Uma Maheshvara (Shiva and Parvati) c. late 19th century

This ink on paper drawing depicts Shiva and Parvati, divine embodiments of masculine and feminine energy. Shiva’s third eye symbolizes wisdom, transcending ordinary perception. The serpent above his head echoes primal energy and transformation. Note how Shiva holds a trident, representing control over mind, intellect, and ego, while Parvati holds a mirror, reflecting the world's illusion. Shiva’s tiger skin, a symbol of untamed power, appears beneath them as a flattened pelt. The tiger, once a symbol of raw, instinctual force, has appeared through time in Dionysian rites, even tamed into domesticity in some cultures. Here, its symbolic flattening might suggest a sublimation of potent energies. The enduring power of symbols lies in their capacity to evolve, shaped by a collective consciousness, and constantly reimagined through generations. It reminds us that the past is never truly gone; it echoes in our symbols, waiting to be awakened.