Saivism
The origin of Saivism may be traced to the conception of Rudra in the Rigveda. Rudra represented the malignant and destructive phenomena in nature, which destroyed the cattle and caused diseases to the people. His wrath was sought to be appeased by offerings and prayers, a specimen of which is given below.
" O Rudra,harm not either great or small of us, harm not the growing boy, harm not the full-grown man."
"Slay not a sire among us, slay no mother here, and to our own dear bodies, Rudra, do no harm."
"Harm us not, Rudra, in our seed and progeny, harm us not in the living, nor in cows or steeds."
"Slay not our heroes in the fury of thy wrath. Bringing oblations evermore we call to thee."(Rigveda I, 114)
'Rudra, however, occupies a minor position in the Rigveda', though, like many other gods,he is occasionally described as possessing supreme power. It has been suggested that he represents the storm, ' not the storm pure and simple, but rather its baleful side, in the destructive agency of lightning'.
The conception of Rudra is further developed in the Yajurveda, in the famous Satarudriya, where his benevolent characteristics are emphasized in addition to the malevolent ones.
'When his wrathful nature is thoroughly appeased he becomes auspicious.'
These three names, which occur at the end of the Satarudriya, were destined to become famous at no distant date.
In the Atharvaveda, Rudra is looked upon as a supreme God, and the furthest point is reached when Svetasvatara Upanishad substitutes this active personal God in the place of the impersonal Brahman of the Upanishads. It asserts that " there these worlds by his ruling powers, who is the inmost soul of all men, and creating all beings, protects them". " When there was simple darkness and no day or light, no entity or nonentity, siva alone existed. He was the one unchangeable thing, and he was the bright light of the sun, and from him sprang all intelligence. His form is invisible. Nobody sees him with the eye. Those who see him, dwelling in the heart, by the heart and the internal consciousness, become immortal".
Lastly "Siva, the God, the creator and destroyer, is said to be knowable by Bhava(faith, love, or the pure heart)."
It may be added that Uma Haimavati , the spouse of Siva, is also eulogized as the supreme deity in the Kena Upanishad. Saivism, as a distinct cult, therefore goes back to a very early period.
The supreme God Rudra-Siva was at first the object of worship, not of a particular sect, but of the Aryans in general all over India, and this character it has retained down to the present day in spite of the rise of innumerable Saiva sects.
The existence of the Saiva sects may be traced as early as the second century B.c.
It is probable that a definite Saiva System or school was established, in imitation of the bhagavata sect, by a person called variously Lakulin, Lakutin , Lakulisa and nakulisa. The saiva sects were at first generally known as Lakula, Pasupata or Maheshvara after the name of their God or historical founder. Before the end of the period under review, however, four important schools arose, viz. Pasupata, Saiva, kapalika and Kalamukha. The main activity of these sects falls into the next period, and will be dealt with in another chapter.
The saivas, like the Buddhists and the bhagavatas, attracted foreigners to their creed. Wema Kadphises, the kushana conqueror of india, adopted the new religion , and the reverse of his coins depicts the figure of Siva, with a long trident, leaning on Nndi or bull behind him.
It must be noted here, that the image of Siva, as an object of worship, was soon replaced by Linga or Phallus. Many eminent scholars think that this element of phallic worship and probably also the whole idea of shiva as God, were borrowed by the Aryans form the SIndu civilization. But the linga cult obtained a wide currency, and almost completely ousted the likness of Siva as an object of veneration.
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