This is a painting of Lord Shiva, also known as Mahadeva. Shiva is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is referred to as the destroyer of evil, lord of meditation, yoga, time and dance. He is known to be one of the supreme beings who creates, protects and transforms the universe. He is the supreme Power. Also known as “The Destroyer” within the Trimurti the Hindu trinity that includes Brahma and Vishnu. Shiva is often depicted with a ‘third eye’. When we talk of the third eye, we’re symbolically talking about seeing something which the two sensory eyes cannot. The sensory eyes are outward oriented whereas the ‘third eye’ is to see your interior, the nature of yourself and your existence. The snake represents the Ahamkara (ego). Just like a snake recoils and spreads its hood out to attack us on being poked, a human’s ego also reacts spontaneously on hearing something we don’t wish to. However, the ego becomes powerless in front of the Gods and Goddesses thus Shiva wears the snake (symbolically ego) as an ornament because it doesn’t find space inside his body. Wisdom is beyond the mind but it needs to be expressed with a tinge of mind and this is symbolized by the crescent moon.