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Lord Shiva is considered as the supreme God in the Hinduism. For setting up an ideal
work on the earth in front of his creatures, he had taken variety of the avatars and
incarnations. Some of his avatars are related to protecting his devotees from the devils
and proud Gods as well. However, five avatars of all his incarnations are hideously
important as well as assumed to be the most valuable and effective for his devotees.
The most important five incarnations are: Tatpurush, Namadeva, Aghoresh, Sadhojat
and Ishan.
1) Tatpurush
Tatpurush is the most popular third incarnation of the Lord Shiva which was
manifested in the 21st Kalpa of the planet known as Peetavasa. It was appeared by the
prayer of the Lord Brahma.
2) Naamdeva:
During the 20th Kalpa known as the Rakta, Lord Brahma got his complexion changed to
a red. Another entity was appeared from him of the red complexion, which was name
by him as a Namadeva. It is considered as the Naamdeva was also the incarnation of
Lord Shiva.
3) Aghoresh
In the Shiva Kalpa (after the Peetavasa Kalp), an entity of black color complexion was
appeared by the Lord Brahma when he was in deep meditation state. Lord Brahma
named that entity as Aghor Shiva and considered as another form of Lord Shiva.
4) Sadhojat
During the 19th Kalpa known as Shweta Lohit, there appeared an entity by the Lord
Brahma while he was meditating, which was named by him as Sadhojat. It is considered
that this form of the Lord Shiva was the first incarnation. Four disciples of the Sadhojat
were appeared by his own body named Nandan, Vishwanandan, Sunand and
Upanandan.
5) ISHAN
In the Vishwaroop Kalpa, Ishan form of the Lord Shiva and Saraswati were manifested.
Four divine entities like Mundi, Shikhandi, Caste and Ardhamundi were manifested
from the Ishan Shiva. Lord Brahma was blessed by all of them for the creation facility.
Eight Idols of the Lord Shiva:
There are eight idols of the Lord Shiva which includes Ugra, Sharva, Bhava, Rudra,
Bheema, Pashupati, Ishan and Mahadeva. Ten fastidious incarnations of the God Shiva
known as Dash Avatar and 10 incarnations of the Mata Sakti known as the Dash
Mahavidya. Describing concerning to the 10 incarnations and their corresponding
power (Shakti), the first incarnation of Lord Shiva was the Mahakal and Shakti was
Mahakali. Second incarnation of both of them was Tar and Tara. Third incarnation of
both of them was Bhuvaneshwar and Bhuvaneshwari. Fourth incarnation was Shodash
and Shodashi or Shri.Fifth incarnation was Bhairav and Bhairavi. The sixth incarnation
was Chhinamastak and Chhinamasta.Seventh incarnation was Dhoomvan and
Dhoomvati. The eighth incarnation was Baglamukh and Baglamukhi. The ninth
incarnation was Matang and Matangi. Tenth incarnation was Kamal and Kamala.
11 Rudra Avatars
Lord Shiva took birth on the earth as the eleven Rudras from the Kashyap wifes
(Surabhi) womb. These forms of the eleven Rudras are associated with the battles with
demons in the past in order to save the people and Gods. Following are the name of
eleven Rudras:
1) Kapali 2) Pingal 3) Bheem 4) Virupaksha 5) Vilohit 6) Shastra 7) Ajapaad 8)
Ahirbudhnya 9) Shambhu 10) Chand and 11) Bhav.
3. Sharabh Avatar: This form of the Lord Shiva was the 6th avatar of him.
4. Grihpati Avatar: Grihpati avatar of the Lord Shiva was the 7th avatar of him.
5. Neel Kanth Avatar: Neel Kanth avatar is also a main form of him. Once there was
arisen a lot of Vish from the churning of the ocean. Lord Shiva had drunk all the Vish to
prevent his beautiful world from the bad effects of Vish. Mata Parvati had stopped the
Vish to fall below the neck by putting her palm on his neck. So, this form of him is
known as the Neel kanth avatar.
6. Rishi Durvasha Avatar: It is considered as this avatar of the Lord is the main avatar.
He has taken this avatar on the earth to maintain the discipline of the universe.
7. Mahesh Avatar: Mahesh avatar is also a peaceful form of the Lord Shiva which
blesses his devotees.
8. Hanuman Avatar: hanuman avatar is considered as the supreme avatar of him. Lord
Shiva has taken this avatar during the time Lord Rama to present a good example of the
Lord and Bhakt in front of the people.
9. Brishabh Avatar: Brishabh avatar is the very significant form of the God Shiva.
10. Piplaad Avatar: Lord Shiva helps their devotees to get free from the Shani Dosha in
this form. It is considered as the name of this avatar was given by the Lord Brahma.
11. Vaishyanath Avatar: This is the main avatar of the Lord Shiva to his devotees.
13. Yatinath Avatar: Yatinath avatar of the God Shiva represents a peaceful form of
him to his devotees.
14. Krishna Darshan Avatar: Lord Shiva, in this form had represented the significance
of the yagya and important religious rituals in Hinduism.
15. Awdhuteshwar Avatar: In this form Lord Shiva had crushed the ego of proud Indra.
16. Bhichhuwarya Avatar: In this form, Lord Shiva protects his all creatures from any
difficulty.
17. Sureshwar Avatar: This form of Lord Shiva represents the love and care of him
towards his devotees.
18. Bramhchari Avatar: Lord Shiva had taken this avatar to test the Mata Parvati.
When Sati rebirth on the earth to the Himalayas house as his daughter, Parvati and
started worshipping the God Shiva to marry him.
19. Sunatnartak Avatar: Lord Shiva had taken this form to ask the hand of Parvati from
her father, Himalaya.
20. Saddhu Avatar: Lord Shiva had taken Sadhu avatar many times according to the
need of his devotees.
21. Vibhuashwathama Avatar: Lord Shiva had taken this avatar in the Mahabharat as
Ashwatthama (son Dronacharya).
22. Kiraat Avatar: Lord Shiva, in this form had taken the test of Arjuna.
23. Veerbhadra Avatar: This avatar was taken by the Lord Shiva after the sacrifice of
the Sati into the Dakshas yagya. This form of the Lord Shiva was very terrible, face was
full of angry, hair opened, indicated his love and care towards his wife.
24. Bhairav Avatar: Lord Shiva has taken Bhairav avatar to protect the Sati pindas.
After the death of Sati into the yagya of Daksha, Lord Shiva was wandering all over the
world by taking the Sati body. Lord Vishnu had cut the body of Sati into many pieces
(52) by his wheel. Those pieces were fallen on the earth. So to protect those Sati pindas
from the devils, Lord Shiva had taken the Bhairav avatar.
25. Allama Prabhu: This is one of the incarnations of the Lord Shiva. This form was
involved with the Kalyanapuri revolution where Bijala Raja was slain.
26. Khandoba: This is another incarnation of the Lord Shiva having horse as his vehicle
and loaded with the sword, trident, bowl and trident.
2. Piplaad Avatar
As per the legends, Shiva was born as Piplaad to sage Dhatichi. The sage left his son
even before he was born. Upset without his father Piplaad asked the devas why my
father left me. They told him that the unfortunate circumstances were formed
because of the planetary position of Shani. On learning this, Piplaad cursed Shani
and Shani started falling down its celestial abode.
3. Piplaad Avatar
Piplaad forgave Shani on the condition that it will not trouble anyone before 16 years
of age. It is believed that praying to this form of Lord Shiva helps people to get rid of
Shani Dosha. According to Shiv Puran, Lord Brahma had named this avatar of Lord
Shiva.
4. Nandi Avatar
Enter any Shiva temple in the country and you will first witness a statue of the
quietly formidable Nandi, Lord Shiva's mount and the divine gatekeeper. Lord Shiva
represents all beings on Earth. This avatar of Lord Shiva is an indication towards it.
There are some temples which are exclusively built for Nandi. The famous
Nandisvara temple in Karnataka is one such.
5. Nandi Avatar
As a primary Hindu God, Nandi is traced in lineage back to ancient dairy farmers that
depended on cows for their main livelihood. As their foremost source of sustenance,
Nandi was worshiped as keeper of the herds. In this form he was said to be bull-faced
with a body much like his hallowed Shiva, but with 4 hands. Two hands holding axe
and antelope, and the other two joined in homage. In this human form he is known
as Nandikeshwara.
6. Veerbhadra Avatar
Sati was the youngest daughter of Daksha, the king of all men. When Sati grew up
she married Shiva,much to the displeasure of her father. One day Daksha made
arrangements for a great yagna, and invited all the gods omitting only Shiva. Sati's
urge to go to her home due to the affection towards her parents overpowered the
social etiquette for not going to an uninvited ceremony. Daksha insulted her and
Shiva infront of others. Unable to bear further trauma she ran into the sacrificial fire.
7. Veerbhadra Avatar
When Shiva came to know about this and with deep sorrow and anger, plucked a
lock of hair and thrashed on the ground. Lord Veerabhadraand Rudrakali were born.
Virabhadra's believed to be the destroyer of Ajnana, his tall body reached the high
heavens, he was dark as the clouds, three burning eyes, and fiery hair; he wore a
garland of skulls and carried terrible weapons. To provide him the power, arrived
Bhadrakali, a wrathful incarnation on Devi.
8. Veerbhadra Avatar
9. Bhairava Avatar
Bhairava beheaded one of Brahma's five heads and since then Brahma has only four
heads. When depicted as Kala Bhairava, Bhairava is shown carrying the severed
head of Brahma. Cutting off Brahma's fifth head made him guilty of the crime of
killing a Brahmin(Brahmahatyapap), and as a result, he had to carry around the
disembodied skull for twelve years and roam as Bhikshatana, a mendicant, until he
had been absolved of the sin.
In the form of the frightful Bhairava, Shiva is said to be guarding each of these
Shaktipeeths. Each Shaktipeeth temple is accompanied by a temple dedicated to
Bhairava.
12. Ashwatthama
13. Ashwatthama
The Vish purush sprung out of him folded his palms, Lord Shiva asked him that
although Lord Vishnu and me didnt let you kill the people yet in Dwapar Yuga but
during Mahabharat war, with my blessings, you will be able to kill oppressive
kshatriyas. You will be born as Bhardwajas grandson and be raised as Brahman but
attracted towards Kshatriyahood. This Vish purush was born as Ashwatthama to
Drona and Kripi.
Sharabha is a creature that is part lion and part bird. According to Sanskrit literature,
Sharabha is an eight-legged beast, mightier than a lion and elephant and which can
kill the lion. In later literature, Sharabha is described as an eight-legged deer. Shiv
puran narrates that god Shiva assumed the Avatar of Sharabha to tame Narasimha the fierce man-lion avatar of Vishnu worshipped by Vaishnava sect - into a normal
pleasant form representing harmony. This form is popularly known as Sarabeshwara
(Lord Sarabha) or Sharabeshwaramurti.
Once upon a time, there used to live a brahmin named Vishwanar who was a great
devotee of lord Shiva. Shuchismati was his devoted wife. Shuchismati expressed her
desire of having a son just like lord Shiva. Vishwanar went to Kashi to please Lord
Shiva by his penance. He worshipped Vishveshwar linga with supreme devotion. Lord
Shiva became very pleased by his devotion and he appeared before Vishwanar from
the Shivalinga. When Vishwanar expressed his desire, lord Shiva agreed to take birth
as his Son.
In due course of time, Shuchismati gave birth to a beautiful child. Lord Brahma
named the child as Grihapati. When Grihapati attained the age of six, he was
proficient in all the Vedas and other sacred texts. When Grihapati attained the age of
nine, Narada came and informed Vishwanar that death of Grihapati was imminent
because of the evil effects of the planetary combinations. Grihapati then consoled
his parents and proceeded towards Kashi to do penance so that the 'death' could be
conquered.
Grihapati commenced his penance at Kashi. Indra arrived there and requested him to
demand anything he wished but Grihapati refused. Indra became furious and tried to
attack him with his Vajra. Grihapati was very terrified. Right then Lord Shiva
appeared and Indra had to retreat from the scene. Lord Shiva blessed Grihapati by
saying even Kaalvajra would not be able to kill you. Grihapati became very
pleased. The Shivalinga which he worshipped, later on became famous as 'Agnishwar
linga. Lord Shiva made Grihapati the lord of all the directions.
20. Durvasa
Lord Shiva had taken this avatar on the earth to maintain the discipline of the
universe. Durvasa was a great sage known for his short temper. Wherever he went,
he was received with great reverence from humans and devas alike. Once Atri, the
manasputra of lord Brahma, went to do penance at the bank of the river Nivindhya
which flew by the foothills of Trayakshakul mountain as per the instructions of Lord
Brahma himself. He commenced a tremendous penance.
21. Durvasa
The effects of his penance were such that devastating flames of fire manifested from
his head. The fire spread in all the three worlds in no time. The deities were terrified
by the death and destruction caused by the fire. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva went to
Atri and blessed him. Later on Atri's wife- Anusuya gave birth to three sons, who in
fact were the incarnations of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. Lord Brahma
incarnation as the Moon, Lord Vishnu as Dutt and Shiva took incarnation as Durvasa.
22. Hanuman
Lord Shiva was so infatuated by the appearance of lord Vishnu in his form of Mohini
during Amrit Manthan episode that his semen was released on the ground. This
semen was established by the Saptarishis in the womb of Anjani, with the permission
of lord Shiva himself. In this way was born the mighty Hanuman.
After the churning of the ocean had been accomplished, numerous things had
emerged out from the ocean. A tremendous battle was fought between the deities
and the demons to have control over the vessel containing Nectar. To distract the
attention of the demons from the nectar, lord Vishnu created numerous enchanting
beauties. When the demons saw them, they forcibly carried these enchanting
beauties to their abode Patal Lok. After that they again returned to take control of
the Nectar.
By that time, Vishnu had made the deities drink all the nectar. When the demons
came to know about this, they became very furious and attacked the deities.
Ultimately the demons got defeated. To save their lives the demon ran towards their
abode. Lord Vishnu chased the demons and killed them. However, he got infatuated
by those enchanting beauties. During his stay in the Patal Lok, many sons were born
to Lord Vishnu, who were very wicked and cruel. These sons of lord Vishnu started
tormenting the inhabitants of all the three worlds.
All the deities and the sages went to lord Shiva to take his help. Lord Shiva went to
the Patal Lok in the form of a Ox (Vrishabh). He killed all the sons of lord Vishnu with
his sharp horns. Seeing the death of his sons, lord Vishnu came forward to fight him.
He attacked lord Shiva, but lord Shiva couldnt be conquered. Ultimately lord Vishnu
was able to recognise him and returned back to Vishnuloka.
There used to live a bheel named Aahuk on the Arbudachal mountain. His wife was
Aahuka and both of them were supreme devotee of lord Shiva. Once, lord Shiva
wanting to test their devotion, appeared before them disguised a hermit Yatinath.
Aahuk honoured his guest and treated him very well. Lord Shiva then requested him
to give shelter for the whole night. Aahuk expressed his inability as he had a very
small hut, in which only two people could be accommodate at a time.
But his wife intervened and requested Aahuk to sleep outside the hut with his arms,
as it would be inappropriate on their part to miss this chance of proving their
hospitality. The hermit, who in reality was lord Shiva and Aahuk's wife slept inside
the hut, while Aahuk himself slept outside. Unfortunately Aahuk was killed by a wild
animal while he was asleep. In the morning when lord Shiva found that Aahuk had
died, his heart was filled with grief.
But Aahuka consoled him and decided to give up her life by jumping into the burning
pyre. Right then lord Shiva appeared in his real form and blessed her by saying In
his next birth your husband would take birth in a royal family. He would become Nala
and you would be born as Damayanti. I would myself appear in the form of a swan
and help both of you to unite. After saying this, lord Shiva established himself as
immovable Shivalinga, which later on became famous as Achaleshwar linga.
Once there was a King Nabhag who, during his childhood, left his home for 'gurukula
to get education. In his absence his brothers got the wealth of the kingdom
distributed among themselves. When Nabhag returned home after the completion of
his education, he demanded his share of wealth. His brothers told him that they had
forgotten to fix his share as he was absent at the time of distribution. They advised
him to go and meet their father.
Nabhag went to his father and made the same request. His father advised him to go
to sage Angiras who was trying to accomplish a yagya, but was not being able to
accomplish it because of his attachment. Nabhag did the same. He went to the place
where sage Angiras was performing his yagya. He preached sage Angiras on the
virtues of Religiousness. As a result the sage became free from all sorts of
attachments and the yagya was successfully accomplished.
Sage Angiras was very pleased by Nabhag's knowledge of religion. He gave all the
remaining wealth of the yagya to Nabhag. Just then lord Shiva arrived there in his
incarnation of Krishna Darshan and tried to prevent sage Angiras from donating the
wealth to Nabhag, instead he staked his own claim. Nabhag told lord Shiva that,
since the wealth was given to him by sage Angiras himself, it naturally belonged to
him.
Lord Shiva then sent Nabhag to his father Shradhadev to know about his opinion.
Nabhag went to Shradha deva who revealed to him that the person who was staking
his claims on the wealth was none other then lord Shiva. He also told him that
whatever remained after the accomplishment of the yagya belongs to lord Shiva
only. He went back to lord Shiva and worshipped him. Lord Shiva blessed him which
helped Nabhag to attain salvation.
There was a king named Satyarath who ruled over Vidarbha. Once he was attacked
by a neighbouring king and got killed in that battle. His wife somehow managed to
save her life by hiding in a forest. The queen was pregnant at that time. At the shore
of a pond she gave birth to a child. She was feeling thirsty, so she went into the pond
to quench her thirst. Unfortunately she was killed by a crocodile who used to live in
that pond.
The hungry child started crying- A beggar woman arrived there with her one year old
child. Though her heart was filled with compassion seeing the hungry child cry but
still she was hesitating to take him in her lap. Right then lord Shiva appeared as a
beggar and advised her to bring up the orphan child.
Upamanyu the son of sage Vyaghrapaad, was brought up in his maternal uncle's
home since his childhood. One day Upanyu he was crying for milk when his mother
told him that if he wanted milk then he should worship lord Shiva as he only was
capable of making the milk available. Upamanyu proceeded towards the Himalaya
and started doing penance to please lord Shiva. His penance generated so much of
heat that all the three worlds started burning.
To test his devotion, Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati appeared before him disguised
as Indra and Indrani respectively. Both of them told Upamanyu to stop doing
penance. They said We Indra and Indrani are extremely pleased by your devotion.
Stop worshipping Shiva. We will fulfill all your desires. Lord Shiva and goddess
Parvati did not stop at this. They even cursed Shiva. Upamanyu became very furious
and got up to attack the abuser Indra.
Shiva and Parvati were satisfied by his total dedication and devotion. They revealed
their real identity and blessed him. Shiva promised Upamanyu that he would be
present in the vicinity of his hermitage along with Parvati forever. Upamanyu
returned back to his home and narrated the whole story to his mother who was very
pleased. Lord Shiva got the name 'Sureshwar' because he appeared in the guise of
Indra.
Once, Arjuna was performing a tremendous penance to please lord Shiva. Duryodhan
had sent a demon named Mooka to kill Arjuna. Mooka had disguised himself as a
boar. Arjuna was engrossed in his meditation, when suddenly his concentration got
disturbed by a loud noise. He opened his eyes and saw Mooka being chased by a
Kirat. In fact it was none other than Shiva who had appeared in the guise of Kirat.
Both Arjuna and Lord Shiva struck the boar with their respective arrows at the same
time.
A disagreement broke between Arjuna and Kirat (Shivas avatar) over who killed the
boar. Arjuna challenged Shiva for a dual. Shiva was very much impressed by his
valour. He revealed his real identity. Arjuna was very ashamed that he fought with
Shiva but Lord Shiva consoled him and gave his weapon Pashupat to Arjuna.
40. Sunatnartak
Lord Shiva had taken this form to ask the hand of Parvati from her father, Himalaya.
41. Brahmachari
After sacrificing herself in Dakshas yagya, when Sati took rebirth in Himalayas house
and worshipped lord Shiva for years to make him her husband again. To take
Parvatis test, Lord Shiva had taken this form.
42. Yaksheshwar
After defeating the demons and driking Amrit the deities very arrogant. Lord Shiva
was very concerned about their arrogant nature. He went to them in the guise of a
Yaksha. He asked as to what was it that had made them so arrogant. The deities
replied that their arrogance stemmed from victory over the demons. Lord Shiva who
was disguised as Yaksha replied- Your pride is based on false notion, because you
did not achieve victory due to somebody's grace and blessing.
43. Yaksheshwar
Lord Shiva then asked them to cut the grass if they considered themselves so
mighty. He then kept a grass leaf in front of them. Each of the deities tried to cut that
grass with their respective weapons but remained unsuccessful in their attempts.
Suddenly a heavenly voice was heard which said that the Yaksha was none other
than Lord Shiva himself. The deities realized their mistakes and apologized to lord
Shiva.
With this avatar, Lord Shiva had crushed the ego of Lord Indra.
Shiva
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Neelkanth" redirects here. For the 2012 Indian film, see Neelkanth (film).
For other uses, see Shiva (disambiguation).
shiva
Devanagari
SanskritTransli iva
teration
Abode
Mount Kailsa[1]
Mantra
Om Namah Shivaya,Mahamrityunjaya
Mantra
Weapon
Trishula (trident)
Consort
Parvati
Children
Ganesha, Kartikeya,Ashokasundari,Ayy
appan,Manasa
Mount
Nandi
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Shiva (/iv/; Sanskrit: iva, meaning "The Auspicious One"), also known
as Mahadeva("Great God"), is one of the main deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme
god withinShaivism, one of the three most influential denominations in contemporary Hinduism.[2]
[3]
He is one of the five primary forms of God in the Smarta Tradition,[2] and "the Destroyer" or "the
Transformer"[4]
At the highest level, Shiva is regarded as limitless, transcendent, unchanging and formless. [5][6][7][8]
[9]
Shiva also has many benevolent and fearsome forms. [10] In benevolent aspects, he is depicted
as an omniscient Yogi who lives an ascetic life on Mount Kailash,[4]as well as a householder with
wife Parvati and his two children, Ganesha and Kartikeya, and in fierce aspects, he is often
depicted slaying demons. Shiva is also regarded as the patron god of yoga and arts.[11][12][13]
The main iconographical attributes of Shiva are the third eye on his forehead, the
snakeVasuki around his neck, the adorning crescent moon, the holy river Ganga flowing from his
matted hair, the trishula as his weapon and the damaru as his musical instrument. Shiva is
usually worshiped in the aniconic form of Lingam.[14][15][16]
The worship of Shiva is a pan-Hindu tradition, practiced widely across all of India, Nepal andSri
Lanka.[17][18]
Contents
[hide]
2.3.1 Rudra
2.3.2 Agni
2.3.3 Indra
3.1 Shaivism
3.3 Trimurti
4.1 Attributes
4.2 Lingam
4.2.1 Jyotirlinga
4.3 Shakti
5.3 Nataraaja
5.4 Dakshinamurthy
5.5 Ardhanarishvara
5.6 Tripurantaka
7 Beyond Hinduism
o
7.1 Buddhism
7.2 Sikhism
7.3 Others
8 References
9 Sources
10 External links
The worship of Shiva is a pan-Hindu tradition, practiced widely across all of India, Nepal and Sri
Lanka.[17][18]
Assimilation of traditions[edit]
See also: Roots of Hinduism
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.[18] How the persona of Shiva converged as a
composite deity is not well documented.[39] According to Vijay Nath:
Visnu and Siva [...] began to absorb countless local cults and deities within their folds. The latter
were either taken to represent the multiple facets of the same god or else were supposed to
denote different forms and appellations by which the god came to be known and worshipped. [...]
Siva became identified with countless local cults by the sheer suffixing of Isa or Isvara to the
name of the local deity, e.g., Bhutesvara, Hatakesvara, Chandesvara."[40]
An example of assimilation took place in Maharashtra, where a regional deity
named Khandoba is a patron deity of farming and herdingcastes.[41] The foremost center of
worship of Khandoba in Maharashtra is in Jejuri.[42] Khandoba has been assimilated as a form of
Shiva himself,[43] in which case he is worshipped in the form of a lingam.[41][44] Khandoba's varied
associations also include an identification with Surya[41] and Karttikeya.[45]
Seal discovered during excavation of the Indus Valley archaeological site in the Indus Valley has drawn
attention as a possible representation of a "yogi" or "proto-Shiva" figure
Many Indus valley seals show animals but one seal that has attracted attention shows a figure,
either horned or wearing a horned headdress and possibly ithyphallic[46][47][48] figure seated in a
posture reminiscent of the Lotus position and surrounded by animals was named by early
excavators of Mohenjo-daro Pashupati (lord of cattle), an epithet of the later Hindu gods Shiva
and Rudra.[46][49][50][51] 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.
Some academics like Gavin Flood[52][53] and John Keay have expressed doubts about this claim.
John Keay writes that "He may indeed be an early manifestation of Lord Shiva as Pashu- pati",
but a couple of his specialties of this figure does not match with Rudra.[54] Writing in 1997 Doris
Meth Srinivasan rejected Marshall's package of proto-Shiva features, including that of three
heads. She interprets what John Marshall interpreted as facial as not human but more bovine,
possibly a divine buffalo-man.[55]
Writing in 2002, Gregory L. Possehl concluded that while it would be appropriate to recognize the
figure as a deity, its association with the water buffalo, and its posture as one of ritual discipline,
regarding it as a proto-Shiva would "go too far."[56]
Vedic origins[edit]
Shiva's rise to a major position in the pantheon was facilitated by his identification with a host of
Vedic deities, including Purusha, Rudra,Agni, Indra, Prajpati, Vyu, and others.[57]
Rudra[edit]
Main article: Rudra
Shiva as we know him today shares many features with the Vedic god Rudra,[58] and both Shiva
and Rudra are viewed as the same personality in Hindu scriptures. The two names are used
synonymously. 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
BC based on linguistic and philological evidence.[59] 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 Rudras", a group of storm gods.[60] 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 an epithet for the
gods Indra, Mitra and Agni many times. Since Shiva meanspure, the epithet is possibly used to
describe a quality of these gods rather than to identify any of them with the God Shiva.
The identification of Shiva with the older god Rudhra is not universally accepted, as Axel
Michaels explains:
Rudra is called "The Archer" (Sanskrit: arva),[61] and the arrow is an essential attribute of Rudra.
[62]
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.[63]
The word is derived from the Sanskrit root arv-, which means "to injure" or "to kill",[64] and
Sharma uses that general sense in his interpretive translation of the name arva as "One who
can kill the forces of darkness".[63] The names Dhanvin ("Bowman")[65] andBnahasta ("Archer",
literally "Armed with arrows in his hands")[65][66] also refer to archery.
Agni[edit]
Rudra and Agni have a close relationship.[67][68] 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.[69] The identification of Agni with Rudra is explicitly noted in
the Nirukta, an important early text on etymology, which says, "Agni is also called Rudra." [70] The
interconnections between the two deities are complex, and according to Stella Kramrisch:
The fire myth of Rudra-iva plays on the whole gamut of fire, valuing all its potentialities and
phases, from conflagration to illumination.[71]
In the atarudrya, some epithets of Rudra, such as Sasipajara ("Of golden red hue as of
flame") and Tivasmati ("Flaming bright"), suggest a fusing of the two deities.[72] Agni is said to be
a bull,[73] and Lord Shiva possesses a bull as his vehicle, Nandi. The horns of Agni, who is
sometimes characterized as a bull, are mentioned.[74][75] In medieval sculpture, both Agni and the
form of Shiva known as Bhairava have flaming hair as a special feature. [76]
Indra[edit]
According to Wendy Doniger, the Puranic Shiva is a continuation of the Vedic Indra.[77] Doniger
gives several reasons for her hypothesis. Both are associated with mountains, rivers, male
fertility, fierceness, fearlessness, warfare, transgression of established mores, the Aum sound,
the Supreme Self. In the Rig Veda the term iva is used to refer to Indra. (2.20.3,[78] 6.45.17,[79]
[80]
and 8.93.3.[81]) Indra, like Shiva, is likened to a bull.[82][83] In the Rig Veda, Rudra is the father of
the Maruts, but he is never associated with their warlike exploits as is Indra.[84]
The Vedic beliefs and practices of the pre-classical era were closely related to the
hypothesised Proto-Indo-European religion,[85][86] and the Indo-Iranian religion.[87] According to
Anthony, the Old Indic religion probably emerged among Indo-European immigrants in the
contact zone between the Zeravshan River (present-day Uzbekistan) and (present-day) Iran.[88] It
was "a syncretic mixture of old Central Asian and new Indo-European elements", [88] which
borrowed "distinctive religious beliefs and practices"[87] from the BactriaMargiana Culture.[87] At
least 383 non-Indo-European words were borrowed from this culture, including the god Indra and
the ritual drink Soma.[89] According to Anthony,
Many of the qualities of Indo-Iranian god of might/victory, Verethraghna, were transferred to the
adopted god Indra, who became the central deity of the developing Old Indic culture. Indra was
the subject of 250 hymns, a quarter of the Rig Veda. He was associated more than any other
deity with Soma, a stimulant drug (perhaps derived from Ephedra) probably borrowed from the
BMAC religion. His rise to prominence was a peculiar trait of the Old Indic speakers. [90]
Puranic literature[edit]
The Shiva Puranas, particularly the Shiva Purana and the Linga Purana, discuss the various
forms of Shiva and the cosmology associated with him.[94]
Tantric literature[edit]
The Tantras, composed between the 8th and 11th centuries, regard themselves as Sruti. Among
these the Shaiva Agamas, are said to have been revealed by Shiva himself and are foundational
texts for Shaiva Siddhanta.[95]
Shaivism[edit]
Main articles: Shaivism and History of Shaivism
Shaivism is the oldest of the four major sects of Hinduism, the others
being Vaishnavism,Shaktism and the Smarta Tradition.[citation needed] Followers of Shaivism, called
"Shaivas", revere Shiva as the Supreme Being. Shaivas believe that Shiva is All and in all, the
creator, preserver, destroyer, revealer and concealer of all that is. The tantric Shaiva tradition
consists of theKapalikas, Kashmir Shaivism and Shaiva Siddhanta. The Shiva Purana is one of
the puranas, a genre of Hindu religious texts, dedicated to Shiva. Shaivism is widespread
throughout India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, mostly. Areas notable for the practice of Shaivism include
parts of Southeast Asia, especially Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
Indologist Axel Michaels suggests that Shaivism, like Vaishnavism, 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.[96]
Panchayatana puja[edit]
Main article: Panchayatana puja
Panchayatana puja is the system of puja (worship) in the Smarta Tradition. It is said to have been
introduced by Adi Shankara, the 8th century Hindu philosopher. It consists of the worship of five
deities: Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Surya and Ganesha. Depending on the tradition followed by Smarta
households, one of these deities is kept in the center and the other four surround it. Worship is
offered to all the deities. The five are represented by small murtis, or by five kinds of stones, or
by five marks drawn on the floor.[97]
Trimurti[edit]
Main article: Trimurti
The Trimurti is a concept in Hinduism in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance,
and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahm the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or
preserver and hiva the destroyer or transformer.[98][99] These three deities have been called "the
Hindu triad"[100] or the "Great Trinity",[101] often addressed as "Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwara."
Shiva with Parvati. Shiva is depicted three-eyed, the Gangesflowing through his matted hair, wearing
ornaments of serpents and a skull garland, and covered in ashes, and seated on a tiger skin.
Shiva's form: Shiva has a trident in the right lower arm, and a crescent moon on his
head. He is said to be fair like camphor or like an ice clad mountain. He wears five serpents
and a garland of skulls as ornaments. Shiva is usually depicted facing the south. His trident,
like almost all other forms in Hinduism, can be understood as the symbolism of the unity of
three worlds that a human faces - his inside world, his immediate world, and the broader
overall world. At the base of the trident, all three forks unite. It is often not shown but Shiva
has 6 heads, of which only five (Isana, Tatpurusha, Vamadeva, Aghora, Sadyojata) are
visible while the 6th (Adhomukh) can only be seen by the enlightened.
Third eye: (Trilochana) Shiva is often depicted with a third eye, with which he burned
Desire (Kma) to ashes,[102] called "Tryambakam" (Sanskrit: ), which occurs in many
scriptural sources.[103] In classical Sanskrit, the word ambaka denotes "an eye", and in
theMahabharata, Shiva is depicted as three-eyed, so this name is sometimes translated as
"having three eyes".[104] However, in Vedic Sanskrit, the word amb or ambik means
"mother", and this early meaning of the word is the basis for the translation "three mothers".
[105][106]
These three mother-goddesses who are collectively called theAmbiks.[107] Other related
translations have been 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 Ambik.[108] It has
been mentioned that when Shiva loses his temper, his third eye opens which can reduce
most things to ashes.
Ashes: (The epithet "Bhasmaanga Raaga") - Shiva smears his body with ashes
(bhasma). The ashes are said to represent the end of all material existence. [115] Some forms
of Shiva, such as Bhairava, are associated with a very old Indian tradition of cremationground asceticism that was practiced by some groups who were outside the fold of
brahmanic orthodoxy.[116] These practices associated with cremation grounds are also
mentioned in the Pali canon of Theravada Buddhism.[117] One epithet for Shiva is "inhabitant
of the cremation ground" (Sanskrit: manavsin, also spelled Shmashanavasin), referring
to this connection.[118]
Matted hair: (The epithet "Jataajoota Dhari/Kapardina") - Shiva's distinctive hair style is
noted in the epithets Jat in, "the one with matted hair",[119] and Kapardin, "endowed with
matted hair"[120] or "wearing his hair wound in a braid in a shell-like (kaparda) fashion". [121] 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.[122]His hair is said to be like molten gold in color or being yellowish-white.
Blue throat: The epithet Nlakantha (Sanskrit ; nla = "blue", kan tha = "throat").[123]
Since Shiva drank the Halahalapoison churned up from the Samudra Manthan to
eliminate its destructive capacity. Shocked by his act, Goddess Parvati strangled his neck
and hence managed to stop it in his neck itself and prevent it from spreading all over the
universe, supposed to be in Shiva's stomach. However the poison was so potent that it
changed the color of his neck to blue.[125][126] (See Maha Shivaratri.)
[124]
Shiva bearing the descent of the Ganges River as Parvati and Bhagiratha and the bull Nandi look, folio
from a Hindi manuscript by the Narayan, circa 1740
Sacred Ganges: (The epithet "Gangadhara") Bearer of Ganga. Ganges river flows from
the matted hair of Shiva.[127][128] The Gag (Ganges), one of the major rivers of the country, is
said to have made her abode in Shiva's hair.[129] The flow of the Ganges also represents the
nectar of immortality.
Tiger skin: (The epithet "Krittivasana") He is often shown seated upon a tiger skin, [115] an
honour reserved for the most accomplished of Hindu ascetics, the Brahmarishis. [130]
Serpents: (The epithet "Nagendra Haara" or 'Vasuki"). Shiva is often shown garlanded
with asnake.[131]
Deer: His holding deer on one hand indicates that He has removed the Chanchalata of
the mind (i.e., attained maturity and firmness in thought process). A deer jumps from one
place to another swiftly, similar to the mind moving from one thought to another.
Trident: (Trishula): Shiva's particular weapon is the trident.[115] His Trisul that is held in His
right hand represents the three Gunas Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. That is the emblem of
sovereignty. He rules the world through these three Gunas. The Damaru in His left hand
represents the Sabda Brahman. It represents OM from which all languages are formed. It is
He who formed the Sanskrit language out of the Damaru sound.
Drum: A small drum shaped like an hourglass is known as a damaru (d amaru).[132][133] This
is one of the attributes of Shiva in his famous dancing representation[134] known as Nataraja. A
specific hand gesture (mudra) called d amaru-hasta (Sanskrit for "damaru-hand") is used to
hold the drum.[135] This drum is particularly used as an emblem by members of
the Kplika sect.[136]
Axe: (Parashu):The parashu is the weapon of Lord Shiva who gave it to Parashurama,
sixth Avatar of Vishnu, whose name means "Rama with the axe" and also taught him its
mastery.
Nand: (The epithet "Nandi Vaahana") Nand, also known as Nandin, is the name of
the bull that serves as Shiva's mount (Sanskrit:vhana).[137][138] Shiva's association with cattle
is reflected in his name Paupati, or Pashupati (Sanskrit: ), translated by Sharma as
"lord of cattle"[139] and by Kramrisch as "lord of animals", who notes that it is particularly used
as an epithet of Rudra.[140]Rishabha or the bull represents Dharma Devata. Lord Siva rides on
the bull. Bull is his vehicle. This denotes that Lord Siva is the protector of Dharma, is an
embodiment of Dharma or righteousness.
Gana: The Ganas (Devanagari: ) are attendants of Shiva and live in Kailash. They are
often referred to as the bhutaganas, 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 gan a-a organ a-pati, "lord of the ganas".[141]
Mount Kailsa: Mount Kailash in the Himalayas is his traditional abode.[115] In Hindu
mythology, Mount Kailsa is conceived as resembling a Linga, representing the center of the
universe.[142]
Varanasi: Varanasi (Benares) is considered to be 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.[143]
Lingam[edit]
Jyotirlinga[edit]
Main article: Jyotirlinga
The worship of the lingam originated from the famous hymn in theAtharva-Veda Samhit 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.
[153][154]
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. [154]
Jyotirlinga means "The Radiant sign of The Almighty". The Jyotirlingas are mentioned in
the Shiva Purana.[155]
Shakti[edit]
Kali and Bhairava (the terrible form of Shiva) in Union, 18th century, Nepal
Shiva's body is said to consist of five mantras, called the pacabrahmans.[160] As forms of God,
each of these have their own names and distinct iconography: [161]
Sadyojta
Vmadeva
Aghora
Tatpurusa
sna
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. [162]
[163]
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. [164] The overall
meaning of these associations is summarized by Stella Kramrisch:
Through these transcendent categories, iva, the ultimate reality, becomes the efficient and
material cause of all that exists.[165]
According to the Pacabrahma Upanishad:
One should know all things of the phenomenal world as of a fivefold character, for the reason that
the eternal verity of iva is of the character of the fivefold Brahman. (Pacabrahma
Upanishad 31)[166]
The name Rudra reflects Shiva's fearsome aspects. According to traditional etymologies, the
Sanskrit name Rudra is derived from the root rud-, which means "to cry, howl".[170] Stella
Kramrisch notes a different etymology connected with the adjectival form raudra, which means
"wild, of rudra nature", and translates the nameRudra as "the wild one" or "the fierce god".[171] R.
K. Sharma follows this alternate etymology and translates the name as "terrible". [172] Hara 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". [173] Kramrisch translates it as
"the ravisher".[126] Another of Shiva's fearsome forms is as Kla"time" and Mahkla "great time",
which ultimately destroys all things.[174][175] The name Kla appears in the Shiva Sahasranama,
where it is translated by Ram Karan Sharma as "(the Supreme Lord of)
Time."[176] Bhairava "terrible" or "frightful"[177] is a fierce form associated with annihilation.[178]
In contrast, the name ankara "beneficent"[63] or "conferring happiness"[179] reflects his benign
form. This name was adopted by the greatVedanta philosopher Adi Shankara (c. 788-820),
[180]
who is also known as Shankaracharya.[181] The name ambhu (Sanskrit: ), "causing
happiness",[182][183] also reflects this benign aspect.
An illustration of the family of Shiva, consisting of Shiva, Parvati, Ganeshaand Skanda (Kartikeya)
He is depicted as both an ascetic yogi and as a householder, roles which have been traditionally
mutually exclusive in Hindu society.[184] When depicted as a yogi, he may be shown sitting and
meditating.[185] His epithet Mahyogi ("the great Yogi: Mah = "great", Yogi = "one who
practicesYoga") refers to his association with yoga.[186] While Vedic religion was conceived mainly
in terms of sacrifice, it was during the Epic period that the concepts of tapas, yoga,
and asceticismbecame more important, and the depiction of Shiva as an ascetic sitting in
philosophical isolation reflects these later concepts.[187] Shiva is also depicted as a corpse below
Goddess Kali, it represents that Shiva is a corpse without Shakti. He remains inert. While Shiva
is the static form,Mahakali or Shakti is the dynamic aspect without whom Shiva is powerless.
As a family man and householder, he has a wife, Parvati and two sons, Ganesha and Kartikeya.
His epithet Umpati ("The husband of Um") refers to this idea, and Sharma notes that two other
variants of this name that mean the same thing, Umknta and Umdhava, also appear in the
sahasranama.[188] Um in epic literature is known by many names, including the benignPrvat.[189]
[190]
She is identified with Devi, the Divine Mother; Shakti (divine energy) as well as goddesses
like Tripura Sundari, Durga, Kamakshi and Minakshi . The consorts of Shiva are the source of his
creative energy. They represent the dynamic extension of Shiva onto this universe. [191] His son
Ganesha is worshipped throughout India and Nepal as the Remover of Obstacles, Lord of
Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles. Kartikeya is worshipped in South 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.
[192]
Some regional deities are also identified as Shiva's children. 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, Shasta - identified with regional deities Ayyappan and Aiyanar - is born.[193][194][195]
[196]
Shiva is also mentioned in some scriptures to have had daughters like the serpentgoddess Manasa andAshokasundari. The demons Andhaka and Jalandhara and the
god Mangala are considered children of Shiva.
Nataraaja[edit]
Chola dynasty statue depicting Shiva dancing as Nataraja (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)
names Nartaka ("dancer") and Nityanarta ("eternal dancer") appear in the Shiva Sahasranama.
[199]
His association with dance and also with music is prominent in the Puranic period.[200] In
addition to the specific iconographic form known as Nataraja, various other types of dancing
forms (Sanskrit:nrtyamrti)
are found in all parts of India, with many well-defined varieties
[201]
in Tamil Nadu in particular. 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 world. When it requires the world or universe to be destroyed, Lord iva does it
by the tnd avanr tya.[202][203] 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. [204]
[205]
Lasya is regarded as the female counterpart of Tandava.[205] The Tandava-Lasya dances are
associated with the destruction-creation of the world.[206][207][208]
Dakshinamurthy[edit]
Main article: Dakshinamurthy
Dakshinamurthy, or Daksinmrti (Tamil:, Telugu:
,Sanskrit: ),
[209]
literally describes a form (mrti) of Shiva facing south (daks in a). This form represents Shiva in
his aspect as a teacher of yoga, music, and wisdom and giving exposition on the shastras.
[210]
This iconographic form for depicting Shiva in Indian art is mostly from Tamil Nadu.[211] Elements
of this motif can include Shiva seated upon a deer-throne and surrounded by sages who are
receiving his instruction.[212]
Ardhanarishvara[edit]
Main article: Ardhanarishvara
Chola bronze from the 11th century. Shiva in the form of Ardhanarisvara.
An iconographic representation of Shiva called (Ardhanrvara) shows him with one half of the
body as male and the other half as female. According to Ellen Goldberg, the traditional Sanskrit
name for this form (Ardhanrvara) is best translated as "the lord who is half woman", not as
"half-man, half-woman".[213]According to legend, Lord Shiva is pleased by the difficult austerites
performed by the goddess Parvati, grants her the left half of his body. This form of Shiva is quite
similar to the Yin-Yang philosophy of Eastern Asia, though Ardhanrvara appears to be more
ancient.
Tripurantaka[edit]
Main article: Tripurantaka
See also: Tripura (mythology)
The five-headed Tripurantaka is seen pointing an arrow towards the Tripura (rightmost top corner) with the
bow made of mount Meru, the serpent Vasuki is seen as its string.
Shiva is often depicted as an archer in the act of destroying the triple fortresses, Tripura, of the
Asuras.[214]Shiva's name Tripurantaka (Sanskrit: , Tripurntaka), "ender of Tripura", refers
to this important story.[215] In this aspect, Shiva is depicted with four arms wielding a bow and
arrow, but different from the Pinakapani murti. He holds an axe and a deer on the upper pair of
his arms. In the lower pair of the arms, he holds a bow and an arrow respectively. After
destroying Tripura, Tripurantaka Shiva smeared his forehead with three strokes of Ashes. This
has become a prominent symbol of Shiva and is practiced even today by Shaivites.
[219]
Rama the Vishnu avatar is considered by some to be the eleventh avatar of Rudra(Shiva).[220]
[221]
Other traditions regard the sage Durvasa,[222][223][224][225] the sage Agastya, the philosopher Adi
Shankara and Ashwatthama as avatars of Shiva. Other forms of Shiva
include Virabhadra andSharabha.
Kalyanasundara: Celestial Marriage of Shiva and Parvatiin presence of all depicted atElephanta Caves
Beyond Hinduism[edit]
Buddhism[edit]
Shiva is mentioned in Buddhist Tantra. Shiva as Upaya and Shakti as Prajna.[230] In cosmologies
of Buddhist tantra, Shiva is depicted as passive, with Shakti being his active counterpart. [231]
Sikhism[edit]
The Japuji Sahib of the Guru Granth Sahib says, "The Guru is Shiva, the Guru is Vishnu and
Brahma; the Guru is Paarvati and Lakhshmi."[232] In the same chapter, it also says, "Shiva speaks,
and the Siddhas listen."
In Dasam Granth, Guru Gobind Singh have mentioned two avtars of Rudra: Dattatreya Avtar
and Parasnath Avtar.[233]
Others[edit]
The worship of Shiva became popular in Central Asia through the Hephthalite Empire,
[234]
and Kushan Empire. Shaivism was also popular in Sogdia and East Turkestan as found from
the wall painting from Penjikent on the river Zervashan.[235] In this depiction, Shiva is portrayed
with a sacred halo and a sacred thread ("Yajnopavita").[235] He is clad in tiger skin while his
attendants are wearing Sogdian dress.[235] In Eastern Turkestan in the Taklamakan Desert.
[235]
There is a depiction of his four-legged seated cross-legged n a cushioned seat supported by
two bulls.[235] Another panel form Dandan-Uilip shows Shiva in His Trimurti form with Shakti
kneeling on her right thigh.[235][236] It is also noted that Zoroastrian wind godVayu-Vata took on the
iconographic appearance of Shiva.[236]
The Kirati people worship a form of Shiva as one of their major deity, identifying him as the lord
of animals. It is also said that the physical form of Shiva as a yogi is derived from Kirants as it is
mentioned in Mundhum that Shiva took human form as a child of Kirant. He is also said to give
Kirants visions in form of a male deer.
In Indonesia, Shiva is also worshiped as Batara Guru. In the ancient times, all kingdoms were
located on top of mountains. When he was young, before receiving his authority of power, his
name was Sang Hyang Manikmaya. He is first of the children who hatched from the eggs laid by
Manuk Patiaraja, wife of god Mulajadi na Bolon. This avatar is also worshiped in Malaysia.
Shiva's other form in Indonesian Hinduism is "Maharaja Dewa" (Mahadeva). [237]
Daikokuten, one of the Seven Lucky Gods in Japan, is considered to be evolved from Shiva. The
god enjoys an exalted position as a household deity in Japan and is worshipped as the god of
wealth and fortune.[238] The name is the Japanese equivalent of Mahkla, the Buddhist name for
Shiva.[
Shiva
Definition
by Mark Cartwright
published on 20 November 2012
and then a gigantic tiger against the god but Shiva swiftly dealt with
them and wore the tiger skin thereafter. The sages then cursed
Shivas manhood which, in consequence, fell off. When the phallus
struck the ground, earthquakes began and the ricsis became afraid
and asked for forgiveness. This was given but Shiva told them to
forever after worship the phallus as the symbolic Linga.
REPRESENTATIONS IN ART
Shiva
Shiva or iva (Sanskrit: , lit. "Auspicious one") is one of the principal deities or
a form of Ishvara (God) representing one of the three primary aspects of the Divine
Brahma,Vishnu, and Shiva collectively as the Trimurti. In the Trimurti
system, Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the maintainer or preserver, and Shiva is
the destroyer or transformer. Within Shaiva tradition he is viewed as the Supreme
deity, whereas in Smarta tradition Shiva is one of the six primary forms of the
Divine (the other five being Vishnu, Shakti,Ganesha, Kartikkeya and Surya).
Followers who focus their worship upon Shiva are called aiva. His role as the
primary
deity
is
reflected
in
his
Description
Shiva is referred to as 'the good one' or the 'auspicious one'. Shiva - Rudra is
considered to be the destroyer of evil and sorrow. Shiva - Shankara is the doer of
good. Shiva is 'tri netra' or three eyed, and is 'neela kantha' - blue necked (having
consumed poison to save the world from destruction). Shiva - Nataraja is the Divine
Cosmic Dancer. Shiva - Ardhanareeswara is both man and woman.
He is both static and dynamic and is 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 destroyes 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 Shakti - Parvati the daughter of Himavaan - Haimavati.
There is no Shiva without Shakti and no Shakti without Shiva, the two are one - or
the absolute state of being - consciousness and bliss.
The five mantras that constitute Shiva's body are Sadyojaata, Vaamadeva, Aghora,
Tatpurusha and Eesaana. Eesaana is Shiva not visible to the human eye, 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). The Vishnudharmottara Purana of the 6th
century CE 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), Bhairava
(fire), Nandi (air), Uma (water) and Sadasiva (space).
In some views iva is the third form of God as one of the Trimurti (popularly called
the "Hindu trinity"). In the Trimurti, iva is the destroyer, while Brahma and Vishnu
are creator and preserver, respectively. However, even though he represents
destruction, he is viewed as a positive force (The Destroyer of Evil), since creation
follows destruction. Other views contend that iva produces Vishnu who produces
Brahma and thus creation begins, within which the cycle of the Trimurti exists. iva
also assumes many other roles, including the Lord of Ascetics (Mahadeva), the Lord
of Boons (Rudra), and also the Universal Divinity (Mahesvara). Worshippers of iva
are called aivites who consider iva as representing the Ultimate Reality (see IshtaDeva for fuller discussion).
In shiva temples, Navarha (9 plantes), Ganesh, Skantha, Saraswati, Lakshmi,
Vishnu, Brahma, Ashtathig balar, Durga, Bairava, and all the other hidu gods will
have the place, denoting the entire gods are uniquely said to Lord Shiva, so that
only he is in shapeless (i.e. in linga form) there are five different avatars of shiva:
1.
Bhairava
2.
Natarajar
3.
Dhakshinamoorthy
4.
Somaskantha
5. Pitkchadanar
In most of the South indian temples , we can see all the five suprems in shiva
temple. all the five characteristics in a single face is said to be sadashiva
iva is not limited to the personal characteristics as he is given in many images and
can transcend all attributes. Hence, iva 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 yet can also have personal characteristics for
the grace of the embodied human devotee. Personal characteristics are a way for the
devotee to focus on God. iva is also described as Anaadi (without beginning/birth)
and Ananta (without end/death).
According to the Bhagavata Purana, Lord iva manifested in his multiple forms from
the forehead of Lord Brahma. When Lord Brahma asked his sons, the Four Kumaras,
to go forth and create progeny in the universe, they refused. This angered Lord
Brahma and in his anger a child appeared from his forehead, which split into two - a
male part and a female part. The male half started crying inconsolable and as a
result, Brahma named him Rudra. The child cried seven more times and each time
Brahma gave him a separate name. The eight names thus given to the child were
Rudra, Sharva, Bhava, Ugra, Bhima, Pashupati, Ishana, and Mahadeva. Each of
these eight names are said to be associated with specific elements of the cosmos,
namely the earth, water, fire, wind, sky, a yogi called Kshetragya, the sun, and the
moon respectively. This male child became Lord iva, who was asked to go forth and
create progeny, but when Lord Brahma observed the power, as they shared the
qualities of Lord iva, he asked him to observe austerities instead of creating
progeny. A slightly different version is told in the Shiva Purana: in the iva Purana,
iva promises Brahma that an aspect of his, Rudra, will be born and this aspect is
identical to Him.
The tale about Lord iva being born and immediately 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).
iva is the supreme God of aivism, one of the three main branches of Hinduism
today (the others being Vaishnavism and Shaktism). His abode is called Kailasa. His
holy mount (Skt: Vahana) is Nandi, the Bull. His attendant is named Bhadra. iva is
usually represented by the iva linga (or lingam), usually depicted as a clay mound
with
three
horizontal
stripes
on
it,
or
visualised
as
flaming
pillar. In
Attributes of Shiva
Third Eye
Shiva is often depicted with a third eye with which he burned Desire (Kma) to
ashes. There has been controversy regarding the original meaning of Shiva's
name Tryambakam(Sanskrit: ), which occurs in many scriptural sources. 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". However, in Vedic Sanskrit the word amb or ambik means "mother", and
this early meaning of the word is the basis for the translation "Having Three
Mothers" that was used by Max Mller and Arthur Macdonell. 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 Ambiks. Other related translations have been "having three wives or
sisters", or 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 Ambik.
Blue Throat
The epithet Nlakantha (Sanskrit ; nla = blue, kantha = throat) refers to a
story in which Shiva drank the poison churned up from the world ocean.
(see: Halhala)
Crescent Moon
Shiva bears on his head the crescent of the moon. The epithet Chandraekhara
(Sanskrit: "Having the moon as his crest" - chandra = Moon, ekhara =
crest, crown)[81][82][83] 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.[84] 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.
Matted Hair
Shiva's distinctive hair style is noted in the epithets Jatin,
"The One with matted
hair" and Kapardin, "Endowed with matted hair" or "wearing his hair wound in a
braid in a shell-like (kaparda) fashion". 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.
Sacred Ganga
The Ganga river flows from the matted hair of Shiva. The epithet Gagdhara
("Bearer of the river Gag") refers to this feature. The Ganga (Ganges), one of the
major rivers of the country, is said to have made her abode in Shiva's hair. The
legend of Bhagiratha states that when the sage of that name invoked the gods to
send the divine Ganges to earth to relieve a drought and purify the remains of his
ancestors, he was warned that the earth had not the capacity to withstand the
descent of the Ganges from heaven, in pursuit of which he propitiated Siva to
receive the Ganges upon her descent from heaven and release her with diminished
force. Siva agreed to trap the youthful and mischievous Ganges in his matted locks
and release her to the earth. It was thus, according to Hindu legend, that the
Ganges came to be trapped in Siva's locks, and to be portrayed as flowing
therefrom, in all representations of Siva.
Ashes
Shiva smears his body with ashes (bhasma). 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. These practices associated with cremation grounds are also
mentioned in the Pali canon of Theravada Buddhism. One epithet for Shiva is
Tiger skin
He is often shown seated upon a tiger skin, an honour reserved for the most
accomplished of Hindu ascetics, the Brahmarishis. "Mythology ~ The birth of
Brahmarishis" (HTML). Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
Serpents
Shiva is often shown garlanded with a snake.
Trishula (Trident)
Shiva's particular weapon is the trident.
Drum
A small drum shaped like an hourglass is known as a damaru (Sanskrit: damaru).
This is one of the attributes of Shiva in his famous dancing representation known as
Nataraja. A specific hand gesture (mudra) called damaru-hasta (Sanskrit for
"damaru-hand") is used to hold the drum. This drum is particularly used as an
emblem by members of the Kplika sect.
Nand
Also known as Nandin, is the name of the bull that serves as Shiva's mount
(Sanskrit: vhana). Shiva's association with cattle is reflected in his name Paupati
or Pashupati(Sanskrit ), translated by Sharma as "Lord of cattle" and by
Kramrisch as "Lord of Animals", who notes that it is particularly used as an epithet of
Rudra.
Gan a
In Hinduism, the Ganas (Devanagari: ) are attendants of Shiva and live in Kailasa.
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 gana-a or gana-pati, "lord of
the ganas".
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.
Nataraja
The depiction of Shiva as Nataraja (Tamil: , Sanskrit: natarja,
"Lord of
Dance") is popular. The names Nartaka ("Dancer") and Nityanarta ("Eternal Dancer")
appear in the Shiva Sahasranama. His association with dance and also with music is
prominent in the Puranic period. In addition to the specific iconographic form known
as Nataraja, various other types of dancing forms (Sanskrit: nrtyamrti)
are found in
all parts of India, with many well-defined varieties in Tamil Nadu (in southern India)
in particular.
Karttikeya 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 iva pleading for his help. Shiva thus
assumed a form with five faces, a divine spark emanating from the third eye of
each. 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
Karittikas, five forest maidens. The sparks transformed into children and were
suckled by the Karttikas, When iva, 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.
Gaudiya
Vaishnavism
he
is
considered
the
best
of devotee
of Vishnu
(vaisnavanam yatha sambhu) and also an aspect of Vishnu. The example of milk and
yogurt is used to describe their difference in Brahma Samhita. He is depicted as
meditating on Sankarsana, an expansion of Balarama. He also plays an important
role in Krishna-lila as Kshetra-pala, protector of Vrindavan, holy dham of Krishna. As
Gopisvara Mahadeva he also guards rasa-lila grounds. Authorship of Sri Sri Radhakrpa-kataksa-stava-raja (aka Radha Stava) (text and translation), from the
Urdhvamnaya Tantra, is ascribed to him. This tantra, contemporarily available only in
parts, is praised in chapter 3 of the Kularnava Tantra as 'the secret of secrets'.
Names of Shiva
The Shiva Purana lists a 1008 names for Lord iva. Each of his names, in Sanskrit,
signifies a certain attribute of his. Some of his names are listed below
Mahadeva (The Supreme Lord : Maha = great, Deva = God - more often
than not, the Aghora (fierce) version)
Rameshwar (The one whom Ram worships: Ram, Eshwar = worships, God;
Ram's God)
Mahayogi (The Supreme Yogi: Maha = great, Yogi = one who practices Yoga)
Mahakala (Great Time, i.e. Conqueror of Time: Maha = three, Kala = Time)
Neelakantha (The one with a Blue Throat: Neel = blue, Kantha = throat)
Digambara (One who has the skies as his clothes, i.e. The Naked One: Dik =
Clothes, Ambara = Sky)
Vyomkesha (The One who has the sky as his hair: Vyom = sky, Kesha
=hair)
Trishuldhari (He who holds the divine Trishul or Trident: Trishul = Trident,
Dhari = He who holds)
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15. Avdhuth Avatar Lord Shiva took this form to destroy the
pride of Lord Indra.
17. Sunatnartak Avatar This is the form Lord Shiva took when
he went to ask the hand of Parvati from Himalaya.
19. Kirat Avatar Lord Shiva took this form to test the devotion
of Arjuna and kill the demon Mooka.
both of them to reach start and end of it. Vishnu traveled downwards to reach end and
Brahma traveled upwards to reach beginning, but both of them failed and considered
there is no end of Shiva and asked Shiva to guide them. In this story Brahma lied that
he reached beginning, So Shiva banned his worships in Hinduism, which is true.
Brahma's son Daksha Prajapati was against Shiva because of this reason only.
Now, Lord Rama established Shiva Linga when he was marching towards Lanka
which is known asRameshwara Mahadeva means Ishwar(God) of
Rama.In Ramayana when Lord Rama wanted to do Prashchatap because he
considered killing Ravana as sin of killing a brahmana, he asked Hanumanji to
organize to establish a Shiva Linga and asked again Shiva for mercy and to cut his
sin. If Lord is himself able to cut sins, Can't he cut his own sins?
In Krishna avatar when Krishna wanted to bring some tree kalpa Vriksha from Indra,
he worshiped Shiva for blessings and that is known as "Gopeshwara Mhadeva" in
vrindavana means Ishwara (God) of Gopal(Krishna). Also when Krishna wanted to
have a son, he asked sages and from their advice he prayed to Lord Shiva to get a
son. If Krishna was Vishnu against whose will nothing happens, why he said that
"Shive Sarvadhi Sadhike" means nothing happens without Shiva's will, so please
bless me with son!! when the Mahabharata was about to be battled he asked
Pandavas to have bliss of Shiva first and arranged a Pooja of Shiva Linga...
In Bhahwata Puran also the story is stated about Lakshmidevi's unhappiness with
Vishnu because Vishnu told her that in his half area of heart is dedicated to Lord
Shiva only. And in the rest of half, all the creatures of world and all deities including
her wife Lakshmi lives!!
Parshurama is considered as great devotee of Shiva, Shiva gave him Parshu, for
which Parshurama is famous for.
Why Shiva does not worship any body where as Vishnu worships him in all
incarnations?
What I think is because Shiva is the only supreme Paramatma as he is
unborn(Ajanma), Akarta and Abhokta(Vairagi) as said in Geeta that GOD is Ajanma,
Akarta and Abhokta. God is neerakar (Shapeless and formless), Shiva Linga is
symbol of Shiva 's such form only.
And also Vishnu always advised other deities(Kartikeya, Indra, Parvati,..) to worship
Shiva only if they have mistakenly committed sins.
But now it is curiosity to know about this. Can anybody put light on my doubts?
Edit:
vishnu
gods
shiva-purana
creation
asked
11:58
learningbrain
1,0901424
Parth Trivedi
3,686
Where is the story in the Srimad Bhagavatam about Vishnu's heart? Keshav Srinivasan
3 '14 at 15:11
The point B in the question confuse me. It says that Vishnu and Brahma were created from
JyotirStambha. But after that it is mentioned that there was a dispute between Vishnu and
Brahma and only after that JyotirStambha appeared. Then how can both of them created fr
JyotirStambha? A_runningMind Aug 3 '14 at 15:47
2 thank you all for +1s, I also want to share that Vishnu has told Parvati devi that
never be separated. I live in Shiva only. And anybody who disrespects Shiva, I will punish hi
always.". I have seen this story in Devon ke Dev Mahadeva... No idea about it is truth or jus
television invention. Parth Trivedi Aug 4 '14 at 6:36
2 Hanuman is the incarnation of Shiv. And Hanuman is the great devotee of Lord Rama
(Vishnu). doptimusprime Aug 6 '14 at 11:30
2 Krishna never said he is Supreme, when he shown Vishwaroopa to Arjuna, Arjuna asks
Vishwaroopa who are you? and answer was "I'm Kaal" he never said im Krishna or Vishnu, s
one must understand that there is something beyond Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, that is Adi an
8 Answers
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Though the god is one, when we see in terms of Generation, Operation, Destruction
these are taken care by Bramha, Vishnu and Shiva respectively. Since Vishnu is
responsible for execution, it is He who descends to take care of the creation. This
may be killing the demons or establishing dharma or to spread knowledge or to fulfill
desire of a devotee. No one can understand Him, so He shows how to worship Him
for different purposes. Also Vishnu worships Shiva symbolically to say both are
same. Sivasya hridayam vishnur-vishnoscha hridayam sivahVishnu is the heart of
Siva and likewise Siva is the heart of Vishnu." They both meditate upon one another
all the time! A good discussion on this ishere
In other perspective Vishnu has taken Rajas nature and Shiva has taken Sattva. Rajas
is full of desires and action and hence He worships Shiva to fullify the desires, this
way He shows how to worship the god whereas Shiva is satvik, He is self realized
and self sufficient and hence He doesn't appear to worship anyone externally.
shareimprove this answer
answered
17:35
pbvamsi
1,602
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Puranas are sectarian literature. You will find them disagreeing about the supreme
Deity. You should instead read a non-sectarian scripture like Mahabharata.
Mahabharata Vana Parva Section CCLXX says:
The Supreme Spirit has three conditions. In the form of Brahma, he is the Creator,
and in the form of Vishnu he is the Preserver, and in his form as Rudra, he is the
Destroyer of the Universe!
Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra/Shiva are simply three names and forms of Brahman.
Rishi Sanat-sujata says in Mahabharata Udyoga Parva Section 43:
There is but one Brahman which is Truths self. It is from ignorance of that One, that
god-heads have been conceived to be diverse.
shareimprove this answer
answered
14:58
Pradip Gangopadhy
2,550
1 You are totally correct shiva is one nature of bramha(supreme god nirakar) and Vishnu is
another nature of bramha it is on the worshipper to take/make a Ishta Devta(according to h
liking of the supreme nature), to attain salvation/ Yogi Sep 30 '14 at 7:49
Is Bhagvad Gita also a sectarian literature? Om Shankar Jul 17 at 17:29
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Vishnu or Krishna is the Supreme Being and He is worshiped and followed by Shiva's
incarnations. For example Hanuman was an incarnation of Shiva and Rama was an
incarnation of Vishnu. We know from the scriptures Hanuman followed Rama.
Another point is Shiva holds river Ganges on his head which originates at the lotus
feet of Vishnu. So it is not right to say that Shiva doesn't worship Vishnu. Most
importantly Krishna, the complete avatar clearly reveals in the Gita that He is the
Supreme Being in manifest form.
shareimprove this answer
answered
15:57
pbvamsi
Wisdom
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Please read the Mahabharata carefully. Also, the puranas Srimad bhagavatham, Varaha
Purana, Padma purana, Garuda Purana, Matsya Purana etc....In all these puranas there
upmteen number of instances where Shiva Worshipped Vishnu or Krishna or Rama as
the Supreme Lord.
Mahabharata clearly says
mahAdevaH sarvamedhe mahAtmA hutvA AtmAnaM devadevo babhUva
This clearly indicates that Rudra Performed Sarvamedha yagna and prayed to Lord
Vishnu to become Mahadeva.
In the Mahabharata sAnti parva, Arjuna asks Krishna the following:
Arjuna
While felling the enemies with arrows in the battlefield, I find a Person standing ahead
of me. He is brilliant like Agni, with a Trisula in the hand. In whichever direction he
goes, my enemies in that direction are burnt and killed by him. I follow him and attack
the same persons, who have already been attacked by him. Onlookers are unaware of
this truth and think that my enemies have indeed been attacked and felled by me.
To this, Krishna replies,
Krishna
Under my protection, you have won a great victory in Battle. Know, O Son of Kunti,
that he whom you saw going before you in battle was none other than Rudra also
known as Devadeva and Kapardin. They say he is Kala (time or reckoner of death for
souls), Born of my Wrath. Those foes you have slain were, in fact slain by him.
Hence adore with a controlled mind, that Umapati, Devadeva, of immeasurable
greatness, Maheswara, the Changeless (in yoga).
Note the bolded words, Born of my Wrath. This shows again, as in many, many
quotes, that Siva was born of nArAyaNa. Now, in all honesty, no one will deny the
greatness Krishna ascribes to Siva. He is changeless in yoga, he is a great deva, etc.
But, it confirmed with the above stements that Rudra/Shiva's was born out of Vishnu's
wrath. Please check the Santi parva of the Mahabharata for these quotes.
The mahAbHArata contains the story of how 5 Indras were cursed by Shiva to be born
as the 5 pAndavas. Shiva then, takes these Indras to nArAyaNa and asks approval for
his actions as follows:
Accompanied by all those Indras, the god Isana then went unto Narayana of
immeasurable energy, the Infinite, the Immaterial, the Uncreate, the Old, the Eternal,
and the Spirit of these universes without limits. Narayana approved of everything.
Those Indras then were born in the world of men. And Hari (Narayana) took up two
hairs from his body, one of which hairs was black and the other white. And those two
hairs entered the wombs of two of the Yadu race, by name Devaki and Rohini.
Note how nArAyaNa is described here as the supreme in relation to Rudra and Indra,
whereas Isana (Rudra) does not enjoy such adjectives.
The link for that incident is here. Readers can check the Sanskrit
verses: http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01200.htm
the mahAbhArata says that Siva came to BadarikAshramam and was engaged in a
fierce fight with nara-nArAyaNa, which culminated in nArAyaNa strangling Rudras
throat till it became black. Then, Brahma appeared and chastised Siva and told him to
worship the sages Nara-nArAyaNa, who were avatArAs of the supreme brahman, Lord
nArAyaNa.
The vAlmiki rAmAyaNa does not contain a single instance of rAmA worshipping
shiva. Rather, the following two statements are found:
HanumAn tells rAvana thus:
brahmaa vaa svayambhuuH chaturaananaH rudraa vaa triNetraH
tripuraantakaHmahendraH vaa indraH suranaayakah na shaktaaH traatum
raamavadhyamyudhi (~sundara khAnda 51.45)
Neither Brahma the self-existing god with four faces or Rudra with three eyes and the
destroyer of Tripura or Mahendra the god of atmosphere and sky as also the lord of
celestials would not be able to protect the one to be killed by Rama in battle."
Mahabharata, Shanti Parva (12.328.5 onwards, dialogue between Lord Krishna and
Arjuna):
brAhme rAtrikShaye prApte tasya hy amitatejasaH prasAdAtprAdurabhavatpadmaM
padmanibhekShaNa tatra brahmA samabhavatsa tasyaiva prasAdajaH
In the brahma muhurta, at the end of the night, due to the mercy of the extremely
brilliant Lord, a lotus emerged from His navel and in that lotus, Brahma was born,
ofcourse, due to His grace.
(Krishna)
Following this Siva worships and prays to Lord Vishnu/Krishna (Verses 52 onwards
till the end of the chapter 250 of the Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda).
Please refer to the
link http://is1.mum.edu/vedicreserve/puranas/padma_purana_6uttara.pdffor original
sanskrit text, chapter 250 for more details.
Also, please refer to Bramhavaivarta Purana, Siva and Parvati worship to Lord
Vishnu/Krishna to get a son. Lord Vishnu having been pleased by the prayers of Siva
and Parvati grants them a boon that a valiant son will be born to them. This son is
Ganesha/Vinayaka. Please read the original text for more information.
There are many more such statements from scriptures where Siva and Parvati
worshipped Lord Vishnu umpteen number of times. So questions and statements like
Shiva never worshipped Vishnu are invalid.
Now, let us look at a few more verses from Padma Purana:
Shiva prays to vishNu thus in the padma purAna:
anyadevaM varaM dehi prasiddhaM sarvajantuShu |
martyo bhUtvA bhavAneva mama sAdhaya keshava ||
mAM bhajasva cha devesha varaM matto gR^ihANa cha |
yenA.ahaM sarvabhUtAnAM pUjyAtpUjyataro.abhavam.h ||
Meaning : "Please give me this boon. By incarnating on Earth, Oh Lord Kesava,
worship me and get boons from me. From this, I will become worship-worthy to all
the beings.
Lord Vishnu grants this boon to Siva and says that he will make Rudra be known as
(bestower of boons) by worshipping Rudra in his avatArAs (in succeeding verses in
Padma Purana).
Similarly, the kurma purana and the Varaha Purana also mentions that Siva worshipped
Vishnu and got a boon that Lord Vishnu will worship Rudra/Siva. Lord Vishnu grants
this boon.
So, it is very clear that siva and parvati both had prayed to vishnu, many times.
Also, I hope this clarifies why Lord Vishnu is the Supreme and not Lord Shiva.
Please don't watch some programs on TV or cartoons or movies and make your
mind...Please go through the actual scriptures also and do due diligence before making
wild claims.
The following are the conclusions
Shiva always worships Lord Vishnu. Vishnu alone is abode of Sattva guna and Siva is
abode of Tamas.
-Matsya Purana (See line 68 in page 216 in the link provided) .
sttvikes u purn es u mhtmyamadhikam hareh /
rjases u ca mhtmyam adhikam brahman o viduh // MatsP_53.68 //
tadvadagneca mhtmyam tmases u ivasya ca /
Link : is1.mum.edu/vedicreserve/puranas/matsya_purana.pdf
This in turn means that only Vishnu is abode Sattva or All sattvik puranas glorify Lord
Vishnu and Siva puranas are Tamasic.
In the Bhanavad Gita, Arjuna himself calls Lord krishna as Vishnu in Vishwaroopa
darshana chapter 11 and asks him to show his pleasant Chaturbhuja form..So, when
you say that krishna never said he is supreme you are incorrect,
Let us consider the following verse, brahmanam isam kamalasana-stham from the
vishwaroopa darshana chapter 11 verse 15.
Here are the interpretations of the 3 acharyas from their respective Gita Bhasyas:
Shankaracharya I see Brahma, the Lord of all Creatures (Isham), seated on the
lotus.
Ramanujacharya - I see Brahma and Siva who abides by the directions of the lotus
seated Brahma.
Madhvacharya I see Brahma and Siva who is seated in the lap of the lotus seated
Brahma.
So, all the acharyas have clearly indicated all deities are there inside Lord Krishna
including Bramha and Siva. Please read carefully, Lord Vishnu is not there or not
mentioned to be within the Vishwaroopam form because, Lord Vishnu is Krishna. So,
everything and anything abides in Lord Vishnu/Narayana/Krishna. So Lord
Vishnu/Narayana/Krishna is the Supreme.
Lets look at a few more verses (this list is not exhaustive. read the BG for more verses)
Chapter 9, verse 11:avajnanti m md h mnus tanum ritam para bhvam
ajnanto mama bhta-mahevaram
Clearly Krishna is saying that he is Supreme Lord (Sarva bhuta Maheshwaram) There
are many such instances in Bhagavad Gita where Krishna Clearly indicates that he is
the supreme.
Chapter 11 Verse 24 : Arjuna pleads with Krishna and addresses him as Vishnu
Chapter 11 Verse 46 : Arjuna is requesting for the pleasant Chaturbhujha form
Chapter 15 Verse 15: Lord Krishna says that he is the one to be known by the Vedas;
i.e. the goal of the vedas, not Omkar or Bramha or Siva or any other deity.
Chapter 15 Verse 16,17, 18 Lord Krishna clearly brings out he is beyond the
perishable (Kshara) and imperishable (Akshara - Atma). He clearly brings out that he
is the Ultimate Supreme Lord (Purushottama) beyond both Kshara and Akshara.
There are many more verses in the previous chapters where Krishna clearly brings out
that he is the ultimate Supreme Goal. He is the Father, grandfather, mother, He is
"Aum" in the vedas.
Chapter 9 , Verse 17:
"Pitahamaha sya jagato mata dhata pitamaha ! Vedyam pavitra omkara rik sama yajur
eva cha!!
Lord Krishna is saying he is the omkara among the vedas.
So, Lord Krishna/Vishnu is the SUPREME.
Now, to the grand episode of Shiva consuming Halahala for which many shaivas and
shaktas, blow their false trumphets (i am just providing only information from Padma
Purana. There are many more puranas like Garuda, Brahmanda where it exactly
concurs with Padma purana)
In Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda , Section 6; Chapter 232, Shiva says the
following regarding the churning of the ocean and halahala or poison episode:
Then at that time when the great ocean was being churned, at first there came up the
very strong Kalakuta poison which was very painful, very fierce, and which was like
the fire of universal destruction. [Verses 7-10]
Seeing (it), all gods and demons, being frightened,fled away. O you of beautiful eyes,
then seeing the best gods frightened and fleeing away, I (Shiva) said to them: "O you
all hosts of gods, do not be afraid of the poison. I shall drink this strongpoison,
Kalakuta." Thus addressed by me, all the gods, led by Indra and bowing, very much
praised me with the words 'Well, Well'. On seeing the strong poison, like a cloud,
having come up I (Shiva) meditated in my heart upon the eagle-bannered god Visnu,
resembling the rising sun and holding a conch, a disc, and a mace.[Verses 11-15]
Having meditated (i.e. when Shiva meditated) with a concentrated mind upon that lord
along with Sri and Bhumi, having earrings of gold purified by fire, remover of all
miseries, and on my having muttered the great hymn of the name and form (of Visnu)
along with MahalaksmI, all that poison, which was very fierce, which was the first
one, which was fearful to all, which was (capable of) destroying all the worlds, was
digested (by me i.e Shiva) due to the three names of Visnu, the omnipresent one. He
who,being restrained, would devoutly mutter the three names of Visnu, viz. Acyuta,
Ananta, Govinda, beginning with Pranava (i.e. Om) and (also) ending with Om, has no
fear of death, so also the great fear due to poison, disease and fire. The wise, restrained
one, who would mutter the great hymnthe three namesdoes not have fear of
Death; then from where else (can he have it)? Thus with (the muttering of) the three
names I (Shiva) drank that poison. [Verses 16-21]
This shatters the myth behind the Halahala episode portraying the greatness of Shiva.
Shiva literally prayed and worshipped Lord Vishnu before consuming the poison
because of which Shiva was able to control the poison.
Unlike other Puranas, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Vishnu purana, Padma Purana have
not been plagiarised or interpolated to extent the other texts are. So how ever hard one
can try their best by saying advaitha, nirguna bramhan, Bramha, Siva etc., but the
principle outcome is Lord Vishnu/Narayana/Krishna alone is SUPREME, even
according to the great Advaitha acharya Adi Shankara himself.
Read Shankara's Gita Bhasya and also for that matter his bhasyas on upanishads for
more information.
All Vedas, ithihasa, puranas etc clearly indicate that Vishnu alone is abode of Sattva
and Shiva is tamas...Shiva got the name Shiva i.e.auspicious and became great after
bearing the Ganga on his head which has its origination in the foot of Lord Vishnu
Vamana episode in Padma Purana, uttara khanda, section 6, Chapter 240,
I (Shiva )held her (Ganga) on my head to purify myself. Having held (ganga on my
head) the auspicious water of Ganga for a thousand divine years, I obtained bliss,and
am adored in all worlds [Verses 39-48].
Shiva further says :
There is no doubt that he who would carry on his head the water of Ganga rising from
Visnu's foot, or would drink it, would be respected by the world...[Verse 49 onwards]
Please read the puranas. Majority of the 18 puranas, ithihasa, Vedas Unequivocally
uphold that Vishnu alone is Sattva and Siva is Tamas. This is not to deride anyone. But
this is what is given in the scriptures.
All genuine scriptures and genuine acharyas, including Veda Vyasa and Adi Shankara
also declare that "Na daivam Keshavatparam" (There is no Lord either superior or
equal to Keshava)
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8:07
Krishna
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If Adi Shankaracharya was a Vaishnava, then why does the Advaita version of the Sankalpam
say "Parvati Parameshwara Prityartham", whereas the Vadakalai Sri Vaishnava version says
"Sriman Narayana Prityartham"? Keshav Srinivasan Jun 8 at 20:26
@Keshav - They say " Parameshwara preethyartham" only. Now, parameshwara is not Siva
only as you know, the word parameshwara is common name and even brahma, Indra etc als
have been addressed as Parameshwara at many places. Here, Parameshwara is ultimate
supreme lord need not be Shiva. Now, if some one speciafically, adds "Parvati --Parameshwa
preethyartham", it is very clear that they are afraid that because they use the word
"Parameshwara" they cant support their saiva views. Also, it might be their tradition or
localised culture. It doesn't have any basis in Vedas. Krishna Jun 8 at 20:38
@Keshav - Similar arguments on the sankalpa part has taken place, recently in Narayanaast
blog spot too. You can check that too. here is the link narayanastra.blogspot.in/p/a-note-to-o
readers.html Check the comments section where this discussion on sankalpa has taken plac
Hope it helps Krishna Jun 8 at 20:46
@Keshav - Also, do you or any one of the so called advaitins have any reference or proof tha
Adi Shankara used "Parvati parameshwara prithyartham..." or that he never used "Narayana
prithayartham.." as part of his sankalpams from any of Prasthana traya works or from his
upanishad commentaries ? Krishna Jun 8 at 20:57
@Keshav - Also, one question to advaitins who say abheda , nirguna always and then use th
kind of tricks, like "Parvati Parameshvara prithyartham" etc. Why show partiality, if they truly
believe in abhedam and nirgunatvam? If they are true advaitins then their sankalpa cannot b
addressed to Shiva, the parvati pati alone, because Shiva is not Nirguna. These are all tricks
Saivaites masquerading as Advaitins. I dont think true advaitins will do this kind of
things. Krishna Jun 8 at 21:21
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I found that nearly every Purana states its main diety as the supreme one. And
sometimes to support that they also say that the deity was there from the beginning and
then he later gets incarnated into his physical incarnation, so considering all this what I
assume is that there is one supreme God, which the Shiva Puran calls Sadashiva,
Vishnupuran calls Mahavishnu, Bramhapuran calls.
This supreme God might be nirakar, ajanma, etc. Then he created 3 main dieties
Bramha, Vishnu and Rudra which are actually 3 powers of the supreme one only and
then they further created, handled or destroyed all other creations. We have seen
pictures of all of these 3 dieties to be meditating. Now, if anyone of them is supreme
then why are they praying, so they must be praying the supreme God which we call by
different names, i.e Sadashiva or Mahavishnu or Parabramha, etc. If we consider
Muslim religion also, there is no physical God, its also that Nirakaar Supreme God
which they call as Allah. Similarly, in Christianity also there was an invisible God
whose only voice was heard and later Jesus was said to be the son of that God.
This is what I feel. Sorry, if I have hurt anyone's religious feelings but if we think this way then there would be no religious clashes/biases/etc.
Kedarnath
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Aby
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This is very good thought but in hinduism that No physical god is our Shivalinga.. which is
symbol of God's "no physical" state. In hinduism main GOD is shivalingam only. which is
nirakar. We have no religious clashes. Parth Trivedi Nov 6 '14 at 18:08
Nirakar or Nirguna which many people take as absolute attributeless is also against the veda
because Vedas talk about Saguna and Nirguna, both, and one cannot say Vedas are partially
correct and partially wrong. The moment you say Shivalinga or God etc it because saguna an
cannot be Nirguna in literal terms..So, one needs to understand what this nirguna which the
scriptures indicate. There is nothing called absolute nirguna ..There is only one Supreme god
as per hinduism, but it is Saguna only and nirgunattva has to be explained keeping in mind
that it doesn't impact the saguna concept. Krishna Nov 18 '14 at 6:28
And let us not confuse with other religions and get carried away by other reliongs like Islam,
chritianity etc. which don't accept vedas. There are certain aspects and aphorisms which are
common among many of the religions but that doesn't make god formless..If, one cannot
fathom his greatness leave it to them, but comparing with other religions is absolutely not
required. Krishna Nov 18 '14 at 6:33
@ParthTrivedi, The symbol of ShivaLinga does not mean "no physical" - it is a union of a Ling
and a Yoni (of Mother Parvati) showing that this is the source of all creation. Only the upper
protruding part is a Linga. The base is a Yoni. Om Shankar Sep 30 at 21:34
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As far as I know, None of these trio comparable to each other, they have their own
significance.
and coming to the question "Why Vishnu worship Shiva?" because Vishnu is only
incarnated as human being of Supreme GOD on time to time ( From Satyuga to
Kalyuga ) to guide and teach the lesson to live life and worship is also a part of human
life.
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Keshav
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KIRAN KUMAR
1797
Narayanena Chita Padukabhyam, Namo Namah Shankar parvati bhyam - Uma Maheshwar
Stotra. This means that the lotus feet of Shiva is in the heart of Narayana. Om Shankar
30 at 21:43
"Lord vishnu is the original seed giving father" - where is it mentioned? Krishna says in BG. B
Krishna is speaking as Supreme personality of Godhead. Which is also Shiva. So the same
statement and BG will still hold good when Shiva speaks, or Rama speaks. or any incarnation
of Shiva speaks. Lord shiva worshipped krishna - no account of this other than SB. Krishna
worshipped Shiva and Durga too, as per Mahabharata. Om Shankar Sep 30 at 21:45
Supreme personality is indifferent from lord Krishna. Krishna's tu bhagavan svayam. Suprem
is one he is not many. Lord Shiva is tamas form of Bhagavan Krishna. Supreme himself said i
BG among the rudras he is sankara. Lord Krishna worships his devotees more than himself it
can be known from how he cleaned the foot of sages, rishi narada and his friend sudama. He
smears the dust from the feet of his devotees. He displays all the qualities which he created
and thus displaying his absolute nature. KIRAN KUMAR Oct 1 at 17:24
Please read BG for full description the supreme person himself says that fools try to deride h
when he descends in human form. You can also refer terms like vasudevam sarvam iti and
aham bija pita in BG slokas to understand true nature of the absolute personality.
KUMAR Oct 1 at 17:28
you are again only referencing Vaishnava literature and Vaishnava translation of Bhagvad Gi
The Mayavadis also follow the same Bhagvad Gita, but they don't believe what you say - I
don't have to re-read any scripture. I am just saying that you cannot say absolutely
relatively. Om Shankar Oct 2 at 6:34
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Some references from Bhagavadgita which strictly speaks about monotheism and one
supreme god that is Lord Krishna/Narayana.
BG 7:7 "mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya mayi sarvam idam
protam sutre mani-gana iva"
O conquerer of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything
rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.
Here Bhagavan says "mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti" there is no
one***(nanyat)* superior(parataram) to me even a little *(kinchit asti)***
So Lord Krsna clearly says that he is the supreme truth.
BG 14:4 "sarva-yonisu kaunteya murtayah sambhavanti yah tasam brahma mahad
yonir aham bija-pradah pita"
It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunt, are made possible by
birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.
Here Bhagavan Krsna clearly says that is the original father of all living
entities(aham bija-pradah pita).
It is propounded in the puranas that Lord Shiva lies dormant and then when Goddess
impregnates him the materialistic creation has come to being and the spiritual aspect
of creation that is atman has come from Paramatman(supreme soul)/Parabrahman
Narayana/Krsna. At the end of kalpa all the souls merge into the supreme Narayana
and again at the beginning of kalpa they are manifested again(as per BG).