Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.1998

c9.1998

There are also various types of liṅgas indicative of the different attributes of Śiva; for example Liṅgodbhava, Candrasekhara, Raudra, Umāsahita etc. Kāmāntaka, Gajāri, Kālāri, Tripuradāhaka etc. represent the Lord in his fierce aspects. Śiva is also represented in poses of blessing Caṇḍeśa, Viṣṇu, Nandīśvara, Vighneśvara and Arjuna. He is also presented in various poses of dancing, Dakṣiṇāmūrti is represented in four forms, i.e. Vyākhyāna Jñāna, Yoga and Viṇādhara. Bikṣāṭaka, Kapāladhārī, Gaṅgādhara, Ardhanārīśvara Vṛṣabhavāhana and Viṣabhakṣaka are other forms of Śiva. Rarely is he depicted in the form of Sadāśiva, Maheśvara, Ekādaśarudras Vidyeśvara and Mūrtyaṣṭaka. There are Āgamas descriptive of these forms.