Parvati And Eeshwara - Symbolism

"People in the world attach value to all kinds of objects, ideas and personalities.' God, however, is not attracted by external appearances but values only the inner spiritual urges. Here is a simple example. Parvati was the most beautiful woman in the world. Conscious other charm, she wished to wed the Lord (Shiva) Himself. But the Lord does not succumb to external attractions. Disappointed by her failures, Parvati embarked on a very severe penance. Indifferent to sun and rain, wind and weather, Parvati concentrated her thoughts on the Lord, wearing out her body in her Tapas (penance). Because of the penance. she lost all her beauty. All her physical powers were gone. At that moment, the Lord accepted her as one half of his body. What is the inner meaning of this episode? Prakirti (nature) is Parvati. This Prakriti is filled with various kinds of prides: pride of wealth, strength, beauty, knowledge, virtues, power and penance. Man's ego is inflated by these different kinds of pride. It is only when man gets rid of these eight categories of pride will become acceptable to God. So long as ego prevails, the power of spirit will not be recognised. Without realising the power of the Spirit, man cannot experience the bliss of the Divine."

Sai Baba. SS, 4/90, pp. 89 & 90

"The body is Parvati and the Atma is Eeshwara. There was a spiritual aspirant who used to repeat the Mantra Shivoham as commanded by his guru. One day someone asked him the meaning of the Mantra he was chanting. He said Shivoham meant, 'I am Shiva.' But when questioned what is his relationship with Parvati, he slapped his own cheeks and said with a tone of having committed a great sin, Aparadham! Aparadham! (Blasphemy). If he really had faith in the Mantra he was chanting, he would have surely said - 'Parvati is a part of my own being.' He could not say so as he was attached to his body. Attachment to the body leads to his dualities, because of which man is suffering. Eeshwara and Parvati are present in every individual. The combination of these two aspects constitutes Manavatwam (mankind). Manava refers to human being. Ma means 'sec'. Nava means 'new'. So mankind is not new, it is ancient and eternal." Sai. Baba. SS. 3/99, p. 72

Shiva-Shakti

"The Pranava Mantra (OM) contains within it the powers of Shiva and Shakti. These two powers. Shiva and Shakti, correspond to what scientists call electron and proton (the two constituents of the atom). Proton forms the nucleus of the atom. The electron is moving at a great speed round the proton. The Veda has described the phenomenon in different ways. It has declared that Shiva and Shakti are inextricably associated with each other. This corresponds to the relationship between the electron and proton. Sai Baba. SS. 4/97, p. 86

"Shiva-Shakti is the conjunction of the Jada (inanimate) and Chitta (animate), the conjunction of the wire with current, which activates all the instruments - fan, stove, bulb radio. Shiva-Shakti is in all, not only in Me. There is only the difference in power and capacity to manifest. The firefly has some power of illumination; it also emits. We have oil, lamp, electric bulb, the petromax lamp, the moon, the sun - that all emanate light; that is the common quality." Sai Baba  SSS. Vol. II, p. 31

"Man forgetting his own divine nature, thinks that God is separate from him and undertakes various spiritual practices to attain Him. People adore Him by different names such as Rama, Krishna, Jesus and Allah. But there is one fundamental power, which is the very form of Shiva-Shakti. This principle of Shiva-Shakti is all-pervasive. This world has a-very significant name. Bhavani-Shankara. Bhavani means 'Shraddha (steadfast devotion) and Shankara means Vishwas (faith). It is to say that the world has been based on the twin principles of Sharddha and Vishwas. Bhavani and Shankara are inseparable, interdependent and all-pervasive. So, whole world is the form of Ardha-nareeshwara (androgynous). It is on this basis that terms 'Srimati' and 'Sri' are used to address women and men, respectively. 'Srimati' denotes 'Bhavani' and Sri symbolizes 'Shankara'. Whatever may be the Name and Form you worship, you need to have steadfast devotion and faith. Without these two, you cannot achieve anything in life.

The whole world is a combination of lchcha Shakti (will power), Kriya Shakti (power of action) and Jnana Shakti (power of wisdom). Ichcha Shakti is related to mind, Kriya Shakti to the body and Jnana Shakti to the Atma. That is why it is said, you are not one person, but three -the one you think you are (physical body), the one others think you are (mental body) and the one you really are (principle of the Atma). You are essentially divine, but you are unable to understand this.

Without the grace of Bhavani-Shankara, all your efforts will be futile. Names and forms are not important as they are subject to change. Body is like a water bubble, mind is like a mad monkey. You cannot rely on them. But there is something within, which is true and eternal. That is divinity. In order to manifest this latent divinity, you need to develop devotion, which in turn strengthens your faith. Tree becomes bigger and stronger as the roots go deeper. Likewise, faith becomes stronger as the devotion increases. No name and no form can ever help you if Vishwas (faith) and Sharddha (steadfast devotion) are lacking in you.

There is infinite power latent in everybody. If you manifest it, you can even stop the sun from rising like Sumati did and you can even bring the dead back to life as Savitri did. When you manifest the divine power, you become God." Sai Baba. SS, 12/99, pp. 363 & 364

"I Am Shiva-Shakti": An Episode

"You know that I have declared on the very day when I decided to disclose My identity. My mission and My advent that I belonged to the Apastamba Sutra and Bhardwaja Gotra. This Bhardwaja was a great sage who studied the Vedas for full one hundred years, but finding that the Vedas were Ananta (endless), he did Tapas (penance) for prolonging life, and from Indra he got two extensions of a century each. Even then, the Vedas could not be completed. So, he asked Indra again another hundred years. Indra showed him three huge mountain ranges and said, 'What you have learned in three centuries form only three handfuls out of three ranges, which the Vedas are. So, give up the attempt to exhaust the Vedas. Do a Yaga,. instead, which I shall teach you, that will give you the fruit of Vedic study, full and complete.

Bhardwaja decided on performing the Yaga. Indra taught him how to do it. All preparations were completed. The sage wanted that Shakti must preside and bless the Yaga. So, he went to Kailasha. but the time was not opportune for presenting his petition. Shiva and Shakti were engaged in competitive dance, trying to find out who could dance longer. Eight days passed thus, before Shakti noticed Bhardwaja standing in cold. She just cast a smile at him and danced along as before. The sage mistook the smile, as a cynical refusal to notice him. So. he turned his back on Kailash and started to descend. To his dismay, he found his left leg, hand and eye put out of action by a stroke. Shiva saw him fall. He came up to him and consoled him. Bhardwaja was told that Shakti had indeed blessed him and his Yaga. Then Shiva revived him and cured him, sprinkling water from the Kamandalu. Both Shiva and Shakti granted the Rishi boon that they would both attend the Yaga.

After the Yaga was over, they were so pleased that they conferred even more boons on the sage. Shiva said that they would take human form and be born in the Bhardwaja lineage or Gotra thrice; Shiva alone as Shirdi Sai Baba, Shiva and Shakti together at Puttaparthi as Sathya Sai Baba and Shakti alone as Prema Sai, later." Sai Baba. SSS, Vol. Ill, pp. 2 2-24

"I have been keeping back from you all these years one secret about Me. The time has come when I can reveal it to you for this is a sacred day. I AM SHIVA-SHAK.TI. Born in the Gotra of Bhardwaja, according to a boon won by that sage as Sai Baba of Shirdi. Shiva. Shiva and Shakti have incarnated as Myself in his Gotra now. Shakti alone will incarnate as the third Sai in the same Gotra in Mysore State." 'Sai Baba, Sathyam Sivam Sundram, part II, pp. 88 & 89

"Here is the Shiva-Shakti, bom in human form to lead mankind towards Him." Sai Baba, Sathyam Sivam Sundram, part III, p. 136

Nandeeshwara: Its Inner Significance

"In the temples of Eeshwara (or Shiva), you find 'Nandi' (image of bull) in front of deity. What is the inner significance of this? The usual reply you get is that 'Nandi' is the 'Vaahanam' (vehicle) of Eeshwara, as if he could not afford to have a better vehicle than a bull. This is a wrong idea. The truth is that just as 'Lingam' is the symbol of the Lord (Eeshwara), 'Nandi' (bull) is the symbol for 'Jiva' (individual soul). Therefore, just like the Nandi, man should turn away from 'Prakriti' (the world) and direct all his attention towards Eeshwara (God) only.

There are some more meanings for this symbolism. For instance, it is said that no one should stand between Eeshwara and Nandi. One should have the vision of Ishwara by looking through the space in between the two ears of Nandi. The underlying idea is that through the Sadhana of using its ears to listen about Eeshwara only and it eyes to see Eeshwara alone, the animality in the bull becomes transformed into divinity and because its merger with Eeshwara, it is called 'Nandeeshwara' (Bull-God). Thus. the lesson of the symbolism is that man should also try to merge with God, by following the example of the Nandi." Sai Baba. SS, 7/92. pp. 153 & 154

"The bull on which Shiva is said to ride is not the animal by that name, but the symbol of Dharma (righteousness) which has four legs - Sathya (truth), Dharma (righteousness), Shanti (peace) and Prema (love)." Sai Baba. SSS. Vol. 11, p. 248