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==Avatars of Shiva==
[[File:Sarabha Narasinmha Kangra.jpg|thumb|left| Sharabha (right) with Narasimha (18th-century painting, [[Pahari painting|Pahari]]/[[Kangra painting|Kangra]] School)]]

Although [[Puranas|Puranic scriptures]] contain occasional references to avatars of Shiva, the avatar doctrine is neither universally accepted nor commonly adopted in [[Shaivism]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Parrinder| first= Edward Geoffrey |title=Avatar and incarnation |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |year=1982 |pages= 87–88 |isbn=978-0-19-520361-5 }}</ref> The views on the doctrine of incarnation has been one of the significant doctrinal differences between Vaishnavism and Shaivism, in addition to their differences on the role of householder life versus monastic life for spiritual release.<ref name=laiengavatar>{{cite book|author=Lai Ah Eng |title=Religious Diversity in Singapore |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9MmNaNebFD8C |year=2008|publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore|isbn=978-981-230-754-5|pages=221 }}</ref><ref name=ryanjonesavatar>{{cite book|author1=Constance Jones |author2=James D. Ryan |title=Encyclopedia of Hinduism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OgMmceadQ3gC |year=2006|publisher=Infobase |isbn=978-0-8160-7564-5 |pages=474 }}</ref><ref name="Dhavamony2002p63">{{cite book|author=Mariasusai Dhavamony |title=Hindu-Christian Dialogue: Theological Soundings and Perspectives |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=poUxxH4fPwwC |year=2002|publisher=Rodopi |isbn=978-90-420-1510-4 |pages=63 }}</ref> Shaivism is a transcendental theology, where man, with the help of his [[Guru]], is his own savior.<ref name="Dhavamony2002p63"/>

The [[Linga Purana]] lists twenty-eight avatars of Shiva.<ref>{{cite book|last=Winternitz|first=Moriz|author2=V. Srinivasa Sarma|title=A History of Indian Literature, Volume 1  |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass| year=1981| pages=543–544| isbn=978-81-208-0264-3| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JRfuJFRV_O8C&pg=PA543}}</ref> In the [[Shiva Purana]] there is a distinctly Saivite version of a traditional avatar myth: Shiva brings forth [[Virabhadra]], one of his terrifying forms, in order to calm [[Narasimha]], an avatar of Vishnu. When that fails, Shiva manifests as the human-lion-bird [[Sharabha]] which calms down lion-man Narasimha avatar of Vishnu, and Shiva then gives Vishnu a chakra (not to be confused with Sudarshan Chakra) as gift. A similar story is told in the late medieval era [[Sharabha Upanishad]].<ref>SG Desai (1996), A critical study of the later Upanishads, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, pages 109–110</ref> However, Vaishnava [[Dvaita]] school refutes this Shaivite view of Narasimha.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sharma|first= B. N. Krishnamurti|title=A history of the Dvaita school of Vedānta and its literature: from the earliest beginnings to our own times|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|year=2000|page=412|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FVtpFMPMulcC&pg=PA412 | isbn=978-81-208-1575-9}}</ref> According to the [[Shiva Purana]], Shiva has 19 avatars. According to the [[Kurma Purana]], he has 28.

The [[vanara]] god [[Hanuman]] who helped Rama (the Vishnu avatar) is considered by some to be the eleventh avatar of [[Rudra]] (Shiva).<ref>{{cite book|last= Lutgendorf|first=Philip|title=Hanuman's tale: the messages of a divine monkey|publisher=Oxford University Press US|year=2007|page=44|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fVFC2Nx-LP8C&q=avatara++Shiva&pg=PT333 | isbn=978-0-19-530921-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Catherine Ludvík|title=Hanumān in the Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki and the Rāmacaritamānasa of Tulasī Dāsa|pages=10–11|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KCXQN0qoAe0C&q=Hanuman+Rudra&pg=PA10 | isbn=978-81-208-1122-5 | year=1994 | publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ.}}</ref> Some regional deities like [[Khandoba]] are also believed by some to be avatars of Shiva.<ref>{{cite book |title= The History of Sacred Places in India as Reflected in Traditional Literature|last= Sontheimer|first= Gunther-Dietz|year= 1990|publisher= BRILL|isbn= 978-90-04-09318-8|chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=McwUAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA129|editor = Hans Bakker|chapter = God as King for All: The Sanskrit Malhari Mahatmya and its context}} p.118</ref><ref>{{cite book |title= Criminal Gods and Demon Devotees: Essays on the Guardians of Popular Hinduism|last= Sontheimer|first= Gunther-Dietz|year= 1989|publisher= State University of New York Press|isbn= 978-0-88706-981-9|chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=CLmuJhU3wC8C&pg=PA332|editor-first=Alf |editor-last=Hiltebeitel|editor-link=Alf Hiltebeitel|chapter = Between Ghost and God: Folk Deity of the Deccan|page=332}}</ref> [[Ashwatthama]], the son of [[Drona]] is also considered to be an avatar of Shiva.

[[Shesha]] and his avatars ([[Balarama]] and [[Lakshmana]]) are occasionally linked to Shiva.{{sfn|Matchett|2001|p=63|ps=: "There are strong links between Samkarsana/Sesa and Siva, so that it is not difficult to see in this pale companion of the dark Krsna a reminder of Siva's parity with Visnu, even though Visnu still has the lead."}}<ref>{{cite book|title=The Padma-Purana: Part IX|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|year=1956|location=Delhi|pages=3164–3165|quote=The Lord, Visnu, took his place in the egg. Then with his mind devoted to the supreme spirit, Brahma meditated upon Visnu. At the end of the meditation a drop of perspiration was produced from his forehead. That drop, of the shape of a bubble, in a moment fell on the earth. O you of an excellent face, I, having three eyes, a trident, and adorned with the crown of the matted hair, was born from that bubble. With modesty I asked the lord of gods: "What shall I do?" Then God Visnu, with delight, thus spoke to me: "O Rudra, you will bring about a fierce-looking destruction of the world, (after) actually being (my) portion, viz. Samkarsana, O you of an excellent face."}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://magazines.odisha.gov.in/Orissareview/2010/July/engpdf/87-90.pdf|title=Lord Balarama|last=Mahalik|first=Er. Nirakar|date=2010|work=Orissa Review|quote=So Balarama became (Bala+Deva) Baladeva. Krishna and Balarama are regarded as Hari and Hara. Here Balarama is regarded as Lord Siva. Siva is helping Vishnu in every incarnation like Rama-Laxman in [[Treta Yuga]]. In [[Dvapara Yuga]] as Krishna-Balarama and in [[Kali Yuga]] they are Jagannath and Balabhadra.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://devdutt.com/articles/indian-mythology/mahabharata/elder-brother-of-god.html|title=Elder Brother of God|last=Pattanaik|first=Devdutt|date=2010|website=Devdutt|quote=Some say that Krishna is Vishnu, Balarama is Shiva and Subhadra is Devi, thus the three siblings represent the three main schools of Hindu theism: Vaishnava, Shaiva and Shakta.|access-date=2017-08-04|archive-date=2019-06-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190620103809/http://devdutt.com/articles/indian-mythology/mahabharata/elder-brother-of-god.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Adi Shankara]], the formulator of [[Advaita Vedanta]], is also occasionally regarded as an avatar of Shiva.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Hindus: An Alternative History|last=Doniger|first=Wendy|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2010|pages=508|quote=The gods complained to Shiva that Vishnu had entered the body of the Buddha on earth for their sake, but now the haters of religion, despising Brahmins and the dharma of class and stage of life, filled the earth. “Not a single man performs a ritual, for all have become heretics—Buddhists, Kapalikas, and so forth—and so we eat no offerings.” Shiva consented to become incarnate as Shankara, to reestablish Vedic dharma, which keeps the universe happy, and to destroy evil behavior.}}</ref>

In [[Dasam Granth]], Guru Gobind Singh mentioned two avatars of Rudra: [[Dattatreya]] Avatar and [[Parshvanatha|Parasnath]] Avatar.<ref>SS Kapoor and MK Kapoor (2009), [https://books.google.com/books?id=8-h8ptzp0lUC&pg=PA17 Composition 10, Rudra Avtar], ''Dasam Granth'', Hemkunt, {{ISBN|9788170103257}}, page 17</ref>