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hara: A name for Shiva meaning "the destroyer," as in the destroyer of ignorance, illusion, and doubt.

mahādeva: Great ("mahā") God ("deva"), a name often used for Shiva.

shambho: A name for Shiva as Shambhu, the simple one, the ascetic.

kashī: The city now known as Varanasi.

vishwanātha: Lord ("nātha") of the Universe ("vishwa"), a name for Shiva.

gaṅge: At the Ganga river.

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"'Kashi' is Varanasi, and 'Vishwanatha' is the form of Shiva whose temple is on the banks of the Ganga ('Gange') in Varanasi. That temple there, the Vishwanath temple, is very ancient temple to a particular form of Shiva as the lord of the universe."  ~ Krishna Das


"Once Shiva and Parvati were sitting together. Suddenly, Shiva got up and started running but immediately returned. Parvati asked Him, 'Why did You return so quickly?' Shiva replied, 'One of My devotees used to tell his sorrows, big and small, to Me only; he never used to tell others. Today while returning to his house, he was mistaken for a thief and beaten up. Seeing this, I went to rescue him but on My way I saw him telling his sorrow to some other man. "They beat me up for no reason! you should help me take revenge." Since My help was not needed, I came back.'
Do not increase your sorrows by sharing them with others. Tell them to God alone and try to solve them. If we share our sorrows with the Universal Being, we will get Eternal Peace."  ~ Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi)


"Shiva (meaning 'The Auspicious One'), also known as Mahadeva ('Great God'), is regarded as one of the primary forms of God in Hinduism. He is the Supreme God within Shaivism, while being regarded as the Destroyer or Transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine."  ~ wikipedia

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