PARAKUNNATH SREE VETTAKKORUMAKAN PAYYAN KSHETHRAM (TEMPLE), AROLI, KANNUR, KERALA: Shiva is never obsessed with things. It is a fact that desires always lead to obsessions, and these in turn make us self destructive!

Monday 23 January 2017

Shiva is never obsessed with things. It is a fact that desires always lead to obsessions, and these in turn make us self destructive!

Ravana was a great devotee of Lord Shiva, but he wanted to increase his material power. He was intensely desirous of accumulating, possessing and enjoying wealth as much as he could. Although he was strong and courageous, and learned King of Lanka, he learnt Vedas and composed Shiva Tandava Stotram in praise of Shiva to win boons. He did severe penance and austerities and stood upon his one foot for thousand years to please Shiva. Shiva appeared before him and granted him boon. Ever kind Bholenath, who can be easily pleased and propitiated to obtain the desired boon. His power, which he derived from Lord Shiva made Ravana so egotistic and blind that he even tried to lift Mount Kailash.
Without renunciation and humility one cannot be content. A person who lacks renunciation and humility can never be content because he still craves material prosperity. His desires are countless and insatiable. He is never satisfied with what he has. Instead he thinks about accumulating more wealth, more money, a bigger house, a better car, more and more comfort. Shiva teaches us that materialistic pleasures are temporary. Shiva is never attached to wealth. He neither wears gold ornaments nor expensive clothes. He is least bothered about material possessions. Materialistic happiness never stays for long. Take a look at Shiva’s attire for a second. Only armed with a Trishul and Damaru, Shiva always stays away from wealth. You’re missing out on nothing in life if you’re not attached to wealth and materialistic things. Because materialistic happiness is temporary. You need to find your happiness in events and experiences, and not things. Understand that everything is temporary. Know that life is ephemeral and what happens today is not going to exist forever. Time changes and so do we. Desires lead to obsessions and obsessions lead to destruction. Since he is free from desires, Shiva is never obsessed with things. It is a fact that desires always lead to obsessions, and these in turn make us self destructive!