Shiva
Indian mythology · deity · destruction, transformation, asceticism
The great ascetic god of dissolution and renewal, worshipped as the supreme being in Shaiva traditions. Emerges from the Vedic storm god Rudra into one of Hinduism's most complex figures, destroyer, dancer, yogi, and householder.
Stories
The Churning of the Ocean of Milk
Gods and demons churn the cosmic ocean with Mount Mandara as the rod and the serpent Vasuki as the rope. Treasures emerge, Lakshmi among them, along with a poison so deadly that Shiva must swallow it, turning his throat blue.
How Ganesha Got His Elephant Head
Parvati fashions a boy from turmeric paste to guard her door. When he bars Shiva, who does not know his own son, Shiva strikes off his head in fury, then, to console Parvati, restores him to life with the head of an elephant.
The Race Around the World
Offered a prize for whichever son first circles the world, Kartikeya launches himself around the oceans on his peacock. Ganesha walks a slow circle around Shiva and Parvati and sits down: his parents are the world. The wit wins, and Narada, who proposed the contest, enjoys it immensely.
The Birth of Kartikeya
Only a son of Shiva can kill the demon Taraka, and Shiva has been in meditation since Kamadeva burned for interrupting him. Parvati's austerity finally wins the god; the child's unbearable seed passes through Agni and Ganga to be born as six-faced Kartikeya, who takes command of heaven's armies and ends Taraka.
Markandeya and the Noose of Death
Destined to die at sixteen, the boy sage Markandeya embraces the linga as Yama's noose falls. Shiva bursts from the stone and turns Death back with his trident, granting the boy eternal sixteen; even Yama's ledger has one entry struck through.