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A white murti of Shiva in meditation before Himalayan peaks, with the crescent moon and the Ganga in his hair and a trishul with a damru beside himImage: made with AI
DeityShaiva tradition

Lord Shiva

Mahadeva • Shankara • Bholenath • Neelkantha • Rudra

Among the Trimurti, Shiva is regarded as the god of dissolution and renewal, and in the Shaiva tradition he is the Supreme Brahman himself. His consort is Parvati and his sons are Ganesha and Kartikeya. His mount is Nandi and his abode is Mount Kailash.

Aartis and chalisasSee the relations
Edited by the SanatanBodh editorial teamLast updated: 7 sourcesDrafted with AI, checked against sourcesReport a mistake

Shiva at a glance

Consort
Parvati (earlier form: Sati)
Sons
Ganesha, Kartikeya
Mount
Nandi
Abode
Mount Kailash
Weapons
Trishula, Pinaka bow
Mantra
ॐ नमः शिवाय (Om Namah Shivaya)
Major festivals
Maha Shivratri, Sawan Mondays
Key texts
Shiva Purana, Linga Purana
Tradition
Shaiva

Shiva: relations

Family, scriptures, tirthas and festivals

35 relations of Shiva, each with its source in the texts or the tradition. Tap a name to open its own page, or its relations in the Sanatan tree.

See the whole knowledge graph
Sources: Shiva Purana
All 35 relations, with sources

Family

SatiFirst wifeShivaParvatiWife
GaneshaSon
KartikeyaSon
NandiVehicle
Source: Shiva Purana

Deities, figures and sages 9

  • Hanuman · Avatar Shaiva viewShiva Purana, Shatarudra Samhita
  • Tripurasura · Asuras he destroyedShiva Purana, Rudra Samhita, Yuddha Khanda
  • Kubera · Friend and devoteeValmiki Ramayana, Uttara Kanda; Amarakosha (‘Tryambakasakha’)
  • Durvasa · AvatarShiva Purana, Shatarudra Samhita 19.27; Bhagavata 4.1.33 (of Shankara’s portion)
  • Virabhadra · AvatarShiva Purana, Rudra Samhita, Sati Khanda 32.20-22 (born of his matted hair), Shatarudra Samhita 10.1-2; Bhagavata 4.5.2-3
  • Kala Bhairava · AvatarShiva Purana, Shatarudra Samhita 8.44-53
  • Bhringi · Gana (attendant)Shiva Purana, Rudra Samhita, Sati Khanda 37.15, Yuddha Khanda 9.33
  • Kamadeva · Whom he burnt with his third eyeShiva Purana, Rudra Samhita, Parvati Khanda 19.14-15
  • Banasura · DevoteeBhagavata 10.62.2-3

Scriptures and mantras 4

Tirths and places 2

Festivals 3

Form and symbols

  • A brass trishul with a small damru and a saffron cloth, set by a stone shrine before Himalayan peaks

    Trishula

    His principal weapon; regarded as a symbol of mastery over the three gunas.

  • A damru on a saffron cloth with a rudraksha mala, green leaves and a brass lamp

    Damaru

    A symbol of primordial sound (nada) and the rhythm of creation.

  • Blue-black smoke rising from a stormy ocean, a symbol of the halahala poison from the churning of the ocean

    Neelkantha

    He held the halahala poison from the churning of the ocean in his throat, which turned his throat blue.

    Bhagavata Purana 8.7
  • The Ganga rushing between boulders below snowy Himalayan peaks

    Gangadhara

    He caught the Ganga in his matted locks as she descended from heaven.

  • A crescent moon above a Himalayan peak in the night sky

    Chandrashekhara

    The one who wears the crescent moon on his head.

  • A black stone Nandi wearing a marigold garland in a stone temple courtyard

    Nandi

    His mount and chief attendant (gana); seated facing the shrine in every Shiva temple.

Images: symbolic pictures made with AI

Shiva in the scriptures

रुद्राणां शङ्करश्चास्मि
Among the Rudras, I am Shankara. (Lord Krishna)Bhagavad Gita 10.23
एको हि रुद्रो न द्वितीयाय तस्थुः
Rudra is one alone; there is no second.Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.2
नमः शिवाय च शिवतराय च
Salutations to Shiva, and to the most auspicious one.Shri Rudram, Taittiriya Samhita 4.5
  • Bhagavad Gita 10.23
  • Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.2
  • Krishna Yajurveda, Taittiriya Samhita 4.5 (Shri Rudram)
  • Rigveda 2.33 (Rudra Sukta)
  • Bhagavata Purana 8.7
  • Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram
  • Shiva Purana

The 12 Jyotirlingas

In the order of the Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotra, each with its own page

  1. 1SomnathGujarat
  2. 2MallikarjunaAndhra Pradesh
  3. 3MahakaleshwarMadhya Pradesh
  4. 4OmkareshwarMadhya Pradesh
  5. 5VaidyanathJharkhand or Maharashtra
  6. 6BhimashankarMaharashtra or Assam
  7. 7RameshwaramTamil Nadu
  8. 8NageshwarGujarat, Maharashtra or Uttarakhand
  9. 9Kashi VishwanathUttar Pradesh
  10. 10TrimbakeshwarMaharashtra
  11. 11KedarnathUttarakhand
  12. 12GrishneshwarMaharashtra
Kedarnath temple at sunrise before snowy peaks, with Nandi in front and pilgrims in the courtyardKedarnathKedarnath, UttarakhandJyotirlinga 11/12 · Chhota Char Dham 3/4 · Panch Kedar 1/5See them on the mapThe Jyotirlingas and other temples on a map of IndiaAll the Jyotirlingas in detail

Source: Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotra

Festivals of Shiva

Worship of Shiva

Shiva: Aarti, Chalisa, Stuti, Mantra and Namavali, each on its own page

Vrat kathas

Frequently asked questions

How many sons does Lord Shiva have?

Mainly two: Ganesha and Kartikeya (Skanda). Some Puranas also mention other children.

Why is Shiva called Neelkantha?

He held the halahala poison that emerged from the churning of the ocean in his throat, which turned his throat blue (Bhagavata Purana 8.7).

What is Shiva’s mount?

Nandi, who is also his chief attendant (gana).

When is Maha Shivratri 2027?

On 6 March 2027, Saturday.

Sources

Checked against sources
  1. Bhagavad Gita 10.23
  2. Shvetashvatara Upanishad 3.2
  3. Krishna Yajurveda, Taittiriya Samhita 4.5 (Shri Rudram)
  4. Rigveda 2.33 (Rudra Sukta)
  5. Bhagavata Purana 8.7
  6. Dvadasha Jyotirlinga Stotram
  7. Shiva Purana

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