Shiva Mahimna Stotra

Shloka 21

Meaning:  Daksha Prajapati was the host of the yajna. He was the lord of all beings and an expert in performing yajnas. The yajna was conducted by the rishis and the devas were attending the yajna. O giver of refuge (Lord Shiva)! Even though You are always eager to give rewards to the yajnas, you destroyed Daksha Prajapati’s yajna. Because one who performs a yajna without any faith definitely brings destruction to the yajna.                                      

Reflections:

Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita (17.28) says,

“Without faith whatever sacrifice or gift is made, whatever austerity is practiced, whatever ceremony is observed, it is all called ‘Asat’ (not beneficial). It will not give any favorable result in this life or the next life.”

Daksha Prajapati’s yajna was not only devoid of faith, but he performed his yajna to insult Lord Shiva. Let us briefly remember the story behind this yajna. 

The Story of Daksha Prajapati’s Yajna: 

Once, in Prayaga, there was a big gathering of the devas, rishis, and others. Brahma and Shiva were also present there. At that time, Daksha Prajapati entered the hall. All, except Brahma and Shiva, stood up to give an honor to Daksha Prajapati. It seems Lord Shiva must have felt Daksha’s inflated ego and wanted to teach him a lesson.

Considering Brahma as his father, Daksha saluted him. Daksha thought of himself as higher than Lord Shiva. So, he was angry at Shiva for not giving him honor. Daksha abused Lord Shiva in front of all. Lord Shiva remained quiet and peaceful. Daksha’s anger grew more like a fire. He was not satisfied with his abuse. He wanted to do something more.

After some time, Daksha organized a yajna to insult Lord Shiva. He invited all the devas, rishis, and many other people except Lord Shiva. He did not even keep a place for Shiva. On the day of the yajna, Lord Shiva’s wife, Sati, saw everyone going to her father’s yajna. She was surprised to find out that she and Shiva were not invited to the yajna. Sati expressed her desire to go to see this yajna. Lord Shiva knew the reason for not being invited. He told Sati not to go to the yajna. But Sati felt an intense desire to go to the Yajna and see what was going on. She went to the yajna. Forget about receiving her cordially, no one in the yajna, including her father Daksha, even looked at her. She found that there was no seat kept for her husband Lord Shiva. She felt it was a great intentional insult to both. She could not bear it. To stop the yajna, she jumped into the fire of the yajna. The news of Sati’s giving up her life went to Lord Shiva. He sent his disciple Virabhadra to destroy the Yajna. Virabhadra and his army destroyed the whole yajna and killed those who opposed him.

Pushpadanta says that Lord Shiva is usually eager to reward the results of yajnas as it was mentioned in the previous shloka-20 of the Shiva Mahimna, but this yajna he destroyed because it was done for a malicious reason. It was clear that there was no faith in the performance of the yajna. In the end, out of compassion, Lord Shiva gave Daksha his life back. Mother Sati was born as Mother Parvati and married to Lord Shiva.

Reflections continue:          

Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita (17.3);

“The faith of each person is per his/her natural disposition. O Bharata (Arjuna)! A person is made of his/her faith. As is the faith, so is the person.”

In Chapter 17 of the Bhagavad Gita, Shri Krishna describes three kinds of faiths: Sattvika (superior), Rajasika (mediocre), and Tamasika (inferior).

People with superior faith have high regard for the noble virtues. Their ideals are gods or people who exemplify such virtues in their lives. Such people also practice these noble virtues in life. These virtues are beneficial to humanity.

People with mediocre faith have high regard for material glories, like wealth, power, position, worldly skills, external appearances, and others. These people have high regard for gods or people who exhibit material glories.

People with inferior faiths are whimsical. They want inferior kinds of sensations. Such people worship spooky things that are terrifying and imaginaries, like ghosts, evil spirits, and others. 

Knowingly or unknowingly, people have faith in many things, but in the spiritual path, they become skeptical. Swami Adiswarananda (Spiritual Head of Ramakrishna Vivekananda Center, New York) used to say that we have faith in the advertisements, carpenters, plumbers, doctors, pilots, and others, but we don’t have faith in the scriptures or spiritual teachers. Strangely, we have faith in the words of selfish-minded people, but not in the words of totally unselfish spiritual teachers.

In the spiritual path, one needs faith in God or Divinity, or Some Power that creates, preserves, and dissolves the universe, or some higher level of state of existence or of consciousness. Vedanta calls It Brahman, Pure Consciousness, or Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute). Vedanta says that the universe which we grasp by our senses and mind is limited by space, time, and causation. It is projected on the infinite and unlimited Brahman. In other words, Brahman appears as the limited universe due to an illusion created by the power of Brahman. What is in the macro is in the micro. The true nature of an individual is infinite and unlimited Atman (Pure Consciousness) and out of an illusion we think we are individuals limited by our body and mind. Atman is the same as Brahman.

To accept the fact mentally that (i) my true identity is divine Atman, (ii) Brahman is appearing as the universe out of illusion, and (iii) Brahman is Atman, is considered faith in the Vedanta.

Swami Vivekananda says that according to the old religions, a person is an atheist (faithless) who does not believe in God. But, according to the new religion, a person is an atheist who does not believe in himself/herself, meaning who does not believe that his/her true nature is divine, Atman.

We suffer, get filled with fear, limit ourselves, and do all kinds of evil things because we don’t have faith in our true divine identity. This lack of faith creates a ‘false ego’ like that of Daksha and it brings our destruction even though we perform religious rituals.

Shri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita (4.39):

“One who is full of faith and zeal and has subdued his senses obtains Knowledge; having obtained Knowledge, he/she soon attains the Supreme Peace.”

To attain fulfillment in our life, we must first develop a genuine faith in our true divine identity through readings of the scriptures, or the teachings of realized spiritual teachers and reflecting upon their meanings. Then, if we follow the guidance of the scriptures and the realized spiritual teachers to do spiritual practices, we will be able to realize the Atman, ‘our true divine identity’ which we believed in. After the direct realization of Atman, the faith and the fact become one. Then, we don’t need to present reasons for having our faith. If we are enjoying sunlight on a cloudless day and someone asks us to prove that the sun exists, then we just smile and say ‘I don’t need to prove it. I am enjoying it.’

One important thing is that we must hold on to the faith we had started with until we get the direct experience. Doubts and questions come to the mind to test our faith. At that time, our own conviction, spiritual teachers’ guidance, and our sincere prayers help us to hold on to that faith.

Sri Ramakrishna told a mythological story which has a great significance. Once a man wanted to cross the ocean. He asked Vibhishana what to do. Vibhishana wrote something on a piece of paper and tied it to the man’s cloth. He told the man that he can now walk on the water and cross the ocean easily. Vibhishana told him not to look at the paper to see what had been written on it. The man started walking on the water. He reached halfway and a curiosity arose in his mind to see what was written on the paper. He could not resist. He untied the knot, took out the paper, and saw it. It was just written ‘Rama’. He thought, ‘What? Just ‘Rama’? He lost his faith and then got drowned.

Thus, in the spiritual path, we must hold on to the faith we had started with until we have a direct experience. Regular spiritual practices and holy company help us nurture this initial faith and help make it stronger.