Siva is the ancient most god of the Hindu trinity and his worship in India is of great antiquity. Traces of which are found in the Harappan culture, in Vedic literature and the Puranas besides the Upnisads etc. His temples are found from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Bengal to the Western regions of the country. He indeed had been great god with enormous following throughout the country. The present account provides the glimpses of his life in brief.

Table of Contents:
I. INTRODUCTION Siva in Symbolic Form II. SIVA AND HIS FAMILY (i) Marriage with Sail-(a) Need for the Marriage, (b) Condition for Marriage, (c) Birth of Sail, (d) Prayer lo Siva for Marriage, (e) Siva's appearing before Sail, (f) Sati's Marriage, (g) Return after Marriage, (h) Married life, (i) Daksa's Insult, (j) Sacrifice of Daksa, (k) Sati Ends Her Life, (1) Siva's Anger at the Death of Sati, (m) Saktipithas, (ii) Marriage with Parvati-(a) Birth of Parvati, (b) Narada's Forecast, (e) Burning of Kamadeva, (d) Tapas of Parvati, (e) Siva's Encounter with Parvati, (f) Marriage of Siva and Parvati, (g) Married Life and Birth of Ganesa, (h) Parvati Becomes Gauri, (i) Ganas of Siva, (j) Virabhadra, (k) The Birth of Ganesa. III. INCARNATIONS OF SIVA (i) Sarabha Incarnation, (ii) Incarnation of Grhapati, (iii) Yaksesvara, (iv) Ekadasa Rudras, (v) Durvasa, (vi) Bhairava, (vii) Hanuman, (viii) Vrsabha, (ix) Pippalada, (x) Vaisyanatha, (xi) Dvijesvara, (xii) Yatinatha, (xiii) Krsnadarsana, (xiv) Avadhute-svara, (xv) Bhiksuvarya, (xvi) Suresvara, (xvii) Brahmacari, (xviii) Natanartaka, (xix) Sadhu, (xx) Vibhu-Asvatthama, (xxi) Kirata. IV. FORMS OF SIVA (i) Graccful Forms-(a) Grace on Ganesa, (h) Grace on Visnu, (c) Gracc on Nandi, (d) Grace on Arjuna, (ii) Other Aspects-(a) Siva as a Beggar, (h) Episodes of Ravana, (c) Gracc on Havana, (d) Nilakantha, (e) Sitikantha, (f) Lifting of Kailasa, (g) Association of Snakes and (he Moon. V. THE VIOLENT FORM (i) Killing of Gajasura, (ii) Punishment to Kala, (iii) Killer of Tripura, (iv) Destroyer of Narasimha, (v) Severing of Brahma's head, (vi) Killing of Jalandhara, (vii) Slaying of Andhakasura. VI. THE COMPOSITE FORMS (i) Arddhanarisvara-(a) Siva Purana, (b) Markandeya Purana, (ii) Hari-hara, (iii) Hari-Hara-Pitamaha, (iv) Trimurti. VII. OTHER FORMS OF SIVA (i) Sadasivamurti, (ii) Mahasadasivamurti, (iii) Mahesa-murti, (iv) Daksinamurti-(a) Vyakhyana Daksinamurti, (b) Yoga Daksinamurti, (c) Jnana Daksinamurti, Vinadharamurti, (v) Visvarupa Siva, (vi) Bhiksatanamurti, (vii) Bhairava, (viii) Siva in form of Birds and Animals-(a) As an Elephant, (a) As a Peacock, (c) As a Crane, (d) As a Pigeon, (e) As a Fish, (f) As a Deer, (ix) Nataraja, (x) Kali trampling over Siva. VIII. SIVA BEYOND INDIAN FRONTIER (i) Burma, (ii) China, (iii) Japan, (iv) Thailand, (v) Champa, (vi) Indonesia, (vii) Bali, (viii) Cambodia, (ix) Nepal, (x) Sri Lanka. Arati of Sivaji