How Lord Shiva Was Born?

Hi friends, Shiva is known as the god of gods, the adida, the very first god. Only Shiva has the power to see the beginning and the end of all worlds. Every supernatural force in the universe is under his control. But you might have wondered at least once, how was Shiva actually born? Who is his mother? Who is his father? Where did he study? Who was his teacher? Or if he had no teacher, then who were his students? In this video, let us explore the answers to these questions and many more. According to the Shiva Purana, Shiva is called Swayambhu. That means he was self-born. He has no mother or father. This is why he is beyond the five elements. He was not born and therefore he also has no death. That is why he has no fear of mortality. In the Vishnu Purana, there is another description. It says Shiva was born from the rays that came from the forehead of Lord Vishnu and from the lotus that appeared from Vishnu’s navel, Brahma was born. But the Shiva Purana gives a different story. It says that once when Shiva was rubbing his feet, from the dust of his feet, Lord Vishnu himself appeared. So we see that the stories in these two Puranas are very different from each other. Vishnu Purana considers Vishnu as the first god while Shiva Purana describes Shiva as the first god. So it becomes very difficult to say who came first. If we put aside both these stories, there is another tale about Shiva’s origin that is very well-known. You must have heard it many times. Once Brahma and Vishnu were having an argument about who among them was the greatest. At that time, a huge pillar of fire without beginning or end suddenly appeared before them. They didn’t know where it came from or why. Then a divine voice spoke. Whoever can find the beginning or the end of this pillar will be declared the greatest. Hearing this, Brahma took the form of a swan and flew upwards to find the top. Vishnu took the form of a boar and started digging downwards to find the bottom. But no matter how far they went, neither of them could find its beginning or its end. Finally, they both returned accepting their defeat. At that moment, Shiva revealed himself from the pillar. From this, Brahma and Vishnu both realized that Shiva was the supreme, the most powerful, and the greatest. That’s why there is no force in this world greater than Shiva. Even gods, demons, celestial beings, and spirits worship him. The Shiva Purana says that this endless pillar shows that Shiva was not born but appeared on his own. That is why he is called Swayambhu. Now let us talk about another story. Some people believe that Brahma is the father of Shiva. This story is mentioned in the Vishnu Purana. Long ago, when the whole universe was submerged in water, only Vishnu was floating on the waters resting on his serpent bed. From his navel, Brahma was born. When Vishnu and Brahma were talking about the creation of the universe, suddenly Shiva appeared. But Brahma refused to recognize Shiva. Shiva became angry. Then Vishnu gave Brahma divine vision, and only then did Brahma realize who Shiva was. He apologized to Shiva and prayed to him. He requested Shiva to be born as his son. Shiva agreed and said he would appear as a child from Brahma’s body. Later, when Brahma needed a child to assist him in creation, he remembered Shiva’s blessing. He prayed to Shiva and at once Shiva appeared in his lap as a crying baby. Brahma asked, “Why are you crying?” The child said, “Because I have no name.” Brahma gave him the name Rudra, which means the one who cries. But even after that, Shiva did not stop crying. Brahma gave him another name. Still, Shiva cried. In this way, Brahma gave him 108 names until he finally stopped. These 108 names of Shiva were written on earth according to the Shiva Purana. There is another reference in the Devi Bhagavata Purana. According to this, once Narada asked his father Brahma, “Who created this universe? Who are the parents of Shiva, Vishnu, and you?” Brahma told Narada a very surprising secret. He said, “Actually, Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara were born from the union of Goddess Durga, who is nature, and the supreme being Sadashiva.” In other words, Goddess Durga is our mother, and Sadashiva is our father. Our father Sadashiva has five faces: Ishana, Tatpurusha, Vamadeva, Aghora, and Sadyojata. From these five faces came five sacred sounds, along with the sound vibration. Together, these formed the sacred word Om. This Om represents our father Sadashiva. No power in this universe is greater than him. That’s why we, the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, always remember the name of Sadashiva. But here’s something important. In Hindu tradition, people usually worship Shiva more than Sadashiva. Sadashiva is considered the supreme transcendent form of Shiva. But the god people worship in temples is Shiva himself, not Sadashiva. In Shaivism, Shiva is seen as the ultimate being. After hearing this, Narada was amazed. He bowed to his father Brahma and left. So now we come to another big question: Who was Shiva’s teacher and where did he study? The truth is, Shiva never studied under anyone. He had no guru. Instead, Shiva himself is the very first guru of this universe. He is the one who started the guru-shishya, or teacher-student, tradition. This brings another question: Who were Shiva’s disciples? According to the scriptures, both Brahma and Shiva are considered the first gurus of the world. Brahma gave knowledge to his mind-born sons. Shiva gave his knowledge to seven disciples. These seven disciples later came to be known as the Saptarishis, the seven great sages. So friends, we have reached the end of this exploration. You have now learned so many things about Lord Shiva. Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below. If you like this content, don’t forget to share it with your friends. For more stories like this, continue reading and exploring deeper into these ancient texts.