Hinduism includes shaivism, vaishnavism and sarita among numerous other traditions. It is one of the oldest and one of the four major sects in hinduism. Shaivism and vaishnavism practices in hinduism gcse. Kashmiri shaivism, religious and philosophical system of india that worships the god shiva as the supreme reality. Shiva and vishnus avataras are indigenous gods, not mentioned in the vedas.
Hinduism is the predominant religion12 of india and nepal. This comparatively younger philosophy has tried to explain all such ambiguities which the ancient philosophers have failed to resolve. Saivism is the name given to the practice of worshipping lord siva also spelled shiva as the highest supreme brahman. During a long and complex development, many vaishnava groups emerged with differing beliefs and aims. Shiva like vishnu is part of the rigveda where he is known as rudra. Difference between vaishnavism and shaivism compare the. Shaivism and vaishnavism there are different groups of hindus, whose beliefs and puja ceremonies are shaped by whether they prefer to worship shiva or. Shaivite hinduism, also known as shaivism, isalong with vaishnavism, shaktism, and vedantaone of the principle forms of the tradition. Vaishnavism is the branch of hinduism in which vishnu or one of his incarnations usually krishna or rama is worshipped as the supreme god. The followers of vaishnavism are called by the name vaishnavaites. Entwistle vishnu in the vedic period neither vishnu nor siva, the two major gods of modern hinduism, occupied a particularly prominent position in the vedic pantheon. Like advaitavedanta it is monistic, like vaishnavism it is theistic, like. Shaktism is one of the more commonly known subdivisions within hinduism.
It is one of the most popular sects of hinduism, whose history is probably as old as the religious history of the indian subcontinent. Most hindus subscribe to a particular sect that focuses on the worship of one or a handful of gods. Origin of vaishnavism again comes face to face with contrasting visions. Although some books equate shaktism with all major female deities the shaktis of their respective consorts, the shakta tradition specifically worships shivas consort, in her various forms such as parvati, durga, kali, etc. Vaishnavism is the worship and acceptance of vishnu sanskrit. Swami lakshmanjoo shelved 1 time as kashmir shaivism yoga. An analysis of the doctrines and practices associated with kashmir shaivism suny series in the shaiva traditions of kashmir cutting across distinctions of schools and types, the author explains the central feature of kashmir shaivism. Vaishnavism vs shaivism unknown facts about dasavataram. Shaivite hinduism origins, shaivite hinduism history. The latter two, sometimes through their avatars and consorts, serve as the foci for the two major sects of hinduism, vaishnavism and shaivism. Why did the historical conflict between vaishnavism and.
The pervader or the immanent or one of his various incarnations avatars as the supreme manifestation of the divine. Vaishnavism, shaivism, and shaktism the vedic god rudra gained importance from the end of the rigvedic period. In sheer numbers, vaishnavism prevails as the leading religious system over shaivism, shaktism, and the many other paths commonly associated with hinduism. Shaivism is a major tradition within hinduism, with a theology that is predominantly related to the hindu god shiva. These two sects show some differences between them. History of vaishnavism in india lakshminath bezbaroa lakshminath bezbaroa 18681938, the unofficial dictator of assamese literature, is best known and honoured most as an exponent of the vaishnava faith and philosophy of sankaradeva and of that saints great contributions to the culture of assam. The school is idealistic and monistic, as contrasted with the realistic and dualistic school of shaivasiddhanta. Shaivism is a complex body of south asian traditions centered on the worship of the hindu male deity shiva, or siva sanskrit. Mar 17, 2015 vaishnavism is the branch of hinduism in which vishnu or one of his incarnations usually krishna or rama is worshipped as the supreme god. The origins of the tradition are difficult to determine.
This earliest chapter was established from the sixth to fifth centuries bce, during the domination of panini, who in his astadhyayi had delineated the word vasudevaka. Kashmir was the spiritual, cultural, and intellectual centre for some of the most sophisticated spiritual practitioners of the time. Hindu sects when most people think of hinduism, they think of. The followers of shaivism are called shaivas or shaivites. Vaishnavism can be described as devotion to krishna, or any of his divine incarnations. Vaishnavism and shaivism are two types of religious sects that prevail in india. Feb 14, 2018 imho, even shaivism originate in south india. A sanskrit dictionary of law and statecraft by patrick olivelle, abhinavaguptas commentary on the bhagavad gita by gitartha. Siva has inherited the characteristics of rudra, a dangerous and. The secret supreme includes free downloadable audio of the original lectures. Kashmiri shaiva philosophy internet encyclopedia of philosophy. Shaivism article about shaivism by the free dictionary.
Lesserknown and amazing facts about shaivism and vaishnavism. History of shaivism, lord shiva in vedic literature and recorded history. Shaivism has a vast literature with different philosophical schools, ranging from nondualism, dualism, and mixed schools. A variety of animals, reptiles, and other objects are also worshiped in conjunction with the deities of high hinduism. The surprising thing about rudra is that people pray for him to heal their loved ones and not to pierce them with his arrows.
Kashmir shaivism is, therefore, idealistic and realistic in essence, strongly advocating a pragmatic approach to life. Shaivism is also distinguished from more popular sects such as vaishnavism for placing much less emphasis on the concept of avatarsphysical incarnations of the supreme. In this lesson, well explore the sects with the largest following. Mar 17, 2015 saivism, also written shaivism and saivism, is the branch of hinduism that worships siva as the supreme god. Together with vaishnavism those sects devoted to the god vishnu and shaktism those devoted to the goddess shakti creative power, who is also known. Followers of saivism are called saivas or saivites. Saivism and vaishnavism are the offshoot of early indian christianity. Shaivism has many different subtraditions with regional variations and differences in philosophy. In the svetashvatara upanishad, rudra is for the first time called shiva and is described as the creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe. Shaivism an introduction to shaivism and shaivism sects. The tradition is notable for its avatar doctrine, wherein vishnu is revered in one of many distinct incarnations.
According to the followers of shaivism, lord shiva is the creator, destroyer, preserver, concealer and revealer. What is commonly called kashmiri shaivism is actually a group of several monistic and tantric religious traditions that flourished in kashmir from the latter centuries of the first millennium c. When i read about shiva, i feel a connection, i feel an understanding that touches me to my core, even if i dont always have the words to properly explain it. Vaishnavism shaivism and other minor religious systems r. I think people in our country became aware of the differences between shaiva and vaishnava theologies after the movie dasavataram by the famous actor kamal hassan. She is worshipped most often as the consort of shiva, but has also been raised to the status of the supreme. Popular kashmir shaivism yoga books showing 5 of 35 shiva sutras. On the other hand, the followers of shaivism are called by the name shaivaites. Tantras have been revealed by lord shiva through his five mouths namely ishana, tatpurusha, sadyojata, vamadeva, and aghora. Regardless of model, the vedic system spread out from the. Its roots are derived from different forms of faiths from an ancient period.
Kashmiri shaivism originated in the northern parts of india between 700 to 1100 c. That they are not indigenous, or arguably not in the vedas doesnt, imo prove a southern origins specifically. Ive never managed to find a label for my beliefs, and i dont believe in dogma, but shaivism might just be for me. It is monotheism in which worship of a personal god is the focus. Shaivism of kashmir has developed between the eight and the twelfth centuries of the christian era. As saivism is the english word for the hindu worship of the god shiva and vaishnavism is the english word for the hindu worship of the god vishnu and his forms, so shaktism is the english word for the worship of the hindu goddess as shakti. Vaishnavism is the largest hindu denomination and it has numerous subdivisions. Vaishnavism is one of the major hindu denominations along with shaivism, shaktism, and smartism. Members of vaishnavism are called vaishnavites or vaishnavas. The secret supreme lakshmanjoo academy book series book online at best prices in india on. It is also called vishnuism, its followers are called vaishnavas or vaishnavites, and it considers vishnu as the supreme lord. About the history and antiquity of shaivism, lord shiva in vedic literature and recorded history of india. This is the primary point that distinguishes shaktism from other hindu sects. Vaishnavism, as practiced today, is an amalgamation of historical vedic religion, bhagavatism, shri sampradaya and tantricism.
They believe that lord shiva is the ultimate being and supreme god. This is a definitive scholarly work on the philosophy and practice of kashmir shaivism by the selfrealized master swami lakshmanjoo. Jan 02, 2020 shaivism, on the other hand, does not emphasize ahisma as much as other groups and, in fact, uses animal sacrifices as part of its worship. History of shaivism, lord shiva in vedic literature and. Shaivism or saivism is the name given to a group of religious traditions which regard lord siva, also spelled as shiva, as the highest supreme self or brahman and worship him accordingly. Shaivism refers to the traditions that pertain to shiva. The principal texts of the school are the shivasutra, said to have. Shaktism shares the core beliefs held by all hindus but with a notable emphasis on a feminine aspect of divinity, rather than a masculine one.
894 814 371 576 536 834 397 1117 1441 761 1157 445 123 673 718 325 696 1129 1501 588 714 527 914 2 1239 1404 952 135 1265 103 240 829 1035 1068 991 492 1036 279 1338