Vāmadevaya namah

Shiva immediately took into his palms the terrible hālahala poison, which was spreading in all the ten directions, and gulped it. The poison which emerged from the ocean during churning had an impact even on Lord Śiva. Due to the poison Śiva’s neck turned blackish-blue. It is said that Mother Goddess Parvati held the Lord’s neck to prevent the poison from flowing into his body. As a result of this poison a line was formed on His neck. He was known as Neelakanṭa.

Inherently Śiva is very handsome. Generally Krishna is adored for his beauty. Nevertheless Krishna is dark complexioned. Śiva is fair and handsome and hence is addressed as Sundareshwara. It is a different matter that His clothing and ornaments are weird. He drapes elephant skin around His waist and wears Rudraksha garlands unlike Krishna who uses perfumes. Shiva loves only Vibhuti. In lieu of the grand gem-studded garlands, he wears a garland of skulls of his devotees. While Krishna resides in Vaikunṭha, Lord Śiva resides in a crematorium. While Krishna holds a flute in his hands, Shiva holds a drum (damaru). Although it looks like an ordinary hourglass drum, in reality it can cause all the worlds to tremble, such is the sound it produces! Moreover He wears snakes around his neck as necklaces. Krishna wears a lovely tilak on his forehead, while Śiva has a third eye at that spot.

To this Lord Śiva, who is exceedingly handsome, even the bluish-black ring around his neck appeared like an ornament that enhanced his beauty!

People, who are soft-hearted and compassionate, weep upon seeing the distress of the people around them. At times Swamiji too weeps along with devotees who are suffering. He is so immersed in their grief that He becomes inconsolable. This is because the same Supreme Lord resides within every living entity in the form of the Self. When the Self situated in another person is grieving, his Self also grieves. The Lord is all-pervading, is it not? From this it is evident that even though bodies are different, even though names and lineages are different, the same non-dual Self resides within everyone!

For this reason helping other living entities is by far the best form of worship that can be offered to the Supreme Lord. Serving other living entities is the most important puja! For this reason time and again Swamiji exhorts devotees to serve the needy. Feed the poor. The joy that is derived when they relish the food is boundless. The Supreme Lord has innumerable hands and mouths. Feeding thousand persons means to feed a thousand forms of His. The Divine Mother takes innumerable forms to eat the food that we are sharing.

Seeing this astonishing deed of Lord Śiva, Lords Srihari, Brahma, Sati-devi, the daughter of Daksha, and hordes of living entities applauded him profusely. While Lord Śiva was drinking this poison a few drops slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. Poisonous snakes, scorpions, and other poisonous insects and animals as well as the poisonous trees gulped them down.

With this the seventh chapter of the eighth canto comes to an end.

Krishnāya namah