Shiva Mahimna Stotra

Shloka 6

Meaning:  O Supreme Lord! Can the universe made up of various parts be without birth or origin? Can creation happen without the creator? Without the Lord who else even attempts to create the world? Therefore, the people who doubt your existence are really dull-minded.  

(Note: There are two interpretations of the line, “Anisho va kuryat…”.

(1) “If someone else, other than the Lord, had created the universe, then what material that person had used to create it?.”

(2) “Without the Lord who else even attempts to create the world?”

I preferred the interpretation (2)).

Reflections: 

The scriptures teach us that whatever has a name and form is perishable. A thing with name and form has a beginning and an end.

Upanishads clearly say that Brahman is the cause of the creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe. There are various quotes from the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita stating that the world functions because of the power of Brahman.  

Kathopanishad (2.3.2-3) says:

“Whatever there is – the whole universe – vibrates because it has gone forth from Brahman, which exists as its Gound. That Brahman is a great terror, like a poised thunderbolt. Those who know It becomes immortal.” (Kahtopanishad 2.3.2)

“From the terror of Brahman, fire burns; from the terror of It, the sun shines; from the terror of It, Indra, Vayu, and Death, the fifth, function.” (Kathopanishad 2.3.3)

Kenopanishad Story:

There is a story in the Kenopanishad.  There was a fight between gods and demons. The gods became victorious. They said to themselves, “Verily, this victory is ours; verily, this glory is ours only.”

At that time a mysterious Being appeared at the door. The gods wanted to find out who that Being was. They sent Agni, the fire god, to find it out. The Being asked, “Who are you?”  The fire god said, “I am Agni”. The Being asked, “What power do you have?” Agni said, “I can burn everything.” The Being put a straw before him and said, “Burn this.” Agni tried all his power, but he could not burn it. He went back and said, “I could not find out who that Being is.”

The gods sent Vayu, the wind god, to find out who that mysterious Being was. Vayu went to the Being. The Being asked, “Who are you?”  The wind god said, “I am Vayu”. The Being asked, “What power do you have?” Vayu said, “I can blow away everything.” The Being put a straw before him and said, “Blow this.” Vayu tried all his power, but he could not even move the straw. He went back and said, “I could not find out who that Being is.”

The gods asked their king Indra to find it out. When Indra went to the Being, the Being disappeared, and Indra saw in the very region of the sky a glorious woman Uma. Indra asked her, “Who was that mysterious Being?” Uma said, “That was Brahman. By the victory of Brahman alone you have obtained glory.”

Uma is the Power of Brahman. She taught the gods that only because of the power of Brahman they had won the war. The gods were just the instruments of Brahman. Thus, through the power of Brahman alone, the world is functioning.

Sri Ramakrishna used to say in Hindi:

‘Without God’s will, not even a leaf moves.’

The Alternative:

If skeptical people think that there is no power working in the universe, then the other choice is to think that everything is happening by accident or by chance. For example, we have to accept that our eyes, ears, hands, legs, hearts, digestive systems, and other body functions are happening by chance or by accident. We have to assume that the functions of the sun, moon, earth, planets, etc. are happening accidentally.

Since everything in the universe is working so precisely, to think that it is happening by accident or by chance is really ridiculous.

Creation without the Creator:

The universe didn’t just fall from the sky – there is a creator. To say that there is no creator is like saying that there is a painting on a canvas without a painter, there is a song sung without a singer, there is a book published without a writer, etc. If someone says that a computer can do all of these, but behind the computer there is a human mind.   

Since the universe is working so precisely, nothing other than the Lord is capable of even thinking to create this universe.

Human brains have amazing power. Among them, the power of the brightest brains the world has ever produced and the ones that are going to come in the future are beyond our comprehension. How powerful must be the brain that has created all these brains? 

The Power of God:

Shri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita that wherever you see a special power, that is My (Lord’s) Power. He said that the whole world is created by one small fraction of My Power.

“Whatever glorious, or attractive, or powerful thing exists anywhere, know that it is a manifestation of a spark of My (Lord’s) splendor.”  (Bhagavad Gita 10.41)

“Or, O Arjuna, what need is there for you to acquire this detailed knowledge? I support the whole universe with a fraction of Myself.” (Bhagavad Gita 10.42)

Pushpadanta states that those people who don’t think deeper, don’t study scriptures and reflect upon their sayings, but simply deny or doubt the existence of the Lord must be dull-minded. 

Shiva Mahimna Stotra

Shloka 5

Meaning:  O Shiva (Brahman), You and Your Power are beyond the realm of logic. Even though it is impossible and inappropriate, a few people apply their polluted logic regarding You and Your Power by asking questions, like, ‘What was the creator’s desire to create this world?  By which body, material, tools, and support the creator created this universe?’.  Thus, they make themselves verbose to delude the world.   

Reflections: The Vedanta Philosophy, which is based on the Rishis’ words uttered by their direct perception of the Truth, or the Ultimate Reality, says that there is only One Existence. The Vedanta calls it Brahman. Vedanta says that Brahman appears as the universe with names, forms, and qualities, just as clay appears through various toys and things consisting of names, forms, and qualities. Many times, we forget that these toys and things are nothing but clay.

Similarly, by the Power of Brahman, called Maya, in real life, we get overwhelmed by the names, forms, and qualities of the objects and people, we forget that there is only one Reality behind all of them. In particular, we forget that in Reality we are eternal Atman and think that we are limited by our body and mind and then we suffer.

Another simile is of a movie projected on a screen. When we are watching a movie, we get into the drama created by the movie and we laugh, cry, get angry, and react in various ways. We forget that this movie is projected on a movie screen that has no characters or scenes. The movie screen is Reality, and the projection is temporary.

Maya deludes us and does not let us see Reality.  A few people who destroy their delusion and realize this fact become peaceful or blissful within. Maya deludes most of people.

Sri Ramakrishna says that things are not the same as what we perceive. The sky looks blue, but when we go up in the sky, we find that it has no color. The ocean water looks blue or green or grey, but when we take the water in our hands, we find that it has no color.

Shri Shankaracharya’s famous example is that we see a snake in a rope in the dark.  But when we bring light, we find that it is just a rope. Rishis, the Seers of the Truth, says that when we remove our delusion or ignorance, we see that there is only One Existence, and it appears as many.

Shri Shankaracharya describes this Maya in a very poetic way in his Viveka Chudamani (shloka 109) as follows:

“Maya neither exists, nor not-exist, nor both, being exist and not exist.

Maya is neither same, nor not-same, nor both, being same and not-same.

Maya is neither composed of parts, nor indivisible, nor both, being composed of parts and indivisible.

Maya is most wonderful and cannot be described in words.” (Viveka Chudamani 109)

Whatever we describe becomes limited. Maya, the Power of Infinite Brahman is not limited.

Also, the very first assumption of logic is ‘A statement is either ‘true’ or ‘false’. Thus, a statement cannot be neither true, nor false, nor both. Shri Shankaracharya shows that Maya is beyond the realm of logic.

The universe we perceive is within the realm of space, time, and causation. The causation is a chain of ‘cause and effect’. Logic applies to the things which are in the realm of space, time, and causation. Brahman and Its Power Maya are beyond space, time, and causation.  Therefore, logic does not apply to Brahman or Maya.  They are beyond logic.

If deluded people, who think that they are limited by their body and mind, and the world is real as it appears, ask all kinds of questions regarding the creation of the universe, how are they going to get the answers?  A person, who is under the influence of liquor, demands sober people to explain ‘how and when he got into that condition?’, what can they say? They will say that ‘first you become sober, then you will know all the answers’.

Pushpadanta says that those deluded people who ask questions like, ‘What was the creator’s desire to create this world?  By which body, and with what material, tools, and support the creator created this universe?’, are creating more delusion in the minds of others. As long as they are deluded, their questions are irrelevant, and they will never understand the answers. If they get the knowledge of Reality, then they will get their answers.   

Even the world we perceive through our senses has millions of questions that are unanswered. For example, we cannot understand the behavior of the electrons in the nucleus of matter. In 1927, German physicist Werner Heisenberg introduced ‘the uncertainty principle’, which states that the more precisely the position of some particle is determined, the less precisely its momentum can be predicted from initial conditions, and vice versa. That means we cannot determine the position and the momentum of a particle at the same time. It shows how difficult it is to know about the One which is beyond space, time, and causation.

Sri Ramakrishna says that a gallon bottle cannot hold ten gallons of milk. 

A question comes: Should we then not ask questions?

The answer is that we should ask questions to understand the principles presented by the scriptures or by the spiritual teachers. We have to try to understand what Rishis, or the Realized Souls, are trying to tell us. Simultaneously, we should do spiritual practices guided by proper teachers. Then, we will have genuine questions in order to remove our doubts or obstacles or to clarify some unclear ideas. The test of the genuine question is that once we get a proper answer, we will make spiritual progress.

Many people ask questions either to destroy or challenge the presented views or for intellectual entertainment or just for the sake of asking questions and never to learn or remove their doubts. Those kinds of questions will not be helpful. Pushpadanta says that these people make lots of noise to delude other people in the world.

If we do our spiritual practices properly and sincerely, then eventually all our questions will be answered, and all our doubts will be destroyed.

Mundaka Upanishad (2.2.8) says,

“When one realizes Brahman, then the fetters of the hearts get broken, all doubts get resolved, and the consequences of all actions, which are the bondages, get destroyed.” (Mundaka Upanishad 2.2.8)

Sri Ramakrishna explains this with a simple example. He says suppose a person is walking towards a flea market which is filled with shops and customers. Now, from a distance, that person hears noises of people but not clear sentences. When the person goes closer to the market, he/she starts hearing clear sentences like, ‘Give me that pair of shoes’, or ‘The price is five dollars,’ etc. Similarly, if we advance in the spiritual path, we will start understanding the answers given by the scriptures and the realized beings regarding ourselves and the universe.

Shiva Mahimna Stotra

Shloka 4

Meaning:  O Varada (Lord Shiva, the giver of boons)! The three Vedas have established that with your power you create, preserve, and dissolve the universe. This power works through your three forms (Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesha) which differ by the dominance of the three gunas (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas). However, to destroy this fact, a few ignorant people with their dull intellect, present baseless theories which seemingly look pleasant to the dull-minded, but in reality, it is unpleasant.      

Reflections:                          

The scriptures establish the fact that Brahman is the cause of the creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe. The power of Brahman, called Prakriti, or Shakti is made out of three gunas; sattva, rajas, and tamas. Brahman creates the universe through Its form Brahma which is dominated by rajas.  Brahman preserves the universe through Its form Vishnu which is dominated by sattva. Brahman dissolves the universe through Its form Mahesha which is dominated by tamas.

The following are a couple of quotes from the scriptures which establish this fact:

The Brahma Sutra (1.1.2) says that ‘Brahman is the only cause of creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe’.

Taittiriya Upanishad (3.1) says, “That, from which these beings are born, by which, when born, they live, into which (at the time of dissolution) they enter, they merge – seek to know That. That is Brahman.”

Taittiriya Upanishad (2.1) says, “From that Atman (Brahman) Aakaasha (space) was born; from Aakaasha, Vaayu (air) was born; from Vaayu, Agni (fire) was born; from Agni, Aapa (water) was born; from Aapa, Prithvi (earth) was born; from Pruthivi, Anna (food) was born; from Anna, being was born.”

Brahman is Omnipotent, Omniscient, Infinite, and devoid of any qualities. However, It appears as the universe because of Its delusive power Maya or Shakti.

In Viveka Chudamani, Sri Shankaracharya calls the power of Brahman as Avidya or Maya.

“Avidya or Maya is the power of the Lord. It is Unmanifested when It is inactive. It is beginningless, supreme, and made up of three gunas; sattva, rajas, and tamas. Wise people realize Its existence by Its effects. It brings forth this whole universe.” Viveka Chudamani – 108

In Shri Durga Saptashati (11.11) Rishi says, “O Narayani (All-Pervading Mother)! You are the power to create, preserve, and dissolve the universe. You are the support of the three gunas (sattva, raja, and tamas) and you have all the virtues. I salute you.”

In the Bhagavad Gita (9.7)Shri Krishna said, “O Arjuna! At the end of the cycle of the universe (at the time of dissolution), all beings enter into My Prakriti and at the beginning of a cycle I generate them again.”

People who believe that the Vedas are the highest authority regarding the fundamental truth of the universe accept that Brahman is the cause of its creation, preservation, and dissolution. But a few people present theories and reasons to destroy this fact. These theories and reasons amuse dull-minded people who do not think deeper. Let us reflect on these two sides.  

There are two major theories popular in the world:

Theory 1 (Believers): There is some power that is responsible for the creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe. People call this power by different names, like Brahman, God, Consciousness, or something else. The Vedas call it Brahman.

Theory 2 (Non-believers): There is NO power working behind the universe. Meaning there is no Brahman, Atman, God, Consciousness, or anything which is the cause of creation, preservation, and dissolution.

About Theory – 1: Among the believers of Theory – 1, there are many philosophies regarding the nature of God. But all the believers agree that there is something beyond this body and mind or the physical universe that we perceive which is the cause of the creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe. The Vedas are included in this theory.

About Theory – 2: Pushpadanta says that to destroy the assertion of Theory – 1, a few people propose a theory and give reasons to spread the idea that there is no Brahman, or Atman, or God, or Consciousness, or any such thing which is the cause of the creation, preservation, and dissolution of the universe.

From the Vedic time, a group of such people called Charvakas have been trying to destroy the assertion of the believers, especially the assertion of the Vedas. The word ‘Charvakas’ came from the Sanskrit words ‘Chaaru’ and ‘Vaac’. ‘Chaaru’ means pleasant, and ‘Vaac’ means speech. Thus, Charvakas means people whose talks are pleasant. One of the popular ideas of the Charvakas is:

“As long as you live, live happily with all the worldly joys. If you need to borrow money to have all the worldly pleasures (mainly eating, drinking, and sense-pleasures), then just do it. When the body burns to ashes, it is not going to come back.”

The last line implies that there is NO Atman or Brahman. All that we have is a body with a mind.

They even went further to say that those who wrote the Vedas are cheats, fools, and demons.

Pushpadanta says that such talks are very pleasing to few people who are not capable of thinking deeper. But in reality, these thoughts are unpleasant and harmful. A question comes, “Why such thoughts are unpleasant and harmful?”.

Here are a few answers:

(i) Life will be meaningless. If a person is limited to just body and mind, then for many people life will not have any purpose or meaning. They will not be happy to run around and go through many struggles just to maintain the body and to seek material pleasures. These people know that we really feel happy when we forget our body and mind. After deep sleep, one feels great joy. When we forget our little selves by listening to music, seeing beautiful pieces of art, reading engaging material, finding new research results, enjoying the vastness of nature, expressing our unselfish love, doing unselfish service, or any such activity, then we experience joy within which is nowhere near the sense-pleasures.

Also, life is short, and we cannot achieve what we had desired to achieve. Having just one life will not give us an incentive to continue working until the end.   

(ii) Life will be devoid of love.  Let us call the body-mind existence a ‘little self’. If each individual is interested to make his/her little self happy and that is the ultimate goal of life, then love will become selfishness. A person loves another person as long as the other person gives material pleasure to the first person. There will not be the love that we know now in the world. If society becomes truly selfish, then the parents will not be interested in raising the children when the children are not giving them material joy. Each one will be left to work hard to fulfill one’s own little self’s material desires. Even now, when children come to a certain age, selfish parents tell their children to get out of their houses and take care of themselves. If parents want to make their children self-dependent, then it is good. But to stop loving children or hating them because they are obstacles in their parents’ selfish joy is a horrible idea. How do we feel when mothers give birth to children and then parents abandon them to survive on their own? Without love, society will go towards its own destruction.

(iii) No explanations for the discrimination among children:  If there is only one life with this little self, then how can we explain why some children are born in extremely rich families and some are born in extremely poor families? Why some children are very talented in music or some other skills and some are not?      

(iii) Incomplete scientific explanations: The science talks about the Big Bang Theory for the creation of the universe. But there is no explanation for many things, like from where these objects and the force came which made the collision.

Also, some present a theory that in the beginning, only matter existed and at some point, consciousness came out from the matter. How can consciousness which is sentient come out from matter or material combinations which are insentient?

(iv) World is not chaotic: Everything in the universe is working very precisely.  For example, the sun, the earth, and the planets are precisely performing their functions. Our senses, heart, brain, digestive system, etc. are functioning precisely. This suggests that a systematic power with perfect thinking is working behind the universe. The world is not functioning because of random combinations of matters or powers. Our finite brains cannot comprehend infinite power. We can get some feeling about the infinite, but we cannot comprehend it fully.  

(vii) Counter-intuitive: Thinking that we are only little selves consisting of only body and mind is counter-intuitive. Intuitively we all feel that we are not limited to our body and mind, and we are eternal even though our body dies. There is a basic feeling of freedom in all of us. The idea that we are bound suffocates us. Also, we are not our resumes.  No matter how much we write about a person, we cannot describe the person completely. That is the reason why the world has not become completely materialistic even though Charvakas and others were trying to spread their pleasant theories.        

(viii) Not all are materialists: People may get turned off by religions due to the inhuman acts of religious leaders and fanatics, but they are not materialists. When many such non-believers come in touch with genuine spiritual people, they get attracted to spirituality or at least understand that it is a better way of living than a materialistic life.