Lord Shiva, known as Adidev, has no beginning and no end. He embodies infinite divine power and majesty. Join us as we explore the fascinating aspects and facts about the revered Adidev.

Namaste!
Welcome to the world of resolute readings at www.onindianpath.com. Let’s delve into the lesser-known facts about Lord Shiva.
Introduction
Lord Shiva, the auspicious one, stands as a central pillar in the trinity of Hinduism, embodying the cosmic dance of creation and destruction. Revered as Adidev, the primal god, he is the eternal force who breathes life into the universe. With a serene yet fierce demeanor, Shiva’s many names—Neelkanth, Bholenath, Mahadev, Chandrasekhar, Tripurari, and Gaureesh—reflect his multifaceted nature. His presence, symbolized by the crescent moon on his forehead and the sacred river Ganga flowing from his locks, transcends time and space, inviting devotees to seek solace and enlightenment in his divine embrace.
Lets read about the hidden facts about Lord Shiva as mentioned in holy texts :
Lord Shiva’s weapons
a) India is the land of devotion to Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti. Shiva’s weapons include Shiva’s bow, also called Pinak. Did you know that Pinak is the same bow that Lord Rama broke during the swayamvara of Goddess Sita? This bow was given by Lord Shiva to King Janak, father of Goddess Sita.
b) Second in the row is the Trishul. The Trishul is a three-pointed trident symbolizing creation, protection, and destruction. It is one of the most symbolic weapons in Hinduism. Lord Shiva used the Trishul to kill many demons. According to ancient texts, Lord Ganesha lost his human head due to the Trishul. Additionally, Lord Shiva killed Andhaka with his Trishul. Interestingly, both Ganesha and Andhaka were manifestations (Manas putra) of Goddess Parvati.
c) Next is Pashupatastra. And, it is believed to be the most deadly weapon in Hindu mythology. This astra (weapon), associated with Pashupati (lord of animals), a form of Shiva. However, it can be unleashed through the mind, eyes, words, or a bow.
As per the Mahabharata, when Pashupatastra was released, it had the power to consume the entire universe in an instant. Particularly, Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and goddess Lakshmi, goddess Parwati and goddess Saraswati are protected from this weapon.
Although, in different yugas (ages), Arjuna, Sage Vishvamitra, and Ravana’s son, Meghnad, possessed this powerful weapon.
d) Chandrahaas, is another weapon given to demon king Ravana by Lord Shiva as a result of his great penance. As name suggests, Chandrahaas is the blade represents the giggling of the moon. Also, its shape like sickle moon, looking like a grin. Ravana won many fights utilizing this blade.
e) Parashu (battle axe) is the powerful weapon given to Parashurama (incarnation of Lord Vishnu) by Mahadev. Lord Shiva possessed a Parashu named Vidyudabhi, which had mystical powers. Additionally, both Goddess Durga and Lord Ganesha wielded this weapon. This Parashu featured four cutting edges—one on each end of the blade head and one on each end of the shaft.
Lord Shiva’s snake
Have you noticed the snake wrapped around Lord Shiva’s neck? It is called Vasuki. Vasuki’s elder brother is named Sheshnag. Sheshnag is the same serpent on whose coils Lord Vishnu sleeps.
Goddess Parwati, his consort
Certainly, Lord Shiva is incomplete without his consort. His first wife was Sati. In her next rebirth, Sati was reborn as Maa Parvati, also known as Uma Kali. I have covered the importance of Goddess Parvati as Shakti in my previous blog, Ardhanarishwar.
His sons
In addition to, Lord Shiva’s had 6 main sons – Lord Ganesha, Lord Kartikeya, Sukesh, Jalandhar, Lord Ayyappa and Bhuma. The story of everyone’s birth is interesting, will be covering in upcoming blogs.
Lord Shiva’s disciples
Further, he has 7 disciples who are considered the initial Saptarishis. They played vital role in spreading the Lord Shiva’s knowledge to the world. Furthermore, Lord Shiva started the tradition of Guru and Shishya. Shiva’s disciples are –
- Sage Kashyapa,
- Sage Atri,
- Sage Vashista,
- Sage Vishvamitra,
- Sage Gautama Maharishi,
- Sage Jamadagni and
- Sage Bharadvaja
His Ganas
Lord Shiva has an army of Ganas. Besides his Ganas are the host of ghosts, spirits, and apparitions that accompany Lord Shiva. They are Ghosts, Nagas, Yakshas, ​​Pramathi, Pishach, Rakshasa Gan, Vinayak, Guhyak, humans and gods, Gandharva, Vidyadhar, Siddha.
His gatekeepers
Shiva’s gatekeepers includes Nandi, Skanda, Reeti, Vrishabha, Bhringi, Ganesh, Uma-Maheshwar and Mahakal.
Lord Shiva’s attire
Moreover Lord Shiva is known as master of all aspects of life. Shiva’s attire is such that people of every sect gets life lessons from it. His attire includes:
- Tiger skin: Mahadev wears tiger skin, symbolizing courage, detachment from material possessions, and inner strength.
- Rudraksha bead garland: Lord Shiva adorns himself with Rudraksha beads around his neck, on his head, and as armlets. These sacred dried seeds symbolize purity, concentration and divine protection, embodying a profound spiritual connection and protective energy.
- Snake: Lord Shiva, known as Neelkanth for holding the Halahal poison (during Samundra Manthan) in his throat, turned his neck blue, representing his vishuddhi chakra. The serpent Vasuki, coiled around him, symbolizes Shiva’s transcendence beyond time and death, and the dormant power within him known as Kundalini Shakti.
- Trishul represents the three fundamental aspects of life, also known as Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna.
- Moon: Lord Shiva adorns himself with the moon on his head, symbolizing his yogi avatar. This celestial ornament reflects his eternal serenity and the blissful state of his divine consciousness.
- Garland of skulls: This signifies Lord Shiva as a Kapalika, or ‘Skull-Bearer,’ referencing the time he removed Brahma’s fifth head. Snake-shaped earrings, known as ‘Nagabharana,’ symbolize Shiva’s mastery over fear and death.
Lord Shiva’s caves
Did you know that Lord Shiva carved a cave with his trident? Yes, using his trishul, he created a cave in the Trikuta hills (150 km from Jammu) to escape from Bhasmasur, and then hid inside. In another legendary tale, the cave where Lord Shiva imparted the secret of immortality to Goddess Parwati is renowned as the Amarnath Cave.
Lord Shiva’s footprints
There are many temples where Lord Shiva’s footprints can be found. One such temple is Sripad, located on the peak of Ratan Island mountain in Sri Lanka, featuring footprints that are 5 feet 7 inches long and 2 feet 6 inches wide. These footprints, mentioned in holy texts, have stood the test of time. Another significant site is Rudra Pada in the Sriswedaranyeshwar Temple in the Thiruvengadu area of Nagapattinam district, Tamil Nadu. Additionally, in Tezpur, Assam, the Rudrapada Temple houses a mark of Shiva’s right foot. Baba Tanginath Dham, an important Shaivite site located 175 kilometers from Jharkhand, is also believed to contain Shiva’s footprints.
Lord Shiva’s incarnations
Particularly, incarnations of Lord Shiva are Veerbhadra, Pippalad, Nandi, Bhairav, Mahesh, Ashwatthama, Sharabavtar, Grihapati, Durvasa, Hanuman, Vrishabha, Yatinath, Krishnadarshan, Avdhoot, Bhikshuvarya, Sureshwar, Kirat, Suntanartak, Brahmachari, Yaksha, Vaishyanath, Dwijeshwar, Hansroop, Dwij, Nateshwar etc.
The contradictory family of Lord Shiva
Why did I say so? There is a lot of contradiction among family members regarding their choice of Vahana. Lord Kartikeya’s vehicle is a peacock, while Mahadev has Vasuki, the snake, around his neck. Interestingly, peacocks and snakes are natural enemies. Similarly, Lord Ganesha’s vehicle is a mouse, yet snakes prey on mice. Goddess Parwati’s vehicle is a lion, whereas Lord Shiva’s vehicle is Nandi, the bull—two animals that typically cannot coexist. Despite these differences, there is unity within the divine family.
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God of meditation, Lord Shiva
Adiyogi, Sarveshwara, Nataraja, and Yoginath are different names given to him for his profound significance in meditation and yoga. Did you know that offering Bilvapatra to the Shivalinga and chanting mantras like the Shiva mantra or meditating near the Shivalinga strengthens the path to salvation?
Lord Shiva fasts and festivals
Also, devotees observed fasts on Monday, Pradosh and Shravan mas. Masik Shivratri, Sawan Shivratri and Mahashivratri are the main festivals of lord Shiva.
Many names of Lord Shiva
Although, Lord Shiva has many names, out of which 108 names are mentioned in the Puranas, but here are the popular names-
- Mahesh,
- Neelkanth,
- Mahadev,
- Mahakal,
- Shankar,
- Pashupatinath,
- Gangadhar,
- Nataraja,
- Trinetra,
- Bholenath,
- Adidev,
- Adinath,
- Trimbak,
- Trilokesh,
- Jatashankar,
- Jagdish,
- Pralayankar,
- Vishwanath,
- Vishweshwar,
- Amarnath or Baba Barfani
- Shivshambhu,
- Bhootnath and
- Rudra.
Shivlinga of Lord Shiva
According to Vayu Purana, the one in which the entire universe gets absorbed during the time of destruction and from which it again appears during the time of creation is called Linga. Thus, the entire energy of the universe is the symbol of Linga. In fact, this entire universe is in the form of Bindu-Naad. Bindu is Shakti and Naad is lord Shiva. Bindu means energy and Naad means sound. These two are the basis of the entire universe. That is why Shivlinga is worshipped in the symbolic form.
Twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva
Popularly known as pilgrimage sites, every Hindu should go to teerth. The list of these Shivlingas :
- Somnath,
- Mallikarjuna,
- Mahakaleshwar,
- Omkareshwar,
- Vaidyanath,
- Bhimshankar,
- Rameshwar,
- Nageshwar,
- Vishwanath,
- Trimbakeshwar,
- Kedarnath,
- Ghrishneshwar.
There are many beliefs prevalent regarding the origin of Jyotirlinga. Jyotirlinga means ‘Vyaapak Brahmaatmalinga’ which means ‘Vyaapak light’. There are twelve parts of Shivlinga. According to Shiv Puran, Brahma, Maya, Jiva, Mind, Intellect, Chitta, Ahankar, Sky, Air, Fire, Water and Earth have been called Jyotirlinga or Jyoti Pind. According to another belief, according to Shiv Purana, in ancient times, Jyoti Pinds fell on Earth from the sky and they spread light for a while. Many such meteors fell on Earth from the sky. Out of the many bodies that fell in India, only twelve major bodies were included in Jyotirlinga.
Philosophy of Lord Shiva
Moreover, those who see the life and philosophy of Lord Shiva from a realistic point of view are Lord Shiva devotees with correct intellect and grasp the reality. Because the philosophy of Shiva says that live in reality, live in the present, do not fight with your thoughts, look at them as strangers and use imagination also for reality. Before Einstein, Shiva had said that imagination is more important than knowledge.
The problem solver
However, there was constant competition between the gods and the demons. Whenever needed, Lord Shiva has given darshan and vardan to people in every era. Besides, Lord Shiva was there during the time of Rama. Lord Shiva was there during the Mahabharata era as well and there is a mention of Shiva’s darshan during the era of Vikramaditya as well. According to Bhavishya Purana, Lord Shiva had also given darshan to King Harshvardhan.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Lord Shiva transcends life and death, embodying kindness, selflessness, strength, and deep familial love. His impartiality is evident as he bestows blessings upon both Ravana and lord Rama, and grants boons to demons like Bhasmasur and Shukracharya. As the supreme deity, Lord Shiva’s divine presence and blessings extend to all, regardless of their background, caste, or creed, making him the ultimate protector and benefactor of all beings.
Har Har Maha Dev.