Death is the ultimate freedom. This is Shiva’s gift to all of life.
Mahadeva, or the supreme deity, also known as Shiva is the destroyer and transformer of all of life. He is limitless, unchanging, eternal, formless, and the ultimate yogi; one who has joined with the death of all things.
Shiva is often displayed slaying demons with his trident. When not in battle, he is practicing yoga alone on Mount Kailash in his ascetic lifestyle of renunciation. His third eye sees all and the Ganges river itself flows from his hair.
Shiva is quite possibly the oldest god in history, dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization; however, his worship has lost none of its potency and he is worshipped across southeast Asia.
Shiva is joined with the supreme self, the Brahman. Shiva powerfully deals destruction and death to make room for Brahma to create in the world. He smears his body with the ashes of the dead representing the impending death of all beings. He dances to his drum bringing fiery and fierce death to all whose time has come to pass from this world.
Shiva is a very fierce representation of what will eventually happen to all of us. A precedent to the grim-reaper, he represents what comes for life eventually and acceptance of this is the greatest freedom. Fear of death.
If we can see past our own ego, we can realize that we never really existed in the first place. It is an illusion to think that we matter more than the matter we are made up of. Even our idealisations of past figures in history are false representations. No one that is alive now actually knew who Jesus was. Nor Moses. Nor anyone else that has died over a hundred years ago.
It is important to remember that life is short. Make the most of each day. Gratitude for challenges, lessons, and difficulties that force us to grow. Once you let go of your ego, you can be free. Shiva, yoga, and ascetic practices will help you to let go. Freedom is in your mind, no one can give it to you or take it away from you. Everything else is just an illusion.