Shiva is one of the most important gods in Hinduism: the destroyer and protector, the supreme among ascetics and lord of the universe. Shiva provides the answers to some of the greatest dilemmas facing humanity. But who is Shiva? Why does he travel the world as a naked ascetic smeared with ash? What is the story behind the veneration of the linga, and what worldview does it entail? And why does his body exhibit feminine characteristics?

Namita Gokhale (born 1956) explores these and many other questions about Shiva, revealing a philosophy and worldview that reveals the essence of Indian thought behind Shiva’s complexity.

Author: Namita Gokhale

Publisher: Synthese

Paperback, illustrated

174 pp