Symbolic Meaning: It is believed that the snake around Shiva's neck represents the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Snakes shed their skin when the old skin is outgrown, regularly during their lifetime. This symbolically represents the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
The snake stands for all the evil and demonical nature in the world. By wearing the snake around his neck, Lord Shiva gives us the assurance that no evil can touch us or destroy us once we surrender to him, seek his protection and worship him with deep devotion.
The coiled snake around Shiva's neck also reminds devotees to keep their ego under control. When the ego is in check, peace prevails in life forever. Interestingly, Shiva is also known as Nageshwar, meaning Lord of the snakes. There are temples dedicated to this form of the Lord across the country.
Vasuki is Shiva's snake, depicted around his neck. He is known in Chinese and Japanese mythology as being one of the "eight Great Dragon Kings" (八大龍王 pinyin: Bādà lóngwáng; Japanese: Hachidai Ryūō), amongst Nanda (Nāgarāja), Upananda, Sāgara (Shakara), Takshaka, Balavan, Anavatapta, and Utpala.
Why is Shiva depicted with snakes and a trident? To express this state of consciousness, a snake is shown around Shiva's neck. Trishul or trident represents the three aspects of consciousness — waking, dreaming and sleeping, and it represents the three gunas — sattva, rajas and tamas.
The Tripuṇḍra, three horizontal lines, on the forehead as well as other body parts are symbols during rites of passages, and for some a daily practice. These lines, states Antonio Rigopoulos, represent Shiva's threefold power of will (icchāśakti), knowledge (jñānaśakti), and action (kriyāśakti).
Nandi, which means “giving delight” or “giving joy,” is the sacred bull of the Hindu god Shiva, one of the most important Hindu gods. When the world becomes evil, Shiva destroys it to make way for beneficial change. Nandi is Shiva's animal form, his means of transportation, and his most ardent worshiper.
The snake primarily represents rebirth, death and mortality, due to its casting of its skin and being symbolically "reborn". Over a large part of India, there are carved representations of cobras or nagas or stones as substitutes. To these human food and flowers are offered and lights are burned before the shrines.
Daksha was Parvati's father and Shiva's father-in-law. Once a meeting of Brahmavadis was organized and Daksha too was invited. When he came, Shiva did not get up to pay his regards and this irked Daksha.
The Narayana form of Vishnu is often depicted as resting on Shesha, accompanied by his consort Lakshmi. Adishesha is considered as one of the two mounts of Vishnu alongside Garuda.
Lord Shiva is usually portrayed as wearing a tiger skin as garment. Tiger symbolically represents power. Shiva sitting on tiger skin and wearing it symbolically means that He is beyond all power and dominates over all the powers.
Goddess Parvathi, concerned about her husband Lord Shiva's welfare, grabbed his neck to prevent the poison from entering his body. The poison stayed in Shiva's neck, turning it blue in colour.
The affection from Ganga made Parvati jealous and angry so she tried to free herself from Shiva's embrace. To pacify Parvati and to prove his eternal love for the glorious Parvati, Shiva didn't let her go and instead united with her becoming one being (Ardhanarishvara).
Lord Ganesha's belly represents the whole cosmos, the seven realms above and below and the seven oceans are inside Ganesha's cosmic belly. These are held together by the cosmic energy (kundalini) symbolized by the huge snake around him. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms.
Shiva then personally kept the Crescent Moon (the Moon personified) on His head in order to increase his Glory for a Fortnight. This is how waxing and waning of the Moon came into existence. Lord Shiva is beyond the concept of time. The waning and waxing of the Moon is controlled by Him because He can control the time.
Shiva is usually depicted as white, from the ashes of corpses that are smeared on his body, with a blue neck, from holding poison in his throat. His wears a crescent moon and the Ganges River as decorations in his hair and a garland of skulls and a serpent around his neck.
Looking at Shiva's enemy intel screen, you'll notice her obvious weakness to Fire. Shiva will become Pressured as you use fire attacks against her. In fact, consistent usage of fire attacks can even interrupt her attacks.
After taking a bath, one should offer milk and honey to Lord Shiva. It is believed that doing this, the problems related to livelihood, job or business gets eliminated. After that, devotees should perform Abhishek of Shiva linga by bhasma and water. After Abhishekh of Shivling, one should offer sandalwood.
Ardhanareeshvara is a combination of three words “Ardha,” “Nari,” and “Ishwara” means “half,” “woman,” and “lord,” respectively, which when combined means the lord whose half is a woman. It is believed that the God is Lord Shiva and the woman part is his consort Goddess Parvati or Shakti.
In myth, snakes are often connected to seers and oracles. Snake venom is both a deadly poison and an antidote, and the rod represents control over this duality. Snakes are close to the ground and shed their skins, making them symbols of the underworld, rebirth, and immortality, and by extension of wisdom.
Their most remarkable type of prey, however, is other snakes! California Kingsnakes are “kings” because they hunt and devour various snake species, including other kingsnakes and even rattlesnakes – they are immune to rattlesnake venom!
Practiced by a small fraction of rural charismatic Protestants, snake handling is often identified with the Church of God with Signs Following or other holiness churches.
Shiva is therefore seen as the source of both good and evil and is regarded as the one who combines many contradictory elements. Shiva is known to have untamed passion, which leads him to extremes in behaviour. Sometimes he is an ascetic, abstaining from all wordly pleasures. At others he is a hedonist.
03/11Lord Shiva
The Mahayogi loves kand-mool as per the shashtras. His favouries include bhang, dhatura, milk, thandai and sweets white in colour.
Shiva and Vishnu
In Vaishnavism and Shaivism, God, Vishnu or Shiva respectively, is personified as male. God, however, transcends gender in these sub-schools, and the male form is used as an icon to help focus the Puja (worship). The use of icons is not restricted to male forms.