between upapätaka (‘lesser sins’), such
as teaching the Veda for money, adul-
tery, killing a woman or a man from a
low caste, and MAHÄPÄTAKA (‘capital
sins’) which were difficult to atone for.
The latter were brahmaæahatya(killing
a brahmin), sürapäna (intoxication),
steya(stealing gold from a brahmin),
guruvaöganagama (variously interpreted
as incest or cohabitation with the guru’s
wife), mahäpätakasaƒsarga (associa-
tion with great sinners). The number of
sins was greatly augmented by the vari-
oussaƒpradäyas(sects), who declared
infringements of their ritual as sins.
Thus the GAU¥ÏYA VAIÆŒAVASenumer-
ate 32 offences against worship (which
can be atoned for) and 10 offences
against the name, which are virtually
unpardonable. Sins which are not
atoned for lead to ‘downfall’, i.e. loss of
CASTEin this life and punishment in the
next.Sïtä (‘furrow’)
The daughter of King Janaka of Videha,
wife of Räma, a principal figure in the
RÄMÄYAŒA. She was found in a furrow
by her father while he was ploughing his
field, and was also called Ayonijä, ‘not
born from a womb’. As Räma’s only
wife she embodied all the virtues of a
traditional Hindu woman and was held
up as model for Hindu girls to follow
throughout the ages. This notion has
come under attack by Indian feminists.Ÿïtalä
The goddess of smallpox, widely wor-
shipped in rural India.Ÿiva (‘graceful’)
A deity, whose followers represent one
of the ancient mainstream traditions of
Hinduism. Early on identified with the
Vedic RUDRA, Ÿiva appears in some late
Upani•ads and in the epics and Puräæas
as the focus of a vast mythology andphilosophical reflection. Some seals
found in Harappa–Mohenjo Daro were
interpreted as Ÿiva Paÿupati (Lord of the
Animals) and Ÿiva Mahäyogi, motifs
found in later Ÿaivism. LI¢GASwere also
found in the Indus civilization; these
have always been associated with
ŸAIVISM. The oldest myth associated
with Ÿaivism – the destruction of
DAKÆA’s sacrifice by Ÿiva at Kankhala,
near Hardwar – suggests initial hostility
towards Ÿaivism from the side of Vedic
religion. Other myths, such as Ÿiva’s
drinking the poison HALÄHALÄ, which
threatened to engulf the world, are seen
by Ÿaivites as proof of Ÿiva’s willingness
to save the world at personal risk. The
best-known iconic representation of
Ÿiva is that of the Näflaräja (King of
Dance), symbolizing the creative, salvif-
ic and destructive functions of Ÿiva.
Ÿaivism has been a major component of
Hinduism since at least the fifth century
CEand has inspired its followers to
magnificent temple buidings and rich
poetry. VÄRÄŒASÏ, for millennia the
most sacred city of Hinduism, is Ÿiva’sSïtä 172Ÿiva Näflaräja, King of the Dance.Encyclo - Letter S 10/2/03 9:59 am Page 172