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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailashsagarsuri Gyanmandir
Saivism and S'āktism
609
director of the universe and as different from Māyā, soul, and Aņava (matter) which together form the universe. He is perfect and hence immutable; however, He is omnipotent and He directs the affairs of the universe by His will. He guides and regulates the evolution of the world. As He is perfect, He neither thinks, nor desires, nor acts, nor likes, nor dislikes. He is impartial to all like fire and water, and loves all equally. He is not in space and so He must be omnipresent. He is immanent in all the things of the world, animate and inanimate. He possesses infinite love for all and hates nobody. His main five acts are (i) creation, (ii) sustenance, (iii) disembodiment (death), (iv) suppression of Anava, and (v) enlightenment. The devotees need love and adore Him out of gratitude. He is unborn and imperishable, and so, eternal. He is free from all defects and imperfections. He is omniscient as Aņava has no influence on Him. He is all-doer in the sense that He is the impeller of all actions simply by His will. He is blissful and quiscent.
The Saivas look upon Rudra that is mentioned in the S'vetās'vatara Upanişad as the ultimate God, and worship Him as S'iva. Rudra in the Mahābhārata is associated with Umā or Pārvati, Durgā, Kali, Karāli. S'iva is also worshipped as the Pas'u-Pati, where Pas'us are the individual, finite, imperfect souls and their master is the Lord s'iva. The Pas'upatas divide the reality mainly into three aspects — The Lord (Pati) is S'iva Himself. He Ā 39
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