He, clad in skins,
practicing yogic restraint from ascetic power,
dwelt on a Himalayan peak,
where the deodar trees are sprayed
by Ganga's cascades and scented by
musk from deers' navels,
and the kim'naras gently play their music
Although he is absent from the Vedas, Shiva is one of the more ancient gods in the Indian pantheon, likely finding origin in the prehistoric Gangetic plain. Over millenia he has evolved to fulfill many roles, often conflicting. He is depicted as a chaste ascetic and a passionate lover. He provides the power to create, but ushers in cosmic destruction. He is seen as the cosmic dancer who keeps the universe on track through his rhythm. He is depicted in images complex and full of symbolism like the statue above, but is most frequently represented by a simple stone, the lingum. Shiva is arguably the most important Hindu god with regards to the ordering of the cosmos.
