"Shiva-Shaktyayukto...."

  ShivaH ShaktyAyuktO yadi bhavati shaktaH praBavituM

  na cEdEvaM dEvO na khalu kuSalaH spaMditumapi |

    The term ‘ShivaH SaktyAyuktO’ in the above verse is something that we can never understand in one or two life of scriptural studies and practice of yoga. It is difficult to understand how can Siva be united with Sive since Siva and Sive are one and the same- like the fire and its heat, sun and sunrays, ocean and waves?

    Sive is Siva’s prowess-Will power (icCA), Intelligence (buddhi or Jnyan), and creative power (kriyashakti). Shiva is aware, consciously aware, of his prowess here; that’s all. This unity of me and mine has to be borne in mind while going deeper into the prowess of Siva, i.e., Sakti in creation.

    Now, coming to the problem of giving expression to the phenomenal objective world thus created by Sive, the prowess of Siva, something like a word, a term (name), sign or symbol has to be used. But such a facility to describe, to narrate this story of creation at the beginning-less beginning is not yet available! There is absolute silence and no vibration, sound, and word have evolved yet. The alphabets are not there to construct words and these are yet to be deciphered from the vibration of sound (say from Shiva’s natya, or Devi’s lasya, and the beats of Damaru as revealed in the scriptures! (Mahadeva Sutras). The sound of Damaru is not even audible and this has to be recorded and, there is none to do that!

    Thus, the very first sound (shabda) that emanated from spanda, vibration (of Siva’s Damaru-) the ‘movement of Sound waves’ as a bubble due to stir (strike/impact) in the ‘Ocean of Consciousness’ (Sudha Sindhu), space, air, or ether has to be deciphered yet! Hence, it is inferred here, ‘all that power of sound’ that is heard at the beginning becomes `mA’ or ‘tat’, ‘Mother of Creation’; the terms ‘Ma’, ‘amma’, ‘Amba’ are sounds of infants that call their mother; the term ‘Devi’ (‘She’, also, ‘He’ or ‘It’) is used here since the very symbol of sex (Linga) is not yet created by Her, the Creatrix. It is the mother and father-in-one, ardhanarishvara at first.

     The trinity- hari-hara-virinca is yet to be created at this point of time of ‘non-existence’ (and it is a reality!); Hari, Hara, Virinca (the trinity) are yet to take their respective positions to perform their denoted functions- srushti, sthiti and laya, respectively.

   Now, “Who creates whom?”

   This is the crucial problem. It is like the seed first or tree first? And, this eternal problem cannot be resolved. The answer becomes much more ridiculous if we say the tree bears the fruit and the seeds and, hence it must be treated as first; but, then where is the tree without its seed? Hence, seed (bija) is always the first and, this primordial substance (Seed) is Brahman. Similarly, in case of Daksha, he, the child, only becomes his father! Here, “the child is the father of man”. The child only grows up to become a father? But, who creates the ‘father’ unless the child is born? When a son or daughter is born, this off-spring only creates the terms called ‘father’, ‘mother’, ‘parents’ or grandparents! In fact, the term ‘Mother’ or ‘Father’ is created only when the child is born to the man and woman! If there is no issue of the off-spring / child, the persons- the ‘would-be mother or father’, will not be called mother or father! They are still man and wife only. If the newly-weds do not bear children they will remain man and wife, not called parents unless they get a child. Hence, it is the child that creates the parents and not the other way!

    Brahma came to be known as ‘Prajapati’ only after he created the ‘praja’ his children. His off-springs- the first brainchild Atharvan (who was first imparted Veda), Sanaka, Skanda, Sanatsujata, Sanandana, Narada, and many others followed. These are born of “thought waves”, the brain-wave, and hence called the ‘brain-child’ of Brahma. So also, pra-pitamaha, the designation of grand-father or grand-mother does not arise at all unless the grandchildren are born. All other relations such as brother and sister, uncle or aunt, in-laws, do not arise at all! Thus, “All relational existence is unreal!” (Swami Krishnanandaji).

     Everything depends on the ‘seed’, the thought-product- ‘brain-child’, first. The seed is unmanifest, dormant and sprouts in the fertile ground of imagination; it has its beginning in sudha sindhu, the ocean of Consciousness and manifests later as the phenomenal objective world. It is in the dormant form of ‘Desire’.

   There is another parallel instance where the principles of creation apply. The same Vedic principle- “Eko’ham, bahusyam” applies to creation at all the three levels of the Brahmanda, Pindanda, as well as the Andanda. Brahmanda (Bhu, Bhuvah, and Svar) is created the moment the Lord said, “Let me be many”.  There are a number of  references available in Rk Veda and Upanishat(s) in support of this. This thought-force called ‘manasa’ here is the ‘divine will’ (Tai. Sam.7.1.5,1-2; Tai Aran. 1.2.3.1; Manusmruti 1.8-9). “He created creation and entered it” is another important statement.