Lord Shiva
Shiva is known by many names such as Viswanatha (lord of the universe), Mahadeva, Mahandeo, Mahasu, Mahesha, Maheshvara, Shankara, Shambhu, Rudra, Hara, Trilochana, Devendra , Neelakanta, Subhankara, Trilokinatha , Ghruhneshwar, Mahakaleswar, Thrayambakeswar, Iswara, Parameswara, Sarveswara. Paramasivan, Sivan,Mahayogi, Pasupathi, Nataraja, Bhairava, Bhava, Bholenath, Adhisivan etc., There are many more names to add and there is no big village in India without a Shiva Temple. There is a tamil saying that one should not live in a village, if there is no temple there. Also, your forehead is a waste without Vibhuthi on it. The word shivoham means the consciousness of one individual, the lord is omnipotent, omnipresent, as he is present in the form of one's consciousness. In Tamil, he was called by different names other than Sivan. Nataraja (Dancing form of Shiva), Rudra (Enraged form of Shiva), and Dhakshinamoorthy (Yoga form of Shiva). Nataraja is the only form of Shiva worshipped in a human figure format. Tamil literature is enriched by Shiva devotees called 63 Nayanmars, who are staunch devotees of Lord Shiva . .
The Vishnu sahasranama interprets Shiva to have multiple meanings: "The Pure One", and "the One who is not affected by three Guṇas of Prakṛti (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas)". Sahasranama are medieval Indian texts that list a thousand names derived from aspects and epithets of a deity. There are at least eight different versions of the Shiva Sahasranama, devotional hymns (stotras) listing many names of Shiva. The version appearing in Book 13 (Anuśāsanaparvan) of the Mahabharata provides one such list. Shiva also has Dasha-Sahasranamas (10,000 names) that are found in the Mahanyasa. The Shri Rudram Chamakam, is also well known as a puja protocol of Lord Shiva.
Shiva-related literature developed extensively across India particularly in Tamil Shaiva traditions. The focused message was absolute oneness, that is Shiva is within every man and woman, Shiva is within every living being, Shiva is present everywhere in the world including all non-living being, and there is no spiritual difference between life, matter, man and Shiva. The various Shiva-related ideas were welcomed in medieval southeast Asia, inspiring numerous Shiva-related temples, artwork and texts in Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. He is not only the creator in Shaivism, but he is also the creation that results from him, he is everything and everywhere. Ultimate Reality, also present Shiva and Shakti as a personalized form {Ardhanareeswara } The texts of Shaivism tradition similarly praise Vishnu. The Skanda Purana, for example, states: Vishnu is nobody but Shiva, and he who is called Shiva is but identical with Vishnu.. The Mahabharata declares the unchanging Ultimate Reality (Brahman) to be identical to Shiva and to Vishnu, that Vishnu is the highest manifestation of Shiva, and Shiva is the highest manifestation of Vishnu.The theory and practice of Yoga, in different styles, has been a part of all major traditions of Hinduism, and Shiva has been the patron or spokesperson in numerous Hindu Yoga texts. Other famed Shiva-related texts influenced Hatha Yoga {followed by Swami Sivananda }, integrated monistic (Advaita Vedanta) ideas with Yoga philosophy. With a third eye, with which he burned Desire (Kāma) to ashes, called "Tryambakam" which occurs in many scriptural sources.. The epithet Candraśekhara "Having the moon as his crest" – candra = "moon"; śekhara = "crest, crown") refers to this feature. The placement of the moon on his head as a standard iconographic feature dates to the time when Rudra rose to prominence and became the major deity Rudra-Shiva.. The ashes covering his body represent a reminder that all of material existence is impermanent, comes to an end becoming ash, and the pursuit of eternal soul and spiritual liberation is important. : Shiva's distinctive hair style is noted in the epithets Jaṭin, "the one with matted hair", and Kapardin, "endowed with matted hair".The epithet Nīlakaṇtha nīla = "blue", kaṇtha = "throat"). Since Shiva drank the Halahala poison churned up from the Samudra Manthan to eliminate its destructive capacity. Parvati stopped it in his neck to prevent it from spreading all over the universe. However the poison was so potent that it changed the color of his neck to blue. His iconography often shows him in a Yoga pose, meditating, sometimes on a symbolic Himalayan Mount Kailasa as the Lord of Yoga. The epithet Gangadhara, "Bearer of the river Ganga" (Ganges). The Ganga flows from the matted hair of Shiva. The Gaṅgā (Ganga), one of the sacred rivers of the country, is said to have made her abode in Shiva's hair before descending to the earth. Shiva is often shown seated upon a tiger skin.: Shiva is often shown garlanded with a snake.Shiva typically carries a trident called Trishula, represents Shiva's three aspects of "creator, preserver and destroyer", or alternatively it represents the equilibrium of three Gunas of "sattva, rajas and tamas". A small drum shaped like an hourglass is known as a damaru. This is one of the attributes of Shiva in his famous dancing as Nataraja. .Axe (Parashu) and Deer are held in Shiva's hands in Odisha & south Indian icons. He is garlanded with or carries a string of rosary beads in his right hand, typically made of Rudraksha, symbolising grace, mendicant life and meditation.: Nandī, is the name of the bull that serves as Shiva's mount (Sanskrit: vāhana). Shiva's association with cattle is reflected in his name Paśupati, translated as "lord of cattle”. Mount Kailash in the Himalayas is his traditional abode. In Hindu mythology, Mount Kailāsh is conceived as resembling a Linga, representing the center of the universe.The Gaṇas are attendants of Shiva and live in Kailash. They are often referred to as the bhutaganas, Ganesha was chosen as their leader by Shiva, hence Ganesha's title gaṇa-īśa or gaṇa-pati, "lord of the gaṇas".The place is called Bhutasthan, now named as Bhutan. Varanasi is considered to be the city specially loved by Shiva..Shiva is represented in his many aspects.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..Shiva is reported as 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 is born. Shiva as Nataraja (Sanskrit: naṭarāja, "Lord of Dance") is popular. The names Nartaka ("dancer") and Nityanarta ("eternal dancer") appear in the Shiva Sahasranama. The two most common forms of the dance are the Tandava, which later came to denote the powerful and masculine dance as Kala-Mahakala associated with the destruction of the world. When it requires the world or universe to be destroyed, Shiva does it by the Tandava, and Lasya, which is graceful and delicate and expresses emotions on a gentle level and is considered the feminine dance attributed to the goddess Parvati. Lasya is regarded as the female counterpart of Tandava. The Tandava-Lasya dances are associated with the destruction-creation of the world.Dakshinamurthy (Dakṣiṇāmūrti) literally describes a form (mūrti) of Shiva facing south (dakṣiṇa). This form represents Shiva in his aspect as a teacher of yoga, music, and wisdom and giving exposition on the shastras, in the form of a Guru. This iconographic form for depicting Shiva in Indian art is mostly from Tamil Nadu. An iconographic representation of Shiva called (Ardhanārīśvara) shows him with one half of the body as male and the other half as female. Shiva is often depicted as an archer in the act of destroying the triple fortresses, Tripura, of the Asuras. Shiva's body is said to consist of five mantras, called the pañcabrahmans. As forms of God, each of these have their own names and distinct iconography: Sathyojāta, Vāmadeva, Aghora,Tatpuruṣha and Īsaāna. You will be able to have darshan of all the five faces in the temple at Kathmandu.
These are represented as the five faces of Shiva and are associated in various texts with the five elements, the five senses, the five organs of perception, and the five organs of action. His bija mantra has also five letters, called popularly Pancha Aksharas. Some texts link Shiva to characters in its mythologies. For example, in the Hanuman Chalisa, Hanuman is identified as an avatar of Shiva. Writers have called Adi Shankara an incarnation of Shiva. Maha Shivaratri is a major Hindu festival, chanting prayers, remembering Shiva, fasting, doing Yoga and meditating on ethics and virtues. Others visit one of the Shiva temples or go on pilgrimage to Jyotirlingam shrines.
Prayer: Pray facing North direction recite atleast 9 times every day morning and evening
Mantra
Om nama shivaya shivaya namaha Om
Sivaya Namaha
Siva Siva(Athi bala mantram) - pray for yourself and all around you, simple mantra
Om Hreem Nama Shivaya (for health)
