The significance of the supreme Hindu deity of destruction.

Although Shiv is often associated with anger, he radiates a sense of calm through his ever present meditative posture and his benevolence nature which is unmatched. He is also called Mahadev – great god, Sambhu – benign, Shankara – the giver of joy, Pashupati – the lord of animals, besides many other names. One such name, Nilkanth, Nil meaning Blue and Kanth being throat, arises from the tale of Samudhra Manthan, the churning of ocean. When the gods and demons were churning the ocean to possess the elixir from the bottom of the milky water body, 14 valuable items or ratna emerged from it. Unfortunately, a deadly poison called Halahala also came to the surface and destroyed everything it came in contact with. The gods, Brahma and Vishu went to Shiv for help as the poison was capable of perishing the entire creation of the Universe. Only Shiv was powerful enough to swallow and control the poison. When he did so, his consort Parvati pressed his neck to prevent the spreading of Halahala through his entire body. The venom stayed concentrated in Shiv’s neck where he could neither swallow nor spit it out. This gave his neck the colour blue and Shiv’s act of selflessness and sacrifice saved the world from destruction, ironically.

Family

His consort is goddess Parvati, She is the reincarnation of Shiv’s first wife Sati. Parvati is the goddess of power, love, fertility nourishment, material energy and harmony. She is also represented as Shakti, the goddess of strength and energy. She takes many forms of goddesses such as Gauri, the golden one and Kali, the dark one. Uma and Aparna are also names used for her. Ganesh or Ganpati, the elephant headed god and Kartikeya are the sons of Shiv and Parvati. Shiv and Parvati are deemed to be the ideal couple and are often seen idolized together as Ardhanarisvara, the androgynous diety of Hinduism. Ardh means half, nari is woman and ishvara is god, translating to the god who is half woman as this figure is split into the body of a man and the other half is of a lady. It depicts how the feminine and masculine energy are equal in nature and the universe, it further portrays how inseparable they are as well.

Physical Form

Lord Shiv’s appearance itself is fascinating with multiple interesting elements.

His very third eye makes is a unique physical attribute which enables him to view what lies beyond the realms of the physical world. This majorly implies how his third eye is responsible for his immense wisdom, knowledge, his innumerable powers and enormous strength. This eye has been placed on his forehead right in the middle of his other two eyes. This eye has also been feared because of its destructive qualities. Shiv’s third eye had once turned Kama, the god of love and lust, into mere ashes. But its significance lies in the ability of being able to differentiate the right from wrong, stemming from the profound insight it is filled with.

Shiv’s body is covered in Vibhuti, sacred ashes. This ash represents the impermanence of the world and how everything would eventually perish. It also paves way for creation with a clean slate. Although upon burning, everything turns into ashes but mystically, ash cannot be burnt any further, it remains as is, indicating immorality of certain energies and spirits.

Shiv’s trident embodies the Trimurti of creator, preserver and destroyer. It also illustrates the balance between the three qualities or gunas; sattva, rajas and tamas.

This Mahadev is found spotting a tiger skin, a proof of how the supreme forces hail surpassing the basic animalistic instincts.

A chain of rosary beads remains in his hand, this is made from dried stone fruit and known as Rudkrash, which is why the name Rudra is associated with Shiv too. Rudra exemplifies aggression as it is the Sanskrit word for rage.

The river Ganga is believed to be flowing from his dense, matted hair when he once trapped her there. The serpent around his neck, his vehicle Nandi in the form of a bull, his state of a yogi, a little drum called damroo, too are some of his many identifications.

Shiva and Shankar are different names for the same Hindu deity. Shiva is one of the main deities in Hinduism and is considered to be one of the most important deities in the Hindu pantheon. He is known by many names and has many forms and is revered by many different sects and traditions within Hinduism.

Shiva is often depicted as a yogi, a destroyer and a god of fertility and regeneration. He is also known as the god of meditation and yoga, as well as the god of destruction and transformation. He is often depicted with a blue throat, which is said to be the result of drinking poison in order to save the world. He is also often shown with a third eye on his forehead which symbolizes spiritual insight, wisdom, and clairvoyance. He is also depicted with a crescent moon on his forehead, which symbolizes the time cycle of life and death.

Shankar is a name for Shiva, meaning “The Benevolent” or “The Auspicious One”, and is often associated with his role as a destroyer of evil and a bringer of prosperity and well-being.

In summary, “Shiva” and “Shankar” are both names that refer to the same Hindu deity and they represent different aspects of his character and roles. Shiva is known as the destroyer, while Shankar is known as the benevolent, who brings prosperity and well-being.

Shiv Tandav

Lord Shiv is rather fearfully known for performing Tandav or Rudra Tandav, a sacred dance staged with anger. He did so when his first wife Sati had jumped into her father’s sacrificial fire and lost her life. The entire Universe was shaken, causing destruction and recreation. He is also the Natraj, the lord of dance celebrated for his perfect execution of the performing art form.

This Hindu god known for constructive destruction has put an end to evil forces single handedly while enabling creation all over again. The three horizontal lines, created from ashes, smeared on his forehead symbolises how he destructed the three worlds of Hinduism. Nevertheless, he is firmly followed and honoured for his enlightened state of intellect, meditative focus, wisdom and insight into the worlds that are not bound by physical boundaries.

Chanting the mantra “Om Namah Shivaya”, meaning salutations to Lord Shiv, helps calm the mind.