Shiva Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! === Vaishnavism === The Vaishnava (Vishnu-oriented) literature acknowledges and discusses Shiva. Like Shaiva literature that presents Shiva as supreme, the Vaishnava literature presents [[Vishnu]] as supreme. However, both traditions are pluralistic and revere both Shiva and Vishnu (along with Devi), their texts do not show exclusivism, and Vaishnava texts such as the ''Bhagavata Purana'' while praising [[Krishna]] as the Ultimate Reality, also present Shiva and Shakti as a personalized form an equivalent to the same Ultimate Reality.<ref>Edwin Bryant (2003), Krishna: The Beautiful Legend of God: Srimad Bhagavata Purana, Penguin, {{ISBN|978-0141913377}}, pp. 10β12, Quote: "(...) accept and indeed extol the transcendent and absolute nature of the other, and of the Goddess Devi too"</ref><ref>Ludo Rocher (1986), The Puranas, Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, {{ISBN|978-3447025225}}, p. 23 with footnotes</ref><ref>EO James (1997), The Tree of Life, Brill Academic, {{ISBN|978-9004016125}}, pp. 150β153</ref> The texts of Shaivism tradition similarly praise Vishnu. The Skanda Purana, for example, states: {{Blockquote| Vishnu is no one but Shiva, and he who is called Shiva is but identical with Vishnu. |Skanda Purana |1.8.20β21<ref>Gregor Maehle (2009), Ashtanga Yoga, New World, {{ISBN|978-1577316695}}, p. 17; for Sanskrit, see: [https://archive.org/stream/SriSkandaPuranam-SankaraSamhitaPart1#page/n31/mode/2up Skanda Purana] Shankara Samhita Part 1, Verses 1.8.20β21 (Sanskrit)</ref>}} Both traditions include legends about who is superior, about Shiva paying homage to Vishnu, and Vishnu paying homage to Shiva. However, in texts and artwork of either tradition, the mutual salutes are symbolism for complementarity.<ref>{{cite book|author=Saroj Panthey|title=Iconography of Εiva in PahΔαΉΔ« Paintings|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GUBXNueBQo0C|year=1987|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=978-8170990161|page=94|access-date=6 October 2016|archive-date=31 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240331131652/https://books.google.com/books?id=GUBXNueBQo0C|url-status=live}}</ref> The Mahabharata declares the unchanging Ultimate Reality (Brahman) to be identical to Shiva and to Vishnu,<ref>{{cite book|author=Barbara Holdrege|editor=Hananya Goodman|title=Between Jerusalem and Benares: Comparative Studies in Judaism and Hinduism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XF_a3cfrcLQC&pg=PA122|year=2012|publisher=State University of New York Press|isbn=978-1438404370|pages=120β125 with footnotes}}</ref> that Vishnu is the highest manifestation of Shiva, and Shiva is the highest manifestation of Vishnu.<ref>{{cite book|author=Charles Johnston|title=The Atlantic Monthly|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SGACAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA835|volume=CXII|year=1913|publisher=Riverside Press, Cambridge|pages=835β836}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page