Shiva-Vishnu Equality

Although Shiva and Vishnu are one and the same, we tend to distinguish. It is wrong to do so. The great sage of Kanchi, Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswati Swamiji proclaimed this all through His life.

Just like famous actors and politicians are friends and its only their followers and fans who clash amongst each other, Shiva and Vishnu are truly one and the same. Its only their followers that nurture enmity.

Once Parvathi had a doubt as to who was greater – Shiva or Vishnu. She approached Shiva with this question, and Shiva asked her to go to South India and mediate on the Lord and would find out herself. Goddess Parvathi came down to a place near Tirunelveli and performed penance during the month of ‘Aadi’, popularly known as ‘Aadi Tapas’.

She found the Lord as ‘Shankara Narayana’ – the right hand side being Lord Shiva and the hand side being Lord Narayana, thus telling her that both were one and the same. This place is popularly known as ‘Sankaran Koil’.

Shiva chants the Rama Nama all the time. He also says to his wife Parvati that the sum and substance of all the 1000 Names of Lord Vishnu (Vishnu Sahasranama) is verily Rama Nama:

Srirama rama rameti rame raame manorame Sahasranama tattulyam ramanama varanane

Similarly, Lord Rama worships Shiva at Rameswaram, while planning for the strategy to conquer Ravana. Even today, the Shiva Linga that was worshipped by Sri Rama is being worshipped in Rameswaram.

Great Mahans never distinguish whether one is a Vaishnavite or a Shaivite. They see the true love and devotion in the heart.Here are some interesting details about the oneness of Shiva and Vishnu:

• Sri Krishna asks Arjuna to meditate on Lord Shiva to obtain Pasupatastra
• The Nataraja temple in Chidambaram has Lord Govindaraja Perumal sannadhi
• The Ekamreswara temple in Kanchipuram has a sanctum for Lord Vishnu
• In Tirukkurungudi, a divya desam of Sri Vaishnavas, there are temples of Mantragirishwara and Kalabairava.

All the great Mahans have said that the Divine Name of Shiva and the Divine Name of Vishnu are one and the same. ‘Om Namo Narayanaya’ the Ashtakshara is the primary mantra of the Vaishnavites. ‘Ra’ is the key syllable in this Mantra. ‘Om Nama Shivaya’ the Panchakshara is the chief Mantra of the Shaivites. ‘ma’ is the key syllable of this Mantra.

Putting these two key syllables, together, we get ‘Rama’. By chanting Rama Nama, we verily get all the benefits of chanting the Shiva Nama and the Vishnu Nama.

Sri Narayanaswamyji (Talk) - The Satsang, 26 September

қαvї - கவி