Siva-Rama darshanam on Ramanavami

Siva-Rama darshanam on Ramanavami

In the Aranyaka Parva of the Mahabharata there is a rendering of the Ramayana by Marakandeya. In a verse describing Rama chasing the golden deer (Maareecha), to take on him, the comparison of Rudra chasing the deer that is a disguise of Brahma:

https://sanskritdocuments.org/mirrors/mahabharata/unic/mbh03_sa.html?fbclid=IwAR1ll2WKfVZeSaVKKwZoBeZ2R9B20wdbRLHhClzZWZcbKA_k7N5RJ9rbRTQ

स धन्वी बद्धतूणीरः खड्गगोधाङ्गुलित्रवान् | 

अन्वधावन्मृगं रामो रुद्रस्तारामृगं यथा ||१९||

The story behind the ‘Brahmaa-deer’ is:

  “How Mrigasira became a constellation”

“Brahma (the Creator) had a daughter who was very beautiful and to whom he was sexually attracted.  His daughter sensed his attraction so she took the form of a deer and ran away.  Brahma then took the form of a stag and chased her across the heavens.  When Rudra (aka Shiva) found out what was happening he cut off the head of the stag in order to prevent the incestuous relationship from taking place.  The stag’s head became the nakshatra of Mrigashira”.

There are many instances/verses in the Valmiki Ramayanam too where the valor of Rama is compared with that of Rudra.

There are fine Shiva-stutis in this chapter of the Mahabharata such as –

रुद्रं सत्कर्मभिर्मर्त्याः पूजयन्तीह दैवतम् | शिवमित्येव यं प्राहुरीशं रुद्रं पिनाकिनम् ||२४|| भावैस्तु विविधाकारैः पूजयन्ति महेश्वरम् ||२४||

[People, by their noble deeds worship Rudra who is

known by the name Shivam. By a variety of

sentiments people worship Him.]

Veda Vyasa has immortalized the Shiva-Vishnu inseparable identity by innumerable

instances/verses, one most popular of these being:

रुद्रो नारायणश्चैव सत्त्वमेकं द्विधा कृतम्।

लोके चरति कौन्तेय व्यक्तिस्थं सर्वकर्मसु।। 12-350-27a 12-350-27b.

[Rudra and Narayana are only two manifestations of One Principle…….]

Sridhara Swamin captures the purport of the Veda thus:

माधवोमाधवावीशौ सर्वसिद्धिविधायिनौ। वन्दे परस्परात्मानौ परस्परनुतिप्रियौ॥

I bow to Mādhava and Umādhava (Shiva) who are both ‘Isha-s’ Supreme Lords. They are capable of bestowing all accomplishments (to their devotees). They are both the selves of each other and both love to engage in the stuti of each other.

Shankara, after citing several such verses from Veda Vyasa’s works in the commentary to the Vishnu Sahasra nama concludes:  इत्यादिवाक्यानि एकत्वप्रतिपादकानि – these statements are establishing the unity, ekatva, of all beings including the gods Shiva-Vishnu and Trimurtis.

Om Tat Sat