Divine Beings
Shiva
शिव
The Great God
Who was Shiva?
Shiva (शिव): The Great God, one of the divine beings in the Mahabharata. The destroyer and supreme ascetic, who tested Arjuna in the form of a Kirata hunter before granting the Pashupatastra, and whose boon to Amba ensured Bhishma's fall.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | शिव |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | The Great God |
| Faction | Divine Beings |
| Key traits | transcendent, fierce, generous, unknowable |
| Featured in | 21 stories |
About Shiva
The destroyer and supreme ascetic, who tested Arjuna in the form of a Kirata hunter before granting the Pashupatastra, and whose boon to Amba ensured Bhishma's fall.
In Their Words
You fought me without knowing me - that courage earns my weapon.
Shiva
Traits
- transcendent
- fierce
- generous
- unknowable
Story Appearances
Places in Shiva's Story
Drawn from the stories Shiva appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Divine Beings.