T H E   F U N D A M E N T A L   H Y P O S T A S I S   O F   S H I V A

PART 1   |   PART 2   |   PART 3
PART 4   |   PART 5   |   PART 6

PART 2
2. PASHUPATI - SHIVA, THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Shiva is the providence taking care of the whole universe, finding a special place for every being, and then directing its life according to His own will.

Consequently, man's best possibility for rapid evolution is to ardently pray to Him.

As a saving God, Shiva saves the human being from the ocean of pain. He is the swan (hamsa) who extracts from the impure waters of the cosmic illusion the immaculate milk of discernment and in His infinite kindness gives it to humankind.

He is thus worshiped as Pashupati, the loving and watchful god who impels His devotees, through His fire (tejas), to find a new way going inwards until reaching the universal heart (Paramatman).

For this purpose Pashupati uses the mysterious soothing energy anugrahashakti, the divine grace that resides in the very heart of people.

Shiva, as a unique reality, can reach Himself only through Himself. First of all, He attracts His devotee, making the devotee worthy of the impetuous flux of His own grandeur. We could never obtain the divine love through a technique, whichever that may be.

The divine love depends on grace only. Shiva comes forward through this love granting His grace to the devotee.

Shiva inspires love and thus love awakens in the heart of the devotee through Shiva's grace and they ultimately form an endless circle as love calls upon the grace and grace inspires love.

The shaivit yogi has only one desire: to love and worship Shiva in every second of his life and the first tendency of his love is to beg for Shiva's grace to pour upon him.

The sage Utpaladeva says: "O, Lord, I humbly beg you to help me always be close to obtaining your only favor: the eternal participation in the great cosmic celebration in which your devotees drink the blissful nectar of your worship."

During his turn, Shiva permanently sustains the devotee's worship and love. In this respect, we should quote the sage Utpaladeva again: "Praise to you, who are always thirsty for the gift of a heart filled with love."

Shiva dances thus for His ardent devotees, and when His divine grace is intermingled tenderly with the human heart filled with love, then the lover, the object of love and love itself become one divine reality.

PART 1   |   PART 2   |   PART 3
PART 4   |   PART 5   |   PART 6