A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism Klaus K Klostermaie

Sadä-ÿiva 158
Sadä-ÿiva
The form in which Ÿiva exercises his
fivefold activities of attraction (anugraha),
concealment (tirobhava), taking
away (adana), preservation (stithi) and
creation (sø•fli), according to ŸAIVA
SIDDHÄNTA.
•aõ-darÿana
(‘six philosophical systems’)
The collective designation of the
philosophies that are considered ‘orthodox’,
namely SÄßKHYA, YOGA, NYÄYA,
VAIŸEÆIKA, Pürva MÏMÄßSÄ and Uttara
Mïmäƒsä or VEDÄNTA. Nominally all
accept the authority of the Veda as
revealed.
sädhana (‘means to realization’)
A generic term for the complex of
practices recommended by the various
saƒpradäyas (sects) or individual GURUS.
sädhäraæa dharma
(‘general law’)
Moral obligations such as truthfulness,
honesty, purity etc. valid for all people,
irrespective of CASTE or sect.
sädhu (fem. sädhvï, ‘good person’)
Generic designation of those who have
renounced and who dedicate themselves
to the pursuit of religious aims, usually
wearing garb that distinguishes them
from ordinary people.
sage
See ØÆI.
saguæa (‘with qualities’)
One of the major theological controversies
among Hindus is the question of
whether the ultimate is saguæa or nirguæa.
All theist systems ascribe qualities
to the supreme, whereas ADVAITA
VEDÄNTA denies them. The Upani•adic
references to brahman nirguæa (without
qualities) are interpreted by VAIÆŒAVAS
and other theists as meaning the
absence of evil or limiting qualities; by
Advaitins they are understood as signifying
a total absence of all qualities, i.e.
pure CONSCIOUSNESS. Those who ascribe
qualities to the ultimate usually also
conceive of God as having a body and
living in a special abode.
sahä-märga (‘associate’s way’)
The third stage of bhakti (devotion) in
ŸAIVA SIDDHÄNTA, consisting of yoga:
withdrawal of senses from objects,
breath control, suspsension of mind
activity, recitation of MANTRAS (3) and
directing the vital breaths through the
six body centres.
Sahadeva
The youngest of the five PÄŒDAVAS, son
of MÄDRÏ. He was an expert on astronomy.
(See also MAHÄBHÄRATA.)
sahaja (‘inborn’, ‘natural condition’)
The designation for some tantric, antinomian
forms of worship, which follow
‘nature’ or ‘inborn instincts’ rather than
the Vedic law.
sahasra-näma (‘thousand names’)
Litanies of a thousand names of major
deities, which are recited by the devotees.
Ÿaiva Siddhänta
(‘the final truth of Ÿiva’)
A major school of thought of South
Indian ŸAIVISM, with a large following in
Tamilnäõü. Its most important text is
the Ÿivajñänabodha by Meykaæõa (13th
century), based on the recognized 28
Ägamas and the teachings of the 63
Näyaæmärs. It acknowledges a triad of
principles: pati (the Lord, i.e. Ÿiva),
päÿu (the unredeemed human person);
and päÿa (the fetters, identified as