Adi Sankaracharyar, in his interpretation of the name Shiva, the 27th and 600th name of Vishnu Sahasranama, interprets Shiva to have multiple meanings:
‘The Pure One’, or the One who is not affected by three Gunas of Prakrti -Sattva, Rajas,..and Tamas or the One who purifies everyone by the very utterance of His name.
This is further elaborated that Shiva means ‘the One who is eternally pure’ or ‘the One who can never have any contamination of the imperfection of Rajas and Tamas’. Shiva is considered as one having Aadi or Anta i.e. no birth-death. The Tamil translation would be no Beginning-End.
Shiva's role as the primary deity of Shaivism is reflected in his epithets Mahadeva meaning "Great God"; maha = Great + deva = God, Maheshvara: "Great Lord"; maha = Great + ishvara = Lord, and Parameshvara: "Supreme Lord". The Shivalinga is symbolic of Shiva’s beginningless, endlessness and formlessness.Sivoham, Sivoham. Om Nama Shivaya.
Yogi Ananda Saraswathi
‘The Pure One’, or the One who is not affected by three Gunas of Prakrti -Sattva, Rajas,..and Tamas or the One who purifies everyone by the very utterance of His name.
This is further elaborated that Shiva means ‘the One who is eternally pure’ or ‘the One who can never have any contamination of the imperfection of Rajas and Tamas’. Shiva is considered as one having Aadi or Anta i.e. no birth-death. The Tamil translation would be no Beginning-End.
Shiva's role as the primary deity of Shaivism is reflected in his epithets Mahadeva meaning "Great God"; maha = Great + deva = God, Maheshvara: "Great Lord"; maha = Great + ishvara = Lord, and Parameshvara: "Supreme Lord". The Shivalinga is symbolic of Shiva’s beginningless, endlessness and formlessness.Sivoham, Sivoham. Om Nama Shivaya.
Yogi Ananda Saraswathi
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