Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

karma, mäyä and aæava, ‘atomicity’,

reduced consciousness). To gain free-

dom one must practise knowledge

(vidyä), ritual (kriyä), austerities (Yoga),

and a virtuous way of life (cärya). The

supreme reality is Ÿiva, whose most fit-

ting description is ‘grace’ or ‘love’.

Through his form of Sadäÿiva he exer-

cises his fivefold functions of attraction

(anugraha), concealment (tirobhava),

creation (sø•fli), preservation (stithi), and

destruction (ädäna). Only in a human

form and through Ÿaiva Siddhänta can

liberation be gained. All other systems

lead to lower stages of reality.

Liberation consists in the appearance of

the hidden Ÿiva nature (ÿivatva) of the

soul: humans then realize that their true

and original Ÿiva nature was hidden and

curtailed through sins. The enlightened

person is conscious of Ÿiva’s presence

and whatever such a person does,

whether the world thinks it good or

bad, is Ÿiva’s deed.

Ÿaivism

The worship of Ÿiva, probably the old-

est of the Hindu traditions. Its begin-

nings go back to prehistoric times.

LI¢GAS(3), the most typical expressions

of Ÿiva worship, have been found in

Indus civilization sites and some of the

seals were interpreted as representing

Ÿiva Mahäyogi and Ÿiva Paÿupati, fig-

ures still prominent in Ÿiva worship.

Liögaswere also found in South India,

which today is the centre of Ÿaivism.

In the Øgveda the word ÿiva(bene-

volent, gracious) is not used as a proper

name but as an attribute of various

deities. However the worship of RUDRA,

which later became fused with Ÿaivism,

is quite prominent. Rudra, ‘the

Howler’, was feared rather than loved

and his worship consisted in depositing

offerings at crossroads imploring him

not to come or do harm.

The earliest known Ÿiva community

are the PÄŸUPATAS, worshippers of Ÿiva

as Lord of Animals. Sophisticated

Ÿaivite philosophies developed in South

India (ŸAIVA SIDDHÄNTA) and in

Kashmir (KASHMIR ŸAIVISM or Tøka).

Many important figures in the history of

Hinduism, such as ŸA¢KARA(2), and many

South Indian kings, were Ÿaivas. They

built magnificent sanctuaries in honour of

Ÿiva and established attractive festivals in

places such as TANJORE, CIDAMBARAMand

MADURAI.VÄRÄŒASÏ, the holiest city of

Hinduism, is sacred to Ÿiva, who is wor-

shipped in the Golden temple as

Viÿvanätha, Lord of the Universe.

Ÿaivite asceticism tended to run into

extremes: groups such as the Kapälikas

and Kälamukhas are said to eat human

corpses and to besmear themselves with

ashes taken from cremation grounds.

They do this to demonstrate the identity

of everything with the supreme Ÿiva and

their indifference towards conventions

of ordinary life.

Ÿaivism today is the second-largest

segment of mainstream Hinduism, with

several hundred million followers.

Ÿakadvïpa

The continent of the ŸAKAS. Ÿakadvïpa

is also an alternative name for ŸVETA-

DVÏPA, the ‘white island continent’,

which is mentioned in the Mahäbhärata

as a place where perfect beings worship

NÄRÄYAŒA, and which was visited by

the sages NÄRAand NÄRADA(2). It is

quite often mentioned in Hindu litera-

ture, but has not been satisfactorily iden-

tified.

Ÿakas

A people from the north, usually identified

with the Yavanas. They are thought to

be the Indo-Scythans described by

Ptolemy. They invaded India between

200 BCEand 100 CEand founded a king-

dom in north-western India. The Ÿaka

era, beginning in 78 CE, still widely used

in India, derives from them.

159 Ÿakas

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