Please allow me to begin by saying that you have asked a very pure and innocent question. Thank you for that. A someone whose eyes start to water at the very mention of HIS name, I really do feel you. I do not know your life or your backstory, so allow me to answer you from my perspective.
Being born into a Shaivite family, I grew up hearing stories and bhajans and stutis of the LORD. No festival was or is bigger for my community than the ‘MAHASHIVARATRI’. I came to know quiet later in life that when my mother was expecting me, my father would go daily from the hospital early morning to the Shankaracharya Hill to pray for me as well as my mother. I guess I was predestined to be drawn to HIM. That’s about me, but coming to the LORD Himself now.
I wont go into the various puranas, vedas, aur prayers and hymns and prayers that extol him. I will talk as a layman.
HE is the only one whose many names are prefixed with ‘MAHA’ meaning supreme in this sense. MAHESHWAR, MAHADEV, MAHAKAL, MAHABALESHWAR and a few others. HE is the supreme being. HE is the ultimate.
HE is prayed to by one and all. Be it humans, daityas, danavas, asuras, devas, animals, you name it and they all know that HE is the only one that can bless them with their wishes. HE has no treachery or schemes, HE is simply ‘BHOLA’, HE is pleased easy ‘ASHUTOSH’, HE gives freely ‘BHANDARI.
Be it Mahabharata or the Ramayana, be it the Pandavas or the Kauravas, be it Rama or Ravana, SHIVA is the ONE they all prayed to for support. strength’and favour. Rameshwaram Jyotirling (RAMA) and SHIV TANDAV STROTRAM (RAVAN) as simple examples. PANCH KEDAR or the 12 JYOTIRLINGS are examples of how HE can be prayed to and he comes to your help and aid at once.
Brahma and Vishnu fought over HIS affections and the resulting contest held led to Brahma being disgraced and disrespected. Vishnu was called ‘Kamalnayan’ and was gifted the Sudarshan Chakra by the LORD Himself.
Destruction and Creation play in his lap. If his 3rd eye and the Tandava can destroy the world the ‘swara’ of the Damru beats can give rise to new creation.
When all the world was enjoying the bounties that came out of the Samudra Manthan, and when suddenly Halahala appeared, everyone was afraid. HE was the only one was not only not afraid, but instead drank the poison to save the world. HE bears the pain and agony of the poison for us.
HE is the LORD of the three worlds, he is beyond life and death, everything that we see and beyond is his doing and he is the LORD of all. Yet he has never taken to any pleasure that may be on offer. Kindly notice that every other GOD is living a life of luxury and opulence. Be HE instead is ‘DIGAMBARA’, ‘BAGHAMBRA’ and ‘KAILASHVASI’ and ‘SHAMSHAANVASI’.
HE makes abodes and lives in places of which everyone else is terrified of, let alone think of living.
HE desires no special arrangements, rituals or puja ceremonies. A very very basic puja with ingredients available in the wild, and even if that isn’t available, a simple and pure heart is enough to endear you to HIM.
I can go writing on and on and on, but ultimately my point is that HE is the master of this whole creation. HE was, is and will be. Yet HE desires none of it. HE had relinquished it all. Instead HE is every ready to pleased, every ready to help and give and ever ready to forgive. HE is everything and yet nothing. HE is beyond all superlatives. Yet when you look at his simple, smiling, calming image you believe that the moment you pray to HIM with all sincerity, HE will leave everything and come running to be by your side. All said and done, my friend you are very lucky to be drawn to LORD SHIVA.
P.S.: Sorry if the answer didn’t make sense. I got emotional while writing it. I left a lot unwritten. Also, I have no intentions of hurting anyone’s shraddha to any other deity, I have merely done my Vandana of SHIVA. Thank You!
KARTA KARE NA KAR SAKE, SHIV KARE SO HOYE!
TEEN LOK, NAV KHAND MEIN, MAHAKAL SE BADA NAHI KOYE!!
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