A.  The worship of Shiva or Rudra goes back to the Harappan and Vedic times. In the Yajurveda, we have the shatarudriya. The Taittinriya tells us that the whole universe is the manisfestation of Rudra. Some of the Upanishads, the Mahabharata and some Puranas glorify Siva or Rudra. The sacred literature of the Shaivas is called Shaivagama. Shrikantha places it side byside with the Vedas. Madhavacharya refers to the four schools of Shaivism – Nakulishapashupata, Shaiva, Pratyabhijna, (Kashmir Shaivism) and Raseshvara. Besides these we find mention of two more sects, Kapalike and Kalamukha, in Yamuna’s Agamapramanya. Shaivism of the ‘Shaiva’ type is further divided into Vira Shaivism or or Shakti vishistadvaita and Shaiva Siddhanta. The former is also known as Lingayata or Satsthala. Shaiva Siddhanta is the representative of the Southern Shaivism and Pratayabhijna or Kashmira Shaivism is the representative of the Northern Shaivism.

B.  It is certain that saivism and Vaisnavism developed almost simultaneously and have complementary references to eachother. Siva worship is referred to in the Tamil epics silapadikarna and mamimekhalai. The anthropomorphic as well as the Phallic figures of Siva are found in early art. The Mathura sculpture of the late Kushan period shows four faces of Siva carved on four shafts joined together. Coins of Sakas, Parthians and the Kushan rulers depict Siva in the human form relining on the sacred bull, the Nandi. The God Siva is mentioned by different names in the literature namely Ishwara, Mahadeva, Mahesvra, Shankara, Januardha, bholenath. (Shakti) ie.e Parvati his sons Skanda i.e. Kartikeya the Bull, the Moon, The Ganges, Snakes, the tiger, the trishul are also worshipped. Saivism was patronized by Shashank of Bengal, the Matiraka of Valvavi, besides these dynasty almost all dynasties of India including the Rajputas practiced the cult of Shiva.

 

Pasupata Sect :

Pasupatas, worshipped siva in the temples. This sect included asetics or Bairagies who besmeared their bodies with ashes as well as householders.

The Pasupati Doctrine: was dualistic in character. Pasu the invidindual soul was eternally existing with Pati, the supreme soul, and the attainment of Danhkhanta (cessation of misery) by the former was through the performance of Yoga and Vidhi. The Vidhi or means consisted mainly of various apparently senseless and unsocial acts. D.

Saiva Movement in the South:

Nayanars and Acaryas. The Saiva movement in the south, like the Vaishnava, flourished at the beginning through the activities of many. Of the 63 saints known as Narayanars. (Sivabhaktas). Their appealing emotional songs in Tamil were called, Tevaram stotras, also known as Bravida Veda and ceremonially sung in the local Siva temples. The Nayanaras hailed from all castes, the Brahamana Tiru Janasabandhar having the greatest respect for this much older contemporary, Tirunavukkarasu (Appr), another Siva bhakta ofa low caste Manikkavasagar, though not included in the list of the 63 Nayanars was also a great Saiva devotee, and his Tamil work Tiruvasagam is one of the best devitional poesm of India.

The emotional Siva-bhakti success preached by the Nayanars and other Saiva saints was supplemented on the doctrinal side by a large number of Saiva intellectuals whose names were associated with several forms of Saiva movements like Agamanta, Saiva-Siddhnata and Vira-Saivism. E. The Agamantins based tehets mainly on the 28 Agamas said to have been composed by the various aspects of Siva himself. The philosophy of this school was dualistic or pluralistic and one of its ablest exponents Aghora Sivacarya belonged to the 12th century AD. F.

Saiva-Siddhanta.

The Saiva-Siddhanta upheld Visitadavitavada and great expounder Srikatha Sivacharya appears to have been influenced by Ramaniya (13th century AD).

SAIVISM

1. It recognize eighteen Agamas. From the fifth to the ninth centuries many great Shaiva saints like Sambandar Appar and Sundarar flourished in South India whose hymns constitute a magnificently rich devotional literature. The collection of these hymns is called Tirumurai. Manikkavasagar (seventh century) has written his famous Tiruvasagam. Meykandar the author of the Shiva jnanabodhamwho belongs to the thirteenth century is regarded as the first systematic expounder of the Siddhanta philosophy. His disciple Arulnandi Shivacharya is the author of the famous work Shiva jnanasiddhiyar. Shrikantha Shivacharya (fourteenth century) has written a commentary on the Brahmasutra which is commented upon by Appaya Diksita in his Shivarkamanidipika in the light of shivism in general though not strictly according to the Siddhanta philosophy.

 

2. Shaiva Siddhanta calls itself ‘Shuddhavaita’ the name which Vallabha’s school bears. But whereas Vallabha means by the word ‘Shuddha’ that which is free from the impurity of Maya (Maya sambandharahita) and by the word ‘Advaita the non-dual Brahman Shaiva Siddhanta takes the word ‘Shuddha’ in the sense of ‘unqualified’ and the word ‘Advaita’ in the sense of ‘Dvaita devoid of duality’ which means that difference is real in existence but inseparable from identity in consciousness. This means that though matter and sould are real yet they are not opposed to Shiva but are inseparably united with him who is the supreme reality. This suggests the influence of Aprthaksiddhi of Ramanuja. But whereas Ramanuja makes matter and sould only the attributes of God Shaiva Siddhanta agrees with Madhva in giving them substantive existence.

3. Shiva is the supreme reality and is called pati or the lord who possesses the eight attributes of ‘self-existence essential purity, intuitive wisdom, infinite intelligence, freedom from all bonds infinite grace of love omnipotence and infinite bliss. Junst as the potter is the first cause his staff and wheel is the instrumental cause and clay is the material cause of a pot similarly Shiva is the first cause his Shakti is the instrumental cause and Maya is the material cause of this world. The relation of Shiva and Shakti is that of identity (tadatmya) though it is the power of the Lord. Thus Shakti is conscious unchanging and eternal energy and is known as Svarupa Shakti.

4. The individual sould are called pashu for like cattle they are bound by the rope of avidya to this world. The sould is really an all-pervading eternal and conscious agent and enjoyer (ichcha-jnana-kriyayukta). It has consciousness the essence of which is in the act of seeing. It is different from the gross and the subtle body and the senseorgans etc. The bound soulmis take themselves as finite and limited in will thought and action and in liberation are restored to their original nature.

5. The fetters which bind the souls are called pasha and are three fold Avidya Karma and Maya. Avidya is one in all beings and is beginningless. It is also called Anavamala or the impurity which consists in the fales notion of the soul to regard itself finite or atomic confined to the body and limited in knowledge and power. It is avidya because it makes the sould ignorant of its inherent glory and greatness. It is Anava because it makes the sould mistake itself as atomic and finite. It is the bondage (Pashutva) of the beast (pashu). Karma is produced by the deeds of the souls and is subtle and unseen (adrsta) and is the cause of the union of the conscious with the unconscious. Maya is the material cause of this impure world.

6. The removal of the pashu, makes the soul one with Shiva.

Virasaiva or Lingayat Saivism

1. The Virasaiva or Lingayata movement was developed by Basava a minister of the Chalukya king Bijjala Raya of Kalyana (1157-68 AD). There is every reason to believe that it came into existence one or two centuries earlier through the activities of some Brahmana Saiva reformers. Basava used his political power and position in furthering the cause of this movement which was as much a social reform as a religious one. In the tenets of this school Visistadvaitavada played an important part.

2. Virasaivism means the Saivism of the stalwarts or heroic Saivism. The name serves to distinguish the Virasaivas from the three other classes of Saivas viz the samanya misra and the Suddha-Saivas. The first two the these classes worship siva alone. The Linga they wear on their person distinguishes the Virasaivas from the Suddhasaivas. Hence the name ‘Lingayats’ is also applied to them and the cult itself is called Lingayata.

3. The Virasaivas philosophy is called Saktivisistadvait a term which means the non-duality of God (viz, Parasiva) as qualified by power or sakti. There isno duality between the soul and the Lord God and soul are in an inseparable union through the inalienable power called Sakti.

4. As in the other systems of saivism, so in Virasaivism para Siva is the supreme reality theon Absolute without a second. He is of the nature of existence (sat) intelligence (chit) and blises (ananda). Sakti is the power which cternally resides in Parama-Siva as his inseparable attribute. It is the ultimate creative principal mula-prakriti or maya which evolves itself into thephenomenal univers.

5. The final goal of the soul is conceived in the Virasaiva system as aikya or unity with para-siva the supreme reality. The soul in union with Siva enjoys unexcellable bliss. This final state of experience is technically called linganga-samarasya i.e. identity in essence between Linga (Siva) and anga (soul).

6. The three terms most of ten used in Virasaiva writings are Guru, Jangama and Lihga. The guru is the preceptor who imparts to the aspirant spiritual knowledge the Jangama is the realized soul and the Linga is the Deity Siva. 7. Virasaivism teaches eight rules to be observed which are called ashtavarans.

(1) obedience to a guru

(2) worship of a linga

(3) reverence for the Jangama as for an incarnation of Siva

(4) smearing of ashes (Vibhuti) made of cowdung

(5) wearing of a rosary of rudraksha beads

(6) padodaka sipping the water in which the feet of a guru of jangama have been bathed

(7) prasada offering food to a guru linga or jangama and partaking sacramentally of what is left and

(8) panchakshara uttering the five syllabled formula namah sivaya at the diksha ceremony these eight modes of piety are taught to every Lingayat child.

(9). The lingayats do not concern themselves with the worship of Siva in public temples. Some of the other peculiarities of the sect which are in the nature of reforms are the following the following the diksha ceremony which takes the place of upanayana is performed in the case of girls also and the women too have to wear the Linga like men. The widows are allowed to marry and women are not considered to be polluted during their monthly periods. The Lingayats dispense with the rite of offering oblations in fire and instead of the Brahma-gayatri they make use of the Siva-gayatri. The reformist zeal of the Lingayat teachers and the spiritual fervour of the Vachana-writers combined in making Virasaivism the most popular faith in the kannada country.

Kashmir Saivism

1. Kashmir Saivism traced to the Siva-sutras whose authorship is attributed to Siva himself. The Sutras are said to have been revealed to a sage by name Vasugupta who lived towards the end of the eight or the beginning of the nineth century AD. A succession of talented exponents of the system followed Vasugupta. Kallata who was Vasugupta’s chosen pupil wrote among other works Spanda-sarvasva in which he explained the meaning of the Siva-Sutras as taught by his master. Somananda the author of Siva-dristi and a vritti thoreon was probably another pupil of Vasugupta.

2. Kashmir seivism advocated a kind of monism or non-dualism. The names by which the system is known are Trika, Spanda and Pratyabhina. The name Trika primarily refers to the triple principle with which the system deals viz Siva-sakti-anu or pati-pasa-pasu. Though the other schools of saivism also accept these three categories Kashmir saivism regards the individual soul and the world as essentially identical with Siva and so the three according to it are reducible to one. The term Spanda indicates the principle of apparent movement of change from the state of absolute unity to the plurality of the world. And the expression Pratyabhija which means recognition refers to the way of realizing the soul’s identity with Siva.

3. The Ultimate reality in Kashmir Saivism as in every school of Saiva philosophy is Sambhu or Siva the supreme God. Siva is the Atman the self of all beings immutable and ever perfect. He is pure consciousness (chaitanya) absolute experience (para samviti) supreme lord (paramesvara). He is the ground of all existence the substrate of all beings. He is called anuttara the reality beyond which there is nothing.

4. Sakti (power) is Siva’s creative energy and is spoken of as his femine aspect. Siva in his aspects as Sakti manifests himself as the univorse. That is there is nothing other than siva. If the universe appears as if different such appearance is a delusion.

5. The supreme aim of the Partyabhij a system is to enable the individual soul to find its salvation. The salvation consists in the soul’s recognition of its identity with the Ultimate reality. As bondage is the result of ignorance release is to be attained through knowledgs. H. Kashmir Saivism

1. Kashmir Saivism traced to the Siva-sutras whose authorship is attributed to Siva himself. The Sutras are said to have been revealed to a sage by name Vasugupta who lived towards the end of the eight or the beginning of the nineth century AD. A succession of talented exponents of the system followed Vasugupta. Kallata who was Vasugupta’s chosen pupil wrote among other works Spanda-sarvasva in which he explained the meaning of the Siva-Sutras as taught by his master. Somananda the author of Siva-dristi and a vritti thoreon was probably another pupil of Vasugupta.

2. Kashmir seivism advocated a kind of monism or non-dualism. The names by which the system is known are Trika, Spanda and Pratyabhina. The name Trika primarily refers to the triple principle with which the system deals viz Siva-sakti-anu or pati-pasa-pasu. Though the other schools of saivism also accept these three categories Kashmir saivism regards the individual soul and the world as essentially identical with Siva and so the three according to it are reducible to one. The term Spanda indicates the principle of apparent movement of change from the state of absolute unity to the plurality of the world. And the expression Pratyabhija which means recognition refers to the way of realizing the soul’s identity with Siva.

3. The Ultimate reality in Kashmir Saivism as in every school of Saiva philosophy is Sambhu or Siva the supreme God. Siva is the Atman the self of all beings immutable and ever perfect. He is pure consciousness (chaitanya) absolute experience (para samviti) supreme lord (paramesvara). He is the ground of all existence the substrate of all beings. He is called anuttara the reality beyond which there is nothing.

4. Sakti (power) is Siva’s creative energy and is spoken of as his femine aspect. Siva in his aspects as Sakti manifests himself as the univorse. That is there is nothing other than siva. If the universe appears as if different such appearance is a delusion.

5. The supreme aim of the Partyabhij a system is to enable the individual soul to find its salvation. The salvation consists in the soul’s recognition of its identity with the Ultimate reality. As bondage is the result of ignorance release is to be attained through knowledgs.