LORD SHIVA
1. Lord Shiva is the Destroyer or Transformer among the Trimurti.
2. Shiva is one in whom the Universe 'sleeps' in a boundless void after destruction.
3. Shiva is therefore eternal and purest. Shiva is 'The Reality'.
4. Shiva is 'The Consciousness (frees from the bonds of mortal desires).
5. Shiva is 'The Bliss (roots out sin and fear).
6. Shiva is Auspicious (makes the earth religious and an abode of safety and peace).
7. Shiva is a Yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. yet one with great power, he lives a life of a sage at Mount kailash.
8. Shiva is usually worshipped in the abstract form of Shiva Linga.
SHIVA'S ATTRIBUTES
1. SHIVA'S FORM:
- Shiva has a trident in the right lower arm, with a crescent moon on his head.
- He is fair like camphor or like an ice clad mountain.
- He has a fire and damaru and Mala or a kind of weapon.
- He wears five serpents as ornaments.
- He wears a garland of skulls.
- He faces south.
- Panchakshara itself in his body.
2. Third Eye: Shiva used his third eye to burn desire (kama) to ashes called 'Tryambakam'.
3. Crescent Moon: (Chandrashekhara) Shiva bears on his head the crescent moon.
4. Ashes (Bhasmaanga Raaga): Shiva smears his body with ashes.
5. Matted Hair: (Jataajoota Dhari) His hair is said to be like molten gold in color or being yellowish-white.
6. Blue-throat: (Nilakantha) Shiva drank the halahala poison 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.
7. Sacred Ganga: (Gangadhara) Ganges river flows from the matted hair of shiva. The flow of Ganges also represents the nectar of immortality.
8. Tiger skin: (Krittivasan) He is often upon a tiger skin. Tiger represents lust. His sitting on the tiger's skin indicates, he has concurred lust.
9. Serpents: (Nagendra Hara) Shiva is shown garlanded with a snake. His wearing of serpents on the neck denotes wisdom and eternity.
10. Deer: His holding deer on one hand indicates that he has removed the chanchalata of mind (ie attained maturity and firmness in thought process). Deer jumps from one place to another swiftly, similar to the mind moving from one thought to another.
11. Trident: It represents three Gunas- Sattva, Rajas & tamas ie the emblem of sovereignty. He rules the world through these three Gunas.
12. Damaru: A small drum shaped like an hourglass is also known as damaru. It represents the Sabda Brahman. It represents OM from which all languages are formed. It is he who formed the sanskrit language out of the Damru sound.
13. Nandi: It is the name of bull that serves as Shiva's mount. Bull is his vehicle. Bull represents Dharma Devta. This denotes that shiva is the protector of Dharma, is an embodiment of Dharma/ righteousness.
14. Gana: They are the attendants of shiva and live in kailash. Ganesh was chosen as their leader by Shiva, hence Ganesha's title ' Gana-pati' ie 'lord of Ganas'.
15. Mount Kailasha: In the himalayas is his traditional abode. It represents a linga, representing the centre of universe.
16. Varanasi: It is considered as the city specially loved by Shiva and is one of the holiest places of pilgrimage in India. Also known as Kashi.
SHIVA AS A HOUSEHOLDER
1. As a family man and householder, he has a wife, Parvati and two sons Ganesha and Kartikeya.
2. Parvati is identified with Devi, the divine mother, Shakti (divine energy) as well as goddess like Tripura sundari, Durga, Kamakshi and Meenakshi.
3. The consorts of shiva are the source of his creative energy. They represent the dynamic extension of Shiva onto this universe.
4. His son Ganesha is worshipped as Remover of obstacles, lord of beginnings.
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