Shiva

Biography & Overview

Shiva (; Sanskrit: शिव, IAST: Śiva, lit. 'The Auspicious One'), also known as Mahadeva (; Sanskrit: महादेव, IAST: Mahādevaḥ, [mɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh], lit. 'The Great God') and Hara (Sanskrit: हर, lit. 'The Remover'), is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism.
In the Shaivite tradition, Shiva is the Supreme Lord who creates, protects and transforms the universe. In the goddess-oriented Shakta tradition, the Supreme Goddess (Devi) is regarded as the energy and creative power (Shakti) and the equal complementary partner of Shiva. Shiva is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta tradition of Hinduism. Shiva is known as The Destroyer within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity which also includes Brahma and Vishnu.
Shiva has many aspects, benevolent as well as fearsome. In benevolent aspects, he is depicted as an omniscient yogi who lives an ascetic life on Kailasa as well as a householde...