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Indra [ edit ]
AccordingtoWendyDoniger,thePuranicShivaisacontinuationofthe
VedicIndra.[77]Donigergivesseveralreasonsforherhypothesis.Both
areassociatedwithmountains,rivers,malefertility,fierceness,
fearlessness,warfare,transgressionofestablishedmores,
theAumsound,theSupremeSelf.IntheRigVedathetermivais
usedtorefertoIndra.(2.20.3,[78]6.45.17,[79][80]and8.93.3.[81])Indra,
likeShiva,islikenedtoabull.[82][83]IntheRigVeda,Rudraisthe
fatheroftheMaruts,butheisneverassociatedwiththeirwarlike
exploitsasisIndra.[84]
TheVedicbeliefsandpracticesofthepreclassicalerawereclosely
relatedtothehypothesisedProtoIndoEuropeanreligion,[85][86]and

CoinoftheIndoSassanid(early
4thcentury)

theIndoIranianreligion.[87]AccordingtoAnthony,theOldIndic
religionprobablyemergedamongIndoEuropeanimmigrantsinthecontactzonebetweentheZeravshan
River(presentdayUzbekistan)and(presentday)Iran.[88]Itwas"asyncreticmixtureofoldCentralAsian
andnewIndoEuropeanelements",[88]whichborrowed"distinctivereligiousbeliefsandpractices"[87]from
theBactriaMargianaCulture.[87]Atleast383nonIndoEuropeanwordswereborrowedfromthisculture,
includingthegodIndraandtheritualdrinkSoma.[89]AccordingtoAnthony,
ManyofthequalitiesofIndoIraniangodofmight/victory,Verethraghna,weretransferredto
theadoptedgodIndra,whobecamethecentraldeityofthedevelopingOldIndicculture.Indra
wasthesubjectof250hymns,aquarteroftheRigVeda.Hewasassociatedmorethanany
otherdeitywithSoma,astimulantdrug(perhapsderivedfromEphedra)probablyborrowed
fromtheBMACreligion.HisrisetoprominencewasapeculiartraitoftheOldIndic
speakers.[90]

LaterVedicliterature

[ edit ]

Rudra'stransformationfromanambiguouslycharacterizeddeitytoasupremebeingbeganin
theShvetashvataraUpanishad(400200BC),whichfoundedthetraditionofRudraShivaworship.Here
theyareidentifiedasthecreatorsofthecosmosandliberatorsofsoulsfromthebirthrebirthcycle.The
periodof200BCto100ADalsomarksthebeginningoftheShaivatraditionfocusedontheworshipof
Shiva,withreferencestoShaivaasceticsinPatanjali'sMahbhyaandintheMahabharata.[53][91]
EarlyhistoricalpaintingsattheBhimbetkarockshelters,depictShivadancing,Shiva'strident,andhis
mountNandibutnootherVedicgods.[92][93]

Puranicliterature

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TheShivaPuranas,particularlytheShivaPuranaandtheLingaPurana,discussthevariousformsofShiva
andthecosmologyassociatedwithhim.[94]
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Tantricliterature

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TheTantras,composedbetweenthe8thand11thcenturies,regardthemselvesasSruti.Amongthese
theShaivaAgamas,aresaidtohavebeenrevealedbyShivahimselfandarefoundationaltextsforShaiva
Siddhanta.[95]

PositionwithinHinduism
Shaivism

[ edit ]

[ edit ]

Mainarticles:ShaivismandHistoryofShaivism
ShaivismisoneoftheoldestofthefourmajorsectsofHinduism,the
othersbeingVaishnavism,ShaktismandtheSmarta
Tradition.[citationneeded]FollowersofShaivism,called"Shaivas",revere
ShivaastheSupremeBeing.ShaivasbelievethatShivaisAllandin
all,thecreator,preserver,destroyer,revealerandconcealerofallthat
is.ThetantricShaivatraditionconsistsoftheKapalikas,Kashmir
ShaivismandShaivaSiddhanta.TheShivaPuranaisoneof

TheAnnamalaiyarTemple,
Tiruvannamalai,TamilNaduis
dedicatedtoShiva

thepuranas,agenreofHindureligioustexts,dedicatedtoShiva.
ShaivismiswidespreadthroughoutIndia,Nepal,andSriLanka,mostly.Areasnotableforthepracticeof
ShaivismincludepartsofSoutheastAsia,especiallyMalaysia,Singapore,andIndonesia.IndologistAxel
MichaelssuggeststhatShaivism,likeVaishnavism,impliesaunitywhichcannotbeclearlyfoundeitherin
religiouspracticeorinphilosophicalandesotericdoctrine.Furthermore,practiceanddoctrinemustbekept
separate.[96]

Panchayatanapuja

[ edit ]

Mainarticle:Panchayatanapuja
Panchayatanapujaisthesystemofpuja(worship)intheSmartaTradition.Itissaidtohavebeen
introducedbyAdiShankara,the8thcenturyHinduphilosopher.Itconsistsoftheworshipoffivedeities:
Shiva,Vishnu,Devi,SuryaandGanesha.DependingonthetraditionfollowedbySmartahouseholds,one
ofthesedeitiesiskeptinthecenterandtheotherfoursurroundit.Worshipisofferedtoallthedeities.The
fivearerepresentedbysmallmurtis,orbyfivekindsofstones,orbyfivemarksdrawnonthefloor.[97]

Trimurti

[ edit ]

Mainarticle:Trimurti
TheTrimurtiisaconceptinHinduisminwhichthecosmicfunctionsofcreation,maintenance,and
destructionarepersonifiedbytheformsofBrahmthecreator,Vishnuthemaintainerorpreserverand
hivathedestroyerortransformer.[98][99]Thesethreedeitieshavebeencalled"theHindutriad"[100]orthe
"GreatTrinity",[101]oftenaddressedas"BrahmaVishnuMaheshwara."

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Iconographyandproperties
Attributes

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Shiva'sform:Shivahasatridentintherightlowerarm,anda
crescentmoononhishead.Heissaidtobefairlikecamphoror
likeanicecladmountain.Hewearsfiveserpentsandagarlandof
skullsasornaments.Shivaisusuallydepictedfacingthesouth.His
trident,likealmostallotherformsinHinduism,canbeunderstood
asthesymbolismoftheunityofthreeworldsthatahumanfaces
hisinsideworld,hisimmediateworld,andthebroaderoverall
world.Atthebaseofthetrident,allthreeforksunite.Itisoftennot
shownbutShivahas6heads,ofwhichonlyfive(Isana,
Tatpurusha,Vamadeva,Aghora,Sadyojata)arevisiblewhilethe
6th(Adhomukh)canonlybeseenbytheenlightened.
Thirdeye:(Trilochana)Shivaisoftendepictedwithathirdeye,
withwhichheburnedDesire(Kma)toashes,[102]called
"Tryambakam"(Sanskrit:),whichoccursinmany

scripturalsources.[103]InclassicalSanskrit,the
wordambakadenotes"aneye",andintheMahabharata,Shivais
depictedasthreeeyed,sothisnameissometimestranslatedas
"havingthreeeyes".[104]However,inVedicSanskrit,the
wordamborambikmeans"mother",andthisearlymeaningof

ShivawithParvati.Shivais
depictedthreeeyed,
theGangesflowingthroughhis
mattedhair,wearingornamentsof
serpentsandaskullgarland,and
coveredinashes,andseatedona
tigerskin

thewordisthebasisforthetranslation"three
mothers".[105][106]Thesethreemothergoddesseswhoare
collectivelycalledtheAmbiks.[107]Otherrelatedtranslationshavebeenbasedontheideathatthe
nameactuallyreferstotheoblationsgiventoRudra,whichaccordingtosometraditionswereshared
withthegoddessAmbik.[108]IthasbeenmentionedthatwhenShivaloseshistemper,histhirdeye
openswhichcanreducemostthingstoashes.
Crescentmoon:(Theepithets"Chandrasekhara/Chandramouli")Shivabearsonhisheadthe
crescentmoon.[109]TheepithetCandraekhara(Sanskrit:
"Havingthemoonashiscrest"
candra="moon"ekhara="crest,crown")[110][111][112]referstothisfeature.Theplacementofthe
moononhisheadasastandardiconographicfeaturedatestotheperiodwhenRudraroseto
prominenceandbecamethemajordeityRudraShiva.[113]Theoriginofthislinkagemaybeduetothe
identificationofthemoonwithSoma,andthereisahymnintheRigVedawhereSomaandRudraare
jointlyimplored,andinlaterliterature,SomaandRudracametobeidentifiedwithoneanother,aswere
Somaandthemoon.[114]ThecrescentmoonisshownonthesideoftheLord'sheadasanornament.
Thewaxingandwaningphenomenonofthemoonsymbolizesthetimecyclethroughwhichcreation
evolvesfromthebeginningtotheend.
Ashes:(Theepithet"BhasmaangaRaaga")Shivasmearshisbodywithashes(bhasma).Theashes
aresaidtorepresenttheendofallmaterialexistence.[115]SomeformsofShiva,suchasBhairava,are
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associatedwithaveryoldIndiantraditionofcremationgroundasceticismthatwaspracticedbysome
groupswhowereoutsidethefoldofbrahmanicorthodoxy.[116]Thesepracticesassociatedwith
cremationgroundsarealsomentionedinthePalicanonofTheravadaBuddhism.[117]Oneepithetfor
Shivais"inhabitantofthecremationground"(Sanskrit:manavsin,alsospelledShmashanavasin),
referringtothisconnection.[118]
Mattedhair:(Theepithet"JataajootaDhari/Kapardina")Shiva'sdistinctivehairstyleisnotedinthe
epithetsJain,"theonewithmattedhair",[119]andKapardin,"endowedwithmattedhair"[120]or"wearing
hishairwoundinabraidinashelllike(kaparda)fashion".[121]Akapardaisacowrieshell,orabraidof
hairintheformofashell,or,moregenerally,hairthatisshaggyorcurly.[122]Hishairissaidtobelike
moltengoldincolororbeingyellowishwhite.
Bluethroat:TheepithetNlakatha(Sanskritnla="blue",katha="throat").[123][124]Since
ShivadranktheHalahalapoisonchurnedupfromtheSamudraManthantoeliminateitsdestructive
capacity.Shockedbyhisact,GoddessParvatistrangledhisneckandhencemanagedtostopitinhis
neckitselfandpreventitfromspreadingallovertheuniverse,supposedtobeinShiva'sstomach.
Howeverthepoisonwassopotentthatitchangedthecolorofhisnecktoblue.[125][126](SeeMaha
Shivaratri.)
SacredGanga:(Theepithet"Gangadhara")BearerofGanga.The
goddessGangaflowsfromthemattedhairof
Shiva.[127][128]TheGag(Ganga),oneofthemajorriversofthe
country,issaidtohavemadeherabodeinShiva'shair.[129]The
flowoftheGangaalsorepresentsthenectarofimmortality.
Tigerskin:(Theepithet"Krittivasana")Heisoftenshownseated
uponatigerskin,[115]anhonourreservedforthemost
accomplishedofHinduascetics,theBrahmarishis.[130]
Serpents:(Theepithet"NagendraHaara"or'Vasuki").Shivais
oftenshowngarlandedwithasnake.[131]
Deer:HisholdingdeerononehandindicatesthatHehasremoved
the"Chanchalata"ofthemind(i.e.,attainedmaturityandfirmness
inthoughtprocess).Adeerjumpsfromoneplacetoanother
swiftly,similartothemindmovingfromonethoughttoanother.
Trident:(Trishula):Shiva'sparticularweaponisthetrident.[115]His
TrishulathatisheldinHisrighthandrepresentsthethreeGunas
Sattva,RajasandTamas.Thatistheemblemofsovereignty.He

Shivabearingthedescentofthe
GangesRiverasParvatiand
BhagirathaandthebullNandilook,
foliofromaHindimanuscriptbythe
Narayan,circa1740

rulestheworldthroughthesethreeGunas.TheDamaruinHisleft
handrepresentstheShabdaBrahman.ItrepresentsOMfromwhichalllanguagesareformed.ItisHe
whoformedtheSanskritlanguageoutoftheDamarusound.
Drum:Asmalldrumshapedlikeanhourglassisknownasadamaru.[132][133]Thisisoneofthe
attributesofShivainhisfamousdancingrepresentation[134]knownasNataraja.Aspecifichandgesture
(mudra)calledamaruhasta(Sanskritfor"amaruhand")isusedtoholdthedrum.[135]Thisdrumis
particularlyusedasanemblembymembersoftheKplikasect.[136]
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Axe:(Parashu):The"Parashu"istheweaponofLordShivawhogaveittoParashurama,sixthAvatarof
Vishnu,whosenamemeans"Ramawiththeaxe"andalsotaughthimitsmastery.
Nand:(Theepithet"NandiVaahana")Nand,alsoknownas"Nandin",isthenameofthebullthat
servesasShiva'smount(Sanskrit:vhana).[137][138]Shiva'sassociationwithcattleisreflectedinhis
namePaupati,orPashupati(Sanskrit:
),translatedbySharmaas"lordofcattle"[139]andby
Kramrischas"lordofanimals",whonotesthatitisparticularlyusedasanepithetof
Rudra.[140]"Rishabha"orthebullrepresentsDharmaDevata(lord).LordSivaridesonthebull.This
denotesthatLordSivaistheprotectorofDharma,isanembodimentofDharmaorrighteousness.
Gaa:The[[Gana|Gaas]](Devanagari:)areattendantsofShivaandliveinKailash.Theyare
oftenreferredtoasthebhutaganas,orghostlyhosts,onaccountoftheirnature.Generallybenign,
exceptwhentheirlordistransgressedagainst,theyareofteninvokedtointercedewiththelordon
behalfofthedevotee.GaneshawaschosenastheirleaderbyShiva,henceGanesha'stitlegaa
aorgaapati,"lordofthegaas".[141]GaneshaiscreatedbyGaurinotasganabutherbeloved
obedientchild.
5heads:Shivaisknownas"panchavactra"means5headswhichindicates5elements.
Arms:Shivahas4armswhichresembles4vedas
MountKailsa:MountKailashintheHimalayasishistraditionalabode.[115]InHindumythology,
MountKailsaisconceivedasresemblingaLinga,representingthecenteroftheuniverse.[142]
Varanasi:Varanasi(Benares)isconsideredtobethecityspeciallylovedbyShiva,andisoneofthe
holiestplacesofpilgrimageinIndia.Itisreferredto,inreligiouscontexts,asKashi.[143]

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