Table of Contents
Physical Description of Lord Siva
The Tantras have described innumerable forms of Lord Siva. Some prominent forms have been described herein-
Sada Siva
It is the five-headed form (Panchamukhi). Each face has three-eyes and a crescent moon shining as the head adornment. The colors of the 5 faces in a sequential order are- White, yellow, cloud blue, red and pearl white. He has 10-hands. He holds a Trident, spear, sickle, thunderbolt, a bowl for alms, snake, bell, goad, noose, and a hand displaying the Vara mudra. His body is dazzling white in complexion. He sits on a lotus in the Padmasana pose.
Ishan
He is 4 armed. In two hands he holds a Shakti and a drum while the other two display the Abhaya and Vara mudra. Effulgent in complexion, he has three eyes and a crescent moon resting as a crest. He is present in the north-east direction. The Panchamukha Siva has Ishan’s face towards the north-east direction.
Tatpurusha
His complexion resembles a thunderbolt. The Lord holds an axe, deer, hands display the Abhaya and Vara (blessing pose) mudra. He has 4 arms and 4 heads, three eyes, a beautiful crescent moon adorns his face. He meditates in the east direction. The Tatpurush face exists in the Panchamukhi Siva facing eastwards.
Aghore
He has 8 hands, 4 heads and scary teeth. His complexion is black as kohl and is fearsome. He holds a Rudraksha mala, the Vedas, trident, drum (Damru), sword, horn and a begging bowl. His other hand however shows the Abhaya mudra. He is prevalent in the Southern direction. The south facing face in Panchamukhi Siva is called Aghor.
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Vamadeva
He is as red as Kumkum and has three beautiful eyes, 4 arms and a sober complexion. He smiles beautifully. His hands show the Vara (blessing pose) and the Abhaya (protection) mudra. He holds the Rudraksha beads and an axe. He is present in the north-facing direction. The north facing face of Panchamukhi Siiva is called Vamadeva.
Sadyojat
Lord Sadyojat is fair and fresh as camphor, has three large eyes, 4 hands and 4 heads. He holds a deer, Rudraksha beads, and his hands display the Abhaya and Vara mudra. He is present in the west direction wearing the crown of a moon.
Haragouri
He is vermillion in complexion, wears a bejeweled crown and a crescent moon shines on his forehead. He has three beautiful eyes and 8 arms. There is a sweet smile on his face and he is decked with divine ornaments. Devi Parvati sits on his left thigh holding a lotus flower.
Mrutyunjaya
His three eyes resemble the sun, moon and fire. He has 4 arms, a smile on his face and a complexion that is fair and fresh. Lord Mrutyunjaya sleeps on a bed made of two-lotuses. His hands display the Abhaya mudra, a noose, deer and the Rudraksha mala. Adorned with ornaments, a moon glimmers on his forehead. He is bathed in the nectar splashing from the moon.
Mahesh
Lord Mahesh resides in the Himalayan Mountains. A crescent moon adorns his beautiful forehead. He is seated in the Veerasana pose and has 4 arms. Two of his hands show the Abhaya mudra and a deer while the other two rest on his knees. He has a smiling face, and adorns snake ornaments. He sits around a gathering of enlightened men.
Dakshina Murti
His complexion glows like a diamond. A moon adorns his forehead and his three eyes resemble pitchers of nectar. His hands display the Jnana mudra, Vidya Mudra (symbolisms of wisdom), the Trident and a snake. He is 4-handed. Dakshina Murti is the acharya or guru form of Lord Siva. This form of lord Shiva is quite famous in South India.
Neelakantha
His Complexion is like that of the rising sun. There is a moon ornament on his locks. Lord Nilakantha wears a serpent ornament. He has 4 hands that carry chanting beads, trident, a begging bowl and a rishi’s staff. All his 5-heads have three eyes each. He clads tiger skin and sits on a lotus. Tiru Neelakanta Nayanar was an ardent devotee of this form.
Ardhanarishwara
He has three eyes. His complexion is glamorous like a blue lotus. He has 4 hands and holds a noose, trident, a begging bowl and a red lotus. A crescent moon rests on his forehead. The right side of his body is masculine while the left side is feminine. Ardhanarishwara therefore depicts the two sides of creation, Prakriti (Nature) and Purusha (Soul). Thus, it represents the union of the spirit with matter.
Pashupati
His complexion glows like the mid-day sun. A crescent moon adorns his forehead, His laughter instills fear in hearts. He has three eyes and is decked with snakes. His matted hair is scattered. He has 4 hands, holding a lotus, trident, sword and Shakti. He has terrifying teeth and 4 heads.
Neelagriva
Bearing the hue of the rising sun, He has three eyes, wears a red garland and applies red sandalwood. A smile beatifies his lips. His four hands display the Vara mudra and Abhaya mudra, a begging bowl, and a Trident. The moon sits on his forehead. He has a deep-blue colored throat, hence the name Nilagriva (the one with a blue throat).
Neela Lohita
Resembling the majesty of a blue mountain, he wears a crested moon on his forehead, and a garland of heads around his neck.
He is unclothed and has yellow matted hair. Lord Neelalohita holds a drum, horn, a bent noose, serpent, bell, begging bowl, a Kalash, lotus and a hand shows the abhaya mudra. He has 10 hands, 3 eyes, and ferocious teeth. Snakes, tinkling bells and gems adorn his body.
Chandeshwara
He is Red in complexion, has three-eyes and is clad in red garments. The lord holds a spear, trident, a Crystal and Rudraksha mala and an ascetic’s pitcher (Kalash). He has 4 arms with the moon adornment on his forehead.
Rudra
Lord Rudra wears a tiger skin and holds a trident and deer in his hands.
He is the lord of destruction and he stands majestically. While Lord Shiva is the totality, Rudra depicts a particular quality of Lord Shiva.
As Brahma had ordered Rudra to create, Rudra gave rise to Bhairava, Pishacha, Bhoot, Baital, Yogini and the similar lot. However, on looking at these unpleasant sights, Lord Brahma stopped him at once.
He said- “Stop making such destructive elements. Do some meditation.” Having heard Brahma’s command, Lord Rudra situated himself in deep austerities since then.
Who are the 11 Rudras?
There are 11 Rudras-
1) Aja
2) Ekapada
3) Ahirbudhnya
4) Kruttivasa
5) Aparajita
6) Triambak
7) Maheshwara
8)Vrushakapi
9)Shambhu
10)Kapardi
11)Neela Lohita
How was Rudra born?
At the start of creation, Brahma created his first born sons, the 4 Sanak kumaras
Thereafter, Brahma assigned them the task of producing progeny but the brothers plainly refused the proposal.
Brahma was enraged at their refusal. His eyebrows tensed as a reflex. From the midst of his eyebrows appeared an infant who began to wail. At his very birth, the child started crying, so he became widely acclaimed as “Rudra.”
Brahma asked him “Kid, why are you crying?”
The child said- “Please reveal my identity and my place of stay.”
Brahma showered many names upon him. Some of his names are- Manyu, Manu, Rutadhwaja, Ugrareta, Siva, Bhava, Kala, Mahinasa, Vamadeva, Ghrutavrata and Rudra.
Brahma then revealed his area of residence- They are the senses, life force, heart, ether, wind, fire, water, earth, austerity, the moon and the sun.
Wives of Rudra
Thereafter, Brahma married Rudra to –
1) Dhi
2) Dhruti
3) Ushana
4) Niyuta
5) Sarpi
6) Ila
7) Ambika
8) Uma
9) Iravati
10) Sudha
11) Deeksha.
Work of Lord Siva
The word ‘Siva’ literally means well-being but he is the annihilator. Rudra is the one who makes one cry. Creation and annihilation means Brahma and Siva work hand in hand. One thing is created while the other is destroyed.
Birth and death occur simultaneously in the universe. Lord Siva is not the creative energy. He is the Lord of destruction. He destroys all impurities, ill-omens, absurdities and the decaying elements of nature.
Hence, Lord Shiva is auspicious for creation. He works for an auspicious cause. In the Vedas, Lord Siva is referred to by the name Rudra.The Rudra Ashtadhyayi are prayers to please Lord Rudra.
Rudra pervades all of creation. He is Paramatma. Lord Shiva is the giver of knowledge, liberation and gets easily pleased by his devotees. He is the conqueror of death and is hence known as Mrutyunjaya. His eternal abode is Varanasi and Kailash on this earthly plane.
He is the supreme deity and the topmost guru for the ascetics, yogis and for those who are inquisitive about the spiritual. Lord Shiva is the prime cause of creation. This is the faith of the Shaivites.
Lord Siva is Maheshwara. He is beyond the cosmic sound of Aum. He alone assumes the forms of Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra for creation, maintenance and annihilation.The Supreme of all, Lord Sada Shiva resides in Shiva lok. The Kailash that we see on earth and the one existing in heaven represent that divine Shiva Loka.
Sadashiva is the cause of all causes. The destroyer form of Lord Shiva or the Rudra avatar is similar to the Brahma and Vishnu that Lord Shiva himself creates in every universe.
Description of Lord Shiva
There are two worshippable forms of Lord Shiva.
1) 5-headed form (Panchamukhi) – It is the 10- handed form.
Lord Shiva is fair and fresh as camphor. He has three eyes on all his faces and adorns a crescent moon as the head ornament. He has a deep blue throat, and wears an ornament of snakes.
A Trishula, bow and Damru are his accoutrements. The bull which stands for Dharma serves as his vehicle and symbol on his flag.
The Lord mainly clads animal skin. Besides, we also find a description of deerskin, tiger skin and elephant skin.
2) Ekamukhi, or the one-headed form.- This form of lord Shiva is four handed.
Shaiva Sampradaya
There are many classes of Shiva devotees. Of these the most prominent Sampradayas of Shaivism are Kashmir, Pashupat sampradaya, Lingayat Sampradaya and many more. These Sampradayas have their unique doctrine and preach different modes of worship, mantras and rules. Due to these many differences, you will find infinite names and forms of Lord Shiva.
There are 12 prominent Jyotirlingas (Shiva Peeth) in India.
However, there are in total 108 divine Shiva Kshetras (regions resided by Lord Shiva).
The Siva sampradaya has its Acharyas residing right from the north in Kashmir to the Southern realms of the nation.
5 Shaiva Acharyas are considered to be the direct incarnations of Lord Shiva. Shiva worship is well accepted and falls in line with the Vedic doctrine. It also has a mention in conventional scriptures. Thus, it is an authentic doctrine. In essence, you shall find its ancient footprints encompassing the entire planet. We shall now look at some stories from the Puranas, especially from the Shiva Mahapurana.
Stories of Lord Siva: Who is greater- Brahma or Vishnu?
Once, the Supreme principle, Lord Siva in a playful spirit expanded himself into Brahma and Narayana. At their birth, Brahma and Vishnu started arguing as to who is superior. Then a divine Jyotirlinga which has no beginning and end appeared which was pillar-like in shape.
On seeing the linga, they remarked that the one who reaches its beginning and end shall win the bet. Eventually, Brahma soared upwards while Vishnu plunged to its bottom.
The journey was endless. At last, the two were utterly exhausted and decided to give up.
When the two met each other, Brahma brought the Ketkai flowers and a cow as the false witness and told Vishnu that he had won the challenge.
He asserted that “He had reached the beginning.” However Lord Vishnu admitted his failure and spoke the truth. At that moment, Lord Siva emerged from the Jyotirlinga.
He praised Lord Vishnu for his truthfulness and cursed Brahma depriving him of all worship.
Thereafter, he stopped accepting ketaki flowers and considered anything touched by the cow’s mouth impure, since the two had sided with untruth. Lord Siva cuts Brahma’s head
Lord Siva is also known as Kapali. At the beginning of the creation, Lord Shiva and Brahma had 4 heads. But Lord Brahma became arrogant and started hurling abuses at Lord Siva.
So Shankara with his nails chopped one head of Brahma. Brahma thus became 4-headed.
However the head got stuck to Lord Shiva’s hand, hence he became acclaimed as Kapali.
By Lord Vishnu’s advice, Lord Shiva bathed in Varanasi and was finally rid of the head.
Immolation of Sati Devi
Devi Sati discarded her body since her father had not assigned the rightful share of the sacrificial oblations to Lord Shiva. She could not tolerate such a horrendous humiliation of her husband. Lord Shiva on hearing the disastrous news of his wife’s immolation, gave rise to Virabhadra, to kill the convict, Daksha.
Thereafter, the Shiva Ganas sabotaged the entire fire sacrifice.
Marriage of Lord Siva
Later, Sati was reborn as the daughter of the mountain-king Himavan.
Meanwhile, Tarakasura conquered the heavens since he had acquired the boon that only the son of Lord Shiva (Murugan or Kartikeya) could kill him.
Lord Shiva led the life of a recluse after being separated from his consort.
So, the Devatas sent cupid to distract the Lord, in order to fulfil their purpose.
However Lord Shiva trembled with rage and burnt cupid with the fire of his third eye.
Hence He is also called Madanari.
Finally, by the appeal of Brahma and pleased by the prayers of Parvati, Lord Shiva agreed to be her husband and thus Skanda was born.
Skanda killed the demon Tarakasura.
Lord Shiva drinks poison, The Halahal
The churning of the ocean produced deadly venom, causing havoc in the three worlds. Since creation was at stake, Lord Shiva gulped the venom and stopped it at his throat.
However, the poison got his throat to turn blue. Since then he is called Neela kantha.
Tripurari. The demon-king Maya had crafted three miraculous aircrafts out of gold, silver and metal that could land on water, land and ether, and move as per one’s volition.
Thus, they were full-packed cities.
Maya offered the attorney of his creation to his three sons. However his sons were brat.
They misused their powers and landed their aircraft wherever they desired, thus causing havoc in the three worlds. The only means to vanquish the three-problematic cities was to attack at their junction which met once in a thousand years.
To help the terrorized Devas, Lord Shiva produced a celestial chariot, bow, arrows and other weaponry, and when the three cites met at the juncture, Lord Shiva’s arrow found its aim and sabotaged the cities.
He is hence known as Tripurari.
Facts about Lord Shiva
1) The Sound of Lord Shiva’s drum during his entrancing dance has given rise to the alphabets. Lord Shiva is a maestro in all art forms, including dance, weaponry, Vedas, mantras and the divine sciences. His Pashupatastra is one of the deadliest of weapons.
2) King Bhaghirata to redeem his ancestors from the rage of Kapila muni, called upon the river Ganga to descend on earth. After severe austerities, Ganga appeared; but she needed an anchor to bind her forceful flow. Bhagirath then worshipped Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva caught the speedy Ganges in his dense locks. He is hence also called Gangadhara.
3) Lord Shiva has killed many atrocious demons like Jalandhar, Andhak and Daruk.
4) Sri Krishna, Rama and even Narayana have worshipped Lord Shiva.
Arjuna had performed penance to acquire Lord Shiva’s Pashupatastra. Lord Shiva then disguised as a hunter and tested the potential of Arjuna. He then awarded him with his Pashupatastra.
5) Many Asuras like Ravana and Vanasura have experienced his grace and received numerous boons from Him. Lord Shiva has a simple heart and has conferred extremely rare and unattainable boons to his devotees.
6) The Shiva Linga is the union of both Prakriti and Purusha.
So, Linga worship is the symbolic method of worshipping Prikriti and Purusha. It is similar to worshipping the Shaligram in Vishnu Puja. The Linga is special in comparison to worshipping Bhagavan in an idol form since a linga is the union of both form and formless aspects.
