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Śivá (Sanskrit: शिव) is an important Hindu god. He is the god of destruction and transformation. He is described as omniscient and lives an ascetic life in the mountains. He is married to Parvati and has two sons, Murugan/Kartikeya and Ganesha. Three of his main forms are Mahakala ("Great Death"), Nataraj ("Dance Lord"), and Rudra ("Howling Storm"). Shiva the Destroyer is one third of the Trimurti, along with Brahma the Creator and Vishnu the Preserver.

Characteristics[]

He is usually depicted with blue skin and a third eye in the middle of his forehead. He also carries a trident, drum and wears the serpent king around his neck. He sits upon a tiger pelt and wears animal furs and prayer beads. He also has a crescent moon upon his head and from his matted hair flows the river Ganges.

Shivlings ( Lingams )[]

Shivlings ( or Lingams ) is a statue mostly made from rocks to worship Lord Shiva in temples/shrines in Hindu Temples by pouring milk and/or coconut water and put Bel leaves, rice and flowers on top of the Lingam and offer fruits.

Origins[]

The origins of Shiva is not unclear, however, Shiva could be have origins Indo-Europeans like other Hindu gods like Indra or Varuna. Since some characteristics of Shiva evolve from the Vedic god Rudra, there is a possible connection with the Zoroastrian daeva Sauru. Nevertheless, there is not any existing evidence of a potential Indo-Aryan god that could be the origin of Shiva.

Some studies reveal that Shiva is in reality an amalgamation of multiple deities; this conclusion is because Shiva´s characteristics are also from other deities beyond Rudra.

Avatars[]

In some Purana texts, Shiva has some avatars. However, the amount varies depending on the source, but the most notable avatars are:

And many others more.

In Popular Culture[]

Comic books[]

  • Shiva appears in the complete comic series God is Dead, published by Avatar Press.

Video games[]

  • Shiva was added to the video game SMITE in version 9.2 on February 22, 2022.

Gallery[]


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