Shiva
/ˈʃiː.və/noun
A major Hindu deity associated with destruction, transformation, asceticism, meditation, and regeneration.
Did you know?In the Vedic tradition, “Shiva” may have begun as a benevolent euphemistic epithet for the fierce god Rudra, turning a terrifying force into “the auspicious one.”
Etymological Timeline
Vedic Period, c. 1500–500 BCE
Sanskrit
śiva
“Auspicious, gracious, benevolent, or propitious”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Śiva
“An epithet meaning “the auspicious one,” associated with the fierce deity Rudra”
Epic Period, c. 400 BCE–400 CE
Sanskrit
Śiva
“A principal divine name of the god associated with destruction, asceticism, and cosmic transformation”
Medieval India
Sanskrit
Śaiva
“Relating to Shiva or devoted to Shiva”
17th–18th Century
English
Shiva
“The Sanskrit name adopted into English writing for the Hindu deity”
Modern English
English
Shiva
“The Hindu god and a central figure in Shaivite religious traditions”