Shiva (in brass) sits in quiet mediation on a tiger skin rug. His serene expression and relaxed posture show him to be completely at ease in meditation. Shiva by nature spends most of his time contemplating. He often goes off for ages to concentrate solely on meditation and quelling his mind. In the myths that surround Hinduism Shiva has many times needed to be "woken up" from his meditation in order to save the world. "The trident, Shiva's prime attribute, serves him as a weapon in feats of cosmic destruction, and, in addition, it is invested with deep philosophical meaning. A variety of Shaiva texts instruct worshipers to think of the trident and other ayudhas not as everyday tools of violence but rather as weapons of grace, whereby, Shiva destroys the bonds that ensnare the human soul. It is also said to represent the threefold qualities of nature: creation, preservation and destruction. 13.5" high x 8.25" wide x 5.5" deep (34.3cm x 21cm x 14cm)