Lord Siva Saved Vrikasura

The eighty eighth chapter explains that Visnu is worthy of service and is beyond the material modes, whereas Siva is touched by the modes. Siva was put into danger by his own devotee Vrkasura. Visnu and his devotee, both beyond the modes, are always exchanging bliss, whereas Siva and his devotee, caught up in the modes, experience suffering. The personified Vedas already stated that among the forms of brahman, paramatma and bhagavan, bhagavan and his devotee are the best. Now in a chapter and a half, amongst Brahma, Visnu and Siva, Visnu is pointed out as the most worthy of service.

You have established the worship of Visnu with such statements at the end of the last chapter as “one should meditate on Hari (dhyayet ajasram harim).” Sb 10.87.50 Why then do all people, fearing poverty in worshipping Visnu, take to the worship of Siva?_ Siva is called inauspicious (asiva) because from materialistic vision he wears inauspicious items like ashes from the burning ghata and skulls. But the worshippers of Siva enjoy with wealth, whereas the worshippers of Visnu, the husband of Laksmi, have no wealth, and do not enjoy.

Those who worship Siva who is a beggar get wealth, and those who worship Visnu the husband of Laksmi become beggars. This opposite bestowal seems wrong.

Siva is associated with material energy (sakti yutah). He is surrounded by the modes, because they plead with him to be accepted. By that covering he appears to be made of the three modes (tri lingah). But he is not bound by force by the modes like the jivas. The nature of the three modes is described. Siva takes on three forms according to the three types of false ego in the mode of goodness, passion and ignorance.

There are sixteen transformations: the ten senses including their respective deities, the mind and the five gross elements. Among these, people, pursuing enjoyment for the some of these, namely the genital, tongue or mind, worship Siva, and obtain the essence (gatim) of all types of enjoyment (vibhutinam). This means that because of the interdependence of all these elements, by attaining one, they obtain all material enjoyment. That happiness, and the attainment of all enjoyment is in proportion to the amount of worship they do. Since these enjoyments are all composed of the three modes and those modes come from Siva, by worshipping him one attains them. Therefore what you say is not wrong.

How is Visnu without the gunas? He is above matter. By nature he is situated beyond the modes. Therefore by worshipping he who is beyond the modes, how can one get enjoyment belonging to the material modes? From him (sarva drk) comes the knowledge that all others including Siva have. Worshipping him one, develops eyes of knowledge, rather than the enjoyment coming from the darkness of ignorance . He is the witness (upadesta), simply looking neutrally without contamination of the modes. Therefore by worshipping him , one also becomes free of the contamination of the modes. Thus it will be stated later, “From him comes peace, fearlessness dharma, knowledge, and renunciation.” sb 10.89.14

A man suffers misery because of loss of wealth. He suffers further because of rejection by his relatives because he is poor. This suffering, being given by the Lord, is not the result of karma. Even the happiness given to the Lord’s devotees is not the result of karma, but rather an unrequested result of bhakti. As the first canto says, “dharmasya hy apavargasya” “All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain.” Sb 1,2,9

According to the statement of Bhisma, just by the performance of bhakti all these things are attained by the devotees. Devotional literature (such as bhakti rasamrta sindhu) says that all aprarabdha, kuta bija and prarabdha karmas are destroyed, in the manner of piercing a thousand lotus leaves (one by one).

The gopala tapani upanisad says, “bhaktir asya bhajanam tad ihamutropadhi nairasyenamusmin manah kalpanam etad eva naiskarmyam” the meaning is this.

By concentrating the mind (mana kalpanam) and all senses on Krsna without material desires (upadhi nairasyena), ones worship (asya bhajanam) attains absence of karma (naiskarmyam). This must be the meaning because of the grammatical agreement of the words bhajanam, manah kalpanam and naiskarmyam. Therefore by the performance of bhajana, all karmas of the devotee are destroyed, even though the devotee is still situated in a body. This is because the inconceivable energy of the lord produces such an added result in the worship. The happiness and distress which appear to be prarabdha karma are given by the Lord himself. The srutis say, “bhavad uttha subhasubhayoh” (When a person realizes You, he no longer cares about his good and bad fortune arising from pious and sinful acts, since it is You alone who control this good and bad fortune.) b 10. 87.40

“How can the Lord so affectionate to his devotee, make him suffer?”

The father, though affectionate to his sons gives, them the austerity of studying by taking away their sources of enjoyment. The father knows that the action is a sign of his affection, though the son does not appreciate it at that time.

It should also be mentioned that the considerate Lord did not give suffering to those praciticing sadhana bhakti, sadhakas Prahlada or Dhruva, since he gave profuse enjoyment of material happiness and wealth. And on the other hand, it seems he gave suffering to his most perfected of devotees such as Yudhisthira.

“O how wonderful is the influence of inevitable time. It is irreversible—otherwise, how can there be reverses in the presence of King Yudhisthira, the son of the demigod controlling religion; Bhima, the great fighter with a club; the great bowman Arjuna with his mighty weapon Gandiva and above all, the Lord, the direct well-wisher of the Pandavas?” 10.1.9 This was stated by Bhisma on hearing the suffering of the Pandavas.

Later Bhisma said, “O King, no one can know the plan of the Lord. Even though great philosophers inquire exhaustively, they are bewildered.” sb 10.3.25 No one knows the plan or intention of the lord, but the lord, alone and no other person, being affectionate to his devotee, knows. That is the conclusion.

Whatever has been gathered here as points should be considered. As the experience of happiness of suffering coming either from karma or directly from the Lord is similar, what distinguishes them?

Even though experiencing happiness or suffering arising from karma (therefore finishing with the effects), a person still maintains the seed or desire (the cause, which will produce further happiness and suffering). The cause is desire for enjoyment. That seed continues (and produces more suffering). According to the degree of karma or sin, the person experiences a certain degree of happiness or suffering, even to the extent of falling to hell. Thus there are three qualities of karmic suffering.

The suffering induced by the Lord himself however is by his desire alone (not by jiva’s desires). That is the seed, and the seed lasts only as long as necessary for the lord’s purpose and no longer.

Yamaraja said, “My dear servants, please bring to me only those sinful persons who do not use their tongues to chant the holy name and qualities of Krsna, whose hearts do not remember the lotus feet of Krsna even once, and whose heads do not bow down even once before Lord Krsna. Send me those who do not perform their duties toward Visnu, which are the only duties in human life. Please bring me all such fools and rascals.” Sb 6.3.29 From this it is understood that for the devotee suffering because of the Lord, there is no fall to hell. Because of the affection of the Lord for his devotee, the Lord does not give them extreme suffering.

The suffering arising from karma and the Lord are like the suffering arising from receiving a beating from an enemy and ones mother. One is like poison and the other is like nectar.

“For the Lord who solves all problems, will his purpose not be fulfilled without giving suffering to his devotees?”

“It will not be fulfilled. He gives suffering to his dearmost, which ultimately results in happiness, like applying stinging ointment to the eye, in order to preserve the secret of bhakti, to avoid uprooting the opinions of the speculators and to increase the longing of his devotees. Moreover if I make the devotees always happy, then there would be no avataras such as Krsna and Rama since they come to protect the devotees and destroy the demons. And if the avataras did not come, how could there be playing of the devotees in the sweet ocean of pastimes such as rasa lila?”

“But is it a fault if the lord comes without having to deliver the devotee from suffering?”

(better he comes without the devotee suffering at all.)

“O brother you are indeed not familiar with rasa. Just listen. The sunrise appears splendid because of the darkness. In the summer, coolness is pleasant, and in the cold season, warmth is pleasant. In the darkness, a lamp appears splendid rather that in the light. Food tastes delicious when there is suffering from hunger. There is no need to elaborate more.”

I will give my mercy to him. This is the second mercy: I manifest as an extraordinary shower of sweet bhakti rasa, for which purpose I manifested my first mercy in the form of the heat of suffering.

In this verse are more suitable statement that “I give my mercy” would be “I give mercy in the form of myself.”

This verse explains how the mercy is equivalent to the Lord. Because of its greatness it is invisible to the material eye. Therefore it is equated with Brahman. It is supreme (paramam), being most excellent among all. It is subtle (suksmam), not being understood even by the devotee who is the object of mercy. It is purely spiritual (cin matra), because of its ability to give experience of prema rasa, devoid of any material happiness. It is eternal (sat) existing in all time. It is without fear of death. As a secondary result, there is destruction of samsara. The half line vijnaya atmataya dhirah is not authorized according to the vaisnava tosani.

The lord is difficult to worship because he destroys material happiness.

The person, worshipping devatas, is devoid of judgement (pramattah) and proud, offends those who bestow benedictions.

Siva fell into difficulty because of the uprooting of Kailasa and his having to protect Banasura’s city.

He worshipped Siva by cutting off pieces of his own flesh and offering that (atma kravyena).

With a knife (sudhitina) he was about to cut off his own head whose hair was wet with water from that holy place.

As we prevent a man from killing himself in grief, so Siva prevented Vrkasura from killing himself. Vrkasura’s body was restored (upaskrti akrtih).

It is not necessary to cut off your head (alam alam).

Siva became afraid of the benediction he had given (sva krtat). Abibhyat is an alternative reading for abibhyet.

Pursued by the demon (upasrstah) fleeing (paradhavan) he ran to the limits of the directions on heaven and earth, starting from the northern direction (udak).

Brahma and other leaders of the devatas (suresvarah) could not find an remedy so remained silent. He went to Vaikuntha, beyond the material world (tamasah param).

Visnu, assuming the dress of a brahmacari, came before Vrkasura (pratyudiyat).

Visnu greeted him by offering blessings and paying his respects. I, seeing Brahman everywhere, should offer greetings to all living entities, and thus, since you are the son of Sakuni, great in knowledge and austerity, I, as a brahmacari, must offer you respect.

This body (atma) fulfills all of our desires (sarva kamadhuk). Therefore do not give the body pain by exhausting it with running.

Ones work becomes successful by the help of others (dhrtaih pumbhih). Therefore you should tell me your intention, so that I can assist you with the strength of my brahma tejas.

You should kill him so that he will no longer speak lies, even if he were to revive himself by mystic power.

Forgetting about (vismrtih) his benediction he touched his own head.

“O Siva, you do not have foresight! You have innocent intelligence! Benedictions should be given to evil minded persons. You do not consider that by those benedictions you will die. I have saved you, but what will happen on other days?” In this way, he zealously scolded Siva. This shows the extraordinary greatness of the Lord.

He who hears or tells the story of Siva’s deliverance by Hari, who is the ocean (udanvatah) having rivers of his own internal energies beyond the material realm (avyakrta) is freed from enemies and samsara.