Meaning of Bhagawan

In the word 'Bhagawan' (God), the letter 'Bha' stands for effulgence. An ordinary electric bulb illuminates only a limited area, but God who is all-pervasive illumines the entire creation. Divinity shines in everybody. So nobody should be hated. Hurting others amounts to hurting God Himself. Hatred rebound on those who hate others.

(SSS Vol 28, pg47 )

Difference between Lord Shankar and Shiva

Lord Shankar is a human, husband of Goddess Parvati, father of Lord Kartik & Lord Ganesh. He resides in Himalayas whereas Shiva is the sign of Lord Shankar.

At the beginning there were no species in universe. Most of the parts of the earth were surrounded by water. Lord Vishnu resided in water. While he was sleeping a Lotus flower sprouted from his naval. From the Lotus flower Lord Brahma was born. Lord Brahma then wandered to many parts of the earth to explore it & to also know about himself, like who he exactly is, how & from where did he come, or who made him? What is his role, etc?

To get the answers Lord Brahma prayed for many years. Seeing Lord Brahma’s dedication Lord Vishnu appeared in front of him & said “I’ve created you from my body.” Lord Vishnu also explained to Lord Brahma how & when he did this.

Lord Brahma wasn’t convinced by Lord Vishnu’s explanation. He started arguing with him & a fight started between them.

As both are powerful lords their fight could have destroyed the universe thus to protect the universe Lord Shankar appeared before them as a somewhat oval shaped ling known as Shiva Ling. The Ling’s size was immeasurable. Seeing such a big Ling Lord Brahma & Lord Vishnu stopped their fight. They realized that there is a third person also who is extremely bigger than them.

To know who that third person is Lord Brahma took an avatar of a white swan & flied up to see how tall the Ling is & what is on top of the Ling. Lord Vishnu also took an avatar of a wild boar & started digging the ground to see how deep the Ling is.

Lord Brahma kept flying & Lord Vishnu kept digging but both weren’t able to reach a point to know whatever they wanted.

They both got tired & prayed together in front of the Ling to get their answers. Pleased by their prayers Lord Shankar returned to his real avatar from the Ling i.e. Ling became Lord Shankar. Lord Shankar then gave his introduction to Lord Brahma & Lord Vishnu.

108 names of Lord Shiva

OM SHIVAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Auspicious One

OM MAHESHVARAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Great God Shiva

OM SHAMBHAVE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who exists for our happiness alone

OM PINAKINE NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva, who guards the path of dharma

OM SHASHISHEKHARAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who wears the crescent moon in his hair

OM VAMADEVAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who is pleasing and auspicious in every way

OM VIRUPAKSHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God of spotless form

OM KAPARDINE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord with thickly matted hair

OM NILALOHITAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God splendid as the red sun at daybreak

OM SHANKARAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the source of all prosperity

OM SHULAPANAYE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who carries a spear

OM KHATVANGINE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who carries a knurled club

OM VISHNUVALLABHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva, who is dear to Lord Vishnu

OM SHIPIVISHTAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord whose form emits great rays of light

OM AMBIKANATHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Ambika's Lord

OM SHRIKANTAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to he whose throat is shining blue

OM BHAKTAVATSALAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who loves His devotees like new born calves

OM BHAVAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who is existence itself

OM SARVAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva who is all

OM TRILOKESHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva who is the Lord of all the three worlds

OM SHITAKANTHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the primal soul whose throat is deep blue

OM SHIVAPRIYAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the god who is dear to Shakti

OM UGRAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva whose presence is awesome and overwhelming

OM KAPALINE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God whose begging bowl is a human skull

OM KAMARAYE NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva who conquers all passions

OM ANDHAKASURA SUDANAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who killed the asura Andhaka

OM GANGADHARAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who holds the Ganges River in his hair

OM LALATAKSHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord whose sport is creation

OM KALAKALAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva who is the death of death

OM KRIPANIDHAYE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who is the treasure of compassion

OM BHIMAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva whose strength is awesome

OM PARASHU HASTAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who wields an axe in his hands

OM MRIGAPANAYAE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who looks after the soul in the wilderness

OM JATADHARAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva who bears a mass of matted hair

OM KAILASAVASINE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who abides on Mount Kailas

OM KAVACHINE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who is wrapped in armor

OM KATHORAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva who causes all growth

OM TRIPURANTAKAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who destroyed the three demonic cities

OM VRISHANKAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God whose emblem is a bull (Nandi)

OM VRISHABHARUDHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva who rides a bull

OM BHASMODDHULITA VIGRAHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord covered with holy ash

OM SAMAPRIYAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God exceedingly fond of hymns from the Sama Veda

OM SVARAMAYAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva who creates through sound

OM TRAYIMURTAYE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who is worshiped in three forms

OM ANISHVARAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the undisputed Lord

OM SARVAGYAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who knows all things

OM PARAMATMANE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Supreme Self

OM SOMASURAGNI LOCHANAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the light of the eyes of Soma, Surya and Agni

OM HAVISHE NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva who receives oblations of ghee

OM YAGYAMAYAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the architect of all sacrificial rites

OM SOMAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Moon-glow of the mystic's vision

OM PANCHAVAKTRAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God of the five activities

OM SADASHIVAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the eternally auspicious benevolent Shiva

OM VISHVESHVARAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the all-pervading ruler of the cosmos

OM VIRABHADRAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva the foremost of heroes

OM GANANATHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God of the Ganas

OM PRAJAPATAYE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Creator

OM HIRANYARETASE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who emanates golden souls

OM DURDHARSHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the unconquerable being

OM GIRISHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the monarch of the holy mountain Kailas

OM GIRISHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord of the Himalayas

OM ANAGHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva who can inspire no fear

OM BUJANGABHUSHANAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord adorned with golden snakes

OM BHARGAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the foremost of rishis

OM GIRIDHANVANE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God whose weapon is a mountain

OM GIRIPRIYAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who is fond of mountains

OM KRITTIVASASE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who wears clothes of hide

OM PURARATAYE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who is thoroughly at home in the wilderness

OM BHAGAVATE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord of prosperity

OM PRAMATHADHIPAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who is served by goblins

OM MRITUNJAYAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the conqueror of death

OM SUKSHMATANAVE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the subtlest of the subtle

OM JAGADVYAPINE NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva who fills the whole world

OM JAGADGURAVE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the guru of all the worlds

OM VYOMAKESHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God whose hair is the spreading sky above

OM MAHASENAJANAKAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the origin of Mahasena

OM CHARUVIKRAMAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva, the guardian of wandering pilgrims

OM RUDRAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who is fit to be praised

OM BHUTAPATAYE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the source of living creatures, including the Bhutas, or ghostly creatures

OM STHANAVE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the firm and immovable deity

OM AHIRBUDHNYAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who waits for the sleeping kundalini

OM DIGAMBARAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva whose robes is the cosmos

OM ASHTAMURTAYE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who has eight forms

OM ANEKATMANE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who is the one soul

OM SATVIKAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord of boundless energy

OM SHUDDHA VIGRAHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to him who is free of all doubt and dissension

OM SHASHVATAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva, endless and eternal

OM KHANDAPARASHAVE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who cuts through the mind's despair

OM AJAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the instigator of all that occurs

OM PAPAVIMOCHAKAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who releases all fetters

OM MRIDAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who shows only mercy

OM PASHUPATAYE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the ruler of all evolving souls, the animals

OM DEVAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the foremost of devas, demigods

OM MAHADEVAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the greatest of the gods

OM AVYAYAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the one never subject to change

OM HARAYE NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva who dissolves all bondage

OM PASHUDANTABHIDE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the one who punished Pushan

OM AVYAGRAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who is steady and unwavering

OM DAKSHADHVARAHARAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the destroyer of Daksha's conceited sacrifice

OM HARAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who withdraws the cosmos

OM BHAGANETRABHIDE NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva who taught Bhaga to see more clearly

OM AVYAKTAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to Shiva who is subtle and unseen

OM SAHASRAKSHAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord of limitless forms

OM SAHASRAPADE NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who is standing and walking everywhere

OM APAVARGAPRADAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the Lord who gives and takes all things

OM ANANTAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the God who is unending

OM TARAKAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the great liberator of mankind

OM PARAMESHVARAYA NAMAHA

Obeisances to the great God

Reference: -

Knapp, Stephen. "108 Names of Lord Shiva" [Online], Available: http://www.stephen-knapp.com/108_names_of_lord_shiva.htm (accessed March 10, 2013)