Shiti means white and kantha means neck. Lord Shiva, who has a pleasing appearance and who shines like camphor, obviously his neck must be white like jasmine flower. While his overall physique is snow white complexioned, then what to speak of his neck. Actually the center part of his neck was turned from white to blue, due to poison-sipping. It enhanced the beauty of his silvery neck. Consequently he was called as Shiti-Kantha. Lord is Neel-Kantha and Shiti-Kantha simultaneously. If he is Ugra-Kantha, then he becomes Shri-Kantha too. According to some scholars this whiteness existed before the indigo change. Nonetheless, his both expressions are highly attractive.

According to Acharya Yask, who sustains entire creation in a subtle form inside his throat, that Mahadeva is called as Shitikantha. Or accepting this term in revelation of subtle spirit soul, an another meaning strikes— “Spiritual knowledge is constantly flowing from whose throat, that Lord Shankar is known as Shitikantha”.

Even Rudradhyay invokes Lord Shiva by this name— “Namo Neelgrivaya cha Shitikanthaya cha namah.” Another meaning of Shiti is— ‘All-devouring time-cycle’. That cycle is present in whose throat, that Lord Kalkantha is called as Shitikantha. Theologically he is called as Shitikantha, because he repeatedly emphasized Shudh Bramha (The absolute truth) in the Vedas. At some points Shiti word is translated as blue also. Then it is parallel to Neelkantha. This particular sense is encouraged by Bhaskar Ray—

दधदधिगलमिन्द्रपविप्रहृतिप्रभवं कालम्।
कालञ्जरगिरिशिखरे प्रथितस्त्वं शितिकण्ठः॥

Purport: You are titled as Shitikantha as you happily accept the blueness aroused by attack of Indra’s thunderbolt. The Brahman (Absolute) associated with ignorance, which was previously called as Neelkanth, that very Brahman is defined here in unadulterated form. Shankaracharya meditates upon Lord Neelkantha in his Shivanand Lahri—

आकाशेन शिखी समस्तफ़णिनां नेत्रा कलापी नता-
नुग्राहिप्रणवोपदेशनिनदैः केकीति यो गीयते।
श्यामां शैलसमुद्भवां घनरुचिं दृष्ट्वा नटन्तं मुदा
वेदान्तोपवने विहाररसिकं तं नीलकण्ठं भजे॥

Purport: When sky gets full of black clouds, then peacock jubilantly dances in the garden, emitting sound like Omkar. Similarly when Lord Shiva finds his beloved Parvati in the green groves of Vedanta, he dances in ecstasy. I meditate upon Lord Neelkanth who is engaged in conjugal pastimes.

To understand the pure and unalloyed nature of the spirit, is the true form of worship of Shitikantha.