formed throughout his life, the impurity, which is a substance (dravya) covering
the soul, is gradually removed and the aspirant finally achieves liberation a death
through the descent of S ́iva’s grace (s ́aktipa ̄ta). Once liberated, the soul does not
merge with S ́iva, because of their ontological distinction, but rather becomes
equal to S ́iva (s ́ivatulya), possessing all of S ́iva’s powers of omniscience and
omnipotence, but remaining eternally distinct (Sanderson 1995: 39–40; Davis
1991: 83–111).
There were two initiations which the S ́aiva Siddha ̄ntin would undergo, the
lesser initiation into the cult ritual and scriptures (samaya-dı ̄ks.a ̄) and the liberat-
ing initiation (nirva ̄n.a-dı ̄ks.a ̄) ensuring the soul’s final release (Brunner 1975:
411–43). While initiation was open to all classes, it was not open to women who
could only participate in S ́aiva worship vicariously through the actions of their
husbands and so at death rise up to S ́iva’s abode (Sanderson 1995: 35–6). The
daily ritual acts of the S ́aiddha ̄ntika were performed at the junctures of the day
(dawn, midday, sunset) and involved the standard tantric ritual structure of the
purification of the body through its symbolic destruction (bhu ̄tas ́uddhi), the
creation of a divine body through imposing mantras upon it (nya ̄sa), mental or
inner worship (antaraya ̄ga) in which offerings are made mentally to the deity, in
this case Sada ̄s ́iva, and external worship in which external pu ̄ja ̄is performed. In
the S ́aiva Siddha ̄nta, the form of Sada ̄s ́iva worshipped is consortless, possessing
5 faces with 3 eyes, 10 arms, holding a trident, and covered in a tiger skin (Ne
T 9. 19c–25), and in the I ̄s ́a ̄nas ́ivagurudeva-paddhatiis represented as a beautiful
sixteen year old youth (ISG 3. 14. 5d), although there is some variation in the
objects held in his ten hands (ISG 3. 1–11). This ritual structure is standard, found
in both primary scriptures and in ritual manuals such as I ̄s ́a ̄nas ́ivagurudeva’s
and Somas ́ambhu’s paddhatis(twelfth century) (SSP 1963, 1968, 1977, 1998;
ISG 1988). The ritual structure in these texts is also found outside the Siddha ̄nta,
showing that some degree of ritual invariance occurs across the tantric traditions
in spite of divergent theologies and deities (Sanderson 1988b: 660–704; Padoux
1990: 330–8; Brunner 1975: xxi–xxii; Flood 2002).
But while the ritual of the S ́aiva Siddha ̄ntin is very closely aligned with the
normative, vedic rites of the Sma ̄rta brahmins (Sanderson 1995: 27–38) and
the Saiddha ̄ntika followed a straightforward path of fulfilling dharmaalong with
performing ritual enjoined by his initiation, there was another path that could
be followed. This was the path of power and the enjoyment of pleasure in higher
worlds that required a distinct consecration (sa ̄dhaka ̄bhis.eka) after the nirva ̄n.a-
dı ̄ks.a ̄(Brunner 1975). In contrast to one who simply desired liberation at death
(mumuks.u), one desiring powers (bubhuks.u), technically referred to as a sa ̄dhaka,
could take on supererogatory rituals. While this distinction between the
mumuks.uand the bubhuks.udoes not directly map on to the distinction between
the S ́aiva Siddha ̄nta followers of the right and the non-Saiddha ̄ntika groups of
the left, because the sa ̄dhakapath was an option also within the Siddha ̄nta, it is
nevertheless the case that the non-Saiddha ̄ntika traditions are more concerned
with attaining power in this sense. Indeed, the obtaining of various forms of
magical power through the practice of yoga and the performance of rituals for
the s ́aiva traditions 211