Hinduism Research Paper

Lord Shiva, meaning the Auspicious One is Sanskrit, is a highly worshipped deity in Hinduism. In Hindu mythology, Brahma and Vishnu were born out of Lord Shiva and the three were separated into three different aspects of divinity. Shiva is the Destroyer God as he dissolves the universe for the next cycle of creation and destroys obstacles for his devotees. Today, Shaivism is a popular sect in Hinduism, predominantly in South India, where devotees believe Shiva is All and omnipresent. Lord Shiva is always portrayed with the same postures and symbols in various forms of media such as paintings and idols. Shiva is the ultimate role model for a Hindu trying to attain moksha by embodying the four stages of life, the cycles of creation and the
In these specific types of Shiva depictions, his eyes are always mid-way between opened and closed. When Shiva’s eyes are completely closed, there is the dissolving of the universe and when his eyes are fully open, there is a new cycle of creation. Therefore, midway between the two is the current state of universe. The half-closed, half-opened eyes are how a person practicing yoga’s state of mind should be. It should be between consciousness, where one is fully aware of their surroundings, and subconsciousness, where one ignores the distractions presented by the environment. The meditative pose of Shiva is also significant because it represents his life as an ascetic. Being in the last of the four stages of life, an ascetic embarks on a lone journey of self-discovery without the constant distractions civilization possesses. Shiva goes through the four stages of life and becomes an ascetic by abandoning all civilization (shown through his long matted hair.) Therefore, Shiva acts as a reminder and role-model for humans to follow the four stages of life. Many yogis cloth themselves and meditate in the same manner as Shiva does in his pictures to