Śiva and Śakti - the same

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

Namasté

Many times on HDF we talk of Śiva and Śakti. It would be easy to think that the discussion is about '2' entities. This is not so say the wise.

At times it is helpful to talk of the qualities of the Supreme by some of its components, yet when this is done over time, then the component takes on individual aspects all of its own; as if the 'aspect' was the subject in question.

If we look to the Vijñāna Bhairava āgama, 18th kārikā , it helps us with a simple saying

parā śaktiḥ parātmanaḥ

parā परा- , highest point or degree i.e. Supreme
śaktiḥ शक्ति - power , ability , strength , might , effort , energy , capability
parātmanaḥ परात्मनः is parā + ātman i.e. the Supreme + ātman आत्मन् or essence, Self; some say brahma or paramātman; This
is Śiva.That is, That Supreme energy (parā śaktiḥ) is the energy of the Supreme (parātmanaḥ).

Svāmī Lakṣman-jū helps us here and says, there is always abheda (non-fracture , compactness , absence of difference or distinction) -
there is unity between the energy and the holder of the energy , Śakti and Śiva.


To think there are two, is to separate wet from water, or light from flame.

praṇām

[shian]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_xuplcIjpUH0/R53ugmP3DgI/AAAAAAAAABM/WOXA3_Y39H8/S740/62004230_3.jpg

Namo Jagadmatha

when i saw every beings is do aggression beacause of Religion or philosopy or sect, my heart is very pain


Siva is Sakti
Sakti is Siva

parā śaktiḥ is parātmanaḥ

sometimes Shakti is energy of Shiva
sometimes Shiva is Shakti nature

this is not about who is the lord and who is only part of Lord

that is only about Lord mercy to become saguna, let beings know , touch and fell Lord

if i said my Lord is Father, so i curb His greatness

if i said my Lord is Mother , so i curb Her greatness

if I said my Lord is not father and not mother, so i curb the greatness

if I said Lord is love you and accept you , so He / Her / It will appear now in my heart and your heart

peace and true love is Great power and Dharsan from Siva Sakti, that is Mahaprajna

are what we do in daily live is make others fell Siva or Sakti ?
or what we do in our daily live is make others sheer of Siva Sakti ?

after we see our self with Prajna,
so... who abased Siva?
who abased Shakti ?

or... our self abased our lord ?????????????

[DavidC]

[...]
parā śaktiḥ parātmanaḥ[...]

This is an interesting topic. I did not quite understand why the quote does not mean 'the supreme energy is the supreme,' but I know little Sanskrit. Note that others may consider Parabrahm or Mahavishnu to be paratman.

I would like to discuss a closely related topic. Even though Shakti is Shiva, with another viewpoint or terminology there is some distinction--maybe just in the terminology. Also, there are several definitions of Shakti and Shiva.

I am a student of Theosophy and a book by its founder says there are seven Shaktis that are forces:

Devi Prakriti (Shakti)
Mantrika Shakti
Jnana Shakti
Para Shakti
Ichchha Shakti
Kriya Shakti
Kundalini Shakti

However, the way these forces are sometimes described, similar to the quote above, is that there is an entity 'at the head' of each force, i.e. a Shiva with each Shakti. Then, what are the Shivas corresponding to these seven? Some of the astamurti (sp?) which has eight shivas and one is rather abstract? Or, would it be some of Shiva's other seven or so personalities?

[sunyata07]

Namaste Yajvan,

Thank you for the thread and for your definitions. As always for students it is a lot more helpful to know the root meanings of Sanskrit words which we come across in the scriptures, and not just their approximations in English. Your quote "to think there are two [Shiva and Shakti], is to separate wet from water, or light from flame" reminds me of a video I came across before that very briefly touched upon the nature of Shiva/Shakti: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zV4f7t8024. Enjoy.

Om

[DavidC]

I just had some thoughts about possible correspondence of the seven Shaktis to the devis related to the astamurti. Maybe none of the seven Shaktis are a version of Parvati, but they could be esoterically. One Shiva in the astamurti might be Parashiva. If it is personified as Shiva then Parashakti could be personified as Parvati. That would not be so esoteric but it deals with universal ideas. Is this making any sense? I am just trying to find some esoteric order in the Dharma--in a balance of the seven Shaktis with some Shivas. Maybe Deviprakriti is already the same thing as Parashakti and this particular correspondence is not the right one.