Talk:Shiva/Archive 4

Recent edits
Hello, I noticed you changed "later exchanges" to "borrowed", this is not accurate as the source (Book of Shiva by Namita Gokhale) talks specifically about depictions of Shiva in Afghanistan & Tajikstan (painted murals) which was influenced by Indian iconography with the spread of Mahayana Buddhism. Therefore, "later exchanges" is appropriate as these "later exchanges" took place between (Kushan era - Gupta era), since it was not a one-way borrowing from C.A as you wrote. Hope this clears things, please fix it.

Also, Please check the dating source on this sculpture "Shiva standing on Apasmara, carved on the lingam in Gudimallam, 1st century BC", since the Gudimallam page source claims it's from 3rd century B.C, both look suspicious. 117.198.114.70 (talk) 08:49, 11 March 2018 (UTC)

Address this issue please.117.198.242.3 (talk) 21:39, 12 March 2018 (UTC)


 * ✅ Please consider signing off your posts with your username if you are a registered Wikipedia user (Chetan vit (talk) 19:29, 15 March 2018 (UTC))
 * I checked the source for the dating and it mentions only the 3rd century BCE date. (Chetan vit (talk) 19:44, 15 March 2018 (UTC))

lord shiva — Preceding unsigned comment added by 122.167.74.255 (talk) 07:51, 24 May 2018 (UTC)

shiva har 2 koner — Preceding unsigned comment added by 185.36.212.34 (talk) 11:54, 8 October 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 5 January 2019
On the Shiva wiki entry, Shiva is described as the "creator, preserver, and destroyer" within the Trimurti, along with Vishnu and Brahma. In reality, Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the preserver, and Brahma is the destroyer. Reference the Vedas if you need proof. This distinction is important. Name Shiva as the destroyer, not the entire Trimurti. 2601:982:C100:9966:4C91:92DE:10AA:514E (talk) 06:24, 5 January 2019 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Baby miss fortune 07:01, 5 January 2019 (UTC)

Lead section: explanation of his role in Shaktism
As a layperson, I find these statements hard to follow.

In the Shaktism tradition, the Goddess, or Devi, is described as one of the supreme, yet Shiva is revered along with Vishnu and Brahma. A goddess is stated to be the energy and creative power (Shakti) of each, with Parvati (Sati) the equal complementary partner of Shiva.

Questions in my mind which require possible clarification in text are:
 * ....yet Shiva is revered along with Vishnu and Brahma In what way? How are the three revered in the first place in this tradition?
 * ..stated to be the energy and creative power (Shakti) of each, with Parvati (Sati)... creative power of each, what? Didn't the preceding statement just say there's a goddess who is the supreme, or is it goddesses?

I couldn't copy edit this area since I myself don't know what's intended here. Ugog-public (talk) 12:05, 21 July 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 23 September 2019
Mantra needs to be changed to ॐ नमः शिवाय; per the temple inscription 64.222.180.90 (talk) 16:21, 23 September 2019 (UTC)
 * Not necessary, it's enough to show the transliteration in the Latin alphabet in this article, those who want to see the Devanagari version can click on the link. – Thjarkur (talk) 15:33, 30 September 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 10 December 2019
I would like to humbly request to add the following 4th paragraph to the 'In Contemporary culture' section. The link for this game is (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.theshyshrew.boomshiva&hl=en). Thanks for your time.

In contemporary culture In contemporary culture, Shiva is depicted in films, books, tattoos and art. He has been referred to as "the god of cool things"[361] and a "bonafide rock hero".[362]

Popular films include the Gujarati language movie Har Har Mahadev,[363] the Kannada movie Gange Gowri and well-known books include Amish Tripathi's Shiva Trilogy, which has sold over a million copies.[361] On television, Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev, a television serial about Lord Shiva on the Life OK channel was among the most watched shows at its peak popularity.[364]

In the Final Fantasy videogame series, Shiva is often depicted as a benevolent ancient being of Ice Element who frequently aids the heroes against mighty foes (via summoning).[365] Shiva is also a character in the video game Dark Souls, with the name Shiva of the East.[361]

In the Mobile Game 'Boom Shiva', Shiva is depicted as a being from outer space. After his vessel crashes into Earth and almost destroys it, he sets out to help Mother Earth(Parvathi) heal. During the process of this healing, Shiva falls in love with Parvathi(Mother Earth), and together they create the first man and woman, in their image. Later in the game, Parvathi(Mother Earth) takes on the form of Goddess Kali and brings down her rage on the Human Beings of the 21st Century for almost destroying Mother Earth and all other living things. Shiva is the one who calms Kali and asks her to give the humans another chance, promising to manifest each human and bring out their pure and empathetic side. The destruction created by the humans manifests in the form of a being called 'Kalyug', who Shiva defeats in the end of the game. Unscientifically (talk) 10:04, 10 December 2019 (UTC)
 * Not done, significance needs to be demonstrated by multiple secondary sources. See also WP:SPAM – Thjarkur (talk) 11:53, 10 December 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 28 December 2019
lord shiva is a tamil word and it is not a sanskrit word.in sanskrit he is mainly mentioned and praised as mahadev. Sudu6s (talk) 07:56, 28 December 2019 (UTC)


 * ❌. It's not clear what changes you want to make. –Deacon Vorbis (carbon &bull; videos) 15:48, 28 December 2019 (UTC)

Please fix syntax of ungrammatical sentence
Reading the article, I find the following sentence: "The word shivoham means the consciousness of one individual, the lord says that he is omnipotent, omnipresent, as he is present in the form of one's consciousness."

I am not intending to see something wrong with the intended meaning of that sentence. But I am saying that it is ungrammatical, and that, in its present syntax, it does not have a definite or clear meaning. I will not here and now try to guess what is its intended meaning, but I am asking local editors here to fix it. Perhaps the present syntax is missing something slight, such as a conjunction; perhaps there is some bigger error. In general, a grammatical sentence needs correct syntax in order to give it proper semantics; the sentence fails in that.

Local editors, please fix it.Chjoaygame (talk) 10:08, 10 May 2020 (UTC)

Thanks for bringing it up, I'll look into it ASAP. AnM2002 (talk) 09:01, 15 May 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 11 September 2020
Hello! I really want to edit something. I know something about the Lord Shiva. In old times some people believed something called the Naalumurthi. It is kind of like the Trimurti. Except it contains 4 gods. In Shaivism (where the Naalumurthi originated), the gods were Shiva-Lord of Creation and the Supreme Being,Vishnu-Lord of Preservation,Brahma-Lord of Production, and Rudra-Lord of Destruction. 168.69.254.102 (talk) 00:14, 11 September 2020 (UTC)


 * ❌. It's not clear what changes you want to make. Also, what you personally know doesn't matter; it's what reliable sources have to say about the topic. –Deacon Vorbis (carbon &bull; videos) 01:29, 11 September 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 14 October 2020
May I add in the section "Contemporary Culture" another thing Shiva was in, Shuumatsu no Valkyrie? HeavenlyKitsune (talk) 13:25, 14 October 2020 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the template. Note that the Contemporary Culture section is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all works in which Shiva has appeared. &#8209;&#8209; El Hef  ( Meep? ) 14:57, 14 October 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 23 October 2020
That mantra is written with a 'dirgha', elongated syllabification of Mahamantra in the aside (right) section, the correct form is ॐ नमः शिवाय,

Please see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_Namah_Shivaya

Please re-write this to correct this error. 2601:1C1:8901:A600:9135:A10F:A59B:642B (talk) 21:52, 23 October 2020 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done for now: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format.  -ink&amp;fables     «talk»   07:21, 24 October 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 1 November 2020
I a, writing because since I am a Hindu I know that Brahman the Supreme god is actually called AdiShiv therefore I would like to add that Magneticcrayon (talk) 19:08, 1 November 2020 (UTC)
 * We try to reflect what reliable sources say. – Thjarkur (talk) 20:09, 1 November 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 4 December 2020
Add the The destroyer of the universe 78.150.153.22 (talk) 19:23, 4 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. "The Destroyer" is a title that is currently cited multiple times already. If "Destroyer of the Universe" is a separate title that is theologically separate from "the Destroyer" or "The Destroyer of Evil" we need reliable sources for that title.  [[User:Eggishorn|Eggishorn ]] (talk) (contrib) 21:17, 5 December 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 10 December 2020
Please include my topics, 'Shiva Tandava Stotram' and 'Shiva Tandava Stotram Lyrics'in this page. YOGAMAYEE (talk) 05:48, 10 December 2020 (UTC)
 * ❌ The article Shiva Tandava Stotra exists, but the lyrics should not be added (WP:NOTLYRICS). ◢  Ganbaruby!   (Say hi!) 12:40, 10 December 2020 (UTC)

Regarding a page
Copied from User talk:Joshua Jonathan Hi Joshua Jonathan, You have completely changed what i wrote on Shiva page. May i know the reason. Because the quote which i added is explaining the process on how people started associating Shiva with Rudra. You have completely removed that sentence and added another sentence from that page. If you want you can add that too without removing this. May i know the reason for removing what i wrote. Thank you. -  MRRaja001  (talk) 09:52, 18 December 2020 (UTC) End op copied part


 * at the Shiva section you added diff the following:
 * Quite obvious, a subsection on Vedic elements is not the right place to add this. You also changed
 * into
 * That's not what Chakravarti writes, nor Sadasivan. I moved your quote upwards to the appropriate place, and trimmed it diff:
 * I also added some other info from
 * The Hindu synthesis is a scholarly name for the process Sadasivan refers to. Regards, Joshua Jonathan  - Let's talk!  10:23, 18 December 2020 (UTC)
 * That's not what Chakravarti writes, nor Sadasivan. I moved your quote upwards to the appropriate place, and trimmed it diff:
 * I also added some other info from
 * The Hindu synthesis is a scholarly name for the process Sadasivan refers to. Regards, Joshua Jonathan  - Let's talk!  10:23, 18 December 2020 (UTC)
 * The Hindu synthesis is a scholarly name for the process Sadasivan refers to. Regards, Joshua Jonathan  - Let's talk!  10:23, 18 December 2020 (UTC)
 * The Hindu synthesis is a scholarly name for the process Sadasivan refers to. Regards, Joshua Jonathan  - Let's talk!  10:23, 18 December 2020 (UTC)
 * The Hindu synthesis is a scholarly name for the process Sadasivan refers to. Regards, Joshua Jonathan  - Let's talk!  10:23, 18 December 2020 (UTC)


 * Okay. -  MRRaja001  (talk) 20:10, 30 December 2020 (UTC)

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Lord Shiva's Third Eye
Lord Shiva has a third eye on their forehead which they're only known to open when they are about to destroy something. Their eye destroys everything in front of it. Once, Lord Shiva was sitting fully engaged in meditation. Goddess Parvati, his consort came there and playfully covered both his eyes with her hands. Immediately, the entire universe plunged into darkness. ... With his divine power, Siva created a third eye in the center of his forehead. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Uuuuujl (talk • contribs) 23:42, 2 January 2021 (UTC)

Lord Shiva
Shiva (/ˈʃiːvə/; Sanskrit: शिव [ɕɪʋɐ], IAST: Śiva, ISO: Śiva, About this soundlisten (help·info), lit. 'The Auspicious One'), also known as Mahadeva (lit. 'The Great God'),[9][10][11] is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism. महादेव ओम नमः शिवाय (talk) 14:57, 19 January 2021 (UTC)

Not clear what you want to change. .💠 245CMR 💠. •👥📜 04:05, 20 January 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 19 April 2021
It is not god of destruction. It is god of completeness. 2401:4900:4BCE:A152:1:0:5A3:64E5 (talk) 15:32, 19 April 2021 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. &#8209;&#8209; El Hef  ( Meep? ) 17:44, 19 April 2021 (UTC)

Lord Shiva Family
Lord Shiva is usually called the god of prosperity. He is a householder, again a monk. As a householder, he has a large family. He easily frees his devotees from various problematic situations in life. He is Devadideva. According to Vedanta he is Maha Ishvar. In the Svetasvatara Upanishad, he is described as the Supreme Brahman. Goddess Parvati, the daughter of Himavan, practised severe penance to win Lord Shiva's heart. After years of Tapasya she succeeded in convincing Lord Shiva to accept her as his wife. Shiv-Parvati or Shiv-Durga couple is one of the most worshipped couples in Hinduism. Lord Shiva is a householder, again a monk. As a householder, he has a large family.

Five Sons of Lord Shiva
Everyone knows the names of Shiva's two sons, Kartikeya and Ganesha. But many may not know that Mahadev has three more sons. Like their father, they also have great qualities. Let's find out the brief stories about Shiva's five sons.

Kartikeya
Kartikeya or Kartik is the first child of Lord Shiva. Kritika, the wife of a sage, nurtured him and he was named Kartikeya. Skanda Sashti or Kumar Sashti, a popular Hindu festival is dedicated to him. His other name is Skanda. Skanda Purana, the largest of all the Puranas, is titled after him. Shiva-Parvati gave birth to this child to kill Tarakasura. In South India, this son of Shiva is worshipped as Murugan.

Ganesha
There are many stories in mythology about the birth of Ganesha. According to Ganesha Purana and Shiva Purana, Goddess Parvati made a beautiful idol. After making it, Parvati liked it very much. Then she gave it a life. This idol was named Ganesha. Seeing Ganesha's intellect and qualities, the gods accepted him as Gananayaka. They decided to worship him before any puja.

Ayappa
After Kartikeya and Ganesha, Ayappa is considered to be the son of Shiva. It is said that Vishnu took the form of Mohini to save Mahadev from the hands of Bhasmasura. This Ayappa is the great son of Mohini and Shiva. Like Kartikeya, Ayappa is worshipped in the south India.

Andhakasura
Many have heard the name of Andhakasura. He is believed to be the son of a demon named Hiranyaksha. In fact this Andhakasura was the son of Shiva. Once Parvati joked and closed Shiva's eyes. As a result, creation also became dark. Meanwhile, Shiva's body gradually became brighter. Mahadev started sweating. From one drop of Shiva's sweat a blind son was born. He was named as Andhakasura. Later, Hiranyaksha appeased Shiva in austerities and got Andhak as his son. It is said that Andhakasura had to lose his life at the hands of Shiva because Andhakasura looked at Parvati with covetous eyes.

Angarak
Shiva's fifth son is Angarak. He is also known as Mangal. Many, however, think that Angarak is the son of Vishnu. It is heard that Parvati fell in love with an orphan boy named Sukesh. She informed Mahadev about the matter. They then adopted Sukesh as their adopted son.

Five Daughters of Lord Shiva
What is the number of daughters in Shiva's family? Most of the people will tell you with their eyes closed - two, Lakshmi and Saraswati. But suddenly, if someone says that there are three more daughters of Shiva, then you may be surprised. Going through the pages of 'Shiva Purana', one can really find three more daughters of Shiva. Their names are Ashok Sundari, Jyoti and Manasa. Let's see the brief stories about Shiva's five daughters.

Lakshmi
Lakshmi is a Hindu goddess. She is the goddess of wealth, spiritual wealth, good fortune and beauty. She is the wife of Vishnu. Her other name is Mahalakshmi. Lakshmi's vehicle is an owl. Lakshmi is the goddess of six special qualities. He is also the source of Vishnu's energy. When Vishnu incarnated as Rama and Krishna, Lakshmi became their companion in the form of Sita and Radha. Worship of Lakshmi is performed in the homes of most Hindus. His special puja is performed on the days of Diwali and Kojagari full moon. It is known as Kojagari Lakshmi Puja. Bengali Hindus worship Lakshmi every Thursday. However, in the story of Durga Puja, the biggest festival of Bengali Hindus, Lakshmi is one of the two daughters of Shiva-Parvati.

Saraswati
Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, intellect and learning. She is one of the trinity goddesses Saraswati-Lakshmi-Parvati. The job of these three goddesses is to help Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva to observe the creation of the world respectively. Saraswati's skin color is white. White lotus is his seat. He has a book in one hand and a harp in the other. He is called Veenapani because he has a harp in his hand. Hindu devotees worship goddess Saraswati on the day of Basant Panchami, and chant Saraswati mantra. The first mention of Saraswati is found in the Rig Veda. She is the wife of Brahma. However, in the story of Durga Puja, the biggest festival of Bengali Hindus, Saraswati is the daughter of Shiva-Parvati.

Ashoka Sundari
Once Parvati felt intense loneliness on Mount Kailash. She created Ashoka Sundari as her companion. This girl was named Ashoka because she was able to make forget the grief of her mother's loneliness. According to a legend, when Ganesha lost his head in a battle with Shiva, Ashoka Sundari hid his head in a bag of salt. From then on, salt became the main taste of life. Goddess Ashoka Sundari is still worshipped in Gujarat.

Jyoti
The word 'jyoti' means 'light'. According to a story, she was born from the emanating light of Mahadev. According to another story, she appeared from the third eye of Parvati. In several temples in Tamil Nadu, she is worshipped as the goddess Jwalamukhi. It is mentionable that Jwalamukhi temple located in Himachal Pradesh, India, is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas.

Manasa
Manasa is another daughter of Shiva. She is the presiding deity of the serpent family. According to the Puranas, at the touch of Shiva, the serpent mother Kadru became pregnant and gave birth to Manasa. Manasa is a popular goddess in Bengal.

Nandi and Bhringi
Like other members, the names of Nandi and Bhringi are also associated with the Shiva family. Nandi and Bhringi are the two closest followers of Shiva. Shiva and Ganesha always kept them under strict discipline. If they disobeyed, they were sometimes sent into exile from Kailash to earth. Among Shiva's followers, Nandi is Shiva's vehicle. Nandi is also worshipped as a bull along with Shiva in the temples. YOGAMAYEE (talk) 13:13, 29 April 2021 (UTC)

Not done, please keep the article in a WP:GA form, also not a reliable source . 245CMR . •👥📜 13:33, 29 April 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 3 June 2021
Lord shiva had 11 children, 3 daughters and 8 sons. These were not produced by the union of shiv and paravati but they still would count as his children.

Daughters: Ashok sundari, Jyoti, Manasa Sons : kartikeya, Ganesh, Jalandhar, andhak, Ayyappa, Sukesh, bhoona(mars) and khuja 59.89.178.140 (talk) 19:11, 3 June 2021 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. RandomCanadian (talk / contribs) 21:34, 3 June 2021 (UTC)

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Bhimbetka
Rock art of Bhimbetka is variously dated from 10,000 BCE to historical and some even to medieval. There is no way to determine a absolute date for rock art. Rock art are always exposed to elements and life, therefore they are subject to organic contamination and radiation. Need clarity on that subject before making huge claims about antiquity of specific paintings ChandlerMinh (talk) 09:44, 20 September 2021 (UTC)

"The God of Cool Things"?
In the "In Contemporary Culture" section of Shiva's page, I disagree with having the statement, "He has been referred to as "the god of cool things"[393]"

While we can all agree that this is Shiva's archetype, one of which reflects of a romantic rebel....is he actually being referred to as the "god of cool things"? Who other than Wendy Doniger, the writer cited; is referring to Shiva as the "god of cool things"? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Interstellar1129 (talk • contribs) 04:49, 19 November 2021 (UTC)

Use in Freemasonry
In Freemasonry, Shiva, sometimes spelled Siva to conform to Kabbalah, is taught in the final few grades as a primer for the worship of Lucifer at the 33rd degree. The order maintains that these beings are one-in-the-same. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2405:6582:8580:C00:B914:52AA:311E:CE1B (talk) 08:04, 29 November 2021 (UTC)

Shiva’s Children
Everyone knows that shiva had 2 sons but what about shiva’s daughter ashok sundari? Why is there nothing about her? 2407:7000:9FEF:9700:2C00:F80F:3D80:6F28 (talk) 01:30, 2 December 2021 (UTC)

Expressions of Indra Agni Rudra as Siva is plain unrealistic and must be removed
The entire information on Siva is not expressed in alignment with truth which must be corrected by adhering to the true siddhars. The entire sect of indra agni rudra and morphing them as Siva are totally unacceptable expressions and plain falsehood. This has to be completely removed from the wiki and the actual true expression of Siva which is Anbu or unconditional love and as expressed famously as Anbe Sivam must be researched and truth must be published. 183.82.176.73 (talk) 19:03, 17 December 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 17 December 2021
I want to add on to Shiva's children such as adding more clarification. 104.5.57.10 (talk) 19:23, 17 December 2021 (UTC)
 * Red question icon with gradient background.svg Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Cannolis (talk) 19:31, 17 December 2021 (UTC)

Lead Issues
In it's current state, the lead section of the article has a few issues.
 * 1) The third sentence in the article is "In Sanskrit language, Kal means time." This does not fit with the rest of the section: the word Kal is not used in the lead at all. The sentence is also ungrammatical, and appears in the blurb for the article. This probably ought to be deleted.
 * 2) The first sentence of the second paragraph contains the phrase "as we know him today," which is tonally inappropriate for an encyclopedia.
 * 3) The third and fourth sentences of the third paragraph read: "In the Shakta tradition, the Goddess, or Devi, is described as one of the supreme, yet Shiva is revered along with Vishnu and Brahma. A goddess is stated to be the energy and creative power (Shakti) of each, with Parvati (Sati) the equal complementary partner of Shiva."  These sentences are very vague and confusing. What Goddess? by 'one of the supreme' does it mean 'a member of the Trimurti'? are the goddesses (the energies of each) the same as the Goddess mentioned in the previous paragraph?
 * 4) The first sentence of the fourth paragraph ("Shiva is the primal Atman (Self) of the universe.") is tonally inappropriate (WP:NPOV) and vague (in what tradition(s) is this belief held?)
 * 5) The second sentence of the fourth paragraph ("There are many both benevolent and fearsome depictions of Shiva") appears grammatically muddled, and (accidentally?) suggests that some depictions of Shiva are simultaneously benevolent and fearsome.

I would make edits to correct these issues myself, but I know almost nothing about Hinduism, and since the page is a GA I do not want to introduce inaccuracies. Hopefully someone with more knowledge can make the necessary edits to the lead. Winthrop23 (talk) 12:58, 10 February 2022 (UTC)

Shiva Tandava Stotram
Shiva Tandava Stotram is one of the important Shiva mantras. The stotram was written by Ravana, an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. It was also chanted first by Ravana himself. Shaivites or Shiva devotees in the world strongly believe in the miraculous benefits of Shiva Tandava Stotram.

The legend behind Shiva Tandava Stotram goes like this: Ravana was one of the most important characters and antagonists of the Ramayana story. He won over Kubera, Ravana’s step brother and the king of Lanka before Ravana. After this victory Ravana was doing a parikrama (circumambulation) of the entire universe on a Pushpak Viman (flying chariot). When he came near Mount Kailash, the chariot stopped itself and Ravana was disturbed by this incident. Mount Kailash asked Ravana to change his route as Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati were taking rest then. But Ravana didn’t pay heed to the words of Kailash and got annoyed with Kailash. He got off the chariot and thought that he would remove or lift the mountain by his hands. At that moment the entire universe felt intense turbulence as Kailash is believed to be the center of the earth as well as the sacred abode of Lord Shiva as per Hinduism.

In order to teach him a lesson, Lord Shiva pressed Mt. Kailash with his toe. So, the hands of Ravana began to crush between Kailash and the ground. He cried in immense pain and his crying sound could be heard in all three worlds ie Earth, Heaven(Swarg lok) and Hell (patal lok). The sound is called as RAV(crying in agony) in Sanskrit. Seeing the agony of Ravana, gods and Narad Muni felt pity and came to Ravana and suggested him to pray to Lord Shiva as he would surely forgive. Ravana was stuck in that condition for 14 days chanting various Shiva mantras (hymns). Then, on the evening of Pradosh kaal (around 1 hour before and after sunset), he chanted the Shiva Tandava stotram with immense devotion in perfect rhythm. His words were magical and could be heard across the universe. Everybody was mesmerized listening to Shiva Tandava Stotram praising Lord Shiva and describing Shiva’s infinite beauty and power.

In the end, Shiva came down and forgave him. After this incident, Shiva gave him the name “RAVANA”. Earlier he was known by Dashanan (ten-headed man) and after this, he was called Ravana. Shiva was very happy after listening to Tandava Stotram as it was beautifully composed in perfect rhythm by the most Vedic knowledgeable person named Ravana. He was blessed by Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge. Shiva then gifted him “Chandrahas” sword. ‘Chandra’ means Moon and ‘Has’ means smile. The sword was in Moon crescent shape and indestructible. This is how Ravana composed and gave a sacred gift of Shiva Tandava Stotram to the universe.

Reference formatting
I think this article would benefit from some tidying of the references, in particular converting the plain-text shortened footnotes to use harvnb / sfn. Any thoughts / comments? Wham2001 (talk) 12:32, 29 January 2022 (UTC)


 * Since nobody has objected in 11 weeks I will get started on this, though it's going to take a while given the length of the article... Wham2001 (talk) 19:49, 18 April 2022 (UTC)

Content verification
@Redtigerxyz Would you be able to verify the the content added in these edits? Thanks! — DaxServer (t · m · c) 10:08, 13 May 2022 (UTC)


 * Done. Most of text could not be verified from references. Rest merged suitably. Redtigerxyz  Talk 04:50, 14 May 2022 (UTC)
 * Thanks! — DaxServer (t · m · c) 04:52, 14 May 2022 (UTC)
 * @Chronikhiles Please propose your edits here. Two editors found your edits to be lacking. Instead of indulging in edit warring, you have to discuss it first. If not, you'll see yourself at WP:AN3 — DaxServer (t · m · c) 11:05, 19 May 2022 (UTC)

Dravidian evolution restoration
The deity Shiva has his origins in the Indus Valley Civilisation, whose cultural descendents carried him to the Dravidian lands. There exists a rich history of Shaivism in Tamilakam and the south millennia ago that is not mentioned once in the article. I took it upon myself to write as much with references included, but certain Wikipedia editors seem to be adamant about repressing this part of history for a twisted agenda that I can't fathom. This needs to be restored, for the acknowledgement of traditions and diversity if nothing else. Chronikhiles (talk) 13:04, 19 May 2022 (UTC)


 * Please quote the relevant parts from the references with page numbers to support the facts in the proposed section. I tried to verify the sentences from the references, however could not find them. Redtigerxyz  Talk 17:54, 19 May 2022 (UTC)

Shiva has 3 son
Lord Shiva has 3 sons Ganapati Murugan Ayyappan 59.95.3.105 (talk) 06:45, 19 February 2023 (UTC)


 * Yes, Shiva is known to have many children. However, I think that this article is only mentioning his children with his wife, his other half in the Ardhanarishvara, Devi Parvati! Swami Ayyappan's biological mother is Mohini, Vishnu's female avatar. Also, Swami Ayyappan was adopted by the King of Pandalam- who became his father as well. 104.230.12.92 (talk) 17:27, 22 March 2023 (UTC)

Shiva worship was prohibited in Hinduism
I did not see how Shiva was introduced into Hinduism. Initially worshiping Shiva was prohibited because of being mlechcha but finally was accepted. Would you please mind to add such a very important point 146.196.47.133 (talk) 15:36, 22 July 2022 (UTC)
 * Shiva was mentioned in the Vedas, for example in Rig Veda 7.59.12: "Tryambaka we worship, sweet augmenter of prosperity. As from its stem the cucumber, so may I be released from death, not reft of immortality." Temp0000002 (talk) 09:31, 2 September 2022 (UTC)
 * Vedanta which is the oral and written down foundation of Hinduism regards Maha Deva Shiva is a balancing energy or force that works with Brahma and Vishnu.

Brahma Deva creates, Vishnu Devata sustains, Maha Deva Shiva destroys. A paradox, he also takes halahala to protect the Universe. — Preceding unsigned comment added by TejeshwarTaneja (talk • contribs) 22:56, 16 January 2023 (UTC)


 * Simply beautiful! Lord Shiva is not the destroyer, he is a creator and protector! He is Mahadev! It is once said that when Brahma and Vishnu were quarreling among themselves about who is more powerful, Shiva revealed himself to them as a column of radiant fire and informed them that whoever found the source or limit of it would be superior to the other. After this laborious task, Vishnu discovered that his attempts to find the origin of "Varaha" were futile and acknowledged his inability to do so. Brahma has found out the same, however, due to his pride, he claimed that he had reached the end. As a result, Shiva cursed him for his ego and stated that he will no longer be worshipped in temples. It was then they discovered who was the Mahadev! 104.230.12.92 (talk) 17:42, 22 March 2023 (UTC)

Change title of page
The title of page needs to be changed to "Maha Deva Shiva"

Maha- Great Deva - God Maha Deva Shiva

Maha Deva is a title attached to Lord Shiva. — Preceding unsigned comment added by TejeshwarTaneja (talk • contribs) 22:56, 16 January 2023 (UTC)


 * Yes, Lord Shiva is Mahadev, the supreme being of the universe. He existed before there was anything and he will exist after there is nothing. He is what we have and what we do not have. He is everything! He is Devon ke Dev, Mahadev! However, I think the title of the article is appropriate as not everyone views him as such, even in Hinduism in itself. Om Namah Shivaya! 104.230.12.92 (talk) 17:32, 22 March 2023 (UTC)
 * No, I think the title is fine… 104.230.12.92 (talk) 15:56, 2 April 2023 (UTC)

Use of the phrase "Hindu Mythology"
While I understand that this well-written article was created with good intentions, the phrase "Hindu Mythology" has erupted throughout all Wikipedia articles about Hinduism- or Hindu-related gods and can be interpreted as disrespectful. Hinduism is a religion, a way of life, and the 1 billion people who follow this way of life hold its "myths" in high regard. The phrase "Hindu mythology" has been incorrectly used synonymously with the religion for many years, which is understandable, but perhaps it is time to modify that. It is disturbing to simply dismiss the religion as "mythology" given that it is still practiced by a significant portion of the world's population (about 15%). Additionally, as a Hindu myself, I believe it to be quite disrespectful to both my existence. Our Shiva, our Mahadev, is a reality for many, so please refrain from dismissing our Lord Shiva as a myth. I humbly request that the use of mythology in this article should be corrected. I will also be posting this on many other talks including the Hindu Mythology wiki page.

I believe the article (linked below) put it best...although the words myth or mythology itself do not mean fiction, they certainly imply it. Perhaps using the a phrase "Hindu epics" or even "Hinduism" itself is a start.

https://bookriot.com/hindu-epics-are-they-myths/

Thank you for understanding and hope to see some changes! :) OtherstuffWP (talk) 21:01, 21 March 2023 (UTC)


 * As a Hindu myself, the phrase Hindu mythology is perfectly fine to say. It refers to our collection of stories, and tales that teach us our Sanatana Dharma, our way of life. It does not at all promote that our ideas are fiction. In fact, even if it did imply such, it should not be a problem because as long as you or I believe in what we believe, then Mahadev is with us. Because we both are Bhagvan and Shakti as Shakti and Bhagvan is in us. The Self, the Truth is in both of us. Whether we choose to believe in such is a choice. I believe that every religion in the world is connected through one belief- GOD is with us. We should let people believe and say whatever they wish to say and let it not alter us. 104.230.12.92 (talk) 23:33, 18 April 2023 (UTC)
 * Please understand that editors that work on Hindu mythology articles have reiterated for over a decade that the term mythology, as far as this encyclopedia is concerned, refers to a collection of traditional stories or narratives, with no connotation of fiction or falsehood. Choose not to be disrespected and you won't feel disrespected. Chronikhiles (talk) 11:33, 10 May 2023 (UTC)

Inclusion of Tamil
Tamil being the oldest language in the world than Sanskrit needs to be included in displaying shiva's name. Shiva himself spoke that language and it cannot be neglected because of hatredness towards it! 122.164.84.18 (talk) 07:45, 5 June 2023 (UTC)
 * Shiva himself is a mythological figure and we don't know what language he spoke. There is no reason to include Tamil in this and the Brahma article over any other Indian language. If we have Tamil in the lead someone will add Kannada, and then Oriya, and then Malayalam, and before you know we've got every Indian language represented before you even get to the first sentence.
 * Does anyone else agree/disagree? Dāsānudāsa (talk) 09:51, 5 June 2023 (UTC)
 * It's your ignorance to state that all other language people would ask to add theirs if we add Tamil. The reason to add Tamil is that it is the oldest language than Sanskrit. It is not wrong to add Sanskrit represting North Indian language and likewise Tamil for a Dravidian language. Since all other Dravidian languages were born from Tamil and Sanskrit together! Shiva is not a mythological figure, he's not some iron man or super man. He is person who lived and became immortal. He spoke Tamil and we have ample evidence for that ex. Sage Agastya! It is your biased nature to not include tamil thinking other language people would ask for the same. That can't be entertained as we soley only have Tamil and Sanskrit as the first languages spoken in Bharath 122.164.84.18 (talk) 11:28, 5 June 2023 (UTC)
 * 122, this article's lede is not the place to re-fight old linguistic battles over the primacy and age of Sanskrit and Tamil. Please establish consensus for inclusion instead of edit-warring. Personally, I am okay with the article lede as it is or even with removing the Devanagari spelling (while leaving in the Romanization and IPA, since they provide important information about pronunciation). But again wait for consensus before changing the stable version. Abecedare (talk) 14:00, 5 June 2023 (UTC)
 * You first wait for consensus before removing it. Same here, it is not the place for linguistic battles. Tamil is the oldest classical language even before Sanskrit existed! If you can have your preferred classical language, why not tamil as it is the oldest one of all. It is your ignorance and personal bias which is the actual problem. Shiva spoke tamil and being the oldest language in the world, it must be included!!!! 122.164.84.18 (talk) 14:43, 5 June 2023 (UTC)
 * See WP:BRD. Abecedare (talk) 14:48, 5 June 2023 (UTC)
 * It is very clear that Tamil should be included as Shiva spoke it. We cannot just neglect something that is of real importance because of your personal bias! As the oldest language, it is not morally right for someone to add Sanskrit and neglect Tamil. 122.164.84.18 (talk) 14:54, 5 June 2023 (UTC)
 * 1. It's not the oldest language, and even if it was that wouldn't warrant inclusion here on its own. 2. Agastya is not a reliable source. 3. Accusing other editors of having biases is a personal attack 4. You're on 3 reverts now so if you try and edit-war to force through your changes again you're heading for a block Dāsānudāsa (talk) 15:05, 5 June 2023 (UTC)
 * Tamil is the oldest language and just that you are not aware of it properly. You need to do some research to know it. If Sankrit can warrant a inclusion to describe names at the starting of every important religious Indian page, why can't tamil warrant an inclusion as it's the most familiar and 1st language of this country! There is no point in giving facts to biased mindsets! The point of adding Sanskrit is because of its classic origination. Tamil has more classical origination and can be taken as the language which gods spoke it. All evidence is present that Tamil is the oldest language of this earth! 122.164.83.29 (talk) 21:43, 8 June 2023 (UTC)

122, Sanskrit is presumably included to explain the etymology of the name "Shiva" for the subject of this article; see also Encyclopedia Britannica. Arguments over which language is oldest, first, classical etc are irrelevant to this article and discussion page. Abecedare (talk) 21:51, 8 June 2023 (UTC)


 * The problem itself is using only Sanskrit to show etymology of a word. Tamil is more classical and older to show etymology of any word. It's your wrong perception that i am arguing, I am just educating your ignorance. 122.164.86.143 (talk) 09:36, 12 June 2023 (UTC)
 * The Tamil language template is used in Hinduism-related articles for texts and deities of Tamil origin in the lead, such as Mariamman, Murugan, and Valli. This is a reasonable convention that does not need to be expanded for chauvinistic reasons. Chronikhiles (talk) 12:01, 14 June 2023 (UTC)
 * I agree with @Abecedare and @Chronikhiles here. Sanskrit is generally used to explain the etymology for terms such as "Shiva", but "Shiva" being Tamil or North Indian should not be relevant here (though with proper citation, the Tamil/North Indian and relation with "Rudra" can be discussed somewhere in some section/sub-section). Asteramellus (talk) 22:56, 15 June 2023 (UTC)
 * @Chronikhiles Exactly it's you who's trying to bring up a chauvinistic reason by potraying mariamman and Valli as Tamil origin gods and Shiva as some North Indian god. Tamil language existed even before a single letter of Sanskrit was invented, so it is not wrong to regard it at first place instead of Sanskrit. What is the sole purpose of using only Sanskrit as primary etymology! That itself was brought up because of some biased thought years back when giving it for all Hindu gods. 122.164.86.184 (talk) 11:51, 17 June 2023 (UTC)
 * @ 122.164.86.184
 * A) No one claimed that Shiva is a "North Indian" god.
 * B) The age of the Tamil language is irrelevant to this discussion.
 * C) As stated before, the consensus is that the etymology of Shiva is Sanskrit.
 * D) Your perception bias is irrelevant to this discussion. Chronikhiles (talk)  14:10, 17 June 2023 (UTC)
 * The why did you justify by saying mariamman and Valli can regarded as Tamil gods. First learn and don't be ignorant. Mariamman is Shakti, Shiva' wife. Just that she is in a different form. The age of Tamil is relevant because if an language like Sanskrit can be included then tamil having its own classical nature can be included. It's not consensus etymology that Sanskrit was included, it was included because of biased nature. You first of all came into this discussion knowing nothing, only just burning for you since i put Sanskrit down to tamil. You change and bias and get educated! @Chronikhiles 122.164.86.184 (talk) 17:14, 17 June 2023 (UTC)
 * You first change and don't be biased and ignorant with knowledge! 122.164.86.184 (talk) 17:16, 17 June 2023 (UTC)
 * First of all you people supporting have no open mindedness and no clever perception at all! That's why you ask Sanskrit to keep it as etymology reference when there are other more classical Indian languages. Grow up 122.164.86.184 (talk) 17:20, 17 June 2023 (UTC)

Move discussion in progress
There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Nilkanth (disambiguation) which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RMCD bot 18:02, 26 August 2023 (UTC)