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Shiva , the greatest of the Hindu gods .

Shiva , a term meaning "the beneficent, the one who brings good luck". This name is not completely unknown to you and for good reason this god of India is one of the most famous. Husband of Parvati and father of Ganesh, he symbolizes both creation and destruction. He is also the king of dance, which is why he is represented in the form of Naṭarāja . However, in some representations, he appears with his Shakti (feminine pole), where he expresses masculine energy. Living on Mount Kailash, he is considered the god of yoga, inspiring several postures and the symbol of pure consciousness. This Hindu deity is the subject of many legends including one at the origin of the snake placed around his neck.

Shiva, a great deity of Hinduism

Shiva god , also named Civa or Siva, is the most revered god of Hindu mythology , especially in the religion of Shaivism (variant of Hinduism). However, his first name was Indra (king of the gods) at the time of Ancient India and Vedic legends. Living on Mount Kailash in the heart of the Himalayas, he is the deity of destruction for the creation of a new world (symbol of the cycles of life). He is also considered the king of dance and the god of yoga, protecting the earth from the goddess of the Ganges (the most famous river in India) called Ganga. Thus, this god in Hinduism calms the vigor of the waves by attenuating them in his hair.

Know that the god Shiva is part of the 3 divinities of the Trimurti just like Vishnu (energy of preservation) and Brahma (creative energy).

He is the father of the famous god Ganesh , symbolizing wisdom and prosperity. His wife is none other than the goddess Parvati (name meaning "woman of the mountain"), reincarnation of Sati and sister of Vishnu. Also called Shakti, she represents the supreme feminine principle. Shiva being the masculine principle. Nandi his faithful mount, representing a bull, is also the subject of a legend.

How is Shiva represented in Hinduism?

There are many representations of the god Shiva : an ascetic, a mendicant, a yogi, with Shakti (feminine power) creating a hermaphrodite creature ( Ardhanari ), a lingam or meditating. But, his best known form is Naṭarāja , the lord of the dance or cosmic dancer, who marks the destruction and creation of the world (rebirth), symbol of the eternal. In this case, this god of Hindu legend has 4 arms and is generally found in a circle of flames.

The incredible legends of the Hindu god Shiva

A fantastic legend accompanies the representation of the deity Shiva . Sati, daughter of Daksha (god of sacrifice in Hindu mythology ) had the desire to marry Shiva . However, her father was not of this opinion, but he ended up accepting the union. However, Daksha did not invite the god of destruction to the sacrifice ( Yagna ) in honor of Vishnu. It was then that Sati plunged into the sacrificial fire, hurt by the insults uttered by her father on her husband. Shiva wanted revenge. The Hindu god joined the place of the ritual, took the corpse of his beloved on his shoulders and then did a dance of death ( Tandava ). This god of India attacked the divinities present and cut off Daksha's head to throw it into the fire. He threatened to destroy the world. It was then that Vishnu (the one who preserves the universe) arrived to appease Shiva . The latter, not finding Daksha's head, replaced it with a goat's head. Thus, Sati's father recognized in him a great Hindu divinity and became his servant. Finally, the god Shiva meditated until his wife's reincarnation as Parvati.

Another legend tells that Shiva and Vishnu went to a forest to do battle with heretics. Angry, their opponents sent a tiger, a snake and a dwarf to retaliate. The Hindu god killed the tiger. That is why he is depicted sitting on the feline's skin. The deity Shiva tamed the snake and placed it around his neck. Finally, he put his foot on the dwarf and began a powerful dance. Then, the people recognized Shiva as their god.

The Meaning of Shiva in Yoga

Shiva is the god of yoga, which is why he is represented in the form of a yogi with universal knowledge. Some would say that the practice of yoga seeks the union between Shiva (consciousness) and Shakti (energy). Moreover, 84,000 asanas come from his movements, including the dancer's posture, also called Shiva's posture ( Shivâsana or Shiva-âsana ).

The Hindu god in yoga is the origin of all mantras. You can invoke Shiva during your meditations while sitting quietly on your yoga mat or on a meditation cushion , thanks to a specific mantra: Om Namah Shivaya . This means "Worship of Shiva" or "to meditate in Lord Shiva".

• Om symbolizing the divine vibration of the universe,
• Namah or Namaha meaning respect, homage or adoration,
• Shivaya or Shiva showing absolute reality, pure Consciousness.

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