Adideva: 25 Legends Behind His 25 Names (A Yatra through Itihasas, Puranas, and Folklore)

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Shiva kathas are strewn like bright gems across the antiquated treasure chests of the Vedas, Itihasas, Maha Puranas, Sthala Puranas, and folklore. Adideva: 25 Legends behind His 25 Names is a collection of twenty-five enchanting legends about Shiva retold in opulent detail keeping true to the original texts and temple lore. Each tale is supplemented by captivating verses of many saint-poets and photos of intricate sculptures and art, illuminating the adoration of our ancestors for each of the divine manifestations of Adideva. From the well-known stories of Neelakantha, Uma Maheshwara, and Rameshwara, the riveting narratives of Tripurantaka, Sharabeshwara, and Kirata, the poignant accounts of Grishneshwara, Mrtyunjaya, and Matrubhuteshwara to the profound contemplations of Dakshinamurti and Arunachala, the chosen stories are filled with navarasas, and evoke wonder and adoration for Mahadeva. Embedded within these narratives are subtle teachings of dharma and adhyatma-inspiring a journey towards self-discovery. Most importantly, they are the easiest and sweetest ways to cultivate Shiva bhakti, which is the immediate cure for samsara.

Deepa Bhaskaran Salem is a student of Hindu dharma and Advaita Vedanta. She speaks and writes on Hindu dharma, Itihasas, Puranas, Bhagavad Gita, parenting, and mental health in popular platforms and her own blog. She also conducts workshops for children and adults with insights drawn from Sanatana Dharma.

She has been a management consultant and marketing leader. She currently runs a technology marketing consultancy in the United States.

Guided by her gurus, she is on a journey to achieve the bliss of Shiva- Shivananda.

is Shiva? Can one even define him? He is the formless who manifests in myriad forms that defy imagination. Each form is in extreme contrast to another. He represents the contradictions of stillness and energy, austerity and passion, and anger and compassion-he straddles all since he is beyond all.

He is, at the same time,

the celibate destroyer of Kama and the romantic Kameshwara,

the primitive hunter Kirata and the evolved Dakshinamurti,

the dweller of the macabre cemetery and the mesmerizing Kailasha,

the wrathful Veerabhadra and the benevolent Sadashiva,

the terrifying Kapalin and the captivating Sundareshwara,

the lord of the grotesque goblins and the consort of the beautiful Uma,

the eternally still linga and the dynamic Nataraja.

The gandharva Pushpadanta composed the Shiva Mahimna Stotram, describing the grandeur that is Shiva. Struggling to do justice to it, he asserts that even Saraswati cannot succeed in such a task.