Shiva, Shiva

In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the supreme God. In the Smarta tradition, he is one of the five primary forms of God.

In this school of religious thought, Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the maintainer or preserver, and Shiva is the destroyer or transformer. Zimmer (1972) p. 124.

It is the equivalent of Rudra , "the red". Encyclopedia of Indian Tribes By Shyam Singh Shashi, p. 190 Shiva's role as the primary deity of Shaivism is reflected in his epithets ("great god"; = great + deva = god), Kramrisch, p. 476.

The Shri Rudram Chamakam, also known as the atarudriya , is a devotional hymn to Shiva hailing him by many names. For an overview of the atarudriya see: Kramrisch, pp. 71-74.

For Shiva as a composite deity whose history is not well-documented, see: Keay, p. 147.

The name Rudra is still used as a name for Shiva. In RV 2.33, he is described as the "Father of the Maruts", a group of storm gods. Doniger, pp. 221-223.

For Shiva being identified with Agni, Indra, Prajpati, Vyu, and others see: Chakravarti, p. 70.

Agni and Others , and Lord Shiva possesses a bull as his vehicle, Nandi. The horns of Agni, who is sometimes characterized as a bull, are mentioned. For the parallel between the horns of Agni as bull, and Rudra, see: Chakravarti, p. 89.

He gives several reasons for his hypothesis. Both Shiva and Indra are known for having a thirst for Soma. Both are associated with mountains, rivers, male fertility, fierceness, fearlessness, warfare, transgression of established mores, the Aum sound, and the Supreme Self. In the Rig Veda, the term is used to refer to Indra. (2.20.3, For text of RV 2.20.3a as and translation as "May that young adorable Indra , ever be the friend, the benefactor, and protector of us, his worshipper" see: Arya & Joshi (2001), p. 48, volume 2.

For Shiva as depicted with a third eye, and mention of the story of the destruction of Kama with it, see: Flood (1996), p. 151.

For Kapardin as a name of Shiva, and description of the kaparda hair style, see, Macdonell, p. 62.

For a review of issues related to the evolution of the bull (Nandin) as Shiva's mount, see: Chakravarti, pp. 99-105.

The particular legend in question deals with the sage Markandeya, who was fated to die at the age of sixteen. On account of the sage's worship and devotion to Shiva, the lord vanquished Yama to liberate his devotee from death. Shiva is often worshipped as Mruthyunjaya by the aged or ill to ward off death and mitigate its harshness when it does occur. He is worshipped as such at the temples of Thirupainyeeli, near Trichinopoly, and at a shrine in Thirukadaiyur, near Chidambaram.

For evolution of this story from early sources to the epic period, when it was used to enhance Shiva's increasing influence, see: Chakravarti, p. 46.

For identification of Shiva as a manifestation of Vishnu see: Bhagavata Purana 4.30.23, 5.17.22-23, 10.14.19.

For the lingodbhava myth, and Vishnu and Brahm as emanations of Shiva, see: Zimmer (1946), pp. 128-129.

Shiva assumed that unusual form to chastise Vishnu in his hybrid form as Narasimha, the man-lion, who killed Hiranyakashipu, an ardent devotee of Shiva. For as an "animal symplegma" form of Shiva, see: Kramrisch, p. 481.

Harihara is the name of a combined deity form of both Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara). Chakravarti, pp. 54-55.

This name refers to a story in which was given a linga as a boon by Shiva on the condition that he carry it always. During his travels, he stopped near the present Deoghar in Bihar to purify himself and asked Narada, a devotee of Vishnu in the guise of a Brahmin, to hold the linga for him, but after some time, Narada put it down on the ground and vanished. When Ravana returned, he could not move the linga , and it is said to remain there ever since. For the story of and the linga see: Chakravarti, p. 168. The story of Gokarna in Karnataka is also similar in that Ravana, on the way to Lanka from Kailasa, gave the lingam to Ganesha to keep until he bathes, but Ganesha fits it in the earth, so the lingam is called Mahabaleshwara.

Deities, rishis (sages), and grahas (planets) worshipped Shiva and established Shivalingas in various places.

Source: Wikipedia > Shiva