Inquiries Into the Absolute: Digest 175, How can Lord Siva beinfluenced by maya?

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Digest 175, July 3rd, 2006. Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja

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How can Lord Siva be influenced by maya?

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Q) I just read digest 169 which was about Arjuna's material attachment. In that

it was mentioned that Arjuna was an eternal assosiate of Lord, so there was no

question of he being under illusion, and the Lord chooses his devotee to give

the message to human kind.

 

In this regard, I have a doubt when it is said that Lord Shiva was bewildered

by Maya or illusionary energy of the Lord when he was under the meditation and

as a result Kartikeya was born. Was it not plan of the Lord to kill the demons?

I really fail to understand how Lord Shiva, being an expansion of the Lord

Himself and the greatest devotee, can be influenced by the illusory energy.

Please clarify the doubt.

 

Answer) Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma are no doubt highly exalted devotees, heads

of entire sampradayas, and are guna-avataras (qualitative incarnations) as

well. Although they are controllers in charge of the modes of ignorance and

passion respectively, being in constant touch with the modes of material

nature, unlike Visnu they have the tendency or potential to sometimes come

under its influence. Pastimes that seem to indicate some apparent discrepancies

in their activities, including the one you have indicated and others, are meant

to illustrate this fact: except for Lord Vishnu, who is the master of illusory

energy and the ONLY entity who can deliver liberation (unless He gifts that

specific capacity to another), all other beings in the universe are potentially

subject to the influence of the material modes. (SB 1.2.23-24)

 

We do know however, that fully surrendered devotees of Lord Krishna can also

transcend the modes of nature. (BG 7.14, 14.26) While we have to understand the

unique position of Lord Vishnu being beyond the modes as stated above, we

should not mistakenly think that Lord Shiva or Brahma are disposed to improper

conduct, nor should we offend them in any other way. At the same time, we are

not to become disturbed when we come to know of features that show them to be

distinct from Visnu-tattva (Remember here BG 9.30 --- even in extreme

circumstances, they are to be regarded as exalted entities, saintly devotees,

but they are *not* equal to Visnu). Rather, we are to take these features as

instructions for us: if even such exalted personalities can become victimized

in extreme circumstances by the Lord's illusory potency, how careful we have to

be to take constant shelter of the process of devotional service, which keeps

us ever connected with Visnu or Krishna!

 

Srila Prabhupada taught us that we should be very careful not to criticize the

apparent fall-down or seeming degradation of very powerful and great devotees.

Highly advanced devotees are not influenced by apparent transgressions and are

faultless. An ordinary person must be very cautious not to criticize such

powerful personalities. This is one of the many instructive lessons from the

pastime of Citraketu's apparent offense to Lord Shiva. (See SB 6.17.9-10

purport)

 

The example is given of the sun which is capable of evaporating a filthy place

and still remain uncontaminated, whereas if ordinary persons were to stay in a

filthy place they would be infected. Similarly, Lord Shiva is so powerful that

he could drink poison and yet remain unaffected; thus his activities cannot be

imitated nor are they to be criticized.

 

Care should be taken, however, that this principle not be misused by

unscrupulous persons to transgress social norms.

 

Therefore, we are recommended to learn proper discernment under the guidance of

those devotees who are themselves scrupulously free from all vices.

 

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