The Concept of Shiva

(Some rambling snippets)

Shiva as God is known as the third entity of the Trinity of Hindu Gods- Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara(Shiva). In the philosophical concept of the endless cycle of Creation, Preservation and Destruction, Brahma is the Creator, Vishnu, the Preserver and Shiva, the Destroyer. What is born has to grow, what has grown has to decay and what is decayed has to be destroyed. That is the natural order of things as represented by the term Rta which later became the basis for the concept of Dharma. It was natural for people who believed that all actions had divine origins to conceive forms of Gods suitable for each action. Rig Veda mentions Rudra, the red one, among Gods such as Indra, Varuna, Agni etc. Rudra also refers to anger and an angry God. The term Shiva came subsequently. Shiva means that which is auspicious.

Shiva, the God is seen in many forms and is referred to in many names. He is a householder with Parvati as his wife and with children Ganesha and Kartikeya. As Kailashnatha, he lives in his Himalayan abode. As Kalabhairava, he lives as a mendicant in cemeteries with his naked body coated with ash. As Chandrashekara or Chadramoulishwara, he carries the Moon on his head. As Neelakantha, he is the God who swallowed the poison from the churning or Manthana of the sea by Gods and Asura before Amrit could be reached. As Jatadhara, he is the one who controlled the fury of Ganga in her descent to earth. As Nagabhushana, he carries a Serpent round his neck. As Mahadeva, he is the greatest of Gods. As Hara, he is the remover of all sins. As Nataraja, he is originator of Dance. As Tandaveshwara, he is the dancer of destruction of evil as performed when his wife Dakshayini threw herself in the Sacrificial Altar at the Yajna conducted by her father Daksha when he insulted Shiva. As Veerabhadra, he is the heroic Lord who comes to the rescue of his devotees. As Vishveshwara, he is the Lord of the Universe. As Bholeshankara, he is given to forget the world and be lost in stupor. When Manmatha induces Kama in him towards Parvati, Shiva in his anger destroys Manmatha by opening his third eye and burning him.

From one philosophical point of view, Shiva represents Monism, the theory that there is only one God who is Nirguna – without form or attributes. Some schools of thought consider him to represent Purusha(Sentient) and his consort Shakti to represent Prakriti(Insentient), their coming together leading to creation. He is considered to represent the Yupa Sthambha, the sacrificial pole at Yagas and Yajnas. This is further extended to the form of the Linga. Linga in Sanskrit means a sign, mark or a characteristic. Linga is the shapeless form of Shiva representing creative force. Along with Shakti representing the base on which the Linga is placed, the form represents the creative force and energy of the entire universe. A person who wishes to worship the Supreme Entity in his formlessness can worship the Shiva Linga. The benefits of such worship, it is said, will be the removal of ignorance and revelation of a path towards Self Realisation and Moksha.

There are innumerable stories about Shiva, Parvati, Shakti and others in Puranas and folklore which are highly entertaining and attempt to explain philosophical concepts to the common man.