Thousand names of Vishnu, Shiva

yousaybenares

Well, it lost my 1st attempt at posting this so hope this makes it:

I went to Boi Mela recently and picked up 2 book, "Thousand Names of Shiva" and "Thousand Names of Vishnu". When reading the names and attributes it seems that 'Shiva' has overlapping aspects of Vishnu, and that Vishnu has overlapping aspects of Brahma. I had always thought that the powers of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva were very distinct and not overlapping (unless looking at from highest Vedanta view of absolute/non-distinguishing of form).

Can anyone clarify this for me..are they overlapping or does this book have it wrong? Thanks.

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jyotirmoy

Shristhi(creation), stithi(maintain) & vinash(destruction) are represented by Brhama, Visnu & Mahadev(Shiva). Although these are different cyclic functions but not separated abruptly, a kind of transition does exist. The various names attributed to Hindu Gods have some kind of functionality. That may be reason for what you found.

sirensongs

In the intro to one version of Sri Lalita Sahasranama, the Ramakrishna Mission-based editor explains that some of the names seem repetitive just because of the sheer enormity of having to come up with 1000 epithets for a deity. I think this is the case here.

I wouldn't read too much into it.
Tejaswi navadhitamastu! (may our learning be full of light)

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TruthSeeker

In Kalyug (current era), due to His will, majority considers the "Trinity" to be the three forms of God.

In reality, there is only one Supreme One, known as Aum (Om), Waheguru, Allah, Khuda, God, Almighty, Lord, Akal Purakh, etc. who installed different devtas and devis (deities) for doing different functions.

Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma are the three highest deities in that order (left to right) with distinct functions all serving Aum's creation... in other cultures, they are known by different names...

Hopefully the above does not offend anyone... the Truth may seem a little bitter but it is still the Truth...

Nick-H

Well, give or take a heap of cultural conditioning I don't consider anyone anything according to Anyone's Will but my own.

And, if there are any gods at all, it seems much, much more likely to me that, in reality, there are dozens of them. All having a hard time in the face of a pretty dim-witted creation. Just like we are.

My truth may seem a little bitter to you, but.....

Not in the least sorry that offends anyone.

ps... shouldn't be 1,008 names, as in 108 but 900 more?

Sama

I always thought it was Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, in that order.

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greenchutney

there is one supreme called naraynan. out of which (him) came vishnu and through vishnu he created brahma and shiva. ..this is the view of the vaishnavite philosphies chiefly explained by ramanuja. if you look at it from the shaivite philiosphies explained by shankaracharaya...he says that the supreme (naraynan) created shiva and through shiva..vishnu and brahma.


hence the reason for overlapping shiva and vishnu names since one came out of the other which ever school of thought you follow be it shaivite or vaishnavite ~...the supreme also had four forms..and this am trying to search for references here...will ping ya when i find it..

Nick-H

There is something[one] from which Brahma came: prathapati?

Poking around in the dark here.... am I completely wrong/confused?

AvidTrekker

The naasadaasiit suuktam very categorically mentions that there is ONLY the ONE which was, is and will be. Hindus are not really into veda study nowadays. Even when a huge majority of the teacher class was actively learning the vedas [say 5000 years ago] this concept was extremely difficult to cognize; let alone understand.

This ONLY ONE is called by many names.

The "Creator" aspect is labelled as Bramhaa.

The "maintenance and servicing" aspect is named ViShNu

The "disposal" aspect is named Shiva.

All three are ONE and the same being ONLY.

So obviously the qualities overlap.

But of course we Indians are quarrelling for 2000 years over this and similar statements.

Water remains water even if you choose to call it paani.

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The Universe is an ellipsoid?... or a Spheroid?? If the sphere smiles... it becomes an ellipse. This IS Creation.

AvidTrekker

tejasvi nau adiitam astu are the words in the part-sentence tejasvinaavadhiitamastu.

Your meaning as given is correct.... but could be elaborated further....

adhiitam is translated as "study." Partly correct.

The word means "mental reflection." Upon what ?? The "sat" or existential Truth.

May the divine aura [tejas] of our intense "reflection-upon-truth" pervade the entire locality and spread vibrations of Peace and Love....

In short, "may our adhiitam expand our aura"

ते॒ज॒स्वि ना॒वधी॑तमस्तु॒ मा वि॑द्विषा॒वहै ।

yousaybenares

Thank you all for your responses. Seems like overlapping and non-overlapping of attributes both hold their place, and I had not even thought about specific sequence of the forms.

greenchutney

two questions for you...
'naasadaasiit suuktam' which veda can this found?....
the disposal aspect...hmmm...never heard of this...

i agree about the vedas...and also about the one!~...the narayana~..but about the aspects, the faces, the functions..there are many intrepretations...i am reading the purushu suktam~ and that mentions the four facets of the one~....i need to dig the book..just misplaced it..will write what i read as soon as i find it...

greenchutney

ok..found the book~..Purushasuktam..english translation and commentary by K.N Shrinivasan. this writer explains that purushasuktam is part of all the Vedas though primarily he gets his material from the Yajur and Rig Veda.

He writes that the 'Supreme person holds all within himself in laya (absorption) in subtle condition and in numerous forms in presentation.'

The supreme (who is also referred to as Narayana, Vishnu or Parabrahman)...presents three pure eternal worlds with his three Vyuhas(forms) - Vasudeva, Sankarshana and Pradyumna and the fourth is the impure creation presided over by the fourth Vyuha namely Aniruddha.

The book has many interesting points but the English is tough to read without a lot of background context. More later as i finish this ...

jivan

installed would not be the right word, manifestation should be more correct.

jivan

It's more like the circle of life. The analogies are so-so but then I'm a Virgo