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SIVA
ŠIVA IS one of the most important and popular gods of India. The Amarakosha gives a list of his forty-eight names. Siva is identified with the Vedic Rudra, who is clothed in a skin and inhabits the mountains. His favourite weapons are the bow and arrow. He also uses a Thunderbolt occasionally. He is the father of the Maruts. He is also called Tryambak, son of Three Mothers. The Three Mothers of Tryambak are Earth, Atmosphere and Heaven. Siva's wife is Ambikā. Rudra is also identified with Agni. The Vājasaney Samhitā says that Agni, Asani, Pasupati, Bhava, Sarva, Išāna, Mahādeva, Ugradeva, are all forms of the same god.
The Vedic Rudra appears to be a terrible god who has to be constantly pacified. Many Vedic hymns are addressed to him wherein he is asked not to destroy our cattle' or 'our children, relatives, people,' etc. He is also asked to protect people from disease, thieves, etc. When worshipped, Rudra becomes a beneficent deity. He is the supreme Medicine Man, and the God of Medicine. He protects human beings and animals from disease. Since he takes care of the animals he is called Pasupati (Lord of Animals). Worship is offered to him constantly and he is asked to be beneficent always, to become 'Siva' (Auspicious).
Rudra took birth to punish Prajāpati who committed the great sin of incest with his own daughter. He pursued his own daughter Sarasvati who was fleeing in the form of a deer. To pursue her he himself became a fleet-footed animal.
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Till the period of the Smritis and the Dharmasūtras (6th century B.C.) Rudra was a terrible god. Offerings to Rudra were made outside the town limits. Rudra being a non-Aryan god, ho continued to be described as a deity more to be feared than to be respected and revered. This was in a way symbolic of the early conflicts between the Aryan and Dravidian cultures. Gradually, as a synthesis was effected, Rudra the Inauspicious became Siva, the Auspicious. He was even married to the daughter of the Aryan deity Daksha Prajāpati. In spite of this, however, the character of the God changed only slightly. He was still the inhabitant of cemeteries, who applied ashes to his naked body covered only by a deer-skin and ornamented with a garland of skulls, wandered about in the jungles and over mountains, carrying an alms bowl made of a skull top, accompanied by dogs. His father-in-law Prajāpati was repelled by his looks and once refused to invite him to a sacrifice. Incensed, Siva produced a son who destroyed Daksha's sacrifice. In spite of this sacrilege Siva ultimately became Aryanised and became as important as Vishnu. The Aryans, while assimilating Siva into Aryanism, gave him the function of Destruction.
Siva is today one of the most popular gods to whom a very large number of temples are dedicated. He has a very large following. His followers are today divided into a number of sects, viz., Saiva, Pāśupata, Käpälika, Kalamukha, Lakulisa, Virasaiva, etc.
The Siva-Puräna regards Siva as performing
