Why did Rama worship Shiva?
Answer Podcast
Transcript
This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Shiva, Ram worships the Ramayana. Actually, Ram, when he descends in this world, he acts as an ideal human being.
In the Ramayana itself, he is not acting as God. Valmiki Ramayana starts with the question that, who is the ideal person? What are the qualities of ideal person? So, Ram demonstrates ideal dharmic behavior. So, in the part of the ideal dharmic behavior, you know, he bows down to the sages, he performs yajnas.
He is himself Yajneshwar, but he performs yajnas. Like that, he does whatever are the rituals that are expected of an ideal human being at that time. In that sense, if he is going to a temple, see, worshipping Shiva is not a problem at all.
Even as Krishna devotees, we can worship Shiva. Lord Chaitanya also would go to Lord Shiva’s temple and he would dance over there. The confusion happens when Shiva is treated as supreme.
So, first of all, in the Valmiki Ramayana, this incident of Lord Ram worshipping Shiva is not there. It is not in Valmiki Ramayana. It is primarily come from the Tulsi Ramayana.
Tulsi is Ramcharitmanas, he is retelling. But still, even if Lord Ram did that, the point is, there is nothing wrong in worshipping the devatas when one is working as a… demonstrating the example of And as devotees, we can also worship Shiva, but we should not think of him as supreme. We can worship him as, please bless me so that I can become a better devotee of Krishna.
In fact, Lord Chaitanya has written something called a Shiva Ashtakam. It is eight verses glorifying Lord Shiva, but it is not glorifying Lord Shiva as the supreme. How exalted a devotee he is.
In that mood it is done. And specifically why he worshipped him is that it was… why Shiva only? He could have worshipped any other god. It is because in one sense, Ravana had worshipped Shiva.
And Ravana had got most of his powers from Shiva. So, Lord Ram knew that in the ensuing battle, he would have to kill Ravana. So, he wanted to appease Lord Shiva that he is your devotee, but he has done wrong, so I have to kill him.
Before that, he wanted to worship him. So, it was a… what he did was a part of the reverential culture of that time. It was not a… it is not in any way indicative that he is not supreme.
In fact, afterwards, after Ravana is killed, at that time, all the devatas come. Indra comes, Brahma comes and Shiva also comes over there. And at that time, they all acknowledge, even Shiva is present over there.
And Brahmaji tells at that time that actually Ravana was the scourge of the earth. And you have freed the earth from this terrible demon. You have done a great work for the devatas.
So, that means, although Ram worshipped Shiva, Shiva also acknowledges Ram’s supremacy. He says, you are the Vishnu. Actually, that is the first time in the Ramayana that Ram’s divinity is directly mentioned.
So, at that time, it is… Brahma tells in the presence of Shiva that you wish to be descended to this world and you have fulfilled the purpose of your descent now.