| Shiva |
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| Written by Administrator |
| Saturday, 21 March 2009 20:18 |
 Shiva is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. Within Shaivism he is viewed as the supreme deity, whereas in other branches of Hinduism such as the Smarta tradition he is worshipped as one of the six manifestations of the divine. Shiva is usually worshipped as the Shiva linga. In images, he is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation or dancing the Tandava upon the demon of ignorance in his manifestation of Nataraja, the lord of the dance. Shiva is believed to be at the core of the centrifugal force of the universe, because of his responsibility for death and destruction. Shiva is the dissolving force in life. But Shiva dissolves in order to create, since death is the medium for rebirth into a new life.
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