in the midst of confusion, the Creator of all,
of manifold form, the One embracer of the universe…
by knowing Him, one is released from all fetters.
SHIVA – THE GOD OF DESTRUCTION
Shiva literally means “auspiciousness, welfare”. He is the third god of the Hindu Triad and he is the god of destruction. He represents darkness , and it is said to be the “angry god”.
The term destruction as it relates to Shiva’s cosmic duties can be deceiving. Often Lord Shiva destroys negative presences such as evil, ignorance, and death.
Also, it is the destruction created by Lord Shiva that allows for positive recreation. For example, an artisan may melt down (i.e., destroy) old pieces of metal during his process of creating a beautiful piece of art.
Picture Credit ( Instagram/ramesh studio )
It is for this reason that Shiva holds a complementary role to Brahma, the god of creation. Shiva protects souls until they are ready for recreation at the hands of Brahma. Because of his connections with destruction, Lord Shiva is one of the most feared and heavily worshipped deities in Hinduism.
However, according to Hinduism, creation follows destruction. Therefore Shiva is also regarded as a reproductive power, which restores what has been dissolved. As one who restores, he is represented as the linga or phallus, a symbol of regeneration
SHIVA IS IN THE WORLD AND IN THE SAME TIME HE IS BEYOND THE WORLD
In the beginning nothing existed, neither the heaven nor the earth nor any space in between. So non-being, having decided to be, became spirit and said: “Let me become!”. He warmed himself, and from this was born fire. He warmed himself further still and from this was born light.
He is the never-created creator of all: He knows all. He is pure consciousness, the creator of time, all-powerful, all-knowing. He is the Lord of the soul and of nature and of the three conditions of nature. From Him comes the transmigration of life and liberation, bondage in time and freedom in eternity.
Some know him as Shiva the Beneficent. Others praise him as the Destroyer. For some he is Shiva the Ascetic, wandering the world. And for others still he is the Great Lord, king of all creation.
But it is as Lord of the Dance that all his aspects come together in one horrifically significant form. Nowhere else in the human world is there a clearer symbol of what a god is and does.
He has a 1,008 names, including Mahadeva (the great god), Mahesh, Rudra, Neelkantha (the blue-throated one), and Ishwar (the supreme god). He is also called Mahayogi, or the great ascetic, who symbolises the highest form of austere penance and abstract meditation, which results in salvation.
You are devadhidev, the greatest of God,
Yet you are one with Vishnu and Brahma, the presence of whom maketh the mere mortals awed;
You are Anant, who is infinite and endless,
"The pure one" who is unaffected by Sattva, Rajas and Tamas;
You are Bholenath, the most benevolent, merciful and kind,
Forever in deep meditation, absorbed in contemplation and always in our mind;
You are the destroyer - slayer of demons, whilst preserving the cosmos,
protecting the mankind from the evil utmost;
You are Ardhanarishwara, representing an amalgam of masculine and feminine energies of the universe,
Illustrating oneness with Shakti, which is depicted in every mythological verse;
The snake Vasuki, the holy Ganga, the iconic third eye and the crescent moon,
Showcases your magnifying power beyond death, your purity, as the sole supreme creator and destroyer - providing us long coveted boon;
In your hand is the Trishul, a trident of will, action and knowledge,
And Damaru, the drum which contains the cosmic sound of AUM, that the entire world acknowledge;
Your abode is the great mount Kailasa, the centre of universe,
Your body covered with ashes, portray the philosophy of death being ultimate reality of life perverse;
In you, we see our paramount Lord; in you, we see our supreme being,
Guiding forever, protecting forever - us perishable human being.
Yet you are one with Vishnu and Brahma, the presence of whom maketh the mere mortals awed;
You are Anant, who is infinite and endless,
"The pure one" who is unaffected by Sattva, Rajas and Tamas;
You are Bholenath, the most benevolent, merciful and kind,
Forever in deep meditation, absorbed in contemplation and always in our mind;
You are the destroyer - slayer of demons, whilst preserving the cosmos,
protecting the mankind from the evil utmost;
You are Ardhanarishwara, representing an amalgam of masculine and feminine energies of the universe,
Illustrating oneness with Shakti, which is depicted in every mythological verse;
The snake Vasuki, the holy Ganga, the iconic third eye and the crescent moon,
Showcases your magnifying power beyond death, your purity, as the sole supreme creator and destroyer - providing us long coveted boon;
In your hand is the Trishul, a trident of will, action and knowledge,
And Damaru, the drum which contains the cosmic sound of AUM, that the entire world acknowledge;
Your abode is the great mount Kailasa, the centre of universe,
Your body covered with ashes, portray the philosophy of death being ultimate reality of life perverse;
In you, we see our paramount Lord; in you, we see our supreme being,
Guiding forever, protecting forever - us perishable human being.
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