Understanding my Gods

I am born a Vaishnavite and been worshipping Lord Venkateshwara all my life. But since my childhood I have also been fed with stories of Lord Shiva being the original deity in India long before the Aryan race came in propagating Vishnu being the supreme God-head. In fact there are some movies depicting the demon-king (Bhasmasura) who got powerful with the boon given by his deity Shiva, and the former trying to bully Lord Shiva himself. And Shiva fearfully running to seek help from Vishnu, and Vishnu smartly and cunningly killing the demon. Showing that Vishnu is powerful than Shiva. Such stories from Puranas were pointing towards Shiva being side-lined by Vishnu promoters. As a child, I pitied Shiva. In parallel I am also aware from puranas, which say that Shiva’s abode is Mt.Kailash (Himalayas) that is present in real. But there is no such physically identifiable location for Vishnu. For Vishnu who sleeps on Shesha Shayana (the serpent) floating in Ksheerasagara (ocean of milk), which is fictitious. This could be indicating towards Vishnu’s stories are cooked-up and Shiva’s stories are real. As a child I feared this thought as I am used to relating Vishnu as my god! As I grew-up, I started to realize that these are all my interpretations of the stories I had heard. I wanted to understand some facts and find some answers though. Who came first? Who is the ultimate? Why so many created? Why the supreme is a male and not feminine? What is Brahma’s role in between the two stalwarts? Where does Indra fit-in amidst all this drama?

Over years of listening to stories from people, reading, researching and analyzing, I could come to some understanding of my Gods. And these might change as well as time and my analysis progresses.

INDRA:

When the early man started being conscious about his surroundings, the things that he saw were the Pancha Bhootas (the five elements)- Air, Water, Earth, Fire, Ether/ space. So, the man worshiped these five elements and named a character to be the lord of these five elements. He named him Indra. People did worship Lord Indra in ancient India. While time progressed, man started to see that all these five elements are within him; within the boundaries of his own body. His body itself is made up of these five elements. Then who is this inside him who is able to see, feel and experience his physical body. Then man thought that there should be somebody or some higher energy that created this body comprised of the five elements. That’s when Indra was insufficient for the man to manifest him as God.

SHIVA:

Then man started to think that these are the thoughts that are emerging in the mind since the stomach is full. When the man is hungry, he is busy looking for food. Once hunger is taken care, his search for life starts. Whereas in case of animals, once hunger is taken care the life ends till the hunger kicks-in again. Then man thought that there should be some link between hunger and God. Then he created the character Shiva. Lord Shiva is one who has outgrown hunger. He who can generate stillness in his mind while the sensory organs are active and seeking attention! He is the Adi-yogi (first guru) who taught Yoga to mankind. Yoga is the technology that tames and synchronizes the body and mind, which enables man to attain higher knowledge of life. Then the man conceived the idea of Lord Shiva being on the top of the coldest mountain the Kailash in the Himalayas. He is made to sit bare chested, for He could generate sufficient agni (heat) inside Him through dhyana (meditation) without being afraid of having His fingers and toes frostbitten. For He who has outgrown hunger, the same prevails around Him. The snake around His neck is not worried about the peacock, which is Shiva’s son Subramanya’s vehicle. The rat, Ganesha’s vehicle is not bothered about the Shiva’s snake being its predator and the same between Shiva’s vehicle the bull and Parvati’s vehicle lion. Having outgrown hunger, there is no prey-predator act. Lord Shiva hence taught to outgrow hunger and bring in peace and stillness in the mind.

The 12th century philosopher from northern Karnataka Sri Basaveshwara, who is the staunch follower of Shiva promoted the philosophy of “work is worship”. Simply do your karma and the life takes care of you.

However, there was still something missing for the man. Man was still struggling with other factors creeping in as family, society, good-bad, right-wrong etc. The concept of Lord Shiva also was getting insufficient to him. Living like a hermit and hermit being a householder was not fitting in all circumstances of life and hence to attain higher knowledge of life or attain Moksha (salvation). And these were way beyond the hunger.

VISHNU:

That’s when man created the character of Lord Vishnu. Vishnu is a householder, but thinks like a hermit! He is always draped in silk and bedecked in gold. He is always in peace at the same time fully conscious. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth sits at His feet. He does not seek her, but she follows Him. He does not resist her. He keeps Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge (or peace) in His head, indicating that while peace is in the mind, wealth at His feet. The vice-versa is not true. Through Vishnu, man realized the importance of balancing the duality that prevails; divine-evil, good-bad, right-wrong, light-darkness, freedom-responsibility etc. The man created Lord Vishnu to realize his current state of evolution of both his body and mind, through Vishnu’s Dashavataara (ten incarnations). Starting from the life in water (Matsyavataara), life being amphibious (Kurmavataara), life outside water with least intelligence (Varaahavataara), life as half human-half animal (Narasimhavataara), life as human but not fully grown (Vaamanavatara), life as full grown man with a beastly mind (Parashurama), life with a matured mind but struggles with dharma (Ramavataara), life who defined Dharma for mankind (Krishnavataara), then the present day man (Buddha/ Kalki).

With these, man finally realized the laws of karma, the complexities of dharma and ultimately attained higher knowledge of life across various eras of mankind.

Indra is the primary form of God within the boundaries of earth, Shiva conquers the bodily senses and Vishnu teaches how to balance duality while practicing dharma.

Neither Vishnu is powerful, as he comes after the realization of Shiva. Nor Shiva is greater as Vishnu is the evolved version. Since there is an evolution of human consciousness, all these characters helped man to stand on ground and play life.

Be it cars, be it computers or be it Gods; Evolution taught man the same theory. Newer one came from the older one. The latter is not better than the former. All played their roles. Space and time is limited.