Shiva Essay -- Character Analysis, Gokhale

shiva represents the most essential goodness, that is the destroyer of all. shivah is male, and yet contains female. He is peaceful, yet with the literal flaunt of an eye he can destroy the insane asylum. He is the god of feel and death, of destruction and rebirth (Gokhale 8). How can all that is opposite be embraced at bottom one single being? This is the mystery of shibah. With his 1008 different names, this represents the mass of his unconceivable mysteries (Gokhale 3). As the god with the sterling(prenominal) following in the Hindu religion, Shiva is know for his divine family, his extraordinary powers, his appearance, and his millions of devotees. He is one of the most well cognise and most worshipped aspects of Eastern Philosophy, and has left a mark in the philosophical systems around the world today. Shiva the god first appeared in Eastern Philosophy in the year 2500 B.C.E., and was portrayed in a yoga-like position with three faces and two arms (Gokhale 9). The story is told by Gokhale that Parvati, Shivas wife, in her incarnation as Kali, embarked to achieve destruction (33). Shiva, attempting to gritty her, turned himself into a corpse in order to block her trend (33). Kali used the power of feminine energy, or Shakti, to revive Shiva (33). This revival transformed him from a shava, or lifeless corpse, into Shiva, the master of the universe (33). Once becoming Shiva, he soon began to form a family. Shivas family came to include his wife, Parvati, two sons, Kartik and Ganesha, and his sacred bull, Nandi (Gokhale 7). Sati was Shivas first wife, whom upon dying at a sacrificial ritual ceremony came to be reborn as Parvati (Gruenwald). Shiva and Parvati were once again immediately attracted to for each one other, and Parvati wanted to wed Shiva in... ...nd destruction is a preconceived pattern around the world (Pandit). Shivas popularity and aspect is not whole limited to the Eastern Hemisphere, but can be found in nations and cultures circling the globe today.Although Shiva is correctly labeled as the god of destruction, the surname is often incorrectly perceived. While he does destroy, his destruction is used for the creation of new beginnings. Without Shiva, cycles would endlessly continue and evil forces would never be give up of from the Earth. These aspects of Shiva and the history hes endured has earned him his position in the Hindu god triad. The many devotees to Shiva around the world prolong helped accumulate his popularity as one of the top recognizable gods in the world, along with his son Ganesha. Shiva is the mysterious key to unlocking and understanding one of the greatest aspects of Eastern Philosophy.