Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.2.14-15
Ūti· What drives us to actŚiva’s Kindness Is Truly Auspicious
“He lives in filthy places like crematoriums, and his companions are the ghosts and demons. Naked like a madman, sometimes laughing and sometimes crying, he smears crematorium ashes all over his body. He does not bathe regularly, and he ornaments his body with a garland of skulls and bones. Therefore only in name is he śiva, or auspicious; actually, he is the most mad and inauspicious creature. Thus he is very dear to crazy beings in the gross mode of ignorance, and he is their leader.”
What the purport teaches
- Although Dakṣa described Lord Śiva as inauspicious, the purport explains that his name is fitting. Śiva is very kind to persons in the darkness of ignorance.
- Lord Śiva gives shelter to fallen souls and gradually elevates them to spiritual consciousness. Great personalities may associate with such souls for their benefit, not for personal interest.
- Lord Viṣṇu takes charge of advanced Kṛṣṇa conscious Vaiṣṇavas, and Lord Brahmā takes charge of those attached to material activities. Lord Śiva takes charge of those in gross ignorance and is therefore especially called auspicious.
Try this today
Show one small kindness today to someone whose habits you find difficult, without seeking a personal benefit.
Ask yourself
Can I recognize kindness that helps someone spiritually, even when outward appearances seem unfavorable?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.