Pujyashree: The Lord Shiva or Mahadev or Shankar are the names that point in one direction, i.e. Shiv Swaroop (form). Haven't you heard words like 'Jeev'(life) and 'Shiv'?
Questioner: Yes
Pujyashree: When you know that you are Krunal you are 'Jeev' swaroop or in embodied form. When you get the right knowledge that you are not 'Jeev' but “Shuddhatma” (Pure Soul), you have attained Shiv Swaroop. Once you attain that stage, you remain calm and composed in any adverse situation caused due to insults, pain or abuses from people. This is called "NILKANTH" which means you haveabsorbed poison (in the form of abuses) and in turn you bless the people who have caused it for you. That's the true meaning. But people then weave theories around facts and goof up mythological stories. Isn't it so? Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh are all symbolic characters indicating fundamental qualities of Prakrati. They represent those qualities. They are projected as the Head of respective qualities but they don't exist in physical form. “Sato-rajo-tamo” are 3 gunas (qualities) that are being represented through their medium. It carries a deeper meaning. Otherwise it is difficult for common people to worship such virtues without an imprint in mind. But then people gradually made them God in real form. It's like making 'A' as apple while studying 'A' for apple and identify B as Bat instead of 'B' for Bat. This was for illustration purpose only. But people made stories comprising them as characters. Just as the combination of factors give rise to different phases inmoon (such as ekam, bij, etc), combination of evidences with Pure Soul gave rise to 'Jeev' forms (life embodied). This is due to self ignorance and scientific circumstantial evidence of the forces of Prakrati. When one overcomes that and understands material differences, he attains 'Shiv Swaroop' i.e. state of 'Pure Soul'- free from any bondage. Do you understand? Thus Shiv, Nilkanth, Shankar are all the same.
“Satvagun is the quality of balance, harmony, goodness, purity, universalizing, holistic, constructive, creative, building, positive, peaceful, and virtuous.”
“Rajasgun is the quality of passion, activity, neither good nor bad and sometimes either, self centeredness, egoistic, individualizing, driven, moving, dynamic.”
“Tamasgun is the quality of imbalance, disorder, chaos, anxiety, impure, destructive, delusion, negative, dull or inactive, apathy, inertia or lethargy, violent, vicious, and ignorance.”