One of the most popular icons of South-East Asia is Shiva. The iconography and the legend of Shiva are found throughout the length and breadth of the Indian sub-continent.
This has led to him being depicted in various forms – as a householder with Goddess Parvati and children, Ganesha and Skanda; as an ascetic in deep meditation in the snow-clad Himalayas; he is both the master of fertility as well as the conqueror of desire. He is the lovableBholenath(the innocent one) and yet he is also the wise all-knowingAdiguru(the first Guru). He is known asAashutosh(one who is easily pleased) and yet the third-eye of Shiva is feared by everyone because of which he is calledBhalanetra(one who has an eye in the forehead).
Who is Shiva?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar saysShiva was never really a person but is an abstract principle –Shiva Tattva– an all-pervading consciousness that is seated deep within every animate and inanimate entity of this universe.
Shiva is that nothingness, from which all creation – the stars, planets, galaxies, mountains, oceans, all living beings, etc. – manifests and into which all creation disintegrates.
108Names of Lord Shivawith Meaning
Now that we have understood the meaning and essence of Shiva, let’s have a look at the different names that Shiva is known by in the Indian sub-continent.
There are more than a thousand names attributed to Lord Shiva of which 108 are given here:
- Aashutosh – One who instantly fulfills all wishes
- Adiguru – The first Guru
- Adinath – The first Lord
- Adiyogi – The first Yogi
- Aja – The Unborn
- Akshayaguna – The one with limitless qualities
- Anagha – The faultless one
- Anant Drishti – Of infinite vision
- Augadh – One who reveals all the time
- Avyaya Prabhu – Imperishable
- Bhairav – Destroyer of fear
- Bhalanetra – One who has an eye in the forehead
- Bholenath – The simple one
- Bhooteshwara – One who has mastery over the elements
- Bhudeva – Lord of the earth
- Bhutapala – Protector of the disembodied beings
- Chandrapal – Master of the moon
- Chandraprakash – One who has moon as a crest
- Dayalu – The compassionate one
- Devadi Deva – The god of gods
- Dhanadeepa – Lord of wealth
- Dnyandeep – The light of meditation
- Dhyutidhara – Lord of brilliance
- Digambara – The one who wears the sky as his raiment
- Durjaneeya – Difficult to be known
- Durjaya – The unvanquished
- Gangadhara – Lord of river Ganga
- Girijapati – Consort of Girija
- Gunagrahin – Acceptor of gunas
- Gurudeva – The great Guru
- Hara – Remover of sins
- Jagadisha – Master of the Universe
- Jaradhishamana – Redeemer from afflictions
- Jatin – The one with matted hair
- Kailashadhipati – Lord of Mount Kailash
- Kailashnath – Master of Mount Kailash
- Kamalakshana – Lotus-eyed lord
- Kantha – Ever-radiant
- Kapalin – One who wears a necklace of skulls
- Kedarnath – Lord of Kedar
- Kochadaiyaan – The lord with long dreadlocks
- Kundalin – One who wears earrings
- Lalataksha – One who has an eye in the forehead
- Lingadhyaksha – Lord of the linga
- Lokankara – Creator of the three worlds
- Lokapal – One who takes care of the world
- Mahabuddhi – Extreme intelligence
- Mahadeva – Greatest God
- Mahakala – The lord of time
- Mahamaya – Creator of great illusions
- Mahamrityunjaya – Great victor of death
- Mahanidhi – Great storehouse
- Mahashaktimaya – One who has boundless energies
- Mahayogi – Greatest yogi
- Mahesha – Supreme lord
- Maheshwara – Lord of Gods
- Nagabhushana – One who has serpents as ornaments
- Nataraja – King of the art of dancing
- Nilakantha – The Blue-throated one
- Nityasundara – Ever beautiful
- Nrityapriya – Lover of Dance
- Omkara – Creator of AUM
- Palanhaar – One who protects all
- Panchatsaran – Vigorous
- Parameshwara – First among all gods
- Paramjyoti – Greatest splendor
- Pashupati – Lord of all living beings
- Pinakin – One who has a bow in his hand
- Pranava – Originator of the primal sound of AUM
- Priyabhakta – Favorite of the devotees
- Priyadarshana – Of loving vision
- Pushkara – One who gives nourishment
- Pushpalochana – One who has eyes like flowers
- Ravilochana – Having Sun as the eye
- Rudra – The Roarer
- Sadashiva – The Transcended one
- Sanatana – The Eternal God
- Sarvacharya – The Supreme Teacher
- Sarvashiva – The Eternal Lord
- Sarvatapana – Preceptor of All
- Sarvayoni – Always Pure
- Sarveshwara – Lord of All
- Shambho – The auspicious one
- Shankara – Lord of All Gods
- Shantah – Preceptor of Skanda
- Shoolin – Giver of Joy
- Shreshtha – Lord of the Moon
- Shrikantha – Always Pure
- Shrutiprakasha – The one who has a trident
- Skandaguru – Illuminator of the vedas
- Someshwara – One who has a pure body
- Sukhada – The giver of joy
- Swayambhu – Self-created
- Tejaswani – One who spreads illumination
- Trilochana – Three-eyed Lord
- Trilokpati – Master of all the three worlds
- Tripurari – Destroyer of the ‘Tripur’ (the 3 planets created by Asuras)
- Trishoolin – One who has a trident in his hands
- Umapati – Consort of Uma
- Vachaspati – Lord of Speech
- Vajrahasta – One who has a thunderbolt in his hands
- Varada – Granter of Boons
- Vedakarta – Originator of the Vedas
- Veerabhadra – Supreme Lord of the Nether World
- Vishalaksha – Wide-eyed Lord
- Vishveshwara – Lord of the Universe
- Vishwanath – Master of the Universe
- Vrishavahana – One who has the bull as his vehicle
Shiva is addressed by thousands of names, however, they all lead to the same supreme consciousness; like how all rivers and streams merge into the ocean and become one.
ChantingOm Namah Shivayadaily leads to inner peace and stability.
The Shiva Tattva can be experienced through many methods, one of the topmost methods, and a simpler one, is through a deep meditative state. This meditative state can be attained through breathing techniques and pranayama. Discover the effective practices at The Art of Living Meditation and Breath Workshop and attain a deeper meditative state effortlessly!
