Questions about Shiva's tattva

The rishis said

The gods adopt different kinds of conduct, in homes and in forests, and we cannot understand them; they confuse our minds. No fault can be seen in the tattvas of Shiva and Shivaa, yet in their conduct we notice ordinary feelings. Brahma and the others are held in check by Shiva for the sake of creating, keeping and destroying the worlds, and they win his favour; they are under his control. But Shiva is under nobody's restraint or favour. That much has been settled about his powers. Since his powers are such, he shows the marks of being self-ruling. He is naturally successful, whether he has form or none. But an embodied being does not fit with self-rule, and there is a basic reason: a form must be the result of some act, while his success depends on no cause. He has supreme feelings everywhere, yet other, lesser feelings are mentioned too. How can higher and lower feelings exist together? His own nature is nishkala, partless; he is the supreme paramatman. How can he become sakala, with parts? That goes against his nature. He is self-ruling, so if this contradiction in his nature comes from his own will, then why does Ishana not alter the temporary and the permanent? The embodied form is sakala. Is Shiva's other form nishkala? It is said offhandedly that Shiva presides over everything. If his embodied form is said to be the form of his self, then the image plainly depends on that embodied form, and it becomes certain that it is dependent. How can one accept that an embodied form is independent? If he accepts an image, clearly the embodied form is there because he wants some result. Taking a body of one's own will does not fit with being independent; it is exactly what people do when they follow wishes and act. From Brahma down to the pishachas, others also have the power to take and drop bodies at will. Does that mean they have gone beyond the rules of karma? Making a body at will is known to be like a magician's work, and it is within reach of those with extraordinary qualities such as anima. When Vishnu and the great sage Dadhicha fought, they themselves took forms as the universe and as each other. Shiva is the paramatman, above everyone, but when he takes a body his dharma seems to us the same as others'.

Shiva is called the supreme cause who shows favour to all. If he punishes the gods, how does he show favour to everyone? He cut off the heads of many gods, including Brahma's fifth head. When he did so, Brahma criticized Shiva and asked, "Son, why do you act so rashly?" When Vishnu was Nrisimha, he took the form of a sharabha and attacked him powerfully. He pressed him down with his feet and tore out his heart with sharp claws. At Daksha's sacrifice the brave Virabhadra did not hold back from punishing the gods or the gods' wives. In an instant the divinity burned Tripura with the fire from his eyes, treating it as kindling, along with the daityas, their wives and children. Kama, Rati's husband, is the one who brings pleasure to creatures, yet while the gods shrieked, he used the fire from his eyes and made him an oblation. Some cows travelling through the sky dripped milk onto his head; the divinity glanced at them angrily and reduced them to ashes in a moment. The asura Jalandhara bound Vishnu and Ananta and flung them a hundred yojanas away; after making a water-wheel with his foot, he crushed him, threw him into the water and killed him with the trident. By austerity Hari won the chakra and became ever valiant. There was a line of enemies of the gods, cruel in mind, who wished to kill him, but he brought them down with fire and pierced Andhaka in the chest with his trident. From his throat he made a dark woman and struck down Daraka. He gave birth to Koushiki from the imperceptible sheath in Gouri's skin, and that is how Shumbha and Nishumbha died in battle. This great account is read in the Skanda Purana, which is based on Skanda.

The chief of the daityas, Taraka, hated Indra. For his death Brahma went to the god's inner quarters on Mandara and made a request. He played with Devi for a very long time, so long that the earth seemed to be carried down to Rasatala. His seed was unbearable. Deceiving Devi, he discharged it as an oblation, pure as amrita, into the fire. Vahni threw his share into the Ganga and other places. In the form of the Krittikas, Svaha, who was enjoying her husband, gradually collected it drop by drop and placed it in a clump of reeds on Meru, and the mountain turned golden. In time it blazed, lighting the ten directions. The mountain gave joy and all Meru became gold. After a long while a son was born from that energy, delicate in every limb and held up as a model for boys. His form was enchanting and like Shiva's own. Seeing him, the gods, asuras and worlds were astonished. Eager to see his son, the divinity came himself. With Devi he looked at Kumara's smiling face, and their minds were overwhelmed with affection like any father and mother, though gods and ascetics are supposed to be free of attachment. He made Kumara dance on his own chest and enjoyed it, and he and Amba congratulated each other. He told Devi to give him milk like amrita from her breasts. He told him, "Your descent is for the welfare of the universe." Deva and Devi were still not satisfied. Shakra, who feared Tarakasura, joined him and had him consecrated as commander of the dwellers of heaven. The enemy of Tripura gave his son's chariots into the keeping of Indra and the others and vanished from the spot. They guarded Skanda, who like the fire of destruction in a battle shattered Mount Krouncha with his spear, cut off Taraka's head and removed Shakra's fear. Hari, Vidhatri and the other chief gods praised him specially.

Likewise Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, grew proud of his strength and with his long arms lifted Mount Kailasa. The lord of the gods, wielder of the trident, could not bear the offence. He pressed down with his big toe and Ravana, trembling, was driven into the earth. There was a brahmana boy whose lifespan was over; when he took refuge with him, the divinity came quickly and kicked the Destroyer with his foot. Not knowing it was his mount, the vadava fire swallowed the bull among Indras; because of this disrespect the world was flooded with water. There are many other happy, beautiful accounts unknown to people. He has made the world move more than once, dancing to his will. Shiva is always calm and shows favour to all. He fulfils everyone. If he is able, why does he not free everyone? The fact that karma has existed without beginning cannot be a limit on him, because all karma is brought about by Ishvara. Why say more? Non-believers put forward many arguments. Wind god, tell us, so that those arguments can be quickly refuted.