Significance of why Lord Shiva wears tiger skin! Read more

Here's why Lord Shiva wears tiger skin!

Image courtesy: Thinkstock

New Delhi: We all have seen how lord Shiva sits over a beautifully laid tiger skin in his dhyana mudra and also drapes one over his body. But have you ever thought why is it so? Well, there's a legend behind this significant dressing.

According to Shiva Puran- Lord Shiva used to wander around the forests bare bodied. Once, he reached a forest which was home to various saints, who used to stay there along with their families.

When Shiva wandered around this forest in his bare body this distracted the women in the village. However, Shiva was completely unaware of this happening and he kept on travelling. This made the saints in the village agitated as their wives were getting attracted to the young sage and they decided to teach him a lesson.

The saints further dug out a huge pit on Shiva's path and left a tiger in the pit. But, Shiva remained unaffected and within seconds killed the tiger and tore off its skin to cover his body. Since then Lord Shiva wears a tiger skin which symbolises- the victory of the divine force over animal instincts.

Also, the saints realised that Shiva was not an ordinary sage and they immediately fell on his feet to worship him!

Therefore, the tiger skin worn by the lord signifies how animal instincts were killed by the lord who emerged victorious in the battle and forever let such forces curbed under his superior power.