Shiva Divine Consciousness

By Sri Sathya Sai Baba


“Who is Shiva?” Divine Consciousness which pervades all living beings is none other than Shiva. This Divine Consciousness permeates not only human beings, but all other creatures. Shiva-consciousness is all-pervading. “With hands, feet, eyes, head, mouth and ears pervading everything, He permeates the entire Universe.”

All that we witness is Shiva Consciousness; nothing else. Shiva does not mean a particular form with matted hair and tiger skin. Wherever we look and whichever form we come across – whether a child or an elderly person, whether a woman or a man, in every form Shiva Consciousness is resplendent.

How can you describe the all-pervading Shiva-consciousness or limit it to a particular time and place? God is described by different people in diverse ways depending on their imagination and understanding. But the nameless, formless God is omnipresent and all-pervading

Who can describe such Divinity? There is only one sign for Divinity, that is, Consciousness. In whichever form this Divine Consciousness permeates, it will assume that form – it may be the form of a dog, a crow, a crane or a human being.

All that you witness in this objective world is a manifestation of Shiva. It pervades the three worlds; earth, space and nether world and exists in the three periods of time; past, present and future. It is indescribable.

Man today searches for God everywhere, not understanding that he himself is an Embodiment of Divine Atma.

One has to realise Divinity by cultivating love for God. It is only love that can bind God. Through such Divine Love, the oneness of God has to be realised. If the attributeless God has to be described, the description would be “One without a second, eternal, pure, unchanging, witness to all functions of the intellect, beyond one’s imagination and beyond the three conditions (gunas).”

The best sadhana is to realise unity in Divinity and worship God as such. “To see the One in all you see.”

[artist: Dennis McCambridge]

Siva Consciousness

I send my best wishes to the readers of Arunachala Grace.In response to kind enquiries expressing concern over my long silence, everything with me is excellent and admit that my absence from posting was due only to my taking a short break.

The previous two postings concerning Mooku Podi Swami were written by someone (who wishes to remain anonymous) I met during their recent visit to Tiruvannamalai. The person, from overseas, was on their first visit to Arunachala and had learnt about Arunachala from Websites and Blogs (such as Arunachala Grace). And it was this that had inspired them with an intense wish to come and spend time at this place. While here this person made the following fascinating remark, ‘Even though it was because of Blogs such as Arunachala Grace that I came. NOTHING that I read prepared me for the silence of this place.’

Sri Ramana Maharshi, one of the most respected advocates of the power of this Hill, would often tell devotees that he wasn’t being figurative when he talked of Arunachala as being the most powerful place on earth – that when he spoke of its power and of its being the spiritual heart of the World, he meant it literally.

Right click to view enlargement

Several relatives of mine, who have little interest in spiritual or religious matters, came to Tiruvannamalai recently with the intention of spending several days with me. During their visit, I took my relatives on tours and expeditions. One day I told them the fascinating story of the Saint Kannappa Nayanar and took them to visit the beautiful forest Temple located off the Girivalam Roadway. It was at this place that my cousin found a perch at the back of the Temple, and sat facing towards Arunachala. She was enchanted. Afterwards she said, ‘I’ve come all this way to find a secret quiet place all for myself.’

From my own experience I know Arunachala is the most powerful place on earth. I know that it is here that energy is manifested at its highest vibrational levels. That if you sit outside the Siva Sannidhi at Arunachaleswarar Temple and look up at the Hill, that the power is so immense that Arunachala appears shimmering and translucent.

From my own understanding all is Arunachala using people and situations to bring home its own. It doesn’t matter what brings you – all that matters is that you are here available to receive the grace of Arunachala.

What I say is not to be trusted because I am completely biased in all my opinions regarding Arunachala. There is no place on earth to equal it. It is here that we can experience the core of our own being. It is here that the silence is so huge that it envelops one in its power. It is a place that removes the worries from one’s heart and mind. And when one is quiet, the great glory of the Hill envelops you in its loving embrace and satisfies in ways you could never have imagined possible.

All this is our reality. It is not reserved for saints like Sri Ramana Maharshi and Seshadri Swamigal. All these great beings came as supplicants, as devotees, as beggars before the grace and glory of Arunachala. As is our capacity we too can be satisfied by this great, glorious manifestation of Shiva consciousness.