15 reasons why Lord Shiva is the original alpha male

The concept of alpha male is intriguing indeed. The traits that define an alpha may be debatable but I’ve compiled my own list of those. The following attributes of Shiva  make him the ultimate (and perhaps the only true) Alpha Male:

1. The 6 pack abs and the biceps- Long before Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived on scene and Salman began dropping his shirt to flaunt those toned abs, there was lord Shiva, bare bodied covered in tiger skin on snowy Mount Kailas. Unlike other men who flaunt it to get attention, Shiva is immersed in Samadhi oblivious to any gaze that finds him fascinating.

2. Self-control- It’s very sexy when a man oozing testosterone can actually hold it in his pants. No matter how strong the desire if you can control it, women will find you irresistible. Shiva not only embodies this control but he actually turned Kamadeva- (the lord of desires) to ashes.

3. Fidelity- All those nincompoops who can’t stop bragging about how easy it is for them to spend every night with a new woman, sometimes with several at a time, there’s a lesson. An alpha stays loyal to his woman regardless of others swooning over him. Infact the loyalty factor only makes his attraction level soar several notches.

4. Wisdom- A man who can converse on various topics will definitely manage to grab an intelligent woman’s attention. Lord Shiva is the proponent of most tantric texts. He is the personification or (male)deitification of wisdom.

5.Secure- when Sati argued and fought to attend her father Dakshya’s Yagna, lord Shiva protested but gave in to her whim , instead of being chauvinistic and trying some other beta male tactic like emotional blackmail or physical assaultto  hold her back. It’s that feeling of security that balances the feistiness of a woman and makes her feel loved.

6. Love- He was devastated by the death of Sati, to the extent that he carried her all over the world- bringing all creation to a stand-still, until Lord Vishnu came to his rescue. That kind of strong, pure love will keep a woman tied to a man forever.

7. Friends- There have been numerous instances when he granted a boon to someone and ultimately had his friends and wife correcting his mistakes, sometimes even without his knowledge. How many men can claim to have such friends?

8.Unbreakable Resilience- He does not react, infact becomes a shav (corpse) when ma Parvati turns into Kali.In the form of Goddess Dhumavati, she even swallowed him. When a woman is angry, nothing will pacify her, let her vent, rant, get back to her senses. It does require a lot of patience to withstand this volcanic outburst while maintaining one’s composure.

9. Generosity- The quality of granting whatever someone asks for, despite the risk that it can be used against oneself, is phenomenal.

10. Making a woman yearn- Goddess Parvati took another birth, partook in penance to get shiva back. How many men can make a woman yearn for them so strongly? In the meanwhile he was minding his own business and not chasing skirts.

11. The perfect father- Not only did he sew  a new head on lord Ganesha which technically makes him the first plastic surgeon, he raised his children  to be noble beings and revered deities.

12. Composure in misery- It can only be an alpha who will swallow poison and not spew it ether outside or let it incapacitate his own physiological functions. Most men these days are transmitters of their own stress.

13. The third eye- Despite being the embodiment of perseverance, and tolerance, all hell breaks loose when Shiva opens the third eye. Violence is always the last resort for a formidable man.

14. Goal Oriented- No matter how many distractions plummet Lord Shiva, he eventually goes back to Samadhi. That is the defining trait, an alpha needs to focus on a goal and steadfastly work towards it.

15. Proficiency in arts- He can not only play the damru but is also the god of dance. His “Natraj” form brings back memory of the obeisances I paid to him at the beginning of every Bharatnatyam class. Oh and when he dances, the world comes to a standstill.

16 .Gender equality- I find it gobsmacking when people talk about women being treated regressively in India. Hinduism is probably the only religion which does not differentiate on the basis on gender .Lord Shiva’s favourite disciple is goddess Parvati  and the” Ardhnarishwar”  form  of Shiva is the epitome of gender equality.