Shiva – The Destroyer, Mahadeva and Nataraja

Shiva – Is probably one of the gods from Hinduism that you have heard of. I have written an article on the myth of 33 million Indian gods before. It interests a lot of people to know how gods play a role in the lives of Indians. So, let me take you on a journey through a few important ones. I decided to start with Shiva since he’s the one that I relate to in everyday life the most. За да прочетете статията на български, можете да инсталирате плъгин Google Преводач от тук.

Who is Shiva?

Shiva is an integral part of the holy trinity or Trimurti in Indian mythology. Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the preserver and Shiva (Mahesh) is the destroyer. Together they are responsible for the cosmic cycle. Shiva is swayambhu, which means he was always present and will be there even when nothing exists. He is the Mahadev or the great god and his name literally translates as the auspicious one. India has 12 main temples of lord Shiva, known as the Jyotirlingas. These are the most sacred temples and visiting all 12 of them means a lot to the followers of lord Shiva.

Different titles and forms of Shiva

The Mahadeva is worshiped and looked up to in different forms by his followers. I will try to decipher a few of them for you.

The Nataraja

Nataraja translates to the god or king of dance or performance. In this form, Shiva is known to perform his cosmic dance called the Tandav Nritya which would destroy and create the universe. If you have seen any sculpture depicting him in this form, it will raise more questions than give answers. One has to understand the symbology to get the deeper meaning behind it. For now, let’s keep it to the fact that he is revered as the god of dance.

Ardhanarishvara

In this form, Shiva is an embodiment of himself and his consort Parvati, half man and half woman and that’s the way he is depicted. What could be the meaning behind this? It signifies the confluence of masculine and feminine energies in the universe. It means that male and female principles embodied within us are inseparable. We believe that when these qualities are in balance with each other, only then can a human live a life of peace and fulfillment.

Lord Shiva as Pashupati

Pashupati means the lord of animals. He was the one who freed the animals and gave them liberation. At the same time, he was known to slay the beasts (read as human souls in his care).

Symbology

If you have seen a statue of Shiva you might wonder what’s the meaning behind the small drum, the cobra, the trident? So let me break it down for you.

The blue skin

Shiva is the Neelkanth. He had consumed the poison that originated from the ocean as a result of the churning by the gods and demons in order to get the Amrit which would give them immortality.

The matted hair with water sprouting from it.

It is said that Shiva helped the river Ganges to come down to earth from the heavens. She used his matted hair to break the fall, which could have destroyed earth.

The third eye on the forehead 

It is the source of his energy which can destroy anything in its path and at the same time signifies his wisdom. Hindus consider it as a source of insightfulness, intuitive and perceptive abilities.

The Cobra

The three coils of the snake around his neck are the past, present, and future and hence his control over time. It also represents the cycle of life and death as the snake sheds his skin and signifies rebirth from death.

The Trishul or trident

The Trishul represents three fundamental dimensions of life called Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. These are the three pathways or channels of prana (life) in our system. From these three fundamental nadis (channels) arise 72,000 other basic nadis. It is also believed that the three points represent the function of the trimurti – create, preserve and destroy.

The damru or the drum

The drum which is shaped like an hourglass symbolizes the universe. It shows us the way the universe is always expanding and collapsing and recreates itself.

What is a lingam?

I am sure you have observed, Hindus do not pray to a statue of Shiva but to a lingam. There are two schools of thought that answer this question. The oval or egg shape on the top represents the male reproductive organ while the bottom part represents the yoni, or the female reproductive organ. Hence, it symbolizes fertility.
The second school of thought talks on a wider scale. It says that the linga is an egg which represents Brahmanda (the cosmos). The linga essentially points out that the creation of the cosmos is because of the merging of Purusha and Prakriti which are the male and female energies.

Mythology aside, what does Shiva symbolize to me?

We Indians have a god to pray to for every occasion. But if you talk about one eternal force for me, it is Shiva. I find him to be the closest to being a human. Simple, embodiment of what we are today, at times calm, understanding, at times angry, but also artistic.
He is a destroyer and creator. Many times we have to end the toxicity and bad vibes in our life, and give up on our ego in order to turn a new leaf. Shiva’s values represent that to me.
He is Pashupati, loves animals. I love animals and go out of my way to help a poor soul.
He is not this big bad god who is totally masculine. We are all embodiment of masculine and feminine, even if we do not agree to it. It makes us more balanced and sensitive towards others. It is about harnessing the right characteristics and leading a content life.

I will continue with a few other main gods in India to give you insights on how we embody those learnings in our everyday life.