Shiva who is he

Learn all about the Shiva Purana. The wedding between Shiva and Parvati was a grand affair, and the very elite of society were present in all their rich finery and splendor. Then entered the groom, Shiva — dreadlocked, matted hair, ash smeared from head to toe, wearing the fresh skin of an elephant and dripping with blood. Revered by many religions and seen as the most sacred site for pilgrimage in the Yogic culture, it is said in the tradition that Shiva resides in Mount Kailash.

Sadhguru explains that this is because he stored everything that he knew in this mountain. Shiva is also known as Nataraja — the cosmic dancer or the Lord of the dance.

This is a dialectical way of expressing that the cosmos is in a dance and the dance is guided by a certain intelligence. Shiva as Nataraja represents the exuberance of creation. Read all about the significance of Shiva as Nataraja. We are calling it the form because when the un-manifest began to manifest itself, or in other words when creation began to happen, the first form that it took was that of an ellipsoid.

Here are 12 things you may not know about Shiva Linga. Shiva is worshipped across the land of India as the most auspicious aspect of divinity, but is also widely known as the destroyer. Sadhguru discusses this paradox and explains the wisdom behind the seemingly negative imagery of seeing the divine as the destroyer rather than the creator.

He explains how liberation or mukti become a possibility only in destroying the limited. Read More…. Rife with rich symbolism, the Yogic sciences are known to present profound concepts in a dialectical way.

Portrayed respectively as the creator, maintainer and destroyer, the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva is a common symbolism that has pervaded the spiritual culture of India. Sadhguru explains how the imagery is not to be taken literally and shares three stories of Lord Vishnu and Shiva that are pregnant with a deeper meaning. This longing led her to use occult means to create a little boy. The story then takes a dramatic turn as Shiva returns to find this boy blocking his path and summarily takes his head off!

Find out how Shiva gave back life to this beheaded boy by attaching the head of one of his ganas. The mighty Himalayan river of Ganga is held as the most sacred river in the Yogic culture, and its water is said to have special properties.

In a land that is home to million gods and goddesses, one being is held above all as the one who is above all gods — Mahadeva. This is Shiva — the Adiyogi, who is the source of Yoga. Sadhguru reveals why Adiyogi was called Shiva and offers an insight into the timeless nature of his offering. Adiyogi did not give a teaching or an immediate solution to the problems around him. Instead, he offered methods of self-transformation that are relevant in any context.

How did an ash-smeared vagabond roaming the graveyards with a garland of skulls happen to get married and start a family? In order to make a fierce ascetic like Shiva into a householder and share his inner experience with mankind, an elaborate conspiracy was hatched.

Finally, Shiva the Adiyogi gave in and moved from ultimate dispassion to passionate involvement with life. But is it a mere festival or is there a science behind it? Sadhguru explains what makes this night so important, and how we can make use of it. Skip to content. Who is Shiva: Man, Myth or Divine? Related Content. One who carries a trident.

The one with three eyes. One who wears snakes as garlands. The Lord of Uma Parvati. The teacher of the gods. The one with a blue neck because of swallowing the deadly poison Halahal to save the worlds. The lord of the worlds. The Lord of all the gods. The annihilator of the three cities the abode of demons. The fierce one. The one who has conquered death. The one who is all powerful. The one who is always auspicious. Gauri Shankar. The auspicious Lord who is the husband of Mother Gauri.

The one who wears crescent moon as ornament. The one who destroys. The one who is worshipped in the aniconic form of Shivling. The king of dance. Maha Kaleshwar. The great Lord of time. But he went into meditation for many years, deeply upset over the death of his wife, ignoring all his godly duties.

It was not until Sati was reborn as Parvati that Shiva finally came out of meditation. Through her love and patience, she taught him about family life and the importance of moderation. Shiva and Parvati are held up as the perfect example of marital bliss by many Hindus, and one is rarely depicted without the other.

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This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Find out more about page archiving. Shiva Last updated On this page Find out more Page options Print this page. Who is Shiva? Hindus who worship Shiva as their primary god are members of the Shaivism sect.

What does Shiva look like? Shiva is represented with the following features: A third eye The extra eye represents the wisdom and insight that Shiva has. It is also believed to be the source of his untamed energy. On one occasion, when Shiva was distracted in the midst of worship by the love god, Kama, Shiva opened his third eye in anger. Kama was consumed by the fire that poured forth, and only returned to life when Parvati intervened. A cobra necklace This signifies Shiva's power over the most dangerous creatures in the world.

Some traditions also say that the snake represents Shiva's power of destruction and recreation. The snake sheds its skin to make way for new, smooth skin. The vibhuti The vibhuti are three lines drawn horizontally across the forehead in white ash.

They represent Shiva's all-pervading nature, his superhuman power and wealth. Also, they cover up his powerful third eye. Members of Shaivism often draw vibhuti lines across their forehead. The trident The three-pronged trident represents the three functions of the Hindu triumvirate.