Editing Shiva (section)

=== Ascetic and householder ===
{{multiple image
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| image1 = Bhikshatana murti, dal distretto di pudukkottai.jpg
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| image2 = The Holy Family, Shiva, Parvati, with their sons Ganesha and Karttikeya, National Museum, New Delhi (cropped2).jpg
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| footer = Shiva is depicted both as an ascetic mendicant (left as [[Bhikshatana]]) and as a householder with his wife Parvati and sons Ganesha and Kartikeya (right).
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Shiva is depicted as both an ascetic [[yogi]] and as a householder ([[grihasta]]), roles which have been traditionally mutually exclusive in Hindu society.<ref>For the contrast between ascetic and householder depictions, see: {{harvnb|Flood|1996|pp=150–151}}</ref> When depicted as a yogi, he may be shown sitting and meditating.<ref>For Shiva's representation as a yogi, see: {{harvnb|Chakravarti|1986|p=32}}.</ref> His epithet Mahāyogi ("the great Yogi: ''{{transliteration|sa|ISO|Mahā}}'' = "great", ''Yogi'' = "one who practices Yoga") refers to his association with yoga.<ref>For name Mahāyogi and associations with yoga, see, {{harvnb|Chakravarti|1986|pp=23, 32, 150}}.</ref> While [[Historical Vedic religion|Vedic religion]] was conceived mainly in terms of sacrifice, it was during the [[Indian epic poetry|Epic period]] that the concepts of [[Tapas (Sanskrit)|tapas]], yoga, and asceticism became more important, and the depiction of Shiva as an ascetic sitting in philosophical isolation reflects these later concepts.<ref>For the ascetic yogin form as reflecting Epic period influences, see: {{harvnb|Chakravarti|1986|p=32}}.</ref>

As a family man and householder, he has a wife, [[Parvati]], and two sons, [[Ganesha]] and [[Kartikeya]]. His epithet {{transliteration|sa|ISO|Umāpati}} ("The husband of {{transliteration|sa|ISO|Umā}}") refers to this idea, and Sharma notes that two other variants of this name that mean the same thing, {{transliteration|sa|ISO|Umākānta}} and {{transliteration|sa|ISO|Umādhava}}, also appear in the ''sahasranama''.<ref>For {{transliteration|sa|ISO|Umāpati}}, {{transliteration|sa|ISO|Umākānta}} and {{transliteration|sa|ISO|Umādhava}} as names in the Shiva Sahasranama literature, see: {{Harvnb|Sharma|1996|p=278}}.</ref> {{transliteration|sa|ISO|Umā}} in epic literature is known by many names, including the benign {{transliteration|sa|ISO|Pārvatī}}.<ref>For {{transliteration|sa|ISO|Umā}} as the oldest name, and variants including {{transliteration|sa|ISO|Pārvatī}}, see: {{harvnb|Chakravarti|1986|p=40}}.</ref><ref>For {{transliteration|sa|ISO|Pārvatī}} identified as the wife of Shiva, see: {{harvnb|Kramrisch|1981|p=479}}</ref> She is identified with [[Devi]], the Divine Mother; [[Shakti]] (divine energy) as well as goddesses like [[Tripura Sundari]], [[Durga]], [[Kali]], [[Kamakshi]] and [[Minakshi]]. The consorts of Shiva are the source of his creative energy. They represent the dynamic extension of Shiva onto this universe.<ref name="Search for Meaning">Search for Meaning By Antonio R. Gualtieri</ref> His son Ganesha is worshipped throughout [[India]] and [[Nepal]] as the Remover of Obstacles, Lord of Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles. Kartikeya is worshipped in [[South India|Southern India]] (especially in [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Kerala]] and [[Karnataka]]) by the names Subrahmanya, Subrahmanyan, Shanmughan, Swaminathan and Murugan, and in [[North India|Northern India]] by the names Skanda, Kumara, or Karttikeya.<ref>For regional name variants of Karttikeya see: {{harvnb|Gupta|1988|loc=''Preface''}}.</ref>

Some regional deities are also identified as Shiva's children. As one story goes, Shiva is enticed by the beauty and charm of [[Mohini]], Vishnu's female avatar, and procreates with her. As a result of this union, [[Shasta (deity)|Shasta]] – identified with regional deities [[Ayyappan]] and [[Aiyanar]] – is born.<ref>{{cite book|last=Doniger|first=Wendy|title=Splitting the difference: gender and myth in ancient Greece and India|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=London|year=1999|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JZ8qfQbEJB4C&q=mohini+Vishnu&pg=PA263|pages=263–265|isbn=978-0226156415|access-date=7 November 2020|archive-date=31 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240331131654/https://books.google.com/books?id=JZ8qfQbEJB4C&q=mohini+Vishnu&pg=PA263|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Vanita69>{{cite book |title= Same-sex love in India: readings from literature and history|last= Vanita|first= Ruth |author2=Kidwai, Saleem  |year= 2001|publisher= Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-0312293246|page = 69}}</ref><ref name="P71">{{cite book|title= The man who was a woman and other queer tales of Hindu lore|last= Pattanaik|first= Devdutt|year= 2001|publisher= Routledge|isbn= 978-1560231813|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Odsk9xfOp6oC&q=mohini&pg=PA71|page= 71|access-date= 7 November 2020|archive-date= 31 March 2024|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240331131655/https://books.google.com/books?id=Odsk9xfOp6oC&q=mohini&pg=PA71|url-status= live}}</ref><ref>See [[Mohini#Relationship with Shiva]] for details</ref> In outskirts of Ernakulam in [[Kerala]], a deity named [[Vishnumaya]] is stated to be offspring of Shiva and invoked in local exorcism rites, but this deity is not traceable in Hindu pantheon and is possibly a local tradition with "vaguely Chinese" style rituals, states Saletore.<ref name=Saletore>{{cite book|author=RN Saletore|title=Indian Witchcraft|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ETz3_bv8t0cC&pg=PA93 |year=1981| publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-0391024809|pages=93}}</ref> In some traditions, Shiva has daughters like the serpent-goddess [[Manasa]] and [[Ashokasundari]].{{sfn|McDaniel|2004|p=[https://archive.org/details/offeringflowersf00mcda/page/n166 156]}}<ref name="mani">{{cite book |title = Puranic Encyclopaedia: a Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature |url = https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft | publisher = Motilal Banarsidass Publishers |year = 1975| isbn = 978-0842608220 | author = Vettam Mani|pages= [https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/62 62], 515–516}}</ref> According to Doniger, two regional stories depict demons [[Andhaka]] and [[Jalandhara]] as the children of Shiva who war with him, and are later destroyed by Shiva.<ref name=doniger1>{{cite book|author=Wendy Doniger|title=The Bedtrick: Tales of Sex and Masquerade|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KfA9ByNVjZ8C&pg=PA72 |year=2005|publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0226156439|pages=72, 206}}</ref>