Shiva Tatva

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Om

Haum Namah Shivaya

 

Dear

Jyotishis,

 

The following is a brief summary of the Shiva tatva as received by

Vishnu from Shiva. This is from the third chapter of the Shiva Purana written

by Veda Vyasa. (Narasimha, please forgive this non-astro mail).

 

Best

regards,

 

Sarbani

 

 

Shiva Tatva

(from Vyasa’s Shiva Purana)

 

 

Sribhagavanuvacha

Devadeva namstubhyam dehi tatvam namostute.

Dhyayam sevyam tatha pujyam vaktumarhasi subrata.

Yat kritva sarvasamarthyam bhabishyati na samshayah

Ityuktah shankaratasmai dadau naadaatmakam shivam.

(S.P., 3:43)

 

 

At the time of creation, when Brahma emerged from

Vishnu’s nabhipadma, a flaming bright linga appeared in front of Lord Vishnu

and Lord Brahma. Vishnu told Brahma to assume the form of Hamsa and he himself

assumed the form of Varaha and they both sped to the worlds above and below to

find the meaning of this glorious linga. For one hundred years Vishnu and

Brahma bowed at the feet of Shiva and did prostrated before him, so that they

could realize the true nature of Shiva, and the truth behind the Jyotirlinga

which was beyond the perception of the dhyanamarga. They worshipped Shiva with

a devoted mind and told him that they had failed in trying understand the his

nature, and that the great lord had to now appease them.

 

Then suddenly Vishnu and Brahma heard the ecstatic

word “Om” uttered. Vishnu wondered, “From where did this great sound come? From

whomsoever this sound has emerged, I salute that Great Lord.” Then Vishnu saw

that from the southern side of the linga, the letter “A” emerged and to its

north, the sound filled letter “M” emerged, and thereby Brahma and Vishnu

viewed the great OM sound. The sun like letter “A’ was to the south, the wind

like “U” was in the north and the moon like letter “M” was in the middle. Above

this Vishnu saw the crystal like, nectarine, undivided, “ekamevadvitiyam param

tatva”. He did not have a beginning, middle or an end, nor exterior nor

interior; he was blissful, the bliss-causing truth or satya, the eternal

Parabrahma. Vishnu perceived bhagavan as one-worded (ekakshara) or omkar-svarupa.

Brahma and Vishnu saw with amazement that the “A”, “U” and “M” were nothing but

the creative , sustaining and destructive aspects of the universe, and seeing

their own selves reflected thus, they were speechless.

 

At that time a five-faced, ten-armed Mahapurusha

emerged in front of them and recognizing him to be Shiva, Lords Brahma and Vishnu

prayed to him. Shiva then appeared to them in the form of phonemes, letters and

sounds. Overwhelmed by his nirguna yet guna-filled form, Vishnu and Brahma

prayed to Shiva to have mercy on them. Shiva then explained the role all three

shared as the Trinity, in the creation, sustenance and destruction of the

world, and that the energy of the creative form will be with all three in the

forms of Brahmani, Lakshmi and Kali. Shiva said, the three gods and their

shaktis will do his bidding and complete the creation of the world.

 

Vishnu pledged his assistance to the Lord and

worshipped him further and asked for the Shiva Tatva, the mediation and worship

of which makes one able in all that he perfoms and causes salvation. Sri Hari

then received the pranava-svaraupa paratatva from Mahadeva, and absorbing this

tatva, had vision of the Supreme Being. Vishnu prostrated at the feet of Shiva

and saw him as the crystal clear form of the mantra “Om tattvamasi”. This was

Shiva’s mantra-rupa. Shiva’s mantra form then transformed itself into the

Intellect. He then further transformed himself into the 24 lettered Gayatri

mantra. This was followed by the Mrityunjaya mantra, the Namah Shivaya

Panchakshari mantra, the Chintamani mantra and finally the Dakshinamurty

mantra. Upon receiving these five mantras, Vishnu immediately immersed himself

in japa of Mahadeva. Shiva then appeared in front of Vishnu in his own form and

then he, who is the lord of all knowledge, gave Vishnu the Vedas and the

Upanishads. Vishnu then passed them on to Brahma. Shiva then gave to Vishnu,

all the knowledge of the world, and the ways of doing puja and rituals,

specially linga puja. The Lotus Eyed One then folded his hands and recited the

most beautiful of dhyanas for Shiva.