Siva
/ˈʃiː.və/noun
Siva is an alternative English spelling of Shiva, a major Hindu deity associated with destruction, transformation, asceticism, and regeneration.
Did you know?Siva was originally an epithet meaning “auspicious” or “kind,” likely used to refer indirectly to the fierce Vedic god Rudra before becoming his principal name.
Etymological Timeline
Vedic Period
Vedic Sanskrit
śivá
“Auspicious, favorable, gracious, or kind”
c. 1500–500 BCE
Vedic Sanskrit
Śiva
“An auspicious epithet associated with Rudra, the fierce storm and wilderness deity”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Śiva
“The personal name of a major deity linked with destruction, asceticism, fertility, and cosmic transformation”
Medieval Period
Sanskrit
Śaiva
“Of or devoted to Siva; the source of terms for the Siva-centered religious tradition”
19th Century
English
Siva
“An English transliteration and variant spelling of Sanskrit Śiva”
Modern English
English
Siva
“A variant spelling of Shiva, the Hindu god of transformation and regeneration”