Shiva
A statue in Bangalore depicting Shiva meditating
Devanagari	शिव
Affiliation	Deva (Trimurti)
Abode	Mount Kailāsa1
Mantra	Aum Namah Sivaya
Weapon	Trident (Trishul)
Consort	Sati, Parvati
Mount	Nandi (bull)

Shiva (pronounced /ˈʃiːvə/; Sanskrit: शिव, Śiva; IPA: [ˈɕiʋə]; meaning "Auspicious one"), is a major Hindu deity, and one aspect of Trimurti.² In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God. In the Smarta tradition, he is regarded as one of the five primary forms of God.³

Followers of Hinduism who focus their worship upon Shiva are called Shaivites or Shaivas (Sanskrit Śaiva).⁴ Shaivism, along with Vaiṣṇava traditions that focus on Vishnu and Śākta traditions that focus on the goddess Shakti are three of the most influential denominations in Hinduism.³

Shiva is usually worshipped in the abstract form of Shiva linga. In images, he is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation or dancing the Tandava upon Maya, the demon of ignorance in his manifestation of Nataraja, the lord of the dance.

Etymology and other names

A statue of Shiva on Delhi-Gurgaon Highway

The Sanskrit word Shiva (Devanagari: शिव, śiva) is an adjective meaning "auspicious, kind, gracious".⁵⁶ As a proper name it means "The Auspicious One", used as a euphemistic name for Rudra.⁶ In simple English transliteration it is written either as Shiva or Siva. The adjective śiva, meaning "auspicious", is used as an attributive epithet not particularly of Rudra, but of several other Vedic deities.⁷ In the Rig Veda, Indra uses this word to describe himself several times. (2:20:3, 6:45:17, 8:93:3)

The Sanskrit word śaiva means "relating to the god Shiva", and this term is the Sanskrit name both for one of the principal sects of Hinduism and for a member of that sect.⁸ It is used as an adjective to characterize certain beliefs and practices, such as Shaivism.⁹

Adi Sankara, in his interpretation of the name Shiva, the 27th and 600th name of Vishnu sahasranama, the thousand names of Vishnu interprets Shiva to have multiple meanings: "The Pure One", or "the One who is not affected by three Gunas of Prakrti (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas)" or "the One who purifies everyone by the very utterance of His name."¹⁰ Swami Chinmayananda, in his translation of Vishnu sahasranama, further elaborates on that verse: Shiva means "the One who is eternally pure" or "the One who can never have any contamination of the imperfection of Rajas and Tamas".¹¹

The name Shiva, in one interpretation, is speculated to have derived from the Dravidian word Siva, meaning "to be red", as a loan translation of Rudra, "the red".^{dubious – discuss12}

Shiva's role as the primary deity of Shaivism is reflected in his epithets Mahādeva ("Great God"; mahā = Great + deva = God),¹³¹⁴ Maheśhvara ("Great Lord"; mahā = Great + īśhvara = Lord),¹⁵¹⁶ and Parameśhvara ("Supreme Lord").¹⁷

There are at least eight different versions of the Shiva Sahasranama, devotional hymns (stotras) listing many names of Shiva.¹⁸ The version appearing in Book 13 (Anuśāsanaparvan) of the Mahabharata is considered the kernel of this tradition.¹⁹ Shiva also has Dasha-Sahasranamas (10,000 names) that are found in the Mahanyasa. The Shri Rudram Chamakam, also known as the Śatarudriya, is a devotional hymn to Shiva hailing him by many names.²⁰²¹

Historical development

The worship of Shiva is a pan-Hindu tradition, practiced widely across all of India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.²²²³ Some historians believe that the figure of Shiva as we know him today was built up over time, with the ideas of many regional sects being amalgamated into a single figure.²⁴ How the persona of Shiva converged as a composite deity is not well documented.²⁵ Axel Michaels explains the composite nature of Shaivism as follows:

Like Vişņu, Śiva is also a high god, who gives his name to a collection of theistic trends and sects: Śaivism. Like Vaişņavism, the term also implies a unity which cannot be clearly found either in religious practice or in philosophical and esoteric doctrine. Furthermore, practice and doctrine must be kept separate.²⁶

An example of assimilation took place in Maharashtra, where a regional deity named Khandoba is a patron deity of farming and herding castes.²⁷ The foremost center of worship of Khandoba in Maharashtra is in Jejuri.²⁸ Khandoba has been assimilated as a form of Shiva himself,²⁹ in which case he is worshipped in the form of a lingam.²⁷³⁰ Khandoba's varied associations also include an identification with Surya ²⁷ and Karttikeya.³¹

The Pashupati seal

A seal discovered during the excavation of Mohenjo-daro has drawn attention as a possible representation of a "proto-Shiva" figure.³² This Pashupati (Lord of animal-like beings)³³ seal shows a seated figure, possibly ithyphallic, surrounded by animals.³⁴ Sir John Marshall and others have claimed that this figure is a prototype of Shiva and have described the figure as having three faces seated in a "yoga posture" with the knees out and feet joined. However, this claim is not without its share of critics, with some academics like Gavin Flood³²³⁵ and John Keay³⁶ characterizing them as unfounded.

Rudra

Three-headed Shiva, Gandhara, 2nd century CE

Shiva as we know him today shares many features with the Vedic god Rudra³⁷, and both Shiva and Rudra are viewed as the same personality in a number of Hindu traditions. Rudra, the god of the roaring storm, is usually portrayed in accordance with the element he represents as a fierce, destructive deity.

The oldest surviving text of Hinduism is the Rig Veda, which is dated to between 1700 and 1100 BCE based on linguistic and philological evidence.³⁸ A god named Rudra is mentioned in the Rig Veda. The name Rudra is still used as a name for Shiva. In RV 2.33, he is described as the "Father of the Maruts", a group of storm gods.³⁹ Furthermore, the Rudram, one of the most sacred hymns of Hinduism found both in the Rig and the Yajur Vedas and addressed to Rudra, invokes him as Shiva in several instances, but the term Shiva is used as a epithet for Indra, Mitra and Agni many times.

The identification of Shiva with the older god Rudra is not universally accepted, as Axel Michaels explains:

To what extent Śiva's origins are in fact to be sought in Rudra is extremely unclear. The tendency to consider Śiva an ancient god is based on this identification, even though the facts that justify such a far-reaching assumption are meager.⁴⁰

Rudra is called "The Archer" (Sanskrit: Śarva)⁴¹, and the arrow is an essential attribute of Rudra.⁴² This name appears in the Shiva Sahasranama, and R. K. Sharma notes that it is used as a name of Shiva often in later languages.⁴³ The word is derived from the Sanskrit root śarv-, which means "to injure" or "to kill"⁴⁴, and Sharma uses that general sense in his interpretive translation of the name Śarva as "One who can kill the forces of darkness".⁴³ The names Dhanvin ("Bowman")⁴⁵ and Bāṇahasta ("Archer", literally "Armed with arrows in his hands")⁴⁵⁴⁶ also refer to archery.

Identification with Vedic deities

Shiva's rise to a major position in the pantheon was facilitated by his identification with a host of Vedic deities, including Agni, Indra, Prajāpati, Vāyu, and others.⁴⁷

Agni

Rudra and Agni have a close relationship.⁴⁸⁴⁹ The identification between Agni and Rudra in the Vedic literature was an important factor in the process of Rudra's gradual development into the later character as Rudra-Shiva.⁵⁰ The identification of Agni with Rudra is explicitly noted in the Nirukta, an important early text on etymology, which says, "Agni is called Rudra also."⁵¹ The interconnections between the two deities are complex, and according to Stella Kramrisch:

The fire myth of Rudra-Śiva plays on the whole gamut of fire, valuing all its potentialities and phases, from conflagration to illumination.⁵²

In the Śatarudrīa, some epithets of Rudra, such as Sasipañjara ("Of golden red hue as of flame") and Tivaṣīmati ("Flaming bright"), suggest a fusing of the two deities.⁵³ Agni is said to be a bull⁵⁴, and Lord Shiva possesses a bull as his vehicle, Nandi. The horns of Agni, who is sometimes characterized as a bull, are mentioned.⁵⁵⁵⁶ In medieval sculpture, both Agni and the form of Shiva known as Bhairava have flaming hair as a special feature.⁵⁷

Indra

The Indologist Koenraad Elst proposes that Shiva of Puranic Hinduism is a continuation of the Vedic Indra.^{citation needed} He gives several reasons for his hypothesis. Both Shiva and Indra are known for having a thirst for Soma. Both are associated with mountains, rivers, male fertility, fierceness, fearlessness, warfare, transgression of established mores, the Aum sound, and the Supreme Self. In the Rig Veda, the term śiva is used to refer to Indra. (2.20.3,⁵⁸ 6.45.17,⁵⁹⁶⁰ and 8.93.3 ⁶¹)

Attributes

Shiva with Parvati. Shiva is depicted three-eyed, with a crescent moon on his head, the Ganga flowing through his matted hair, wearing ornaments of serpents and a skull necklace, and covered in ashes, and Trisula and Damaru are seen in the background.

• Third eye: Shiva is often depicted with a third eye, with which he burned Desire (Kāma) to ashes.⁶² There has been controversy regarding the original meaning of Shiva's name Tryambakam (Sanskrit: त्र्यम्बकम्), which occurs in many scriptural sources.⁶³ In classical Sanskrit, the word ambaka denotes "an eye", and in the Mahabharata, Shiva is depicted as three-eyed, so this name is sometimes translated as "having three eyes".⁶⁴ However, in Vedic Sanskrit, the word ambā or ambikā means "mother", and this early meaning of the word is the basis for the translation "having three mothers" that was used by Max Müller and Arthur Macdonell.⁶⁵⁶⁶ Since no story is known in which Shiva had three mothers, E. Washburn Hopkins suggested that the name refers not to three mothers, but to three mother-goddesses who are collectively called the Ambikās.⁶⁷ Other related translations have been "having three wives or sisters" or were based on the idea that the name actually refers to the oblations given to Rudra, which according to some traditions were shared with the goddess Ambikā.⁶⁸

• Crescent moon: Shiva bears on his head the crescent moon.⁶⁹ The epithet Chandraśekhara (Sanskrit: चन्द्रशेखर "Having the moon as his crest" - chandra = "moon", śekhara = "crest, crown")⁷⁰⁷¹⁷² refers to this feature. The placement of the moon on his head as a standard iconographic feature dates to the period when Rudra rose to prominence and became the major deity Rudra-Shiva.⁷³ The origin of this linkage may be due to the identification of the moon with Soma, and there is a hymn in the Rig Veda where Soma and Rudra are jointly emplored, and in later literature, Soma and Rudra came to be identified with one another, as were Soma and the moon.⁷⁴

• Ashes: Shiva smears his body with ashes (bhasma).⁷⁵ Some forms of Shiva, such as Bhairava, are associated with a very old Indian tradition of cremation-ground asceticism that was practiced by some groups who were outside the fold of brahmanic orthodoxy.⁷⁶ These practices associated with cremation grounds are also mentioned in the Pali canon of Theravada Buddhism.⁷⁷ One epithet for Shiva is "inhabitant of the cremation ground" (Sanskrit: śmaśānavāsin, also spelled Shmashanavasin), referring to this connection.⁷⁸

• Matted hair: Shiva's distinctive hair style is noted in the epithets Jaṭin, "the one with matted hair"⁷⁹, and Kapardin, "endowed with matted hair"⁸⁰ or "wearing his hair wound in a braid in a shell-like (kaparda) fashion".⁸¹ A kaparda is a cowrie shell, or a braid of hair in the form of a shell, or, more generally, hair that is shaggy or curly.⁸²

• Blue throat: The epithet Nīlakaṇtha (Sanskrit नीलकण्ठ; nīla = "blue", kaṇtha = "throat")⁸³⁸⁴ refers to a story in which Shiva drank the poison churned up from the world ocean.⁸⁵⁸⁶ (See Halāhala.) The Hari Vanśa Purana, on the other hand, attributes the colour of Shiva's throat to an episode in which Vishnu compels Shiva to fly after taking him by the throat and nearly strangling him.⁸⁷

Shiva bearing the descent of the Ganges River as Parvati and Bhagiratha and the bull Nandi look, folio from a Hindi manuscript by the saint Narayan, circa 1740

• Sacred Ganga: The Ganga river flows from the matted hair of Shiva. The epithet Gaṅgādhara ("bearer of the river Gaṅgā") refers to this feature.⁸⁸⁸⁹ The Ganga (Ganges), one of the major rivers of the country, is said to have made her abode in Shiva's hair.⁹⁰

• Tiger skin: He is often shown seated upon a tiger skin,⁷⁵ an honour reserved for the most accomplished of Hindu ascetics, the Brahmarishis. "Mythology ~ The birth of Brahmarishis". http://www.tamilstar.com/mythology/brahmarishis. Retrieved 2008-05-07. 

• Serpents: Shiva is often shown garlanded with a snake.⁹¹

• Trident: (Sanskrit: Trishula): Shiva's particular weapon is the trident.⁷⁵

• Drum: A small drum shaped like an hourglass is known as a damaru (Sanskrit: ḍamaru).⁹²⁹³ This is one of the attributes of Shiva in his famous dancing representation⁹⁴ known as Nataraja. A specific hand gesture (mudra) called ḍamaru-hasta (Sanskrit for "ḍamaru-hand") is used to hold the drum.⁹⁵ This drum is particularly used as an emblem by members of the Kāpālika sect.⁹⁶

• Nandī: Nandī, also known as Nandin, is the name of the bull that serves as Shiva's mount (Sanskrit: vāhana).⁹⁷⁹⁸ Shiva's association with cattle is reflected in his name Paśupati, or Pashupati (Sanskrit: पशुपति), translated by Sharma as "lord of cattle"⁹⁹ and by Kramrisch as "lord of animals", who notes that it is particularly used as an epithet of Rudra.¹⁰⁰

• Gaṇa: The Gaṇas (Devanagari: गण) are attendants of Shiva and live in Kailash. They are often referred to as the Boothaganas, or ghostly hosts, on account of their nature. Generally benign, except when their lord is transgressed against, they are often invoked to intercede with the lord on behalf of the devotee. Ganesha was chosen as their leader by Shiva, hence Ganesha's title gaṇa-īśa or gaṇa-pati, "lord of the gaṇas".¹⁰¹

• Mount Kailāsa: Mount Kailash in the Himalayas is his traditional abode.⁷⁵ In Hindu mythology, Mount Kailāsa is conceived as resembling a Linga, representing the center of the universe.¹⁰²

• Varanasi: Varanasi (Benares) is considered as the city specially loved by Shiva, and is one of the holiest places of pilgrimage in India. It is referred to, in religious contexts, as Kashi.¹⁰³

Forms and depictions

According to Gavin Flood, "Śiva is a god of ambiguity and paradox," whose attributes include opposing themes.¹⁰⁴ The ambivalent nature of this deity is apparent in some of his names and the stories told about him.

Destroyer versus benefactor

Shiva carrying the corpse of his first consort Dakshayani (Sati)

In the Yajurveda, two contrary sets of attributes for both malignant or terrific (Sanskrit: rudra) and benign or auspicious (Sanskrit: śiva) forms can be found, leading Chakravarti to conclude that "all the basic elements which created the complex Rudra-Śiva sect of later ages are to be found here."¹⁰⁵ In the Mahabharata, Shiva is depicted as "the standard of invincibility, might, and terror", as well as a figure of honor, delight, and brilliance.¹⁰⁶ The duality of Shiva's fearful and auspicious attributes appears in contrasted names.

The name Rudra (Sanskrit: रुद्र) reflects his fearsome aspects. According to traditional etymologies, the Sanskrit name Rudra is derived from the root rud-, which means "to cry, howl".¹⁰⁷ Stella Kramrisch notes a different etymology connected with the adjectival form raudra, which means "wild, of rudra nature", and translates the name Rudra as "the wild one" or "the fierce god".¹⁰⁸ R. K. Sharma follows this alternate etymology and translates the name as "terrible".¹⁰⁹ Hara (Sanskrit: हर) is an important name that occurs three times in the Anushasanaparvan version of the Shiva sahasranama, where it is translated in different ways each time it occurs, following a commentorial tradition of not repeating an interpretation. Sharma translates the three as "one who captivates", "one who consolidates", and "one who destroys."¹¹⁰ Kramrisch translates it as "the ravisher".⁸⁶ Another of Shiva's fearsome forms is as Kāla (Sanskrit: काल), "time", and as Mahākāla (Sanskrit: महाकाल), "great time", which ultimately destroys all things.^111112113 Bhairava (Sanskrit: भैरव), "terrible" or "frightful"¹¹⁴, is a fierce form associated with annihilation.¹¹⁵

In contrast, the name Śaṇkara (Sanskrit: शङ्कर), "beneficent"⁴³ or "conferring happiness"¹¹⁶ reflects his benign form. This name was adopted by the great Vedanta philosopher Śaṇkara (c. 788-820 CE), who is also known as Shankaracharya.¹¹⁷¹¹⁸ The name Śambhu (Sanskrit: शम्भु), "causing happiness", also reflects this benign aspect.¹¹⁹¹²⁰

Ascetic versus householder

An illustration of the family of Shiva, consisting of Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha and Skanda (Kartikeya)

He is depicted as both an ascetic yogin and as a householder, roles which are mutually exclusive in Hindu society.¹²¹ When depicted as a yogin, he may be shown sitting and meditating.¹²² His epithet Mahāyogin ("the great Yogi: Mahā = "great", Yogin = "one who practices Yoga") refers to his association with yoga.¹²³ While Vedic religion was conceived mainly in terms of sacrifice, it was during the Epic period that the concepts of tapas, yoga, and asceticism became more important, and the depiction of Shiva as an ascetic sitting in philosophical isolation reflects these later concepts.¹²⁴

As a family man and householder, he has a wife, Parvati (also known as Umā), and two sons, Ganesha and Skanda. His epithet Umāpati ("The husband of Umā") refers to this idea, and Sharma notes that two other variants of this name that mean the same thing, Umākānta and Umādhava, also appear in the sahasranama.¹²⁵ Umā in epic literature is known by many names, including the benign Pārvatī.¹²⁶¹²⁷ She is identified with Devi, the Divine Mother, and with Shakti (divine energy). As a householder, he is known for the great love and respect he has for his consort.

Shiva and Parvati are believed to be the parents of Karthikeya and Ganesha. Karthikeya is worshipped in Southern India (especially in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka) by the names Subrahmanya, Subrahmanyan, Shanmughan, Swaminathan and Murugan, and in Northern India by the names Skanda, Kumara, or Karttikeya.¹²⁸ The consorts of Lord Shiva are the source of his creative energy. They represent the dynamic extension of Shiva onto this universe¹²⁹.

Nataraja

Bronze Chola statue depicting Shiva dancing as Nataraja. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

The depiction of Shiva as Nataraja (Tamil: நடராஜா, Sanskrit: naṭarāja, "Lord of Dance") is popular.¹³⁰¹³¹ The names Nartaka ("dancer") and Nityanarta ("eternal dancer") appear in the Shiva Sahasranama.¹³² His association with dance and also with music is prominent in the Puranic period.¹³³ In addition to the specific iconographic form known as Nataraja, various other types of dancing forms (Sanskrit: nṛtyamūrti) are found in all parts of India, with many well-defined varieties in Tamil Nadu in particular.¹³⁴ The two most common forms of the dance are the Tandava, which later came to denote the powerful and masculine dance as Kala-Mahakala associated with the destruction of the world¹³⁵¹³⁶, and Lasya, which is graceful and delicate and expresses emotions on a gentle level and is considered the feminine dance attributed to the goddess Parvati.¹³⁷¹³⁸ Lasya is regarded as the female counterpart of Tandava.¹³⁸ The Tandava-Lasya dances are associated with the destruction-creation of the world.¹³⁹¹⁴⁰

Dakshinamurthy

Dakshinamurthy, or Dakṣiṇāmūrti (Sanskrit: दक्षिणामूर्ति)¹⁴¹, literally describes a form (mūrti) of Shiva facing south (dakṣiṇa). This form represents Shiva in his aspect as a teacher of yoga, music, and wisdom and giving exposition on the shastras.¹⁴² This iconographic form for depicting Shiva in Indian art is mostly from Tamil Nadu.¹⁴³ Elements of this motif can include Shiva seated upon a deer-throne and surrounded by sages who are receiving his instruction.¹⁴⁴

Mrutyunjaya

Literally translated as "victor over death", this is an aspect of Shiva worshipped as the conqueror of death as manifested in the Hindu lord of death, Yama. The particular legend in question deals with the sage Markandeya, who was fated to die at the age of sixteen. On account of the sage's worship and devotion to Shiva, the lord vanquished Yama to liberate his devotee from death. Shiva is often worshipped as Mruthyunjaya by the aged or ill to ward off death and mitigate its harshness when it does occur. He is worshipped as such at the temples of Thirupainyeeli, near Tiruchirappalli, and at a shrine in Thirukadaiyur, near Chidambaram.^{citation needed}

Chola bronze from the 11th century. Shiva in the form of Ardhanarisvara.

Ardhanarishvara

An iconographic representation of Shiva called Ardhanarishvara shows him with one half of the body as male and the other half as female. Another term for this state of gender is "Tritiya Prakrti" (Eunuch).¹⁴⁵ According to Ellen Goldberg, the traditional Sanskrit name for this form (Ardhanārīśvara) is best translated as "the lord who is half woman", not as "half-man, half-woman".¹⁴⁶ In Hindu philosophy, this is used to visualize the belief that the sacred ultimate power of the universe as being both feminine and masculine.¹²⁹

Tripurantaka

Lord Shiva is often depicted as an archer in the act of destroying the triple fortresses, Tripura, of the Asuras.¹⁴⁷ Shiva's name Tripurantaka (Sanskrit: त्रिपुरान्तक, Tripurāntaka), "ender of Tripura", refers to this important story.¹⁴⁸

Metaphysically, Tripura has been considered by many scholars to mean the three kinds of bodies of man viz. Sthula sharira—the external embodiment, Sukshma sharira—the intellectual corpus, and Karana sharira—the consciousness or the soul. The Tripurantaka manifestation of the Lord destroys and extinguishes the tri-partite compartmentalisation of the being and merges all three essential componenets of man into the supreme consciousness. The lord as Tripurantaka destroys the veil of Maya, agyaan(ignorance), and affects the unision of the individual soul with the supreme consciousness.

Astamurti

Astamurti represents the eightfold appellations of Shiva in forms of Bhava as Existence, Sarva as the great Archer, Rudra as the giver of sorrow and sufferings, Pasupati as the Herdsman, Ugra as the Fearsome, Mahan, i.e. Mahadeva as the Supreme soul, Bhima as the Tremendous force, and Isana as the Directional ruler of the universe.

Lingam

A Shiva Lingam worshipped at Jambukesvara temple in Thiruvanaikaval (Thiruaanaikaa)

Apart from anthropomorphic images of Shiva, the worship of Shiva in the form of a lingam, or linga, is also important.^37149150 These are depicted in various forms. One common form is the shape of a vertical rounded column. Shiva means auspiciousness, and linga means a sign or a symbol. Hence, the Shivalinga is regarded as a "symbol of the great God of the universe who is all-auspiciousness".¹⁵¹ Shiva also means "one in whom the whole creation sleeps after dissolution".¹⁵¹ Linga also means the same thing—a place where created objects get dissolved during the disintegration of the created universe. Since, according to Hinduism, it is the same god that creates, sustains and withdraws the universe, the Shivalinga represents symbolically God Himself.¹⁵¹ Some scholars, such as Monier-Williams and Wendy Doniger, also view linga as a phallic symbol,¹⁵²¹⁵³ although this interpretation is disputed by others, including Christopher Isherwood,¹⁵⁴ Vivekananda,¹⁵⁵ Swami Sivananda,¹⁵⁶ and S.N. Balagangadhara.¹⁵⁷

The worship of the Shiva-Linga originated from the famous hymn in the Atharva-Veda Samhitâ sung in praise of the Yupa-Stambha, the sacrificial post. In that hymn, a description is found of the beginningless and endless Stambha or Skambha, and it is shown that the said Skambha is put in place of the eternal Brahman. Just as the Yajna (sacrificial) fire, its smoke, ashes, and flames, the Soma plant, and the ox that used to carry on its back the wood for the Vedic sacrifice gave place to the conceptions of the brightness of Shiva's body, his tawny matted hair, his blue throat, and the riding on the bull of the Shiva, the Yupa-Skambha gave place in time to the Shiva-Linga.¹⁵⁸¹⁵⁹ In the text Linga Purana, the same hymn is expanded in the shape of stories, meant to establish the glory of the great Stambha and the superiority of Shiva as Mahadeva.¹⁵⁹

The five mantras

Adoration of five-headed Shiva by Vishnu (blue figure, to left of Shiva), Brahma (four-headed figure to the right of Shiva), Ganesha (elephant-headed son of Shiva, bottom left) and other deities. Painting from LACMA.

Five is a sacred number for Shiva.¹⁶⁰ One of his most important mantras has five syllables (namaḥ śivāya).¹⁶¹

Shiva's body is said to consist of five mantras, called the pañcabrahmans.¹⁶² As forms of God, each of these have their own names and distinct iconography:¹⁶³

• Sadyojāta
• Vāmadeva
• Aghora
• Tatpuruṣa
• Īsāna

These are represented as the five faces of Shiva and are associated in various texts with the five elements, the five senses, the five organs of perception, and the five organs of action.¹⁶⁴¹⁶⁵ Doctrinal differences and, possibly, errors in transmission, have resulted in some differences between texts in details of how these five forms are linked with various attributes.¹⁶⁶ The overall meaning of these associations is summarized by Stella Kramrisch:

Through these transcendent categories, Śiva, the ultimate reality, becomes the efficient and material cause of all that exists.¹⁶⁷

According to the Pañcabrahma Upanishad:

One should know all things of the phenomenal world as of a fivefold character, for the reason that the eternal verity of Śiva is of the character of the fivefold Brahman. (Pañcabrahma Upanishad 31)¹⁶⁸

Relationship to Vishnu

Vishnu (left half—blue) and Shiva (right half—white)

During the Vedic period, both Vishnu and Shiva (as identified with Rudra) played relatively minor roles, but by the time of the Brahmanas (c. 1000-700 BCE), both were gaining ascendance.¹⁶⁹ By the Puranic period, both deities had major sects that competed with one another for devotees.¹⁷⁰ Many stories developed showing different types of relationships between these two important deities.

Sectarian groups each presented their own preferred deity as supreme. Vishnu in his myths "becomes" Shiva.¹⁷¹ The Vishnu Purana (4th c. CE) shows Vishnu awakening and becoming both Brahmā to create the world and Shiva to destroy it.¹⁷² Shiva also is viewed as a manifestation of Vishnu in the Bhagavata Purana.¹⁷³ In Shaivite myths, on the other hand, Shiva comes to the fore and acts independently and alone to create, preserve, and destroy the world.¹⁷⁴ In one Shaivite myth of the origin of the lingam, both Vishnu and Brahmā are revealed as emanations from Shiva's manifestation as a towering pillar of flame.¹⁷⁵ The Śatarudrīya, a Shaivite hymn, says that Shiva is "of the form of Vishnu".¹⁷⁶ Differences in viewpoints between the two sects are apparent in the story of Śarabha (also spelled "Sharabha"), the name of Shiva's incarnation in the composite form of man, bird, and beast. Shiva assumed that unusual form to chastise Vishnu in his hybrid form as Narasimha, the man-lion, who killed Hiranyakashipu.¹⁷⁷¹⁷⁸ However, Vaishnava followers including Dvaita scholars, such as Vijayindra Tirtha (1539-95) dispute this view of Narasimha based on their reading of Sattvika Puranas and Śruti texts.¹⁷⁹

Syncretic forces produced stories in which the two deities were shown in cooperative relationships and combined forms. Harihara is the name of a combined deity form of both Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara).¹⁸⁰ This dual form, which is also called Harirudra, is mentioned in the Mahabharata.¹⁸¹ An example of a collaboration story is one given to explain Shiva's epithet Mahābaleśvara, "lord of great strength" (Maha = "great", Bala = "strength", Īśvara = "lord"). This name refers to a story in which Rāvaṇa was given a linga as a boon by Shiva on the condition that he carry it always. During his travels, he stopped near the present Deoghar in Jharkhand to purify himself and asked Narada, a devotee of Vishnu in the guise of a Brahmin, to hold the linga for him, but after some time, Narada put it down on the ground and vanished. When Ravana returned, he could not move the linga, and it is said to remain there ever since.¹⁸² The story of Gokarna in Karnataka is also similar in that Ravana, on the way to Lanka from Kailasa, gave the lingam to Ganesha to keep until he bathes, but Ganesha fits it in the earth, so the lingam is called Mahabaleshwara.

As one story goes, Shiva is enticed by the beauty and charm of Mohini, Vishnu's female avatar, and procreates with her. As a result of this union, Ayyappa or Shasta identified with Ayyanar is born. Shiva is also served by Mohini when a bunch of haughty sages were taught a lesson by Shiva.

Avatars

Shiva, like some other Hindu deities, is said to have several incarnations, known as avatars. Although Puranic scriptures contain occasional references to avatars of Shiva, the idea is not universally accepted in Saivism. ¹⁸³

• Adi Shankara, the 8th-century philosopher of non-dualist Vedanta"Advaita Vedanta", was named "Shankara" after Lord Shiva and is considered by some to have been an incarnation of Shiva.¹⁸⁴
• In the Hanuman Chalisa, Hanuman is identified as the eleventh avatar of Shiva, but this belief is not universal.¹⁸⁵
• Sage Durvasa is also incarnation of Lord Shiva^{citation needed}.
• Virabhadra who was born when Shiva grabbed a lock of his matted hair and dashed it to the ground^{citation needed}. And it was Virabhadra(Veerabathra) who severed Daksha's head as per Shiva's instructions^{citation needed}.

Maha Shivaratri

Maha Shivratri is a festival celebrated every year on the 13th night or the 14th day of the new moon in the Krishna Paksha of the month of Maagha or Phalguna in the Hindu calendar. This festival is of utmost importance to the devotees of Lord Shiva. Mahashivaratri marks the night when Lord Shiva performed the 'Tandava' and it is also believed that Lord Shiva was married to Parvati. On this day the devotees observe fast and offer fruits, flowers and Bael leaves to Shiva Linga.

Temples

One hundred and eight Shiva lingas carved on the rock at the banks of River Tungabhadra, Hampi

Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.

In Shaivism, Shiva is the God of all and is described as worshipped by all, including Devas (gods) like Brahma and Indra, Asuras (demons) like Banasura and Ravana, humans like Adi Shankara and Nayanars, and creatures as diverse as Jatayu, an eagle, and Vali, an ape. Deities, rishis (sages), and grahas (planets) worshipped Shiva and established Shivalingas in various places.

Jyotirlinga temples

The holiest Shiva temples are the 12 Jyotirlinga temples. They are

• Somnath—Prabhas Patan, near Veraval
• Nageshwar—Dwarka,
• Mahakaleshwar—Ujjain,
• Mallikārjuna— at Bhramaramba-Mallikarjuna Temple, Srisailam,
• Bhimashankar—near Pune,
• Omkareshwar—near Indore,
• Kedarnath—Kedarnath, Uttarakhand,
• Kashi Vishwanath—Varanasi,
• Trimbakeshwar—near Nasik,
• Rameswaram—Rameswaram,
• Grishneshwar—near Ellora and
• Vaidyanath—Deoghar.

Manifestations

In South India, five temples of Shiva are held to be particularly important, as being manifestations of him in the five elemental substances:

• Thiruvanaikaval (Sri Jambhukeswar, Tamil nadu) - Water
• Thiruvannamalai (Sri Arunachaleswar, Tamil nadu) - Fire
• Srikalahasti (Sri Kalahastheeswara, Andhra Pradesh) - Air
• Kanchipuram (Sri Ekampareswar, Tamil nadu) - Earth
• Chidambaram Temple (Sri Nataraja, Tamil nadu) - Ether

Sabha temples

The five sabha temples where Shiva is believed to perform five different style of dances are:

• Pon(Gold) Sabha - Natarajar Temple in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu
• Velli(Silver) Sabha - Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu
• Tamira(Copper) Sabha - Nellaiappar Temple in Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu
• Rathna Sabha - Thiruvalangadu near Arakonam, Tamilnadu
• Chitira(Picture) Sabha - Coutrallam, Tamilnadu

Other famous temples in India

Famous temples in other countries

• Pashupatinath Temple located on the banks of Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu, Nepal
• Lake Mansarovar and Mount Kailash in Tibet, a pilgrimage site believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva
• Gosaikunda Lake located in Rasuwa District, Nepal

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shiva

• Shaivism
• Shiva Puja
• Shiva Purana
• Dakshayani
• Parvati
• Hanuman
• Shiva mahimna stotram

Notes

References

• Apte, Vaman Shivram (1965), The Practical Sanskrit Dictionary (Fourth revised and enlarged ed.), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, ISBN 81-208-0567-4 
• Arya, Ravi Prakash & K. L. Joshi. Ṛgveda Saṃhitā: Sanskrit Text, English Translation. Parimal Publications, Delhi, 2001, ISBN 81-7110-138-7 (Set of four volumes). Parimal Sanskrit Series No. 45; 2003 reprint: 81-7020-070-9.
• Chakravarti, Mahadev (1994), The Concept of Rudra-Śiva Through The Ages (Second Revised ed.), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0053-2 
• Chidbhavananda, Swami (1997). Siva Sahasranama Stotram: With Navavali, Introduction, and English Rendering.. Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam. ISBN 81-208-0567-4.  (Third edition). The version provided by Chidbhavananda is from chapter 17 of the Anuśāsana Parva of the Mahābharata.
• Courtright, Paul B. (1985). Gaṇeśa: Lord of Obstacles, Lord of Beginnings. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN ISBN 0-19-505742-2. 
• Flood, Gavin (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-43878-0. 
• Flood, Gavin (Editor) (2003). The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.. ISBN 1-4051-3251-5. 
• Goldberg, Ellen (2002). The Lord Who is Half Woman: Ardhanārīśvara in Indian and Feminist Perspective. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. ISBN 0-7914-5326-X. 
• Griffith, T. H. (1973), The Hymns of the Ṛgveda (New Revised ed.), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0046-X 
• Gupta, Shakti M. (1988). Karttikeya: The Son of Shiva. Bombay: Somaiya Publications Pvt. Ltd.. ISBN 81-7039-186-5. 
• Hopkins, E. Washburn (1969). Epic Mythology. New York: Biblo and Tannen.  Originally published in 1915.
• Jansen, Eva Rudy (1993). The Book of Hindu Imagery. Havelte, Holland: Binkey Kok Publications BV. ISBN 90-74597-07-6. 
• Keay, John (2000). India: A History. New York: Grove Press. ISBN 0-8021-3797-0. 
• Kramrisch, Stella (1981). The Presence of Śiva. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-01930-4. 
• Macdonell, Arthur Anthony (1996). A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. ISBN 81-215-0715-4. 
• Mate, M. S. (1988). Temples and Legends of Maharashtra. Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. 
• Michaels, Axel (2004). Hinduism: Past and Present. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-08953-1. 
• Sarup, Lakshman (1920-1927). The Nighaṇṭu and The Nirukta.  Reprint: Motilal Banarsidass, 2002, ISBN 81-208-1381-2.
• Sharma, Ram Karan (1988), Elements of Poetry in the Mahābhārata (Second ed.), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0544-5 
• Sharma, Ram Karan (1996), Śivasahasranāmāṣṭakam: Eight Collections of Hymns Containing One Thousand and Eight Names of Śiva, Delhi: Nag Publishers, ISBN 81-7081-350-6  This work compares eight versions of the Śivasahasranāmāstotra with comparative analysis and Śivasahasranāmākoṣa (A Dictionary of Names). The text of the eight versions is given in Sanskrit.
• Sivaramamurti, C. (1976). Śatarudrīya: Vibhūti of Śiva's Iconography. Delhi: Abhinav Publications. 
• Stutley, Margaret (1985). The Illustrated Dictionary of Hindu Iconography.  First Indian Edition: Munshiram Manoharlal, 2003, ISBN 81-215-1087-2.
• Tattwananda, Swami (1984). Vaisnava Sects, Saiva Sects, Mother Worship. Calcutta: Firma KLM Private Ltd..  First revised edition.
• Zimmer, Heinrich (1946). Myths and Symbols in Indian Art and Civilization. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-01778-6.  First Princeton-Bollingen printing, 1972.
• Hanuman Chalisa. Chennai, India: Sri Ramakrishna Math. 1985. ISBN 81-7120-086-9. 

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v • d • e Jyotirlinga temples of Shiva Somanātha · Mallikārjuna · Mahākāleśvara · Omkāreśvara · Kedāranātha · Bhimāśankara · Viśveśvara · Tryambakeśvara · Vaidyanātha · Nāgeśvara · Rāmeśvara · Ghuṣmeśvara

v • d • e Famous Shiva temples Kailash Mansarovar · Kashi · Kedarnath · Amarnath · Madurai · Rameswaram · Kanchipuram · Chidambaram · Thiruvannamalai · Kalahasti · Thiruvanaikaval · Thanjavur · Aragalur  · Tirunelveli  · Somnath  · Vadakkum Nathan · Panch Kedar

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