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Vaishnavism, Shaivism and Minor Religious Systems v1.c7.s8: VIII. The Śaiva System

Vaiṣṇavism, Śaivism and Minor Religious Systems v1.c7.s8

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VIII. The Śaiva System

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§ 93. There are three principles: (1) the lord (Pati), (2) the individual soul (Paśu), and (3) fetters (Pāśa); and the whole system has four Pādas, or parts, which are knowledge (Vidyā), action (Kriyā), meditation (Yoga), and conduct, or discipline (Caryā). The first part contains an explanation of the nature of the individual soul (Paśu), fetters (Pāśa), and god (Īśvara), and determines the importance of formulas (Mantra) and the lord presiding over the formulas (Mantreśvara). This leads to initiation (Dīkṣā), which is necessary for the acquisition of the highest object of life. The second part contains an explanation of the process of initiation (Dīkṣāvidhi), which is of many forms and has many parts. The third part explains meditation, or concentration, along with its subsidiary processes. The fourth teaches discipline, or conduct, consisting in doing what is prescribed and avoiding what is proscribed. Without this Yoga is not possible.

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I. Now the lord (Pati) is Śiva. Śiva acts, being impelled thereto by the deeds (Karman) of souls, and produces things to be enjoyed or suffered and their means. The exercise of his creative power thus depends on the Karman of man. He does everything; therefore, he is omniscient. God has not a body like that of an individual soul which has the fetters of taint and Karman, etc.; but he has a body made up of powers, certain specific five formulas (Mantras)¹ being imagined to be the different parts of his body. These five are his powers and are also considered his different forms, and by these he does the five actions, which are creation, existence or protection, destruction, concealment, and benefaction. The following four partake of the nature of Śiva: (1) formulas (Mantras), (2) the deity presiding over the formulas (Mantreśvara), (3) the great god (Maheśvara), and (4) delivered souls (Mukta).

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¹ These five formulas, or Mantras, are contained in the TA. (X, 43—47) and in the Mahānārāyaṇīya Up. 17. The commentator considers these to refer to the five faces of Śiva, respectively. They are Sadyojāta, Vāmadeva, Aghora, Tatpuruṣa and Īśāna. They are also called forms of Śiva. One of the Dānas, or charitable gifts, mentioned by Hemādri (Dānakhaṇḍa Vol. I, pp. 789—792 Bibl. Ind.) consists of five images made of gold or other metal fashioned in a particular manner of these five forms of Śiva. In giving each a certain verse has to be repeated. These five forms are identified in a Śaiva treatise with the earth, water, fire, wind and ether, respectively, and they are considered as the creators of these elements in another, viz. Vīra-Śaiva-Cintāmaṇi, Sholapur 1908 A. D.

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II. The Paśu is the individual soul, who is atomic and known by the name of Kṣetrajña (self-conscious) and others. It is eternal and all-pervading. It is not incapable of action nor is it one only, as is maintained by other schools of philosophy. When the fetters are removed, he becomes Śiva, possessing eternal and boundless knowledge and power of action. The Muktas, or delivered ones, are Śivas, who have so become by the favour of him who is eternally Mukta, and is a person with five formulas (Mantras) for his body, i. e. he is identified with the god Śiva himself. Though they become Śivas, they are not independent, but depend upon the eternal god, Śiva. Paśu is of three kinds: (1) Vijñānākala, who has shaken off his connection with all the organs (Kalāḥ)¹ in consequence of the destruction of the impression of deeds done, by means of knowledge, meditation, asceticism, or by the enjoyment or suffering of the fruit (Bhoga), and has simple taint (Mala). The second is Pralayākala, whose organs are destroyed by the dissolution of the world. He has both impression of deeds (Karman) and taints (Mala). The third is Sakala, who has all the three fetters, taint (Mala), impression of deeds (Karman), and material cause (Māyā). Vijñānākala is of two kinds: (1) one whose taint (Kaluṣa) has ended, and (2) another whose taint (Kaluṣa) has not ended. The first are those, whose taint (Kaluṣa) having ended, are elevated to the position of Vidyeśvaras. The Vidyeśvaras are eight and are as follows: (1) Ananta, or endless, (2) atomic, (3) the most excellent Śiva, (4) the one-eyed, (5) the one Rudra, (6) he with the three forms, (7) Śrīkaṇṭha, and (8) Śikhaṇḍin. Another author says that Śiva invests the Samāptakaluṣa (one whose taint has ended) with Vidyeśatva, which is of eight kinds, and the Asamāptakaluṣa (one whose taint has not ended) he raises to the dignity of formulas (Mantras) which are seven crores. Pralayākala is also of two kinds. The first is one whose two fetters have matured (and about to be shaken off), and the second is different from him. The first attains Mokṣa, and the second, entangled with Puryaṣṭaka, undergoes many births in accordance with his impression of deeds (Karman). The Puryaṣṭaka is a subtle body, which is composed of elements which are variously enumerated. Of those who have the Puryaṣṭaka, some, who are virtuous, are raised to Bhuvanapatitva by Maheśvara Ananta. Sakala is also of two kinds: (1) one whose taint (Kaluṣa) is matured, and (2) one whose taint (Kaluṣa) is not matured. The first is raised to the dignity of Mantreśvara of 118 Mantras, i. e. of so many kinds. Parameśvara, assuming the form of his preceptor by the process of initiation and the use of power calculated to counteract the matured taint, confers Mokṣa. Those Aṇus, or atomic souls, whose taint has not ripened (i. e. is not in a condition to be wiped away) are made to suffer or enjoy in accordance with their Karman.

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¹ See previous section.

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III. Pāśa (fetter) is of four kinds: (1) Mala, or taint, (2) Karman, or the impression of deeds, (3) Māyā, or material cause, and (4) Rodhaśakti, or obstructive power. Mala, or taint, is that which conceals the knowing and acting power of the soul and is like the husk enveloping a grain of rice. Karman is the impression of deeds done for the attainment of fruit. It is righteous or unrighteous. It is unbeginning, ever continuing in succesion in the manner of seed and its sprout. Māyā is that into which the whole creation resolves itself at the time of dissolution and from which it springs out at the time of recreation. The obstructive power is the power of Śiva, which, because it regulates the three other fetters and conceals the true nature of the soul, is itself called a fetter. It performs its function, because it is the principle of speech by means of which names are given to things and thus their nature is determined ¹).

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¹ Śambhudeva's Śaivasiddhāntadīpikā, Sholapur 1909.

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§ 94. This constitutes the first part of the system (Vidyāpāda), the nature of the other three parts has been succinctly given above. A few details are these ²): The second part (Kriyāpāda) treats of the accomplishment of Mantra, the twilight adorations, worship, muttering of formulas (Japa), throwing oblations into the fire, occasional ceremonies for the attainment of eternal bliss, anointing of the preceptor and of the person entering on a course of action for final emancipation (Sādhaka), and one's own initiatory ceremonies necessary to fit one for a wordly and for an eternal life. In the third, or the Yoga part are mentioned the thirty-six principles; the deities presiding over them; the lords of the different worlds; the individual soul; the all-ruling soul; the power (Śakti); the direct perception of Māyā and Mahāmāyā, which are the causes of the world; the attainment of the miraculous powers, minuteness, lightness, etc. for those who concern themselves with the worldly element; the methods of the restraint of the breath, abstraction, meditation, concentration, and absorption in thought (Samādhi); and the positions of the circles in the body beginning with the root-circle (Mūlādhāra, or navel). The fourth part treats of penances, a purificatory ceremony (Pavitrāropaṇa), the foundation, and the natures of Śivaliṅga, of the visible Liṅga of Umā and Maheśvara, and of the lord of Gaṇas, or groups, such as Skanda and Nandin, of the rosary used for the muttering of formulas, and the funeral Śrāddhas. This last part appears to contain matters subsidiary to, and explanatory of, the actions enjoined in the second part. The proscribed actions mentioned above are: (1) the eating of the residue of what is offered to another deity; (2) the vilification of (a) Śiva, (b) of the devotees of Śiva, (c) of the system of Śiva, (d) of the practices enjoined in the Śaiva system; (3) the enjoyment of things belonging to God; (4) the killing of animals.

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² From the same work.

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§ 95. The doctrines of the Śaiva school are more moderate and rational than those of the Pāśupata school. This last, as well as the two extreme schools to be mentioned next, are called Atimārgika, or schools that are away from the path or go astray, and are spoken of by Śambhudeva, quoted in the above paragraph, as revealed by Rudra. The Śaiva school he calls the Siddhāntaśāstra, or the true Śāstra based upon the Mantras, and says that it was revealed by Śiva. The Vāyavīyasaṃhitā also calls it the Siddhānta school. It will have been seen that both this and the Pāśupata school are dualistic or pluralistic and maintain that the supreme and individual souls are distinct entities and the Pradhāna the constituent cause of the material world. In the delivered condition the individual soul shakes off its ignorance and weakness and attains boundless knowledge and power of action according to the Pāśupata doctrine, while the Śaivas hold that he becomes Śiva himself, i. e. attains perfect resemblance with the god Śiva without, however, the power of creation.

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The Śaiva school that developed itself in later times and is represented by Śambhudeva, and Śrīkaṇṭhaśivācārya to be noticed hereafter and supported also by texts in the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā holds that Śiva possesses or develops in himself a Śakti, or power, consisting of the rudiments of the individual soul and the material world, and from this power the whole world is developed. This doctrine may, therefore, be called qualified spiritual monism like that of Rāmānuja, in as much as Śiva characterised by the Śakti creates. This last is a tenet of the Liṅgāyat school also.

Cites (3)