Shiva The Supreme And Shankar The Deity

God Shiva and Deity Shankar came to be presumed as one. But There is a subtle difference between the Supreme Soul Shiva and Shankar the deity.

 Shiva the Supreme is

1. Supreme Soul .
    
2. Incorporeal point of light.
   
   
3. Worshipped in the oval or egg-shaped form of the Shivalinga.
   
   
4. Worshipped as the Supreme Father of all deities and of Rama and Krishna.
   
   
5. We Always Say  "Satyam Shivam Sundaram"  . meaning Satya Hi Shiv Hai. God Is Truth.
   
   
6. " Om Namah Shivay.."    the great redeeming mantra.
   
   
7.  Known as Trimurti, the creator of the three subtle deities — Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar.
   
   
8. The three lines marked on the Shivalinga symbolise His triple characteristics of Trimurti:

•       i. Trinetri — the one with the third eye of wisdom .
•      ii. Trikaldarshi — the one who sees the three aspects of time.
•     iii.  Trilokinath — the lord of three worlds.

     9. Shiva is also known as Shambhu or Swayambhu and Sadashiva meaning that Shiva is the
          eternal Soul  who  has no creator above Him.

    10. Sanskrit meaning:

शिव ziva adj. bliss
शिव ziva adj. favourable
शिव ziva adj. gracious
शिव ziva adj. benign
शिव ziva adj. kind
शिव ziva adj. friendly
शिव ziva adj. benignant

Shankar the Deity

1. Shankar has a human form residing in the subtle world region called Sankarpuri..
   
   
2. he is responsible for destruction of the old world order.
   
   
3. In some paintings and sculptures, Shankar is shown meditating in front of the Shiva Linga, which also indicates that the two are different from each other.