Pashupati
Pashupati is a form of the Hindu deity Shiva, in his benign aspect as the five-faced herdsman of all creatures. Pashupati is traditionally considered to be the guardian deity of Nepal, described in texts such as the Nepala Mahatmya, found in regional versions of the Skanda Purana.
Etymology
Paśupati means "lord of the animals". Paśu indicates animal as well as a follower of Shiva. It was an epithet of Rudra in the Vedic period and is one of the epithets of Shiva.History
The earliest claimed evidence of Pashupati comes from the Indus Valley civilization, where the Pashupati seal has been said to represent Shiva or a proto-Shiva figure.Literature
Vedas
Pashupati was generally applied as an epithet of Rudra in the Samhitas and the Brahmanas. In the Atharvaveda, Rudra is described to be the lord of the bipeds and the quadrupeds, including creatures that inhabited the earth, woods, the waters, and the skies. His lordship over cattle and other beasts denoted both a benevolent and destructive role; he slew animals that incurred his wrath, but was also kind to those who propitiated him, blessing them with health and prosperity.Nepala Mahatmya
narrates the origin of Pashupati to the sage Jaimini. Accompanied by his consort Parvati, Shiva visited the Śleṣmātaka forest upon the banks of the Bagmati in the form of a deer, while she assumed the form of a doe. Brahma, Vishnu, and Indra, confounded by his absence, scoured the three worlds in search of him. When they finally discovered Shiva in the Himalayas, they were surprised to find him bearing one horn, three eyes, surrounded by his consort and a flock of deer. After they venerated him, they realised that he did not wish to return to his divine form. The deities attempted to subdue Shiva by holding his horn, which broke upon their touch into four parts as he leapt across the riverbanks. When the deities begged Shiva to return to his abode and his place in the universe, he told them that he would reside in the forest for all time in the form of the deer, and would henceforth be known as Pashupati. He stated that the four horns would be consecrated as four lingams across the region. He declared that those who worshipped him in this aspect would never be born as animals, and would be blessed with good virtues.Iconography
The five faces of Pashupati represent the five forms of Shiva: Sadyojata, Vamadeva, Tatpurusha, Aghora, and Ishana. They face the west, north, east, south and zenith respectively, representing the pancha bhuta of the Hindu cosmos, namely earth, water, air, light and ether.The Puranas describe these faces of Shiva as: