Shiva 20 cm in brass

Shiva Nataraj

Shiva, whose name means "kind" or "merciful", combines many opposites: he is both benevolent and malevolent, meditative and ecstatic, a god of the universe who nevertheless has a predilection for certain earthly places such as Mount Kailash and the city of Benares. Shiva is venerated in many forms, as a great yogi (mahayogi) who practices asceticism or devotes himself to meditation, as the great master of the world or as the master of the dance, Nataraja, who makes ignorance dance under his feet and destroys all that is not founded on truth and love. The great period of purification currently taking place on our planet is therefore symbolized by Shiva Nataraja.