Understanding Shiva

Shiva is vishwaroopa which means that the entire universe is his form and yet he is formless or niraakar. You can know Him by going deep into Om, the primordial sound of the Universe. How can you understand Shiva? Only through meditation. 

There is a beautiful story. Once Brahma, the creator and Vishnu, the preserver of the Universe wanted to know the expanse of Shiva. Brahma said, “I will go and look for his head and you find his feet.” So for thousands of years Vishnu travelled downwards to find Shiva’s feet and Brahma went upwards to find his head but they couldn’t find it. Finally they both met at the middle and said that they couldn’t find either. There is no beginning and no end to Shiva.

Shiva comprises of the entire creation and the creation is full of opposites. On one hand he is considered shweth vastra dhaar(wearing white clothes) and on the other hand, he is krishna varnameaning he is dark. He is the Lord of the Universe and yet he doesn’t have even a piece of cloth or jewellery. He is Rudraor the fierce on one side and Bholenaathor the most innocent on the other. He is Sundaresha, the lord of beauty and he is also Aghora– dreadfully intense. Shiva tattvabinds the dynamism of the beautiful dance and stillness of meditation, darkness and light, innocence and intelligence, ferocity and compassion.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji