Pashupati

Pashupati or Shree Pashupatinath (Nepali /Hindi: श्री पशुपतिनाथ) is an incarnation of the Hindu Lord Shiva as "Lord of animals". He is revered throughout the Hindu world, but especially in Nepal, where he is unofficially regarded as a national deity.
== Etymology ==
Pashupati ( ), "Lord of all animals", is an epithet of the Hindu god Shiva.For use of the name (Devanagari ) in the Shiva Sahasranama, and translation as "Lord of all animals", see: Sharma, p. 291. In Vedic times it was used as an epithet of Rudra.For translation as "Lord of all Animals" and use as an epithet of Rudra, see: Kramrisch, p. 479. The Rigveda has the related pashupa "protector of animals" as a name of Pushan. 
"Pashupatinath" is derived from three Sanskrit words: "pashu" (organism), "pati" (protector), and "nath" (Lord). In Nepali and Hindi, the additional honorific "Shree" is sometimes prefixed as a display of respect or devotion; thus, Shree Pashupatinath, Respected Protector and Lord of all living things.
== The Deity ==
Pashupatinath is an avatar of Shiva, one of the Hindu Trinity. He is the male counterpart of Shakti.
The five faces of Pashupatinath represent various incarnations of Shiva; Sadyojata (also known as Barun), Vamdeva (also known as Uma Maheswara), Tatpurusha, Aghor & Ishana. They face West, North, East, South and Zenith respectively, and represent Hinduism's five primary elements namely earth, water, air, light and ether.Encyclopaedia of Saivism, Swami P. Anand, Swami Parmeshwaranand, Publisher Sarup & Sons, ISBN 8176254274, ISBN 9788176254274, page 206
Puranas describe these faces of Shiva as 
== Pashupatinath in Nepal ==
Though Nepal is an officially secular state, its population is predominantly Hindu, and Lord Shree Pashupatinath is revered as a national deity. The Pashupatinath Temple, located at the bank of the river Bagmati, is considered the most sacred place in Nepal. The mythology hold that Lord Pashupatinath started living in Nepal in the form of a deer, when he saw the Kathmandu Valley and was overwhelmed by its beauty.
== Pashupatinath in India ==
A Pashupatinath temple is sited on the banks of the Shivana river in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is one of the most prominent shrines in Mandsaur, and Lord Shiva in the form of Lord Pashupatinath is its primary deity. Its main attraction is a unique Shiva Linga displaying eight faces of Lord Shiva. The shrine has four doors, representing the cardinal directions.Pashupatinath Temple website
==See also==
*Potnia Theron
*Pashupata Shaivism
*Pashupati seal
==Notes==
==References==
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* - This work compares eight versions of the Śivasahasranāmāstotra. The Preface and Introduction (in English) by Ram Karan Sharma provide an analysis of how the eight versions compare with one another. The text of the eight versions is given in Sanskrit.
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Category:Forms of Shiva
Category:Animal gods
Category:Horned deities
Category:Hindu gods