In many images, Lord Shiva is shown either wearing the crescent moon as an ornament or meditating beneath the moon, bathed in its silvery light. What is the reason for this association?

It is said that long ago, Chandra, the god of the moon, was married to twenty seven daughters of the sage Daksha. Chandra visited one daughter on each successive night, but it became clear after a time that he had a preference for the daughter Rohini, and showed more attention to her. Naturally the other daughters became jealous, and complained to their father. Daksha warned Chandra that he must stop favouring Rohini over the others, but the warning went unheeded. Then Daksha became angry and he cursed Chandra with a disease that made him lose almost all his light, and to survive he had to hide in the waters of a sacred river.

Then there was no moon in the sky, but this made a great problem. There are sacred herbs that depend upon moonlight to grow, and now they began to die. Thus there was disorder and unhappiness in the world.

Coming to know of this sad situation, Lord Shiva intervened. He drew the narrow crescent of the moon from the water and placed it on his head. Then by his power the curse of Daksha was modified, so that Chandra grew for fourteen days and then diminished for fourteen days. And so it continues until this day.

Thus Shiva’s meditation shows in the rhythm of the moon that every form in creation dies to be reborn again.