Photo taken by my son Balthazar of me at the Shiva Temple in Bangalore, India in 2016
Shiva is one of the main three Hindu Gods. (Along with Vishnu and Brahma.)
Shiva is often called the destroyer though the term 'transformer' would be more accurate of His dogma.
The famous easy meditation prayer "Om namah Shiva-ya" means "I bow to Shiva.'
It is used as a mantra, incantation or prayer
to help you accept what must be accepted, to not worry about what can not be controlled, and to live in the present, rather than being obsessed with either the past or the future.
Painting of Lord Shiva By Ginger Strivelli
Lord Shiva in His "Nataraja" form or avatar...danced the universe into creation,
and then destroys it to create it again...all by way of his dance 'the Tandava'
that He does upon the back of the demon of ignorance.
He is often shown in this dance pose as Nataraja,
representing the cycles of Nature... death and rebirth.
Shiva is also often shown in a deep meditative state. He has braided hair and wears the crescent moon on his head.
He carries a drum, a trident, and is often adorned with snakes and tiger skins.
Shiva's mount is the sacred bull Nandi. and he is said to live on Mount Kailasa in the Himalayas.
My Daughters; Amethyst, Sybilsue and Harmony visiting
the Shiva Statue outside of Delhi, India, on our Holi 2010 trip there.
A favorite prayer and ritual dedicated to Lord Shiva is the Bilwa leave rite below: (Translated by P. R. Ramachande) I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, Which has three leaves, Which causes three qualities, Which are like the three eyes of Shiva, Which is like the triad of weapons, And which destroys sins of three births. I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, Which has three shoots, Which do not have holes, Which are good and pretty, And worship Lord Shiva. I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, For if an uncut leaf is offered, To his steed the god Nandi, We get cleaned of all our sins. I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, For it is equal to, offering a saligrama to a Brahmin, Or the great blessing got out of performing Soma Yaga, I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, For it is equal to gifting thousand elephants, Or the performing of hundred fire sacrifices, Or giving away billions of girls. I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, For it is equal to giving a tree of Bilwa, Which was born from the breast of Lakshmi, And which is very dear to the Lord Shiva. I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, As seeing and touching of a tree of Bilwa, Washes away ones sins and also very great sins. I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, After living in the city of Kasi, Seeing the Kala Bhairawa, And also visiting the temple Of Madhawa in Allahabad. I offer one leaf of Bilwa to Lord Shiva, As Brahma resides at its bottom, Lord Vishnu lives in its middle, And Lord Shiva lives in its tip.----------------------------------
