DUAL FUNCTIONS

Student: How is it that Advaita Acharya can be Mahavisnu and Sadasiva?

Srila Sridhar Maharaj: Sadasiva and Mahavisnu have similar positions. The jiva-tattva as a whole is represented in Siva. If the whole jiva-tattva is represented in a symbolic way, that is Siva, and Siva has a twofold characteristic, adaptability for two sides. One, he can exploit this misconceived world, and two, when he goes to serve the real world, he is called Sadasiva. That is the more original representation of the form of Siva, there in Sivaloka. Here, Siva is utilised as the first officer to serve in this mundane world, the misunderstood world. That is, Narayan enters here in that aspect, that function, and manipulates things through Siva. So, if we are to look at the manipulator, from where the inspiration is coming, then we see Mahavisnu, and if we are to look at through whom it is working, then we find Siva. The delegation of Mahavisnu comes in Siva as an eternal post created at the bottom of this whole brahmanda, of the misunderstood aspect of the world. Siva has the eternal position of an officer where the delegation of Visnu is there in the creation for the management of this world. When we look at the inner function, Mahavisnu is there utilising Siva, the highest representation of this mayic world, the jivas as a whole.

Whenever any South Indian people approached me while I was there in Madras and asked “Is Siva greater or is Visnu greater?”, then I used to point out that Siva is a searching type: he is practising penances and searching after truth. That means he is not complete. But Visnu is always full. Generally, a Visnu-avatar is seen to be full within Himself and not searching for any higher promotion or higher object. Siva is the type who is searching, enquiring, and making penances to attain his end. So, he is in want, and he is trying his utmost to eliminate his inner want, but Narayan does not do this. He is satisfied. He is full in Himself, and we see generally also that when there is a problem that no one can solve, then at last it comes to Narayan, and He comes and solves the matter. His position is like that. He is self-content, and He is the giver of the highest solutions in very intricate cases which cannot be solved by anyone else.

Source

Spoken on 19 February 1982.