Meditative Shiva

Shiva transcends all; he is existence, with all its paradoxes. Beyond existence, he is the indefinable absolute. Shiva is the patron of ascetics. In the guise of a yogi, he is seen as the wise and benevolent teacher.

This image of meditating Shiva is outstanding in elemental power - controlled and concentrated. Severe and serene meditation is conveyed by half-open eyes, their gaze steadied by reverberating curves of lids and brows. Compassion and detachment hover around the lips. The normal hands are in a posture of meditation, one of them resting on the 'yog danda'. The arms behind hold the trishula and damaru in one hand and the shankha in the other. Beads and serpents vie with each other to adorn his body. The rosary and the kamandalu are the other attributes of meditating Shiva. He sits here in the lotus position on a tiger skin.

The background has a holy nimbus around Shiva's head and the Ganges flowing from the pinnacle of his matted crown. The sky and the green shrubs seem unimportant compared to the image of Shiva and do not add in anyway to the composition.

This description by Renu Rana.