Mahesh-dhama

[Guest guest]

Haribol,

 

Srila Prabhupada interestingly comments in the purport to SB 1.3.28, the famous krsnas tu bhagavan svayam shloka, that Mahesh-dhama is an abode in the spiritual world. Is there any information which states who resides there? I assume it is not devotees who consider Lord Shiva to be supreme, because Srila Prabhupada said those who consider Lord Shiva to be supreme cannot reach the spiritual planets. Are the souls in Mahesh-dhama serving Shiva? If so, are they doing so because Lord Shiva is the most exalted devotee of Krsna? I look forward to your reply.

 

Hare Krishna,

Your Servant.

[sumedh]

Hare Krishna

please accept my dandavat pranam

 

The position of Mahesh-Dhama is described in Brahma-Samhita 5.43

 

goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya

devi mahesa-hari-dhamasu teshu teshu

te te prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena

govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami

 

Lowest of all is located Devi-dhama [mundane world], next above it is Mahesa-dhama [abode of Mahesa]; above Mahesa-dhama is placed Hari-dhama [abode of Hari] and above them all is located Krishna's own realm named Goloka. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who has allotted their respective authorities to the rulers of those graded realms.

 

PURPORT

 

The realm of Goloka stands highest above all others. Brahma looking up to the higher position of Goloka is speaking of the other realms from the point of view of his own realm: the first in order is this mundane world called Devi-dhama consisting of the fourteen worlds, viz., Satyaloka, etc.; next above Devi-dhama is located Siva-dhama one portion of which, called Mahakala-dhama, is enveloped in darkness; interpenetrating this portion of Siva-dhama there shines the Sadasivaloka, full of great light. Above the same appears Hari-dhama or the transcendental Vaikunthaloka. The potency of Devi-dhama, in the form of the extension of Maya, and that of Sivaloka, consisting of time, space and matter, are the potency of the separated particles pervaded by the penumbral reflection of the subjective portion of the Divinity. But Hari-dhama is ever resplendent with transcendental majesty and the great splendor of all-sweetness predominates over all other majesties in Goloka. The Supreme Lord Govinda by his own direct and indirect power has constituted those respective potencies of those realms.

 

 

 

Mahesh-Dhama cannot be said to be in the spiritual realm in the sense of cit-sakti of the Lord. If we read this carefully the potency in Mahesh-Dhama is that of "separated particles pervaded by the penumbral reflection of the subjective portion of the Divinity"; so this is not the realm of cit-sakti or internal energy of the Lord rather that of separated portions (pervaded by penumbral reflection of the Lord). Yet it is not in material world viz. Devi-Dhama, rather beyond it where Lord Shambhu/Shiva is the presiding deity (who expands as Shiva in each of the universes). Actually the position of Lord Shiva as well as that of Mahesh-Dhama is very complex because Lord Shiva is the separated portion of Krishna who directly interacts with material energy (simultaneously in the other feature of pure devotee he does not touch it). So there is some "influence" of material energy as in mahakala-dhama which is in darkness.

 

 

Are the souls in Mahesh-dhama serving Shiva? If so, are they doing so because Lord Shiva is the most exalted devotee of Krsna? I look forward to your reply.

 

 

 

Yes, they would be serving Shiva. Consider the example of Dhruv Maharaj whose abode has also been told to be vaikuntha.