What is Shiv Tattva | Who is Shiv?
Shiv is described as pure consciousness and is always in such a state. It’s the dominance of chit Shakti over other factors that makes Shiv Tattva unique in itself.
Shiv is originally Nirguna yet by powers can become Saguna; he uses maya manifests as Saguna to facilitate creation, maintenance, and dissolution, for which he takes the forms of Bramha, Vishnu, and Rudra, respectively. Shiv is Parambramh and Sat-chit-anand; his true nature is Nirguna nirakar.
Who is Shiv?
He is the one who’s bidding Vishnu to become Pran Vayu and bestows boons upon his worshippers. Both existence and nonexistence, manifest and unmanifest, perishable and imperishable, cause and effect—everything is his form, and he is lord over all of them and yet is beyond such dualities. Shiv is Paramatma; he is the origin and end of everything, and beyond them both, he alone is the one from whom Vidya and Avidya manifest and he alone is reality. Shiva is constant and unchanging.
Shiv is omniscient and omnipotent; out of his own will, through his Maya, he appears to be shrinking in size and becomes Purusha. He is conceived as the enjoyer through the set of five as Kala, etc. The Pancha-mahabhuta (5 gross elements) are born from Shiv, and he uses them to assume the body; thus, Shiv is the soul of the universe itself; he is Paramatma; the very nature of Shiv is Advait.
Shaiv-agamas about Shiv Tattva
In Vedanta, the highest is Parabrahm, and in Shaiv-agamas, the highest is Shiv. The two terms denote the same principle and even have the same meaning if one delves into Vyakaran and tries to understand the respective meanings of the two terms.
To delve into the subject first, the meaning of Bramh must be known. The Nirukta and its bhasyas have defined bramh as being all pervasive sources from which everything originates. The Taitreya Upanishad Bhrigu Vali Anuvak 1 mantra 3 and Chandogya Upanishad Prapatakha 3 Khanda 14 mantra 1 define bramh as the source from which everything originates and dissolves into.
Bramh also means to grow, burst forth, or expand, as per the etymology, as it is derived from the root Brh. The Mandukya Upanishad mantra 2 states that everything is bramh, the Aatma is bramh and has four quarters (reason for mentioning this shall become clear later). While the meaning of Bramh now stands clear, that of Shiv must be discussed. While the ignorant and simple-minded say Shiv means auspicious, the shastras have an entirely different etymology for it.
Meaning of Shiv
The Shiv Rahasya Upapuran Adhay 4 slok 8 states that Shiv means the still origin (Shi) from whence everything is born (Va), while in Adhay 7 slok 3 it is stated that Shiv means the one in whom everything rests (Shi) and by who’s power everything moves (Va); the same is stated in the Skand Puran Suta Samhita Shiv Rahasya Khand as well.
As evident, the very definition of Shiv is the same as that of Bramh; however, we shall take additional pramamas to substantiate our side even further. Bramh is described as Sat Chit Anand in shastras; the Chandogya Upanishad Prapatakha 6 Khanda 10 mantra 2 states Bramh is sat, the Tejobindu Upanishad Adhay 3 mantra 14-15 states. Bramh is Chit, while the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Adhay 3 Bramhan 9 mantra 28 describes Bramh as Anand.
Who is Shiv?
The Tejobindu Upanishad also directly states Bramh is Sat-Chit-Anand in Adhay 3 mantra 11; however, what is remarkable here is that the narrator of the Tejobindu Upanishad is Shivji, and he declares in the very first mantra and then again in mantra 11 that it is he who is Parabramh and Sat-Chit-Anand. On account of the Upanishad being narrated by Shiv to his son Kartikeya, which is stated at the very beginning of each adhay, the mantra thieves cannot raise objections that the Upanishad belongs to someone else.
The Shiv Gita Adhay 6 slok 33 states that it is Shiv who is all pervasive and pervades the entire universe; the same is proven throughout the Shiv Puran Kotirudra Samhita Adhay 41 slok 14-15 and the entire Mandal 15 of the Atharva Veda as well. Our stance that Shiv is synonymous with Bramh is also supported in the Shiv Puran. Shiv Puram Vidyeseshvar Samhita Adhay 9 slok 37, which states Shivji is called bramh Shiv on account of him being all prevasive and the one who causes the universe to grow, thus not only telling us the reason why Shivji is called bramh but also giving us nirukta of the term bramh itself.
Mandukya Upanishad
Finally, we come to the proof concerning the Mandukya Upanishad. As stated earlier, the Mandukya Upanishad mantra 2 states that Bramh has four quarters, while mantra 7 clearly states that Shiv is advaita, he is the fourth (chaturtham), he is the Aatma, and he alone is to be realized. This Shiv is the Shiv of the Shaiva Puranas and Agamas; this is the Paeabhairava of Trika and the Shiv Tattva of the 36 tattvas.
Shiv Tattva According to Shiv Puran
The Shiv Puran Kotirudra Samhita Adhay 41 slok 5 states that Shiv is turya; he is the fourth, while the Mahabharata Drona Parva Adhay 202 slok 150 addresses Shiv as Chaturbidham, or the one who has the four quarters, viz. Bramha, Vishnu, Rudra, and Nirgun Bramh.
To conclude, only Shiv is Bramh Tattva; he alone is bramh, and the very name Shiv, as evident, means the same as Bramh. Not only are the etymologies of Bramh and Shiv equivalent, but we can come to this conclusion based on the Symptoms described by them.
In Shiv Tattva, the focus is chit Shakti, thus Shiv is defined as pure consciousness. Owing to this, Shiv remains nishkriya or inactive without the advent of Shakti. In Shiv tattva, there is perfect balance between Gyan shakti and kriyashakti. There’s a perfect balance between Iccha shakti and Ananda shakti; thus, he is in equilibrium and always conscious. That is why he is hailed as sat chit Anand and is described as pure consciousness and the source of everything.
Kashmir Shaivism about Shiv
Swami Lakshman Joo explains Shiv Tattva in his book “Kashmir Shaivism: The Secret Supreme” as follows: And last is that being, which does not come in the cycle of tattvas. That being is called Paramashiva. Parama Siva is not only found in Shiva tattva or only in Shakti tattva; it is not only here but also everywhere you will find it. You will find it from the lowest tattva to the highest tattva. It is all level; that is why it is no level. It is everywhere; that is why it is nowhere. The one being who is everywhere is nowhere.