Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

Sadä-ÿiva 158

Sadä-ÿiva

The form in which Ÿiva exercises his

fivefold activities of attraction (anugra-

ha), concealment (tirobhava), taking

away (adana), preservation (stithi) and

creation (sø•fli), according to ŸAIVA

SIDDHÄNTA.

•aõ-darÿana

(‘six philosophical systems’)

The collective designation of the

philosophies that are considered ‘ortho-

dox’, namely SÄßKHYA, YOGA, NYÄYA,

VAIŸEÆIKA, Pürva MÏMÄßSÄand Uttara

Mïmäƒsä or VEDÄNTA. Nominally all

accept the authority of the Veda as

revealed.

sädhana (‘means to realization’)

A generic term for the complex of

practices recommended by the various

saƒpradäyas(sects) or individual GURUS.

sädhäraæa dharma

(‘general law’)

Moral obligations such as truthfulness,

honesty, purity etc. valid for all people,

irrespective of CASTEor sect.

sädhu (fem. sädhvï, ‘good person’)

Generic designation of those who have

renounced and who dedicate themselves

to the pursuit of religious aims, usually

wearing garb that distinguishes them

from ordinary people.

sage

See ØÆI.

saguæa (‘with qualities’)

One of the major theological controversies

among Hindus is the question of

whether the ultimate is saguæaor nir-

guæa. All theist systems ascribe qualities

to the supreme, whereas ADVAITA

VEDÄNTAdenies them. The Upani•adic

references to brahman nirguæa(without

qualities) are interpreted by VAIÆŒAVAS

and other theists as meaning the

absence of evil or limiting qualities; by

Advaitins they are understood as signi-

fying a total absence of all qualities, i.e.

pure CONSCIOUSNESS. Those who ascribe

qualities to the ultimate usually also

conceive of God as having a body and

living in a special abode.

sahä-märga (‘associate’s way’)

The third stage of bhakti (devotion) in

ŸAIVASIDDHÄNTA, consisting of yoga:

withdrawal of senses from objects,

breath control, suspsension of mind

activity, recitation of MANTRAS(3) and

directing the vital breaths through the

six body centres.

Sahadeva

The youngest of the five PÄŒDAVAS, son

of MÄDRÏ. He was an expert on astron-

omy. (See alsoMAHÄBHÄRATA.)

sahaja (‘inborn’, ‘natural condition’)

The designation for some tantric, anti-

nomian forms of worship, which follow

‘nature’ or ‘inborn instincts’ rather than

the Vedic law.

sahasra-näma (‘thousand names’)

Litanies of a thousand names of major

deities, which are recited by the devotees.

Ÿaiva Siddhänta

(‘the final truth of Ÿiva’)

A major school of thought of South

Indian ŸAIVISM, with a large following in

Tamilnäõü. Its most important text is

the Ÿivajñänabodha by Meykaæõa (13th

century), based on the recognized 28

Ägamas and the teachings of the 63

Näyaæmärs. It acknowledges a triad of

principles: pati (the Lord, i.e. Ÿiva),

päÿu (the unredeemed human person);

and päÿa (the fetters, identified as

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