Avataars of Shiva

[Guest guest]

Dear esteemed members,

 

I would like to know if Lord Shiva also has avatars like vishnu.

If yes, what are they, if not, why not?

 

I would also like to know, why in some temples, Shiva is worshipped as Linga, and in others in his original form, and elsewhere as nataraja etc...

 

Thanks for your replies.

[jagdish]

Here are some extracts in answer to your query...

 

Traditionally, unlike Vishnu, Shiva does not have any avatars. However, several persons have been claimed as avatars of him, such as Shankara/Adi Shankara/Shankaracharya. Some people consider Hanuman (the 11th Rudra incarnation) to be an avatar of Shiva.

 

Nayanars (or Nayanmars), saints from Southern India, were mostly responsible for development of Shaivism in the Middle Ages.

 

The important Shaivite sects were Kashmir Shavaites from Northern India, Lingayats and Virasaivas from Southern India. Saiva Siddhanta is a major Shaivite theory developed in Southern India.

 

Shiva has produced no full lifetime avatars, but short stage dramas to help his devotees (particularly nayanmars). This is greatly explained in Thiruvilayadalpuram. Basically all this happened in South India, mostly Tamil Nadu. Madurai was the host for most of the short avatars.

 

He is worshipped in his various forms because he appeared in those forms for various purposes.

 

Example:

 

As Nataraja, Shiva is the Lord of the Dance, and also symbolises the dance of the Universe/Nature, with all its delicately balanced heavenly bodies and natural laws which complement and balance each other. At times, he is also symbolized as doing his great dance of destruction, called Taandav (Pronounced with a soft 't' and a hard 'd'), at the time of pralaya, or dissolution of the universe.

 

The Lingam, symbolises his form as Maha Kaal, Absolute/Eternal Time etc and is worshipped in this form as the formless absolute.

 

His other main forms are the great yogi, or ascetic, and Nataraja, Lord of the Cosmic Dance. As a yogi he is depicted as seated deep in meditation in the Himalayas, holding a trident, a snake coiled around his neck, his body smeared with ashes, and his hair long and matted. As Nataraja, he is shown four-armed, bearing various emblems, and dancing on one foot on a prostrate demon. Shiva's mount is the bull Nandi, and his consort is the goddess Uma, Parvati, Durga, or Kali(pronounced Kaali).

 

Hope this Helps

 

Best Wishes

Jagdish

[maadhav]

your post is very good. thanks.

 

<< What You are I Once Was, What I am, Soon You Will Become. >>

 

could you please tell how you could say as above,

without letting the world know what you are?

 

 

[jagdish]

Thank you, only presented that which i was able to find.

 

What you are = I used to be young, healthy, attractive once upon a time...

 

Now I am no longer (with time everything that which is temporary fades/withers), so one should not have false pride/ego upon one's temporary possessions, etc.

 

and now what I am, you will also soon become.

 

Best Wishes

Jagdish

[Guest guest]

It is said though in the Linga Purana that Shiva takes incarnation quite often as sages to teach spiritual knowledge.

 

Shiva Purana 1.24.10-18 (Rudra speeking to Brahma)

 

In the course of that kalpa (Varaha kalpa) containig the four yugas, towards the end of Kali, I will be born to bless the worlds and for the welfare of the brahmins, O Brahma. As the yuga proceeds further, when the great lord himself becomes Vyasa, during the first Dvapara age I will be born at the end of Dvapara as sage Sveta. I will be endowed with a tuft and will stay on the excellent mountain Chagala a beautiful peak of the Himalaya mountain.

Then my disciples will be four noble brahmins, the masters of the Vedas and having tufts. They will be Sveta, Svetasikha, Svetasya, and Sveta-lohita. After attaining Brahman's goal, they will approach me and will be devoted to the path of meditation and yoga. O Brahma in the second Dvapara age lord Prajapati will become Vyasa, known as Sadya. Then in the Kali age, I will be born by the name Sutara for the welfare of the world, with a desire for blessing the disciples. My disciples will be known by these names: etc. etc.

 

Further He says He will be born as Damana, Suhotra, Kanka, Laugaksi, Jaigisavya and so on and so on for 9 more pages.

 

By the way the 11 Rudras are all expansions of Shiva.

[Guest guest]

Sri Advaita the associate of Krishna Chaitanya is also supposed to be an combined incarnation of Sadashiva and Mahavishnu.

[Guest guest]

"The Lingam, symbolises his form as Maha Kaal, Absolute/Eternal Time etc and is worshipped in this form as the formless absolute"

where did u get this information?

 

[jayan008]

 

<< What You are I Once Was, What I am, Soon You Will Become. >>

 

Well said.

 

[Guest guest]

Just my view on this topic -

 

From various mantras of Shiv I find he represents "tat purusharth" or the eternal masculine principle. As such every man is his incarnation. His various "forms" like Nataraj are just whatever remaining mentions we have of the times he was recognised and remembered in a form by people.

 

Some research into ancient temples of India showed me that wherever there is a temple in India it is originally a Shiv temple (ie; both Shiv and Shakti). At the Jagannath Mandir in Puri, which is supposed to be a Krishna Temple (Vishnu) researchers have found it was first a Shiv Temple. Basically, in old times, even the incarnations of Vishnu are also no one but Shiv himself in body form, and were worshipped as such.

 

The division of Shiv from Vishnu is something very recent and if you think about it really makes no sense. Vishnu, Shiv and Brahma are all the same consciousness.

 

Just as all the Goddesses, from Parvati to Lakshmi are all Shakti; So every God is no one but Shiv.

[Guest]

At the time of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. His associate Shri Mukundanand Brahmchari is supposed to be the incarnaton of Shiva.