Shiva represents the ‘Abyakta’, that is not manifested or that can never be manifested. On the other hand Shakti is the manifestation of utter energy; Shiva is formless and Shakti has form; Shiva is total consciousness and Shakti is absolute energy. Their presence is not only realized in the cosmos as a whole but in each and every individual their presence is vibrant.
The power of Shakti is rooted in Shiva. Though one is manifested and the other is not, they are in a much broader sense is one and the same. One follows principle of changelessness and the other is an embodiment of change- Shakti merges with changelessness while Shiva remains all the while changeless but is there all the while as the root of change. Thus the perfect union of the changeless and the changeable always remains a mystery to all; the disintegration of duality is the key target of metaphysical exploration of many. The Hindu culture, the functions, festivals, rituals are highly significant. They all are related to a particular heavenly power. To decode the heavenly powers and to delve into the characteristics correctly it has been given a name and a shape.
Lord Shiva is one of the powers and it is regarded that He is the main. He is the manifestation of consciousness. His keen vigilance to make the infinity of the universe finite just to make the seed of life revived. A power is born and it instills power within the seed at the same moment.
Everything you see around, whether physical, psychic, mental or whatever it may be, is Shakti, both in individual form and collective form. This includes everything from a pebble to the mysterious elements of the big universe. To make you everything clear it is said that the Lord Shiva is the consciousness and the Shakti is the Power. The moment the Lord hugs the Power she is transformed into a goddess. She is like a mother who supplies everything to her kids to survive, to taste the essence of this universal essence.
All about Lord Shiva
Lord Shiva is one of the most respected and revred gods of the Hindu Dharma. He is the father of Lord Ganesha and is highly mysterious. It seems that His characteristics are the most intricate one among all other divine deities, most contradictory, a great teacher, the power behind devastation and at the same time the source of creation, a great ascetic, the somber manifestation of the human soul.
According to Tantra, Shiva is the father of everything stationary and at the same time moving. He is considered a Digambar that means "sky-clad" that refers to traditional monastic practice of neither possessing nor wearing any type of clothes.
Generally He is seen to wear a tiger skin holding a trident that sharply represents three qualities of nature:
tamas (darkness),
rajas ( utmost activity)
sattwa (absolute purity)
His vehicle is a bull named Nandi. His supreme consciousness is usually symbolized by the Lingam. Lord Shiva is believed to be uninfluenced by the rules and norms of the prevalent society. He is always said to exist constantly in the state of the nirvikalpa samadhi.
In the age old yogic tradition, He is called the Adiyogi (the first yogi) and Yogeshwara (the king of all the yogis).
Shakti, the Ultimate Power
Shakti is associated with various names, concepts and aspects in the scriptures.
• Prana – the vital energy responsible for the growth and arrangement of all kinds of life forms
• Kali – the destroyer of the world, one who gulps everything at the end of the allotted mortal life span
• Kundalini – the power lying dormant in the base of the human spine that can be aroused through various yoga practices
• Parvati – the loving wife of Lord Shiva
• Adyashakti – the fundamental power
• Ishwari – the feminine manifestation of everything of this universe
• Avidya – a peculiar form responsible for the sheer ignorance of an individual of the reality or true form of everything present in this universe.
• Vidya – a form of absolute knowledge, because it is her senses that helps the individuals to know the ultimate reality.
• Maya – the ultimate creator of illusions – for it is her world of different forms for which one fails to realize the unity.
• Shakti, the energy, the power that allows everyone to experience the world, move the minds and body. She is the main key to reaching Lord Shiva.
Union of Shiva and Shakti
The moment Shakti, the energy, when is united with Shiva, the cosmic consciousness, is called Parabhrahman or the absolute. It is energy that can be nurtured and guided by consciousness but consciousness itself can never express itself without energy. There may rise a question in everyone’s mind, how can Shiva function without Shakti?”
Therefore, in the scriptures Shakti is an indispensable being to be merged with consciousness, just to reach Shiva. A supreme, divine experience emerges with the union of Shiva and Shakti. Some is of opinion that it is the realization of ultimate Brahman, others just throw the words, this is not, and this is not just to show that it is beyond expression.
A Brief Elaboration
Goddess Parvati signifies Culture. Her hairs are tied neatly and she dons a nose ring to mark her perfect domestication. She has also turned Lord Shiva, the absolute ascetic, into Shankara, one who takes care of the house.
But we must not forget that she has another form, neither as playful as Gauri nor as wild as fierce Kali. It is Goddess Durga. She wears ornaments and dresses to denote her cultured nature but she does not forget to keep her hair not done, keeps it wavy just to warn humankind of her fierce Kali form. She is the perfect form that protects the good, destroys the bad and keeps everything in order. She is that particular form of the nature which balances itself by intimidating man tht if she is exploited she will not spare a single moment to retaliate. It denotes the most important fact that Shiva without Shakti is Shava or like a corpse. At the same time Shakti without Shiva is incomplete. She remains as barren nature in her Kali form. She makes Shiva aware of her presence and starts the process of creation.
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