Lord Shiva is the god of gods. It is also very difficult to tell about Lord Shiva and very easy. Difficult because Mahadev is eternal and easy because Mahadev is very naive. Nevertheless, some of the symbols of Mahadev have been worn, which are described as follows.
- Moon - Wisdom is beyond the mind, but it needs to be expressed with a tinge of mind and this is symbolized by the crescent moon.
- Snake - Snake is a symbol of vigilance. To express this state of consciousness, a snake is depicted in the neck of Lord Shiva.
- Trishul - Trishul signifies that Shiva is above all 3 states – waking, dreaming and sleeping, yet he upholds all 3 states.
- Third eye - Alertness, knowledge, and wisdom are all related to the third eye.
- Damru - Symbolizes the universe which is always expanding all collapsing, From an expansion it collapses and then it re-expands, this is the process of creation.
The darmru is also a symbol of sound. Sound is rhythm and sound is energy. The whole universe is nothing but a wave function, it is nothing but rhythms. What does quantum physics say? It says the same thing – the whole universe is nothing but rhythms. It is just one wave (Adviata). So the damru signifies the non-dual nature of the universe. - Bull - Bull is a symbol of religion (righteousness). Lord Shiva riding on the bull means that when you are truthful, infinite consciousness is with you.
- Ganges – The holy river, signifying the flow of scriptural teachings passing wisdom from one generation to the next.
- Tiger Skin – The tiger represents lust and desire. Sitting on the dead tiger skin shows Shiva has conquered both.
- Rudraksha Mala - Rudraksha beads denote purity. The mala or rosary in the right hand symbolizes concentration.