Siva one of the great gods of Hinduism (with Vishnu and Brahman), auspicious controller of karma and samsara, destroyer but also giver of life. He is worshiped in Saivism with his consort Sakti. A variety of deities are regarded in Saivism as forms of Siva, with the consequence that polytheism is moved substantially toward monotheism. K.E.Y.