Jainarayan
29 October 2011, 10:22 AM
I came across this @ Stephen Knapp's site. I am wondering what the Vaishnava view on this really is.
Shiva works for the benefit of everyone, and tries to help the living beings make spiritual advancement. This is why he has his own line of disciplic succession. This is also why he says to the sons of King Pracinibarhi, “Any person who is surrendered to the Supreme Personality of God, Lord Krishna, the controller of everything, is very dear to me.”1
...
“A person who is directly surrendered to Lord Krishna, or Vishnu, in unalloyed devotional service is immediately promoted to the spiritual planets. I, Lord Shiva, and other demigods attain these planets only after the destruction of the material world. You are all devotees of the Lord, and as such I appreciate that you are as respectable as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. I know in this way that the devotees also respect me and that I am dear to them. Thus no one can be as dear to the devotees as I am.”2
In this way, a devotee of Krishna does not disrespect Lord Shiva, but worships him as the greatest of devotees of Lord Krishna. A Krishna bhakta also prays to Lord Shiva, but asks Shiva to assist him in attaining the favor of Lord Krishna, and not merely for material benefits. As we find in the Tulasi Ramayana (Uttara-Kanda, Doha 45), Lord Rama says “With joined palms I lay before you another secret doctrine: without adoring Sankara (Lord Shiva) man cannot attain devotion to Me.” So in this way, Shiva can assist us in attaining devotion to Lord Krishna and His expansions.
CHAPTER NOTES
1. Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.24.22-28
2. Ibid., 4.24.29-30
Considering this line:
In this way, a devotee of Krishna does not disrespect Lord Shiva, but worships him as the greatest of devotees of Lord Krishna. A Krishna bhakta also prays to Lord Shiva, but asks Shiva to assist him in attaining the favor of Lord Krishna, and not merely for material benefits.
On my altar I have a small murti of Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha; Maa Lakshmi; pictures of Lord Vishnu; Maa Kali and Maa Durga; Narasimhadeva; Maa Saraswati; Sri Sri Radha Krishna and Sri Rama and Sitadevi, though my prayers are to Sri Sri Radha Krishna and Sri Rama.
How do you incorporate prayer to Lord Shiva into daily prayers, puja, or aarti to Lord Krishna? Is a simple stotra or two, the Mahāmṛtyuṃjaya Mantra, the Shiva gayatri and/or Om namah Shivaya the right way to do it?
I've been told that it's fine to honor the deities, but prayer should be focused to Lord Krishna (which I do). But I think (just my gut feeling) that even being Vaishnava, I should include a small stotra to the deities. Maybe I am wrong, but I feel They are being ignored otherwise, though I understand that by watering the roots of the tree (Sri Krishna) the branches and leaves (the other deities) are also watered.
Shiva works for the benefit of everyone, and tries to help the living beings make spiritual advancement. This is why he has his own line of disciplic succession. This is also why he says to the sons of King Pracinibarhi, “Any person who is surrendered to the Supreme Personality of God, Lord Krishna, the controller of everything, is very dear to me.”1
...
“A person who is directly surrendered to Lord Krishna, or Vishnu, in unalloyed devotional service is immediately promoted to the spiritual planets. I, Lord Shiva, and other demigods attain these planets only after the destruction of the material world. You are all devotees of the Lord, and as such I appreciate that you are as respectable as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. I know in this way that the devotees also respect me and that I am dear to them. Thus no one can be as dear to the devotees as I am.”2
In this way, a devotee of Krishna does not disrespect Lord Shiva, but worships him as the greatest of devotees of Lord Krishna. A Krishna bhakta also prays to Lord Shiva, but asks Shiva to assist him in attaining the favor of Lord Krishna, and not merely for material benefits. As we find in the Tulasi Ramayana (Uttara-Kanda, Doha 45), Lord Rama says “With joined palms I lay before you another secret doctrine: without adoring Sankara (Lord Shiva) man cannot attain devotion to Me.” So in this way, Shiva can assist us in attaining devotion to Lord Krishna and His expansions.
CHAPTER NOTES
1. Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.24.22-28
2. Ibid., 4.24.29-30
Considering this line:
In this way, a devotee of Krishna does not disrespect Lord Shiva, but worships him as the greatest of devotees of Lord Krishna. A Krishna bhakta also prays to Lord Shiva, but asks Shiva to assist him in attaining the favor of Lord Krishna, and not merely for material benefits.
On my altar I have a small murti of Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha; Maa Lakshmi; pictures of Lord Vishnu; Maa Kali and Maa Durga; Narasimhadeva; Maa Saraswati; Sri Sri Radha Krishna and Sri Rama and Sitadevi, though my prayers are to Sri Sri Radha Krishna and Sri Rama.
How do you incorporate prayer to Lord Shiva into daily prayers, puja, or aarti to Lord Krishna? Is a simple stotra or two, the Mahāmṛtyuṃjaya Mantra, the Shiva gayatri and/or Om namah Shivaya the right way to do it?
I've been told that it's fine to honor the deities, but prayer should be focused to Lord Krishna (which I do). But I think (just my gut feeling) that even being Vaishnava, I should include a small stotra to the deities. Maybe I am wrong, but I feel They are being ignored otherwise, though I understand that by watering the roots of the tree (Sri Krishna) the branches and leaves (the other deities) are also watered.