Are Siva and Brahma subject to karma and death like us?
A devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
Hare Krsna, Anna… I had read your today’s post regarding Lord Shiva… I also have a few queries about him… Does Mahadeva & Mother Parvati have material bodies just like other jivas & devatas? Mahadeva is also known as conquerer of death, but I heard from a source that his only sorrow is, his eternal companion Mother Parvati has to give up her body after particular duration & Shiva wears her sculls as a garland? Also in sri & madhva vaishnavisms Shiva is considered as a jiva born due to fruititive activities, subject to reactions of karma & not a sinless being, is all this true? I will be grateful if you clarify my queries.
REPLY:
I am aware that a few section of devotees take some stories and defame the Trimurthis beyond a limit. They think that they can please Krishna by defaming His avatars. Therefore, there are so many stories about this.
Among Trimurtis, they keep Vishnu in high position, but defame Siva and Brahma deva.
This is like among the fans of cine actors, they speak ill about other heros to increase the position of their favourite hero. They throw mud on the posters of other heroes. This happens in religious circles also.
(Why In India many gods are worshiped contrary to other countries? READ HERE!)
If the purpose of Krishna taking Guna avatars as Vishnu, Siva and Brahma is for the management of the creations, then, the rules must be the same or similar for all the three. But, there is an internal pleasure for some persons to claim that Siva and Brahma dies like us and only Vishnu is eternally living.
Such approach is not good. Whatever purpose is solved by Vishnu, is solved by Siva and Brahma also. They are Trimurtis from a single source Krishna. So, they should be equally treated. Creation, maintenance and Destruction – all these three are the collective act of “Creations Management”. SO, WE SHOULD EQUALLY RESPECT THE TRIMURTIS.
Let us now see whether Siva and Brahma subject to karma and death like us. Actually, the karma system is not similar to the one existing in the earth, in all worlds. This earth is called karma bhoomi and the karma addition is kept secret here. Only some fortunate people learn about karma and avoid adding karma further. In Brahma loka, those who add karma knows them and hence they perform remedies and come out of that karma. This is the advanced knowledge the people have in Brahma Loka. They are not similar to us. They are advanced in all aspects.
(Why India has no uniformity in religious and family customs and practices? READ HERE!)
The most important secret is that, on earth, we clear our past karma and add new karma also. If we perform very good acts, we are elevated to higher material planets. The life in those higher material planets is given to us as a gift. We can live there till the reactions for all our past good deeds exist. However, in the higher planets, we clear our past good karma and also add new negative karma also. Then, so as to clear that negative karma, we come back to earth again. Thus, it is the cycle of going up and coming down.
Those who are affected by gunas also are subject to material rules. However, Lord Brahma also leaves His existing body after hundred years (according to the time calculation in Brahma loka) and new Brahma is appointed. This happen as per Krishna’s wish and Brahma’s own wish.
Among trimurthis, Brahma is subject to the end of life as he is the controller of Brahma loka that is a material planet. However, Brahma, being a more knowledgeable deity, knows well about the addition of karma and hence he immediately atone to his karma and clear them. He leaves his body to give way for a new Brahma as per the system existing there.
(Are Brahma, Vishnu and Siva also affected by anger and emotions? READ HERE!)
As far as Lord Siva is concerned, He enjoys a special position among Trimurtis. He does not control any specific single planet like Brahma. Like Lord Krishna, Lord Siva too has His own world from where He is taking care of all the material planets. He does not die and take birth again. There is no bonafide record to show that Siva dies. There may be some additions and omissions in puranas. But, it may apply to Brahma deva, not Siva. I have already warned that all puranas that we have with us now, have seen many changes by certain brahmanas so as to please the kings according to the spiritual inclinations of those kings. This happened as the puranas came through mouth, not the print.
Lord Siva is ALMOST equal to Krishna like milk and curd. He comes near to Krishna in the number of qualities (except a few). Therefore, there is no need to imagine whether he has material body. Siva’s body need not be similar to ours. He enjoys special position among trimurtis and He has a body that can exist till He Himself wishes.
Here, I like to warn that by defaming Lord Siva, they are thinking that they can get more mercy of Krishna. It is impossible.
(Did Brahma marry his daughter Sarasvati? Why? READ HERE!)
Since Lord Shiva is the expansion of Krishna (ie) Guna avatar of Krishna, he does not die like us. Even in Brahma’s case, He too is a guna avatar of Krishna. Therefore, he too does not die out of karma. Since they are executing the orders of Krishna, they exist till Krishna wishes and they themselves wish. He just retire after 100 years and give space for new Brahma. This is not equal to death like us. The age of present Brahma is 50 (Bramha loka years).
As far as Parvati devi deserting body is concerned, it is not a permanent desertion. It is like a lila and she purifies herself by performing that lila. Even Krishna did a lila by leaving His body. Did He die? It is just a honour for the rules of material planet. The existence of Brahma and Shiva is also like this, ie, subject to the system of planets they come in.
Therefore, The existence of Lord Brahma and Lord Siva is not controlled by karma, but, they enjoy a special position having separate rules for their existence. This is like the life duration is short in earth and long in other planets.
Every planet has separate rules of existence. Brahma loga has its own set of rules. Lord Siva in Kailash enjoys a special position and He does not die like us.
So, telling Siva and Brahma subject to karma and death like us is like making us equal to these esteemed deities. Let us avoid such thoughts. Let us add as much glories to them as possible because their status is higher than ours.
(SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT LORD SIVA IN SRIMAD BHAGAVATHAM! READ HERE!)