The Five Fundamental Forms of Shiva

Sadhguru: There is a beautiful story in the yogic lore. On a certain day, a man was walking through the Himalayas. It was a very hard journey, and anyone would want to seek help. He said, “Oh Shiva, I can’t do this, just come help me. At least hold my hand, take me along.”

Shiva appeared and said, “You walk. I’ll walk with you.”

“How do I know you are walking with me?” the devotee asked.

Shiva said, “Look out for the footprints. You only have two legs. If there are four footprints, that means I am walking with you.”

So every few minutes he checked, and sure enough, there was one more pair of footprints coming along with him.

After a few days he looked back, and there was just one pair of footprints. He said, “Oh you’ve forsaken me again.”

Shiva said, “See, it is very wet and slippery. But look at your feet, they are dry. That’s why there is only one pair of footprints.” The fool was riding on Shiva’s shoulders.

Within you, if you reduce “what is me, what is mine”, your life will become as wonderful as it can be. This is a simple device to breach the boundaries of who you are, so that something far bigger than you becomes a part of you and your life.

Editor’s Note: Join the Mahashivratri live webstream on February 24, 2017.