As per Hindu scriptures does lord Śiva explicitly claim himself to be a deity that has to be worshiped?

Question

Note: I have limited knowledge in these matters. But I am a curious person and go with reasoning.

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I want to know that in which all Hindu's divine/sacred scriptures lord Śiva has claimed or explicitly asserted that he is a God and he should be worshipped.

For e.g.

In Christianity: It is nowhere mentioned that Jesus himself claimed to be a God and asked to worship him.

In Sikhism: In their sacred scripture Guru Granth Sahib, possibly nowhere Guru Nanak claimed himself to be a God and asked to worship him.

In Islam: Somewhere (possibly few places) Allah has claimed to be a God and asked to worship him.

Note: If there are too many lists to mention, then mention at least a few authentic references with exact verses / lines.

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Reason for my curiosity: Suppose I am an alien who has come to earth and started speaking understanding the language here. After spending some time with poor (having no special powers) mortal humans, I come to know that they do a lot of things for their living like the business, jobs, singing, etc. which completely makes sense.

However, they also follow some spiritual rules/teachings which is absolutely not necessary for the living. When asked for the reason, they all said they follow it to be a good human being, to be good for the society and overall peaceful coexistence on the earth. But they all varied in one thing i.e believing in different Gods (the creator of all the universe) and they all claimed to be true.

So instead of believing on individual person I took all the religious books and went to search on my own who is the actual God...

Answer 1

Yes, for example, in Kurma Purana he does so. in this Purana, we have the Iswara Gita where he identifies himself as the Parambrahma.

Parama Shiva says:

Veeta raaga bhaya krodhaa manmayaa maamupaashritaah,

Bahavenena yogena putaa madbhaavamaagataah/

Ye yathaa maam praadyantey taamstayaiva bhajaamyahjam,

Jnaana yogena maam tasmaad yajeta Parameshwaram/

Athavaa Bjhakti yogena Vairaagyena parena tu,

Chetasaa bodha yuktena pujayenmaamsadaa shuchih/

Those who shun desire, fear and anger do approach me by performing the Pashupati Vrata and had all been blessed; they could adopt the medium of Jnaana Yoga or Bhakti Yoga but I relieve them of Samsara Bandhanas for good.

He further says:

Those Bhaktaas who treat every Being without malice, hatred, and self-pride; but with friendliness, kindness and affection are dear to me; those who are contented, self-controlled, strong willed, ever-engaged in Yoga and totally dedicated to me are dear to me; those who neither get excited nor prone to exciting others, but are fearless, placid and composed are dear to me; those who never crave for worldly desires, but are ready to sacrifice, are impartial, are ready to face challenges of the right kind and are not non-starters due to hesitation are indeed near and dear to me.) Having given his preferences, Maha Deva underscores that his bhaktas should perform Shiva-Linga Puja always and any where that is clean and pro-active, but with extreme devotion and dedication- be it in water, inside Agni, addressed to Surya or Sky and even in one’s own heart! What is of significance is that any Puja to Shiva performed in faith, concentration and total bhakti and that shall be rewarded without doubt.

Also, in this chapter of the same Purana, Lord Shiva says:

Parama Shiva asserted:

Naaham Tapobhirvividhairna Daanena na cheyjyayaa |
Shakyo hi Purushair jaaturmutey Bhaktiamanuttamaam ||

I am always realisable by Bhakti or Pure Devotion and not necessarily by Tapasya, Daana or Charity and Yagnaas!.

And, he further clarifies, what is required of his devotees:

Na madbhaktaa vinashyanti madbhaktaa veeta kalmashaah |
Aadaavetat pratigjaanam na mey bhaktah pranashyati ||
Patram Pushpam Phalam toyam madaaraadhana kaaranaat |
Yo mey dadaati niyatah sa meyBhaktah Priyomatah ||

My Bhaktaas would never be destroyed nor harmed but would be washed off their sins as I took a vow that my Bhaktas are protected. Bhaktas are merely required to perform my Puja with utmost sincerity and offer leaves, flowers, fruits and even water as I would be pleased.

And, in general, in Hinduism, there are five deities, called Pancha Devatas, who are highly worthy of worship.

The following verse from the Matsya Purana, is quoted in the book Nitya Karma Puja Prakash (by Gita Press):

Adityam gananAtham cha devim rudram cha keshavam |
PanchaDaivatyamityuktam sarva karmasu pujAyeth ||

The Pancha Devatas are - Surya, Ganesha, Devi, Shiva and Vishnu.In all auspicious ceremonies they should be worshiped.

Answer 2

Yes, Lord Śiva explicitly claim himself to be a deity that has to be worshiped. In Shiva Purana - Part 1 (VIDYESHWAR SAMHITA) - Chapter 9,

Isvara (Śiva) said :—

13. By the worship on Sivaratri day the devotee attains that fruit which usually accrues to one who continuously worships me (Śiva) for a year.

Answer 3

Yes, Shiva himself says that He is eternal Brahman and should be worshipped.

I am posting the quote (I changed the word phallus into the more appropriate linga):

Sages said:- 8. Everywhere the deities are worshipped only in their image. How is that Siva is worshipped both in the image and the linga?

Suta said:- 9. O sages, this question is holy and wondrous. Here the speaker is Siva Himself and not any ordinary person. 10. I shall tell you what Siva Himself had said and what I heard from my own preceptor. Siva alone is Niskala (nameless and formless) since He is identical with supreme Brahman. 11. He is also Sakala as He has an embodied form. He is both Sakala and Niskala. It is his Niskala aspect that the Linga is appropriate. 12-13. In the Sakala aspect the worship of His embodied form is appropriate. Since He has the Sakala and Niskala aspects He is worshipped both in the linga and in the embodied form by the people and is called the highest Brahman. Other deities, not being Brahman, have no Niskala aspect anywhere. 14. Hence the deities are not worshipped in the formless linga symbol. The other deities are both non-Brahman and individual souls. 15. In view of their being embodied alone they are worshipped solely in the bodily form. Sankara has Brahmatatva and the others Jivatva. 16. This has been explained in the meaning of the Pranava (Om), the essence of Vedanta, by Nandikesvara when asked by Sanatkumara, the intelligent son of Brahma, at the mountain Mandara.

Shiva Purana, Vidyesvarasamhita, Chapter 5

Answer 4

By worshipping one who should not be worshipped, and by refusing to worship him who should be worshipped, a man incurs the sin of homicide for ever... - Dhadichi

Although it doesn't matter whether he himself claimed about his divinity or not, still Shiva not only said he should be worshipped, in addition, he claimed himself to be the ultimate enjoyer of any sacrifice or offering. No sacrifice is complete without sacrificing in the name of Shiva, this is ascertained in all Daksha Sacrifices. For instance, I am presenting episode of Daksha sacrifice happened in current Manvantara.

In this episode of Mahabharata Book 12 Shanti Parva, Shiva says to her wife,

Thou dost not know me, O goddess! Thou knowest not, O thou of delicate limbs and low belly, what words are proper to be addressed to the Lord of Sacrifices. O lady of large eyes, I know that it is only the sinful, who are bereft of contemplation, that do not understand me. It is through thy power of illusion that the deities with Indra at their head and the three worlds all become stupefied. It is to me that the chanters utter their praises in Sacrifices. It is to me that the Saman-singers sing their Rathantaras. It is to me that Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas perform their Sacrifices. And it is to me that the Adhvaryus dedicate the shares of sacrificial offerings.

Answer 5

Veda Says : "Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshwaraha Guru Saakshaat ParaBrahma Tasmai Sri Gurave Namaha"

It's saying Saakshaat Guru is Lord Himself only, the Supreme power. GOD exists everywhere and in each of you. and so he is present in all. Everything is just a different form of him, inside everything it's only him. It's he only who beats every heart and everyone's inner voice and inner sight.

So whatever Form or shape you workship to, just realize -its the inner supreme spirit aka GOD u r workshipping. So no matter what shape or figure your god is, you are worshipping the supreme power who is beyond all forms and figures, description, names. he is beyond description just like asking you to tell what is sweetness, you can't describe..only can be felt to know it.

Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva goes to meditation to keep up his connection or workship of the Supreme power. Since its same supreme power inside everyone no one is less or no one is great.