| Pashupati | |
|---|---|
Lord of the Animals | |
 | |
| Affiliation | Shaivism |
| Region | Indian subcontinent |
| Part of a series on |
| Shaivism |
|---|
 |
 Hinduism portal |
Pashupati (Sanskrit: पशुपति, IAST: Paśupati) is a Hindu deity and an incarnation of Shiva as the "Lord of the animals". Pashupati is mainly worshipped in Nepal and India. Pashupati is also the national deity of Nepal.
Paśupati or Pashupatinatha, means "Lord of the animals". It was an epithet of Rudra in the Vedic period[1] and is one of the epithets of Shiva.[2]
The earliest claimed evidence of Pashupati comes from the Indus Valley civilization (3300 BCE to 1300 BCE), where the Pashupati seal has been said to represent a proto-Shiva figure.[3]
Pashupatinath is an avatar of Shiva, one of the Hindu Trinity. He is the male counterpart of Shakti.
The five faces of Pashupatinath represent various incarnations of Shiva; Sadyojata (also known as Varuna), Vamdeva (also known as Uma Maheswara), Tatpurusha, Aghor and Ishana. They face West, North, East, South and Zenith respectively, representing Hinduism's five primary elements namely earth, water, air, light and ether.[4]
The Puranas describe these faces of Shiva as:
Sadyojata, Vamdeva, Tatpurusha & Aghora are the four faces, The fifth is Ishana, unknowable even to the seers.[4]
|
Main article: Hinduism in Nepal |
Although Nepal is a secular state, its population is predominantly Hindu. Pashupatinath is revered as a national deity.[5] The Pashupatinath Temple, located at the bank of the river Bagmati, is considered one of the most sacred places in Nepal. In mythology it is said that Pashupatinath started living in Nepal in the form of a deer because he was enchanted by the beauty of Kathmandu Valley.[citation needed]
A Pashupatinath temple is sited on the banks of the Shivana river in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is one of the most important shrines of Mandsaur, and Shiva in the form of Pashupatinath is its primary deity. Its main attraction is a unique Shiva Linga displaying eight faces of Shiva. The shrine has four doors, representing the cardinal directions.[6]
Pashupata Shaivism is one of the oldest Shaivite sects that derives its name from Pashupati. The sect upholds Pashupati "as the supreme deity, the lord of all souls, and the cause of all existence".[7]
