The eight forms of # Shiva #Ashtamurti

|| ॐ नमः शिवाय ||

#LordShiva is called #Ashtamurti because He is of eight (ashta) forms (murtis). The eight forms of Shiva are:

"अथाग्नि: रविरिन्दुश्च भूमिराप: प्रभन्जन:,यजमान: षमखनौ च महादेवस्य मूर्तेय:"

1. #Sharva
2. #Bhava
3. #Rudra
4. #Ugra
5. #Bhima
6. #Pashupati
7. #Ishana
8. #Mahadeva

Sharva rules over the earth
Bhava rules over the water
Rudra rules over the fire
Ugra rules over the wind
Bhima rules over space
Pashupati rules over the soul
Ishana rules over the sun
Mahadeva rules over the moon

The earth, water, fire, wind, space, sun, moon and the Kshetrajna (knower of the field, i.e. soul) are the eight manifest forms of Shiva. This interpretation, per the Shiva Purana, implies that Shiva is the Knower and the known. Recall from a previous entry entitled Shivam, a verse from the Tirumantiram also spoke of Shiva manifesting as the eight (Note: sometimes the eighth entity is listed as the asterisms, but more often the eighth is the soul.)

The eight forms may also be viewed as the guardians of the eight terrestrial directions:

Sharva rules over the east
Bhava rules over the northeast
Rudra rules over the north
Ugra rules over the northwest
Bhima rules over the west
Pashupati rules over the southwest
Ishana rules over the south
Mahadeva over the southeast

#Shiva is the center, and His eight forms are the eight directions. He is both the Pervader and the pervaded.

The eight forms of Shiva show, using ancient schemes of the eight existent entities, that Shiva is the manifest Divine. Thus, the Ashtamurtis together represent Shiva’s universal form (Vishvarupa).

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