Picking up threads from the previous issue, it is time now to look at interrelation amongst those forming Lord Shiva’s entourage. There remains evolutionary barrier of incommunicability amongst them, all marked with their individualistic positives and negatives. But lord Shiva on his part, through His selfless force of love, remains in accord with all of them at one go. Overlooking their individualistic vagaries, He does not differentiate. Not that He would not be aware of their individualistic limitations, as His eyes, half open and half closed would signify. It implies that knowingly ignoring their limitations, simultaneously He acknowledges their virtues.
Why? Is Lord Shiva under some compulsion to do that? Absolutely not, He purposely does that. For, He knows that all creatures, by themselves, are imperfect, and incapable of meeting even their existential needs all by oneself. But all put together, complement, and supplement each other to together make out a perfect self-sufficient world. If each one of them is bound by individual limitations, they are simultaneously also armed with such virtues, as would be necessary to nourish and sustain the collective existence.
Take the case of a trivial looking termite, which otherwise is known to spoil wood, paper, and if left unattended can spoil the crops also. But then, they dig hole deep inside the soil structure to facilitate entry of oxygen and activate creative potential of the earth mass. In the process, the termite eats earth mass and to digest it, its body releases necessary enzymes. It consumes a small part that it would need for its own sustenance, and excretes the rest, and that being rich in enzyme, further add to the fertility of the soil. The termite, however, meets its end before the crop comes up, but not before serving the cause of larger existence. Similarly, bacteria in a drain or a sewer pit treats the night soil, but for which, life will become inhabitable. In fact, all the creatures form a food chain, which together sustain the existential order, while at the same time do not allow them to grow beyond due and maintain biodiversity balance. There is nothing in existence, without a specific assignment in support of the collective existence.
Lord Shiva, therefore, wishes to get the best out of one and all and facilitate smooth run of the worldly order. So, he purposely ignores their individual limitations. But it doesn’t come about easy. He bears with lot of pains as He absolves them all from three types of sins– Daihika (Body bound), Bhautika (Material), and Daivika (Cosmic), they attract as fallout of cause-effect chain they are bound to. He absorbs them all as would His poison fed blue neck implies. He does that in the larger interest of the existential order, but for which life will become unbearable.
Serving as provider, He nourishes the whole living order with all His resources in hand - the cosmic energy drawn through lunar crescent, water stream of river Ganges, and other resources necessary for sustenance. It needs to be appreciated here that we plunder the earth in a bid to secure our survival. But the earth on its part bears with it kindly, and still supports us with all provisions - the food it produces or water bodies it holds in its womb, vital to our existence. We, knowingly or inadvertently, vitiate even the atmosphere, which could disturb ecological balance, evidently detrimental to our healthy existence. Nature, however, exhibits its resilience by absorbing them all, but for which our very existence would be at stake.
Lord Shiva enjoys the confidence of all. For, He selflessly serves them all without any sense of differentiation, with the sole noble objective to ensure a smooth run of the existential order. Selflessness of the all-powerful and all-knowing Shiva is exemplified by being bare bodied. We really need to draw lesson and imbibe the kindness extended by nature.
The message, loud and clear, is that the existential order is premised on the concept of “Unity in diversity”. Accordingly, a harmonious coexistence of all and sundry is called for. In this scheme of things, multitude of species and objects in existence are to discharge their assigned roles towards essential sustenance and smooth run of the living order. The interdependence of their existence needs to be underlined here. For, it is their collective efforts that could service existential needs of the living order. Lord Shiva, therefore, wishes to get the best out of all and ensure smooth run of the worldly order as would the bull imply.
The writer is an astrologer, vastu consultant and spiritual counsellor. Connect with him at
Tel: 91-11-9818037273/9871037272
