Siva Myths in the Epics: The Ramayana of Valmiki and the Mahabharata of Vyasa

Contents: Preface. Introduction. 1. The birth of Rudra-Siva and a brief history of the Saiva Sect in ancient India. 2. Siva the Rudra. 3. Theophanies of Siva. 4. Siva, the Varada. 5. Siva, the Pratigrahin. 6. Miscellaneous myths of Siva. Appendix: Satarudriya: the Visvarupa aspect of Siva. Select bibliography. Index. Plates.

The work deals with the Siva myths in the two great epics of India--the Ramayana of Valmiki and Mahabharata of Vyasa. Of the two epics, the Ramayana of Valmiki has the ‘Journey’ of Rama, the seventh avatara of Vishnu, as its theme; in the Mahabharata of Vyasa, Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, plays a pivotal role. Yet, in both the epics, with their obvious Vaishnava affiliations, the presence of Siva is felt.