Avatars of Lord Shiva – Nandi
Lord Shiva is one of the most revered and worshipped deities in Hinduism. He is the supreme god of destruction, transformation, and regeneration. He is also the lord of yoga, meditation, and arts. He has many names, forms, and attributes that reflect his various aspects and qualities.
One of the ways to understand Lord Shiva is through his avatars or incarnations. An avatar is a deliberate descent of a deity in human or animal form on earth for a specific purpose. Lord Shiva has taken many avatars in different ages and situations to fulfill his divine will and to help his devotees.
In this blog post, we will explore five of the most well-known avatars of Lord Shiva and their stories.
Nandi Avatar
Nandi is the divine bull who serves as the mount and the gatekeeper of Lord Shiva but many people often ask, “Is nandi avatar of shiva“?. He is also the leader of the ganas, the attendants of Shiva. Nandi avatar is a symbol of strength, loyalty, devotion, and wisdom.
Nandi was born as the son of Sage Shilada, who performed intense penance to please Lord Shiva and asked for a son who would be immortal and devoted to him. Lord Shiva granted his wish and appeared as a baby in his arms. He named him Nandi, meaning joy.
Nandi grew up as a pious and virtuous boy who was always immersed in the worship of Lord Shiva. He also learned the Vedas and other scriptures from his father. One day, he met Parvati, the daughter of King Himavan, who was also a great devotee of Lord Shiva. They fell in love and decided to marry.
However, Parvati’s father was not happy with their relationship and tried to stop them. He sent a powerful demon named Arunasura to kill Nandi. Nandi fought bravely with the demon but was overpowered by him. He prayed to Lord Shiva for help.
Lord Shiva heard his prayer and appeared before him. He blessed him with the form of a bull and gave him a trident to fight with. Nandi then defeated Arunasura and married Parvati with Lord Shiva’s consent.
Nandi then became the faithful servant and companion of Lord Shiva. He followed him everywhere and guarded his abode on Mount Kailash. He also became the chief disciple of Lord Shiva and learned the secrets of yoga and meditation from him. There is another story of how nandi become shiva’s vehicle which we will cover later.
