According
to Gavin Flood, "Shiva is a god of ambiguity and paradox," whose
attributes include opposing themes. The ambivalent nature of this deity is
apparent in some of his names and the stories told about him.
Destroyer and Benefactor
In Yajurveda,
two contrary sets of attributes for both malignant or terrifying
(Sanskrit: rudra) and benign or auspicious (Sanskrit: śiva)
forms can be found, leading Chakravarti to conclude that "all the basic
elements which created the complex Rudra-Śiva sect of later ages are to be
found here". In the Mahabharata, Shiva is depicted as "the
standard of invincibility, might, and terror", as well as a figure of
honor, delight, and brilliance.
The
duality of Shiva's fearful and auspicious attributes appears in contrasted
names. The name Rudra reflects Shiva's fearsome aspects. According to
traditional etymologies, the Sanskrit name Rudra is derived
from the root rud-, which means "to cry, howl".Stella Kramrisch notes
a different etymology connected with the adjectival form raudra,
which means "wild, of rudra nature", and translates
the name Rudra as "the wild one" or "the fierce
god". R. K. Sharma follows this alternate etymology and translates
the name as "terrible". Hara is an important name that occurs
three times in the Anushasanaparvan version of the Shiva sahasranama,
where it is translated in different ways each time it occurs, following a
commentorial tradition of not repeating an interpretation. Sharma translates
the three as "one who captivates", "one who consolidates",
and "one who destroys". Kramrisch translates it as "the
ravisher". Another of Shiva's fearsome forms is as Kāla "time"
and Mahākāla "great time", which ultimately destroys
all things. The name Kāla appears in the Shiva
Sahasranama, where it is translated by Ram Karan Sharma as "(the
Supreme Lord of) Time".Bhairava "terrible" or
"frightful" is a fierce form associated with
annihilation. In contrast, the name Śaṇkara, "beneficent" or
"conferring happiness" reflects his benign form. This name was
adopted by the great Vedanta philosopher Adi Shankara (c.
788–820), who is also known as Shankaracharya. The name Śambhu (Sanskrit: शम्भु swam-on its own; bhu-burn/shine)
"self-shining/ shining on its own", also reflects this benign aspect.
Ascetic and householder
Shiva is depicted both as an ascetic yogi, and as a householder with goddess Parvaati. |
Shiva
is depicted as both an ascetic yogi and as a householder (grihasta),
roles which have been traditionally mutually exclusive in Hindu society. When
depicted as a yogi, he may be shown sitting and meditating. His epithet
Mahāyogi ("the great Yogi: Mahā = "great", Yogi =
"one who practices Yoga") refers to his association with yoga. While Vedic
religion was conceived mainly in terms of sacrifice, it was during
the Epic Period that the concepts of tapas, yoga, and asceticism
became more important, and the depiction of Shiva as an ascetic sitting in
philosophical isolation reflects these later concepts.
As
a family man and householder, he has a wife, Parvati and two sons, Ganesha and
Kartikeya. His epithet Umāpati ("The husband of Umā")
refers to this idea, and Sharma notes that two other variants of this name that
mean the same thing, Umākānta and Umādhava, also
appear in the sahasranama. Umā in epic literature
is known by many names, including the benign Pārvatī. She is
identified with Devi, the Divine Mother; Shakti (divine energy) as well as
goddesses like Tripura, Durga, Kali, kamakshi and Minakshi.
The consorts of Shiva are the source of his creative energy. They represent the
dynamic extension of Shiva onto this universe. His son Ganesha is
worshipped throughout India and Nepal as the Remover of
Obstacles, Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles. Kartikeya is worshipped
in South India (especially in Tamil Nadu, Kerela and Karnataka)
by the names Subrahmanya, Subrahmanyan, Shanmughan, Swaminathan and Murugan,
and in Northern India by the names Skanda, Kumara, or Karttikeya.
Some
regional deities are also identified as Shiva's children. As one story goes,
Shiva is enticed by the beauty and charm of Mohini, Vishnu's female
avatar, and procreates with her. As a result of this union, Shasta –
identified with regional deities Ayyappan and Aiyanar – is
born. In outskirts of Ernakulam in Kerela, a deity named Vishnumaya is
stated to be offspring of Shiva and invoked in local exorcism rites, but this
deity is not traceable in Hindu pantheon and is possibly a local tradition with
"vaguely Chinese" style rituals, states Saletore. In some
traditions, Shiva has daughters like the serpent-goddess Manasa and Ashokasundari. According
to Doniger, two regional stories depict demons Andhaka and Jalandhara as
the children of Shiva who war with him, and are later destroyed by Shiva.
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