History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c37.109

v3.c37.109

A passage from Baudhāyana about Śiva worship has already been quoted and it has been stated that worship of the phallic emblem of Śiva appears to have been current in the very ancient civilization brought to light by the finds discovered at Mohenjo-daro. Sir R. G. Bhandarkar in his 'Vaiṣṇavism and Śaivism' has shown how Rudra is described as the supreme deity even in the Ṛg., how in the Tai. S. IV. 5. 1-11 there are eleven *anuvākas* (called Rudras) which contain a sublime eulogy of Rudra (and also in Vāj. S. 16) and how numerous Śaiva sects and doctrines arose in course of time (p. 119 ff). Pāṇini teaches the formation of Bhavānī, Śarvāṇī, Rudrāṇī and Mṛḍānī from the four names of Śiva (IV. 1. 59). In the sacrifice called Śūlagava in the gṛhya sūtras Rudra is worshipped as the supreme deity. The Āśv. gṛ. IV. 9.17 mentions twelve names of Rudra and adds¹⁷⁵⁴ (IV. 9.27-29) that all names in the world, all armies, all exalted things belong to him. Patañjali in his Mahābhāṣya (vol. II. pp. 387-388) on Pāṇini V. 2. 76 speaks of a 'Śiva-bhāgavata' (a devotee of Śiva). Vedāntasūtra II. 2. 37 is directed, according to Śaṁkara, to the refutation of the Pāśupata sect of Śaivas. In the Śāntiparva 284. 121-124 the Pāśupatas are said to be opposed to the dharmas of varṇa and āśrama. The Kūrmapurāṇa (pūrvārdha, chap. 16) speaks of the śāstras of the Śaiva sects, of Kāpālas, Nākulas¹⁷⁵⁵ (Lākulas?), Vāmas, Bhairavas, Pāśupatas as meant for deluding the world. The Varāhapurāṇa (chap. 70–71) is also directed against Pāśupatas. The Pāśupata brāhmaṇas are stated in the Kādambarī to have surrounded the minister Śukanāsa (para 90). Śiva was worshipped in the form of the *liṅga* or as an image. It is believed that 14 crores of *liṅgas* were established by Bāṇa, an Asura devotee of Śiva, in various spots and these are called Bāṇa-liṅgas (Nityācārapaddhati, p. 556) and the Bāṇa-liṅgas (white stones) found in the Narmadā, the Ganges and other holy rivers are only like them. In the Kādambarī (para 130) Bāṇa speaks of sand *liṅgas* on the Acchoda lake and in another place of a *liṅga* made of pure mother-o'pearl. The Kūrmapurāṇa (pūrvārdha chap. 26) describes the origin of Liṅga and its worship and the Vāmanapurāṇa 46 lauds the several holy places where ancient *liṅgas* are established. The famous twelve Jyotir-liṅgas are; Oṁkāra at Māndhātā, Mahākāla at Ujjayinī (modern Ujjain), Tryambaka (near Nasik), Dhṛṣṇeśvara at Elora, Nāganātha (towards the east of Ahmednagar), Bhīmā-Śaṁkara (at the source of the Bhīmā river in the Sahyādri), Kedāra-nātha in Garhwal, Viśveśvara at Benares, Somanātha in Kathiawar, Vaidyanātha new Parali, Mallikārjuna on the Śrīśaila, and Rāmeśvara in South India. Many of these are situated in central and western India near each other.