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Is Lord Shiva dead? Where is he? Is he still in Shiva Avatar or has engaged in a new Avatar for Kaliyuga?

As @keshav said in comment that he's the one that runs each Pralaya while Brahma is asleep, than what after the Pralaya?

As Brahma dies after each Mahakalpa, what happens to Shiva?

I checked the wikipedia link of Shiva but didn't find the answer.

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    Lord Shiva was never born and He never dies. He is present at all times in all places. His favorite residence is in our Heart. His favorite food is the Love of the devotee towards God. All the best.
    – Sai
    Commented Mar 22, 2015 at 5:12
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    @NishantSolanki Yeah, the question I linked to talks about his birth, so if you want to edit your question to just focus on whether he's alive or not, that may be more acceptable for the site. In any case, obviously Shiva isn't dead. He was born all the way in the beginning of the Mahakalpa, and he appeared to Arjuna as recently as the last Dwapara Yuga. There's no reason to believe he would have died between then and now. And in any case, he's the one that runs each Pralaya while Brahma is asleep, so he has to be alive for that.
    – Keshav Srinivasan ♦
    Commented Mar 23, 2015 at 13:12
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    @NishantSolanki When I said focus on whether Shiva is alive, I meant eliminate everything in the question that asks about Shiva's birth.
    – Keshav Srinivasan ♦
    Commented Mar 23, 2015 at 13:17
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    Sada shiva is eternal ! Brahma ,Vishnu, Rudras, devatas all vanish in maha pralaya.
    –  Raju
    Commented Jun 14, 2015 at 17:32
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    Does this answer your question? What is the Life span of Hindu gods
    – YDS
    Commented Jun 19, 2020 at 3:49

1 Answer 1

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Lord Shiva is unborn and eternal. There is no birth and no death for Him. Lord Shiva is Brahman.

This is what Mahabharatha says about Lord Shiva

Mahadeva is Eternal Brahman. Persons endued with Yoga; Yoga's achievements are unable to know in even a hundred years, the glory and puissance of the great Deity in their entirety. Verily, the beginning, middle or end of Mahadeva cannot be apprehended by the very deities. Indeed, when the case is such, who is there O Madhava, that can recite the attributes of Mahadeva in their entirety?

Second Reference:

The Supreme Spirit hath three conditions. In the form of Brahma, he is the Creator, and in the form of Vishnu he is the Preserver, and in his form as Rudra, he is the Destroyer of the Universe!

This is what Sri Swami Sivananda says about Lord Shiva

Siva means that which is eternally happy or auspicious, Parama-Mangala. Om and Siva are one. Mandukya Upanishad says: Santam Sivam Advaitam. Even an outcaste can meditate on the Name of Lord Siva.

Lord Siva is the Supreme Reality. He is eternal, formless, independent, omnipresent, one without a second, beginningless, causeless, taintless, self-existent, ever free, ever pure. He is not limited by time. He is infinite bliss and infinite intelligence.

This is what Sri Adi Shankaracharya says about The Brahman or the Supreme Spirit, synonymous with Shiva

Neither can I be termed as energy (prana), nor five types of breath (vayus), nor the seven material essences, nor the five coverings (pancha-kosha). Neither am I the five instruments of elimination, procreation, motion, grasping, or speaking. I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, Shiva, love and pure consciousness.

This is what Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa says about Brahman:

The truth established in the Vedas, the Puranas and the Tantras is but one Satchdananda. In the Vedas it is called Brahman, in the Puranas it is called Rama, and in the Tantras it is called Shiva. One Satchidananda is called Brahman, Rama and Shiva.

The formless God is real , and equally real is God with form. It is like an infinite ocean, water everywhere, to the right, left, above, below. Water enveloped in water. It is the water of the great cause, motionless. Waves spring up when it becomes active. Its activities are creation(Brahma), preservation(Vishnu) and dissolution(Shiva).

So in conclusion, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva are eternal and never born, they never die. They are the two modes of the Supreme Spirit Brahman. Thus Being Ishvara, they are eternal and supreme. This is Advaita. All the best.

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    @NishantSolanki there are various viewpoints on that. The Vaishnava viewpoint is that only Lord Vishnu is supreme & unborn, while all other Gods are not. Whereas the Shaivite viewpoint is that only Lord Shiva is supreme & unborn sir. The answer that I based is Advaita viewpoint. According to this viewpoint, Ishvara is the Supreme Being. He is Sakar and Saguna Brahman. He is the personal God. This Saguna Brahman has various forms, depending on the devotee's devotion. One of them is Lord Vishnu and another is Lord Shiva. So from an Advaita perspective, there is no difference. Both are eternal
    – Sai
    Commented Apr 1, 2015 at 15:06
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    @NishantSolanki so whenever there are various statements in Hindu scriptures that appear to conflict on the supremity and eternality of a deity, various schools make different conclusions. A Vaishnava would reconcile all statements with the notion that Vishnu is Supreme, and consider other statements as lower/partial/incorrect truth. A Shaivite would reconcile statements with the notion that Mahadeva is Supreme and consider other statements as partial truths. Whereas the Advaitin reconciles all statements with the notion that Brahman is the Reality and all forms of God are equal. Thank you
    – Sai
    Commented Apr 1, 2015 at 15:09
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    @NishantSolanki so in Hindu scriptures, some scriptures say that Lord Shiva is unborn and eternal. Some scriptures say that Lord Vishnu is unborn and eternal. Some scriptures say that Brahma and Maheshvara came from Lord Narayana. So Vaishnavas would give preference to the scripture that gives authority to Lord Vishnu, while Shaivites would give preference to the scripture that gives authority to Lord Sadashiva. but Advaitins have their priority goes to the statements that establish the one-ness of the various forms of God. In my answer I have given the Advaita. all the best sir!
    – Sai
    Commented Apr 1, 2015 at 15:13
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    @NishantSolanki here are the various differences among different schools of Hinduism and different sects hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/4056/119 aumamen.com/topic/hinduism-sects
    – Sai
    Commented Apr 1, 2015 at 15:21
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    @Sai also 'Namo Vikshinakebhyo'/ salutation to your deathless form in heart of devas... from T.S. (Sri Rudram)... here vikshina= who doesn't dies/ eternal
    – Tezz
    Commented May 18, 2016 at 18:19

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