Shiva, the destroyer and regenerator forms part of the main hindu trinity of gods together with Brahma, the creater and vishnu, the protector. Shiva is one of the oldest gods of India. Images of him have been found that are dated to 2500 B.C. Shiva is the god who destroyed creation after every Kalpa, and at the same time he became the great ascetic who preserved the world with his meditation. He was related to aspects of fertility, and his symbol is the lingam, the male reproductive organ and the source of his power. He is usually represented in one of three forms: As Nataraj in a dancing pose, as a lingam (phallus) or as an anthropomorphic form.

This sculpture shows him as Shiva-Dakshina-Murti or Mahayogi, one of the best known depictions of shiva. He is seated on the tops of the Himalayas in deep meditation. His abode is the sacred mountain Kailash. He is wearing a simple loincloth, sometimes with the hide of an antelope around him, and seated on a tiger skin. He wears a moon sickle in his hair and a snake coil around his neck. In his hands he holds a trident and an ax. His attributes include a water jug. His face is turned to the south (Dakshina), the direction which brings good luck.