About Lord Shiva



ॐ नम: शम्भवाय च मयोभवाय च
   नम: शंकराय च मयस्कराय च
   नम: शिवाय च शिवतराय च।।

 Shiva: शिव Śiva, meaning "auspicious one"  is a major Hindu deity, and the Destroyer or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God. In the Smarta tradition, he is regarded as one of the five primary forms of God. Followers of Hinduism who focus their worship upon Shiva are called Shaivites or Shaivas (Sanskrit Śaiva). Shaivism, along with Vaiṣṇava traditions that focus on Vishnu and Śākta traditions that focus on the goddess Shakti, is one of the most influential denominations in Hinduism.Shiva is usually worshipped in the abstract form of Shiva linga. In images, he is represented as a handsome young man immersed in deep meditation or dancing the Tandava upon Apasmara, the demon of ignorance in his manifestation of Nataraja, the lord of the dance. It is said that he looks like an eternal youth because of his authority over death, rebirth and immortality. He is also the father of Ganesha and Murugan.


         108 Names of Lord Shiva (Kailashnath Mahadev)       


One of the most important Hindu deities, Lord Shiva is known by several names. The Shiva Purana list 108 names for Lord Shiva. Each of these names in Sanskrit signifies certain attribute of the Lord. Given here are 108 names of Lord Shiva with their meaning.(Kailashnath) is also one of the name  and this signifies king of mountain which is the main reason behind the tallest lord shiva statue being located on a mountain of Nepal.

 

Lord Shiva's Birth

According to one legend, shiva initial materialize when Brahma and Vishnu were arguing regarding which of them was more powerful. Their quarrel was interrupted by the unexpected look of a large burning pillar whose roots and branches complete outside sight into the earth and sky. Brahma became a goose and flew up to locate the top of the pillar, even as turned into a boar and dug in to the ground to appear for its roots. Unsuccessful in their search, the two god’s arrival and saw Shiva surface from an opening in the support. Recognize Shiva’s huge power, they established him as the third ruler of the universe

History of Lord Shiva

Shiva is the God of all and is worshipped by all, from Devas( gods) such as Brahma, Indra, by Asuras(demons) like Bana, Ravana, by humans like Adi Shankara, Nayanars, by creatures such as Jatayu, an eagle, Vali, an ape, and the list goes on and on.Furthermore, people of different backgrounds and qualities worship the Shiva, with many temples having histories of even cranes, bees, elephants, (Kalahasti), spiders, snakes, worshipping Shiva and getting blessed. It concludes that the Lord, as the Supreme one, blesses anyone who worships him in sincere devotion as there is no discrimination on who the seeker is.He always finds ways to protect dharma and not allow anybody evil to triumph over good.

Shiva is the ultimate reality who is the nature of Bliss itself and all complete in Himself. He is beyond description, beyond all manifestation, beyond limitation of form, time and space. He is eternal, infinite, all pervading, all knowing and all powerful 

SHIVRATRI

Shivratri is the time when Shiva takes a rest.
Shiva rests for one 'prahar' (three hours) of the night..
This 'prahar' is referred to as the Shivratri.
When Lord Shiva takes rest, the function of
'Shivtatva' (Shiva Principle) ceases,
i.e. Lord Shiva goes into a meditative state.





Shiva's meditative state is the time when
He is engrossed in His own spiritual practice.
During that time,
the 'Shivtatva' does not accept any tamogun
(most base of the 3 elements in us - sattva, raja & tama)
or
any halahal (venom churned from the ocean)
coming from the Universe.
As a result,
the ratio of halahal or the pressure
of the negative energies increases.
For protection from this pressure, things like
'bilva patra', white flowers, 'rudraksha' beads etc
are offered to Lord Shiva.


These things attract the 'Shivtatva' from the atmosphere,
thus providing protection from the increasing
effect of the negative energies.
The Earth is a gross object.
Gross objects have very low velocities
i.e. they require more time to cover a specific distance in space.
Gods on the other hand, are subtle hence they
are capable of traversing space within a few seconds.
That is why one year on the earth
is equivalent to just one day of heaven.


Nataraja (The Dancing Form Of Lord Shiva)

Nataraja or Nataraj, the dancing form of Lord 

Shiva, is a symbolic synthesis of the most important 

aspects of Hinduism, and the summary of the 

central tenets of this Vedic religion. The term 'Nataraj' means 'King of Dancers' (Sanskrit nata = dance; raja = king). In the words of Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, Nataraj is the "clearest image 

of the activity of God which any art or religion 

can boast of…A more fluid and energetic representation of a moving figure than the dancing figure of Shiva can scarcely be found anywhere," (The Dance of Shiva)

The Origin of the Nataraj Form:

An extraordinary iconographic representation of the rich and diverse cultural heritage of India, it was developed in southern India by 9th and 10th century artists during the Chola period (880-1279 CE) in a series of beautiful bronze sculptures. By the 12th century AD, it achieved canonical stature and soon the Chola Nataraja became the supreme statement of Hindu art.

The Vital Form & Symbolism:

In a marvelously unified and dynamic composition expressing the rhythm and harmony of life, Nataraj is shown with four hands represent the cardinal directions. He is dancing, with his left foot elegantly raised and the right foot on a prostrate figure — 'Apasmara Purusha', the personification of illusion and ignorance over whom Shiva triumphs. The upper left hand holds a flame, the lower left hand points down to the dwarf, who is shown holding a cobra. The upper right hand holds an hourglass drum or 'dumroo' that stands for the male-female vital principle, the lower shows the gesture of assertion: "Be without fear."

Snakes that stand for egotism, are seen uncoiling from his arms, legs, and hair, which is braided and bejeweled. His matted locks are whirling as he dances within an arch of flames representing the endless cycle of birth and death. On his head is a skull, which symbolizes his conquest over death. Goddess Ganga, the epitome of the holy river Ganges, also sits on his hairdo. His third eye is symbolic of his omniscience, insight, and enlightenment. The whole idol rests on a lotus pedestal, the symbol of the creative forces of the universe.

The Significance of Shiva's Dance:

This cosmic dance of Shiva is called 'Anandatandava,' meaning the Dance of Bliss, and symbolizes the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction, as well as the daily rhythm of birth and death. The dance is a pictorial allegory of the five principle manifestations of eternal energy — creation, destruction, preservation, salvation, and illusion. According to Coomerswamy, the dance of Shiva also represents his five activities: 'Shrishti' (creation, evolution); 'Sthiti' (preservation, support); 'Samhara' (destruction, evolution); 'Tirobhava' (illusion); and 'Anugraha' (release, emancipation, grace).

The overall temper of the image is paradoxical, uniting the inner tranquility, and outside activity of Shiva.

A Scientific Metaphor:

Fritzof Capra in his article "The Dance of Shiva: The Hindu View of Matter in the Light of Modern Physics," and later in the The Tao of Physics beautifully relates Nataraj's dance with modern physics. He says that "every subatomic particle not only performs an energy dance, but also is an energy dance; a pulsating process of creation and destruction…without end…For the modern physicists, then Shiva's dance is the dance of subatomic matter. As in Hindu mythology, it is a continual dance of creation and destruction involving the whole cosmos; the basis of all existence and of all natural phenomena."

The Nataraj Statue at CERN, Geneva:

In 2004, a 2m statue of the dancing Shiva was unveiled at CERN, the European Center for Research in Particle Physics in Geneva. A special plaque next to the Shiva statue explains the significance of the metaphor of Shiva's cosmic dance with quotations from Capra: "Hundreds of years ago, Indian artists created visual images of dancing Shivas in a beautiful series of bronzes. In our time, physicists have used the most advanced technology to portray the patterns of the cosmic dance. The metaphor of the cosmic dance thus unifies ancient mythology, religious art and modern physics."

To sum up, here's an excerpt from a beautiful poem by Ruth Peel:
"The source of all movement,
Shiva's dance,
Gives rhythm to the universe.
He dances in evil places,
In sacred,
He creates and preserves,
Destroys and releases.
We are part of this dance
This eternal rhythm,
And woe to us if, blinded
By illusions,
We detach ourselves
From the dancing cosmos,
This universal harmony…"


Bhagwan Shiva



Bhagwan Shiva is the maker of dance and of the initial 16 rhythmic syllables still uttered, since which the Sanskrit language was born. His dance of anger is called the Roudra Tandava and his dance, and they begged him to dance over. Lord Shiva promised to do so in the heart of his devotees and in a blessed grove in Tamil Nadu, everywhere the great temple of Chidambaram was build, the merely one in all Indian devoted to Shiva as Nataraja, the lord of dance. It is supposed that on the 13th day of every bright lunar fortnight after 6 o’clock in the evening, falls a blessed hour called Pradosha Worshipping Lord Shiva at this time is akin to worshipping all the powers




Shiva has four arms and three eyes. The third eye, in the center of his forehead is forever closed and simply opens to destroy an evil doer. A garland of skulls, rudraksha bead, or a snake hangs from his neck. Lord Shiva also carries snakes as armlets and bracelets. The serpent, contest, despised and fear by all further creatures, establish a place of honour on Shiva’s holy being, just because he was enthused by their plight.




Shree Pashupatinath  is an incarnation of the HinduLord Shiva. He is revered throughout the Hindu world, but especially in Nepal where he is regarded as the national deity.