Shiva (/ˈʃɪvə/; Sanskrit: शिव, IAST: Śiva, lit. 'The Auspicious One'), also known as Mahadeva (/məˈhɑː ˈdeɪvə/; Sanskrit: महादेव, IAST: Mahādevaḥ, [mɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh], lit. 'The Great God') and Hara (Sanskrit: हर, lit. 'The Remover'), is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism.