Shiva Avatharam

As per Shiva puranam, there are 19 avatars of lord Shiva. However, Lord Shiva manifests according to situations, he may have manifested innumerable times but there are few notable avatars of Shiva (may not be as avatar but as his amsa).

1. Piplaad

Lord Shiva took birth in the house of Rishi Dadhichi as Piplaad. Sage is said to have left the house due to the positioning of the Shani. So, Piplaad cursed Shani and caused the planet to fall from its celestial abode. Later, he forgave Shani on a condition that the planet would never trouble anyone before 16 years of age. Hence, worshipping the Piplaad form of Lord Shiva helps to get rid of Shani dosha.

2. Nandi

Lord Shiva is seen as the protector of the herds. He is depicted as bull faced with four hands. The two hands are seen holding an axe and an antelope

3. Veerabhadra

Veerabhadra came to be after Goddess Sati immolated herself at the Daksha yagna. Lord Shiva became extremely furious. Lord Shiva plucked a hair strand from his head and threw it on the ground. It was from the hair strand that Veerbhadra is born. This fierce avatar is said to cut off Daksha’s head

4. Sharabha

Lord Shiva assumed the Avatar of Sharabha (part bird part lion) to tame Narasimha – the fierce man-lion avatar of Vishnu. This form is popularly known as Sarabeshwara.

5. Ashwathama

Ashwatthama is said to be the “The Vish Purush” sprung out of Shiva. He was granted a blessing that he would be able to kill oppressive Kshatriyas. He will be born as Bhardwaja’s grandson and be raised as Brahman but attracted to Kshatriyahood. This Vish Purusha was born as Ashwatthama to Drona.

6. Kalabhairava

Bhairava avatar was created when Lord Brahma lied about his quest for superiority, Shiva took the form of Bhairava and cut off Lord Brahma’s fifth head. Severing a Brahma’s head made Lord Shiva guilty of the crime of killing a Brahmin (Brahma hatya) and hence Shiva had to carry the skull of Brahma for twelve years and roam as a Bhikshatana. In this form, Shiva is said to guard all the Shakti Peethas.

7. Durvasa

Lord Shiva had taken the avatar of Durvasa on the earth to maintain the discipline of the universe. Durvasa was a great sage known for his short temper.

8. Grihapati

Lord Shiva was born to a great devotee. The child was well versed in all the Vedas yet was informed had to die young due to planetary positions. His journey to Kashi was dampened by Indra but Lord Shiva came to his defense and Lord Shiva blessed Grihapati by saying he would not die. Grihapati became very pleased. The Shivalinga which he worshipped, later on, became famous as ‘Agnishwar linga’. Lord Shiva made Grihapati the lord of all the directions.

9. Hanuman

Vishnu agreed to be born as a man to defeat Ravana, Shiva decided to born as Hanuman to help Vishnu, the son of Vayu the wind god and the Apsara Anjana, who was born on earth as a vanara princess due to a curse from Durvasa Rishi.

10. Vrishabha

This avatar he took from Nandi, and became a super bull and taught a lesson in duty to Lord Varaha setting him straight back to Vaikuntha.

11. Yatinath

There was once a tribal man named Aahuk. He and his wife were ardent devotees of Lord Shiva. One day Lord Shiva visited them in the form of Yatinath. Their small hut couldn’t accommodate lord Shiva guised as a guest, so Aahuk decided to sleep outside. Unfortunately, he was killed by a wild animal outside. This wife decided to take her own life but was blessed by Lord shiva that they would be born as Nala and Damyanti in the next life and Shiva would unite them.

12. Krishna darshan

Lord Shiva took the incarnation of Krishna Darshan avatar to highlight the importance of yagna and rituals in a person’s life

13. Bhikshuvarya

This incarnation of Lord Shiva protects human beings from all kinds of dangers.

14. Sureshwar

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati appeared in front of the son of sage Vyaghrapaad , disguised as Indra and Indrani respectively. To test his devotion, both of them told Upamanyu to stop doing penance and stop worshiping Shiva. Upamanyu was enraged and refused even after being cursed by them. Shiva and Parvati were satisfied by his total dedication and devotion. Shiva promised Upamanyu that he would be present in the vicinity of his hermitage along with Parvati forever. Lord Shiva got the name ‘Sureshwar’ because he appeared in the guise of Indra.

15. Kirateshwar

Lord Shiva descended in the form of a hunter or Kirat while Arjuna was meditating to kill an Asura named Mooka, disguised as boar. Arjun’s meditation got disturbed by the sound and upon seeing the boar, Arjun and the Kirat struck the boar at the same time with arrows. A fight broke between the Kirat and Arjuna as to who struck the boar first. Arjuna challenged Lord Shiva in the form of Kirat for a duel. Lord Shiva was pleased by Arjuna’s valour and gifted him his Pashupata Astra.

16. Suntantarka

Lord Shiva took this incarnation to ask the hand of Goddess Parvati in marriage from her father Himalaya.

17. Bramachari

It was in Brahmachari Avatar, that Lord Shiva had tested Goddess Parvati’s determination to marry him.

18. Yaksheshwar

When the deities after defeating the Asuras during Samudra Manthan, had become arrogant, Lord Shiva disliked it as pride was not a quality for gods to possess. Lord Shiva then presented some grass before them and asked them to cut it. It was Lord Shiva’s attempt to destroy their false pride through this divine grass. Hence, nobody could cut the grass and the pride vanished. This form of Lord Shiva then came to be known as Yaksheshwar.

19. Avadhut

Avadhut Avatar was an incarnation was taken by Lord Shiva to crush the arrogance of Lord Indra.