The Shiva Paradox:

Unfathomable Facets of the Ultimate Yogi

Mahashivaratri, the great night of Shiva, is almost here. Who is Shiva? Sadhguru explains the existential phenomenon of Shiva, as well as the Yogi who is described in the lore. His contrasting facets can bewilder you and make you wonder, is this really all the same Being? Yes, and it is not accidental. Read on as Sadhguru narrates stories of Shiva.

Sadhguru: The word “Shiva” literally means that which is not. Creation is that which is. That which is, is always bound to be within boundaries. Only that which is not can be boundless. What you see as vast galaxies are still tiny specks of Creation in the vast firmament of emptiness. It is in the lap of this boundless empty space that Creation has happened. Creation has a beginning and an end, but this vast emptiness which we refer to as Shiva is the source of everything. It is from this that everything arises, and it is into this that everything falls back.

This formless, boundless root of existence is being referred to as Shiva. But as human perception is limited to form, we have created many wonderful forms for Shiva. The enigmatic, non-perceivable Ishwara; the auspicious Shambho; the disarmingly naïve Bhola; the great master and teacher of the Vedas, the Shastras and the Tantras, Dakshinamurti; the easily forgiving Ashutosh; the one tainted with the very blood of the Creator, Bhairava; the absolutely still one, Achaleshwara; the most dynamic dancer, Nataraja. He is the most beautiful and the most terrible. He is the most wonderful and the most unbearable. Completely contradictory aspects of life have been built into the personality of Shiva.

Unparalleled Perception, Yet Easily Deceived

Shiva is known to have the highest perception of life; he is the Adiyogi, the first yogi who shared with humanity the science of Yoga. At the same time, he can be extremely gullible, needing someone else to bail him out of difficult situations.

The Ultimate Master

Sadhguru: Shiva, the Adiyogi, taught Yoga to the seven sages, the Saptarishis, in a most scientific manner. He expounded 112 different ways in which human beings can attain to their ultimate nature. He went into the intricacies of human geometry and cosmic geometry, which involved an enormous amount of learning, understanding and experiencing, slowly, over a period of time. As his teaching continued, Devi Parvati was ecstatic with her own enlightenment but was still intrigued by what he was saying to the Saptarishis. She had the sweetness of experience, but she did not have the understanding. So she wanted to dabble with the intellectual stimulation that was happening to these seven sages. When Shiva said there are only 112 doorways that you can open within yourself to approach the ultimate, Parvati asked, “Why only 112? There must be more.”

Shiva, who was focused on what he was doing, brushed her aside and said, “There are only 112 ways.” She felt insulted that he did this in front of the seven sages. She said, “There must be more; maybe you don't know.” He said, “If you want, you go and find out.” Then she left and went into severe austerities.

After twelve years of exploration, she came back. Shiva was still continuing this process with the seven sages. Though rightfully, she could have come and sat next to him as his wife, she sat one step below, just to indicate to him that she had failed. But of course, she did not want the seven sages to know. This was between the two of them. Adiyogi looked at her and exploded into a state of energy where these 112 ways found physical manifestation around him. This was the grandest moment that she had ever witnessed.

A Boon Backfires

Sadhguru: All kinds of people got the best things from Shiva. The world may think that these people do not deserve what they got, but Shiva never made such a judgment. When they asked, he gave. Bhasmasura wanted to rule the world. He asked Shiva for a power where whomever he touched would turn into ashes; they would be finished. Shiva said, “Okay, have it.” Then Bhasmasura wanted to put his hand on Shiva’s head to see whether it worked or not. So Shiva got up and ran. As usual for all worldly problems, he consulted Vishnu on what to do. Vishnu said, “Wait.” He transformed himself into Mohini, a very enchanting woman. She came and danced in front of Bhasmasura. Bhasmasura forgot about Shiva and ran after this woman. She said, “You must dance as I dance – then I am yours.” He said, “Okay.” Whatever she did, he did. Finally, she put her hand on top of her head. Bhasmasura also did the same and turned into ashes.

The Hideous and the Beautiful

During his wedding with Parvati, Shiva revealed two forms – one grotesque, and one incredibly handsome.

Sadhguru: When the king of the Himalayas announced his daughter Parvati’s marriage, everyone who was anyone in the region arrived for the big wedding. It is a tradition in India for the groom to come on horseback, all bedecked, showing off jewelry and wealth. But here Shiva came, eyeballs rolled up, fully inebriated, wearing the hide of a freshly slain elephant, dripping with blood, smeared in ash from head to toe, dreadlocked, looking quite hideous. And his retinue were his friends, the ganas, none of whom had a human form and who spoke in a language that sounded like utter cacophony.

Everyone looked at this in utter shock. “Is this the princess’ bridegroom?” Parvati’s mother, Meena, asked her, “Is this the man?” She said, “Yes, he is my Lord.” Meena fainted. When she came awake, she held Parvati and said, “Spare me this one thing! Do not marry this man. I will take my life if you do this.”

Then Parvati went to Shiva and pleaded with him, “You have shown me different forms that you are capable of. I have no issue with the way you are. After the wedding is over, I will live with you as you are. But for this wedding alone, for my mother’s sake, please come in a beautiful form.” Shiva shook himself down from his inebriation and transformed himself into what is today referred to as Sundaramurti or Sundaresha. He became a resplendent manifestation of masculinity. He stood bedecked in the most fragrant flowers, the most beautiful man you can think of. Her mother was completely smitten with this man, and then they sat down for the wedding.

Raging Wrath vs. Adoring Affection

The following stories illustrate Shiva’s ruthless violence as well as his most tender, loving side.

The Birth of Veerabhadra

Sadhguru: Once someone really provoked Shiva beyond normal standards. If you do not respond to that level of provocation, it is not a question of peace; it is a question of lack of dignity and integrity. So Shiva responded in the most violent manner. This was when Shiva’s first wife, Sati, was put to a certain kind of shame by her father. A big ritual was being performed, and many people were there. Unable to bear the disgrace heaped upon her, she immolated herself in the fire. When Shiva heard about this, he became so furious that he plucked one of his dreadlocks, slashed it on the stone, and produced a being of enormous violence – Veerabhadra.

Shiva told Veerabhadra, “Go. Whoever caused this, none of them should live.” Veerabhadra went and impaled Sati’s father, Daksha. He broke the whole ritual, and they say he killed thousands of people in a matter of a few hours.

Veera means one who is valiant or courageous. The word “veera” essentially comes from the word “veerya.” Veerya means the sperm or the seed out of which a human being is born. The significant aspect of Shiva’s life is that he never spilled his sperm. Instead of letting the fundamental vital energy in the system go in a physical manner that will lead to reproduction, he used the same energy to hit the peak of consciousness. The story of Veerabhadra is trying to tell you that because Shiva spilled his veerya from the top of his head, his hair is so potent that just one strand could destroy a whole army.

Embodiment of Tenderness

Sadhguru: Parvati was desperate to have a child and find fulfilment. When Shiva saw this, though his passion was never aroused for her, his compassion came into action, and he said, “See, whether you have one child or 1000 children, you are still not going to find fulfilment. Do not go by the instincts of your gender; that is a limited possibility. Do not waste your life like this. There is another way. Let me teach you how to find fulfilment.” Thus, he opened up what are known as the Shiva Sutras, the system of teaching Yoga.

There are two ways of delivering the science of Yoga. If the person who is sitting in front of you has a certain resistance, you will have to deliver it one way, breaking through the walls of their resistance. If the person who is to receive it has an intimacy with you, you can deliver it another way. Intimacy need not be understood as sexuality; it essentially means there is someone here whose heart is absolutely open to you.

There was a certain intimacy between Shiva and Parvati, so he told her, “Devi, you come and sit here on my lap; I will teach you the way.” Then he addressed her in the tenderest way that you could address another being. He called her, “The resplendent one,” “the sweet one,” “the tender one,” “the beautiful one.” This was not seduction but a way to develop such an intimacy where she would be completely free of resistance so that what was in him could be transmitted to her. As Devi yielded, he brought her closer and closer to him, to a point where she became a part of him. To make someone a part of you, you must be willing to rip out a part of yourself which was there earlier. So, he made her a part of himself and became Ardhanarishwara – half man, half woman.

Shiva is held as the ultimate symbol of masculinity, but he is half woman, as no man is complete without knowing the feminine part of himself. Then Shiva expounded the path of self-realization to Parvati in many beautiful and intimate ways, just between them. Devi came to full realization, and both of them started dancing in absolute ecstasy.

Generally, in most parts of the world, anything that people refer to as divine is always supposed to be good. But you cannot identify Shiva as a good person or a bad person. He is everything – the best and the worst. So-called civilization has conveniently eliminated all those undigestible stories about Shiva, but that is where the essence of Shiva is. All the qualities of existence have been put into one person because if you can accept this one being, you have crossed life itself. The whole struggle with one’s life is we are always trying to pick out what is beautiful and what is not, what is good and what is bad. You will not have a problem with anyone if only you can accept this man who is a complex amalgamation of everything that life can be.

What Is the Ultimate Rhythm of Nature?

Rhythm moves everything… whether you like it or not, as Sadhguru illustrates with an endearing story from his youth. He explains why there is rhythm in literally everything and how different kinds of rhythms run through every aspect of existence, including ourselves. Sadhguru’s exploration of rhythm does not end with its many layers but goes down to its very source.

From Surface Rhythm to Substance

Sadhguru: If you listen carefully, there is a rhythm to just about everything in the existence. Even in terms of auditory perception – if, for example, you listen to water flowing, initially it appears to be just a sound, but if you listen carefully, there is a rhythm to it. There is a rhythm to the insects buzzing around. Even the highway noise has a rhythm to it. Whatever sound anything is emanating, it has a certain rhythm to it. If there is a rhythm to every sound that you hear, obviously, there must be a rhythm to the reverberation that causes the sound. If there is a rhythm to the reverberation, there must be a rhythm to the substance that causes the reverberation. If there is a rhythm to the substance that causes the reverberation, there must be a rhythm to that which is the source of that substance.

With a Song on Her Lips

Sadhguru: What rhythm are you in, is the question. Music is conducted in different ways. This used to happen in our home. My mother was a wonderful singer, and she played veena. You could hear her singing all the time. She was not the overt kind. She was very meek and subtle in her own way. You barely felt her presence because she would not assert herself. She just did what she needed to do. Those were not the days of tape recorders, CD players, or iPods. Even a radio was a big box that you could not carry with you.

If someone could sing, it was always a precious thing. If you met in any house, whether it was for an official party, a family gathering, or just a visit, if they knew you could sing, they would ask you to do so. Wherever we went, if someone requested my mother, she would sing without hesitation. She was a very quiet person, always in the background. But when it came to music, she did not need any encouragement. If people wanted to listen, she would sing. If no one was around, she would always be singing.

The ‘Goddam’ Music That Moved Everyone

Sadhguru: Carnatic music was so much a part of our lives. My father also appreciated Carnatic music in a big way. But we grew up listening to the Rolling Stones. He could not stand it. We got our time on the radio when he was not around. The most reliable radio station in India at that time was Radio Australia, and you got English music on that. We wanted to listen to this Western music that would make our bodies move. They wanted to make us listen to Carnatic music which we could not stand at that time.

My father would be sitting with the newspaper or reading a book, so we would slowly turn on the Western music. He would be too absorbed in the day’s news or whatever he was reading, and we would slowly turn up the volume. We knew that he hated this music, but his foot would start tapping. We would catch him immediately and say, “Look at your foot – you like it!” He would say, “Goddamn music – switch it off!” We said, “No, you like it. You’re just lying to us,” because unknowingly, his foot would start tapping. The nature of this rhythm is that the body moves. But if you listen to certain other types of music, your body will become still.

When Music Brings Stillness

You must listen to dhrupad music. In dhrupad, they generally do not use words but go on endlessly with just one aaa. They can do just one sound for hours. If you listen to dhrupad, your body becomes still, your spine becomes straight, and you simply sit because the music is designed to make you still.

Rhythm can be on many different levels. If it is the rhythm of the body, it will be one way. If you touch the rhythm of the mind, it will be in another way. If you touch the rhythm of the inner energies, it will be in a different way. If the rhythm touches the deepest core, then you become naturally meditative. In a way, that is what you are trying to do with all the kriyas and meditations. Whatever we are trying to do is just an effort to get into that rhythm of stillness, which is the ultimate rhythm.

If it is still, what is the rhythm? Every sound has a beginning and an end. The sound that emanates from the stillness has no beginning and no end. When we talk about the rhythm of nature, the word “nature” in English language essentially means the earth, trees, animals, humans, and so on. Nature is on many different levels. There is a nature of the body, of the mind, of emotions, of energies, and there is a nature of the Creator.

Whatever we are trying to do is just an effort to get into that rhythm of stillness, which is the ultimate rhythm.

Shiva: From Non-Being to Being and Back

Which nature’s call are you going to answer? If it is of the body, you will go in one direction; if it is of the mind, you will go in another direction; if it is of energy, you will go in yet another direction; if it is of the Earth, you go in one direction; if it is of the innermost core, you go in a different direction. All of them are rhythms of a variety of reverberations. But the ultimate reverberation is of stillness, which traditionally gets referred to as Shiva. The reverberation of stillness is beginning-less, which is why Shiva is referred to as self-created. He has been there in a non-being state. When he wishes, he becomes a being. When he wishes again, he becomes a non-being.

Shiva spurts up by himself and melts down by himself. You did not spurt up by yourself, but you can melt down by yourself. If you know how to melt down by yourself, then you also know how to spurt up by yourself. One who knows how to dismantle the human system systematically also learns how to put it back. If one leaves in a certain state of intensity or awareness but without knowing the mechanics of one’s existence, one leaves for good. Those who leave consciously by dismantling their own system and understanding the complex layers of rhythm that they are made of can also put themselves back if they wish to.

The Freedom to Play the Whole Range

When Yogis attain to this state, they are considered as nirmanakaya, which means one who is able to recreate their body so that they do not have to come back as a child through a mother’s womb – they can come back the way they are, or in the form they choose. Shiva dismantled himself and formed himself in different ways. Sometimes, when he wanted to meet his wife, he made himself beautiful. Sometimes, when he wanted to meet other kinds of people, he made himself fierce. He changed everything about himself. From absence to presence, he was dismantling and recreating himself.

The rhythm of nature is not just the Earth’s rhythm. To live here and conduct certain aspects of our lives, it is important to be in the same rhythm as that of the Earth. But at the same time, to know and transcend other dimensions of existence is also a possibility. If you have attained the freedom to consciously move into the rhythm of stillness and come out when you want, then you can choose from the whole range of rhythms.