I love to gaze and gaze and still gaze at the picture of Lord Shiva, clothed in the mendicant’s garb. His body smeared with ashes, His head crowned with coils of matted hair. In one of His hands is a begging bowl and in the other a tall staff with the trident. The King of all the worlds moves as a beggar, from door to door, asking for alms.
Such is the humility of the Eternal One, the Ancient of the Ancients. He stands at the door of your heart, at the door of my heart, asking for the alms of love. He waits there outside in sun and rain, asking us to open the door. Alas! We are busy chasing the shadow-shapes of wealth and pleasure and power: we hear Him not!
If we will but be still, if we will but enter into the depths of silence, we, too, may hear His voice: “How long will you wander thus, my child? ’Tis time you came to Me!”
The offerings He accepts
The way to Shiva is not paved with “big” offerings or pompous ceremonies, but with self-giving, which is symbolised by little offerings made in love and longing. The offerings Shiva readily accepts are those of bel leaves and water and little parched rice. And He accepts them in whatever form they are offered.
The Brahmin offers Him the pure water of the Ganges: more precious to Him are the tears of a repentant or yearning heart. Sivaprakasa was a learned Brahmin, proud of his knowledge and scholarship. Every day, he offered Lord Shiva the pure water of the Ganges; it was not accepted by the Lord. But He accepted the “impure” water which an “untouchable” brought in his mouth, for in the heart of the “untouchable” were deep humility and love.
A call across the centuries
Shiva is humble and compassionate—ever kind and loving to all who turn to Him for help and healing in this world of tragedy and tears. Ringing across the centuries, since the dawn of creation, cometh His call:
O ye that are tired, tattered, torn!
O ye that feel forsaken and forlorn!
Come unto Me!
February 15 is the sacred Mahashivratri Day.
Dada J. P. Vaswani was a humanitarian, philosopher, educator, acclaimed writer, powerful orator, messiah of ahimsa, and non-sectarian spiritual leader.
