Vishnu and Shiva

HariHara Form. Image designed by me

Vishnu and Shiva

We know that Vishnu and Shiva both are supreme deities of Hindu religion, and we have seen debates over supremacy of these two deities. Shaivism says Shiva is the supreme god and Vaishnavism says Vishnu is the supreme god. Today, we’ll see what actually Vishnu and Shiva are.

There is a word ‘Para Brahman’, which means the first yogi. And as our scriptures say the yoga was discovered by Shiva. Shiva is considered as Adiyogi, which means the first yogi and ultimately founder too. There are two Para Brahmans according to Hinduism: Vishnu and Shiva. If someone is Para Brahmana, the first yogi, we can say that he couldn’t born or die. And in Trimurti, Vishnu and Shiva both are Para Brahmans.

According to Shiva Purana, Skand Purana and few other scriptures, Shiva is the supreme lord, a supreme soul, who is superior to all. And everyone’s last destination. However, Vishnu Purana, Garuda Purana, Bhagwat Purana, Ramayana and Mahabharata say that Vishnu is supreme deity, and the supreme soul. The universe is a heart of Vishnu. We know that Lord Brahma, the creator of universe, was appeared from the navel of Vishnu and we can see that in pics, right? So, he is not Para Brahman. But Vishnu is.

But who are Vishnu and Shiva?

We can understand that by studying their personalities and life. Vishnu rest on the snake with thousand heads (Sheshanaag) on the ocean of milk, Kshira Sagar. His consort is Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and prosperity. The abode of Vishnu is Vaikunth, a more beautiful place than heaven itself.

On the other side, Shiva lives ascetic life. He lives on Mount Kailash, in Himalayas. His consort was Sati and Parvati. They both are the forms of Shakti. Shakti is the energy which was produced during the creation of the universe. Shakti is energy using which the planets move, and universe works. And a humanoid form of that Shakti Sati. After Sati’s death, Shakti reborn as Parvati. Shakti is consort of the Adiyogi Shiva. As we know that Shiva is the destroyer, Shakti helps him to energize the destruction and they both together makes this happen.

Vishnu is like world holder. His responsibility is to watch over the world. His responsibility contains many things from birth of human to its afterlife. Everything happens in this universe is his responsibility. Lakshmi is Goddess of wealth and prosperity and she helps Vishnu to make a world prosperous and to give things as per need.

Brahma’s consort is Saraswati, Goddess of Knowledge. Brahma’s responsibility is to create the universe and life, and Saraswati helps him by putting knowledge in beings. Thus, it’s a cycle. But the main holder of that cycle is Vishnu, who is said to be the supreme soul. Vishnu makes Brahma to create the world, and when his world must end, he tells Shiva to end it.

Completeness of Vishnu having Brahma and Shvia Lingam near his hand

Now, we know about Brahma’s birth. But what about Vishnu and Shiva. Who is superior? The answer is no one. Vishnu and Shiva are basically the same. Vishnu and Shiva are two different appearance of a same soul. We know that Shiva found the Yoga. But how he found it? He found yoga through meditation, and he meditates Vishnu. He worships Vishnu. And also know that Vishnu meditates Shiva, lying on the Kshira Sagar. Vishnu worships Shiva. There is no superiority between them. They both are two sides of a soul. We can understand this by their lifestyles.

Life of Shiva:

Despite of having an ascetic life, Shiva had to marry Sati and Parvati (Shakti). Then they together had children: Kartikeya (Skand or Murugan), Ganesha, Ashoka Sundari, and other few. Shiva and Shakti together is a symbol of married life. They teach how a couple should live their married life. Shiva’s ascetic life shows that despite of having family, one shouldn’t get so connected in them that they forget their actual goal and responsibility. Thus, Shiva has family. Despite of a vairag, he has a family. And we know that Vishnu himself wanted Shiva to marry Shakti.

Life of Vishnu:

However, we know that Vishnu and Laxmi are a couple. But there is a fact that they has no actual children. Despite of having wealth and prosperity, Vishnu’s actual children are just we. His heart has the whole universe and beings of the universe are his children. Shiva is a perfect householder who has a perfect consort Parvati and children. But Vishnu is householder of each being. He is the lord of the universe. That’s why he is said the Paalanhaar (the one who cherish the universe).

Representation of Vishnu:

Besides, there is another reason why Vishnu is said to be the supreme lord. Shiva has few things like he becomes angry, sad, and happier. When Sati died he became so angry and sad that he was about to destroy the world. However, Vishnu is superior than any feelings. He is said to be Trigunatit (he can’t be bound in feelings). He never gets angry, he never becomes sad or he never becomes happier. He is a neutral. Even the gods have that greed and ego of having powers. But the house holder of Lakshmi herself, who has infinite happiness and prosperity, Vishnu can’t be distracted. Vishnu has most dangerous weapons like the greatest bow Saring, the greatest mace Kaumudaki mace, and the greatest arrows. But he has no ego. His Sudarshana Chakra is the representation of his energy, which sometimes can be used as weapon. His panchjanya conch is the best conch. The sound of that conch is representation of destruction of bad. That’s why Krishna used Panchjanya conch when the Mahabharata war started. He lives on the Kshira Sagar, which is the representation of universe. And the snake with thousand heads (Sheshnaag) is said to be the holder of universe (not only the earth). Sometimes Sudarshana Chakra is mentioned as the universe itself, which is held by Vishnu.

Representation of Lord Vishnu

Representation of Shiva:

Shiva is just another side of Vishnu. Shiva lives a life which Vishnu can’t live due to his responsibilities. And Vishnu lives a life which Shiva can’t live due to his responsibilities. Thus both Vishnu and Shiva are the same. The snake around Shiva’s neck, Vasuki, is the king of snakes. The third eye on Shiva’s forehead represents his knowledge of Yoga. His ultimate Yogic energy. His Trishul is his representation of his personal energy.

Representation of Lord Shiva

Shiva Lingam

The Shvialingam which we worship, represents the meeting of Shiva and Shakti. The Lingam is the energy of god, energy of a man and yoni is energy of woman. And when these two meet in Shiva Shakti form, it represents the beginning. The same process through which a new human can be born. It is a combination of two energies into one form. That’s what we call Shivalingam. That’s the fact, and one shouldn’t be ashamed of speaking that. I know it becomes quite embarrassing to explain this verbally. Besides, it’s the logic of modern nuclear energy. Have you seen nuclear plants? Then you must have seen its shape. It’s like Shivalingam. And the nuclear energy is stored at the top. Similarly, like a man’s energy. Besides, in temples, you’d see a pot over Shiva Lingam which drops water frequently. That’s the logic of coolant. We need coolant to balance the nuclear energy. The life and personality of Lord Shiva helps mankind to live life properly and how we can cherish. And Lord Vishnu’s life helps mankind to live without connecting yourself into it.

HariHara Form:

Shiva and Vishnu had a son together. Shiva is a father of that son and Vishnu is mother. Vishnu formed into Mohini (his female avatar) and she bore a son, who later became famous as Ayyappa. The HariHara Son.

HariHara Form of Vishnu and Shiva

Besides, Vishnu is known as Narayan and each man is created just like him. And they are called Nara. And Vishnu is lord of all mankind, which means the supreme lord. And the Vedas also link the original form of mankind to the Narayan.

Krishnaism:

People who belive Krishna as the supreme god has this thought. They consider Vishnu as the omnipotent cosmic form of supreme lord. There are description of two Krishna. One is intimate supreme deity, and the lord of godhead (In our words, Vishnu’s roopa as head of gods). And other is his avatar, Krishna in Dwapara Yuga, as the complete god. This Krishna is known as Swayam Bhagwan, who has all the cosmic powers in human body. They consider that Vishnu is shapeless. The Vishnu which we see, is his swayam roopa, and Krishna as the head of gods.

But then, the fact remains fact that Vishnu and Shiva are the same. Both are eternal and supreme soul. They are two sides of a supreme soul, which shows the meaning of different types of life. There is an omnipotent supreme soul, and these two are forms of supreme lord.

Krishnaism

My Conclusion:

If they both themselves don’t compare for superiority, who are we to compare? Besides, they both are same. Vishnu is Shiva and Shiva is Vishnu. They both are eternal, and supreme soul. Because they both share the same soul. That’s why Vishnu is heart of Shiva and Shiva is heart of Vishnu. They both worship each other. That’s why I’d worship supreme soul as an omnipotent form, or as a soul of each human. My bhakti is my works, my deeds, and my each breath. I’d explain how I see bhakti in another article. But remember one thing, whatever people say, Vishnu and Shiva are same.