SAIVA-SIDDHANTA

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300 THE SAIVA RELIGION.
THE NECESSITY FOR A GURU.
The necessity for human effort is postulated, but without
God s appearance as the Divine Guru, in human form, and His
Divine Grace, the final salvation is not possible. Man can but
try and get rid of the cataract covering his eye,
but that he
shall enjoy the light of the Sun (Siva Surya) is independent
of his effort ;
and without the hope of reaching this Light
(Sivanubhuti) a man can have but poor inducement to get rid
of his cataract (Desire, trishna, the seed of birth), which veils
him by making him undergo all the trouble and expense (tapas
etc.), if the Doctor were to forbid him to see the Light after he
regained his sight ;
and darkness could not vanish unless
Light entered.*
DOCTRINE OF GRACE.
feature of Saivaism, and God is accordingly defined by
The doctrine of Grace and Love} is the distinguishing
St. Tirumular
in the following terms :
GOD is
LOVE.
The ignorant think that Love and Siva are different; none
know that Love and Siva are the same ;
when every one knows
that Love and Siva are the same, they will rest in Siva as
Lo ve. Tirumantiram .
GOD S IMMANENCE.
/ / As God ensouls the Universe of Nature and of Man, iva
""^Is called the Ashtamurti, the eight-bodied Lord, and He gets a
name as He dwells in earth, water, air, fire, akas, sun and moon
and atman.
* To those who would deny this Sivanubhuti, Svami Vivekananda
replied by saying He jests at scars that never felt
a^wound .
\
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All His actions are the out-come of His love towards the souls wailwing (
in sin. Of what avail will the acts of creation and others be to Him
Who is Paripurna, eternally contented, except for these who are in need
of them? Vayu-Samhita.