Shiva literally translates to that which is not. The entire galaxy is just a tiny ant in the mighty universe. The rest of it is a vast emptiness that is known as Shiva. Shiva is ‘shakti’ or power, Shiva is the destroyer, the most powerful god of the Hindu pantheon, and one of the godheads in the Hindu Trinity. Known by many names – Mahadeva, Mahayogi, Pashupati, Nataraja, Bhairava, Vishwanath, Bhava, Bhole Nath – Lord Shiva is perhaps the most complex of Hindu deities. Hindus recognize this by putting their shrine in the temple separate from those of other deities.
Lord Shiva has a huge amount of followers and is worshipped by many. The worshipping of Shiva is called Shaivism which is one of the four major sects of worship in Hinduism. The people that follow Shaivism are called ‘Shaivas’. They consider him to be the most supreme and divine ruler of this universe who acts as a creator, protector as well as a destroyer. Shiva is worth the number of worshippers he has. Here are the reasons why you should worship Lord Shiva
1. Shiva rewards the devotees that please him
Shiva is known to grant boons to his devotees frequently, even if they happen to be some really wicked ones. He is called Bholenath, the innocent one, because he is pure in heart and easy to please. This means that if you love him and worship him, and even if you have some defects and weaknesses, you can be sure of his love and compassion.
Shiva rewards his devotees irrespective of their background, strength, weakness, or intentions. He doesn’t give attention to whether a person is good or bad. If he is pleased with what you have then he will reward you according to your wishes and never say no to what you want. Due to this, he is also called ‘Bhole Nath or the innocent lord.
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Shiva Blessing Parbati
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2. He is very unconventional
Shiva makes and breaks all social customs and moral codes to convey his state of freedom. He is the lord of the Tantra, who permits left-hand methods of worship to sublimate evil tendencies to show that we need to transcend all dualities and judgment to achieve liberation. This means you do not have to worry about what you eat, how you live, what lifestyle you follow, what norms you practice, and to which caste or social background you belong.
3. Shiva represents our body
Shiva can be split as Sha+ee+va which is
Hence, this makes him a god worth worshipping and loving as he teaches you to treat women equally and with respect.
Ee stands for eeshwara or life-giving energy
Va stands for vayu or motion
Hence, Shiva represents the body and its life and movement. If the ‘ee’ is removed the body becomes ‘Shava’ which means a corpse. Hence Shiva is the life of our body. Without Shiva, only a lifeless body is left. Also, in order to attain atonement and liberation from your sins, it is necessary to worship Shiva who will forgive your sins and lead you forward on the path of life.
4. It is easy to worship Him.
To worship Shiva you do not require the services of a priest. You can walk into any Shiva temple and offer him prayers directly, or you can pray to him in your own heart and offer anything with love. This means you have a direct connection with Shiva and he listens to your prayers directly.
5. Lord Shiva makes your anger acceptable and tolerable
Shiva can really get frighteningly angry at times and unleash his destructive powers. No one wants to see Shiva angry, even gods, because when he is angry he can do terrible things. This means you can acknowledge your anger as an aspect of Shiva and not feel guilty about it.
6. Lord Shiva is a very good husband
Shiva treats his wife Parbati with great love and respect. He not only made her an inseparable part of him but also ensured that she would receive equal honor, by giving her a place to sit by his side, which many Hindu men and even gods like Vishnu and Brahma do not consider necessary. This means if there is one deity who truly deserves our love and respect, and who represents today’s values, it is Shiva. Hence, this makes him a god worth worshipping and loving as he teaches you to treat women equally and with respect.
7. Shiva considers family to be an important aspect of life
Shiva has a family. He has a wife who is goddess Parvathi and two sons- Lord Ganesha and Lord Karthikeya. He loves his family and always spends time with them in his home in Kailash. He knows the value of having a family and hence worshipping him would help you in learning how important having families are. The devotee would come to know about the importance of relationships and how to give and take love and respect. He would have a sense of duty towards his family members and always give them more priority.
8. The immense power of Lord Shiva
Shiva has immense powers. He destroys our suffering, the poison of human life, and removes from us impurities such as ignorance, egoism, delusion, attachment, and pride to facilitate our spiritual growth. This means if you are looking for a change or direction in your life, he is the right deity to worship.
9. Lord Shiva is the lord of the animals
Shiva is also called ‘Pashupatinath’ which means the Lord of all animals or beasts. This word is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘pashu’ which means animal and ‘pati’ which means protector. He was given this title by Lord Vishnu after he defeated the three demons that ruled Tripura, the three cities of illusion. Shiva is known for his compassion and kindness towards animals and he does not harm them in any way. His own son Ganesha has an elephant head. Anyone who loves animals and wants to protect them should worship lord Shiva to attain his blessings for the animals.
Siva with Nandi
10. Lord Shiva gives you wisdom and knowledge
Shiva is the world teacher. All knowledge flows from him, especially the liberating knowledge, in the form of Ganga. He is rightfully the source of all arts, crafts, and sciences. He Himself is a good musician, dancer, and singer. This means you should choose Shiva as your inner Guru and worship him because there is no better Guru than Shiva in the whole creation. Worshipping him and considering him your guru will prove to be a blessing on your path to success.
11. Shiva is a deity of supreme power
Shiva is the destroyer and the creator of this universe. He is the one that takes care of the life cycle and balance in this universe. He destroys evil and lets the good growth. In human beings, he is the destroyer of bad emotions like- ego, jealousy, cruelty, etc. Worshipping him would remove your sufferings and make your path through life better. He is also known for his forgiveness and worshipping him would lead to you being forgiven for your sins and becoming pure again.
12. Shiva is fair in his justice
Lord Shiva passes judgment fairly. He gives his devotees what they deserve on the basis of how strong their faith is and how hard they try to get his blessings. He punishes when someone does something wrong. But he also showers his blessings on people who are good.
