SIVA, se'va, the third deity in the great triad of Hindu gods. His name signifies in Sanskrit "happy,"of good omen,D and he typi fies both destruction and reproduction, but is generally regarded as the deity in the character of destroyer. His worshippers are called Saivas, and they assign to him the first place in the Trimurti or triad, attributing to him also many attributes which properly belong to the other deities. According to the Saivas, Siva is Time, Justice, Water, the Sun, the De stroyer and the Creator. He is represented in his characters of the god of regeneration and of justice as riding on a white bull. He has five heads; three eyes — one on his forehead, indicative of his power of contemplation; two, four, eight or 10 hands; and in the middle of his forehead a crescent. His throat is dark blue; his hair of a light reddish color, thickly matted together and brought over his head so as to project like a horn from his forehead. He wears a garland of human skulls around his neck, and as a second necklace, a serpent; and in his hand holds a trident, surmounted by a skull, and one or two human heads. He is often
represented as entirely covered with serpents, which are the emblems of immortality. His weapons are the Khinkhira, of which nothing is known, a bow called Ajakava, a thunderbolt and an axe. He resides on the wonderful Mount Kailisa, the northern peak of the Hima laya. One of his principal attendants is Tandu, a teacher of the arts of dancing and mimicry, whence Siva is the patron of dancers. Siva has more than 1,000 names, which are detailed at length in the 69th chapter of the Siva-Purana. These names are mostly all derived from his at tributes and character. Among the exploits of Siva is recorded his having cut off, in a fit of anger, one of the five heads of Brahma. He likewise beheaded his father-in-law, Daksha, for having offended his wife; but on the interfer ence of the gods he placed a ram's head on the headless trunk.
the king cobra. See HAMADRYAD.