Who is shiva. See what "Shiva" is in other dictionaries. most famous temple

*) Yajna (yagya, yagna) - sacrifice. (compare with "lamb" - a sacrificial animal)

*) Prajapati, "the lord of the creature", the ancestor of people

(This legend outlines the events of four comics - this one, the comics "Shiva and Parvati", "Ganesha" and "Kartikeya")

Once Brahma and Vishnu argued which of them was born first. To reveal the truth, Shiva shot up before them in the form of a fiery pillar of impeccable straightness. He sparkled in the midst of the fiery wreaths put on him, and it was impossible to understand where his middle was, where his beginning was, and where his end was. Brahma Vishnu said: Let me go up and you go down. The one who finds the edge. will be considered firstborn. Brahma became a snow-white goose, swift as thought, swift as the wind. He flew upward for a thousand years, but did not reach the upper edge of the pillar of fire. Vishnu turned into a huge boar and dug the ground with his fangs for a thousand years, but did not get to the bottom of the pillar. Returning to the place from which they left, they recognized Shiva as the greatest of the gods. Since then, Shiva has been worshiped in all three worlds, since then, together with his wife Devi, surprising the world with strength, he has been dancing on the body of the sky god Apasmara, who has been defeated by him. At the sight of this dance, no one can resist falling in love. It is said that Shiva, with his help, seduced 10,000 hermits who retired to forests and caves so as not to see women. True, at first the hermits tried to oppose Shiva and the feeling that he embodies. They kindled a sacrificial fire, created a ferocious tiger out of it and set it on Shiva. But he strangled the beast and, tearing off the skin from it with the nail of his little finger, began to wear it as a cape. Then the ascetics created a giant antelope and a snake, which they sent against Shiva. But God put the snake around his neck like a necklace, and held the antelope forever in his hand. Then a monster came out against him in the form of a dwarf with a club in his hand. Shiva pressed the dwarf with his feet to the ground, broke his spine and began to dance on his back. Suppressed by his power and beauty, the hermits humbled themselves, realizing that no one could resist Shiva.

And, of course, not a single woman, even the most virtuous, is able to resist the spell of the god of love and fertility. It was said that the ancestor of the people Daksha had a daughter, Sati, whom he loved more life. She was pure and virtuous, therefore, inviting the gods to choose her husband, and her son-in-law, did not invite Daksha Shiva, for he knew about his obscene behavior. But Sati secretly revered Shiva and dreamed of uniting with him. During the bride, Sati had to give the wedding wreath to the one she wanted to have as a spouse. But instead, Sati threw a wreath up, and he fell on a fiery pillar of impeccable straightness, in which everyone recognized Shiva. Daksha had to give Shiva a daughter, but he could not come to terms with this. Once in the palace of Brahma, where Shiva was given a solemn reception, Daksha did not get up when his son-in-law appeared, but cursed him and said that he would not make sacrifices to him. No, it was not an empty threat. Some time later, arranging a great horse sacrifice in his house, Daksha invited all the gods except Shiva. Having stabbed the horse, they began to distribute pieces of bloody meat to the gods. Seeing this, Sati was indignant, demanding that her husband be left with his share. When this was not done, she threw herself into the fire. Shiva, on the other hand, created a formidable monster out of himself, which he ordered to destroy the sacrifice of Daksha. Having taken the form of hundreds and thousands of sky gods, the monster attacked the sacrificial gifts in Daksha's house and scattered them. Moreover, the gods themselves, who took part in the sacred rite, also got it. Daksha's head was cut off and thrown into the fire. Then, calming down. Shiva decided to revive the gods killed by the monster. But he could not find Daksha's head and planted a goat's head on his father-in-law's body. After the death of Sati Shiva plunged into deep sorrow. He retired to impregnable mountains, to the kingdom eternal winter not wanting to see anything or anyone. Black-haired, in an animal skin on a naked body, with a black bow and arrows, he wandered alone through snow covered mountains. Only Snow leopards and shaggy yaks sometimes stumbled upon his tracks. Lying down on their belly, they licked them like salt, like a particle of their master. But insatiable female love still found Shiva in the mountains. In her second life, Sati became Uma, the daughter of the mountain prince Himavanta. Believing that he will be able to conquer the heart of Shiva with severe repentance. Uma went to the wilderness. Throwing off her human clothes there, she clothed her delicate body in tree bark. For a hundred years she ate fallen leaves, forgetting the taste of human food. Three times a day she bathed in the icy Bodr mountain rivers, and the gods more than once managed to look at the charms of the one who was called the bride of Shiva. But he himself, immersed in contemplation, knew nothing of its existence.

Meanwhile, the insidious demon Taraka appeared on earth, so powerful that all the gods could not control him. Only Shiva could give birth to a son who was stronger than Taraki. And the gods decided to awaken Shiva to life. They sent to him their messenger Kama, the god of lust and love passion, who knew how to take on various images and change them. Kama took with him his girlfriend Rati (Passion) and assistant Vasanta (Spring). As soon as they touched the mountains with their tender feet, glaciers flowed, overflowing mountain rivers, snow melted on the mountain slopes, flowers bloomed. The chirping of birds filled the valleys. Everything came to life. One Shiva did not budge. He sat sullenly, immersed in his own thoughts. Fearing the wrath of Shiva, Kama hesitated for a long time to carry out the order of the gods. Finally, yielding to their entreaties, he arrived at Shiva's retreat and found him sitting among the trees, surrounded by sweetly buzzing bees. Penetrating into the brain of Shiva through the ears. Kama banished the image of Sati. Realizing this, Shiva shuddered and began to revive the disappeared image with the power of memory. Realizing that someone was preventing him, he shook his head, hitting it against the tree trunks, and drove out Kama. And again, Shiva's features calmed down, his three eyes closed, his lips formed into a blissful smile. His Sati returned to him in the form of a beautiful shadow. Kama did not calm down. With the help of Vasanta, he created an arrow from fragrant flowers and, pulling a string of interlocked bees, sent it to Shiva's heart. In pain, Shiva opened his third eye, and sparks rained down from it, instantly turning Kama into a handful of ashes. Since then, Kama has been called Anang (Incorporeal).

Waking up, I saw Shiva Uma bathing in a mountain stream, in foam, among stones. Realizing that this is a semblance of Sati, he sent seven wise men to her father as matchmakers. - Himavat! - they turned to him. - Will you give your daughter to Shiva as a wife? - I'll give it! - the father exclaimed jubilantly, and his voice became heard in the mountains, drowning out the roar of mountain rivers. "Yes-a-m," the echo answered, filling the hearts of Shiva and Uma with joy. Returning to her parents' house, Uma threw off her bark, put on a woman's attire, smeared herself with incense, the smell of which she had forgotten over a century of life in the mountains, and sank onto a soft bed. The night before the wedding seemed to the girl longer than a thousand years. Finally, there was a roar of a bull and the clatter of feet. Shiva descended from the mountains on the back of the mighty bull Nandin, accompanied by the celestials, circling in a frenzied dance. They rejoiced that Kama brought the great god back to life. After performing the wedding ceremony, which was led by Brahma himself, Shiva seated Uma next to him on the back of a mighty bull and rushed, as if on wings, to Mount Mandara, which provided the lovers with meadows and grottoes for marriage pleasures. And, like every woman, Um began to dream of her first child, but in a strange way he was not there. To console herself, Uma made a doll in the form of a man with the head of an elephant from fragrant oils, fragrant powder, sweat that covered her body. But soon she got tired of her, and Uma threw her into the Ganges. On the fly, the doll grew, and Shiva took her for a son born to Uma. He gave him life and made him the god of success, the patron of elephants, poets and merchants, the head of the dwarfs and spirits that made up the retinue of the Lord. His name is Ganesha. It was he who subsequently wrote down the Mahabharata dictated by the sage on palm leaves. To do this, he had to use his tusk as a writing stick. They began to portray Ganesha with one tusk. Shiva was a formidable warrior, an implacable enemy of the gods. The demon Taraka was considered more dangerous than others, for only the son of Shiva could defeat him. Taraka was destroyed by the six-year-old son of Shiva from his third wife Parvati. He burned it like a dry stalk of grass, turned it into ashes, and then, with the consent of Brahma, built Tripura - three cities that could be destroyed with only one arrow. One of these cities, iron, was on earth, and the other two, gold and silver, were in heaven. Mighty demons settled in these cities, declaring war on the gods. Striking the gods in heaven and on earth, they themselves were invulnerable, since all the gods taken together did not have the strength to release an arrow that could pierce three cities at once. Shiva alone also did not have enough strength for this. But, when the gods gave him their power, he put a destructive arrow on the bow and released it. The sky turned blood red. as if molten gold and purple were mixed in a huge crucible. The sparkle of the arrow merged with the radiance of the sun. The arrow pierced the three fortresses one after the other like stacks of straw. The gods rejoiced at the victory over the demons, and, holding hands, danced along with Shiva and his retinue.

In this article you will learn:

Lord Shiva is one of supreme gods in Hinduism, translated means "bringing happiness." Shiva, together with the gods Brahma and Vishnu, forms the trimurti - the sacred, divine triangle. The many-armed god is the personification of time and at the same time destruction, fertility. Shiva is a deity who symbolizes the inconsistency of the world. His goal is to destroy the world and other gods in order to renew and create something new.

The legend of the birth of the god Shiva

Let's talk a few interesting stories about the birth of Shiva. Each of them is different from each other.

The first story of Lord Shiva says that he was born in response to the prayers of Brahma for a son. Prayers were answered, a deity with skin was born blue color. The child ran around Brahma crying and asking for a name. Brahma named the child Rudra, but the boy did not stop, the father was forced to give the boy 10 more names. There were 11 names and 11 incarnations in total.

Another legend says that the many-armed Shiva (Rudra) - the result of the anger and anger of Brahma - appeared from his eyebrows. This was the reason why the most negative energy of all the energies of Hinduism has become the nature of the newborn deity.

Another legend tells that Brahma is the son of Vishnu. Brahma had 4 sons who did not want their own offspring. The god was angry, a blue-skinned child appeared from his eyebrows. He was given a name - Rudra and 10 more names and lives, Shiva - one of the names.

The last legend says that Vishnu is the father of Brahma. At the time of the birth of Brahma, there were demons nearby who wanted to destroy the god. Because of this, Lord Shiva appeared at Vishnu in the place where the eyebrows converged with a trident in his hands and protected Brahma.

Symbolism and attributes of God in Buddhism

Like other Indian deities, the many-armed deity has symbols, attributes of Shiva, reflecting the facets of his nature. Attributes include:

• body - showered with ashes, expresses the beginning of the Universe, which is wider than the boundaries of existence;
• braided hair - interweaving of various energies;
• the moon in the hair - personifies the power of control over the mind and understanding;
• 3 eyes - moon and sun, fire;
• half-closed eyes - the infinity of life processes; open eyes - the birth of life, closed - the destruction of the old life;
• snakes on the neck and shoulders - the personification of the current time, the past and the future;
• Ganges in the hair - symbolizes the removal and cleansing of sins;
• right hand - conquers evil, gives strength and blessing;
• the bull is a faithful companion of the destroyer of desires, a means of movement;
• tiger skin clothes - a victory over shortcomings and obscene desires;
• the drum also refers to the attributes of Shiva, personifies physical and out-of-body existence;
• a halo around the body - personifies the Universe;
• phallus - lingam, masculinity and fertility;
• the weapon of the deity is a trident, symbolizing 3 facets: the destroyer of desires, the keeper and the creator.

The most common symbol of India is the dancing Shiva. The dance is called tandava. Each element of the image or figurine, each movement is imbued with a non-random meaning. The main meaning is the destruction of the universe. The image is dynamic, mobile, some gestures are woven into an ornament.

Such dynamics means the eternal flow of time, constant changes, the alternation of the processes of creation and destruction.

The Story of Shiva's Consorts

The first wife of Shiva is Sati, the daughter of the god Daksha. Daksha himself did not love Shiva, did not recognize him as a god and did not want such a marriage and husband for his daughter. But at the celebration of choosing the future spouse, Sati herself chose the many-armed god. The father had to accept, but the feelings for Rudra did not change. On one of the holidays, Lord Shiva did not honor Daksha, for which the latter decided to take revenge.

Daksha arranged a sacrifice on Mount Himavat for all the gods except Shiva. A beautiful horse was sacrificed. Frustrated, Sati demanded a piece of sacrificial meat from her father and for Shiva, but Daksha refused. Unable to bear the humiliation, Sati threw herself into the sacrificial fire and burned to death.

Shiva became very angry, created the monster Virabhadra, which destroyed Daksha by cutting off his head. For a long time, Rudra mourned the death of his wife on Mount Kailash, did not pay attention to the world, women and the prayers of worshipers for hundreds of years.

During this time, Sati was reborn on earth in the form of Parvati. Sati's love was also transferred to Parvati, the girl decided to win the stern god by repentance. She went to the mountain, changed expensive clothes, fasted, ate only leaves, but Shiva remained adamant.

The other gods decided to intervene, and a war broke out between the demons and the gods. Only the unborn son of Rudra could defeat the leader of the asuras. The god of love Kama was sent to Shiva for suggestion new love, but it didn’t work out either: Shiva’s thoughts were only about Sati.

Parvati repented again. The goddess exhausted the body and soul long years. One day she met a young brahmin who wondered why to exhaust himself so much. To the arguments and persuasions of the Brahmin, Parvati gave one answer: no one in the world is needed except Shiva.

The young priest was transformed: an image of Shiva appeared in front of Parvati, and then the god himself. He was touched by such love and worship, he took Parvati as his wife. The wedding was magnificent, the gods were present at the celebration. After wedding night the newlyweds had a son Skanda - the god of war with extraordinary power.

The meaning and symbolism of Shiva in Hinduism

The religion of Hinduism is replete with symbols that embody philosophical currents and teachings, gods and goddesses. It is customary to divide symbols into 2 categories: mudra - gestures and postures, murti - images and images.

Nataraja is the famous image and symbol of Shiva.

Lord Shiva is the king of dancers, the lord of dance. The deity dances in the center of the universe, which personifies the human heart.

Often Rudra is symbolically shown in the form of a lingam, an upright cylinder with a rounded top. Lingam means merging, dissolving. Shiva from the east is a deity who brings blessings to all beings for merging.

Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva

As you know, there are a lot of deities in India, but one of the most famous is the god Shiva. It is he who has a place of honor in the so-called supreme trinity - Vishnu-Shiva-Brahma. He is the patron saint of pets and performs other interesting functions.

Along with Vaishnavism, Shaivism occupies a worthy place among the revered religions in India. This is most pronounced in the south of the country. The earliest depiction of the god dates back to the 2nd-1st century. BC e. It is his stone statue in the Gudimallam temple (in the north of Madras) that is the oldest. Shiva is sculpted against the background of a lingam (a phallic symbol of divine power) as if intertwined with him into a single whole. The height of such a sculpture is 1.52 m. He is depicted as strong, confident, as well as cheerful and as if ready for action. God stands on the shoulders of Yaksha - a terrible creature with a large mouth, bulging eyes and a powerful body. Yaksha personifies natural forces, and Shiva himself is the highest symbol of all the creative creative forces of the Universe.

This is probably the most extraordinary god of all, in which asceticism and sensuality are intertwined in all its variety of manifestations. He is the force that can create and destroy, as well as give mercy or show cruelty. The image of Shiva - the ruler of the universe, creating worlds through dance - is attractive and beautiful. It is not surprising that it was the dancing Shiva - Shiva Natarja - who became the most beloved image of Indian architects. Philosophy, religion and art are combined in its appearance.

In the 10-11th century, Nataraja appears most often among the images of the deity. According to legend, it was Shiva, through his beloved disciple Shiva Tanda, who transferred the art of theater to the sage Bharat. Tamil Shaivist literature ascribes 5 directions of universal activity to God:

• Shishti is creation.
• Sthiti - protection.
• Samhara is destruction.
• Tirobhava - veiling in Maya (illusions).
• Anugraha - liberation.

Shiva was also depicted in bronze. These statues have been found in southern Ceylon and India. Their dating refers to the 10th-12th century. AD It was these images that made the Indian metal culture famous.

Nataraja is an aspect of movement, rotation of the world. The sculptural display usually depicts one of the ecstatic dance poses - Ananda-tandva. There are also other positions, most of which can be found on the gate towers of the Shiva Temple at Chidambaram. The pose reflects the raised left leg, 2 pairs of arms and the body, intertwined in a complex rhythmic interaction. The image is considered canonical and has been reflected in art for about a thousand years. It is this image that is imprinted on almost all the figurines of the god that can be found in esoteric stores.

Dancing Shiva

The dance reflects the eternal movement of our Universe:

1. Strands of hair fluttering in motion - the energy of the deity.
2. Under Shiva's foot is a dwarf resembling a child - the forces of evil, Maya, ignorance.
3. There is a flaming halo of Tiruvazi - material universal forces.
4. The right hand of the god is occupied by a small damaru drum - it symbolizes the awakening of the Universe to a new life through sound vibration.
5. The second hand is bent in the abhaya mudra gesture - it symbolizes approval, blessing.
6. The left hand is in contact with Tiruvazi, and the flame of Agni is in it - it symbolizes the purification and renewal of the world.
7. Second left hand is located across the chest in the pose of Gaja-Hasta - it indicates a trampled demon, or it is also defined as a gesture of strength and power.
8. Shiva's earrings also have their own meaning. The elongated Makara Kundala in the right ear refers to the male part of Shiva. In the left - a simple round - female. This symbolizes that the gods have the nature of 2 principles. In other words, they are bisexual.
9. In the hairstyle of the deity on the right is placed the maiden of the waters with the tail of a fish - a symbol of the Ganges.
10. On the left there is a crescent moon and cobra Vasuki - the personification of the divine principle of Shiva.
11. The second cobra is entwined around the waist - a symbol of world energy.
12. The sun and the moon are 2 eyes of Shiva, and the third (in the forehead) - Fire - the well-known third eye of Shiva.
13. At the base of the hairstyle, the skull also has its own meaning. This is the dispersion of the world at the end of the development of the universe.

The image of God turns out to be very strong in every sense - both artistic and philosophical.

Ardhanareshvara - the synthesis of the male and female energies of the universe

In the north-west of the country, among the Rajputs, the cult of Shiva is one of the most beloved. And it is rarely called that here. Usually referred to as Mahadeva or the Great God. The most favorite image is ascetic, meditating on Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. In addition, various incarnations of Shiva are respected and revered: Bhairava (Bheru) and Ekaling. The first is depicted as a man on a lotus. As an ornament, he has a garland of snakes around his neck, his hair is tangled, there are 4 arms. They contain a damaru (a cup made from a human skull, from which the blood of defeated enemies is drunk), a trident and a sword. There is also Ekaling - a symbol in the form of a phallus, which has 8 faces around the circumference. In addition, in the temples of Shiva they worship Lingam-yoni - a symbol of the unity of the feminine and masculine principles, which is an indispensable attribute of this place.

Shiva worship rituals

Na - associated with the face of Shiva, facing the east. Celebrates the creation of the world. Symbol green color. But, as you know, the Indian god Shiva is also determined by destruction, which is described further.

Ma - the face of God is turned to the south. Manifested as keeping the peace. Color - red.

Shi - facing west. With this face, the god destroys the world and manifests as Rudra. Dark-blue colour.

Wa is the north. Associates with Ishvara, the fulfiller of desires. Air emerged from this face. White color.

Ya - Shiva looks up, showing the mercy of the universe - Mukti. Space emerged from this image. Yellow color.

Audio recording: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or higher) is required to play this audio. Download latest version. Also, JavaScript must be enabled in your browser.

1. Rudra Sukta - read during the Linga Abhishek, related to the home service to Shiva. In addition, it is recognized as an independent philosophical text.

This is a Vedic hymn dedicated to Rudra, one of the incarnations of Shiva. It is in it that all the manifestations and images of God are described, how he should be addressed and worshipped. The hymn describes Shiva as the root cause of all phenomena and the universe itself. He is at the same time the highest and the lowest, the beginning and the end (according to the Christian analogy, “I am alpha and omega”). Everything that has developed in the Upanishads, Puranas and Agamas is based on this hymn. The most famous mantras - "nama shivaya", "om namo bhagavad rudra", "triambakam" - are first found in the philosophical and religious work Rudra-sukta.

The authority of the Rudra Sukta is so great that this text is read in all directions of Shaivism, and there are quite a lot of them. It is significant that even schools that do not recognize the Vedas as a source of knowledge still resort to reading this hymn. He plays the key and most important role in all directions of Shiva worship.

Many peoples believe that Shiva is the creator of the sacred sound "om".

According to folk beliefs It is believed that Shiva loves to indulge in smoking marijuana. That is why many ascetics from Shaivism, revered as saints in India, prefer to do the same, believing that in this way they are transformed into a higher deity. Also, sadhu-ascetics celebrate Maha-Shivaratri, or the Great Night of Shiva, by smoking herbs. Although such smoking has not been proven, it is very doubtful and looks more like an excuse for one's weakness than following the habits of a god.

Shiva and Parvati

Feast of the Great Night of Shiva

As you know, Shiva - the god of India - is the most revered, and the main holiday in his honor is the Great Night of Shiva. It is celebrated on the night of February 20th to 21st. According to tradition, the festival marks the wedding night of Shiva and Parvati. This is a very unusual and favorable time for the fulfillment of all desires.

The holiday is bright and colorful. The gods are treated as if they were alive and yet worshiped.

Drawing conclusions

The ambiguous figure of a great deity, which is worshiped not only in India, is presented as a manifestation of creation and destruction, beginning and end. The universe, created in the dance of Shiva, develops by his grace and in accordance with his laws.

1. Three of the largest Indian gods - Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu


2. Shiva family - Sati-Parvati, Kartikeya, Ganesha




3. Philosophical quotes from the series God of Gods Mahadev

Shiva family - Sati and Parvati, Kartikeya (Skandu), Ganesha (Ganapati)

The image of the whole family together is called Shiva Parivar.
Shiva family - from left to right - Ganesha, Shiva, Parvati, Kartikeya
below - a means of transportation: a rat - at Ganesh, Bull Nandi - at Shiva, Peacock - at Kartikey

Shiva's wife is the Goddess Shakti, her earthly incarnations are Sati and Parvati.
Sati is the daughter of Daksha and the wife of Shiva, described in the Puranic literature of Hinduism.
According to legend, after Daksha insulted Shiva by refusing to invite him to the great sacrifice (yajna), Shiva's first wife, Sati (the first incarnation of Shakti), renounced her father, incinerating her body with a yogic flame (according to another version of the myth, she ascended the sacrificial the fire of Daksha's yagna). This event is covered in detail in the Indian TV series God of Gods Mahadev (Shiva), Part 1

Lord Shiva became very angry when he heard the news of Sati's sacrifice. Carrying Sati's body, Shiva performed the Rudra Tandava or dance of destruction and destroyed Daksha's kingdom. Everyone was scared because Tandava Shiva had the power to destroy the entire universe. To calm God Shiva, Vishnu, using his Sudarshana Chakra, severed Sati's body into 51 parts and threw them to the ground. It is said that wherever parts of Shakti's body fell, Shakti Peethas appeared there, including Kamarupa Kamakhya in Assam and Vindhyavasani in Uttar Pradesh.
Lord Shiva, now alone, took strict penance and retired to the Himalayas.

Some time later, Sati was reborn as Parvati (the second incarnation of Shakti) in the family of the God of the Himalayas. This story begins in the second part of the Indian series God of Gods Mahadev (Shiva), Part 2

Seeking Shiva's love, Parvati settled next to him on Mount Kailash, but Shiva at that time indulged in asceticism and rejected her. Then the gods, who wanted Shiva to have a son capable of defeating the demon Taraka, sent the god of love Kama to arouse love for Parvati in Shiva's heart. Enraged, Shiva burned Kama with the fire of his third eye, but later revived him. Then Parvati decided to indulge herself in asceticism for the sake of Shiva. Upon learning of this, Shiva decided to test her, and, having come to her in the form of a Brahmin, began to blaspheme and scold himself. Parvati rejected all slanders and Shiva, touched by her devotion and beauty, took her as his wife. From this marriage, the god of war Skanda (Kartikeya) and the god of wisdom Ganesha were born.

Sons of Shiva and Parvati -

god of War Skanda (Kartikeya) And

god of learning Ganesha.

The image of the whole family together is called Shiva Parivar - they are usually depicted with four arms, with basic attributes and wahans; the trinity of Shiva-Parvati-Ganesha can symbolize in Indian folk belief the ideal type of the divine family. There are also several mentions in the Upa Puranas of the daughter of Shiva - Manasi.
Ganga (Parvati's sister) is also sometimes referred to as Shiva's consort.

Shiva is one of the three main deities of Hinduism - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. All three gods are a manifestation of a single divine essence, but a certain “field of activity” is assigned to each. So, Brahma is the creator of the world, Vishnu is its keeper, Shiva is its destroyer, but he also recreates it anew. The worship of Shiva arose in the days of the Dravidians - the indigenous people ancient india, in whom Shiva headed the main pantheon of gods, was the demiurge, the ruler of the world, and also an example of a yogi who achieved spiritual self-realization.

Shiva is revered mainly as a destroyer god. It destroys the illusions that chain people to the Changeable phenomena of life. In the image of this god, opposite properties often merge: the formidable, furious Bhairava, and the merciful, forgiving Shankar. Shiva is both a terrible enemy of demons and an ascetic ascetic, constantly indulging in contemplation. In a poem dedicated to Shiva, it is said about him:

"Mighty bull, club with the sign of a dead head,
axe, tiger skin, ashes, snakes
And the skull is... your main asset...
May your appearance, as well as your name, be ominous,
And yet, giver of gifts, for those who turn their thoughts to you,
in you is the guarantee of the highest grace.

Trishula (trident) right hand Shiva symbolizes the three gunas - sattva, rajas and tamas. Through these three gunas, Shiva governs the world. Damara (sacred drum), which is attached to the trident, symbolizes the syllable "om" from which all languages ​​are composed. From the sounds of damaru, Shiva created Sanskrit. The flow of the Ganges in Shiva's hair symbolizes the nectar of immortality, the crescent in the hair means that Shiva completely controls His mind. The tiger skin mat on which Shiva usually sits indicates conquered lust.

Shiva's body white color- a symbol of spiritual purity. In the middle of His forehead is the third eye, the eye of wisdom that can see through space and time. On Shiva's forehead there are three stripes of bhasma - a symbol of the fact that Shiva destroyed three pollutions: anava (selfishness), karma (the consequences of past actions) and maya (illusion), as well as three desires to possess - earth, woman and gold.

The snake on Shiva's body is the jiva (personal soul) that rests on Shiva. The five hoods represent the five senses or five tattvas, namely earth, water, fire, air and ether. The personal soul enjoys the objects existing in the world through these five tattvas. When the jiva (personal soul) attains knowledge through control of the senses and the mind, it finds its eternal safe haven in Shiva, the Supreme Soul.

The usual residence of Shiva is the mountain peak Kailash in the Himalayas, where He indulges in immersion in Himself. There Shiva is the embodiment of severity, renunciation and detachment from the world. The third eye in the middle of His forehead indicates His penetration into all the mysteries of the world. His palm of blessing turned towards the audience indicates that He frees the jivas (personal souls), burning all the fetters leading to enlightenment.

In the cult of Shiva, his creative principle comes to the fore - the statues of the lingam in temples and home altars symbolize the life-giving potency of Shiva. In India they say: Shiva without Parvati (female energy) is Nirguna Himself (devoid of qualities) Brahman (God). For the sake of the pious devotees, with the help of Parvati, He becomes Saguna Brahman (possessing qualities). Therefore, the manifested, residing in the world Shiva is always accompanied by female energy. The Shiva Lingam is always erect. The veneration of Shiva's lingam constitutes his phallic cult - Abhishek and Shiva-puja.

Sati (Skt. सती also Dakshayani)- the daughter of Daksha and the wife of the god Shiva, described in the Puranic literature of Hinduism.

In the old days, the main progenitor of mankind, Daksha, arranged a great sacrifice. He invited all the demigods and great sages to the ceremony except Shiva. Daksha considered his presence inappropriate, since Shiva is responsible for the element of ignorance, and his actions and appearance contrary to the accepted norms of a civilized society. However, on the part of the progenitor, this was a great offense to the devotee of the Lord, since Shiva is very aloof and unaffected by the influence of ignorance. Unfortunately, Daksha did not realize this, unlike his daughter Sati, Shiva's wife.

DHRITI Devi Dasi
Lord Shiva admonishes his wife Sati.

Sati saw the others heading for the sacrifice and said to her husband, “My dear Lord Shiva, if you like, let us go to the ceremony. My sisters and their husbands have already gone to visit their father to see their relatives. I can't wait to go there with you in the jewelry my father gave me. I will not be able to sit at home, knowing about the holiday. I may not have been invited, but can't I come to my own father's house? Please fulfill this desire of mine.”

Lord Shiva replied, “My dear wife, you are undoubtedly the most beloved of his daughters, but still you will not be respected there because you are my wife. Moreover, you may even regret the connection with me. It's better for you to stay at home, because Daksha and his friends are prejudiced against me. He insulted me with sharp words for no reason.”

Not heeding her husband's warnings, Sati went to a great sacrifice in her father's house. She was accompanied by Shiva's disciples - spirits and demons. Mother and sisters joyfully greeted Sati, and Daksh's father scolded her. Seeing that the brahmins did not offer Shiva their due share, Sati exploded with anger and blurted out to her father: “Everyone loves Lord Shiva very much, he has no equal, and he treats everyone equally well. Only you treat him with hostility, although he does not respond to you in the same way. O father, this is a great insult to Shiva, whose name alone cleanses from sins. Because of this, it disgusts me to remain in this worthless body that I received from you.

Then Sati sat on the ground, entered into yogic meditation and concentrated on the fire and the feet of her husband. Then her body flared up and burned to ashes.

RAMADASA-ABHIRAMA Das
Self-immolation of the goddess Sati. 1982

The word "sati" in India has become a household word: this is the name of women who burn themselves alive on the funeral pyre of their husband during the sati ritual of the same name.

Parvati (Skt. पार्वती, pārvatī? "mountainous") in Hinduism - one of the names of the wife of the god Shiva. It is a good form of Devi, shakti (that is, the female creative energy) of Shiva. Another name for auspicious form is Gauri. In its cruel form, Devi bears the names Kali, Shyama, Chanda, Durga.

Durga Parvati

It was believed that the first wife of Shiva, Sati, was reborn in her image. Parvati was the daughter of the king of the mountains Himavat and the heavenly maiden Menaki Parvati ("daughter of the mountains"), in Hindu mythology, one of the names of the wife of the god Shiva. She is the daughter of the king of the mountains Himavat and the celestial maiden Menaki, she is the mother of the elephant-like god Ganesha, whom she created from her sweat.

According to the prediction, Parvati should give birth from Shiva to the god - the winner of the evil demon Taraki. However, Shiva, who indulged in severe asceticism, did not pay attention to Parvati's devotional service to him and to her suffering because of unrequited love. The problem was that after the self-immolation, Sati Shiva did not look at other women. Sati has long been reborn in the form of Uma-Parvati. But Shiva did not know this, and all attempts by Uma to awaken his love were in vain.

The gods, fearing that Taraka would never be defeated, sent the god of love Kama to Shiva. He was supposed to awaken in the formidable god a feeling of love for Parvati. Then Kama shot his crafty arrow at the great god while he was sleeping. But the third eye of Shiva, always awake, incinerated Kama. Since then, the god of love has no bodily form. But Shiva, seeing the approach of Kama, incinerated him with his gaze. Not having achieved reciprocity, Parvati herself began to indulge in asceticism. One day a brahmin approached her and began to blaspheme Shiva. Angered, Parvati attacked the Brahman, fervently defending her beloved god. However, Shiva himself was the Brahmin, who decided to test her devotion - Shiva married Parvati and the winner of Taraki Skanda and Ganesha were born from this marriage.