Who is Lord Shiva? | Understand the Significance of Lord Shiva

Nataraja, Bholenath, Neelkanth etc. are some of the names of Lord Shiva. He is a God, yet there are some qualities, things that are unconventional. 

1. Shiva is an innocent God and often grants boon to people even if they are evil at heart. This is one of the reasons why he is also called ‘Bholenath’.  

2. Dance is mostly considered as feminine form of art, but Shiva is also known as ‘Nataraja’ and is the Lord of Dance. 

3. Shiva is also known as ‘Shmashana Adhipati’ which means ‘the one who rules the crematorium’. It is said that Shiva is the inhabitant of the cremation ground.  

4. Shiva is a frequent consumer of ‘bhaang’ or marijuana. People consume it during the festival of Holi to honor him.  

5. Shiva treats his wife, Parvati with love, respect and equality. He makes Parvati sit beside him and not near his feet. He is also known as ‘ardhanarishwar’ which is the androgynous form of him.  

6. Shiva’s temperament makes him more relatable to humans. He is known for his anger, and his third eye opens when he is extremely furious. Due to his third eye, he is also known as ‘trinetra’. 

7. God is always considered to be the creator of the world and the universe, but Shiva is the Lord of destruction. 

8. Unlike other Gods who are depicted as draping themselves in expensive and bright colored clothes, Shiva wears animal skin, and covers his body with ‘bhasma’ or ash which represents the end of human life.  

9. Shiva was approached by other Gods for the protection of the universe during the Samudra Manthan. He then, drank the poison, seeing this Parvati pressed her hand to his throat to prevent him from dying.  

This poison remained in his neck and made it blue. This is the reason why he is also known as ‘Neelkanth’ which means ‘the blue throated one’.  

10. Shiva is a brave God who not only drinks poison, but also wears a dangerous cobra around his neck. This shows that he is beyond death.  

11. Shiva truly loved his wife and was faithful to her. When Sati committed suicide by immolating herself, Shiva was extremely sad and retired to a cave and began meditating. 

When Kama, the god of love struck him with an arrow, He opened his third eye and burnt him. Parvati was the reincarnation of Sati.  

12. Shiva lives and meditates on the isolated snow-capped mountains of Kailash, unlike other Gods who live in their own respective kingdoms.