Question for Hindus...Is Shiva good or evil?

Question

I've researched this Hindu deity and I would like some input from any Hindu who knows something about him. Thanks to all who take my question seriously.

Answer 1

There has been a misconception with some people that Lord Shiva is a fierce One. This misconception stems from the portrayals that He is the god of destruction, He is adorned with the skulls and snakes, the ways of worship are quite strict and yogic in nature. A more closer look into the Shaivism would clarify these.

First of all the word shiva itself means auspicious and perfection. Can there be a more auspicious thing than the Auspicious ?! This great God who is adorned with skulls and snakes, is the one the great devas worship. Because those great divines realise this Supreme's potence and glorious qualities. Saluting this Lord, who goes on alms as if He has nothing but in reality made the kubhEra the king of wealth, all the divines get their greatness and prosperity. This Supreme, who could not be explored by even the great devas, get very easily pleased and showers on the devotee with boons. It is said when one wants even hard to get boons, worship of Lord shiva would be the way. Very naturally our Lord is called ashutosha (fast pleased) and bholenath(innocent Lord) !!

When one evolves in the worship of Lord shiva to be a devotee, the worship is more out of love than a fear for a supernatural power. When the devotee experiances the Glorious qualities of the Lord the love blooms and this love, knowledge and experiance paves way for the spiritual success and not the fear. (This is in fact the speciality of Hinduism not compelling the follower to fear for a super natural power but to know, experiance and be in It). The disciplined paths of worshiping the Lord may appear difficult but sure to bring lots of marvel in return. Also not all the worship paths are so strict. If this God would get pleased only for highly strict rituals what would one have to say about kaNNappa ?

Lord Shiva is not the the god of destruction, but is the Supreme who plays the five activites of Creation, Protection, Destruction, Concealing and Blessing. The God shiva who is known as parashiva (the Supreme Shiva) plays these actions that run the Universe through Its forms and powers but is above all these specific deeds. But like an owner of a firm who also works with the people he employed, the Supreme Shiva in spite of being the Master of all these great deeds also enacts as the doer of some deeds like the destruction, Concealing and Blessing.

Various forms of the Lord Shiva show Him Ash smeared with skulls and snakes dancing in the cemetries. But it should be understood that these are the glories of the Supreme that It is adorned with nature since It is beyond the human ornations. It is this Lord the wise worship when they want the most auspicious boons. -

Answer 2

When Kali killed the demon Raktabija, She drank his blood, and She started to be crazy like the demon, She was so angry, nothing could stop Her. She was killing demon after demon, and was ready to put an end to the earth, but Lord Shiva who wanted to save the planet and the living creatures, put Himself on the soil and acted like corpse. Kali realized She killed Shiva, She immediately stopped. Since then Kali became compassionate & loving.
Thats how Shiva saved us.

But thats only 1 example.
He is the Lord of cemetery & cremation. In eternal samadhi, He is the destroyer of the Universe. But again, there is always some new creation after destruction.

Lord Shiva has nothing evil at all.

Answer 3

He is the god of destruction AND regeneration. As in most Hindu gods, they are not labeled "good" or "evil," which are Christian terms. We obviously need destruction as well as creation, as otherwise the earth would get hopelessly cluttered.

Answer 4

Neither, just non-existent. No, seriously.