Why Shiva (an asectic god) has family while most other Gods don't?

Question

Shiva or Mahadev is generally considered a deity of Sanyasi/yogis. Shiva himself is the greatest yogi and lives in Smashan. But unlike most other Hindu gods, he has a proper family. Parvati is his wife, and he has two sons (Kartikeya and Ganesha) and one daughter (Ashoksundari).

I wonder why a Sanyasi god has a family while most other gods don't.? Even if they have family they a not generally portrayed as one!

Edit: @AnkitSharma has given a nice answer but I already know what he is saying. I know that many gods have family (note that many of them have children only, they never lived as a whole family). But Shiva family live with each other like any other normal family. And it had got so much popularity, in any Hindu family at least one of Shiva's family member is worshiped.

I want to know are there any historical reason such that Aryan-Native mix-up or any philosophical or mythological reasons behind it. Why Shiva a Sanyasi (asectic) god (Many Shiva followers are also Sanyasis & do not believe in family life) is associated with a concept such as marriage & family?

Answer 1

Shiva is portrayed and worshiped in many forms, he one of those rare naked ascetic who has even conquered over Kama, he's worshiped as a passionate lover and is worshiped along with his consort Shakti as the union, in a pacific mood with his consort Parvati and son Skanda, as the cosmic dancer (Nataraja), as a mendicant beggar, as a yogi, and as the androgynous union of Siva and his consort in one body, half-male and half-female (Ardhanarisvara).

Among his common epithets are Sambhu ("Benignant"), Sankara ("Beneficent"), Pasupati ("Lord of Beasts"), Mahesa ("Great Lord"), Mahadeva ("Great God"), Rudra ("Crying"), Asutosa ("Easily pacified"), Bhutanatha ("Lord of Ghosts"), Tripurari ("Victor over the three demoniac cities") etc. These things may seem orthogonal, but they are not.

Shiva is someone who has mastered his sexual powers through Kundalini Yoga. Quoting this Shakti, Kundalini, and the River of Tantra Yoga

There is one energy that keeps taking on new shapes and forms. In Tantra the name of that energy is Shakti, which is the manifesting, or feminine force that is actually one and the same with its only apparent companion Shiva, the latent, or masculine. Each time the energy takes on a new form, we give it a new name. Shakti becomes Kundalini Shakti, or simply Kundalini. Kundalini becomes the energy of Prana, which flows in patterns or channels called Nadis, and concentrates itself by forming intersections known as Chakras.

Shiva is considered as ideal husband and unmarried woman are asked to worship Shiva to get a suitable better half. Quoting Why is Lord Shiva considered the ideal husband?

He is also the god who is in absolute control of his emotions. He has to be, after all he has two such willful and headstrong wives! Lord Shiva does not let the determination of his wives annoy or frustrate him.

He readily listens to what they have to say agreeing or disagreeing with their opinions in a gentle manner. He treats Parvati as equals and not as subservient being. He sees them as his companion, individual with whom he can discuss anything and everything - whether it may be intellectual conversations, gathering or giving of advice or even just a light-hearted banter to make him smile.

To him her opinion has high value and he enjoys banter and conversations with her. It is these amazing traits of the God alongside his legendary virility that there are many young women in India who wish that they would have an ideal husband like Shiva.

The Ardhanarishwar image of Shiva with Shakti is portrays him as someone who has understood the true meaning of a matrimony.

The Ardhnarishwar avatar of Shiva and his acknowledgement of the different but equal status of the male and female energy, represented by the Shiv-Shakti dichotomy continues to show all and sundry the extent to which Shiva loved and treasured his female half. The process of generating and sustaining life is incomplete without the active participation of both forces. It is a reality Shiva encompasses even though he is all powerful and invincible.

Ref:

1. Siva and Durga

2. Shiva God of Destruction

Answer 2

I read on the website OmOccult that alone Shiva is on a par with Shava (dead body); hence, he must be worshipped with his wife Parvati (his power) and the entire family. The entire story of the family man Shiva is duly mentioned in the Holy Scripture Shiva Purana; however, a crux of that is shared here - after assigning the task of creation to Brahma and maintenance to Vishnu, the third incarnation - Lord Shiva/Rudra decided to remain ascetic and indulged in meditation forever. Other gods, including Brahma and Vishnu, were worried that their created world – humans – will follow the same path of asceticism as Lord of the world - Shiva follows and if everybody will become an ascetic, their created world will not increase thus. Therefore, they decided to put the celibate Shiva into a married/family person. Now the Lord of Lords could not woo an ordinary lady for marriage; hence, the supreme power – goddess Durga incarnated as Parvati and wooed Shiva. After marrying goddess Parvati, Shiva begot three children, namely Kartikeya (the eldest son), Ashoksundari (the middle daughter), and Ganesha (the youngest son). Now the celibate ascetic was having a full-fledged family towards which his love was increasing day-by-day. Along with Shiva, the glory of his family in which gods were born was increasing day by day. After his marriage, Gods achieved their purpose and established the trend of marriage and forwarding the lineage. Lord Shiva does not consider himself separated from each member of his family, including bull Nandi; hence, he is worshipped along with his family than alone.

Answer 3

As your question is asking 'Why Shiva being an ascetic also lives a family life ?"

One has to understand 'Shiva Tatwa' to understand this. It is because everything exists in Shiva and hence he manifests himself in two opposite forms which contradict each other:

Let's see some example of Shiva Tatwam:

1) Fierceness and Auspiciousness

Begin from name. One name is 'Rudra' which means 'fierce', 'terror'. Another name is 'Shiva' which means 'auspicious', 'bliss'. Now how can auspicious and terror exist together ?

2) Destruction and affection

He is Destroyer. But he is also 'Pasupati' or Lord of creatures and Sankara (Giver of Pleasure). Now how can a destroyer become their Lord? How can a destroyer give pleasure?

3) Attachment and Detachment

He is detached from everything. He is the ideal for Sanyasi. But he cries when Sati self-immolated. How can a detached person cry and become like mad ?

4) Moha and Manmatha

He himself is the destroyer of 'Kama" but he falls in love with Mohini? How can a destroyer of Kama be attracted towards Mohini ?

5) Satwik and Tamasik

He smears himself with ash of cemetry, lives with Ghosts and Pisachas which are tamasic and considered impure. But the most purest Ganga is flowing from his head. They are existing together.

6) Family

Family of Shiva is also very mysterious. For eg. Vahana (Riding Vehicle) of Ganesh is mouse. Vahana of Shiva is Ox. Vahana of Kumara is Peacock. Vahana of Parvati/Durga is considered Cat/ Tiger. Now lets see. Cat eats mouse. Tiger eats Ox. Peacock eats snake and rat. But they live mutually in family of Shiva. This is the symbolic representation of Shiva Tatwa.

In the similar way just as fierceness and auspiciousness, love and detachment, tamasic and satwik, destruction and lordship exists simultaneously in Shiva. So, asceticism and family life also exist simultaneously. This is the beauty of Shiva Tatwa.

Sri Rudram of Yajurveda states:

रथेभ्यो रथपतिभ्यो नमो नमः नमः सुतायहन्ताय, रथकारेम्यो नमो नमः

It means:

Salutation to him who is chariot, who is rider of chariot, who is charioteer and who is maker of Chariot.

So he himself makes chariot. He himself is the chariot. He himself rides chariot. He himself drives chariot. So, everything is him everything is his Leela.