Saivism

Saivism
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Name	Saivism
Caption	Shiva statue at Brihadeeswarar Temple
Main classification	Hindu traditions
Scripture	Tirumurai, Tirukkural, Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas
Theology	Henotheistic, monistic, theistic variations
Founded	Antiquity (evolving)
Founder	Indigenous developments; key figures: Rishi Agastya, Vishvamitra, Appayya Dikshitar, Basava
Languages	Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali
Regions	India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Cambodia

Saivism Saivism is a major tradition within Hinduism devoted primarily to reverence of the deity commonly represented as Shiva. It encompasses diverse theological schools, liturgical practices, literary canons, monastic institutions, and regional cults spanning South Asia and Southeast Asia. Saivite traditions have interacted with Buddhism, Jainism, Vaishnavism, Tantric traditions, and various royal courts and empires.

Etymology and Definitions

The term derives from roots associated with the deity known in texts such as the Rigveda and later epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana; classical authors such as Panini and Katyayana influence philological treatments. Early epigraphic records appear in inscriptions of the Pallava Empire, Chola Empire, and Pandya Dynasty, while medieval commentators such as Adi Shankara and Madhvacharya contrast Saivite doctrines with other schools. Scholarly surveys by figures like Max Müller and institutions such as the Asiatic Society catalog semantic ranges across languages represented in manuscripts held by the British Library and the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute.

Historical Development

Saivism's development is traced through archaeological finds at Harappa, iconography from Ellora Caves and Elephanta Caves, and dynastic patronage by the Chola dynasty, Pandya kings, Cheras, Rashtrakuta Empire, and Pandyas. Medieval movements include the Nayanars in Tamilakam and the Kashmir Shaivism corpus under scholars like Abhinavagupta and Somananda. Influences spread to Southeast Asia under the Srivijaya and Khmer Empire, seen in monuments like Angkor Wat and sculptures linked to royal patrons such as Jayavarman VII. Contacts with Islamic Sultanates and later the British Raj affected institutional forms, while reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy and activists in the Arya Samaj era engaged with Saivite communities.

Theology and Philosophy

Major philosophical schools associated include Kashmir Shaivism, Shaiva Siddhanta, Pashupata Shaivism, and Kalikula forms with influences from Advaita Vedanta and Dvaita. Key theorists include Vijnanabhiksu, Basava, Appayya Dikshitar, Abhinavagupta, and Utpaladeva, whose works intersect with concepts in the Upanishads and debates recorded at courts such as those of the Cholas and Vijayanagara Empire. Doctrinal emphases range from ritual theism in Shaiva Siddhanta to non-dual monism in Kashmir Shaivism, drawing on texts like the Shiva Sutras and treatises associated with Tantric lineages patronized by rulers like Raja Raja Chola I.

Practices and Rituals

Saivite practices encompass temple worship at shrines such as Brihadeeswarar Temple, pilgrimage to sites like Kedarnath, Kashi Vishwanath, and Arunachaleswarar Temple, and liturgies in traditions using the Tirumurai and Tevaram. Ascetic traditions include orders resembling those recorded for the Nath yogis and the Pashupata mendicants; rituals incorporate abhisheka and arati seen in major festivals such as Maha Shivaratri, Kumbh Mela, and regional observances under dynastic auspices like the Chola and Pallava courts. Devotional poetry by saints such as Appar, Sambandar, Manikkavasagar, and Basava has shaped popular praxis.

Scriptures and Literature

Canonical and sectarian texts include the Agamas, Tantras, Tirumurai, Tevaram, and medieval commentaries by Nayanaars and scholars like Iraiyanar Akapporul. Major works such as the Periya Puranam, Shiva Sutras, and writings attributed to Abhinavagupta and Vijnanabhiksu form a dense exegetical tradition. The Saivite corpus interacts with pan-Indian epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and with Puranic material in the Shiva Purana and Linga Purana, preserved in collections at repositories such as the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute and manuscripts cited by scholars like A. K. Coomaraswamy.

Sects and Regional Traditions

Distinct sects include Shaiva Siddhanta in Tamil Nadu, Kashmir Shaivism in Kashmir, Pashupata Shaivism in early northern centers, and Lingayat communities inspired by Basava in Karnataka. Regional manifestations appear in Bengal with tantric centers linked to Kapalika and Vajrayana interactions, in Nepal at the Pashupatinath Temple, and in Indonesia through inscriptions of the Mataram Kingdom. Monastic networks such as those connected with the Nayanars, Nath parampara, and later reform movements within the Vijayanagara Empire reflect local royal patronage patterns involving rulers like Krishnadevaraya.

Art, Iconography, and Architecture

Saivite iconography features representations found in the Nataraja bronze traditions of Chola workshops, lingam installations at sites like Kailasa temple, Ellora and the Somnath Temple, and murals in temples of the Hoysala Empire and Vijayanagara Empire. Sculptors and architects working under patrons such as Rajaraja Chola I and Raja Raja Chola II produced monumental complexes including Brihadeeswarar Temple and rock-cut shrines at Mahabalipuram. Literary patrons such as Kulothunga Chola II fostered devotional painting and music traditions connected to poets like Thirugnana Sambandar.

Modern Movements and Influence

Contemporary Saivite movements engage with global Hindu diaspora communities in cities like London, New York City, and Singapore and institutions such as the Hindu Temple Society of North America and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (interactions). Reform and revival movements involve leaders like Sri Ramana Maharshi and organizations such as the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham; academic studies appear in journals from the University of Oxford, Harvard University, and the University of Madras. Saivism influences modern literature, cinema in Tamil Nadu and Telugu cinema, and political-cultural identity debates tied to parties and movements associated with regional histories like those of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and cultural bureaucracies during the British Raj.

Category:Hindu traditions