Misunderstanding the position of Visnu, Siva and demigod
Conscious beings are of two types; independent and dependent. The independent being is the all-pervading Lord (isvara) and the dependent beings are the particles of consciousness (jivas), energies of the Lord, who pervade individual bodies. The independent consciousness (isvara) is of two types: one is not touched at all by maya, and the other, for the Lord's pastimes, accepts the touch of maya. The first type of isvara is called by such names as Narayana:
harir hi nirgunah saksat purusah prakrte para
It is Hari who is directly the non material Lord transcendental to material nature.
The second type of isvara is called by such names as Siva:
sivah sakti yutah sasvat trilingo guna samvrta
Siva accepts the three gunas and is covered by them.
Though Siva is covered by the gunas, one should not think that he is in the category of jiva. As the Brahma Samhita states, Siva is a transformation of the Lord, just as yoghurt is a transformation of milk. In other scriptures also Siva is glorified as isvara.
The three modes of sattva, rajas and tamas, for maintenance, creation and destruction, are ruled by Visnu, Brahma and Siva. From this Brahm is commonly understood to be isvara. But Brahma's position as isvara or lord should be understaood as power invested in a jiva by the Supreme Lord. The Brahma Samhita also says that it is by the bestowal of power by the Supreme Lord that Brahma is able to create the universe. The modes of ignorance (Siva), passion (Brahma) and goodness(Visnu) may be compared to the wood, smoke and fire, three progressive stages of fire. As smoke is superior to wood, so the mode of passion is superior to the mode of ignorance, but fire is not situated in the smoke, one cannot perceive the Supreme Lord in the mode of passion (Brahma). In the mode of goodness which is like the blazing fire, one can directly perceive the Lord (Visnu). Just as fire is situated within wood, so in mode of ignorance, the Lord's presence can be assumed in latent state. The happiness of realization of the Lord in his impersonal aspect may be compared to the state of sleep which is characteristic of tama guna.
The jivas are of two types: those who are covered by maya and those who are not covered by maya. The covered jivas are the devatas, men and animals. The uncovered jivas are of two types: those endowed with the Lord's aisvarya sakti, and those uninfluenced by that sakti. Those not influenced by the Lord's aisvarya sakti are of two types; those who, by pratice of jnana merge in to the Lord (a lamentable condition), and those who, by practice of bhakti, remain differentiated from the Lord and taste nectarean bliss. Those who are influenced by the aisvarya sakti are of two types: those influenced by elements such as jnana, belonging to the spiritual sphere (eg.four kumaras), and those influenced by such as elements as the function of creation etc., coming from the material sphere (eg.Brahma). In this way the position of Brahma is delineated.
One may consider that Visnu and Siva are non different, being the same isvara mode. Though this is true, the devotee must understand that there is a difference in worship of the Lord with a touch of material qualities (Siva) and with no material qualities (Visnu). Brahma and Visnu, on the other hand, are completely different tattvas: Brahma is jiva and Visnu is isvara. Sometimes Brahma and Visnu are described as identical in the puranas, but one should understand this statement by the example of the sun (Visnu) and the surya kanta jewel (brahma) which is invested with the light of the sun, and is therefore considered non-different.
In some mahakalpas, even Siva, like Brahma, is a jiva invested with power by the Lord:
kvacij jiva visesatvam harasyoktam vidher iva
“Like brahma, siva is sometimes a jiva.”
Thus Siva is somtimes classed with Brahma, as in such statements as:
yas tu narayanam devam brahma rudradi daivataih
samatvenaiva manyeta sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam
“A person who considers Narayana as equivalent to Brahma, Siva and the other devatas is a low rascal.”
Those who have not fully researched in the matter say that Visnu is the Lord, not Siva; or that Siva is the Lord, not Visnu; or that since I am a devotee of Visnu, I will not give regard to Siva, or visa versa. Such people, deliberately involving themselves in arguments, become offenders.
harir hi nirgunah saksat purusah prakrte para
It is Hari who is directly the non material Lord transcendental to material nature.
The second type of isvara is called by such names as Siva:
sivah sakti yutah sasvat trilingo guna samvrta
Siva accepts the three gunas and is covered by them.
Though Siva is covered by the gunas, one should not think that he is in the category of jiva. As the Brahma Samhita states, Siva is a transformation of the Lord, just as yoghurt is a transformation of milk. In other scriptures also Siva is glorified as isvara.
The three modes of sattva, rajas and tamas, for maintenance, creation and destruction, are ruled by Visnu, Brahma and Siva. From this Brahm is commonly understood to be isvara. But Brahma's position as isvara or lord should be understaood as power invested in a jiva by the Supreme Lord. The Brahma Samhita also says that it is by the bestowal of power by the Supreme Lord that Brahma is able to create the universe. The modes of ignorance (Siva), passion (Brahma) and goodness(Visnu) may be compared to the wood, smoke and fire, three progressive stages of fire. As smoke is superior to wood, so the mode of passion is superior to the mode of ignorance, but fire is not situated in the smoke, one cannot perceive the Supreme Lord in the mode of passion (Brahma). In the mode of goodness which is like the blazing fire, one can directly perceive the Lord (Visnu). Just as fire is situated within wood, so in mode of ignorance, the Lord's presence can be assumed in latent state. The happiness of realization of the Lord in his impersonal aspect may be compared to the state of sleep which is characteristic of tama guna.
The jivas are of two types: those who are covered by maya and those who are not covered by maya. The covered jivas are the devatas, men and animals. The uncovered jivas are of two types: those endowed with the Lord's aisvarya sakti, and those uninfluenced by that sakti. Those not influenced by the Lord's aisvarya sakti are of two types; those who, by pratice of jnana merge in to the Lord (a lamentable condition), and those who, by practice of bhakti, remain differentiated from the Lord and taste nectarean bliss. Those who are influenced by the aisvarya sakti are of two types: those influenced by elements such as jnana, belonging to the spiritual sphere (eg.four kumaras), and those influenced by such as elements as the function of creation etc., coming from the material sphere (eg.Brahma). In this way the position of Brahma is delineated.
One may consider that Visnu and Siva are non different, being the same isvara mode. Though this is true, the devotee must understand that there is a difference in worship of the Lord with a touch of material qualities (Siva) and with no material qualities (Visnu). Brahma and Visnu, on the other hand, are completely different tattvas: Brahma is jiva and Visnu is isvara. Sometimes Brahma and Visnu are described as identical in the puranas, but one should understand this statement by the example of the sun (Visnu) and the surya kanta jewel (brahma) which is invested with the light of the sun, and is therefore considered non-different.
In some mahakalpas, even Siva, like Brahma, is a jiva invested with power by the Lord:
kvacij jiva visesatvam harasyoktam vidher iva
“Like brahma, siva is sometimes a jiva.”
Thus Siva is somtimes classed with Brahma, as in such statements as:
yas tu narayanam devam brahma rudradi daivataih
samatvenaiva manyeta sa pasandi bhaved dhruvam
“A person who considers Narayana as equivalent to Brahma, Siva and the other devatas is a low rascal.”
Those who have not fully researched in the matter say that Visnu is the Lord, not Siva; or that Siva is the Lord, not Visnu; or that since I am a devotee of Visnu, I will not give regard to Siva, or visa versa. Such people, deliberately involving themselves in arguments, become offenders.
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