Lord Shiva's General Appearence

The actual image of Shiva is also distinct from other deities: his hair piled high on the top of his head, with a crescent tucked into it and the river Ganges tumbling from his hairs. Around his neck is a coiled serpent representing Kundalini or the spiritual energy within life. He holds a trident in his left hand in which is bound the 'damroo' (small leather drum). He sits on a tiger skin and on his right is a water pot. He wears the 'Rudraksha' beads and his whole body is smeared with ash. He is well built, strong-armed, powerful, and resembles a huge mountain made of dazzling silver. All the features in his looks are symbolisms.

Lord Shiva's Forms

(I) Attributes of Lord Shiva: Explanations

* Third Eye: Shiva is often depicted with a third eye with which he burned Desire (Kama) to ashes. There has been controversy regarding the original meaning of Shiva's name Trilochana (Sanskrit: tri = three; lochana= eye(s) or eyed), or Tryambaka (Sanskrit: one with three eyes of fire), which occurs in many scriptural sources. In classical Sanskrit the word ambaka denotes "an eye", and in the Mahabharata Shiva is depicted as three-eyed, so this name is sometimes translated as "Having Three Eyes". However, in Vedic Sanskrit the word amba or ambika means "mother", and this early meaning of the word is the basis for the translation "Having Three Mothers" that was used by Max Müller and Arthur Macdonell. Since no story is known in which Shiva had three mothers, E. Washburn Hopkins suggested that the name refers not to three mothers, but to three Mother-goddesses who are collectively called theAmbikas. Other related translations have been "having three wives or sisters", or based on the idea that the name actually refers to the oblations given to Rudra, which according to some traditions were shared with the goddess Ambika.

* Silver Complexion: Lord Shiva's body complexion is silver, for which he is attributed asRajatagirisnniva (Sanskrit: rajata = silver, giri = mountain, sanniva = resembling, or one who resembles).

* Blue Throat: The epithet Neelakantha (Sanskritneela = blue, kantha = throat) refers to a story in which Shiva drank the poison churned up from the world ocean, to save the creation.