Hinduism: What Really Happenned in India (PDF) - Oration
Hinduism: What Really Happenned in India (PDF) - Oration
Hinduism: What Really Happenned in India (PDF) - Oration
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<strong>H<strong>in</strong>duism</strong>: <strong>What</strong> <strong>Really</strong> Happened <strong>in</strong> <strong>India</strong> – M. M. N<strong>in</strong>an<br />
189<br />
Dr. S.Radha Krishnan def<strong>in</strong>es Bhakthi as the "conscience recognition of<br />
wholehearted response to the source of all goodness, the Div<strong>in</strong>e. It is <strong>in</strong><br />
this world, not vows, not pilgrimages, not yoga practices, not study of<br />
Scriptures, not sacrificial rites, not philosophical discourses; only<br />
devotion can give us freedom."<br />
The basic philosophy of the Saiva sa<strong>in</strong>ts is known as Saiva SitthAndham.<br />
It is believed that pasu , liv<strong>in</strong>g th<strong>in</strong>gs, can atta<strong>in</strong> the realization of the<br />
Supreme ,pathi, by gett<strong>in</strong>g rid of pAsam ,attachment. In practice, this is<br />
accomplished by concentrat<strong>in</strong>g the m<strong>in</strong>d on the Supreme through<br />
devotion and music.<br />
The four components of the Bhakthi pathway are therefore the Absolute<br />
Be<strong>in</strong>g or the Div<strong>in</strong>e, the paths to atta<strong>in</strong> it, the devotion and f<strong>in</strong>ally the<br />
devotional experience. The Absolute Be<strong>in</strong>g or the Div<strong>in</strong>e has been<br />
referred to as Vishnnu, by the Vaishnavaites and Sivan by the Saivaites.<br />
All the Saiva sa<strong>in</strong>ts stress the oneness of the Supreme. "For One who<br />
does not have any name or any form, why not we give thousand different<br />
names and hail His greatness.”- Manikkavachakar Thiruthellam<br />
Thevaram poems<br />
Even today, if you read the Saiva Sidhanta Church teach<strong>in</strong>gs, except for<br />
the names, you would not be able to dist<strong>in</strong>gusih it from Chrisian<br />
teach<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> almost all areas.<br />
“Today what is seen <strong>in</strong> <strong>H<strong>in</strong>duism</strong> are the Six-fold religions based on Siva<br />
worship and are l<strong>in</strong>ked through the names of the family relationship of<br />
Siva. Accord<strong>in</strong>g to mythology, Siva has two sons through Sakthi and two<br />
sons through Vishnu and totally seven members are mentioned <strong>in</strong> the<br />
family of Siva. They are Siva, Sakthi, Kumarakkatavul, Pillaiyar,<br />
Vishnu, Brahma and Ayyappa. Amongst the seven, Brahma was cast<br />
away as a cheat and a liar, and accord<strong>in</strong>g to tradition there should not be<br />
any temple or worship or religion <strong>in</strong> the name of Brahma. Discard<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Brahma, there are six religions <strong>in</strong> the names of the rest, and thus the<br />
name Six-fold religion.