Posted on: 14 Nov 2022
[Questions by Shri Jayesh Pandey]
1. Padanamaskaram Swami ji! What is the difference between Rudra and Shakti?
Swami replied:- Shakti means force in general sense. Rudra means anger. When both are joined as Ardhanaariishvara, it becomes anger with full force to destroy any devilish enemy.
2. What is the difference between Rudra worship and Shakti worship?
Swami replied:- Shakti makes you strong in all good angles. Rudra makes you to destroy the evil enemies and this also a good angle. Hence, there is no difference between the two worships. In both God is only one having good angles only.
3. What is the reason for Rudra worship in daytime and Shakti worship in night?
Swami replied:- Rudra is masculine and Shakti is feminine. Rudra stands for knowledge and Shakti stands for Tamas without discrimination. In the final dissolution, total destruction must be done without discriminating good and bad. Rudra needs this Shakti when the final dissolution comes. The sun in day time represents intelligence and knowledge (Tat savituḥ… Dhiyo yo naḥ… Veda). The moon in the night represents mind and emotional background of darkness. This divine ignorance is different from mortal ignorance. Mortal ignorance is blindness from birth. Divine ignorance is induced ignorance by closing the eyes. At any time, the eyes can be opened and knowledge can be referred to. The divine ignorance or Tamas is full determination after very sharp intellectual analysis, which is just firmness in the right direction. God Shiva is the deity of the divine ignorance, which means the final firmness in the spiritual line. This divine ignorance is correctly told as firm decision and not as foolish ignorance. Rigidity in the right direction is the divine Tamas of Lord Shiva and unless this is achieved in final step, success in spiritual line is impossible. This indicates the stability of true spiritual knowledge and does not indicate blind ignorance.
4. What is the difference between worshipping Adishakti and worshipping Incarnation of God?
[What is the difference between worshipping Adishakti (Mula Prakriti) and worshipping Incarnations of God? (Since; both possess knowledge, love and power)]
Swami replied:- Every incarnation of Parabrahman (unimaginable God) contains the divine medium of Adi Shakti. Without this medium, we cannot even imagine God. Hence, Adi Shakti, the divine mother helps us to worship the unimaginable God expressed through medium for our convenience. From this point of view, Shankara and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa worshipped the divine mother.
5. Lord Shiva gets pleased very quickly compared to Lord Vishnu . Is this unfair for Lord Vishnu's devotee?
Swami replied:- Both Shiva and Vishnu are one and the same. The difference is only between their devotees. Quick achievement leads to quick destruction also, when the steady analysis of knowledge is not done. God is diplomatic in granting a bad boon quickly and granting a good boon after a long time. This dual behaviour satisfies the souls having hasty and stable backgrounds.
6. Why should knowledge be taken from Lord Shiva? Pardon me for my mistakes in above questions. At Your feet Swami ji.
Swami replied:- Shiva has the white colour of Sattvam (knowledge) and it is said that Shiva gives the knowledge (Jñānaṃ Maheśvarāt icchet). Vishnu is the deity of Sattvam or knowledge (Sattvāt saṃjāyate Jñānam). Brahma is the author of Veda or knowledge (Vidul-Jñāne). This means any form of the divine trinity gives knowledge and acts as the preacher. Since God Datta present in each of these three forms is the preacher (Guru Datta), knowledge can be obtained from any form of God. All energetic and human incarnations are from God Datta only.