Siva Kesava Mahathyam

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Dear friends and devotees,

 

Bhakti is eternal.

 

Lords Siva and Vishnu are one.

 

All most all our Puranas reveal that there is no difference in between Siva

and Vishnu.

 

There are two mahaa-phala daayaka Vrukshas. One by the name Vaasudeva and the

other by the name Vaamadeva. They differ only in their sumas (flowers) (’su’ is

replaced by ‘ma’ in their names), but both give the same phalas (fruits) which

is moksham(Liberation). It is also often said, “How much one does not see the

difference between Siva and Vishnu that much his aayu (Life) will increase”.

 

One day, when Lakshmi and Vishnu were together in vihaaram, Lakshmi sees

Ucchaishravam, her brother, the horse of Revanta who is the son of Surya.

Engrossed in seeing her brother, she does not reply to the repeated calls of

Vishnu. Seeing her attraction, Vishnu gives her shaapam (Curse) to go to

Bhulokam(Earth Planet) in the form of a horse and come back to Vaikuntam only

after getting a son equal to Him! She comes to Bhuloka to experience the shaapam

and realizing that none other than her brother, Siva can help her from the curse

of Vishnu, she immediately does a tapas for Him and Siva appears to save her.

Lakshmi says “O brother Paramaatma! You and Vishnu are one and the same, Please

help me!” Siva says “O sister! How do you know that we both are same? All

learned people know that. Who told you?” Lakshmi says, “Once Mahavishnu Himself

told me this. Seeing Him in deep Daiva-dhyaanam, I asked Him “During

Samudramanthanam, I thought you were the greatest of all and hence chose you.

Devaadideva! Who is better than you that you are in dhyaanam of Him?” Mahavishnu

replied “I am doing Sankara-dhyaanam. He is Eswara. He is the same as Me. All

learned people know that. If someone is my devotee but still hates Siva, he will

fall into naraka (Hell)”.

 

Saying this, She asks Siva to persuade Vishnu to bless Her with a child. Siva

sends Chitrarupa as a duta to convince Vishnu. Vishnu immediately accepts and

comes to Bhuloka and blesses Lakshmi with Ekaveera, who is equal to Vishnu

Himself. From Ekaveera came forth the Haihaya dynasty, of which the most noted

king is Kartavirya Arjuna (Ekaveera’s grandson).

 

Once when Naarada, the avatar of Vishnu, recited prayers glorifying Lord Siva

as the supreme controller of the universe, Lord Siva, the best of Vaishnavas, at

once covered his ears and angrily replied, “I am not the Lord of the universe,

nor an object of Krishna’s mercy! I am just a poor aatma always hankering for

the favor of the servants of His servants.” (Thus Narada, avatar of Vishnu,

glorifies Siva as the Paramaatma and Siva glorifies Vishnu as the Paramaatma!)

 

The story of Hanuman, who is the 11th avatar of Siva and Raama, the purna

avatar of Vishnu also reveals the same. Both of them acheived great tasks:

 

Restricting the great samudram, Raama along with His entire army crossed the

same, while Hanuman, in one small jump, crossed it!

In the greatest, unparalleled ghora-yuddham, which was never seen before or

will ever be seen, Raama killed Raavana! Hanuman killed Mairaavana, who was many

times stronger than Raavana, with great ease!

 

Krishna lifted Govardhana giri, balanced on his little finger and saved the

lives of Gopaalas! Hanuman brought the Sanjeevani Parvatam from Himaalayas to

Lanka and saved Lakshmana!

 

Raama melted a stone, with the touch of His lotus feet, for Ahalya! Hanuman

melted a stone with His sweet Gandharva gaanam!

 

Though they did great tasks like this, always Hanuman worshipped Raama, with

great Vinayam. And Raama worshipped Siva with unparalleled devotion. (If one

closely observes, for Paramaatma these tasks are not at all difficult/big. For

He does everything right from Shrushti to Layam. And He only resides in everyone

and gives life. However, since we cannot even imagine His power, we praise Him

for these “small” tasks only)

 

Impressed by the great tapas of Vishnu for Paramasiva, Siva gave Vishnu the

Sudarshana Cakram.

 

Annamaacharya, the great Vaak-geya-kaaraka of Andhra Pradesh, in one of his

divya sankeertana “Enta maatramuna evvaru talichina ….” says:

 

How much ever one imagines that much only are You:

 

For Vaishnavas You are Vishnu

For Vedanta You are Para Brahma

For Shaivas and other bhaktas You are Siva

For Kaapaalikas You are Kaala-Bhairava

For Saakteyaas You are Sakti

For people with alpa-buddhi You appear as alpam

For people who know Your Garima and have Ghana-buddhi, You are a Ghana

For people who are Sharanaagati You are Venkateshvara

 

Once Shri Krishna, the avatar of Mahaavishnu, came to Upamanyu maharshi, when

he was at Himalayas. Shri Krishna said “Upamanyu muniindra! You are the greatest

in the Siva Bhaktas. I came here to do Tapas of Paramasiva to get santaanam.

Please teach Me Saiva-vidhi and vidhaanam”.

 

Upamanyu replied “O Shri Krishna! I know who You are. Siva puja is not new to

You. Though You know it, to make everybody know, I will tell You …” Saying thus,

Upamanyu told Shri Krishna how to do Siva-aaraadhana.

 

This happened after the episode of Narada, coming under Vishnu Maya, gives

shaapam (Curse) to Vishnu: (This is one of the reasons of Shri Raama avatar)

Narada says “Swami! Please forgive Me. I, coming under influence of Your Maya,

got ahankaar and did Your ninda. Please tell Me what can save Me from this

ghora-paapam”. Vishnu says:

 

“O Priya Narada! You go and do paaraayana of Sankara Satanaamams. Then You

will get Saanti. Siva is whom I respect the most. Even by mistake do not forget

this. One who does not have Siva-anugraham cannot be My Bhakta. Believe this …

Then My maaya won’t affect you.”

 

Once Vyasa Bhagavan came under the influence of Siva-Maya and started telling

in his Pravachana that Vishnu is greater than Siva. Once Nandeesvara also heard

Vyasa Bhagavan saying this. Vishnu Murty then appeared before Veda Vyasa and

told Him “O Maharshi! Don’t you know that I and Siva are the same? Knowing this

why are you telling like this in your Pravachana?” Veda Vyasa then had great

paschaattaapam and asked Kshama from Nandeesvara.

 

The phalam of Vishnu Puja is Siva Bhakti — the example is that of Arjuna.

Arjuna of course was the greatest of Shri Krishna Bhakta. But it was Siva who

gave Arjuna moksham, when Arjuna was born as Bhakta Kannappa, in the great

Kaalahasti Kshetram.

 

Similarly the phalam of Siva Puja is Shri Raama Bhakti — the examples are

stories of Kaaka Bhushundi and Valmiki Maharshi. Kaaka Bhushundi was a great

Siva Bhakta and hence Siva grants him Raama Bhakti Saamraajyam. Valmiki did

tapas for Siva using the Panchaakshari mantram given to him by the great

Saptarshis and as a result became the Aadi Kavi and wrote the great Ramayana.

 

Raasaleela. It was the day when the “punya-vruksham” of Gopikas delivered its

ripe fruits, called Moksham. It was the day when the Aaraadhana of Gopikas was

blessed by Lord Krishna. Gopikas realised Shri Krishna, the Sarvaantaryaami,

everywhere. As a result of their Aaraadhana-bhakti they realised the

paramaatma’s poorna-svaroopam with each one of them. Who could miss watching the

Raasaleela, where the Lord showered His Karuna-jyotsna? All the Brahma-aadi

devatas were present.

 

Parama Siva, the greatest bhakta of Shri Krishna, was also present in the form

of a Gopika. Shri Krishna, who is always in nirantara-siva-dhyaanam, searched

for Parameshvara. Finally He realized that Siva is none other than one of the

Gopikas having sampoorna aanandam of dancing with Him. Shri Krishna paramaatma

then does stuti of Esvara and asks to bless them by staying there at

Brindaavanam by the name of Gopeesvara.

 

Even today we can visit Lord Siva, in the form of Gopeesvara, at Brindaavanam.

 

Siva and Vishnu are the same.

 

Om! Vishnu roopaya namassivaaya.

 

With love and regards,

 

Sastry.