The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v1.c11.s8.52

v1.c11.s8.52

The period of Bijjaḷa’s rule was remarkable for the revival of Śaivism in the form of Vira-Śaivism or Lingāyatism. Of this revival Fleet writes:⁶ ‘The new sect of Śivabhaktas or worshippers of Śiva (were) technically called Vira-Śaivas, i.e. “brave, fierce or strict Śaivas” or “Śaiva champions”, and popularly Lingāyats or Lingawants, i.e. “those who have the *linga* or phallic emblem”. The Lingāyats—using the appellation by which all average members of the sect would describe themselves—are outwardly distinguished from ordinary Śaivas by their practice of carrying about with them a miniature *linga*, usually in a silver box suspended from the neck and hanging about the waist. And the chief characteristics of their faith and practices are adoration of the *linga* and of Śiva’s bull, Nandi, hostility to Brāhmans, disbelief in the transmigration of the soul, contempt for child-marriage, and approval and habitual practice of the re-marriage of widows.’⁷ Some modern students would deny the phallic association of the *linga* and identify it as the symbol of the Supreme Reality as a means to God-realization.⁷ They also contend that some of the ideas underlying Viraśaivism are as old as the Upanishads and the Rigveda, and argue that this religious school antedates by far the time of Bijjaḷa and his contemporary reformer Basava.⁸ We cannot stop to examine such views in detail, but must pass them by with the observation that the evidence relied on does not seem to support the conclusions drawn. It is not strictly true to say that ‘disbelief in the transmigration of the soul’ is a characteristic of the Lingāyat creed; but the Lingāyats do have a firm faith that everyone who takes the *dikshā* (initiation) into their faith in its proper form attains *mukti* (salvation) and is not reborn. In other words, transmigration of the soul is the normal law of life, but it is broken by a person’s acceptance of the Lingāyat creed.