(1) The destroyer; one of the three major divinities in the later Hindu pantheon
(2) (Judaism) a period of seven days of mourning after the death of close relative
"The family is sitting shiva"
WiktionaryText
Proper noun
Together with Brahma and Vishnu, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. Within Shaivism he is viewed as the Supreme deity, whereas in other branches of Hinduism such as the Smarta tradition he is worshipped as one of the six manifestations of the Divine.
