The unseen creatures in Shiva’s entourage supposedly symbolise the invisible existence during the interregnum period between two successive form-existences. They therefore, symbolise continuum between successive lives. In a way it can be said that lord Shiva’s entourage presents a picture of all seen and unseen existences forming this living world.
lord Shiva, despite evolutionary barrier of incommunicability amongst the varied creatures forming His entourage, through His selfless force of love, remains in accord with all of them at one go. Overlooking their individualistic vagaries, He does not differentiate. It is 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, He remains in accord with them.
WhyIJ Is lord Shiva under some compulsion to do thatIJ Absolutely not, He purposely does that. For, He knows that all creatures, by themselves, are imperfect, and incapable of meeting 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. But, the termite has to meet its end before the crop comes up, but not before serving the cause of larger existence. Similarly, a bacteria in a drain or a sewer pit treats the night soil, but for which, life will become inhabitable in course of time. In fact, all the creatures form a food chain, which together sustain the existential order, while at the same time not allowing them to grow beyond their due, and maintain biodiversity balance. There is nothing in existence, without a specific assignment in support of the collective existence.
lord Shiva therefore, in order to get the best out of one and all and facilitate smooth run of the worldly order, purposely ignores their individual limitations. But it doesn’t come about easy, as He has to bear with lot of pains. He absolves all and sundry of the 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. Remember, 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, on its part has been kind enough to make provisions for 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. His selflessness is exemplified by being bare bodied. We really need to draw lesson and imbibe the kindness extended by nature.
The message that emerges loud and clear is that the existential order is an organic whole. It is premised on the concept of “Unity in diversity”, framed into an interdependent structure, where no individual holds a reality independent of the entirety. In fact, we all have a shared destiny. That calls for a harmonious coexistence of all and sundry, all discharging their assigned roles towards essential sustenance and smooth run of the living order. Following the above script in sense and spirit would be real tribute to lord Shiva.
The writer is an astrologer, vastu consultant and spiritual counsellor. Write to him atG-102, Bharat Nagar, New Friends Colony, New Delhi – 110 025Tel: 91-11-49848475/9818037273 Email: pioneerqueries@bharatastro.com Website: www.bharatastro.com