All that has a beginning by necessity must have an end.

In destruction, truly nothing is destroyed but the

illusion of individuality. Thus the power of destruction associated with Lord Shiva has great purifying power,
both on a more personal level when problems make us see reality more clearly, as on a more universal level.
Destruction opens the path for a new creation of the universe, a new opportunity for the beauty and drama of
universal illusion to unfold. As Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram or Truth, Goodness and Beauty, Shiva represents
the most essential goodness.

While of course many hindu deities are associated with different paths of yoga and meditation, in Shiva the art
of meditation takes its most absolute form. In meditation, not only mind is stopped, everything is dropped. In
deep meditation or samadhi, even the object of the meditation (like a mantra) is transformed into its formless
essence, which is the essence of everything and everyone. Thus Shiva stands for letting go of everything in the
world of forms. The path of Lord Shiva is the path of the ascetic yogi.

Forms of Shiva

Shiva has many forms, which are

visible in his Panchavaktra form with 5
heads, a combination of all Shiva
energies : Aghora (resides in the
creamation grounds), Ishana (most
often appears as the shivalingam), Tat
Purusha (meditating), Varna Deva (the
eternal Shiva) and Saddyojat or
Braddha Rudra (the old wrathful form
The last also forms the connection to
the Rudraksha mala - a rosary made of
the dried fruits of the Rudraksha tree.

Another form is the Nataraj. Shiva

Nataraj's dance represents both the
destruction and the creation of the
universe and reveals the cycles of
death, birth and rebirth. His Dance of
Bliss is for the welfare of the world. In
the pose of Nataraj, the King of Dance
is giving darshan to his beloved
devotees within the "Hall of
Consciousness", which is the heart of
man. Under his feet, Shiva crushes the
demon of ignorance called Apasmara
Purusha, caused by forgetfulness. One
hand is stretched across his chest and
points towards the uplifted foot,
indicating the release from earthly
bondage of the devotee. The fire represents the final destruction of creation, but the dance of the Nataraj is also
an act of creation, which arouses dormant energies and scatters the ashes of the universe in a pattern that will b
the design of the ensuing creation.

Yet another manifestation of Lord Shiva is said to be Hanuman, the ultimate karma yogi, in never-ending
selfless service to Ram. The fact that this is not really clear can be perfectly explained by the understanding th
 a true karma yogi will never take the credit for his acts, as the
would otherwise not be entirely selfless. The ego would still
get the credit. So, in order to respect Shiva as a true karma
yogi, let us not pay too much attention to this manifestation.

The Mahamrityunyaya form of Shiva is the great conqueror o

death. The Mahamrityunjaya mantra is one of the two main
mantras of the Vedas, next to the Gayatri mantra. It is chanted
to remove death and disease. This form of Shiva also is the
being of pure joy, referring to the unconditioned enjoyment of
the perfectly peaceful mind. That is the true nature of the
divine elixir that this Shiva offers his devotees in no less than
four hands.

Another main form of Shiva is Ardhnarishwara, half Shiva,

half Shakti. Also related to Shiva is Indra.

Attributes of Lord Shiva

Shiva's main attributes are :

• the trident that represents the three gunas

• the snakes that show he is beyond the power of death
and poison and also stand for the Kundalini energy.
• the sound of Shiva's two-sided drum maintains the
rhythm of the heartbeat and creates the sound AUM in
the overtones.
• the vehicle of Shiva is the white bull called Nandi (the
joyful).
• Shiva is often seated on a tiger skin or wears a tiger
skin, with the tiger representing the mind.
• Shiva lives on Mount Kailasa in the Himalayas.

Relationships

The power or energy of Shiva is Shakti, his spouse, of which Parvati is probably the most popular form. Shiva
first wife was Sati and his second wife was Parvati. They are also known by many other names, such as Uma,
Gauri, Durga, Kali, Annapurna and Shakti. His sons are Ganesha and Kartikeya.

Shiva and Parvati are often shown as sitting in happy, intimate embrace. They also like to discuss philosophy.
Shiva taught Parvati on Vedanta (transcendent knowledge), while Parvati tought him Sankhya (cosmological
knowledge). Both were perfected yogis.

After their marriage, they left for mount Kailash and immersed themselves completely in a sexual intercourse
so strong that the deity of desire Kama was reborn when their sweat mingles with his ashes. Their love was so
intense that it shook the cosmos and frightened even the gods.

The balance between male and female can also be obtained in marriage, when both partners complement each
other to form an ultimate oneness, which is the source of creation. When Shiva does his destructive Tandava
dance, Parvati is said to complement him with a slow, creative step of her own, calming him with her soft
glances. While Shiva shows a wilder nature that is both ascetic and erotic, Parvati stands for the middle path o
the householder. As Shiva exulted in his romantic dalliance with her, the true mother in her longed for a child.
Shiva resisted the life of a householder, but Parvati's desire for it was greater than his resistance. Hence first
Ganesha was born, later also Kartikay.

The Shiva Lingam

Lord Shiva is conceived in his unborn, invisible form as the Shiva Lingam. The
Lingam represents the male creative energy of Shiva. This main symbol of Shiva is
worshipped in virtually every Hindu temple and home. The phallus is not worshipped
as such, but through it Shiva is worshipped as the supreme consciousness. Embracing
the base of the linga is the yoni, the female organ, as the universal energy, as Shakti,
Shiva's spouse. Through profound understanding of this symbol, the mystery of
creation can be understood as an act of love.

When Ganga incarnated on Earth, Lord Shiva captured her in his hair to avoid that she would flood all of Earth
(See the Life of Ganga).

Shiva worshippers (Shaivites) are among India's most ascetic yogis, their body smeared with ashes, dressed in
saffron colors and wearing a Rudraksha mala. The path of Shiva can thus be seen as the inward-going path, the
great journey to find the self. This path is complementary to the path of Vishnu, which is the outgoing path,
bringing out the self from within and letting it manifest in the universe and our lives.