124
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[ Canto 4, Ch. 4 ]
Supreme Soul. If one is actually a devotee of Lord Śiva, he comes to the platform of spiritual realization, but if he is not intelligent enough, then he stops at that point, only realizing that he is spirit soul ( aham brahmāsmi ). If he is intelligent enough, however, he should continue to act in the way of Lord Śiva, for Lord Śiva is always absorbed in the thought of Vāsudeva. As was previously explained,  sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam : Lord Śiva is always in meditation on the lotus feet of Vāsudeva, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Thus the auspicious position of Lord Śiva is realized if one takes to the worship of Viṣṇu because Lord Śiva says in the  Śiva Purāṇa  that the top-most worship is worship of Lord Viṣṇu. Lord Śiva is worshiped because he is the greatest devotee of Lord Viṣṇu. One should not, however, make the mistake of considering Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu to be on the same level. That is also an atheistic idea. It is also enjoined in the  Vaiṣṇavīya Purāṇa  that Viṣṇu or Nārāyaṇa is the exalted Supreme Personality of Godhead, and no one should be compared to Him as equal, even Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā, not to speak of other demigods.
TEXT 15
यत्पादपद्मं महतां मनोऽलिभि-
निषेवितं ब्रह्मरसासवार्थिभिः ।
लोकस्य यद्वर्षति चाशिषोऽर्थिन-
स्तस्मै भवान् द्रुह्यति विश्वबन्धवे ॥१५॥
yat-pāda-padmaṁ mahatāṁ mano 'libhir niṣevitaṁ brahma-rasāsavārthibhiḥ lokasya yad varṣati cāśiṣo 'rthinas tasmai bhavān druhyati viśva-bandhave
yat-pāda-padmaṁ—the lotus feet of whom; mahatāṁ—of the higher personalities; manaḥ-alibhiḥ—by the bees of the mind; niṣevitaṁ—being engaged at; brahma-rasa—of transcendental bliss (brahmānanda); āsava-arthibhiḥ—seeking for the nectar; lokasya—of the common man; yat—which; varṣati—he fulfills; ca—and; āśiṣaḥ—desires; arthinaḥ—seeking; tasmai—towards him (Lord Śiva); bhavān—you; druhyati—are envious; viśva-bandhave—unto the friend of all living entities within the three worlds.
TRANSLATION
You are envious of Lord Śiva, who is the friend of all living entities within the three worlds. For the common man he fulfills all desires, and