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I've been finding that we, the Hinduism StackExchange community sometimes face the issue of Shiva vs. Vishnu debate[1] which leads to the rude or offensive contention in comments, chats and even reaching to the meta! So, I thought of posting a suggestion or an advice to stay away from such things.

Though it's already covered in the sections of guidelines, I feel the need of concerning the community towards the adverse effect of it.

I've already bookmarked one note in main chat-room:

Note:

I've found that Shiva vs Vishu debate have been occurring for centuries. You'll also find many questions on this site engaging in that and people are found always be interested in that! People sometimes try to prove either of one Supreme. I think Shiva/Rudra, Vishnu and Narayana are very subtle and philosophical concept to be understood properly. There are many scriptural source and their interpretation results in supremacy of either of one (but not over another). One should not think of demeaning either of them while believing or interpreting another supreme. Ekam Sad Vipra Bahudha Vadanti. So, I suggest/advice not to focus much on debate or waste time in debating whose sole purpose/intense is to just prove supremacy of either of them over (and hence demeaning) another. If you want to be philosophical and/or spiritual, focus/concentrate/meditate on Brahman.

Every user can have his or her own beliefs and philosophies and may belongs to particular Sampradaya which have their beliefs and philosophies and interpretation. We should not use words that can offend beliefs of some users. Though we can also not stop users from posting or writing answers according to their beliefs or interpretation/philosophy. In any case if you find the points you're not agree with I suggest to ignore if possible instead of engaging in repetitive arguments that don't have the end or the conclusion. Also such things would be unhealthy for this community/site as well as for spiritual progress of the self I think.

It is also observed that some users are engaged in posting questions just for the shake of demeaning some beliefs or proving some beliefs superior.

Hence, bothering toward the activity on main as well as on meta site, for saving the healthy and peaceful environment/culture of the site from getting spoiled, I'm making this post as one type of a suggestion/guideline note.

Thanks.

[1] I think the prime cause of most of the related issues is that.

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    Good post. But what if moderators themselves engage in/promote such debate? Here's an answer by a mod where he changed his language after other users caught him proselytizing. Why don't mods start cleaning up their acts before lecturing others?
    – Say No To Censorship
    Nov 30, 2017 at 16:15
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    @sv I had totally missed that. So this is not the first time that the mod indulged in this. I remember a post in which keshavsrinivasan also used the same language and I called him out on it. hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/17895/… I am now convinced this user has an agenda.
    – user1195
    Nov 30, 2017 at 20:05
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    Thanks @Pandya for raising this. Coming into HSE has become tedious for me. I initially used to come here to know more about Puranas and a little bit of Theology, but nowadays it's become very much on the lines of 'How does A fit into the modern world', 'Isn't A powerless compared to B', 'Why does my friend call C the most powerful', 'Why does book related to A praise B'. I wish there would be a separate site for such things mentioning 'ComparitiveHinduism.SE' which handles these questions, or separate out as ShivaHinduism.SE and VaishnavaHinduism.SE and let the bashers bash in their backyards
    – user1952500
    Dec 1, 2017 at 1:11
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    Note that my stay in HSE has spanned a year, so something has changed in 2017. I don't have enough rights to draw a statistical analysis, and do not wish to do so either. I considered moving out a few months ago but stayed looking for changes but the questions seems to be getting worse. I know a few users whose questions seem to be neutral and about increasing their knowledge, and some other users whose questions are exactly about drawing comparisons based on what they hear in their part of society. They bring their negativity to HSE to balance out the negativity they hear elsewhere.
    – user1952500
    Dec 1, 2017 at 1:20
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    Why was SK's answer to this removed? Looks like a mod or someone with mod privileges is abusing their power.
    – user1195
    Dec 1, 2017 at 4:42
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    Now a days Indra vs Vishnu is also popular in this site. What about this?
    – YDS
    Dec 1, 2017 at 8:38
  • @yds haha. good Q .The fight is for supremacy. Indra is recognized as subordinate to the supreme gods
    – user1195
    Dec 1, 2017 at 12:19
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    @YDS This is the general post can be applied to and hence covers such possible things.
    – Pandya Mod
    Dec 1, 2017 at 13:21
  • @Pandya I like the way you think and you put your thoughts. :-)
    – TheLittleNaruto Mod
    Apr 29, 2018 at 18:31
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    @Pandya The question should be edited with stay away from sectarian debates. There are always new methods asking about some sect versus another sect not only Shiva Vs Vishnu. I don't think this has worked because there are still debates and targetting going on based on sects and their beliefs.
    – Sarvabhouma
    Apr 30, 2018 at 4:27

1 Answer 1

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Why did you write "Shiva vs Vishnu" & not "Vishnu vs Shiva"? Are you a devotee of Shiva?

This is how a debate starts. :-)
Hence, having a guideline is necessary but not sufficient.

One effective way to make ourselves understand is that, both the names are just different aspects of same "Self"(Atma) or "Me".

  • As explained in this answer, "Shiva" is a formless aspect -- i.e. "Nirguna Brahman".
  • And all of us know that this formless is converted to formful during the day of "BrahM"; All the major, minor incarnations are part of this "Sagunua Brahman", which we call "Vishnu"

At least I was convinced that with this notion, that it's irrelevant to debate on this topic. Here the result is important & not the notion.
Similarly, others may also explain themselves to their mind, whatever suits and make a peace with this issue.

If "Shankara" is "Shiva" & "Krishna" is "Vishnu", then it's assured from Mahabharata, that both were best of friends!

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    There was a huge debate on a user promoting his own philosophy or beliefs. The first comment on the question also says the same. On a related note, saying everything is one and there's nothing else is not promoting a philosophy? There are many answers doing that also that is giving one philosophy and saying that that is the absolute philosophy. Then why don't people see that?
    – Sarvabhouma
    Dec 1, 2017 at 4:12
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    Again, Nirguna Brahman =Shiva, Saguna Brahman = Vishnu is not a universal notion it is also a thought of some sect. Now, are you are promoting the beliefs of a sect or a philosophy? I will report you on meta and add all the posts you did it. :-P (Just kidding) .
    – Sarvabhouma
    Dec 1, 2017 at 4:18
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    @NogShine, that's why I referred that "At least I was convinced", may be with a wrong or personal notion. A placebo is also a medicine, when it works! Similarly people may also get "explain" their own conscience to get rid of this debate. :-) Humour taken!
    – iammilind
    Dec 1, 2017 at 4:19
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    This kind of thinking is why I never understood the division between Shavaites and Vaishnavaites. Certainly most Hindus believe all is One, so why should we focus our energies on the "differences?" It is arguing over maya. It is like saying, "The symbols contained in my illusion are more correct than the symbols contained in your illusion!" To address Sarvabhouma's point that some people believe in qualified nondualism and other in dualism, neither of these these believe that the duality is between supreme lords. It is about our role in relation to the Supreme.
    – Rubellite Yakṣī
    Apr 11, 2018 at 6:15
  • Lastly, we can see in nature that a felled tree rots. This provides life to many forest critters and eventually new saplings. So destruction, creation, and sustention all lead to each other. They are each transitional stages in complete system. The system cannot exist if you remove any of the three. How can one be better than the other?
    – Rubellite Yakṣī
    Apr 11, 2018 at 6:19

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