Shiva is still revered in India. God is eternal, personifying the beginning of everything. Its religion is considered the oldest in the world. Then the masculine principle was considered passive, eternal and static, and the feminine – active and material.
In our article we will take a closer look at the image of this ancient deity. Many have seen his images. But only a few people in Western culture know the details of his life.
Historical data
Researchers believe that the history of the god Shiva is rooted in the Harappan civilization. This is the culture of ancient Indians who lived in the lands of Northern India. They were supplanted by the Aryans, who came to the Indus River valley in the third millennium BC. Today, the ruins of their cities are found in the upper reaches, in Pakistan.
We know the Pashupati seal and some lingas (we will talk about the meaning of this word later) of this period. They were among the finds in Mongejo Daro and Harappa.
With the arrival of the Aryans, a new religion emerged. This process is comparable to the introduction of Christianity to pagans in the first centuries of our era. Now a new image appears with which Shiva merges - the god Rudra, the furious and cruel patron of storms, war and destruction.
Isn't it true that history tends to repeat itself? Good pagan gods, like the Greek Pan and satyrs, become evil forces in a new and bright religion. The Aryans believed that it was not sinful to kill “linga worshipers.”
In the Vedas, Shiva is mentioned in the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. In total, the name Rudra has more than five thousand repetitions.
However, there were also supporters of the old traditions, joined by opponents of Brahmanical complexities. What was the point of worshiping the gods all your life if you didn’t receive a reward for it even in your next rebirth? After all, the Vedas say that only brahmins can achieve salvation.
It is noteworthy that in some sects of the new movement (Shramans), the skull of a murdered brahman was considered one of the main attributes of the ritual.
One of the Upanishads (commentaries on the Vedas) contains the most complete and systematized content of the philosophy of Shaivism. This treatise consists of one hundred and thirteen texts and is called "Svetashvatara".
Image
How is Shiva depicted? God in his ancient form had the appearance of a lingam with tripundra (three white horizontal stripes). This sign denoted the three prisons of the human soul or the three Huns that make up the Mayan world.
Later, Shiva began to be depicted sitting in the lotus position or dancing.
In the first version, he had pale skin, a blue neck and four arms. Usually the god sits on a tiger skin, and the skin of an elephant or tiger is draped over his shoulders. His third eye is always open in his forehead. In addition, he has a snake with him. It is thrown over the shoulder, hanging around the neck or in the form of bracelets on the arms and legs. Shiva has two different earrings. One ear is male and the other is female.
The second option is dancing Shiva. The Nritya-Murti (figurine) can have a different number of arms, be armed or peaceful, but there is always a defeated dwarf under the feet of the dancing god. This is the demon Apasmar-Purush, symbolizing in which we live.
Attributes
Like many others, Shiva has many attributes. As you travel through this country, you will see various images of deities. In order to understand it more deeply, it is worth understanding its symbolism a little.
Shiva has many weapons - Ajagava (special bow), Bhindipala (javelin), Gada (staff), Khadga (sword), Khatvanga (club with skull), Khetaka (shield) and many others.
Also an important attribute is the trident of the god Shiva - Trishul. It symbolizes the three stages of evolution, three gunas, three faces of time and other concepts.
There are a number of ritual objects. Chillum (special Shankha (shell), Mudra (position of the hands), Kaumudi (jug with the nectar of immortality), Kapala (skull-shaped bowl), Damaru (drum symbolizing the first vibration of the Universe from which everything came), Akshamala (special rosary ).
Shiva also has a number of energies: Agni (fire), Ganga (the heavenly river, which he pacified) and Shakti (power). And some animals: Naga (snake), elephant and tiger skins, Nandin (white bull), Krishnamriga (doe) and Ankusha (elephant goad).
Thus, we see that Shiva has the attributes of the spheres of knowledge, which are designed to raise a person from our world to the higher one.
Family
The Indian god Shiva originally married Sati, or Shakti, the daughter of Daksha. But there is a legend according to which the girl self-immolated out of resentment towards her father.
But afterwards she is reborn in a new incarnation. Now her name is Parvati (mountain girl) and her father is the Himalaya mountain range. It is she who is most often depicted as the wife of the god Shiva.
They have two sons - Ganesha (the elephant-headed god of wisdom) and Skanda (the deity of war, who has six heads and twelve arms and legs), and a daughter, Manasi.
Names
In Western tradition, Shiva is known only by this name. However, Hindus know more than a thousand words that are epithets of the deity.
Among them are “Terrible” and “Beautiful”, “Majestic” and “Ragged”, “King of the Lingam”, “Conqueror of Death”, “Lord of Creatures” and many others.
The most significant and famous 108 of them. They are pronounced in the form of a prayer and are designed to purify the thoughts of the person asking, as well as contribute to his elevation.
Functions, rituals, holidays
The multi-armed god Shiva is the supreme deity in Shaivism. He is revered as the trinity of the evolution of the universe - birth, growth and death. It is also believed that he will destroy the current world at the end of Mahayuga so that a new one will be created in its place.
He is the patron of healers and gave people the Om mantra and Sanskrit. In addition, Shiva is always accompanied by a retinue of demons and spirits.
The two main rituals associated with this god are called Panchabrahma Mantra and Rudra Sukta. They are held on the most significant holiday of the year, dedicated to Shiva. Mahashivratri is celebrated at the end of February and marks the wedding night of Shiva and Parvati.
The most famous temple
In the town of Baijnath, a temple of the god Shiva was built at the beginning of the thirteenth century. He is called by one of his names - Vaidyanath (patron of healers).
Once upon a time there was a sanctuary of God on this site, but local merchants decided to perpetuate their names by constructing a majestic building. The names of the traders are Ahuk and Manyuk.
Today this temple is the main tourist attraction of the town. It was built in the best traditions of the Nagara (North Indian school of architecture). The building is surrounded by a wall and has two entrances.
Usually the multi-armed god Shiva is depicted inside the temple only as a linga. Moreover, he is considered svayambhu (“self-arisen”). On the walls of the building there are bas-reliefs of many deities, demons and other characters of the Hindu pantheon.
In front of the entrance stands a statue of Nandi, the white bull. This animal is one of the most common means of transportation of Shiva. It symbolizes pure dharma, as well as sincerity, devotion and courage.
Today, the Vaidyanath Temple attracts millions of crowds of pilgrims and tourists.
God symbol
We have already mentioned the word “lingam” many times. It is with him that Shiva is associated. God was often simply designated by this concept. What is it?
Lingam translated from Sanskrit means “sign, mark”. This is a cylindrical sculpture with a round, less often hemispherical top. Many researchers tend to see it as a symbol of an erect phallus. Ancient Hindus considered the linga to be an abstract image of a deity.
Often it is depicted not by itself, but in pairs with a circle or square, which represents “yoni” (vagina, womb). Today it is generally accepted that these two objects are the oldest mention of the unity of masculine and feminine principles. Only in Hinduism was the masculine eternal and static, and the feminine temporary, changeable and material.
Some scholars see in the linga a prototype of a stambha, a special sacrificial pillar. Cattle that were preparing for slaughter were tied to it.
There is a special ritual that includes washing the lingam, reciting mantras and offering sacrificial fruits, flowers, incense and other permitted items.
Marriage of Shiva and Parvati
There is a legend in which the first wife of the god Shiva Shakti dies. This was due to her father's rejection.
The legend says the following. Once upon a time a divine couple was returning from an ashram. Shiva bowed to a commoner in the forest. His wife was surprised by his behavior. Then god explained, Vishnu. Shakti, to check this, takes the form of Sita, the wife of this commoner, and goes to him. Rama recognizes her as a goddess.
Seeing the new image of Shakti, Shiva ceases to perceive her as a wife, since she reminded him of his mother. The girl gets sad and they have a disagreement.
Just at this time, Shakti’s father starts a festival, but does not invite the young people because of disagreements with Shiva. The girl decides to go there herself. But Daksha turns away from her. Out of grief, Shakti throws herself into the fire and dies.
Enraged, Shiva takes her body and begins to perform his dance of destruction. If Vishnu had not stopped him, he would have destroyed the universe.
After mourning, the god becomes an ascetic in the Himalayas, and Shakti is reborn as Parvati, the daughter. In the end, the girl manages to persuade Shiva, and they get married.
In Hinduism, this holiday is called Mahashivratri and is celebrated every year.
God of gods
As you have already seen, the person we are talking about in this article has many names. Among them is the god of gods, Mahadev, Shiva. The first two were chosen as the title for a television series in December 2011. His episodes are filmed in India to this day.
The plot of the episodes is based on myths, legends and passages from the Upanishads. The main events are taken from the Puranas. In addition, the works of Devdutt Pattanaik, a famous Indian mythologist and religious scholar, were used when writing the script.
The series has been translated into a number of southern Indian languages. Today, more than one hundred and fifty episodes have already been filmed. The music for them was written by the Bavra brothers.
“Devon ke Dev...Mahadev” is also known in Russia. Fans of Indian culture can enjoy the series with subtitles.
Thus, today we met one of the most ancient deities in history. We learned attributes, names and other interesting details about Shiva.
Good luck, friends! Travel more often!
Shiva is one of the most famous gods in India. Together with Brahma and Vishnu, he is part of the Hindu Trinity - Trimurti. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are considered three manifestations of the One Supreme Being. They are “three in one,” corresponding to the three persons of the Western Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Brahma personifies the aspect of God the creator, Vishnu the preserver and protector, and Shiva the destroyer and annihilator.
Shiva embodies all these aspects for Hindus, who choose him as their presiding deity. Adherents of Shiva revere him as the highest Reality, the absolute Beginning of God. They see in him the Guru of all gurus, the destroyer of worldly vanity, ignorance, evil and villains, hatred and disease. It bestows wisdom and longevity, embodies self-denial and compassion.
The name Shiva comes from a Sanskrit word meaning "good", "kind" or "friendly". The many aspects of Shiva are represented in his many names. Thus, the Hindu sacred text called the Shiva Purana lists 1008 names of Shiva. One of them is Shambhu, which means “generous” or “bringer of happiness.” Another name is Shankara meaning “joy giver” or “beneficent”. Like Mahadeva, he is the “great god.” Ishvara (Lord) is the name of Shiva, meaning that He has all the glory inherent in the Divine.
Pashupati is another name meaning "lord of cattle". As the Lord of cattle, Shiva is the shepherd, or shepherd, of souls. Shiva is depicted riding a white bull, whose name is Nandi, “joyful.” According to Hindu tradition, Nandi was a man, one of the devotees of Shiva, who took the form of a bull because the human body was not strong enough to accommodate his religious ecstasy in the presence of Shiva.
Nandi the bull is depicted in most Shiva temples. He usually sits looking at Shiva. Nandi symbolizes the soul of a person striving for God. It also represents the soul absorbed in deep contemplation of Shiva as the absolute Reality. Shiva helps us to reveal our absolute Reality.
Mount Kailash is the throne of Shiva and also the location of his heavenly land. This majestic mountain is the highest peak of the Kailash Mountain Range in the Tibetan Himalayas. Hindus revere Kailash as the holiest mountain in the world and make pilgrimages there.
Shiva is full of contrasts. It symbolizes both contemplation and action. He is often depicted as a mendicant yogi, deep in meditation.
Legends say that Shiva walks the earth with a begging bowl. He teaches that renunciation, renunciation of attachments, indifference to success and failure are all paths to Him.
Shiva is also known as Mrityunjaya - He who conquers death. He is also Kamari, Destroyer of Desires. These two names show that one who destroys desires can conquer death, for desires give rise to actions, actions give rise to consequences, consequences give birth to bondage and bondage, the result of which is a new birth, leading to death.
As the Maha Yogi, or great yogi, Shiva is the King of all yogis, the highest embodiment of the spirit of asceticism. Shiva also personifies the moving Universe. In the Hindu sacred text Kurma Purana, Shiva says: “I am the creator, the god in the state of supreme bliss. I am the ever-dancing yogi."
According to Hindu beliefs, Shiva performs many different dances. One of them is called Tandava. This is the dance of creation and destruction. Shiva, dancing, brings the Universe into manifestation, supports it, and then, also dancing, brings it out of manifestation at the end of the era. Shiva is the embodiment of Ananda (supreme bliss), hence the origin of the Tandava dance, which He enjoys using the entire Cosmos as a stage.
The most famous image of Shiva is that of Nataraja, the King of Dancers, or Lord of Dance. Nataraji dances in the golden palace at the center of the Universe. This golden palace represents the human heart. One of the Hindu hymns celebrating the dance of Shiva says that “dancing, he appears in the immaculate lotus of the heart.”
The relationship between Shiva and his devotees is very personal. Although he lives on Mount Kailash, his favorite habitat is the hearts of devotees.
According to Hindu tradition, when the gods decided to allow the Ganges River to descend from Heaven, Shiva took the full impact of the huge weight of the falling water on his head so that this gigantic stream would not split the Earth. Shiva's matted hair deprived the power of the cascading waterfall. It divided into seven holy rivers, and the waters gently descended to the earth.
For Hindus, the Ganges represents a refreshing river of spiritual wisdom. According to Hindu tradition, when the gods decided to allow the Ganges River to descend from Heaven, Shiva, being at the center of the whirlpool of light - the energy revolving around him, was actually the balancing factor between heaven and earth for the river that fell, which was a river of light, but became an earthly river. Therefore, Hindus consider the water in the Ganges River to be holy, magical, and all-purifying. The Ascended Masters teach that these seven holy rivers also represent the seven rays of the Holy Spirit emanating from white light.
The role of Shiva corresponds to the role of the Holy Spirit in the Western Trinity.
An ancient text says: “Consider the meaning of the form that Shiva took so that people would revere Him. His throat contains a deadly poison, halahala, capable of instantly destroying all living things. On His head is the sacred river, the Ganga, the waters of which can heal all diseases anywhere and everywhere (the flow of the Ganga symbolizes the nectar of immortality). On His forehead is a fiery eye (the eye of wisdom). On His head is the cool and soothing Moon (the crescent moon signifies that He is in complete control of His mind). On His wrists, ankles, shoulders and neck He wears deadly cobras, which feed on life-giving air (prana).” Ordinary people are afraid of the mere sight of snakes, but Shiva adorns His body with them. This means that Lord Shiva is completely devoid of fear and immortal. Snakes typically live for hundreds of years. The snakes entwining the body of Shiva show us that He is Eternal.
Shiva is an example of great patience and endurance. He holds the poison in his throat, which, according to legend, he drank, so that this poison would not poison all life on earth. And on His head He wears the blessed Moon, which everyone greets with joy. A person needs to learn a lesson from this: he should not throw out his bad qualities and inclinations on others, and he should use everything useful and good that he owns for the benefit of others.
On Shiva's forehead there are three stripes of bhasma or vibhuti. The meaning of this silent reminder is that a person needs to destroy three defilements: anava (egoism), karma (action based on the result) and maya (illusion), as well as three vasanas (subtle desires):
– worldly (“loka-vasanas”) – desire for friends, family, power, wealth, fame, honor, respect,
– sacred scriptures (“shastra-vasanas”) – spiritual pride, thoughtless accumulation of knowledge, intellectualism,
– bodily (“milestone-vasanas”) – the desire to have a wonderful physique, health, a beautiful face, the desire to prolong one’s life by consuming drugs.
By destroying these defilements, one can approach Lord Shiva with a pure heart.
Shiva is also symbolically depicted in the form of a lingam - a symbol that in most cases represents an upright cylinder with a rounded or hemispherical top. The word "lingam" comes from the Sanskrit root "li", meaning "fusion", "dissolution". It is the form into which all other forms are dissolved. Shiva is the God who blesses all beings with the most desired gift of merging with the Absolute.
Shiva is the guardian of everything that is necessary for prosperity. He rewards with wealth of wisdom. Shiva resides in every thought, word and action, for the energy, power and intelligence behind them are all Him. God, manifesting as time, space and causality, is within us.
The exclamation “Shivoham” (I am Shiva) was proclaimed by those souls who realized the truth in a flash of enlightenment after many years of purifying the mind through asceticism. "Shivoham" means "I am divine."
Devotees of Shiva believe that the Name of Lord Shiva, chanted in any manner, rightly or wrongly, consciously or unconsciously, is sure to give the desired result. The greatness of Lord Shiva's name cannot be understood through mental speculation. It can be experienced or realized through devotion, faith and constant repetition of the Name and chanting of its hymns.
The famous 20th century Hindu teacher Sri Swami Sivananda (1887 - 1963) in his famous work “Lord Shiva and His Worship” speaks about the effect of constant repetition of the names of Shiva and hymns dedicated to him:
“The constant repetition of Shiva Stotras and the Names of Lord Shiva purifies the mind. Repetition of hymns to Shiva strengthens good samskaras (unconscious impressions). “What a man thinks is what he becomes” is a psychological law. In the mind of a person who strengthens himself in good, sublime thinking, a tendency towards good thoughts appears. Good thoughts melt and transform his character. When the mind is fixed on His image while chanting hymns to the Lord, the mental substance actually takes the form of the Lord's image. The impression of the object of a person's thoughts remains in his mind. This is called samskara. When an action is repeated very often, the repetition strengthens the samskaras and this helps to form a habit. He who strengthens himself with thoughts in the Divine, with the help of his thinking, himself turns into the Divine. His bhava (aspiration) is purified and sanctified. Singing hymns to Lord Shiva is in tune with the Lord. The personal mind dissolves into the cosmic consciousness. One who sings hymns becomes one with Lord Shiva.
Fire has the natural ability to burn flammable things; also the Name of Lord Shiva has the power to burn away sins, samskaras and vasanas and bestow eternal bliss and never-ending peace on those who chant the Name of the Lord.”
Sources:
1. Mark L. Prophet, Elizabeth Claire Prophet. Lords and their abodes. – M: M-Akva, 2006. – 592 p.
2. Sri Swami Sivananda. Lord Shiva and His Worship. / Library of Vedic literature. – Penza: Golden Section, 1999 – 384 p.
Shiva is the third god in the Hindu triumvirate. The triumvirate consists of three gods: Brahma is the creator of the universe, Vishnu is its preserver, and Shiva's role is to destroy the universe and recreate it again.
God Shiva has 1008 names, here are some of them: Shambhu (merciful), Mahadev (Great God), Mahesh, Rudra, Neelkantha (Blue Throat), Ishvara (Supreme God), Mahayogi.
God Shiva is also known as Mrityunjaya - the one who conquers death. And also as Kamare - the destroyer of desires. These two names show that the one who destroys desires is able to conquer death, because desires create actions, actions create consequences, consequences create dependence and lack of freedom, all this leads to a new birth leading to death.
What does God Shiva look like?
God Shiva has four arms and three eyes. The third eye, located in the middle of his forehead, is always closed and opens only when Shiva is angry and ready for destruction.
Often God Shiva is depicted with a cobra on his neck and wrists, which symbolizes Shiva's power over the most dangerous creatures in the world, he is free from fear and immortal.
On Shiva’s forehead three white lines (vibhuti) are drawn horizontally with ash, the message of which is that a person needs to get rid of three impurities: anava (egoism), karma (action with expectation of a result), maya (illusion).
The moon on Shiva's head symbolizes that he is in complete control of the mind.
God Shiva's vehicle is the bull Nandi (translated from Sanskrit - happy). Nandi Bull symbolizes purity, justice, faith, wisdom, masculinity and honor.
Shiva has Trishul - a trident, the function of which is the creation, preservation and destruction of the universe.
Despite the fact that God Shiva is the destroyer, he is usually represented as smiling and calm.
Sometimes Lord Shiva is depicted as divided into parts, one part is male and the other is female - his wife Parvati, who is also known as Shakti, Kali, Durga and Uma. Parvati taught Shiva love and patience, she pacifies his irritation and anger. Shiva and Parvati have sons - Kartikeya and Ganesha. It is said that Shiva and Parvati live on Mount Kailash in the Himalayas.
Dance of God Shiva
Dance is an important art form in India and Lord Shiva is considered its master. He is often called the God of Dance. The rhythm of the dance symbolizes the balance in the universe, which is masterfully controlled by God Shiva. His most important dance is Tandav. This is the cosmic dance of death that he performs at the end of the age to destroy the universe. The dance of Shiva is a dance of creation, destruction, consolation and liberation.
The most famous image of Shiva is that of Nataraja, the King of Dance or Lord of Dance. Nataraja dances in the golden palace at the center of the Universe. This golden palace represents the heart of man.
Why is God Shiva blue?
According to one version, God Shiva drank a deadly poison to save all living beings. His wife Parvati saw that the poison began to spread rapidly, entered Shiva's throat in the form of Mahavidya and stopped the spread of the poison. Thus, Shiva's throat became blue and he became known as Neelkantha (Blue Throat).
The blue throat of God Shiva symbolizes that a person must prevent and prevent the spread of poison (in the form of negativity and vices) in the body and mind.
To fully describe everything that Shiva is, it would take a whole book or even several books, because there is a Universe or Universes, the Absolute. In this article we will look at the most important and striking characteristics and aspects of God.
Can't remember all his names. Since times, the name Rudra (Sanskrit) has been assigned to him. रुद्र , rudra, furious, roaring, red) is a Vedic deity associated with misfortunes, illness, hunting, wind or storm), but everyone also knows his image of the king of the dance performing Tandava, and here he is already known as Nataraja.
Tandava is an unusual energetic dance, which is the source of the “creation-preservation-destruction” cycle, also a symbol of the movement of the world. The world began with the dance of Shiva, and it will end with it, but as long as Shiva continues to dance, the world continues to exist. From dance to yoga - one step or vice versa. This also applies to the story of Lord Shiva. He is the personification of Ananda (supreme bliss) and at the same time the king of yogis ().
Among those who devote themselves to yoga, he is known as Shiva Adinath, where "nath" means 'master'. Therefore, the followers of Shaivism - in its yogic form - are called Nathas. It is not surprising that the founders of the broadest movement of yoga, Hatha Yoga, were Nathas. Matsyendranath and his disciple Gorakshanath are at the origins of this tradition on earth, founded in the 10th-11th centuries AD.
Every practicing yogi knows that Shiva knows thousands and millions of asanas, but less is known about the fact that he passed on the most valuable knowledge about pranayama (the science of breathing control) to his wife Parvati. Yogis all over the world are grateful to Shiva for sending down the system of yogic knowledge to people, which is why he is so revered in communities of practitioners.
God Shiva
God Shiva is contrasts: contemplation and action, creation and destruction, anger and mercy. His image combines many aspects, which is not surprising, because he is considered the Absolute, and the Absolute contains everything. He is Mahayogi - the "great yogi", and also Nataraj - the "king of dance", but also Mrityunjay - the "conqueror of death", seated on the throne of Mount Kailash in the Tibetan Himalayas. Kailash is a sacred place of power, which is revered not only by yogis and followers of Shaivism; people who study the energies of the Earth, its influence on the human condition, his energy and consciousness also strive to go there. Knowledgeable people say that Kailash is truly unlike anything they have seen and experienced before. This is an indescribable experience, after which even big skeptics change their point of view and cast aside all doubts.
On the territory of India there are many places associated with Shiva, and all of them in one way or another can be called places of power. One of the most revered is the Ganga River. It is believed that a sacred river descends through the hair of the god Shiva, so bathing in it brings purification, both external and internal, spiritual.
Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva - trinity
The Vedic Trinity, otherwise called Trimurti, consists of three gods: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, where Brahma acts as the creator, Vishnu as the preserver, and Shiva as the destroyer. This is the real Trinity of Vedism, and yet they are inseparable, these are different manifestations of the same .
Some branches of Shaivism, such as Kashmir Shaivism, see Shiva as a combination of all aspects: creator, preserver and destroyer. For Shaivites, he is Everything. Others perceive it as analogous to the Holy Spirit in Christianity. Shiva is the absolute Reality. Despite the fact that in the minds of mythology experts the god Shiva is associated with destruction, this does not at all mean destruction, understood as something negative. Our culture forces us to think this way. In fact, destruction can be interpreted in different ways: leaving the past, breaking with it; the cessation of the old way of life and the transition to a new stage, because in order to start something, you must first end the previous one.
Such a concept as the destruction of worldly vanity and even death also plays an important role. Shiva is the Absolute, therefore the word “destruction” is just one of the names, one hypostasis, because already in the next Shiva is the embodiment of mercy and compassion.
Shiva is often depicted as a deity with 4 arms, and sometimes even 8. Why are so many arms needed? Naturally, this is connected with symbolism, and one should not take it literally that this god had 5 faces and 4 hands. In his hands he holds a damaru drum, symbolizing the rhythm of the Universe, in his other hand he holds the sacred flame of Agni - a symbol of purification and regeneration of the world.
Shiva is also depicted holding a trident. There is definitely a philosophical meaning behind such multi-armedness. If he has damaru and Agni in two hands, then the other two perform gestures: one performs a gesture of approval, the other - power and strength. According to legend, it is believed that the sound of this drum is the progenitor of all sounds, and the god Shiva himself gave people the divine syllable “OM”, which was later called the mantra in which the entire essence of the Universe is concentrated. The god can also hold a trident, arrows and a bow, but he does not look the same in all images. The figure of Shiva can be surrounded by snakes. The symbolic meaning of the snake is also ambiguous, because according to one version it can mean the wisdom of Shiva, on the other hand, the three coils of the snake around Shiva’s body can symbolize the past, present, future and the fact that he himself has gone beyond the boundaries of temporary concepts.
Shiva's third eye
There are many legends about the third eye of Shiva. It is interesting to note that among other gods who have , Tara and Ganesha are listed. That's all, actually - other gods don't have a third eye. Legends say that woe to the one whom Shiva looks at with his third eye. In the blink of an eye, this unfortunate creature will turn to ashes. It is not for nothing that they say that Shiva’s anger is terrible.
One of the clearest proofs of this is the story that happened between Shiva and the god of love Kama. One day, other gods sent the god Kama to Shiva to instill love in him, because they saw how the destroyer god suffered, having lost his first wife and realizing that he could no longer have a son. But Shiva did not even want to think about finding another wife, so he had to resort to the services of Kama. But this god was unlucky, because he tried to influence Shiva himself! To some extent, he succeeded, because we know about Shiva’s wife Parvati. However, when Shiva felt the prick of an arrow shot into his heart from Kama’s bow, the latter was immediately pierced by Shiva’s withering gaze, and now this god has no body. That’s what they call him: disembodied Kama.
There is another mysterious moment in the appearance of Shiva. He has three stripes on his forehead. They are usually interpreted as follows: this is a reminder to a person that he needs to get rid of ego, karma and illusions (), and you can also take this to another level and understand it as working on yourself in order to get rid of three desires:
- bodily (the desire to prolong life, have good health, look beautiful, take care of one’s appearance);
- worldly, associated with vanity, desires to have wealth, recognition, success;
- mental (accumulation of knowledge, excessive cleverness and pride, which certainly follows all this, because it is so nice sometimes to realize that we are smarter than others).
It would seem strange why the desire to have good health from the point of view of Shiva is not welcomed. However, if we think about the psychological aspect of desires themselves, we will find many similarities in the explanation with Buddhism. After all, any desire, whatever it may be, comes from the ego. It is not we who desire, but our ego, which has “settled” in the physical shell and identifies itself with it. This is where our aspirations come from: to prolong life on Earth and take care of the body, that is, to want to live a long time in this guise.
A few words about mindfulness
In fact, you can take care of your health, as long as you don’t make it an end in itself. Just take it for granted, but do not succumb to the temptation and fetishization of appearance. This may be difficult to accomplish in our reality, when the cult of the body and concerns about increasing life expectancy are implanted everywhere. This has become the new religion of our era. The new god and religion is not "new age" or even the "golden calf" as many tend to think, because wealth usually serves a purpose, unlike cult of appearance gives people the opportunity to prolong their youth and simply show off their appearance to others . Even inner joy and pride in oneself are also manifestations of the actions of the ego. You can be happy that you've lost a few extra pounds, but don't make a cult out of it any longer. Live correctly, stay healthy, do yoga, but don’t let these activities and hobbies completely take over your consciousness. There is no need to become a slave to ideas.
There is a very interesting saying that says that “It is not we who find and use the idea, but it uses us” , i.e. we become obsessed with something and no longer belong to ourselves. For those who support the theory that our world is controlled by egregors, it will be clear that by admiring the idea and succumbing to it, you fall under the influence of a certain egregor and serve it. He is the one who guides you through life. Scientists, great athletes, artists, writers and many other more or less famous people are led by their egregors. How did they connect to them? Of course, through an idea that once flared up and captivated them. There is nothing wrong with serving an egregor, and people, without knowing it, still do it, but the point is that the more we are aware of our thoughts and actions, the less energy we spend outside.
That's why they say that awareness is the key to everything. By becoming more aware of ourselves, acting less under the influence of desires, we take the path of yoga, the ultimate goal of which is self-realization and disidentification with our own ego and the desires inspired by it. It is not surprising that even in the guise of Shiva, the three stripes on the forehead constantly remind us of this, because Shiva himself was a yogi and knew millions of asanas.
Trident of God Shiva
The trident of Shiva (Trishula) is the most important attribute of this god. For a person with a Western way of thinking, an association will immediately arise with Poseidon, the god of the sea elements, who is depicted with him on all statues.
There is also a trident symbol in Buddhism, symbolizing the “Three Jewels” of the Buddha. One involuntarily recalls Christianity with its symbol of trinity - the Trinity. In many religions, the number 3 represents a certain sacredness. Often the main postulates of religions are expressed in such numerical terms, and in general the number 3 symbolizes support, balance. Two oppositely directed principles do not fight among themselves, as often happens in traditions based on dualism. The Trinity is a harmoniously balanced combination of various elements that coexist in peace with each other, primarily due to the constant balancing of one principle by two others.
It should be noted that, seemingly far from Shaivism, the fact that in the modern system of power there are often two opposite sides opposing each other, while in the ancient world there was a system of government of three (if we remember Ancient Rome, then there was a triumvirate ). We will not go into details of the structure of political systems now, but the power of the triumvirate was initially distinguished by greater consistency and stability than what we have in the modern world, built on democracy, where two sides are constantly fighting for power. There is no need to talk about any balance here. The only thing is that if one of the parties nominally wins in a short time period, it means that the game will proceed predominantly according to its rules. The same applies to the other side.
The interpretation of Shiva’s trident is not too far removed from modern times. These are three aspects: creator, preserver and destroyer rolled into one. In this interpretation we see more influence from Kashmir Shaivism, where the god Shiva includes these three components. In other traditions, creation corresponds to Brahma, preservation to Vishnu, and only one hypostasis is assigned to him - destruction.
No matter what form Shiva appears in, he remains the most revered of all gods for yogis. Not the least role here is played by the large semantic and philosophical load that his image carries, and by studying the stories set out in ancient scriptures, the Upanishads, one can learn many new facts and symbolism hidden in the image of Shiva.
- (ancient Indian Civa, “good”, “bringing happiness”), in Hindu mythology one of the supreme gods, included together with Brahma and Vishnu in the so-called. divine triad (trimurti). As an independent deity, Sh. was included in the pantheon relatively ... Encyclopedia of Mythology
Siva, one of the three Hindu deities, destroyer of the world. A complete dictionary of foreign words that have come into use in the Russian language. Popov M., 1907. SHIVA See SIVA. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Shiva- and his wife Parvati. Bengal. X century Shiva and his wife Parvati. Bengal. X century Shiva in Hinduism and Brahmanism is one of the three supreme gods (). Shiva is the supreme being, personifying the creative and destructive forces in the universe. Dancing Shiva. South India... Encyclopedic Dictionary of World History
Characteristics Length 12 km Pool White Sea Watercourse Mouth of Oz. Big Shuo Yarvi Shuo Location Country ... Wikipedia
In Hinduism and Brahmanism, one of the three supreme gods (along with Brahma and Vishnu). Shiva is the supreme being, personifying the creative and destructive forces in the universe... Historical Dictionary
- (male) soft (God Shiva) Ancient Indian names. Dictionary of meanings... Dictionary of personal names
Vishnu, Trimurti, destroyer god, Brahma Dictionary of Russian synonyms. shiva noun, number of synonyms: 7 god (375) brahma ... Synonym dictionary
yeshiva- (yeshbot) (Hebrew) Jewish mortgage, report. div. Yeshiva... Architecture and monumental art
One of the three supreme Gods (along with Brahma and Vishnu) in Brahmanism and Hinduism. By origin, pre-Aryan God, master of animals. Depicted in a formidable form, often in a sacred dance, embodying cosmic energy, or as an ascetic, immersed... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (well). The well, so called by Isaac and subsequently giving its name to the city (Gen. 26:33) see. Bathsheba... Brockhaus Biblical Encyclopedia
Shaivism- the name of the human family... Spelling dictionary of Ukrainian language
Books
- Shiva and Dionysus, Danilo Alien. This book is not an essay on the history of religions. It reflects my personal experience of discovering most of the foundations of religions in the veritable museum of world history that is India. The predecessor of the Vedic...
- Shiva and Dionysus, Danilo Alien. This book is not an essay on the history of religions. It reflects my personal experience of discovering most of the foundations of religions in the veritable museum of world history that is India. The predecessor of the Vedic...
