God Shiva, also known as the destroyer, belongs to the Holy Trinity of Hindu Gods (The other two being Brahma – The creator and Vishnu – The preserver). As is the case with the other two Gods, Lord Shiva’s appearance is rich in symbolism as well.

MATTED LOCKS:

God Shiva’s link with the wind and the breath of life that Brahma breathes are represented through His flowing locks. God Shiva has three matted locks on His forehead, that, according to Yoga, symbolizes the union of the physical, mental and spiritual activities of life. Since God Shiva is also the master of Yoga, it is only fitting that it is symbolized in His appearance as well.

SACRED ASH:

God Shiva’s bare body adds to His mysticism. Since Hinduism believes that all of the God’s creation turns into ash after being burned by fire, God Shiva, smearing Himself with ash symbolizes that He is not affected by such physical activities of the world. The ash also relates to death, symbolizing that the ultimate reality of life is death and that we should not fear it.

THE THIRD EYE:

God Shiva’s third eye represents His spiritual vision, as opposed to His normal two eyes that represent the Sun and the Moon. Shiva’s third eye is known for the fact that He opens it to destroy evil-doers. While His normal eyes represent the physical aspects of the world, His third eye has a more spiritual aspect to it, wherein He sees beyond the obvious.

THE GANGES:

It is believed that God Shiva tamed the mighty Ganges by holding the river in His hair, so that only a reasonable amount of Her pure water reaches the earth, rather than flooding it.

THE CRESCENT MOON:

The moon on Shiva’s head represents the cyclic nature of time and links it to the waxing and waning of the moon.

THE SNAKE:

God Shiva has a snake that is coiled around His neck, three times, which symbolizes the past, the present and the future. It also shows His supremacy over time.

THE TRIDENT:

God Shiva’s trident symbolizes his powers of will (iccha), action (kriya) and knowledge (gnana) and also it is His weapon to destroy evil.

TIGER SKIN:

The tiger skin symbolizes God Shiva’s control over all forces; it is also Goddess Shakti’s vehicle, thus symbolizing His mastery over Shakti as well. (Goddess Shakti is the Goddess of force and power, hence symbolizing God Shiva’s control over it).

Apart from this form, there are other forms of God Shiva as well. Stay tuned for posts on His other appearances.

For a large listing of God Shiva temples, visit http://www.ishtadevata.com/shiva