Superlatives that describe Shiv
Easily attained, Lord Shiv is petitioned by saint and sinner alike. Demons and gods gain boons from him — sometimes in contradiction of each other, sometimes cleverly cancelling each other out. The company he keeps consists of ghosts and goblins, much to the chagrin of his father-in-law Daksha, who famously castigated him as the “monkey-faced nobody,” whom Brahma recommended as a groom for his “fawn-faced” daughter, Sati.
That is just the point — Shiv is unmoved by the insults heaped on him by sceptics and foes. He is too busy being delighted by the heartfelt calls of those who hold him dear.
In his “Shiv Mahimnah Stotra” (Ode to the Greatness of Shiv), the penitent Gandharva-devotee Pushpadanta sings soulfully of the boon-giving Varada whose only household possessions appear to be a bull, a broken cot, a chisel, an elephant skin, the skull and ashes — and yet, even the great gods receive everything by way of riches from Shiv by a mere upward lift of his eyebrows.
Pushpadanta says,“Girisha, tava kimanuvrittirna phalati?” (O Lord of the mountains, what does one not attain by following you?)
The anuvaakas or stanzas of the powerful hymn, Shri Rudram (a part of the Taittiriya Samhita of the Yajur Veda) read like the fervent pleas of the devotee who offers praise to the lord who has thousands of eyes (sahasraaksha) and to him who grants boons freely (meedhusha).
Fierce as he is, Shiv is one who runs to the aid of the devout (dhavate sattvanam pati). He is Bhava, who creates, and Rudra, who scatters sorrow. He is Sharva, who destroys sin and is Pashupati, the refuge of all animals. He is Shatadhanvana — the possessor of hundreds of bows and is Shipivishta — light himself. Described as Agriya — he who existed before creation, and as Prathama, the foremost; he is indeed Pratarana, who helps us cross the river of sorrows.
In a world tormented by disease and suffering, this solemn song of the Yajur Vedic seers could well be our daily prayer:
Maa no mahaantamuta maa no arbhakam maa na ukshantamuta maa na ukshitam
Maa noavadheeh pitaram mota maataram priyaa maa nastanuvo rudra reerishah
Maanastoke tanaye maa na aayushi maano goshu mano ashveshu reerishah…
“Oh Rudra — Shiv, do not trouble our children, our parents, our elders, the unborn child… do not bring affliction to our bodies, nor cast misery upon our children… for this we bring our offerings to you” (10th anuvaaka of the Namakam portion of the Shri Rudram).
Shiv is beyond description, but seekers resort to the spontaneous use of superlatives to invoke him: Vishveshwara, (lord of the universe); Mrityunjaya (he who is victorious over death); and Sarveshvara, simply put, the lord of everything.
This year, Mahashivratri was on March 10.
Raji P. Shrivastava can be reached at raji_1992@yahoo.co.in
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