One of Hinduism’s Three Great Gods, "God of Destruction and Transformation"
In Hindu tradition, Shiva is named with Brahma and Vishnu as one of the "three great gods," representing creation, preservation, and destruction. Shiva is often depicted as an ascetic yogi meditating in the Himalayas, a third eye on his brow and a serpent about his neck, the patron of yogic practitioners; he is also the "Lord of the Dance" (Nataraja), whose cosmic dance symbolizes the eternal cycle of creation and destruction — for Hinduism, destruction is not an end but the prelude to transformation and rebirth.
Hindu tradition records that the gods and asuras together churned the ocean of milk to win the nectar of immortality, and in the churning there first arose the deadly poison "halahala," enough to destroy the world. Shiva stepped forward and swallowed it, and his wife Parvati caught his throat in time so the venom lodged there and did not enter his body; his throat turned blue-black for life, earning him the name "Nilakantha" (the blue-throated one).
As "Lord of the Dance," Shiva performs the "Tandava," treading on a dwarf that symbolizes ignorance, ringed in flame — this dancing image is among the most recognizable in Hindu art, symbolizing the five eternal operations of creation, preservation, destruction, concealment, and grace all occurring at once within this single step.
Below are how modern works borrow or reinterpret this name or story — not the original material. The two differ, so keep them apart.
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