Myth and Reality: Moving from the Face to the Essence

Mahakal…one of the most misunderstood aspects of Shiva. Well, Shiva Himself is highly misunderstood. But nobody is to be blamed. Who can even perceive the most unfathomable one! So, every version of Shiva in every mind is just alright. But still, there is a tinge of negativity that needs to be addressed about this wonderful entity. Calling Him the Creator and stuff would project this article as biased. Hence, let’s consider Him just an entity…an aspect of the Energy…just like us, for, we are nothing but energy in motion. This aspect of Energy called Mahakal is one of the most feared entities. He has been portrayed as a wrathful deity in Sanatan Dharma, Sikhism and Buddhism. And just because he is portrayed so, our mind judges Him to be incompassionate serial killer! Had the sages and seers known that the human race will actually turn so dumb as to judge things based on their face value, they would have been absolutely more careful with the portrayal. Let’s come to this part in a while.
Who actually is Mahakal, then? How can an imperfect being answer this question! However, allow this medium to put forth the wisdom of the lineage of seers about this.
Mahakal is the culmination of three massive aspects of energies into One- Time, Darkness and Space. When we delve deeper into the Universe, we realize that these three are not something different. We cannot actually separate these three from one another. For instance, observe Time. What is it if not an ever continuous cycle of movement! The Earth moving continuously in its own axis- a day. The Moon moving continuously around the Earth- a month. The Earth moving continuously around the Sun- a year. If any of these movement stops, the cycle disrupts. A cycle after a cycle after a cycle…Time is ever-manifesting in a large void. We name it Space and the Space is dark. Go out in the pitch dark at night. Look around. In that all-engulfing Darkness, where not even a ray of light can be seen, all we see is a void…Space. So, these three are not different in their rawest state. And all these three are massive forms of Energy. Mahakal is the dimension or the point of culmination of these three aspects. He is the Time, the Space and the Darkness.
The human mind has a tendency of painting anything that it cannot comprehend as Dark. And somehow, Darkness has become synonymous to diabolic and evil. Why? Simply because we don’t comprehend it. We don’t understand paranormal, hence it is Dark. We don’t understand destruction is the seed of creation. Hence, destruction is dark. This incomprehensibility arouse fear in us. Hence, Mahakal, whom we don’t comprehend, emerge as a dark and wrathful entity. It is all in the mind.
Those who have worked closely with this aspect of Energy vouch for His ever-compassionate nature. Mahakal is definitely the destructive power of the Universe. But it destroys unrighteousness, self-centeredness, greed, avarice, lust! His Tandav is meant to destroy the Old to pave for the New. There is no judgement day that is coming. Mahakal dances on the face of creation every second inspiring us to break our old patterns and evolve in our true form. A person who mediates on and manifest the energy of Mahakal, doesn’t become a murderer. Rather, he himself destroys the conditioning and tendencies of his own mind. Mahakal is a rebel…but with a cause. Don’t mistake His strictness with gloominess. His laughter refreshes the springs and rivers after the most severe summers. He is strict because He means business. A no-drama, no-bullshit entity.
Coming to His form, why did the Seers portray Him as a violent form? Because it represents the conflict that we need to overcome while taming the tendencies of the mind. Do you see these tendencies self-centeredness, greed, avarice, lust, attachment, obsession? Are they easy to get rid of? These tendencies are the result of a powerful conditioning of mind. The wrathful portrayal of Mahakal signifies an equally potent and powerful determination of a person to overcome these tendencies.
The Absolute Brahaman/ the Creator/ the Energy whatever you call Him/Her…is the very embodiment of compassion and beauty. No aspect of His can ever be wrathful and ugly. Every portrayal is symbolic. If we delve deeper and connect with our own roots, the reality will be revealed to us. Instead of taking everything as it appears to be, let us, as our beloved Swami always says, discover our own truth.