distinction also applies to the ritual realm where the S ́aiva Siddha ̄nta accepted
the vedic distinction between purity and impurity, remaining within the
vedic rules of purity, whereas the non-Saiddha ̄ntika rejected this distinction
(Sanderson 1995: 17).
These S ́aiva, tantric traditions not only permeated the subcontinent but
became royal religions, along with Buddhism, in southeast Asia and beyond to
Java and Bali during the medieval period. Here kings modeled themselves on
south Asian kings, Sanskrit became the sacred language, and Brahmin priests
officiated at rites of royal consecration. In Java, for example, there are early S ́aiva
inscriptions (732 ce) and eighth-century S ́aiva temples seemed to have followed
ritual patterns found in the subcontinent of bathing the S ́iva lin.ga (Dumarçay
1986). In Bali S ́aiva temple priests still perform daily rites in which the priest
symbolically becomes S ́iva through uttering the five-syllabled mantra “homage
to S ́iva” (namah.s ́iva ̄ya) (Goudriaan and Hookyas 1971). There are important
tantric Buddhist texts of Indonesia, such as the Kuñjarakarn.adharmakathana,
depicting S ́aiva elements but in a Buddhist context (Nihom 1994: 119–41).
The S ́aiva Siddha ̄nta
The S ́aiva Siddha ̄nta forms the fundamental S ́aiva system, providing the tem-
plate for ritual and theology of all other S ́aiva groups within the Path of
Mantras. The tradition may have originated in Kashmir where it developed a
sophisticated theology propagated by theologians such as Sadyojoti, Bhat.t.a
Na ̄ra ̄yanakan.t.ha and his son Bhat.t.a Ra ̄makan.t.ha (ca. 950–1000 ad). It spread
to the South where the Sanskrit scriptures are complemented with Tamil texts.
Here the gnostic, ritual system becomes infused with an emotional devotional-
ism (bhakti) characteristic of southern S ́aiva Siddha ̄nta, through the Tamil
poetry of the S ́aiva saints or Na ̄yan
̄
a ̄rs. Ritual and devotion are accompanied
here by theology in works by Bhojadeva (eleventh century) and Aghoras ́iva
(twelfth century) (Gengnagel 1996).
The S ́aiva Siddha ̄nta is dualistic (dvaita), maintaining a distinction between
the self and S ́iva and claiming that there are three distinct ontological categories,
the Lord (Pati), the self (pas ́u), and the bond (pa ̄s ́a). The Lord or S ́iva in his form
as five-faced Sada ̄s ́iva, performs the five acts (pañcakr.tya) of the creation, main-
tenance, and destruction of the universe, concealing himself and revealing
himself to devotees (Tat Prak 1.7). The self or “beast” (pas ́u) is eternally distinct
from S ́iva and bound within the cosmos or “bond” (pa ̄s ́a), in the cycle of birth
and death by impurity (mala), action (karma), and the material substratum of
the cosmos (ma ̄ya ̄). S ́iva performs the five acts for his play (krı ̄d.a ̄) and for the
liberation of beings (Tat Prak 6.1). This liberation is attained with the grace
(anugraha) of S ́iva through initiation (dı ̄ks.a ̄) by a teacher in whose body S ́iva
has become established (a ̄ca ̄ryamu ̄rtistha) (Tat Prak 1.15; Hulin 1980: 115–17).
Through initiation and the subsequent actions of daily an occasional rituals per-
210 gavin flood