Siva is one of the three great gods of Hinduism. In English today the same name is more often written Shiva — same god, different spelling.

SivaSiva is one of the three great gods of Hinduism是印度教三大神明之一。 In English today在現在的英文裡， the same name is more often written Shiva同一個名字更常拼成Shiva——same god, different spelling同一位神，只是拼法不同。

In the old picture of the universe, one god makes the world, one keeps it going, and Siva brings things to an end. Hindu teachers are careful here: ending things is not only death. Siva clears away what is finished so that new things can begin, which is why people call him both the Destroyer and the Creator.

In the old picture of the universe在古老的宇宙圖像裡， one god makes the world一位神創造世界， one keeps it going一位神讓世界持續運轉， and Siva brings things to an end而Siva讓事物走向終結。 Hindu teachers are careful here印度教的老師在這裡特別小心解釋： ending things is not only death結束不只是死亡而已。 Siva clears away what is finishedSiva清除已經完結的事物， so that new things can begin好讓新的事物能夠開始， which is why people call him both the Destroyer and the Creator這也是為什麼人們稱他既是毀滅者Destroyer，也是創造者Creator。

Statues often show a third eye on his forehead, a three-pointed spear, a snake, and sometimes a dance inside a ring of fire. In India he is loved as well as feared; families pray to him, and a great night festival marks the year.

Statues often show雕像上常常畫出 a third eye on his forehead他額頭上的第三隻眼、 a three-pointed spear三叉戟、 a snake一條蛇， and sometimes a dance inside a ring of fire還有時候在火環裡跳舞的樣子。 In India在印度， he is loved as well as feared他既受人喜愛，也讓人敬畏； families pray to him各個家庭會向他祈禱， and a great night festival marks the year每年還有一個盛大的夜間節慶紀念他。

In English this is a proper name, always with a capital letter. You will meet it in religion, art, and talk about India, not in everyday chat about objects. Some people are also named Shiva, but when English writes Siva in a dictionary it almost always means the god.

In English在英文裡， this is a proper name這是一個專有名詞， always with a capital letter永遠要大寫開頭。 You will meet it你會遇到它， in religion, art, and talk about India是在宗教、藝術和談印度的話題裡， not in everyday chat about objects而不是在談日常物品的聊天裡。 Some people are also named Shiva也有人的名字就叫Shiva， but when English writes Siva in a dictionary但當英文字典裡寫Siva這個字時 it almost always means the god幾乎都是指這位神。