The practice of yoga with its moral and mental discipline appealed to the psychic sense of the Aryan invaders who had settled down in the Indus Valley. Yoga was considered to be superior of Yaga. This opinion was endorsed by Adi Shankara who said that the Vedic rites are for those who are in the grip of desires.

These two cults did not remain long as irreconcilable being based on two different doctrines. By a process of interpreting vedic terms and expressions the masters of vedanta synthesised them under a yoga-cum-bakthi oriented philosophy which today goes by the name of Hindu culture and which however is different from popular Hinduism. With this synthesis the concept of Shiva as the benevolent and merciful God manifesting as the principle of life, received a separate identity. The mighty God of fire, Rudra, did not maintain his vedic individuality for long. He got merged with Shiva and his several names also became synonymous with the several names of Shiva.

Shiva the lord of Yoga is said to be residing on Mount Kailas lying to the North of Indus Valley. He is in this sense very much like the Olympian God. The sanctuary of Shiva as Mount Kailas is very meaningful. Kailas is a word of Dravidian Origin. 'Ka' means 'head' and 'vilas' means 'residence'. (Kailas is a corruption of the compound word, Ka-vilas, meaning the residence which is 'Head' or the residence of Jeeva (the life principle) inside the brain in the 'Head'. Jeeva in course of time became identical with Shiva meaning the same life principle. If Shiva leaves the body, the body becomes Shava (dead). Sufis call Shiva 'the Hyat' and the Shava 'the Mayat'. The Worship of God as Shiva was prevalent in Arabia before the advent of Islam. It is said that the uncle of the Prophet of Islam, Umar-Bin-e-Hassham, was an ardent devotee of Shiva and he is said to have laid down his life for his faith.