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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED: F.A.Q. 33
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Do the Gods marry? QUESTION: Some say that the Gods marry yet others
say that they do not. What is the correct view? ANSWER: The correct view is that which is in harmony
with Truth. The best way of knowing the truth is by reading the Scriptures.
Thus the Skanda Purana
says: “Two hundred and eighty million
Scriptures have been uttered by the five faces of the Eternal Lord (that is,
were broadcast in the five main directions) for deciding in the Way of Shiva.
They are the glorious guides to the followers of Shiva” (Arunachalamahatmya,
Purvardha, 11:64). Therefore, in case of doubt,
it is our duty to consult Scripture and decide on the basis of what Scripture
says. The Holy Scriptures of India clearly state that the Gods do
marry and what is written in Scripture is true. Even in Western Scriptures,
such as the Christian and Jewish Bible, it is written that the Gods –
referred to as the “sons of God” – married the daughters of Earth. Though
some may find this difficult to understand, their inability to grasp such
facts is due entirely to their ignorance of Spiritual realities. Indeed, those who object to the notion of marriage between
Divine beings are not true believers but mostly Westernised
intellectuals and other ideologically and politically indoctrinated elements
who are evidently far removed from the authentic teachings of the True Faith (Sanatana
Dharma). This is precisely the reason why they doubt Scripture. Intellectuals are particularly prone to such errors because
they are addicted to too much thinking which separates them from reality.
This self-imposed separation from reality causes them to doubt reality
itself. The fact is that life is about living and not about thinking.
Thinking is pointless and even detrimental unless it is done along the right
lines, that is, in conformity with life. Life is truly known by living it and
not by theorising about it in isolation of it. Have
these unbelievers and deniers of Scripture been to Heaven to see whether Gods
marry or not? If they have not, how can they talk? Those who have no direct
knowledge of Spiritual facts cannot presume themselves fit to pass judgement on such matters. Therefore, it would be better
for them to remain silent. Unity
– the Essence of Life What is essential to understand is that life is based on Unity. Marriage itself is admittedly
a necessary and important form of Unity between two living Souls. As the Gods
are even closer than man to the ideal and perfect state of Unity between
Souls, we are entitled to expect them to practise
some kind of Unity, which, in human language may be described as “marriage”.
To say anything else would be both irrational and contrary to Spiritual fact. According to the teachings of the Enlightened Masters, this
Unity may be described as follows. The whole of Creation is but a
Manifestation of the Supreme Being (Parama Shiva). As such, it is carried out in three
distinct stages or steps. The first step is that in which God’s Will to Create (Iccha-Shakti)
becomes active. In the second, God’s Power
of Knowledge (Jnana-Shakti)
produces an image or blueprint of Creation. In the third, God’s Power of Action (Kriya-Shakti)
manifests the Universe as an external projection of His Own Mind. In the first stage, there is Absolute Unity or Non-difference (Abheda)
as God’s Experience is one of Unity with Himself. In the second, some Difference comes into being as God outlines
in His Mind the Image or Plan of Creation as something different from His
Eternal and Changeless Self. Hence this stage is called Difference in Unity (Bheda-Abheda).
Finally, in the third stage, the actual manifestation of Creation brings
about an experience of Difference (Bheda) in which the objects that constitute the World
are experienced as distinct and separate entities. At the highest level of experience, therefore, God exists in a
state of Absolute Unity where He is known as Shiva. In the
Difference-in-Unity stage He is known as Shiva-Shakti, both
“Male” and “Female”. In the last stage He is known as Shiva and Shakti or Ishvara and Ishvari. The above levels of Creation constitute the Heavens or the
Spiritual World which is the abode of the Gods and represents the ideal model
for the Physical World. Below this, there is the Physical World itself which
is inhabited by man and other non-Divine beings. The main difference between the higher and lower levels is
this. The Radiant Beings of light (Devas or Gods) inhabiting the Heavens exist in a state of
Pure Love and Unity with one another and with God. Human beings, on the other
hand, who live in a World which is an imperfect image of Heaven, exist in a
state of incomplete and imperfect love and unity with one another and God. What is essential to retain, however, is that whether Gods or
men, the life of all beings - from the highest to the lowest - may be
described in terms of unity or absence thereof. All human beings are, in a sense, one and this oneness is
experienced by them at certain moments in their life. Indeed, all Souls were
One before Creation and continue to be One as manifestation of the One Supreme Being (Parama
Shiva). At the same time, however, they are also distinct and separate
from each other. And this distinctness and separateness gives rise to the desire
to be one again. This is the true reason why humans form couples and marry. As for the beings inhabiting the Spiritual
World, like their human counterparts on Earth, those who inhabit the lower
reaches of Heaven are "both two and one", that is, they experience
unity but also difference between each other. On the higher planes, as the Souls proceed
higher and higher in their ascent to the One, the last vestiges of difference
or duality are shed. In consequence,
the emotional need for living as a couple is no longer felt and the Supreme
Being is recognised as the True Soul Mate of all
Souls. Unity with God, therefore, is the Ultimate Goal of all Souls, be they
human or Divine. The
main difference is that, while unenlightened Souls experience difference
between themselves and their loved ones, Gods and Enlightened Souls, even
when enjoying life as a couple, see God in each other more and more until
complete Unity with the Supreme is attained. Therefore, marriage is possible not only on Earth but in the
Other World too. A couple who was married on Earth may continue to be married
even after death and those who die single may meet a soul mate in the
afterlife. All this depends on Karma, Spiritual attainment and the Will of
God. This is a view that Yoga shares with all
other faiths once their teachings are put in the right perspective. Thus, in an age-old tradition that was once
common from Ancient Egypt to Europe and Asia, a married couple would remain
together even after death and a wife could join her husband in the afterlife
by laying down her life at her husband’s funeral. According to the Quran,
the righteous will go to Heaven where they will be "wedded to dark-eyed
virgins". On the other hand, the
Bible (Luke 20:34-35) states that “they who have attained Heaven neither
marry, nor are given in marriage, for they are equal to the Angels (or
Radiant Ones of the Higher Heavens, in Yogic terms)". Hinduism in turn teaches that upon
attaining Enlightenment, a Soul simply merges into, and becomes One with,
God. Those who have not yet attained full Enlightenment, on the other hand,
may still marry both on Earth and in the Other World. The Great Epic of
India, Mahabharata, for example states that warriors who die in battle are
received by thousands of beautiful Celestial
Maidens (Apsaras) eager to become their wives. These apparently contradicting views are
beautifully harmonised by Yoga with its teaching of
various layers of Heaven, each of them being inhabited by Souls who have
reached a different level or degree of Spiritual development: in the Lower
Heaven, a Soul may still seek to form a close relationship with another Soul;
in the Middle Heaven this is replaced by an ever-closer relationship with the
Supreme; and in the Highest Heaven, Absolute Unity and Identity with The
Supreme is attained. Divine
Marriage as an example to man If the closer a Soul comes to God the less
he feels the need to marry, why then do the Gods still marry? Firstly, as
explained above, the highly evolved Spiritual Perception of the Gods enables
them to see God in each other. Their marriage therefore must be regarded as
different from that of humans the basic experience of which is one of
difference rather that Unity. Secondly, we must never forget that the Gods are the Powers of the Supreme
Being. In consequence, we may naturally expect a particular form of the
Power of Will, for example, to unite itself with a particular form of the
Power of Knowledge or Action in order to perform a specific function in the
Universe in accordance with Divine Will. In such a case, we are entitled to
describe the Divine Powers or the Gods embodying such Powers, as being
married, united, or joined to one another as required by the function or task
in question. Though the Gods may not need to marry out
of some emotional, material or biological need, they may still marry to
fulfill specific functions as required by life on the various planes of
existence. Finally, the Gods are the ideal models all humans must follow in
order to maintain Divine Order on Earth and ultimately elevate themselves to
higher stages of experience. In terms of human life, therefore, the Gods marry to
demonstrate to man the paramount importance of the Universal Principle of Unity (Yoga-Tattva)
and its practical application. This World-Supporting Principle of Unity which gives rise to
an experience of Pure and Perfect Love, Unity and Harmony between two Souls
as well as between various Souls and God is exemplified by the Divine
Entities, Ishvara and Ishvari, Shiva and Shakti,
or Shiva and Parvati who are the
Manifestations of the Supreme Being,
Parama Shiva Himself. Is
Lord Shiva married? As Scripture declares, “all men are Shiva and all women are Shakti” (Shiva Purana). All humans
are manifestations of Lord Shiva, and He lives in the heart of all men.
Therefore, Lord Shiva Himself marries in and through all humans who marry. In the final
analysis, it is not humans who marry, for they are just empty and lifeless
shells without Shiva, but Shiva Himself who does so through His human
manifestations. Moreover, as the Universal Soul and Supreme Soul Mate, Shiva
is permanently “married” or united to all Souls and therefore qualifies as
the Divine Husband of all Souls. This fact is reflected in the beliefs of
traditional societies, where the Moon God, who is a manifestation of Shiva
and determines women’s menstrual cycle is said to be the husband of all women
on account of his intimate connection with the female body. More specifically, the Supreme Being may manifest or incarnate
on Earth and other Planes of existence in order to marry or otherwise unite
Himself with a particular Soul for a particular purpose. For example, when a
Soul becomes Enlightened, he is embraced by Shiva’s infinite and
all-encompassing Heart in a permanent and intimate experience of Unity
comparable to an ideal, Spiritual marriage between two Souls. Also, as Scripture tells us, Lord Shiva married Parvati, the Mountain Maiden or Daughter of the Mountain,
at the request of the Gods in order to populate the Universe with Souls. In
Divine terms, the marriage of Shiva and Parvati symbolises God’s Union with His own Power (“Shakti” means “Power” in Sanskrit) for the purpose of
creation and represents an accurate enough description of facts. In human
terms, this Divine Marriage stands for the Union of man and God. Thus, whichever way we look at it, Divine marriage must be
admitted to be an incontrovertible Spiritual fact and an example for man to
follow. Householders are married to a human being, yet they must see God in
each other and are, ultimately, united in and to God. Likewise, those who are
devoted to a life of Spirit are married to, or live a life in Unity with, God
Himself. Whether man or God, every creature must abide by Shiva’s Law of
Unity. This is the Truth, the Highest Teaching and the Secret of all
Marriage. |