Fhyujk

I read somewhere that Lord Shiva is regarded as a devotee of Sri Krishna as per Srimad-Bhagavatam.The name of Shiva or Rudra is mentioned as a name of the Para-Brahman in many parts of the Vedas.

What is the position of Lord Shiva as per Srimad-Bhagavatam--is He just a Jiva or Deva or another form of Bhagavan?Please cite proper references.

The Srimad Bhagavatam indeed portrays Lord Shiva as the greatest of all Vaishnnavas:

nimna-gānāṁ yathā gaṅgā

devānām acyuto yathā

vaiṣṇavānāṁ yathā śambhuḥ

purāṇānām idam tathā

English Translation: Just as the Ganga is the greatest of all rivers, Lord Acyuta the supreme among deities and Lord Sambhu the greatest of Vaisnavas, so Srimad-Bhagavatam is the greatest of all Puranas. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.13.16)

At the same time, the Srimad Bhagavatam also portrays Lord Shiva as the Supreme Brahman:

śrī-prajāpataya ūcuḥ

deva-deva mahā-deva

bhūtātman bhūta-bhāvana

trāhi naḥ śaraṇāpannāṁs

trailokya-dahanād viṣāt

English Translation: The prajāpatis said: O greatest of all Devas, Mahādeva, Supersoul of all living entities and cause of their happiness and prosperity, we have come to the shelter of your lotus feet. Now please save us from this fiery poison, which is spreading all over the three worlds. (Srimad Bhagavatam 8.7.21)

tvam ekaḥ sarva-jagata

īśvaro bandha-mokṣayoḥ

taṁ tvām arcanti kuśalāḥ

prapannārti-haraṁ gurum

English Translation: O Lord, you are the cause of bondage and liberation of the entire universe because you are its ruler. Those who are advanced in spiritual consciousness surrender unto you, and therefore you are the cause of mitigating their distresses, and you are also the cause of their liberation. We therefore worship Your Lordship. (Srimad Bhagavatam 8.7.22)

guṇa-mayyā sva-śaktyāsya

sarga-sthity-apyayān vibho

dhatse yadā sva-dṛg bhūman

brahma-viṣṇu-śivābhidhām

English Translation: O Lord, you are self-effulgent and supreme. You create this material world by your personal energy, and you assume the names Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara when you act in creation, maintenance and annihilation. (Srimad Bhagavatam 8.7.23)

So basically according to Srimad Bhagavatam, Lord Shiva is the Supreme Brahman as well as the greatest of all Vaishnavas.

Yes,Lord Shiva is a form of the Para-Brahman or the Supreme Godhead as per Srimad-Bhagavatam .This becomes clear from the 12th chapter of the 11th Canto, where Markandeya gets darshan of Shiva and Parvati:

Once travelling in tge sky with Rudrani and the ganas on His bull, Bhagavan Shiva saw Markandeya practising austerity (Sloka 3).

Sri Bhagavan [Shiva] said : Markandeya has attained supreme devotion to Bhagavan,mWho is Changeless, and so this Brahmarshi does not want any other boon(sloka 6)

Saying this, Sri Bhagavan [Shiva] who is the destination of all honest ones and Ishwara of every Vidya and of everybody entered into Markeendyea's hriday-aakaasha with the help of yogamaya (sloka 8-9).

So its clear that Lord Shiva has been demonstrated as Sri Bhagavan Who uses His Yogamaya.

Bhagavan can never be two.This is also clear from the same Canto:

Bhagavan is He Who has All the six qualities (Bhaga etc) as the leelakamala of His hand, and Dharma as his fan (chamara) and yasha as its breeze(chapter 11,sloka 18).

The definition of 'Vaishnava' is also provided beautifully in the same canto:

That parama pada is Vaishnava, which has to be obtained by the yogis by 'neti neti'vichara in one's own cave in the heart (chapter 6, sloka 32).

So its clear that Srimad-Bhagavatam accepts Lord Shiva as one form of the Supreme Godhead and also accepts the (neti neti) vichara-marga as one way of attaining Him.

So besides projecting Sri Bhagavan as Sri Vishnu (and Sri Krishna) and glorifying the path of bhakti or devotion in the most beautiful way, this great scripture accepts Shiva as just another form of Supreme God and also accepts jnanamarga wholeheartedly.It has therefore kept no room left for the dogmatics as expected in our tradition and culture.