Shiva is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. Within the Hindu Trimurti, he functions as the destroyer who brings the world to dissolution, whereas Brahma is the creator and Vishnu is the preserver. For Shaiva Hindus, however, Shiva is the supreme being, who performs the roles of creation, preservation, and dissolution. On a personal level, Shiva is invoked by devotees for help in daily life and for granting liberation (moksha) from the cycle of rebirth. He is also the archetypal ascetic, or yogi.
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