हिंदू धर्मात शंकराला (‍शिव,महादेव,पशुपतीनाथ,गंगाधर,सांब,नटराज) सर्व देवांत सर्वांत वरचे स्थान आहे. वेदांत शिवाचे नाव रुद्र आहे. पत्नी पार्वती जगन्माता असून पुत्र कार्तिकेय आणि गणेश होत. ब्रम्हा-विष्णू-महेश यापैकी महेश म्हणजे शंकर.
One of the principal Hindu deities, worshiped as the destroyer and restorer of worlds and in numerous other forms. Shiva is one of the three main forms of Brahman, the Supreme Spirit or Power of the universe.The three horizontal lines on his forehead have been interpreted as representing the three sources of light - fire, sun and moon; or his ability to see the past, present and future. He is seated on the tops of the Himalayas in deep meditation.