▷ Shiva. The God of Destrution In Hindu Mythology +19 Facts (2024)

Today we are going to meet Shiva, the Destroyer God In Hindu Mythology. We show you his Birth and the Legends that surround him.

Shiva In Hindu Mythology

Shiva, the destroyer god, is one of the three supreme gods found in Hindu mythology. He is known as the destroyer, while the other gods are the creator (Brahma) and the preserver (Vishnu). While the other gods are responsible for the creation and perseverance of the earth, Shiva must destroy it in order to recreate it.

Roles and Powers

Shiva has many roles and powers. He is known to haunt graveyards while wearing a headdress of snakes and a necklace full of skulls. But he also helps mortals and brother gods. He acts as a judge, rewarding the good and showing no mercy to the bad. He spends much of his time in deep meditation as he gains spiritual strength.

This god showed his willingness to sacrifice himself for others when he swallowed the poison of Vasuki, a snake used to produce water of life by the gods. Drinking this poison caused Shiva’s neck to turn blue forever, but he saved the world from destruction. One of Shiva’s greatest responsibilities is to dance. His dance symbolizes truth and is meant to rid the world of ignorance and help end the suffering of those who worship him.

Legends and Stories

As one of the supreme gods, there are many myths surrounding Shiva. Here are just a couple.

Birth of Shiva

There are a few different myths that claim to explain the existence of this god, but this is the most popular. According to the myth, Brahma and Vishnu were arguing. Each of them thought he was the stronger god. Suddenly, in the middle of the argument, a pillar appeared in flames. Its branches and roots reached beyond the confines of the earth and the heavens. Brahma transformed himself into a goose and flew to the tip of the pillar, but could not find it.

Vishnu transformed himself into a boar and dug a tunnel through the earth to find the roots of the pillar. None of the gods could find the top or bottom end. They returned to where they started just in time to see Shiva appear from inside the pillar. They immediately knew that Shiva had great power and immediately knew that he was an equal ruler and companion of the universe.

The Dance

Shiva, the destroyer god, is sometimes called the Lord of the Dance. The rhythm of the dance is said to serve as a metaphor for the balance of the universe. The Tandav is his most important dance. It is known as the cosmic dance of death and should only be performed when the universe needs to be destroyed. One day, there was to be a prayer ceremony with all the gods. Offerings were to be made, but this god was not invited. He had married Sati, the daughter of the host of the feast, and was being punished.

Sati was upset that her husband was being disrespected and prayed intensely before jumping into the fire that was burning at the ceremony. Shiva, although not present, immediately knew what had happened and became angry. He was so upset that he began the dance destined to end the universe. The gods who were present at the ceremony tried to calm Shiva down.

They sprinkled his wife’s ashes on the dancing god, which prevented this god from completing the dance. Instead, he went into deep meditation in memory of his wife. He ignored all his other duties while he was grieving. Sati was finally reborn as Parvati. Shiva came out of his meditation and grief. The two went on to have a marriage filled with love and patience.

Family

Shiva is said to have appeared from a giant flaming pillar and has no parents. Devi, the Mother Goddess, is Shiva’s consort, although she is also Sati and Parvati. They are believed to live in the Himalayas, in the Kailash Mountains.

Appearance

Shiva is usually shown in a yogic position. He has a blue face and throat, while his body is white or blue, depending on the artistic representation. He has a third eye, which represents his insight and wisdom. Some believe that the extra eye clings to his untamed energy. Shiva was once distracted while worshipping by Kama, the god of love. It is said that Shiva opened his third eye out of anger and Kama was immediately consumed by fire. Shiva is also shown with a cobra necklace signifying his power over dangerous creatures. The cobra is also said to symbolize Shiva’s power of destruction.

Just as the snake sheds its skin to make way for a new skin, Shiva destroys it to make room for recreation. He is also shown with a trident, representing the three functions of the Hindu triumvirate. It should also be noted that while other gods are shown with luxurious clothing and belongings, Shiva is usually shown with simple clothes and backgrounds. But his wife is usually on his side, as their relationship is equal. Shiva is also shown as a smiling and calm god, despite being the destroyer.

Symbology

• In addition to the symbolism mentioned in the previous section, there are a few other symbols to remember about Shiva. His half-open eyes are said to symbolize the cycle of the universe. When he opens his eyes, a new cycle of creation begins. But if he ever closes them, this is the beginning of the end of the universe.
• There are three lines of ashes on Shiva’s forehead. They are known as the Vighuti and symbolize Shiva’s immortality and manifest glory. Shiva usually appears with the skin of an elephant and a deer. The elephant skin represents pride, while the deer skin symbolizes the flickering of the mind. Wearing both shows that Shiva has conquered both vices.
• Shiva also wears a necklace made of 108 beads formed from seeds of the Rudraska tree. The beads are said to represent all the elements used in the creation of the world. The necklace illustrates how Shiva is firm in his laws and strictly maintains law and order.

Festivals of Shiva Destroyer God

There is a Shivaratri in every lunar month on its 13th night/14th day, but once a year in late winter(February/March) and before the arrival of spring, marks Maha Shivaratri which means “the Great Night of Shiva”. Maha Shivaratri is an important Hindu festival, but one that is solemn and theologically marks a remembrance of “overcoming darkness and ignorance” in life and in the world, and a meditation on the polarities of existence, of Shiva and a devotion to humanity.

It is observed by reciting poems related to Shiva, chanting prayers, remembering Shiva, fasting, doing Yoga and meditating on ethics and virtues such as self-control, honesty, non-injury to others, forgiveness, introspection, self-repentance and the discovery of Shiva. Ardent devotees stay up all night. Others visit one of the Shiva temples or go on pilgrimage to the shrines of Jyotirlingam.

Some communities organize special dance events, to mark Shiva as the lord of dance, with individual and group performances. According to Jones and Ryan, Maha Sivaratri is an ancient Hindu festival that probably originated around the 5th century. Another important festival involving Shiva worship is Kartik Purnima, which commemorates Shiva’s victory over the demons of Tripurasura. Throughout India, several Shiva temples are illuminated throughout the night. Shiva icons are carried in procession in some places.

Festivals

Regional festivals dedicated to Shiva include: the Chittirai festival in Madurai around April/May, one of the largest festivals in South India, which celebrates the marriage of Minakshi (Parvati) and Shiva. The festival is one where the Vaishnava and Shaiva communities join in the celebrations, because Vishnu gives away his sister Minakshi in marriage to Shiva. Some festivals related to Shaktism worship Shiva along with the goddess considered primary and supreme.

In Himalayan regions such as Nepal, as well as in northern, central and western India, the festival of Teej is celebrated by girls and women in the monsoon season, in honor of the goddess Parvati, with singing, group dances and offering prayers in Parvati-Shiva temples. Ascetic, Vedic and tantric sub-traditions related to Shiva, such as those who became ascetic warriors during the period of Islamic rule in India, celebrate the festival of Kumbha Mela, which is held every 12 years, at four pilgrimage sites within India, and the event is moved to the next site after an interval of three years.

The largest is at Prayaga (renamed Allahabad during the era of Mughal rule), where millions of Hindus from different traditions gather at the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. In the Hindu tradition, ascetic warriors linked to Shiva (Nagas) have the honor of starting the event by first entering the sangam to bathe and pray.

Beyond the Indian subcontinent and Hinduism

In Indonesian Shaivism, the popular name for Shiva God-destroyer has been Batara Guru, which derives from the Sanskrit Bhattaraka, meaning “noble lord”. He is considered a gentle spiritual master, the first of all gurus in Indonesian Hindu texts, reflecting the Dakshinamurti aspect of Shiva in the Indian subcontinent. However, the Batara Guru has more aspects than that of the Indian Shiva, as the Indonesian Hindus blended their spirits and heroes with him.

The wife of Guru Batara in Southeast Asia is the same Hindu deity Durga, who has been popular since ancient times, and she too has a complex character with benevolent and fierce manifestations, each visualized by different names such as Uma, Sri, Kali and others. Shiva has been called Sadasiva, Paramasiva, Mahadeva in benevolent forms, and Kala, Bhairava, Mahakala in her fierce forms.

The Indonesian Hindu texts present the same philosophical diversity as the Shaivist traditions found in the subcontinent. However, among the texts that have survived into the contemporary era, the most common are those of Shaiva Siddhanta(locally also called Siwa Siddhanta, Sridanta). In the pre-Islamic period on the island of Java, Shaivism and Buddhism were considered very close and allied, though not identical, religions.

Indonesian literature of the medieval period equates Buddha with Siwa (Shiva) and Janardana (Vishnu). This tradition continues in the predominantly Hindu Indonesia of Bali in the modern era, where Buddha is considered the younger brother of Shiva the destroyer God, who has a long literary history.