The “Gods” are not personages of sagas or historical god´s stories to be evaluated by applying the human psychology and mentality.
Shiva is a personification, symbolic expression (in this case) of the WILL as such, the will as the core phenomenon of the state of affairs in the world.
There are two “categories” of will or the implementations of the Shiva factor in the universe, and namely:
- Will in the nature realms as a lawful natural driving factor of the life expression in both inorganic and organic worlds.
- Will of a human being.
What is the difference between them?
- The will factor in the nature of mineral, plants, and animal realms do not “function” based on free will.
- Human will factor “functions” based on our free will and self-awareness.
By other words, Shiva leads all will factor processes in nature for the benefit of homeostasis on the Earth. Imagine a coltsfoot flower or a mushroom, when they crush the asphalt (tarmac) on the road in expressing their willingness to live.
Or imagine a human being when he does whatever to apply his/her will to achieving something…
Naturally, in human society, the “Shiva´s will” is connoted with the spiritual aspects of human life, the aspects related with the practical spiritual wisdom, which supports positively all other realms of human existence.
Devotion to Shiva is not a devotion to Shiva as personal God. Devotion to Shiva means our responsibility in front of both categories of “Shiva-Will- Phenomenon”. It is a twofold responsibility:
- Responsibility in front of nature through our respect and appreciation of the lawful evolvement of nature for the benefit of life and humankind on Earth.
- Responsibility in front of our own will (our own behavior), which should be applied based on our wisdom and its application through our free will in our daily life.
Thus, to answer the question.
- Shiva – we explained already its “will-bearing” role.
- Parvati = Um as an expression of the will phenomena leading to the human aspect of a free will embodied in the knowledge/wisdom as instruments of love, strength, and power,
- Ganesha – Parvati leads to the next expression of Shiva in/through the human mind (Ganesha), enlightened mind. Ganesha as irresponsible thinking faculty is a monkey mind, Ganesha as a responsible thinking faculty is a God Ganesha.
Human thinking, when it is irresponsible and ignorant, is “punished” by the reality of life. Ignorant human being is like beheaded human being because he/she is misusing his/her free will faculty for performing the acts, which are not beneficial (responsible) for homeostasis on Earth and for the goodness of humankind… Such a human being is beheaded of the spiritual experiential potential of his/her faulty thinking.
The restoration of the mind-head is reflecting with every thought and act is reflecting the previous stage of affairs. Only long-term patient work can lead step by step to new restorations based on repeated wise and responsible behavior – being crowned by a spiritually wise mind.
Thus, the Shiva-Parvati-Ganesha represents the triad reality of the “things as they are” in respect to the will and mind phenomena.