythology says this was the reason why nobody on the universe
worships brahma because he was the origin of greed on this universe. Which is
the source for many of the problems on this universe. And now it must be
believed that Shiva who came out of infinite lingam was existed even before
they both existed. So technically speaking there is no proper origin for Shiva.
He just existed from time infinity and came out of is form lingam. Though it
seems unscientific from what that the Hindu Mythology says on origin of Shiva, we
being radical humans look this story from a philosophical point of view there
is a lot bigger message to observe. Rather than just seeing Shiva as a
mythological character, if we start looking himself a philosophy that is trying
to give some message through his appearances character and stories.
I will try to analyse this small story of his origin from
another point of view to start with. At the beginning of the story it is said
that both brahma and Vishnu existed in peace in their own time spaces. And later
when they saw each other they start to quarrel on their greatness’s. For example,
this can be said as when anyone is in peace within himself without comparing
himself to anyone he can be in peace for time infinity till he sees someone and
starts to compare himself to him. And with this comparison started competition.
Even brahma who is the creator of everything was not left out with this pride”
ahamkara”. Ironically it can be said that after origin of “I” everything
originated. And since this I turned into greed in Brahma later Shiva punishes
him of not eligible for prayers. The very description of lingam is saying that
it is infinitely oval. How can something like that can exist infinitely oval
without ending? It would have been stated so to see something with a view of
time which ultimately existed from infinity and extends to infinity without
ending. And in most of the descriptions of Shiva it is said that he knew what happened
in past and what is happening now and what is going to happen in future. In my
point of view this simulation of Shiva to something like Time would perfectly
fit in. So, does time has any parents no, because it existed or it is believed
to be flowing one directional to future from the very moment all started.
Why
is Brahma the creator of everything is being addressed with character of filled
with Ego not Vishnu. It should be because every creator has this pride on his creation.
That this is “His creation”. May be that is the reason he is been addressed with
the carrier of pride into all creators. The very creator Brahma is believed to
exist from the navel part of Vishnu. Probably this would be to convey the
message that even the creator is himself not great, because he also existed
from something, he also is being created from something. This can convey the
scientific fact that nothing can be created without anything. And significance
of flower “kedge”. A lie cannot exist on its own. A lie always needs some proof
to say that it is true. Because it is not true someone has to justify it. If it
would have been Truth it could have existed on its own. Or probably I would
have not come to end of this analysis, because they both would have been
searching for the end till now.
- Sid
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