LORD SIVA ON HIS BULL

Lord Siva, the king of the ghosts, sitting on the back of his bull carrier, Nandi, travels in the evening, accompanied by ghosts who follow him for their welfare. His body is reddish, and he is unstained, but he is covered with ashes. His hair is dusty from the whirlwind dust of the burning crematorium, and he sees with his three eyes.

Lord Siva is not an ordinary living being. He is the plenary portion of the Lord, but because he is in direct touch with material nature, he is not exactly in the same transcendental position as Lord Visnu. The difference is like that between milk and curd. Curd is nothing but milk, and yet it cannot be used in place of milk.

Since he is almost like Lord Visnu, Siva can see past, present and future. One of his eyes is like the sun, another is like the moon, and his third eye, which is between his eyebrows, is like fire. He can generate fire from his middle eye, and he is able to vanquish any powerful living entity. including Brahma, yet he does not live pompously, nor does he possess any material properties. although he is master of the material world.

Lord Siva is a celebrated demigod who awards gifts to beggars. His name is therefore Asutosa, or one who is pleased very easily. He is also called the Bhútanatha, or the lord of the common folk, who are mainly attached to him because of his munificent gifts, even without consideration of the aftereffects

Lord Siva is always in meditation on the lotus feet of Vasudeva, Sri Krsna. Even Vaisnavas, who are above both the ordinary and the elevated men in this world, also worship Lord Siva as the greatest Vaisnava. Thus he is the friend of everyone-the common men, the elevated men and the devotees of the Lord-so no one should disrespect or create enmity towards Lord Siva.