[shee-vuh] 
| “the Destroyer,” the third member of the Trimurti, along with Brahma the Creator and Vishnu the Preserver. |
| Shi·va (shē'və) n. Hinduism One of the principal Hindu deities, worshiped as the destroyer and restorer of worlds and in numerous other forms. Shiva is often conceived as a member of the triad also including Brahma and Vishnu. [Sanskrit śivaḥ, from śiva-, auspicious, dear; see kei-1 in Indo-European roots.] Shi'va·ism, Si'va·ism n., Shi'va·ist, Si'va·ist n. |