Showing posts with label Shiva. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shiva. Show all posts

Tuesday, 28 November 2017

Sri Rudram Namakam In English

Sri Rudram Namakam – English lyrics(Text)
Sri Rudra Namaka English Script


 śrī rudra praśnaḥ

kṛṣṇa yajurvedīya taittirīya saṃhitā
caturthaṃ vaiśvadevaṃ kāṇḍam pañcamaḥ prapāṭhakaḥ

oṃ namo bhagavate’ rudrāya ||
nama’ste rudra manyava’ utota iṣa’ve nama’ḥ | nama’ste astu dhanva’ne bāhubhyā’muta te nama’ḥ | yā ta iṣu’ḥ śivata’mā śivaṃ babhūva’ te dhanu’ḥ | śivā śa’ravyā’ yā tava tayā’ no rudra mṛḍaya | yā te’ rudra śivā tanūraghorāpā’pakāśinī | tayā’ nastanuvā śanta’mayā giri’śaṃtābhicā’kaśīhi | yāmiṣu’ṃ giriśaṃta haste bibharṣyasta’ve | śivāṃ gi’ritra tāṃ ku’ru mā hig’ṃsīḥ puru’ṣaṃ jaga’t| śivena vaca’sā tvā giriśācchā’vadāmasi | yathā’ naḥ sarvamijjaga’dayakṣmagṃ sumanā asa’t | adhya’vocadadhivaktā pra’thamo daivyo’ bhiṣak | ahīg’-śca sarvā”ṃjambhayantsarvā”śca yātudhānya’ḥ | asau yastāmro a’ruṇa uta babhruḥ su’maṅgaḷa’ḥ | ye cemāgṃ rudrā abhito’ dikṣu śritāḥ sa’hasraśovaiṣāgṃ heḍa’ īmahe | asau yo’vasarpa’ti nīla’grīvo vilo’hitaḥ | utaina’ṃ gopā a’dṛśan-nadṛ’śan-nudahārya’ḥ | utainaṃ viśvā’ bhūtāni sa dṛṣṭo mṛ’ḍayāti naḥ | namo’ astu nīla’grīvāya sahasrākṣāya mīḍhuṣe” | atho ye a’sya satvā’nohaṃ tebhyo’karannama’ḥ | pramu’ṃca dhanva’nas-tvamubhayorārtni’ yorjyām | yāśca te hasta iṣa’vaḥ parā tā bha’gavo vapa | avatatya dhanustvagṃ saha’srākṣa śate’ṣudhe | niśīrya’ śalyānāṃ mukhā’ śivo na’ḥ sumanā’ bhava | vijyaṃ dhanu’ḥ kapardino viśa’lyo bāṇa’vāgm uta | ane’śan-nasyeṣa’va ābhura’sya niṣaṅgathi’ḥ | yā te’ hetir-mī’ḍuṣṭama haste’ babhūva’ te dhanu’ḥ | tayāsmān, viśvatas-tvama’yakṣmayā pari’bbhuja | nama’ste astvāyudhāyānā’tatāya dhṛṣṇave” | ubhābhyā’muta te namo’ bāhubhyāṃ tava dhanva’ne | pari’ te dhanva’no hetirasmān-vṛ’ṇaktu viśvata’ḥ | atho ya i’ṣudhistavāre asmannidhe’hi tam || 1 ||

śambha’ve nama’ḥ | nama’ste astu bhagavan-viśveśvarāya’ mahādevāya’ tryambakāya’ tripurāntakāya’ trikāgnikālāya’ kālāgnirudrāya’ nīlakaṇṭhāya’ mṛtyuṃjayāya’ sarveśva’rāya’ sadāśivāya’ śrīman-mahādevāya nama’ḥ ||

namo hira’ṇya bāhave senānye’ diśāṃ ca pata’ye namo namo’ vṛkṣebhyo hari’keśebhyaḥ paśūnāṃ pata’ye namo nama’ḥ saspiñja’rāya tviṣī’mate pathīnāṃ pata’ye namo namo’ babhluśāya’ vivyādhinennā’nāṃ pata’ye namo namo hari’keśāyopavītine’ puṣṭānāṃ pata’ye namo namo’ bhavasya’ hetyai jaga’tāṃ pata’ye namo namo’ rudrāyā’tatāvine kṣetrā’ṇāṃ pata’ye namo nama’ḥ sūtāyāha’ntyāya vanā’nāṃ pata’ye namo namo rohi’tāya sthapata’ye vṛkṣāṇāṃ pata’ye namo namo’ mantriṇe’ vāṇijāya kakṣā’ṇāṃ pata’ye namo namo’ bhuvantaye’ vārivaskṛtā-yauṣa’dhīnāṃ pata’ye namo nama’ uccair-gho’ṣāyākrandaya’te pattīnāṃ pata’ye namo nama’ḥ kṛtsnavītāya dhāva’te sattva’nāṃ pata’ye nama’ḥ || 2 ||

namaḥ saha’mānāya nivyādhina’ āvyādhinī’nāṃ pata’ye namo nama’ḥ kakubhāya’ niṣaṅgiṇe” stenānāṃ pata’ye namo namo’ niṣaṅgiṇa’ iṣudhimate’ taska’rāṇāṃ pata’ye namo namo vañca’te parivañca’te stāyūnāṃ pata’ye namo namo’ nicerave’ paricarāyāra’ṇyānāṃ pata’ye namo nama’ḥ sṛkāvibhyo jighāg’ṃsadbhyo muṣṇatāṃ pata’ye namo namo’simadbhyo naktañcara’dbhyaḥ prakṛntānāṃ pata’ye namo nama’ uṣṇīṣine’ giricarāya’ kuluñcānāṃ pata’ye namo nama iṣu’madbhyo dhanvāvibhya’śca vo namo nama’ ātan-vānebhya’ḥ pratidadhā’nebhyaśca vo namo nama’ āyaccha’dbhyo visṛjad-bhya’śca vo namo namossa’dbhyo vidya’d-bhyaśca vo namo nama āsī’nebhyaḥ śayā’nebhyaśca vo namo nama’ḥ svapadbhyo jāgra’d-bhyaśca vo namo namastiṣṭha’dbhyo dhāva’d-bhyaśca vo namo nama’ḥ sabhābhya’ḥ sabhāpa’tibhyaśca vo namo namo aśvebhyośva’patibhyaśca vo nama’ḥ || 3 ||

nama’ āvyādhinī”bhyo vividhya’ntībhyaśca vo namo nama uga’ṇābhyastṛgaṃ-hatībhyaśca’ vo namo namo’ gṛtsebhyo’ gṛtsapa’tibhyaśca vo namo namo vrāte”bhyo vrāta’patibhyaśca vo namo namo’ gaṇebhyo’ gaṇapa’tibhyaśca vo namo namo virū’pebhyo viśvarū’pebhyaśca vo namo namo’ mahadbhya’ḥ, kṣullakebhya’śca vo namo namo’ rathibhyorathebhya’śca vo namo namo rathe”bhyo ratha’patibhyaśca vo namo nama’ḥ senā”bhyaḥ senānibhya’śca vo namo nama’ḥ, kṣattṛbhya’ḥ saṅgrahītṛbhya’śca vo namo namastakṣa’bhyo rathakārebhya’śca vo namo’ namaḥ kulā’lebhyaḥ karmāre”bhyaśca vo namo nama’ḥ puñjiṣṭe”bhyo niṣādebhya’śca vo namo nama’ḥ iṣukṛdbhyo’ dhanvakṛd-bhya’śca vo namo namo’ mṛgayubhya’ḥ śvanibhya’śca vo namo namaḥ śvabhyaḥ śvapa’tibhyaśca vo nama’ḥ || 4 ||

namo’ bhavāya’ ca rudrāya’ ca nama’ḥ śarvāya’ ca paśupata’ye ca namo nīla’grīvāya ca śitikaṇṭhā’ya ca nama’ḥ kapardhine’ ca vyu’ptakeśāya ca nama’ḥ sahasrākṣāya’ ca śatadha’nvane ca namo’ giriśāya’ ca śipiviṣṭāya’ ca namo’ mīḍhuṣṭa’māya ceṣu’mate ca namo” hrasvāya’ ca vāmanāya’ ca namo’ bṛhate ca varṣī’yase ca namo’ vṛddhāya’ ca saṃvṛdhva’ne ca namo agri’yāya ca prathamāya’ ca nama’ āśave’ cājirāya’ ca namaḥ śīghri’yāya ca śībhyā’ya ca nama’ ūrmyā’ya cāvasvanyā’ya ca nama’ḥ strotasyā’ya ca dvīpyā’ya ca || 5 ||

namo” jyeṣṭhāya’ ca kaniṣṭhāya’ ca nama’ḥ pūrvajāya’ cāparajāya’ ca namo’ madhyamāya’ cāpagalbhāya’ ca namo’ jaghanyā’ya ca budhni’yāya ca nama’ḥ sobhyā’ya ca pratisaryā’ya ca namo yāmyā’ya ca kṣemyā’ya ca nama’ urvaryā’ya ca khalyā’ya ca namaḥ ślokyā’ya cāvasānyā’ya ca namo vanyā’ya ca kakṣyā’ya ca nama’ḥ śravāya’ ca pratiśravāya’ ca nama’ āśuṣe’ṇāya cāśura’thāya ca namaḥ śūrā’ya cāvabhindate ca namo’ varmiṇe’ ca varūdhine’ ca namo’ bilmine’ ca kavacine’ ca nama’ḥ śrutāya’ ca śrutase’nāya ca || 6 ||

namo’ duṃdubhyā’ya cāhananyā’ya ca namo’ dhṛṣṇave’ ca pramṛśāya’ ca namo’ dūtāya’ ca prahi’tāya ca namo’ niṣaṅgiṇe’ ceṣudhimate’ ca nama’s-tīkṣṇeṣa’ve cāyudhine’ ca nama’ḥ svāyudhāya’ ca sudhanva’ne ca namaḥ srutyā’ya ca pathyā’ya ca nama’ḥ kāṭyā’ya ca nīpyā’ya ca namaḥ sūdyā’ya ca sarasyā’ya ca namo’ nādyāya’ ca vaiśantāya’ ca namaḥ kūpyā’ya cāvaṭyā’ya ca namo varṣyā’ya cāvarṣyāya’ ca namo’ meghyā’ya ca vidyutyā’ya ca nama īdhriyā’ya cātapyā’ya ca namo vātyā’ya ca reṣmi’yāya ca namo’ vāstavyā’ya ca vāstupāya’ ca || 7 ||

namaḥ somā’ya ca rudrāya’ ca nama’stāmrāya’ cāruṇāya’ ca nama’ḥ śaṅgāya’ ca paśupata’ye ca nama’ ugrāya’ ca bhīmāya’ ca namo’ agrevadhāya’ ca dūrevadhāya’ ca namo’ hantre ca hanī’yase ca namo’ vṛkṣebhyo hari’keśebhyo nama’stārāya nama’śśambhave’ ca mayobhave’ ca nama’ḥ śaṃkarāya’ ca mayaskarāya’ ca nama’ḥ śivāya’ ca śivata’rāya ca namastīrthyā’ya ca kūlyā’ya ca nama’ḥ pāryā’ya cāvāryā’ya ca nama’ḥ pratara’ṇāya cottara’ṇāya ca nama’ ātāryā’ya cālādyā’ya ca namaḥ śaṣpyā’ya ca phenyā’ya ca nama’ḥ sikatyā’ya ca pravāhyā’ya ca || 8 ||

nama’ iriṇyā’ya ca prapathyā’ya ca nama’ḥ kigṃśilāya’ ca kṣaya’ṇāya ca nama’ḥ kapardine’ ca pulastaye’ ca namo goṣṭhyā’ya ca gṛhyā’ya ca namas-talpyā’ya ca gehyā’ya ca nama’ḥ kāṭyā’ya ca gahvareṣṭhāya’ ca namo” hṛdayyā’ya ca niveṣpyā’ya ca nama’ḥ pāgṃ savyā’ya ca rajasyā’ya ca namaḥ śuṣkyā’ya ca harityā’ya ca namo lopyā’ya colapyā’ya ca nama’ ūrmyā’ya ca sūrmyā’ya ca nama’ḥ parṇyāya ca parṇaśadyā’ya ca namo’paguramā’ṇāya cābhighnate ca nama’ ākhkhidate ca prakhkhidate ca namo’ vaḥ kirikebhyo’ devānāgṃ hṛda’yebhyo namo’ vikṣīṇakebhyo namo’ vicinvat-kebhyo nama’ ānir hatebhyo nama’ āmīvat-kebhya’ḥ || 9 ||

drāpe andha’saspate dari’dran-nīla’lohita | eṣāṃ puru’ṣāṇāmeṣāṃ pa’śūnāṃ mā bhermāro mo e’ṣāṃ kiṃcanāma’mat | yā te’ rudra śivā tanūḥ śivā viśvāha’bheṣajī | śivā rudrasya’ bheṣajī tayā’ no mṛḍa jīvase” || imāgṃ rudrāya’ tavase’ kapardine” kṣayadvī’rāya prabha’rāmahe matim | yathā’ naḥ śamasa’d dvipade catu’ṣpade viśva’ṃ puṣṭaṃ grāme’ asminnanā’turam | mṛḍā no’ rudrota no maya’skṛdhi kṣayadvī’rāya nama’sā vidhema te | yacchaṃ ca yośca manu’rāyaje pitā tada’śyāma tava’ rudra praṇī’tau | mā no’ mahānta’muta mā no’ arbhakaṃ mā na ukṣa’ntamuta mā na’ ukṣitam | mā no’vadhīḥ pitaraṃ mota mātara’ṃ priyā mā na’stanuvo’ rudra rīriṣaḥ | mā na’stoke tana’ye mā na āyu’ṣi mā no goṣu mā no aśve’ṣu rīriṣaḥ | vīrānmā no’ rudra bhāmitova’dhīr-haviṣma’nto nama’sā vidhema te | ārātte’ goghna uta pū’ruṣaghne kṣayadvī’rāya sum-namasme te’ astu | rakṣā’ ca no adhi’ ca deva brūhyathā’ ca naḥ śarma’ yaccha dvibarhā”ḥ | stuhi śrutaṃ ga’rtasadaṃ yuvā’naṃ mṛganna bhīmamu’pahantumugram | mṛḍā ja’ritre ru’dra stavā’no anyante’ asmanniva’pantu senā”ḥ | pari’ṇo rudrasya’ hetir-vṛ’ṇaktu pari’ tveṣasya’ durmati ra’ghāyoḥ | ava’ sthirā maghava’d-bhyas-tanuṣva mīḍh-va’stokāya tana’yāya mṛḍaya | mīḍhu’ṣṭama śiva’mata śivo na’ḥ sumanā’ bhava | parame vṛkṣa āyu’dhannidhāya kṛttiṃ vasā’na āca’ra pinā’kaṃ bibhradāga’hi | viki’rida vilo’hita nama’ste astu bhagavaḥ | yāste’ sahasrag’ṃ hetayonyamasman-nivapantu tāḥ | sahasrā’ṇi sahasradhā bā’huvostava’ hetaya’ḥ | tāsāmīśā’no bhagavaḥ parācīnā mukhā’ kṛdhi || 10 ||

sahasrā’ṇi sahasraśo ye rudrā adhi bhūmyā”m | teṣāg’ṃ sahasrayojanevadhanvā’ni tanmasi | asmin-ma’hat-ya’rṇave”ntari’kṣe bhavā adhi’ | nīla’grīvāḥ śitikaṇṭhā”ḥ śarvā adhaḥ, kṣa’mācarāḥ | nīla’grīvāḥ śitikaṇṭhā divag’ṃ rudrā upa’śritāḥ | ye vṛkṣeṣu’ saspiñja’rā nīla’grīvā vilo’hitāḥ | ye bhūtānām-adhi’patayo viśikhāsa’ḥ kapardi’naḥ | ye anne’ṣu vividhya’nti pātre’ṣu piba’to janān’ | ye pathāṃ pa’thirakṣa’ya ailabṛdā’ yavyudha’ḥ | ye tīrthāni’ pracara’nti sṛkāva’nto niṣaṅgiṇa’ḥ | ya etāva’ntaśca bhūyāg’ṃsaśca diśo’ rudrā vi’tasthire | teṣāg’ṃ sahasrayojanevadhanvā’ni tanmasi | namo’ rudhrebhyo ye pṛ’thivyāṃ ye”ntari’kṣe ye divi yeṣāmannaṃ vāto’ var-ṣamiṣa’vas-tebhyo daśa prācīrdaśa’ dakṣiṇā daśa’ pratīcīr-daśo-dī’cīr-daśordhvās-tebhyo namaste no’ mṛḍayantu te yaṃ dviṣmo yaśca’ no dveṣṭi taṃ vo jambhe’ dadhāmi || 11 ||

trya’mbakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ pu’ṣṭivardha’nam | urvārukami’va bandha’nān-mṛtyo’r-mukṣīya māmṛtā”t | yo rudro agnau yo apsu ya oṣa’dhīṣu yo rudro viśvā bhuva’nā viveśa tasmai’ rudrāya namo’ astu | tamu’ ṣṭuhi yaḥ sviṣuḥ sudhanvā yo viśva’sya kṣaya’ti bheṣajasya’ | yakṣvā”mahe sau”manasāya’ rudraṃ namo”bhir-devamasu’raṃ duvasya | ayaṃ me hasto bhaga’vānayaṃ me bhaga’vattaraḥ | ayaṃ me” viśvabhe”ṣajoyagṃ śivābhi’marśanaḥ | ye te’ sahasra’mayutaṃ pāśā mṛtyo martyā’ya hanta’ve | tān yaṅñasya’ māyayā sarvānava’ yajāmahe | mṛtyave svāhā’ mṛtyave svāhā” | oṃ namo bhagavate rudrāya viṣṇave mṛtyu’rme pāhi ||

prāṇānāṃ granthirasi rudro mā’ viśāntakaḥ | tenānnenā”pyāyasva ||

sadāśivom |

oṃ śāṃtiḥ śāṃtiḥ śānti’ḥ

Shiva: Everything You Need To Know

Why Worship Shiva?

It is he who destroys what is no longer good or needed in order to pave the way for rebirth. He can destroy bad karma when you are devoted to him and he can grant you long life. He crushes ignorance beneath his feet and loves his devotees so much that he has granted blessings to people who worshiped him without realizing it. He is both a family man and one who meditates. Parvati is his wife and Ganesha is his son. He is the one that women pray to for good husbands and the one they thank when they have a good husband.

Stories

There are a number of classic stories told about Shiva.
Churning the Ocean, or Why Shiva’s Neck Turned Blue
There are two factions: devas, who are angelic-type beings and asuras, who are demon-like beings. The two groups are often fighting one another. But when they found out that there was a nectar of immortality (amrita) in the ocean, they formed an alliance to find and share it. In order to obtain this nectar, it had to be churned from the ocean. The devas were on one side and the asuras on the other, using a mountain to churn into the ocean and a great snake wrapped around it to move the mountain.
 However, before they reached the amrita, other things emerged from the milky ocean.  One of these things was a powerful poison that could destroy the world. Shiva ran in and swallowed the poison before it could harm anyone. His wife, Parvati, was close behind and she grabbed hold of his neck to keep him from swallowing. And so Shiva held the poison in his throat, causing it to turn blue. He is often known as the blue-throated one. (The devas and asuras did eventually get to the amrita and then broke their alliance and fought viciously over which side would get it. Vishnu intervened and saw to it that it was the devas who drank). There’s a lot more detail and symbolism to this story, but the part with the poison is the part relevant to Shiva. Read more about it here.
 Shiva, Lord of the Dance
Apasmara Purusha is a demon of ignorance, laziness, jealousy, ego, and hatred. He  used to trouble mankind until people prayed to Shiva, who descended and performed a divine dance called Ananda Tandava (dance of joy), crushing the demon beneath his feet. In this dancing form, Shiva is called King of the Dance: Nataraja. Classical Indian dances are based on his cosmic dance of destruction and rebirth.
The River Ganga (Ganges) and Shiva’s Matted Hair
It used to be that the Ganges river (actually named Ganga) flowed in the heavens. There was a king who was cursed with no offspring and he felt he needed to wash away the sins of his forefathers and cleanse his kingdom with the Ganga. So he prayed that she might come to earth. Ganga wanted to, but she was so powerful that if she flowed down to earth, she would crush it with the force of her waters. And so Shiva stepped in and allowed the Ganga to flow through his hair (usually depicted to be in dreadlocks) so soften her decent to earth.
 How Shiva Married Parvati
Parvati is an incarnation of Shakti, feminine energy. She was born to draw Shiva out of his meditative asceticism and bring him back to caring for the world. A powerful demon was torturing humanity and devas alike. No one could defeat him except, it was said, Shiva’s child. But Shiva’s wife Sati had died and he was meditating alone in a cave, not interested in coming back into the world. People prayed to the great Goddess (Mahadevi) and she incarnated herself in Parvati, born to the king of the Himalayan mountains.
When she grew up, Parvati went to Shiva to make him fall in love with her and marry her, but he would not even open his eyes or respond to her at all. She tried everything she could think of: decorating his cave, bringing him flowers and sweets, even getting Kama (God of desire) to shoot Shiva with arrows of lust. Shiva was so annoyed that he opened his third eye and reduced Kama to ash.
The Gods were very worried that now men would no longer desire women and the human race would fall apart. Parvati determined that Kama could be reborn as their child if she could just get Shiva to love her.
So she took a different tac and began meditation and austerities as well. She lived in the forest and did not eat or shield herself with clothing. The ascetics of the forest were very impressed with her. After some time, Shiva was impressed as well. He stopped his meditating and emerged from the cave to marry her. She reawakened in him his care for the world. Shiva was able to become a perfect blend of family man and hermit.
The Hunter and The Tiger
There was a hunter in the forest once who encountered a tiger who was too much for him. He ran from the tiger and climbed high up into a tree. The tiger remained below, pacing, and the hunter was trapped. He stayed in the tree all night and in order to stay awake, he plucked its leaves and let them drift to the ground. Little did he know that there was a Shiva Lingam beneath the tree also and the tree was a betel leaf tree, which is beloved to Shiva. So all night the hunter was letting betel leaves drop onto the Shivaling. In the morning the tiger was gone, replaced by Shiva himself, who blessed the hunter.
Many more great Hindu stories at http://hindumythologyforgennext.blogspot.com

Symbolism



Read more at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/whitehindu/2014/07/shiva-everything-you-need-to-know-2/#0lvJrJ8hW29bx3f6.99

The Abode of Shiva


Mount Kailash situated in Tibet  is regarded as the abode of Shiva-Shankar who was charged with the spirit of the formless and infinite Almighty known by many Hindus as Shiva. Lake Mansarovar, the largest fresh water lake of the Himalayan region is situated at the foot of this mountain. It is situated to the north-east of Nainital District. Many believe that  lakes of Nainital District are fed by waters of this lake through underground rivers. According to mythology, the connection was a result of prayers of ancient sages that medidated on the banks of Naini Lake. Bhim Tal lake also in Nainital District is held by some to be fed from the adjoining Rakshas Tal. It is one of the poorly developed and mantained lakes of the district. Its water constitute a portion of the water supply of Haldwani town situated at the foot of Nainital Hills. Surprisingly the less beautiful parts of Nainital district are those fed by Rakshas Tal, whereas others fed by Mansarovar Lake are charged with extraordinary beauty. All this, however, is not yet scientifically established but is based on some mythology and local folk lore.


A Depiction of the dance of creation by Shiva

In Hindu Mythology Siva or Shiva is one of the names for Almighty God. He is infinite and formless but visualized for worship in finite forms such as Shiva-Shankar, Shiva-Natraja and Shiva-Linga. Of these the image as Shiva-Shankar is a human image and as per some mythology it is based on the ancient Sage Shankar who some regard as an avatar or Lord incarnate in human form and others as an ardent devotee of Siva/ Shiva and who meditated for many years in the Himalayas on Mount Kailash. It is because of this that Kailash is regarded as a sacred abode of Siva.


Jai Shiv-Shankar Bhagwan ki


In mythology Shankar, although in a human body, is said to have been a totally submerged devotee ever engaged in meditation on the Almighty, who had relinquished any human ego. Therefore he is also referred to as Shankar Bhagwan (the god Shankar) and an Avatar of Siva. It is regarded as  appropriate to direct ones prayers to the Infinite formless Siva through the holy sage Shankar as Shiva-Shankar if one wishes to, in a manner analogous to what Buddhists do through the human image of Buddha and Christians through the human image of Jesus. However, if one can, there is no restriction among  Hindus to express devotion for the Almighty in His formless infinite aspect, if they are able to do it that way. He is viewed as a Divine Father. However, one may also view the Almighty as a Divine Friend, mentor, guide or protector. In reality the Almighty is all things expressing Divine Love as - Father, Mother, Brother, Friend  - and He is in all things. Both His extent and forms are infinite.

The sage Shankar married, because a Himalayan princess - the goddess Parvati- insisted on marrying him. So united was she in spirit with Shankar Bhagwan that she is regarded by Hindus as the female aspect of divine Mother Goddess. There is much ancient mythology associated with Shiva and Parvati and it is beyond verification to ascertain how much is based in historical fact and how much a result of popular imagination. It is up to a devotee to accept that which appeals to him and ignore any that does not.

Shiva Shankar had some notable characteristics. First was his utter simplicity for which he is also know as Bhole Nath or lord of simplicity and a common greeting of devotees is “Jai Bhole Nath ki’ or Praise the Lord of Simplicity. Second was his huge love for all life including wild animals even snakes considered dangerous by others. This love he shared with Parvati who is often shown depicted with lions and tigers as pets. The love of Shiva Shankar extended to even life unmanifest that included ghosts and spirits and because of this he is also known as Bhuth Nath or Lord of the Ghosts. This command of ghosts he shares with other most evolved of mystics and prophets that have appeared on Earth including Jesus Christ. It is said that when he finally yielded to Parvati and agreed to marry her, he reached her home in a procession. Being a hermit he did not have family or friends to invite to the wedding so he invited some of his animal friends from the forest and ghosts to the procession.
While some regard Mount Kailash of Tibet as the holy abode, others regard another peak in Nainital District of Uttarakhand as the Kailash abode, while some recognizing both as the higher and lower Kailash. It is said that Sage Shankar consumed cannabis, if so, this is found growing in abundance near the lower Kailash and not the higher one. It appears that Sadhus (holy hermits) who are devotees of Shankar still consume the herb and appear to be permitted by law to do so in parts of India.
There is folk lore that it was Shiv-Shankar himself who created the cannabis plant by introducing human genes to hemp  so that it becomes a medicinal plant to provide relief and solace to humanity that faces many hardships in their journey through life when his consort, the goddess Parvati urged him to do so. As a result, the plant began to produce essential compounds found in mother's milk and required by a baby to cope with the world.
A modern Sage and devotee of Lord Shiva who appeared at Lower Kailash during 1970-84 was Baba Haidakhan. Many regard him as a modern reincarnation of Shiva Shankar, for while the soul of Shiva Shankar is eternal he repeatedly appears in the Himalayas in new births and is known now as the eternal Babaji of Nainital and Central Himalayas. He is described here,