PARAKUNNATH SREE VETTAKKORUMAKAN PAYYAN KSHETHRAM (TEMPLE), AROLI, KANNUR, KERALA: Lord Shiva is of the nature of the light of knowledge while Divine Energy, Shakti is of the nature of thought.

Wednesday, 14 December 2016

Lord Shiva is of the nature of the light of knowledge while Divine Energy, Shakti is of the nature of thought.

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Lord Shiva is of the nature of the light of knowledge while Divine Energy, Shakti is of the nature of thought. At the creation of the universe this Divine Energy enlightens the universe whereas at the time of dissolution the same Energy assumes the destroyer aspect. This Divine Energy is also known as Absolute Consciousness (Chit), divine consciousness (chaitanya), freedom (svatantrya), doership (kartrutva) and energy of vibration (spanda). Consciousness (prama) exists as ‘I’ (aham) and ‘It’ (idam). The former represents Shiva and the latter the Divine Energy, Shakti. One can experience the radiance of knowledge that is the soul principle through intellect and in the enlightened state can one get the idea of the thought. Just as one cannot see one’s face without a mirror, so also without intellect one cannot realise the true nature of the radiance of knowledge, the soul. The shava (corpse) is disfigured and neither perceives any sensation nor consciousness. Similarly without Divine Energy, that is the intellect one cannot realise the soul. Infusion of the energy of life into a dead body induces divine consciousness in it. Similarly without Divine Energy Shakti, that is the energy of life, Shiva, the soul principle will appear like a shava (corpse).
Thus Shiva and Divine Energy are two sides of the same coin and are therefore inseparable. For the Shaivaites, Purush means Lord Shiva and Prakruti means Divine Energy. However unlike the followers of the concept of Brahman the Shaivites do not consider Energy to be the Great Illusion (Maya) and hence as illusory since the very pervasiveness of Shiva Himself is this movable and unmovable (animate and inanimate) creation. Although yoga, penance and meditation are special features of the spiritual practice of the Shaivites yet undoubtedly devotion unto Lord Shiva has been accorded the prime seat in the populace.!