Who is Shiva

Today @DeepakChopra tweeted: "Shiva brings pure consciousness to a sacred marriage. It invisibly makes every action an action of God." After reading, I said to myself, "who the heck is Shiva and what does he have to do with marriage?" Subsequently, I googled 'Shiva' and the following is what I found:


Shiva's internet adjectives: Supreme God; the destroyer; Hindu diety, God, and Lord; destroyer of the universe; Auspicious One; main Deities of Hinduism; destroyer and restorer; great ascetic and symbol of sensuality; benevolent herdsman of souls and wrathful avenger; has power over deadly creatures; dance; role model for a husband; represents the threefold qualities of nature: creation, preservation and destruction; represents the cycle of life, death and rebirth; Lord of Time; destroyer and creator of all things; controller of sexual energy and fertility; destroys with fire; husband of Parvati; has qualities of both male and female; loving deity; cosmic lord; expands the entire universe and all beings in it......

Conclusion: He is a loving Hindu God with qualities both male and female. He is a symbol of sensuality and fertility. He is a destroyer and restorer of life and the universe, and represents the threefold qualities of nature: life, death, and rebirth. He is a devoted husband and father making him a good role model for marriage.


Resources: Sanatan Society; Shiva, Shiva The Destroyer, Hindu God Shiva, Lord Shiva; Shiva, Shiva Lingham; and Google