The most popular images of lord Shiva show him sitting on a tiger skin. Or He’s often seen wearing tiger skin, or walking with the skin wrapped around him. According to folklore, the tiger skin signifies Shiva as the controller of all the powers in the world. However, there’s a compelling story in the Shiva Purana that tells us how Shiva came to sit on a tiger skin or why he wears it.
Shiva used to travel across the world as a bare-bodied sage. Once, he was passing through a forest, which was home to several powerful saints who lived there with their wives in their ashrams. The wives of the saints were attracted to the young good-looking Shiva, although they were unaware of his presence. Yet, the wives were constantly distracted and could not focus on their daily routines. When the saints figured that the reason behind the changed behaviour of the wives was Shiva, they decided to teach him a lesson. Shiva used to go for a walk every day. Thus, the saints decided to dig a massive pit on the same path. When Shiva reached the same pit, the sages used all their powers and created a tiger that came out of the pit. But it wasn’t difficult for Shiva to handle the tiger. He killed it, tore off its skin and draped it around his body. Eventually, the saints realised that one who could easily conquer their powers was not an ordinary sage, and fell at his feet. Since then, Shiva wears the tiger skin, which symbolically shows that he is all powerful.
Lord Shiva sitting on a slain tiger skin also symbolises the victory of the divine force over animal instincts. The tiger is the vehicle of Shakti, the Goddess of power and force. Shiva is beyond and above any kind of force. He is the master of Shakti. The tiger skin that he wears symbolises victory over every force. Tiger also represent lust. Thus sitting on Tiger skin, Shiva indicates that he has conquered lust. 
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Om Namah Shivaya ~ Shubh Ratri ๐ฑ๐๐ฑ
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