Shiva, meaning "The Auspicious One", also
known as Devon Ke Dev..., is one of the three major deities of Hinduism. He is
known for being the God of Gods in Hinduism. He is Anant, one who is neither
found born nor found dead. Shiva is regarded as limitless, transcendent,
unchanging and formless. Shiva also has many benevolent and fearsome forms.
Attributes
In the legends Shiva is described as an omniscient
Yogi who lives an ascetic life on Mount Kailash with his wife Parvati and sons
Ganesha and Kartikeya. The main
iconographical attributes of Shiva are the third eye on his forehead, the snake
Vasuki 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.
Lingam
The lingam, is an abstract or aniconic
representation of the Hindu deity, Shiva, used for worship in temples. In
traditional Indian society, the lingam is seen as a symbol of the energy and
potential of Shiva himself.
Forms And Roles
Shiva is a god of ambiguity and paradox, whose
attributes include opposing themes. He is the Destroyer and the
Benefactor, the Ascetic and the
Householder.
The Destroyer and the Benefactor
In the Yajurveda, two contrary sets of attributes
for both malignant or terrific (Sanskrit: rudra) and benign or auspicious
(Sanskrit: śiva) forms can be found, In the Mahabharata, Shiva is depicted as
"the standard of invincibility, might, and terror", as well as a
figure of honor, delight, and brilliance.
The name Rudra reflects Shiva's fearsome aspects
which means the wild one or the fierce one. Hara is another 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, "one who captivates", "one who
consolidates", and "one who destroys". Another of Shiva's fearsome
forms is as Kāla "time" and Mahākāla "great time", which
ultimately destroys all things.
In contrast, the name Śaṇkara,
"beneficent" or "conferring happiness" reflects his benign form. The name Śambhu , "causing
happiness", also reflects this benign
aspect.
The Ascetic and the Householder
His epithet Mahāyogi refers to his association with
yoga. 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.
His epithet Umāpati, refers to the idea of Shiva as
a householder. Certain variants of the
name, Umākānta and Umādhava, also appear in the sahasranama.
Kali Kamli Wala Mera Yaar
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