vayaáš tu sÄkᚣÄd bhagavan bhavasya
priyasya sakhyuḼ kᚣaáša-saáš gamena
suduĹcikitsyasya bhavasya máštyor
bhiᚣaktamaáš tvÄdya gatiáš gatÄḼ sma
vayam - we; tu - then; sÄkᚣÄt - directly; bhagavan - O Lord; bhavasya - of Lord Ĺiva; priyasya - very dear; sakhyuḼ - Your friend; kᚣaáša - for a moment; saáš gamena - by association; suduĹcikitsyasya - very difficult to cure; bhavasya - of material existence; máštyoḼ - of death; bhiᚣak-tamam - the most expert physician; tvÄ - You; adya - today; gatim - destination; gatÄḼ - have achieved; sma - certainly.
It has been said, hariáš vinÄ na máštiáš taranti. without taking shelter of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, one cannot attain relief from the clutches of mÄyÄ, the repetition of birth, old age, disease and death. The PracetÄs received the shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by the grace of Lord Ĺiva. Lord Ĺiva is the supreme devotee of Lord Viᚣášu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. VaiᚣášavÄnÄáš yathÄ ĹambhuḼ: the most exalted Vaiᚣášava is Lord Ĺiva, and those who are actually devotees of Lord Ĺiva follow Lord Ĺivaâs advice and take shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Viᚣášu. The so-called devotees of Lord Ĺiva, who are simply after material prosperity, are in a way deceived by Lord Ĺiva. He does not actually deceive them, because Lord Ĺiva has no business deceiving people, but because the so-called devotees of Lord Ĺiva want to be deceived, Lord Ĺiva, who is very easily pleased, allows them all kinds of material benedictions. These benedictions might ironically result in the destruction of the so-called devotees. For instance, RÄvaáša took all material benediction from Lord Ĺiva, but the result was that he was ultimately destroyed with his family, kingdom and everything else because he misused Lord Ĺivaâs benediction. Because of his material power, he became very proud and puffed up so that he dared kidnap the wife of Lord RÄmacandra. In this way he was ruined. To get material benedictions from Lord Ĺiva is not difficult, but actually these are not benedictions. The PracetÄs received benediction from Lord Ĺiva, and as a result they attained the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Viᚣášu. This is real benediction. The gopÄŤs also worshiped Lord Ĺiva in VášndÄvana, and the lord is still staying there as GopÄŤĹvara. The gopÄŤs, however, prayed that Lord Ĺiva bless them by giving them Lord KášášŁáša as their husband. There is no harm in worshiping the demigods, provided that oneâs aim is to return home, back to Godhead. Generally people go to the demigods for material benefit, as indicated in Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ (7.20):
kÄmais tais tair hášta-jĂąÄnÄḼ
prapadyante ânya-devatÄḼ
taáš taáš niyamam ÄsthÄya
prakáštyÄ niyatÄḼ svayÄ
âThose whose minds are distorted by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.â One enamored by material benefits is called hášta-jĂąÄna, âone who has lost his intelligence.â In this connection it is to be noted that sometimes in revealed scriptures Lord Ĺiva is described as being nondifferent from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The point is that Lord Ĺiva and Lord Viᚣášu are so intimately connected that there is no difference in opinion. The actual fact is, ekale ÄŤĹvara kášášŁáša, Ära saba bháštya: âThe only supreme master is KášášŁáša, and all others are His devotees or servants.â (Cc. Ädi 5.142) This is the real fact, and there is no difference of opinion between Lord Ĺiva and Lord Viᚣášu in this connection. Nowhere in revealed scripture does Lord Ĺiva claim to be equal to Lord Viᚣášu. This is simply the creation of the so-called devotees of Lord Ĺiva, who claim that Lord Ĺiva and Lord Viᚣášu are one. This is strictly forbidden in the vaiᚣášava-tantra: yas tu nÄrÄyaášaáš devam. Lord Viᚣášu, Lord Ĺiva and Lord BrahmÄ are intimately connected as master and servants. Ĺiva-viriĂąci-nutam: Viᚣášu is honored and offered obeisances by Lord Ĺiva and Lord BrahmÄ. To consider that they are all equal is a great offense. They are all equal in the sense that Lord Viᚣášu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and all others are His eternal servants.