Shiva The Ascetic

Myths are not parables or legends. They do not teach - they generate experience. And in minds fertilized by curiosity, they turn into seeds of profound thought that enable man to discover his true personality, his svadharma. The mythology of Shiva has come a long way from the blazing visions of seers to latest versions and interpretations.

Shiva, as Hindu mythology holds, is the destroyer of the Universe. With snakes all around his body, ashes smeared on his forehead, long locks of hair, he looks quite unlike a god. He is represented in art as an ascetic clad in a tiger skin. He sits amongst the hills of Mount Kailash to practice austerities where he loses himself in meditation. Here he sits in a lotus position with one arm resting on the yoga danda (the arm rest) and holding a rosary of rudraksha in the other hand. Shiva looks the perfect recluse, with matted locks, his body clad only in a leopard skin, a serpent entwined around his neck and shoulders. Meditating on wandering, Shiva's trishula is always by his side. The three prongs of the trident are said to represent the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. A musical instrument associated with Shiva is the damaru, the rattle drum. The drum's beats present the primal round of creations well as the final drumbeat of doom. A crescent moon crowns Shiva's head earning him the title of Chandrachuda. Out of his matted locks flows the Ganga.

Other than the ash smeared body of Shiva, which is somber, the rest of the picture sports bright colors. The background is especially interesting considering the array of colors used. The artist has made use of golden color wherever he possibly could, without giving a jarring effect.

The description by Kiranjyot.