Shiva is a major deity of Hindu traditions, revered especially in Shaiva communities. In many Shaiva philosophies he is the supreme divine reality; in other Hindu traditions he is honoured as a great deity whose relationship to the supreme is explained differently. His familiar forms include the meditating ascetic, the householder with Parvati, Nataraja the cosmic dancer, and symbolic worship through the Shiva linga.
Shiva is associated with both dissolution and renewal, but describing him only as ‘the destroyer’ misses much of his religious significance. Devotees also approach him as a compassionate lord, teacher, protector and source of liberation. Scriptural accounts and philosophical schools do not describe all these roles in exactly the same way. A responsible introduction therefore distinguishes shared devotional imagery from the teachings of a particular tradition.