Siva is God of welfare or Kalyanasundaram

[Guest guest]

Dear friends and devotees,

 

Bhakti is eternal.

 

What does Siva mean? From written and unwritten sources, from Tantrik

and Vedic texts, from Srutis and smritis, we get three meanings of the

term Siva. The first and most important meaning of Shiva is

" welfare " . Sivamastu means the same as Kalyanamastu —

" May you be blessed " .

 

Kalyanasundaram is the representation of Siva embodying the true spirit

of blessedness. He is said to serve all life forms with five faces, two

on the left as Vamadeva and Kalagni; two on the right as Daksineshvara

and Ishana and one in the centre as Kalyanasundaram, the Supreme

Controller.

 

Siva is Daksineshvara because He is showering daksina or compassion upon

all creation. That is the special role allotted to Daksineshvara. Ishana

is responsible for controlling all the jivas, individual beings, with

meticulous care. And Kalyanasundaram, the face in the centre, plays the

role of controlling all the faces. Kalyanasundaram's only purpose is

to promote the greatest welfare of all living beings.

 

As Vamadeva, Siva is terrible — He is Rudra — " one who

teaches others by making them shed tears " . But the underlying

purpose is to teach people, not to harm them. The other face, Kalagni,

also subjects people to torture, but there also, the main purpose is to

teach them, to promote their welfare. Now here also, the central face,

Kalyanasundaram, controls the two roles of Vamadeva and Kalagni. He is

Sundaram, beautiful, because He promotes kalyana or welfare. Hence

Kalyanasundaram.

 

Siva is both severe and tender. He is tender, so naturally people love

Him. Although He is severe, people still adore Him, because underlying

His apparent severity there is tenderness. Thus the role of Shiva is

predominantly the role of promoter of welfare. So the first meaning of

the term Shiva is " welfare " .

 

The second meaning of the term Siva is " cognition in its zenith

status " , the Supreme non-attributional process, beyond the faculties

of all existential bondages.

 

The third meaning is Sadasiva, who, by His holy birth, consecrated, as

it were, every particle and utilised His whole life for the sole purpose

of advancing the cause of universal welfare of not just humans but all

life. Hence he is called Sadasiva: Sada means always and Siva, welfare.

He is one whose only vow of existence is to promote the all-round

welfare of all living beings.

 

Here is a question: In the night of blinding darkness, do humans alone

aspire to feel the soothing touch of light? No, all want it. All seek to

grow out of the oblivion of existential darkness into the warmth of

life, to experience finally the fulfillment of their life's urges.

 

Up until this day, human beings have not made a proper appraisal of this

great non-corporeal power, Siva, who gave human beings their first

opportunity to experience the sweet joy of fulfillment of all their

longings. No one has discussed Him much up until now. Why people failed

to make this appraisal is irrelevant today. It is the firm duty of every

individual to know and evaluate the exact contribution of Siva, and in

this process of evaluation, we cannot ignore the phenomenon of Supreme

Light.

 

One may derive some joy from a bright ray emanating from a shining

entity, but without the entity itself, the bliss will not be complete.

 

With love and regards,

 

Sastry