Rudra — As the concluder of creation, Lord Shiva is known as Rudra — because then he has to assume a ruthless and angry form. The word  ‘Rudra’ means anger and wrathfulness. (Refer to Sharav Upanishad, verse no. 10.)

Mritunjaya — Shiva is called ‘Mritunjaya’ because he has conquered or vanquished death. (Refer to Atharva Veda’s Tripura Tapini Upanishad, Canto 4, verse no. 1

Yajaamahe — Shiva is called ‘Yajaamahe’ because he represents the basic or fundamental Truth and Authority of creation to which we offer our obeisance. ‘Yajan’ means to worship and honour, and ‘Mahe’ means me. So, with the combined words ‘Yajan’ and ‘Mahe,’ we invoke the essential Tattwa or the basic Truth that forms the fundamental cosmic Reality and the ultimate force behind all aspects of this creation. Shiva represents the Absolute Truth and Reality known as the universal cosmic Consciousness of creation that is the only thing that is true, eternal, constant, and steady in this otherwise transient and false world. (Refer to Atharva Veda’s Tripura Tapini Upanishad, Canto 4, verse no. 2.)

Aghor — Shiva is also called ‘Aghor,’ meaning the most fierce, terrible, formidable, and unconventional form of the Supreme Being with an odd and mysterious existence. (Refer: Atharva Veda’s Pashupat Brahm Upanishad, Purva Kanda/Canto 1, verse no. 10)

Sugandhim — Shiva is called ‘Sugandhim’ because of an aura of divinity, holiness, purity, spirituality, and majesty that effuses from him and radiates in all directions in an invisible form like the sweet fragrance of a beautiful flower. ‘Sugandha’ means a good fragrance or a sweet and pleasant aroma. Lord Shiva is omnipresent and an omniscient Lord; his auspicious glories, magnificence, and eclectic virtues are well known and famous in all the directions of this creation; the Lord radiates a divine hallo wherever he is present and worshipped, and it is as refreshing and spiritually rejuvenating as the fragrance or aroma of a sacred flower. Hence, the term ‘Sugandham’ is used for him. (‘Sugandha’ means pleasant fragrance, sweet and attractive aroma, and enchanting scent.) (Refer to Atharva Veda’s Tripura Tapini Upanishad, Canto 4, verse no. 3.)

Pushti-Vardhan — Lord Shiva is honored by the word ‘Pushti-vardhan’ because he creates all the worlds, sustains them, protects them, nourishes them, makes their health, helps in their growth and development, and enhances their glories and importance by living in all of them uniformly as he is all-pervading, all-including and all-encompassing. Hence, he is honoured by the epithet ‘Pushti-vardhan.’ (Refer to Atharva Veda’s Tripura Tapini Upanishad, Canto 4, verse no. 4.)

Urwaaruk-miv Bandhanaan-mrityor-mukshi-yeti — Lord Shiva is called ‘Urwaaruk-miv Bandhanaan-mrityor-mukshi-yeti’. Just like the musk melon is firmly attached to its stalk, a creature is also sternly clasped in the shackle of death. When he breaks free from this vicious grip of the cycle of birth and death, he finds Mukti, or final liberation and deliverance. (Lord Shiva is the most enlightened of the Gods in the pantheon. This is why he is the patron deity of ascetics and hermits. He can liberate the creature from the cycle of birth and death. He is depicted in the Purans as having his terrestrial abode in the holy city of Kashi, where he gives Mukti to the dying man who is brought for cremation on the banks of the sacred river Ganges.) (Refer to Atharva Veda’s Tripura Tapini Upanishad, Canto 4, verse no. 5.)

Mamritaat — Lord Shiva is called ‘Mamritaat’ because the worshipper attains the elixir of life that gives him eternity and imperishability. He becomes one like Lord Rudra himself. (Refer to Atharva Veda’s Tripura Tapini Upanishad, Canto 4, verse no. 6)

Ishaan/Ishan — Lord Shiva is called ‘Ishan’ because he is the greatest, the wisest, and exalted amongst the Gods in this creation. He is the Isha, or the Supreme Lord of creation, and a symbol of cosmic authority and power of the Supreme Being. Hence, he is known as Ishan — the symbol, the icon, or the emblem of the Supreme Being known as Brahm.

This term Ishan has been defined in Atharvashir Upanishad of Atharva Veda tradition, in its Kandika 4 as follows—“Why is he (Brahm in the form of Rudra) known as ‘Ishan’ (literally meaning the ‘Lord’ and his ‘insignia or authority')? It is because he (Rudra) has complete control over all the Gods and their powers and authority. Ishan signifies the Lord’s overriding authority and full control over all the aspects of creation that are individually controlled by these Gods who act on behalf of Rudra, representing the dynamic form of Brahm. These Gods are nothing but the different forces of Nature personified.

It is you who controls this entire creation as Indra, the king of Gods, and the organs of the creature’s body over which these Gods rule. That is also why you are called ‘Ishan.’”

Maheshwar/Maha-deva — Lord Shiva is considered the holiest and wisest amongst the Gods. He is therefore honoured with the epithet Maha Deva or the Great God, and Maheshwar or the Great Ishwar, as he is regarded as the supreme Lord of the entire creation. (Refer: Atharva Veda’s Atharvashir Upanishad, Kandika 4; and Bhasma Jabal Upanishad, Canto 2, paragraph no. 1)

The Sharav Upanishad of the Atharva Veda, verse no. 34, says that Shiva is Maheshwar as he is the Lord who provides Mukti or liberation and deliverance to the creature from the formidable snare that traps the latter in this gross world, helping the creature to break free from the tormenting cycle of birth and death which is very difficult to break free from.

Shambhu — He is the one who remains uniform, unruffled and calm even under adverse situations. Shambhu exists or is established in an enlightened state of highest consciousness (i.e., 'Bhu’) that is marked by perfect self-control, complete neutrality, absolute tranquility, serenity, peacefulness, and blissfulness. Since Lord Shiva possesses all these tremendous auspicious virtues, he is called ‘Shambhu.’ Refer to Atharvashikha Upanishad of the Atharva Veda tradition, Kandika 3.

This Upanishad declares Shambhu as the highest deity to be worshipped and adored. He represents the fifth state of consciousness called the Turiyateet and the fourth aspect of the ethereal word OM — i.e., when the term has been said fully, and the mouth closes. The first letter of OM is A, and it represents Brahma, the creator; the second letter U represents Vishnu, the sustainer and protector of creation, the third letter M represents Rudra, the annihilator and one of the names of Shiva, and the three and a half letter called the ‘Ardha Matra’ is represented by the horizontal ‘S’ mark attached to the symbol of OM on its side represents Ishan, one of the names of Shiva and the God who is the ruler of all other Gods. Finally, the fourth complete Matra symbolized by the dot on the top is Shambhu or Lord Shiva. This Shambhu or Shiva is Brahm in its best and most pristine form.

Lord Shiva is called Shambhu because he possesses the highest knowledge of the ‘truth and the Consciousness’ known as Brahm, and being self-realized, he is a personified form of Brahm. Therefore, Shambhu is the supreme transcendental Lord of creation who surpasses all earlier states of existence such as the Jagrat or waking state, the Swapna or dreaming state, the Shshupta or deep sleep state, and the Turiya or post-Sushupta state to permanently live in the Turiyateet state of perpetual bliss and tranquility.

Laya-kaari — Lord Shiva brings about an end to delusions. He establishes oneness and uniformity in creation by removing, eliminating, or dissolving (‘Laya’) the artificial distinction in the various states of Consciousness (such as the Jagrat, Swapna, Sushupta, and Turiya) that are caused by ignorance of reality and its attendant delusions.

Pashupati/Pashupaat — Shiva is called Pashupati or Pashupaat because he is the Lord of lowly living beings who have animal-like instincts — i.e., those who are engrossed in pursuing the urge for self-gratification and pleasures of the sense objects of this gross world without realizing that they are getting sucked in the vortex of endless miseries and being pulled away from peace and happiness.

The Bhasma Jabal Upanishad of the Atharva Veda tradition, Canto 2, paragraph no. 8,  explains the meaning of this term as follows—“Anyone who knows and understands these eclectic virtues of my (Shiva’s) divine cosmic form (as Brahm, the Supreme Being) is freed from the constraints that shackle him to this material world like an animal held in captivity.

I (Shiva) am known as ‘Pashupaat’ — one who liberates animals from their shackles; it also means freeing a living being from his lowly animal-like instincts that demean the holy nature of his Atma. The Sharav Upanishad of Atharva Veda, verse no. 14, says—“All the Gods are like animals in front of him. All the Gods are under his overall command and depend upon him for their survival and protection. That is why the Lord is honoured by the epithet ‘Pashupatinath’ or the Lord of animals.’ (References: (i) Atharva Veda = Bhasma Jabal Upanishad, Canto 2, paragraph no. 8, 18; Sharav Upanishad, verse no. 14; Pashupat Brahm Upanishad, Purva Kanda/Canto 1, verse nos. verse nos. 10-11, 29, 32; Uttar Kand/Canto 2, verse no. 7. (ii) Sam Veda = Jabalu-panishad, verse nos. 11-18)

Ahankar, pride, and ego make a man no less than an animal. ‘Isha,’ or Lord Shiva, who is regarded as the supreme Lord of creation, had to become a ‘Pashupati,’ Lord of animals, just because he is the undisputed Lord of all the creatures, and those creatures who have lost wisdom and a sense of righteousness, those who are overcome with Ahankar, are no better than animals.

When the ‘Ahankar’ is eliminated or symbolically reduced to ashes, the creature becomes an ‘Ish’ from a ‘Pashupati’; in other words, he has become a purified creature in the place of an animal-like creature. This transformation or metamorphosis—from an animal to a non-animal or from an animal-like creature to a wise and erudite person—is equivalent to acquiring truthful knowledge and becoming spiritually wise and enlightened.

The Lord is incredibly honoured by the epithet of ‘Pashupati’ because an enlightened worshipper targets all his spiritual endeavors towards attaining high levels of purity and holiness, which entails first controlling his basic animal-like instincts; he is expected to have exercised entirely total self-restraint on his sense organs. Brahm is not sitting in the sky, but the Lord resides inside one’s inner-self as his Atma. This Atma is the Lord of the creature. So when a worshipper obeys ‘Pashupati Parmatma,’ he is honoring the Atma, which has learned to practice good self-control over animal-like instincts, characters, qualities, and behavior.

Tripurari / Tripu-raari — Lord Shiva is also known as the slayer of the demon Tirpurasur, hence, Tripurari. This is because of the following legend associated with the Lord. Tarakaasur was the son of Vajraanga and his consort Varaangi. He had done severe Tapa (austerity and penance), resulting from which the creator Brahma had granted him several boons, which had made him invincible. He was killed by Lord Subramanya, the son of Shiva and Parvati. He had three sons — Taaraaksha, Kamlaaksha and Vidyunmaali. They had also pleased Brahma and built three great cities, collectively called ‘Tripura’ by his blessings. These cities were made of gold, silver, and iron. When they became a nuisance for the Gods, Shiva destroyed these three cities and the demons with one arrow. These three demon brothers are collectively called Tripuraasur. Therefore he got the name of Tripurari—one who destroyed the three enemy cities. Refer to Atharva Veda = Sharav Upanishad, verse no. 14.

Kamari / Kaamaari — Lord Shiva is also known as Kaamaari or Kamari, literally the one who had reduced to ashes the pride of Kaamdeo, the God of passions and lust, known as Kamdeo cupid. The Lord had defeated the haughtiness and arrogance of this God of passions and his belief that he is invincible and infallible. This fact has been stated in the Sharav Upanishad of the Atharva Veda, verse no. 15. Hence, he is known as ‘Kamari/Kaamaari’ — the Lord who had killed or conquered Kaam, the negative quality of having passions, lust, yearnings, and longings; the desire for gratification of the natural carnal instincts in a living being; longing for sensual pleasures.

The legend associated with this event is briefly as follows—“Once when Shiva was in deep meditative trance and was teased by Kamdeo, the God of passions, at the behest of Gods who had wanted Shiva to marry and produce a male child who would kill the demons, he felt so annoyed by Kamdeo’s impertinence that he opened this third eye to burn him down.”

The story of Shiva subduing Yam has been narrated in the Purans: "Shiva had trounced Yam, the God of death, to save his devotee Maarkandeya. Sage Maarkandey was the son of sage Maarkandu. He was a great devotee of Lord Shiva, the patron God of death, so much so that when the end approached him, personified as Kaal when the sage was yet relatively young because destiny had it that he would die still when young, he clung to the Shiva Lingam (the image of Shiva) with the greatest of devotion, surrender, and urgency that comes with one facing certain death. Lord Shiva appeared and prevented Yam, the God of death, from tying him in his snare and taking him away. The Lord blessed him with virtually eternal life, blessing him that he would live for another 14 Kalpas (1 Kalpa = 1 day of Brahma or roughly 4.32 billion human years). His magnum opus is the ‘Maarkandey Puran.’ He had also edited and abridged the Manusmriti, the code of life and conduct as laid by the first human named Manu, to regulate society and act as a constitution and manual for ready reference for the upcoming human race into eight thousand verses and passed it to sage Bhargava. His authority comes in the Mahabharat epic when he approaches the Pandavas and teaches them the Dharma principles (code of righteousness, auspiciousness, integrity, decency, and nobility). He was the one who had enlightened Yudisthira that Krishna was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu (Vanapurva, 189).

Parmeshwar — The word means the Supreme Ishwar or the Supreme Lord. Lord Shiva is addressed with this honorable epithet in the Atharva Veda’s Bhasma Jabal Upanishad, Canto 1, paragraph no. 3.

Trinetrum / Trinetra / Trilaksha / Lalaataksha — Trinetra means He has three eyes, two conventional eyes, and one rare eye of wisdom located in the center of the forehead between the eyebrows and just above the root of the nose. Hence, Lord Shiva is also known as Lord Trinetrum.  [‘Tri’ = three; ‘Netra’ = eyes; ‘Laksha’ = to see.]

The location of the third eye in the center of the forehead has given Shiva the name of Lalaataskha. [‘Lalaat’ = forehead.]

The third eye is not some physical eye but a subtle eye symbolizing the Lord’s high level of enlightenment and wisdom. This burning of the evil world by the opening of the third eye of Shiva is a metaphoric way of saying that a creature can use his eyes of wisdom, erudition, knowledge, and enlightenment to overcome all delusions and misconceptions about the truth and reality, along with all mischief as well as negativity and evil tendencies in this world. The ‘burning’ is the elimination of such negativity and perversions.

According to Yoga philosophy, an ascetic focuses his Pran or vital winds at this spot on the forehead where he experiences enlightenment and the nectar of bliss dripping from it. By the way, Shiva is regarded as the patron God of all ascetics precisely for this reason.

According to the Atharva Veda’s Bhasma Jabal Upanishad, Canto 2, paragraph no. 21, the three eyes of Shiva or Rudra stand for the Sun, the Moon, and the Fire. These three entities are regarded as the eternal light sources in this creation. The Sun and the Fire provide the heat and energy essential for sustenance of life besides being an endless source of light, while the Moon is regarded as the pitcher of Amrit, the elixir of bliss and the soothing nectar that neutralizes the scorching effects of the Sun and the Fire.

As noted above, the third eye stands for the excellent level of wisdom, erudition, knowledge, enlightenment, and omniscience that the Lord possesses. 

From the metaphysical perspective, his two eyes are the conventional eyes, and his third symbolizes his deep insight and extraordinary wisdom and enlightenment. Shiva personifies the fire element, which also has a symbolic significance. The fire is known to burn all impurities present in gold when put into it, thereby purifying the metal. Similarly, fire is used in blast furnaces to extract iron from its ore. Fire has the inherent ability to reduce to ashes all filth and garbage, which is a metaphoric way of saying that a person who has worshipped this element in the form of Shiva is supposed to have burnt all his faults, blemishes, and shortcomings that taint his character and soul, thereby purifying his inner self. The ash indicates total renunciation and detachment from the world of materialism because it is indicative of a renunciate way of life and symbolically stands for the burning of everything into the fire pit. That is why Lord Shiva has been called the patron God of ascetics, hermits, and Sanyasis who worship the fire element only.

Refer (i) Atharva Veda = Bhasma Jabal Upanishad, Canto 1, a paragraph no. 6; and Canto 2, a paragraph no. 21; Sharav Upanishad, verse nos. 10, 14; Tripura Tapini Upanishad, Canto 4, verse nos. 1-2; (ii) Krishna Yajur Veda = Yogtattva Upanishad, verse no. 93.

Trayambak  — The word Trayambak means the Lord with a most unconventional form with one extra eye oddly placed on the forehead. Lord Shiva’s behavior and general bearing are also most unconventional and odd because he is at once an incarnation of the eclectic virtues of peace, renunciation, detachment, tranquility, and blissfulness. At another moment, he becomes a personified form of anger and wrath. On the one hand, his cosmic form is the Supreme Being, the Greatest amongst the Gods (‘Maha-deva’), and in another form, he is a gross Lingam (Shiva’s gross symbol made of stone). In one instance, it is lost in meditation and contemplation, wholly detached from the outside world. In another example, he is said to have a family consisting of his divine consort, Parvati or Uma, the holy Mother, and sons known as Ganesh and Kartikeya. Hence, he is called Tryambak—the ‘odd one.’

The word also means ‘the Lord of the three (‘Traya’ = 3) worlds’ consisting of the heavens, the earth, and the hell; the cosmos, the terrestrial world, and the nether world.

Neelkantha — ‘The Lord with a purple or blue-tinged throat.’ Lord Shiva is known as ‘Neelkanth’ because he had drunk the horrible poison called Halaahal, which emerged as a scorching froth at the time of churning of the ocean by the Gods and the Demons in search of Amrit or the ambrosia of life and eternity. As soon as this boiling poison came out, there was the fear of the entire creation being scalded by its heat and ferocity. So Lord Shiva took the name of Lord Ram and gulped it in one mouthful. But the Lord knew that if this poison entered his abdomen, the whole creation would be annihilated as it resided in his belly. This shows that Lord Shiva is none but the supreme Brahm in whose body the entire creation resides as the embryo lives in its mother’s womb. Hence, the merciful Lord kept the poison in his throat, giving it a purple color. (Refer: (i) Sharav Upanishad, verse nos. 11, 16. (ii) Mahabharat, Adi Parva, Canto 18.)

Nataraj — One of the mystical forms of Lord Shiva is known as the ‘Nataraj’ (pronounced as ‘Nut-Raaj’). The word ‘Nat’ means to dance, and ‘Raaj’ means a king or an expert who knows the secrets of any art. So, when Lord Shiva performs his cosmic dance, he is known as ‘Nataraj.’ This mystical form of Lord Shiva is known as the ‘Nataraj’ because it represents the Lord’s cosmic dance that symbolizes both the destruction and the creation of the universe, revealing the cycles of death and birth. Since one dances only when he is pleased and ecstatic, this Nataraj dance of Lord Shiva indicates that the Lord is highly blissful and euphoric in self-realization. This pose is for the world's welfare and shows how one enjoys total bliss upon self-realization. In the posture of Nataraj, the ‘King of Dance Forms,’ Shiva gives darshan (divine viewing) to his beloved devotees within the abode of Consciousness, which is man's heart. In other words, only when one becomes self-realized and experiences the existence of the pure conscious Atma inside one’s heart and inner self can he dance in ecstasy, lost in bliss and oblivious of the surrounding world.

During this form of the cosmic dance known as ‘Tandav’ (pronounced as ‘Taan-dav’), Lord Shiva is depicted as having crushed under his feet the demon of ignorance called ‘Apasmara Purusha.’ This demon of ignorance is created when the creature forgets the truth and reality of his true self and existence as a whole. The killing of this demon stands for overcoming ignorance and its attendant delusions. One hand is stretched across his chest and points towards the uplifted foot, indicating the release from earthly bondage of the devotee. The fire represents the final destruction of creation. But since Lord Shiva is the ‘Maha-Dev,’ the great God, he is simultaneously responsible for ending this creation and creating it again.

Sharav — In his form as the liberator of the creature's soul by destroying the latter’s gross external body and freeing the soul, he is known as Sharav. Shiva had assumed this form to liberate Lord Vishnu from the horrible body of Nrisingh (half man and half lion). (Refer to Sharav Upanishad, verse no. 6-8)

Lord Shiva has many other names also as follows:

1. Aashutosh — meaning one who fulfills all wishes of his devotees instantly
2. Bhairav — meaning the Lord of Terror
3. Bhole-naath — meaning the Lord who is simple-hearted, unpretentious, straightforward, honest, sincere, and humble despite being the Lord God
4. Bhu-Dev — meaning the Lord of the earth
5. Devaa-dhi-dev — meaning the Lord of all the Gods; the supreme God; the primordial God; the first amongst the Gods; the God who was present before the coming into being of all the other Gods
6. Gangaa-dhar — meaning the Lord who holds the mighty river Ganges in the lock of hairs on his head
7. Jagdish — meaning the Lord of the world, the universe
8. Kailash — the Lord who eliminates miseries and torments, restoring peace and happiness to the creature. It also means the Lord of the sacred mountain with the same name, viz. Mt. Kailash.

References:

Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia