For the Love of Yoga with Nish the Fish Why is Śiva So Weird? | & Śaivism So Unique?
Feb 25, 2026
A deep dive into Śiva's strange, playful nature and how that shapes a unique Shaiva theology. Talks range from ritual, dhyana, and initiation to debates about suffering, divine will, and aesthetic theodicy. Covers myths like Sati and Daksha, diverse Shaiva schools and practices, inner alchemy risks, and the role of guru and transmission in spiritual transformation.
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Shiva As Refuge For The Outcast
- Shiva is portrayed as an eccentric, liminal figure because his radical acceptance dissolves social purity boundaries and invites those excluded by conventional religion.
- Nishanth links this to Shiva's loving, nonjudgmental presence that makes him a refuge for outcasts and wild beings.
Suffering As Divine Leela In Shaiva Thought
- Shaivism offers an aesthetic theodicy: suffering can be part of divine leela, an artistic play through which the infinite experiences limitation.
- Nishanth traces responses from inscrutable will to purposeful medicine to play, concluding Shramakrishna's final retort 'but who are you' reframes theodicy via nonduality.
Adapt Sadhana To Each Person's Svabhava
- Respect individual svabhava when recommending practices; fasting, ritual, or austerities can differ legitimately by person and household.
- Nishanth gives household examples: one member drinks milk on fasts, another treats any food as breaking a vrat.