The first act of creation was that of Shakti, not of Shiva. Today, modern science is saying this; it’s just that the language is different. Modern science says that if you apply an electromagnetic force somewhere around a vacuum chamber, not even into the vacuum, suddenly this vacuum, this absolute nothingness will start throwing out particles of creation in terms of what is referred to today as ‘virtual photons and virtual neutrons’.
But we are not such dry people – the same fundamentals of creation we see this way... the word ‘Shiva’ essentially means ‘that which is not’ or ‘that which is absolutely still.’ When Shakti comes and plays, this absolute stillness comes alive in the form of creation; it starts off as a roar, it starts off with Rudra. You know scientists have been talking about a Bang, one big one.
Now, they are going back on that and are saying that there have been many bangs, a series of bangs. If you have ever driven a motorcycle or a car without the silencer, without the manifold, you will hear the sound bang, bang, bang, bang; but if you throttle up, it will roar. So, a roar is a composite expression of many bangs. So, we said the first form in which Shiva arose was as Rudra; he roared. A series of bangs happened because Shakti came and played around him and suddenly, what was absolute stillness broke open into a roar. So the basis of creation is Shiva, but the first act of creation is from Shakti.
