Lord Shiva

Shiva (Sanskrit: Hindi: (when used to distinguish lordly status), and written Siva in the official IAST transliteration, pronounced as) is a form of Ishvara or God in the later Vedic scriptures of Hinduism. Shiva is the supreme God in Shaivism, one of the major branches of Hinduism.

Adi Sankara interprets the name Shiva meaning "One who purifies everyone by the utterance of His name" or the Pure One. That is, Shiva is unaffected by the three gunas (characteristics) of Prakrti (matter/nature) namely Satva, Rajas, and Tamas.

Shiva is one of the Trimurti (i.e "trinity"). In the Trimurti, Shiva is the destroyer, and Brahma is the creator and Vishnu is the preserver. Even though he represents destruction, Shiva is viewed as a positive force (The Destroyer of Evil), since creation follows destruction. However, according to Shaivism, Shiva is not merely a destroyer but performs five functions: 1. Creator, 2. Preserver, 3. Destroyer, 4. Hiding the sins, and most importantly, 5. Blessing.

Other views contend that Shiva produces Vishnu who produces Brahma and thus creation began, within which the cycle of the Trimurti exists. Shiva also assumes many other roles, including the Lord of Ascetics (Mahadeva, or the Great God), the Lord of Boons (Rudra, or The Howler - rud-iti rudra), and also the Universal Divinity (Maheshvara, the Great Lord).Shaivaites, the worshippers of Shiva consider as the Ultimate Reality (see Ishta-Deva for fuller discussion).

Shiva is usually represented by the Shiva linga (or lingam), usually depicted as a clay mound with three horizontal stripes on it, or visualised as a blazing pillar. In anthropomorphised images, he is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation on Mount Kailash, his traditional abode.

Introduction

The Meenakshi temple in Madurai, India is one of the most famous temples dedicated to Siva.Shiva is referred to as the good one or the auspicious one. Shiva as Rudra is considered to be the destroyer of evil and sorrow. Shiva as Shankara is the doer of good. Shiva is 'tri netra' (divine vision), and is 'Nilakantha' (= "blue necked", as he consumed the poison Halahala to save the world from destruction). Shiva as Nataraja is the Divine Cosmic Dancer. Shiva as Ardh narishvara is both man and woman.

He is both static and dynamic; both creator and destroyer. He is the oldest and the youngest; he is the eternal youth as well as the infant. He is the source of fertility in all living beings. He has gentle as well as fierce forms. Shiva is the greatest of renouncers as well as the ideal lover. He destroys evil and protects good. He bestows prosperity on worshipers although he is austere. He is omnipresent and resides in everyone as pure consciousness.

Shiva is inseparable from Parvati (also referred to as Shakti), who is the daughter of Himavant and Haimavati. There is no Shiva without Shakti and no Shakti without Shiva; the two are one, the absolute state of being - consciousness and bliss. Shakti in turn is the entire energy of the cosmos. Shiva is said to have shared half of his body for Shakti and is known as Ardhanarishwara(half woman, half man) in this form. In Hinduism, Shiva is said to have taken this form is to depict the equality of men and women.

The five mantras that constitute Shiva's body are Sadyojaata, Vaamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha and Eesaana. Sadyojaata is Shiva realized in his basic reality (as in the element earth, in the sense of smell, in the power of procreation and in the mind). "Eesaana" is Shiva invisible to the human eye. The Vishnudharmottara Purana of the 6th century BCE assigns a face and an element to each of the above mantras (Sadyojaata - earth, Vaamadeva - water, Aghora - fire, Tatpurusha - air and Eesaana - space).

The names of the deified faces with their elements are Mahadeva (earth), Uma (water), Bhairava (fire), Nandi (air) and Sadasiva (space).

A statue of Shiva near Indira Gandhi International Airport, DelhiIn Shiva temples, Navagraha (9 planets), Ganesh, Skanda, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Vishnu, Brahma, Ashtathig balar, Durga, Bairava, and all the other Hindu gods will have the place, denoting that Shiva is unique among the gods, so that only he is in a shapeless form (i.e. in linga form).

The five different avataras(forms) of Shiva are

Bhairava
Nataraja
Dakshinamurthy
Somaskandha
Pitkchadanar
In most of the South Indian temples, we can see all the five forms in a Shiva temple. All the five characteristics in a single face is said to be Sadashiva.

Shiva is not limited to the personal characteristics as he is given in many images and can transcend all attributes. Hence, Shiva is often worshipped in an abstract manner, as God without form, in the form of linga. This view is similar in some ways to the view of God in Semitic religions such as Islam or Judaism, which hold that God has no personal characteristics. Hindus, on the other hand, believe that God can transcend all personal characteristics and yet have personal characteristics for the grace of the embodied human devotee. Personal characteristics are a way for the devotee to focus on God. Shiva is also described as Anaadi (without beginning/birth) and Ananta (without end/death).

The tale about Shiva splitting into two halves of male and female indicates the origin of the Ardhanarishvara - the union of substance and energy, the Being and his Shakti (force).

Shiva: Supreme God of all in Saivism

Shiva is the supreme God of Shaivism, one of the three main branches of Hinduism practiced in South India today (the others being Vaishnavism and Shaktism). His abode is called Kailasa, a mountain in south Tibet. In Northern India, Shiva and Vishu and their avatars are worshipped equally.

His holy Vahana (Sanskrit for transport is Nandi, the Bull. His attendant is named Bhadra. Shiva is usually represented by the Shiva linga. In images, he is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation on Mount Kailash (reputed to be the same as the Mount Kailash in the south of Tibet, near the Manasarovar Lake) in the Himalayas, his traditional abode).

108 shiva lingas carved on the rock at the banks of river Tungabhadra, Hampi
Stamp Issued by India Post in June 19, 2003 on Government Museum, Chennai showing Nataraj.Shiva is the God of all and is worshipped by all, from Devas(gods) such as Brahma, Indra, by Asuras(demons) like Bana, Ravana, by humans like Adi Shankara, Nayanars, by creatures such as Jatayu, an eagle, Vali, an ape, and the list goes on and on. Furthermore, the site states that people of different backgrounds and qualities worship the Shiva, with many temples having histories of even cranes, bees, elephants, (see Kalahasti), spiders, snakes, worshipping Shiva and getting blessed. It concludes that the Lord, as the Supreme one, blesses anyone who worships him in sincere devotion as there is no discrimination on who the seeker is. Major deities, rishis, planets, worshipped Shiva and established Shivalingas in various places in India.

Ganesh at Pillayar patti (100 km from Madurai, India)
The four Vedas worshipped Shiva at Thirumaraikaadu (i.e., Vedaaranyam near Tanjore)
Skanda at Thiruchendur (200 km from Madurai, India)
Rama (avatar of Vishnu) in Rameswaram(India)
Vishnu atKanchipuram (Kachiswarar Temple)
Parasurama (avatar of Vishnu) at Sreesailam, Karnataka and also at Chennai (Parasurama at Lingeshwara Temple, Iyanavaram)
Goddess Lakshmi (wife of Vishnu) at Tirupachethi (50 km from Madurai).
Sungod at Srivilliputhur (Vaidhyanathaar Temple 100 km from Madurai)
Brahma and Vishnu at Tiruvannamalai (180 km from Chennai)
Brahma at Vrinchipuram (155 km from Chennai, 15 km from Vellore)
Raagu and Kethu at Kaalahasthi (50 km from Tirupathi, Andhra Pradesh, India)
Indra at Madurai (Soma Sundareeswar Temple)
The Rishi Agastya at Papanasam (100 km from Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India)
Goddess Parvati at Kancheepuram (Ekambeeswarar Temple, 70 km from Chennai, India)
Shani at Thirnallar (near Kaaraikal, Pondicherry)
Moongod at Thingalur (near Tanjore)
Shiva and Sani at Thirvidaimaruthoor (near Kumbakonam)
Brahma at Kumbakoonam (Kumbeeswarar, near Tanjore)

Consorts, and the burning of Kamadeva

Shiva and Parvati, a painting from Smithsonian InstituteShiva's consort is Devi, God's energy or God as the Divine Mother who comes in many different forms, one of whom is Kali, the goddess of death. Parvati, a more pacific form of Devi is also popular. Shiva also married Sati, another form of Devi and daughter of Daksha, who forbade the marriage. Sati disobeyed her father. Daksha once held a Yajna, but did not invite Shiva. In disgust, Sati self-immolated through yogic meditation (or, in another version, in the same fire Daksha used in his sacrifice)which awoke Shiva from deep meditation. Different versions of what happened afterwards follow. It is reported that Shiva in his anger, began the dance of death, Tandav which threatened to destroy the world. Worried, the Gods and priests attending the Yajna decided to scatter Sati's ashes over Shiva which calmed him and in deep anguish over the loss of his wife, he went back into meditation.

A different version of the story says that upon learning of Sati's death, Shiva tore off a lock of his hair and lashed it against the ground. The stalk split in two, one half transforming into the terrifying gana Virabhadra, while the other caused Mahakali to manifest on the scene. The pair immediately led Shiva's army of ganas to Daksha's yajna and destroyed it. Daksha was decapitated by Virabhadra.

Sati was later reborn in the house of Himavat (Himalaya mountain-range personified) and performed great penance (Skt: Tapasya) to win over Shiva's attention. Her penance brought Kamadeva and his consort Rati to the scene, whereupon they attempted to interrupt Shiva's meditation with Kamadeva's arrow of passion. It caused Shiva to break his Samadhi, but he was so infuriated by Kamadeva's assault that he burned the deva of passion to ashes on the spot with his glare. It was only after Rati's pleading that Shiva agreed to reincarnate Kamadeva.

Parvati would try again without Kamadeva's aid to win over Shiva, and this time, through her devotion and the persuasion of other rishis, yogis, and devas, he eventually accepted her.

The sons of Shiva

Kiillikkurussimangalam Mahadeva Kshetram (Kerala)Shiva and Parvati are the parents of Karthikeya and Ganesha. Ganesha, the elephant-headed God of wisdom, acquired his head by offending Shiva, by refusing to allow him to enter the house while Parvati was bathing. Shiva sent his ganas to subdue Ganesha, but to no avail. As a last resort, he bade Vishnu confuse the stalwart guardian using his powers of maya. Then, at the right moment, Shiva hurled Trishula and cut Ganesha's head from his body. Upon finding her guardian dead, Parvati was enraged and called up the many forms of Shakti to devour Shiva's ganas and wreak havoc in Swargaloka. To pacify her, Shiva brought forth an elephant's head(from North direction) from the forest and set it upon the boy's shoulders, reviving him. Shiva then took Ganesha as his own son and placed him in charge of his ganas. Thus, Ganesha's title is Ganapati, Lord of the Ganas. In another version, Parvati presented her child to Shani (the planet Saturn), whose gaze burned his head to ashes. Brahma bade Shiva to replace with the first head he could find, which happened to be that of an elephant.

Karthikeya is a six-headed god and was conceived to kill the demon Tarakasura, who had proven invincible against other gods. Tarakasura had terrorised the devas of Swargaloka so thoroughly that they came to Shiva pleading for his help. Shiva thus assumed a form with five faces, a divine spark emanating from his third eye. He gave the sparks to Agni and Vayu to carry to Ganga and thereupon release. In Ganga's river, the sparks were washed downstream into a pond and found by the Krittikas, five forest maidens. The sparks transformed into children and were suckled by the Karttikas, When Shiva, Parvati, and the other celestials arrived on the scene, there was a debate of who the child belonged to. Further, Parvati, who was the most likely to care for the child, was puzzled as to how she would suckle five children. Suddenly, the child merged into a single being and Shiva blessed him with five separate names for his five sets of parents to settle the debate. The child, despite having been born from five sparks, had a sixth head, a unifying principle which brought together the five aspects of his father's power into a single being. From here, the campaign in which Karttikeya would vanquish Tarakasura and liberate Swargaloka began.

Shiva also had a son, Ayyappan with Mahavishnu in the form of Mohini.

Attributes of Shiva

Shiva, shown in his cosmic form.The Third Eye: The third eye of Shiva on his forehead is the eye of wisdom. It is the eye that looks beyond the obvious.thus he is known as Trinetrishwara (The lord with three eyes). The third eye of Shiva is also popularly associated with his untamed energy which destroys the evil doers and sins. The third eye is also thought to represent the pineal gland.

The Cobra Necklace: Shiva is beyond the powers of death and is often the sole support in case of distress. He swallowed the poison kalketu for the wellbeing of the Universe.In order that he not be harmed by this poison, his consort Parvati is said to have tied a cobra to his neck.This retained the poison in his throat thereby tuirning it blue and hence the name Neelakanta ( The one with a blue throat). The deadly cobra represents that “death” aspect whom Shiva has thoroughly conquered.Shiva is also known as Naageshwara ( The lord of serpents). The cobras around his neck also represent the dormant energy, called Kundalini, the serpent power.

Matted hair (Jata): The flow of his matted hair represents him as the lord of wind or Vayu, who is the subtle form of breath present in all living beings. Thus it is Shiva which is the lifeline for all living being. He is Pashupatinath.

Crescent: Shiva bears on his head the crescent of the fifth day (panchami) moon. This is placed near the fiery third eye and this shows the power of Soma, the sacrificial offering, which is the representative of moon. It means that Shiva possesses the power of procreation along with the power of destruction. The moon is also a measure of time; thus the Crescent also represents his control over time. Thus Shiva is known by the names of Somasundara and Chandrashekara.

Sacred Ganga: Ganga, the holiest of the holy rivers, flows from the matted hair of Shiva. Shiva allowed an outlet to the great river to traverse the earth and bring purifying water to human beings (See: Origin of Ganga). The flowing water is one of the five elements which compose the whole Universe and from which earth arises. Ganga also denotes fertility one of the creative aspect of the Rudra.

The Drum: The drum in the hand of Shiva is the originator of the universal word ? which is the source of all the language and expression. The drum is known as "Damru".

The Vibhuti: Vibhuti is three lines of ashes drawn on the forehead that represents the essence of our Being, which remains after all the malas (impurities of ignorance, ego and action) and vasanas (likes and dislikes, attachments to one's body, world, worldly fame, worldly enjoyments, etc.) have been burnt in the fire of knowledge. Hence vibhuti is revered as the very form of Shiva and signifies the Immortality of the soul and manifested glory of the Lord.

The Ashes: Shiva smears his body with cemetery ashes (Bhasma) points the philosophy of the life and death and the fact that death is the ultimate reality of the life.

Tiger skin: The tiger is the vehicle of Shakti, the goddess of power and force. Shiva is beyond and above any kind of force. He is the master of Shakti. The tiger skin that he wears symbolises victory over every force. Tigers also represent lust. Thus sitting on Tiger skin, Shiva indicates that he has conquered lust.

The Elephant & Deer Skin: Shiva also wears elephant skins. Elephants represent pride. Wearing elephant skin, Shiva indicates that he has conquered pride. Similarly deer represent the jumping of minds (flickering mind). Shiva wears deer skin which indicates that he has controlled the mind perfectly.

Rudraksha: Shiva wears wrist bands of Rudraksha which are supposed to have medicinal properties.

The Trident: The three head of Shiva’s Trishul symbolizes three functions of the triad – the creation, the sustenance and the destruction. The Trident, in the hand of Shiva indicates that all the three aspects are in his control.

As a weapon the trident represents the instrument of punishment to the evil doer on all the three planes – spiritual, subtle and physical.

Another interpretation of the three headed trident is its head represent the past, the present and the future. The trident in the hand of Rudra indicates his control over the present the past and the future.

Names of Shiva

The Shiva Purana lists 108 names for Shiva and the Shiva sahasranama lists 1008 names. Each of his names, in Sanskrit, signifies a certain attribute of his. Some of his names are listed below:

Hara
Mahadeva (Sanskrit) - The Supreme Lord : Maha = great, Deva = God - more often than not, the Aghora (fierce) version
Rudra (Sanskrit) - The one who howls or strict and uncompromising
Maheshwar (Sanskrit) - The Supreme Lord: Maha = great, Eshwar = God
Rameshwar (Sanskrit) - The one whom Ram worships: Ram, Eshwar = worships, God; Ram's God
Mahayogi (Sanskrit)- The Supreme Yogi: Maha = great, Yogi = one who practices Yoga
Mahabaleshwar (Sanskrit) - God of Great Strength : Maha = great, Bal = strength, Eshwar = God
Trinetra (Sanskrit) - Three-Eyed One, i.e. All-Knowing: Tri = three, Netra = Eye
Triaksha (Sanskrit) - Three-Eyed One, i.e. All-Knowing: Tri = three, Aksha = Eye
Trinayana (Sanskrit) - Three-Eyed One, i.e. All-Knowing: Tri = three, Nayana = Eye
Tryambakam (Sanskrit) - Three-Eyed One, i.e. All-Knowing: Tri = three, Ambakam = Eye
Mahakala (Sanskrit) - Great Time, i.e. Conqueror of Time: Maha = three, Kala = Time
Neelaka?tha (Sanskrit) - The one with a Blue Throat: Neel = blue, Kantha = throat
Digambara (Sanskrit) - One who has the skies as his clothes, i.e. The Naked One: Dik = Clothes, Ambara = Sky
Shankara (Sanskrit) - Giver of Joy
Shambhu (Sanskrit) - Abode of Joy
Vyomkesha (Sanskrit) - The One who has the sky as his hair: Vyom = sky, Kesha =hair
Chandrashekhara (Sanskrit) - The master of the Moon: Chandra = Moon, Shekhara = master
Siddheshwara (Sanskrit) - The Perfect Lord
Trishuldhari (Sanskrit) - He who holds the divine Trishul or Trident: Trishul = Trident, Dhari = He who holds
Dakhshi?amurthi (Sanskrit) - The Cosmic Tutor
Kailashpati (Sanskrit) - Lord of Mount Kailash
Pashupatinatha (Sanskrit) - Lord of all Creatures or Pashupati
Umapati (Sanskrit) - The husband of Uma
Gangadhara (Sanskrit) - He who holds the river Ganga
Bhairava (Sanskrit) - The Frightful One
Sabesan (Sanskrit) - Lord who dances in the dais
Nagaraja (Sanskrit) - King of snakes (Lord/Ruler/Controller of snakes)
Ekambaranatha (Sanskrit) - The destroyer of evil (name used scarcely, mostly in temples)
Tripurantaka (Sanskrit) - The destroyer of the triplet fortresses, Tripura, of the Asuras.
Ashutosh.