The more I get to know about Shiva, the more I am convinced that he is the Lord of all gods, the supreme or whatever is used to denote a similar meaning.
Supreme in the sense, he is the divine decision-maker who has the final word of authority in all matters.
Sometimes, though not always, this thought crosses my mind during my prayers to Krishna and I feel a little shaky and start doubting if my Krishna-bhakti is even real, given I feel he is only secondary to Shiva.
Although a little 'vipralamba bhava' or missing my prayer to Krishna for a few days makes me cry for him like anything and this reassures my bhakti to Lord Krishna.
Does anyone here have any word for me, advice, thoughts........... anything welcome. Thanks.
Excellent replies from each and every one on this thread.
Dear
@Viraja
I have good news.
This appears more like a heart versus head issue.
There are several things here.
-- Personal relationship
-- Leela
-- Tattva - principle, and the question of the Supreme -- what is ParaBramhan, or "Is Krishna Supreme?" - Short answer, yes! Read the Bhagavad Geeta.
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So first let's start with the simplest - "What is ParaBramhan - the Supreme" , is it Shiva? VishNu - Krishna? both? neither? Are they the same Being?
This is the same One and Only ParaBramha speaking in the Geeta, and
If He is explicitly explaining "I am like this" e.g. "aham AtmA guDAkesha jeeva bhutAshaya sthita" or "mAmaivamshe jeeva loke..." or
He has made things so easy for us
The very same ParaBramha, is a lot more than just the form of Krishna with a peacock feather and kamal nayan - Lotus Eyes ( even those lotus eyes are the gateway to the infinite).
Internally He is vast and infinite. ParaBramhan sAkshAt.
From the Bhagavad Geeta: Krishna says He is all of the below and more...
gati - destination, state of being to be achieved by the sAdhak -- is His state
bhartA - Support and shelter, Pati
prabhU - God, Lord
sAkshI - Witness
niwAs - haven, shelter
sharaNa - point of surrender
surhud - truest, closest, Dearest Friend (Who knows you more than you know yourself)
prabhava - creator, that which is the source of , cause of manifestation
pralaya - sink -- the storm and annhilation into which everything material dissolves
sthAna - steady unchanging unwavering place, position, anchor.
nidhAna - final destination, residence
beeja - seed
avyaya - imperishable source
bhUtabhartRu - nurturer, protector
grAsishNu - annhilator
prabhavishNu - creator - who brings forth the material world
Please see this post
Bhagavad GeetA 13.16
avibhaktaM cha bhUteshu vibhaktaM eva cha sthitaM |
bhUtabhartru cha tadneyaM grAsishNu prabhavishNu cha ||
Line (pankti) 1: That One (ParamAtmA) is One and indivisible (avibhaktam) like the sky, and yet, appears as if divided among and within the various entities [- charAchar - moving and stationary - who are also moving ].
Line (pankti) 2: This One and only ParamAtmA, the subject of knowledge (dneyam),
a) is their bhUta-bhartRu i.e. VishNu (nurtures all living beings) , is their bhartA* (support and shelter)
b) AND annihilator of all - He is GRAsishNu (Rudra, grAs = destroy) , and
c) AND manifests all , He is PrabhavishNu (BramhA; prabha = birth, bring forth).
So the same ParamAtmA is VishNu, Rudra and BramhA
bhUtabhartRu cha tadneyaM grAsishNu prabha-vishNu cha
and he is avibhaktam (indivisible).
----
Further,
BG 9.17 pitAhamasya jagato mAtA dhAtA pitAmaha |
vedyam pavitram omkara rk sama yajur eva ca ||
-- I am the Father of the whole world/creation, Mother, support, shelter, and also the Grandfather. I am the One to be known (vedyaM) - ultimate target of knowledge, auspicious and pure OnkAr (Om) , and I am what the Rg-veda, sAma-veda and Yajurveda describe so elaborately. (It is all pointing to Me)
BG 14.4
sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yāḥ |
tāsāḿ brahma mahad yonir ahaḿ bīja-pradaḥ pitā ||
I am the seed-giving Father to this Prakruti - called Mahad-Bramh' , who then gives rise to this material world.
All beings take birth in the world this way.
-------
Elsewhere, in chapter 13 -
anAdi mat param Bramha na sadAsaditi uchyate ...
My (mat) eternal Bramha can be described as neither Sat (eternally unchanging, present in the same state), nor asat (perishable , non-eternal or false)
( I am Sat, but My avyakta muLa prakruti (mahad-bramh) is constantly changing , transforming so cannot qualify as Sat. At the same time it is not asat - as in perishable because the muLa avyakta prakruti is always there - it is eternal)
BG 14.27 bramhaNo hi pratishThA aham amrutasyAvyayasya cha
shAswatasya cha dharmasya sukhaikAntikasya cha
I am the very foundation and support of this entire vastness called Bramh (again refers to the avyakta - unseen cause and the manifested world),
-- of this eternal muLa prakruti (avyaya)
-- of the eternal dharma
-- and of the solitary peace and happiness.
BG 7 & 15 - There are 2 kinds of entities - perishable and imperishable. Perishable are the bodies made of 5 elements (panchamahAbhUta)
and imperishable are the living entities -- jeevAtmA who identify with the body (these are expressions of My higher prakruti).
BG 7 - all these beings are like pearls of thread strung on the same thread that is ME. So the pearls are made of the same material - thread that is ME.
BG 15 - Beyond these 2 kinds of entities -- there is the third -- uttam purush , that is Me ,
Purushottam - The Best Being , Highest Being - who is not entangled in the perishable and stands unaffected, detached,
alipta.
BG 10 last verse -- Why do you care about these details , Arjuna? Just remember that I have held this entire material world via/using/upon just a fraction of Myself.
(So the material world is not exactly Him, but it only takes an amsha - fraction of Him to hold the material world - He is further very vast beyond the material)
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Second, about bhakti, relationship and Leela
Did Shiva approach you in any way or suddenly initiate you into something?
a) If yes, then this is ParaBramha's Leela - They teamed up and planned this behind your back - they love to see the expression on your face - puzzled.
Jokes apart, and on a more serious note -- it is to polish you from all angles.
e.g. Shiva can expedite what Krishna wants you to do in BG chapter 6 - dhyAna yoga
b) If not, if these are just doubts in your mind, I would say read the Bhagavad Geeta very very carefully. A devotee of Krishna has to listen to His words in the Bhagavad, Uddhav and Anu Geeta, but at least in the Bhagavad Geeta and take them seriously.
I really like what
@mangalavara wrote. If you feel Shiva is worthy of worship as Supreme, it is because you are connected to Krishna's heart and Shiva is sitting there, in His heart.