In Hinduism, there are three principal deities and one among them is Lord Shiv. Shiv ji is considered as the destroyer of the universe. It is said that whenever the universe reaches the end of its timeline Shiv ji destroys it hence preparing it for another creation and allowing Lord Brahma to create a new universe. Shiv ji is worshiped by different names and forms in various parts of India. In this article, we will have a brief look at the various incarnations of Shiv ji. So, let us begin by understanding what an incarnation is and the reasoning behind these many forms or incarnations of Shiv ji.
What does incarnation mean
Before exploring these incarnations, it’s important to understand what an incarnation is and why these forms exist. In Sanatan Dharma, an “avatar” refers to the divine descent of God, not just as a human but sometimes in other forms too. Whenever injustice or unrighteousness dominates or when divine intervention is necessary, the Lord takes an avatar to restore balance.
When we talk about the incarnations of the gods, the first deity that comes to our mind is Lord Vishnu, who has taken nine avatars so far and is expected to take the tenth avatar in the Kali Yuga. Many people are aware of Lord Vishnu’s incarnations such as Rama and Krishna, but not so many people are aware about the avatars of Lord Shiva. It is important to understand that Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, and Lord Brahma themselves are not considered incarnations because, in our Sanatan Dharma, it is believed that these three gods are beyond birth and death. Now, let us begin by learning about the avatars of Lord Shiva.
There is a saying in Hinduism: “Jaaki rahi bhaavana jaisi, Prabhu murat dekhi tin taisi,” which means that the Lord appears to his devotees in the form they perceive them. Hence, Lord Shiva has many names and forms created by his devotees for worship.
19 Avatars of Lord Shiva
According to the Kurma Purana, there are 28 avatars of Lord Shiva, but the Shiva Purana mentions only 19 avatars, hence we will have a quick look at these 19 avatars only:
Piplaad Avatar
Saturn or Shani Dev is considered to cast bad shadows on human beings according to their deeds of past births or present birth. It is believed that worshiping this avatar of Lord Shiva saves devotees from the malefic effects of Saturn. The story behind this avatar is that Lord Shiva took birth as the son of sage Dadhichi and his wife. However, due to the bad effects of Saturn at his birth, his parents died. To avenge this, Piplaad took control of Saturn when he grew up. Later, when all the gods requested Piplaad, he released Saturn in return for a promise that Saturn will not cast his malefic glance on anyone until they reach the age of 16.
Nandi Avatar
Nandi who is also the gatekeeper of Kailash and the vehicle (vahan) of Lord Shiva was born to a sage ‘Shilada’. To obtain a boon from Lord Shiva, the sage performed severe penance and prayed for a son who would live forever and this is how Nandi was born as an incarnation of Lord Shiva.
Virabhadra Avatar
This is a furious form of Lord Shiva. It is believed that after Devi Sati, the wife of Lord Shiva, self-immolated herself at her father Daksha’s Yajna, Lord Shiva became extremely angry and created Virabhadra and Rudrakali from a lock of his hair. All the sages, the demi gods present at the yajna got feared by the looks and anger of Virabhadra. Virabhadra and Rudrakali then destroyed the Yajna and Virabhadra also beheaded Daksha.
Sharabha Avatar
According to the Shiva Purana, this avatar of Lord Shiva appeared with the body of a bird and the head of a lion. He was born to calm the anger of Lord Vishnu’s Narasimha avatar, who had killed the demon Hiranyakashipu (father of Prahalad). This avatar is also worshiped as Sarabeshwara.
Hanuman
Born to Anjani and Kesari, this avatar of Lord Shiva played a crucial role in assisting Lord Ram (Incarnation of Lord Vishnu in Treta Yuga) in finding Lord Ram’s wife Sita and defeating Ravana in the Ramayana. Known for his devotion to Lord Ram, Hanuman is considered immortal due to a boon granted by Lord Ram. It is said that by worshiping Lord Hanuman one can take the blessings of all the gods and goddesses.
Ashwatthama
Sage Dronacharya once performed severe penance to please Lord Shiva and upon being pleased with his devotion Lord Shiva gave him a boon and incarnated as his son, Ashwatthama. He was a prominent warrior in the Mahabharata. Though born a Brahmin, he was raised as a Kshatriya and therefore he was well trained in warfare and archery. He also had a divine gem on his forehead granting him extraordinary powers.
Bhairava Avatar
It is considered as one of the fiercest incarnations of Lord Shiva. Once Lord Brahma lied about his supremacy when a discussion started between him and Lord Vishnu as to who is supreme powerful and who shall be worshiped more. When Brahma lied, Bhairava appeared and he decapitated Brahma’s fifth head. Later Bhairav was cursed to roam with the skull of Brahma for 12 years. He later got salvation in the city of Kashi.
Durvasa Avatar
He was born to sage Atri and his wife Anusuya, Durvasa was a revered sage known for his short temper and it is said that he used to consume only Durva grass. Demigods used to fear the short temper of sage Durvasa a lot.
Grihapati Avatar
Once a great devotee of Lord Shiva and his wife Shuchismati wished for a son like Lord Shiva himself and therefore Lord Shiva blessed the couple and took birth as their child. This child, Grihapati, was knowledgeable in all Vedas. Lord Shiva made Grihapati the master of all directions.
Yatinath Avatar
Once, a tribal man named Ahuk and his wife were devout followers of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva took the form of a sage Yatinath and visited them. As they could not accommodate the sage in their small hut, Ahuk decided to sleep outside so that Yatinath could sleep inside; however in the night Ahuk got killed by a wild animal. His wife decided to commit suicide pleasing with their devotion Lord Shiva blessed them to be born as Nala and Damayanti in their next life.
Krishna Darshan Avatar
To explain the importance of Yajna and Dharma through the acts of King Nabha and sage Angira, Lord Shiva took this avatar.
Bhikshuvarya Avatar
Lord Shiva took the form of a beggar to save the newborn son of King Satyarth, when he was killed in a battle and following this his wife was attacked by a crocodile. Lord Shiva saved this newborn child and entrusted him to a poor woman who raised him. The child later reclaimed his lost kingdom.
Sureshwar Avatar
To test the devotion of one of his disciples, Lord Shiva and Parvati appeared as Indra and Indrani before sage Vyaghrapada’s son, Upamanyu. Lord and her wife made various efforts and attempts to dissuade him from worshiping Shiva, however Upamanyu continued his devotion. Lord Shiva got very impressed with this and assured him that he and Parvati would always be near his ashram (hermit).
Kirateshwar Avatar
Lord Shiva took this avatar during the time of Mahabharat period. In this avatar, Lord Shiva appeared as a hunter when Arjuna was meditating and a demon disguised as a boar attacked him. Arjun shot the boar with his arrow and found that another arrow hit the boar simultaneously which was of Kirateshwar. This led to a dispute between them as Arjuna was confident that no one else could aim and shoot the boar as fast as his arrow. Shiva, impressed by Arjuna’s bravery, granted him the Pashupata Astra.
Vrishabha Avatar
There is a story which goes like this that to protect the Amrit (nectar) from the demons, Lord Vishnu took the form of a beautiful girl Mohini. However, the demons took Mohini to the netherworld where Vishnu, in this form, began to give birth to their children. To stop this, Lord Shiva took the form of a bull (Vrishabha) and fought Mohini.
Sunartantak Avatar
To seek Parvati’s hand in marriage from her father, Himalaya, Lord Shiva took the form of a dancer holding a damaru (drum in the shape of an hourglass) and performed a dance, pleasing Himalaya, who initially got offended by this but later agreed to the marriage.
Brahmachari Avatar
To test Parvati’s resolve in attaining him as her husband, Lord Shiva took the form of a celibate.
Yaksheshwar Avatar
To teach the demigods humility, Lord Shiva, during the churning of the ocean, gave them a blade of grass and challenged them to cut it. No one was able to do that and then they realized the lesson of being and remaining humble.
Avadhut Avatar
To defeat and crush the arrogance of Indra who used to think he’s supreme powerful, once Lord Shiva took the form of a sage and blocked Indra’s and other demigods’ path by lying down in a meditating state. When Indra attempted to use his Vajra upon the saint to remove him from his path to which he failed. Later, he realized his mistake and pleaded to Lord Shiva for mercy.
The Shiva Purana also mentions 11 Rudra avatars of Lord Shiva, which include:
- Kapali
- Pingal
- Bhima
- Virupaksha
- Vilohit
- Shasta
- Ajapad
- Ahirbudhnya
- Shambhu
- Chanda
- Bhava
According to the Shiva Purana, these 11 Rudras were incarnated when a demon defeated the gods and took control of their realm. The gods sought help from their father, Sage Kashyap, who performed penance to please Lord Shiva. In response, Lord Shiva incarnated as the 11 Rudras through Kashyap’s wife, Surabhi. These Rudras defeated the demon, restoring the gods to their rightful positions.