Why does Prabhupada say in Bhagavad Gita 2.62 purport that Lord Shiva is not able to control his senses?
From: kanchan
in Bhagavad Gita 2.62 purport , Prabhupad gives example of Siva for not being able to control his senses and false pray to the agitation. and next he gives example of Haridas thakur for his ability to tolerate provocation being a devotee of the Lord. When we describe Lord Siva as Vaishnavanam yatha shambho (best amongst devotees of Krishna) how is it possible for him to be unable to control his senses?
secondly it appears that the same pastime of Lord Siva can be seen from a different perspective as we see that of Lord Krishna . It could be seen as his lila. and to Kill the demon tarakasura Siva’s son was required. and it was impossible without this lila since mother parvati had already left her body during the Dakha’s yagya.
ANSWER: Yes, as you rightly pointed out it can be seen, on one level, as Lila and on another level we can see it as contextual lesson. Srila Prabhupada in the same Bhagavad Gita in third chapter, when he is talking in 3.20,21,22,23 purports about the importance of setting an example, quotes Lord Shiva and says that some people imitate Lord Shiva by drinking bhang, and this should never be imitated. Similarly, Lord Krishna performing Rasa-Lila should never be imitated. Therefore, in that context Srila Prabhupada is equating, in one sense, the position of Lord Krishna and Lord Shiva. As far as all of us, we are not in a position to imitate or judge the activities of great personalities At the same time, in this particular purport Srila Prabhupada is focusing on the process that is being followed here. In this pastime Lord Shiva is actually not engaged in devotional service, but he is in some sort of meditation, which not necessarily is devotion. Many of the yogis who consider Lord Shiva as an ideal yogi follow his footsteps and meditate on him. They often don’t make the focus of their meditation on a personal absolute truth as Krishna or Vishnu. What is being communicated by Srila Prabhupada, over here, is not that this personality is not a great one , rather this process of devotional service, specifically the chanting of the holy names is superior to the process of impersonal meditation, (yogic meditation without the focus on the personal absolute) and without the higher taste that comes out from such a devotional meditation it is almost impossible to overcome temptations. So rather than seeing it as a point that Lord Shiva cannot control his senses, we should see it as illustrating the point that this process (of impersonal meditation) is not adequate to help to control senses. And even if a person as great as Lord Shiva adopt this process, then also there is this difficulty in it. Therefore, the comparison is not of the personalities, but of the two processes. Srila Prabhupada had the highest respect towards Lord Shiva, as he himself says in one of his purports that actually Lord Shiva never got agitated even when Kamdeva (cupid) came, to try to agitate him. Kamdev had to flee in fear, and he was burnt by the glance of Lord Shiva So he was unaffected by lust. Similarly, Srila Prabhupada glorifies Lord Shiva in other places also. Hence, here the emphasis is on ’what is the most effective process for controlling the senses’, and not, who is greater or lesser personality.
Thank you.