Courtesy: Sri.Krishnan Muralidharan
Dear All,
Greetings and Namaste. As Maha Shivaratri falls on 27-Feb-2014(Thursday), I am happy to share a rare paranAtha sahasranAma Stotram on Lord Shiva from Rudra Yamala Tantram, Uttara Tantram, Chapter 78. As usual, a brief overview of the benefits one accrues by chanting this Sahasranama is given in the preface section and it is indeed one of the most sacred and potent Sahasranamas ever.
Though Hinduism is replete with many deity forms and occasions attributed to such forms, our sacred texts have been extremely cautious and careful in ensuring that one does not get carried away with the plurality of forms lest one should lose sight on form over substance. This has been abundantly made clear in all puranas which are said to have different colors (e.g. Vaishnavite or Shaivite or Brahmite or Shakta or Ganapatya) as Vedas corroborate:
ekaM sat | viprA bahudhA vandanti || (The truth is one but the learned portray in different ways )
The following shloka appears at the end of Veda Pada Stavam on Lord Shiva in Chyutapuri Mahatmyam from Padma Puranam and is a remarkable illustration of the above principle :
Vedanta-vit kapila tArkika saugatAdyaiH | shaivaish ca vaiShNava mataish ca sashAktakaish ca ||
tattan matAntara-gatais samupAsyate yaH | taM kRRittivAsa naTaM Adisabhesha mIDe ||
(Meaning : I pray to the Adi Sabhesha Sri Kritthivasa, who is being worshipped by Sage Kapila (who has fathomed the quintessence of Veda), Tarka experts, Shastra experts, Buddhists, Shaivaites, Vaishnavites and Shakti worshippers as their Lord by their own respective traditions/philosophies.
What an exquisite exposition of the 'unity in diversity' principle! But this is not the only place such a message such a message occurs. Each purana reiterates this message as often as possible. To illustrate, Varaha Purana, considered an exquisite Vaishnavite Purana reiterates the non-duality of Shiva and Vishnu at least a dozen times.
Lord Vishnu corroborates he is indeed Shiva (ahaM brahmA ca sharvaH - Srimad Bhagavatam, rudrANAM sha~NkarAsmi - Bhagavad Gita, sarvaH sharvaH shivaH SthANuH - Vishnu Sahasranama, etc. etc.)
Lord Shiva declares that Narayana is his another form (ahaM tvaM sarvago deva tvamevAhaM janArddana - Hari Vamsha Puranam; ayaM nArAyaNo.ahaM Ishvaro nAtra saMshayaH - Ishvara Gita; Kurma Puranam)
The final word comes from Lord Shiva in Shiva Puranam :
vidhi bhaktiM vinA naiva bhaktir bhavati vaiShNavI |
viShNu bhaktiM vinA me na bhaktiH kvApi prajAyate ||
(Meaning : Worship to Lord Rudra does not happen without worship to Lord Vishnu and Vishnu Bhakti does not happen without Bhakti to Lord Brahma)
Can it be more clearer? It is much more than spoon-feeding! Stated conversely, our preoccupation with presumed differences over implied truth could only mean that we have not made even to the kindergarten level of spirituality - notwithstanding our paper qualifications - such that even the spoon feeding is of little use. But the good news is that the admissions are always open - no fixed term or academic year!!!
May We Pray To Lord Shiva on this Maha Shivaratri day! shrIrudrAya viShNave mRRiyur me pAhi || (Rudra prashnam)
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