Dhyáyennityaḿ Maheshaḿ rajatagirinibhaḿ cárucandrá vataḿsam;
Ratnákalpojjvaláḿgaḿ parashu-mrga-barábhiitihastaḿ prasannam.
Padmásiinaḿ samantáḿ stutamamaragańaervyághrakrttiḿ vasánam;
Vishvádyaḿ vishvabiijaḿ nikhilabhayaharaḿ paiṋcavaktraḿ trinetram.

[One should constantly meditate on Maheshvara, who is like a silver mountain, whose ornament is the lovely moon –
Whose limbs are brightened with the splendour of jewels, with axe
in hand, holding animals, bestowing boons, ever-blissful –
Seated in lotus posture, wearing a tiger-skin, worshipped by all the gods –
The seed, the cause of this vast world, who removes the boundless fears of the entire universe – the One with five faces and three eyes.]

A controller is called iishvara in Sanskrit. In all large and small matters of this world, there are controllers on all levels and holding different positions. One who is endowed with an extremely powerful mind with enlightened vision, whose heart is saturated with compassionate love – only such a person can be the Supreme Controller of all the small, medium and great controllers.

Tamiishvaráńáḿ paramaḿ Maheshvaraḿ taḿ devatánáḿ paramaḿ ca daevatam;
Patiḿ patiináḿ paramaḿ parastád vidáma devaḿ bhuvaneshamiid́yam.

“You are Maheshvara, the Controller of the controllers; You are Mahádeva, the Lord of the lords. You are the King of the kings, the greatest of the great, you are worshipped by the entire universe. So, Shiva, whether I know You or not, You are the Controller of all, You are the Supreme Controller, Maheshvara.”

The white-complexioned Shiva is as resplendent as the snow-white Raevataka Mountain glittering with light.

Did Shiva really have a crescent moon on His head? On this matter I must say a few words. In the different subtle-energy centres, or plexi (cakras, or padmas), of the human body, there are various types of glands and sub-glands. From these glands and sub-glands different hormones are secreted, and they control the body, mind and vrttis in various ways. Now, the controlling points of these propensities, which are fifty in number, are located in nine cakras in the human body. Each of these cakras has colours and sounds. The inseparable association of these colours and sounds produces fifty fundamental sounds which are also called letters (vowels and consonants). The other, compound sounds originated from these primary letters, and thus these fifty original letters are called the causal matrix. Generally speaking, the hormones secreted from the higher cakras, and their related sounds and colours, influence the lower cakras. The sahasrára cakra, the highest cakra, with one thousand propensities, controls all the lower cakras. The hormone or nectar secreted from the pineal gland, the gland which is related to this cakra, inspires an indescribable spiritual realization in the human body, mind and heart – an ecstasy which transcends thought. This divine nectar is always being secreted in the pineal glands of all human beings; but if their minds are filled with crude, material thoughts, it is immediately destroyed. But if at the time of this hormonal secretion, a person is immersed in spiritual ideation, then one experiences a blissful intoxication, and falls under the spell of divine ecstasy. From outside, such sádhakas may be misunderstood to be in a drunken state.

Shiva was often in that state of divine ecstasy, and those people addicted to drinking or smoking hashish or opium thought that perhaps Shiva was intoxicated like them:

Surápán karine ámi, sudhá khái “Jay Kálii” bale,
Man-mátále mátál kare, mad-mátále mátál bale.

[I don’t drink wine, I take divine nectar, saying, “Victory to Kálii.”
My mind, intoxicated with bliss-causing hormones, makes me drunk.
But those who are intoxicated with drink call me a drunkard.]

The people of those days used to think that of the sixteen digits, or portions, of the moon, we can see fourteen digits on the fourteenth day of the fortnight, and fifteen on the full-moon day. But because of the somewhat angular position of the moon, we never see the sixteenth digit. So the people thought that the spiritual nectar was secreted from that sixteenth digit, and gave the name amákalá [dark phase] to this sixteenth digit.

Under the spell of this divine nectar, Shiva used to remain absorbed in Himself; so, many people thought that the invisible sixteenth phase of the moon was on Shiva’s head. Due to the pineal secretion of this divine nectar, Shiva became oblivious to all external phenomena; thus He was called Bholanátha [the Lord of Forgetfulness]. It was said of Him, cárucandrá vataḿsaḿ [“one whose beautiful ornament is the lovely moon”].

Was Shiva only white-complexioned? No, His whole body gleamed with the effulgence of that divine nectar-like snow glistening with the reflection of the midday sun, like the attractive lustre of emeralds in this world of ignorance. The white-complexioned body of Shiva was resplendent with the brilliance which radiates from diamonds and other jewels. Thus it was said, ratnakalpojjvaláḿgaḿ [“one whose body is resplendent like jewels”]. The radiance of Shiva’s sweet fragrant and tender body was enchanting –

Apúrva tánr deher subás mamatámay ánkhi dút́i
Apúrva tánr madhur vánii
Apúrva tánr ánana kháni
Apúrva tánr komala tanu, manamátáno sei hásiti.

[Wondrous the fragrance of His body, His two eyes filled with love,
Wondrous His sweet voice,
Wondrous His divine face,
Wondrous His tender body, wondrous His smile that delights the mind.]

To suppress the arrogance of the tyrants, Shiva held an axe. And, as He used to take care of all humans, animals and plants as His own children and loved them with all His heart, the animals used to approach Him without any fear. It should be remembered that mrga in Sanskrit does not mean only “deer”; it means any wild animal. Shákhámrga (“tree animal”) is another name for monkeys, because they live in the branches of trees. Mrgacarma means the skin of any wild animal, not only deer-skin. In olden days, the kings used to go hunting (mrgayá); this does not mean that they were hunting only deer; they used to hunt any wild animal. Thus all wild animals used to receive safe shelter near Shiva. When any human or animal would come to Shiva, fearful and in danger, He would always reassure them and grant them boons of welfare. This Shiva, who was indifferent to His personal comforts, could not remain unmoved if He saw tears in the eyes of the wicked; He prepared the path for their rectification and also granted them boons.

Under all circumstances He maintained His mental composure. Even in the most serious danger, the smile on His face would never fade; He would never lose His composure even in the gravest crisis. Such an ever-smiling face is rare in the history of the universe.

Usually He would sit in a posture called padmásana [lotus posture]. It is called padmásana because it is just like a lotus in full bloom. Just as the roots and stems of the lotus remain under the water and only the leaves and flowers float above it – and although it is born in the mud it sustains its love for the stars – in the same way, people sitting in this lotus posture and remaining in the world, can keep their minds above their mundane environment. That is why on the path of sádhaná this posture has tremendous importance. Even though He took upon Himself all the physical and psychic responsibilities of the entire world, Shiva, when seated in this posture, was just like a lotus in full bloom, transcending all the impurities and dirt of the mind. In Shiva was the harmonious adjustment between the physical and psychic world on the one hand and the spiritual world on the other.

It is true that whatever is created in this universe is subject to decay and change. It is equally true that all the divine vibrations, all the Cosmic thought projections (devas) emanating from the Universal Nucleus, are all rushing towards the unfathomable void, towards the distant future. So we may say that these divine rays, these devas, are immortal. They approach near, and they go far – incalculable millions of light-years away.

It is said that these devas also worship Mahádeva, the God of gods; they pay their salutations to Him. It is a general rule that whenever someone discovers qualities in a person greater than one’s own, one worships that person. All the gods, all the divine rays, all the effulgent emanations, are far, far less important than Shiva, and that is why they all eulogize Him. Even if these devas are endowed with many great qualities, next to Shiva they are insignificant, because they are all under the bondages of the guńas, while Shiva is beyond all bondages. One who is in bondage always seeks the shelter of another who is liberated.

Prabhumiishamaniishamasheśaguńaḿ guńahiinamaheshagańábharańam.

“O Lord Shiva, you are Mahesha, the Lord of All – and You are also Aniisha – You have no lord. O Shiva, when we try to analyse Your qualities, we can never come to an end, because Your qualities are infinite. We call You Guńádhiisha because you are not bound by the guńas. On the ears, necks, arms and waists of the gods there are so many ornaments to increase their splendour – but You have nothing. Your favourite devotees, Your dearest followers, Your beloved children – they are Your ornaments, they are Your jewel necklaces, they are Your glory. You spend Your days in thinking only of them.

“O Shiva, it is beyond all human capacity to describe Your qualities” –

Asitagirisamaḿ syát kajjalaḿ sindhupátre surataruvarashákhá lekhanii patramurvii;
Likhati yadi grhiitvá sáradá sarvakálaḿ tathápi tava guńánámiisha páraḿ na yáti.

“O First Father, First Lord, Lord of Mantra, Great God, it is not possible to enumerate Your qualities. If we take the mighty Himalayas as a great ink tablet and place it in an ink-pot as vast as the ocean; if we use a branch of the mythological Párijáta tree as the pen, and the surface of the world as a sheet of paper; and if Sarasvatii the goddess of learning writes for eternity with this ink, ink-pot, pen and paper, still she will never finish writing of Your glory.”

Here Shiva is the combination of all the guńas, in Him are gathered all the qualities – and yet He is also guńátiita [beyond the guńas] and guńahiina [without bondage of guńas]. Because He transcends the guńas, and because He is devoid of all the guńas, all the entities of the three worlds prostrate before Him in full surrender, and say in one voice, “You are our father, You are our first father, You are our Táraka Brahma, the Supreme Liberator – You are our everything. Again and again we prostrate at Your Feet.”

In the Jain period, due to the influence of the Jain doctrine, some ignorant people thought that Shiva was digambara [unclothed]. In the dhyána mantra it has been clearly stated that He is seated on, and wearing, a tiger-skin. Since He used to wear a tiger-skin He had another name, “Krttivása” [krtti mean “tiger-skin”]. The deep conception of Shiva as Parama Puruśa, the embodiment of Supreme Consciousness, is one with our tangible Shiva who is so close to us. All the qualities of Parama Brahma in the role of the Supreme Entity and the First Creator – all these we find in Shiva. Thus we can say without hesitation that Shiva is indeed the maryádá [replica] of the Supreme Father: He is the replica of Puruśottama [the Macrocosmic Nucleus]. He is the First Puruśa, the Supreme Shiva, and we recognize Him as vishvádya [“the source of the universe”].

The root cause of the creation lies in Ádipuruśa [The First Puruśa] and Ádishiva. Ádishiva transforms niśkalatva [the first cause in its unmanifested state] into sakalatva [all the manifestations of creation] by His mere wish. Without the wish of Paramashiva [Ádishiva], the Primordial Prakrti is not able to assume Her manifested form. That is why the fundamental cause of the universe is not the Primordial Prakrti but Ádishiva Himself. Thus in the dhyána mantra it has been clearly stated that Shiva is vishvabiija [“the seed of the universe”].

An entity which is boundless or unbarred is called nikhila or akhila. In different spheres of life, in different realms of thought, people became frightened by many things. Just as wild animals are always afraid of their various enemies, in the past, human life was also filled with fears. For the human beings of today the degree of fear in the physical sphere has much decreased; but in the psychic world of thought the degree of fear has greatly increased. Today people are not so afraid of smaller weapons: indeed, there is greater security of life now. But the fear of large weapons such as atomic bombs has increased. Shiva made earnest and constant efforts to save human beings as well as animals from all sorts of fear: He developed a science of medicine to save them from the scourge of disease; He invented various types of weapons to liberate them from the fear of their enemies; He evolved various branches of knowledge to remove their psychic fears; and He introduced Tantra Yoga to remove their spiritual fears. Moreover, He gave shelter to animals, as well; He taught the human beings to protect and nurture animals and plants. Thus about Him it has been said, nikhilabhayaharam [“the one who removes the boundless fears of the universe”].

Shiva is also called paiṋcavaktram, which means “one who has five faces”. Now the question is, did Shiva really have five faces? No, no one having a physical body can have five faces. The idea of the five-faced Shiva is purely a symbol of the five expressions of one and the same face. The central face, the real face, of Shiva, is Kalyáńasundaram. The face on the extreme right is Dakśińeshvara, and the face between Kalyáńasundaram and Dakśińeshvara is Iishána. The face on the extreme left is Vámadeva, and the face between Kalyáńasundaram and Vámadeva is Kálágni. The behaviour of Dakśińeshvara is mildly severe; Iishána is still milder; Kálágni is far more terrible; but in Kalyáńasundaram there is not the least severity – He is always smiling. Let me explain it in this way: If someone makes a mistake, Dakśińeshvara will say, “Why did you do such a thing? For this, you will be punished.” Iishána will say, “Why are you doing wrong? Shouldn’t you be punished for this?” Kálágni will say, “Why are you doing wrong? I will give you severe punishment, I won’t tolerate these things. Before me this type of excuse is useless!” Vámadeva will say, “You are such a scoundrel! I will destroy you – I will burn you to ashes!” And Kalyáńasundaram will laughingly say, “Don’t do such things, you yourself will be harmed by this.” So Shiva actually had not five faces but one, and that one face had five expressions; thus He is called paiṋcavaktram.

The unconscious mind is the repository of all qualities, and all the knowledge of the human mind. People, according to their capacity, in wakeful state or in a dreaming state, can bring some portion of the unlimited knowledge of the unconscious mind to the subconscious, and a still smaller portion to the conscious mind. But usually people cannot bring all the unlimited knowledge of the unconscious mind to the subconscious or conscious mind. If anyone can do so, then that action is called “seeing knowledge with the eye of knowledge”. This eye of knowledge is called the third eye. Shiva could do this. He was the repository of infinite knowledge, and thus it was imagined that His eye of knowledge, His third eye, was very developed. He is trikáladarshii – the omniscient knower of past, present and future. Thus regarding Him it has been said in the dhyána mantra, trinetram – trilocanam [“the three-eyed one”].