Who is Shiva? 

Lord Shiva—the God of destruction within the Trimurti (Brahma Vishnu and Mahesh) is the supreme God who is also known as Mahadeva or ‘The Great God’. He is also popularly referred to as ‘Devon Ke Dev Mahadev’. In our Hindu Scriptures, Lord Shiva is often described as ‘Bholanatha’ or ‘the lord of innocence’. It is one of the popular Lord Shiva’s different names. In addition to this, he is also worshipped as 'Mahakal', which implies beyond time and death. In Shiv Purana and other scriptures, Shiva is represented as a great yogi or ‘Adiyogi’ (the first yogi). He is regarded both as the fierce God and the most magnanimous. The Lord Shiva's meaning is explained by several spiritual gurus as ‘the auspicious one’. He is the only God who fulfills the wishes of both Asuras and Devtas. Lord Shiva can be easily pleased. He fulfills all the wishes of his devoteesAccording to Shiv Purana, Lord Shiva has 19 avatars. Some of the well-known avatars of the Lord Shiva are Veeabhadra, Bhairava, Durvasa, and Piplaad. Kailash Mansarovar is the holy abode of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva is not just related to destruction but to regeneration and creation as well. Shiva is both Death and Life. Shiva is consciousness and the source of life. 

You must have prayed to Lord Shiva’s beautiful idols at several Lord Shiva Temples. The devotees of Lord Shiva often have deeply realized that his beauty is beyond words. In Shiv Purana, Shiva’s physical appearance is described as one who is sitting in a yogic posture with the eyes closed. He is a three-eyed God and his third eye is located on his forehead. It is believed that the opening of the third eye of Shiva leads to destruction. Hence he is also called ‘Trayambakam’. He burned the Kama with his third eye which was reduced to ashes. He is surrounded by the ganas. The upper part of the body and the waist remains covered with Tiger’s skin. He has matted hair with a beautiful crescent moon on his head. He has a blue throat which is why he is also known as ‘Neelkantha Mahadev’.The body of Lord Shiva is smeared with ashes. He wears a snake around his neck which is known as ‘Vasuki’and rudrakasha beads around his neck. He keeps a Trishula (trident) with a Damru as his weapon. His face is often represented in a deep state of meditation. Lord Shiva sits with his consort Goddess Parvati at Kailash Parvat. 

Here are the lines from the sacred Shiv Panchakshar Stotram. It means salutations to the Great God Shiva who is three-eyed, whose body is smeared with ashes, who is eternal and pure, with the four directions as his ashes, Oh Great God, I extend my prayers to you. 
 

नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय,
भस्माङ्गरागाय महेश्वराय।
नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगम्बराय,
तस्मै नकाराय नमः शिवाय।।

Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Shiv Linga or Lingam. His existence is manifested in the Lingam, which is characterized as God’s power. Shiva himself stated that he should always be worshipped as Lingam. The self-manifested or Swayambhu Lingams are known as Jyotirlingas. There are 12 Jyotirlinga temples where Lord Shiva is worshipped as Jyotirlinga. 

There are 1008 names of Lord Shiva and each name has a different meaning with different energies associated with it. For instance, Rudra is the fierce avatar of Lord Shiva. 

Must-Know Symbols Of Mahadev 

Did you know? Lord Shiva’s iconic symbols carry profound meanings that are related to the Universe. Read on to learn about these spiritual yet iconic symbols of Shiva. 

Crescent Moon 

Lord Shiva is also known as Chandrashekhar as he beautifully carries a crescent moon on his head. The Crescent Moon symbolizes that he is the controller of the Mind. Lord Shiva knows the emotions of every human being. It also symbolizes his control over time.
 

Trident/Trishul 

The Trident with a Damru represents the cycle of creation, destruction, and destruction. The Trishul balances the energy axis of the universe. Lord Shiva’s Trishul represents the three gunas: Rajas, Tamas, and Sattva.
 

Third Eye

The Third Eye represents awakening, intuition, and wisdom. It also represents metaphysical activity. However, the opening of Lord Shiva’s third leads to destruction. 

Snake

The snake wrapped around Lord Shiva’s neck is known as ‘Vasuki’. The snake represents transformation and everything is transient in this universe. It also symbolizes healing and immortality. 
 

Damru 

The sound of Damru was the first sound in the universe. Lord Shiva always holds a Damru in his hands. The divine beats of Damru represent the cosmic sound of the universe.  
 

Nandi/ Bull

Nandi is the name of the bull who serves as the Vahana of Lord Shiva. Shiva is also worshipped as Pashupatinath or ‘the Lord of animals’. It is also the epitome of faithfulness and virtue. 

Rudraksha 

Rudraksha is a semi-precious stone associated with Lord Shiva. A Rudraksha mala is used for chanting the mantras of Lord Shiva.

As per Hindu scriptures, Lord Shiva fulfills all the wishes of his devotees. The easiest and simplest mantra to please Lord Shiva is ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. It is one of the most powerful mantras that can eliminate negative energies from your life. It can remove all the obstacles and the mantra is also believed to give miraculous results. In addition, the Mahamrityunjaya mantra and Om Namah Shivaya are Lord Shiva’s powerful mantras.

Lord Shiva’s love, blessings, and compassion can be easily attained by simply offering Bel Baptra and milk on the Shiv Lingam.  If you are an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, try planning Kailash Mansarovar Yatra for your upcoming vacation!