Who Is Lord Shiva?

Lord Shiva, also known as Shankar Bhagwan, is one of the three deities who govern all living beings in our local universe. He embodies "tamguna," while his brothers, Lord Brahman, represent "Rajguna," and Lord Vishnu embodies "Satguna." Shiva is responsible for the destruction aspect.

Shiva is the youngest among Brahma and Vishnu. Shiva resides with his wife Parvati at Mount Kailash and has a son named Ganesh. His realm is called "Shivlok or Sivalok."

In terms of Body Chakras, Shiva resides in the "Heart Lotus" within the body, which has 12 petals. He often remains in meditation (God meditating? We will explore this further as we continue reading).

Who is the Father of Lord Shiva?

The origins of Lord Shiva's father are shrouded in mystery. Surprisingly, Lord Shiva has parents. His father is Brahm (Kaal), and his mother is Goddess Durga. Shiva is the youngest of the three sons of Brahm and Durga, with Brahma and Vishnu being his brothers.

We have often heard that Shiva is Almighty, capable of anything, managing the entire universe. However, this is far from the truth.

To verify this, refer to the holy book Shri Shiv Purana, Vidhveshwar Samhita, Pages 24 to 26, and Rudra Samhita, Adhyay 6, 7, and 9 on pages 100 to 105 and 110. These texts reveal that Shankar Bhagwan was born like us and he has parents.

Is Lord Shiva Immortal?

No, he is not! Although it may seem strange that a deity we consider GOD can die, this is a hard truth. After examining the facts, you will have to accept it.

In Shrimad Devi Bhagwat, published by Gita Press Gorakhpur, Skandh 3, Page 123, Lord Vishnu tells his mother Durga that he, Lord Brahma, and Shankar all die and are reborn. This clearly indicates that Lord Shiva is not immortal. However, his lifespan is significantly longer than ours. This is just one reference, and there are many other authentic proofs supporting this, proving that Lord Shiva is not Almighty and is subject to the cycle of birth and death.

What is the Age of Lord Shiva?

According to authentic holy books, Lord Shiva's age is 49 X 100 "Divine years" = 4900 "Divine years" = 15240960000000000 earth years (15 quadrillion 240 trillion 960 billion years).

This information is provided by Almighty God in his Vani.

Can Recitation of 'Om Namah Shivay' Lead to Salvation?

Unfortunately, the answer is NO. This may be shocking, but we urge you to continue reading. The Vedas and Gita, which contain God's knowledge, do not ask for the recitation of 'Om Namah Shivay' or the worship of Lord Shiva.

In fact, in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Chapter 7, verse 15, the worship of the three Gunas (Rajguna, Tamguna, and Satguna) is prohibited by the Gita's knowledge giver God, as one cannot attain salvation by worshipping the three Gunas. The Almighty is someone else, and only by worshipping him can one attain salvation and happiness in this world.

A simple question to ponder: if God Shiva himself worships another God, how can one attain salvation by worshipping him?

Can Lord Shiva Help Us?

Lord Shiva can assist us only to a certain extent because he has limited powers and relies on a higher power for his own existence. A supreme force determines when Lord Shiva is born and when he dies. After his death, another virtuous soul takes his place, continuing the cycle. To understand this better, think about our daily lives. Imagine a state minister is our friend. He can help us with tasks within his authority, but if something requires the President's approval, our friend can't help. The same applies to Shankar Bhagwan. He can't grant us benefits that only the Almighty can. For example, if our time of death has come, Lord Shiva can't change that, and neither can anyone else except the Almighty!

Lord Shiva Is Not the Supreme God

From what you have read so far, you might have realized that Lord Shiva is not the Almighty. To reinforce this, let's look at a real incident documented in our holy scriptures. In this story, Shankar Bhagwan couldn't understand what his devotee Bhasmasura was thinking and had to flee for his life. You can read the full story in the next section, which is well-known among Hindu devotees. However, we often don't question why Lord Shiva, whom we consider Almighty, seemed helpless. It's important to note that Kabir Saheb is Almighty!

An Account of Lord Shiva and Bhasmasura

There was a devotee named Bhasmagiri who worshipped Shiva for 12 years in Sheershaasan (headstand). He bound Lord Shiva with a promise and obtained a bhasmkanda (a bracelet that turns someone into ashes when placed on their head and the word 'Bhasm' is said). Bhasmagiri's plan was to kill Lord Shiva and marry Parvati, Shiva's wife. After obtaining the bhasmkanda, he tried to kill Lord Shiva.

Lord Shiva ran in fear, and Bhasmagiri chased him. Then Lord Vishnu appeared as Parvati in front of Bhasmagiri. In this form, Lord Vishnu asked Bhasmagiri to dance. While dancing, Lord Vishnu made Bhasmagiri place his hand with the bhasmkanda over his own head and say "Bhasm," turning Bhasmagiri into ashes. From that day, Bhasmagiri became known as Bhasmasura, a demon.

This story shows that Lord Shiva is not supreme because he had to run for his life. The Almighty never fears for his life.

Conclusion

As we have seen, Lord Shiva or Shankar Bhagwan is one of the TriDev and is in a cycle of birth and death. He worships another Supreme God and sometimes fears other powers, like Bhasmagiri. Therefore, he is not someone to be worshipped as the Almighty. The Supreme God is not in the cycle of birth and death, fears no one, created everything, and can do anything.

One God who has all these qualities is Almighty God Kabir. Yes, the same Kabir whom we thought was just a saint, poet, and poor weaver of Kashi. He is the Almighty!

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