Pravritti or Nivritti

Pravritti –personality –behavioral traits – is often considered as someone’s nature. This explains how a person reacts to a situation. The key in this scenarios is the external stimulus. Nivritti on the other hand defines abstinence or denial of acts that have no meaning. All acts in Nivritti state comes from the internal stimulus.

The hindu scriptures have very well laid out the two paths of life as Pravritti and Nivritti and have as usual left it to us to decide the way.

External stimuli or the desire is abundant all around us. The more you satisfy it, the more it grows. Knowing the purpose of your actions will help performing the actions better. This is where we can combine the external and internal stimuli.

Vishnu on one hand, indulges himself with the creation and helps the worldly creatures to lead their life meaningfully. In his acts, not only he desires he also plays along with the humans. Shiva on the other hand, meditates and turns his back on Brahma’s creation knowing that this is all fake and has no meaning. He knows Brahma created the world and the universe looking for answers to his existence and these creations would have no meaning more than that. While Vishnu displays the pat of Pravritti, Shiva shines the light on Nivritti.

Since Vishnu involves in the worldly matters and plays along, he has an outwardly gaze without leaving the sense of himself. In this process, he procreates and generates warmth all around him. Shiva on the other hand meditates and indulges in himself. He has an inwardly gaze and does not involves with anyone. This creates heat in himself. The inwardly heat or fire, which is expected to come when he opens his third eye. Since all the heat around him is converged inside him, everything around him turns cold into ice. Remember his abode on Mt Kailash.

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