They believe that lord shiva is the ultimate being and supreme god. The term shaktism refers to worship of the goddess or divine female power in south asian religions. Siva has inherited the characteristics of rudra, a dangerous and. Followers of saivism are called saivas or saivites. Shaivism has a vast literature with different philosophical schools, ranging from nondualism, dualism, and mixed schools. Regardless of model, the vedic system spread out from the. The followers of vaishnavism are called by the name vaishnavaites. That they are not indigenous, or arguably not in the vedas doesnt, imo prove a southern origins specifically. The pervader or the immanent or one of his various incarnations avatars as the supreme manifestation of the divine. It is monotheism in which worship of a personal god is the focus. On the other hand, the followers of shaivism are called by the name shaivaites. Vaishnavism shaivism and other minor religious systems r. Shaivism and vaishnavism practices in hinduism gcse. I think people in our country became aware of the differences between shaiva and vaishnava theologies after the movie dasavataram by the famous actor kamal hassan.
In the svetashvatara upanishad, rudra is for the first time called shiva and is described as the creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe. Shaivism refers to the traditions that pertain to shiva. Tantras have been revealed by lord shiva through his five mouths namely ishana, tatpurusha, sadyojata, vamadeva, and aghora. The tradition is notable for its avatar doctrine, wherein vishnu is revered in one of many distinct incarnations. Vaishnavism, shaivism, and shaktism the vedic god rudra gained importance from the end of the rigvedic period.
Kashmiri shaivism originated in the northern parts of india between 700 to 1100 c. This is the primary point that distinguishes shaktism from other hindu sects. Members of vaishnavism are called vaishnavites or vaishnavas. Vaishnavism is one of the major hindu denominations along with shaivism, shaktism, and smartism. Vaishnavism can be described as devotion to krishna, or any of his divine incarnations. About the history and antiquity of shaivism, lord shiva in vedic literature and recorded history of india. Shaivism is also distinguished from more popular sects such as vaishnavism for placing much less emphasis on the concept of avatarsphysical incarnations of the supreme. Ive never managed to find a label for my beliefs, and i dont believe in dogma, but shaivism might just be for me. Lesserknown and amazing facts about shaivism and vaishnavism. History of shaivism, lord shiva in vedic literature and. This comparatively younger philosophy has tried to explain all such ambiguities which the ancient philosophers have failed to resolve.
Shaivite hinduism origins, shaivite hinduism history. Shaivism or saivism is the name given to a group of religious traditions which regard lord siva, also spelled as shiva, as the highest supreme self or brahman and worship him accordingly. The principal texts of the school are the shivasutra, said to have. The secret supreme includes free downloadable audio of the original lectures. Like advaitavedanta it is monistic, like vaishnavism it is theistic, like. She is worshipped most often as the consort of shiva, but has also been raised to the status of the supreme.
Kashmir shaivism is, therefore, idealistic and realistic in essence, strongly advocating a pragmatic approach to life. Originating in india, saivism has wide appeal across the country and is particularly strong among the tamils of southern india and sri lanka. Saivism and vaishnavism are the offshoot of early indian christianity. The origins of the tradition are difficult to determine. Hindu sects when most people think of hinduism, they think of. Its roots are derived from different forms of faiths from an ancient period. Shaivism article about shaivism by the free dictionary.
Vaishnavism is the branch of hinduism in which vishnu or one of his incarnations usually krishna or rama is worshipped as the supreme god. Mar 17, 2015 saivism, also written shaivism and saivism, is the branch of hinduism that worships siva as the supreme god. The school is idealistic and monistic, as contrasted with the realistic and dualistic school of shaivasiddhanta. Shaivism of kashmir has developed between the eight and the twelfth centuries of the christian era. These two sects show some differences between them. It is also called vishnuism, its followers are called vaishnavas or vaishnavites, and it considers vishnu as the supreme lord. Entwistle vishnu in the vedic period neither vishnu nor siva, the two major gods of modern hinduism, occupied a particularly prominent position in the vedic pantheon. Kashmiri shaiva philosophy internet encyclopedia of philosophy. According to the followers of shaivism, lord shiva is the creator, destroyer, preserver, concealer and revealer.
During a long and complex development, many vaishnava groups emerged with differing beliefs and aims. Shaivism is a complex body of south asian traditions centered on the worship of the hindu male deity shiva, or siva sanskrit. When i read about shiva, i feel a connection, i feel an understanding that touches me to my core, even if i dont always have the words to properly explain it. Shaivism is a major tradition within hinduism, with a theology that is predominantly related to the hindu god shiva. Shaktism shares the core beliefs held by all hindus but with a notable emphasis on a feminine aspect of divinity, rather than a masculine one. The secret supreme lakshmanjoo academy book series book online at best prices in india on. Vaishnavism vs shaivism unknown facts about dasavataram. Vaishnavism is the largest hindu denomination and it has numerous subdivisions. This is a definitive scholarly work on the philosophy and practice of kashmir shaivism by the selfrealized master swami lakshmanjoo.
The followers of shaivism are called shaivas or shaivites. Shaivite hinduism, also known as shaivism, isalong with vaishnavism, shaktism, and vedantaone of the principle forms of the tradition. Together with vaishnavism those sects devoted to the god vishnu and shaktism those devoted to the goddess shakti creative power, who is also known. A variety of animals, reptiles, and other objects are also worshiped in conjunction with the deities of high hinduism. Feb 14, 2018 imho, even shaivism originate in south india. As saivism is the english word for the hindu worship of the god shiva and vaishnavism is the english word for the hindu worship of the god vishnu and his forms, so shaktism is the english word for the worship of the hindu goddess as shakti. Saivism is the name given to the practice of worshipping lord siva also spelled shiva as the highest supreme brahman.
Kashmiri shaivism, religious and philosophical system of india that worships the god shiva as the supreme reality. Shaivism has many different subtraditions with regional variations and differences in philosophy. History of shaivism, lord shiva in vedic literature and recorded history. Shaktism is one of the more commonly known subdivisions within hinduism. An analysis of the doctrines and practices associated with kashmir shaivism suny series in the shaiva traditions of kashmir cutting across distinctions of schools and types, the author explains the central feature of kashmir shaivism. Jan 02, 2020 shaivism, on the other hand, does not emphasize ahisma as much as other groups and, in fact, uses animal sacrifices as part of its worship. A sanskrit dictionary of law and statecraft by patrick olivelle, abhinavaguptas commentary on the bhagavad gita by gitartha. Popular kashmir shaivism yoga books showing 5 of 35 shiva sutras. Vaishnavism and shaivism are two types of religious sects that prevail in india. It is one of the oldest and one of the four major sects in hinduism.
Shaivism an introduction to shaivism and shaivism sects. Shaivism and vaishnavism there are different groups of hindus, whose beliefs and puja ceremonies are shaped by whether they prefer to worship shiva or. The surprising thing about rudra is that people pray for him to heal their loved ones and not to pierce them with his arrows. History of vaishnavism in india lakshminath bezbaroa lakshminath bezbaroa 18681938, the unofficial dictator of assamese literature, is best known and honoured most as an exponent of the vaishnava faith and philosophy of sankaradeva and of that saints great contributions to the culture of assam. This earliest chapter was established from the sixth to fifth centuries bce, during the domination of panini, who in his astadhyayi had delineated the word vasudevaka. The latter two, sometimes through their avatars and consorts, serve as the foci for the two major sects of hinduism, vaishnavism and shaivism. Origin of vaishnavism again comes face to face with contrasting visions. Mar 17, 2015 vaishnavism is the branch of hinduism in which vishnu or one of his incarnations usually krishna or rama is worshipped as the supreme god. What is commonly called kashmiri shaivism is actually a group of several monistic and tantric religious traditions that flourished in kashmir from the latter centuries of the first millennium c. In sheer numbers, vaishnavism prevails as the leading religious system over shaivism, shaktism, and the many other paths commonly associated with hinduism. Vaishnavism is the worship and acceptance of vishnu sanskrit.
Although some books equate shaktism with all major female deities the shaktis of their respective consorts, the shakta tradition specifically worships shivas consort, in her various forms such as parvati, durga, kali, etc. Hinduism is the predominant religion12 of india and nepal. Kashmir was the spiritual, cultural, and intellectual centre for some of the most sophisticated spiritual practitioners of the time. Swami lakshmanjoo shelved 1 time as kashmir shaivism yoga. Hinduism includes shaivism, vaishnavism and sarita among numerous other traditions. Difference between vaishnavism and shaivism compare the. Shiva and vishnus avataras are indigenous gods, not mentioned in the vedas. It is one of the most popular sects of hinduism, whose history is probably as old as the religious history of the indian subcontinent. Why did the historical conflict between vaishnavism and. Shiva like vishnu is part of the rigveda where he is known as rudra. Most hindus subscribe to a particular sect that focuses on the worship of one or a handful of gods. In this lesson, well explore the sects with the largest following. Vaishnavism, as practiced today, is an amalgamation of historical vedic religion, bhagavatism, shri sampradaya and tantricism.
660 1274 1206 833 1099 266 1130 847 1403 843 1063 934 763 385 254 1145 578 1455 337 835 1178 452 1476 574 829 388 1054 164 449 658 188 1071 1013 92 210 42 511 787 1266 1060 1141 405 509 1020