A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism Klaus K Klostermaie

159 Ÿakas
karma, mäyä and aæava, ‘atomicity’,
reduced consciousness). To gain freedom
one must practise knowledge
(vidyä), ritual (kriyä), austerities (Yoga),
and a virtuous way of life (cärya). The
supreme reality is Ÿiva, whose most fitting
description is ‘grace’ or ‘love’.
Through his form of Sadäÿiva he exercises
his fivefold functions of attraction
(anugraha), concealment (tirobhava),
creation (sø•fli), preservation (stithi), and
destruction (ädäna). Only in a human
form and through Ÿaiva Siddhänta can
liberation be gained. All other systems
lead to lower stages of reality.
Liberation consists in the appearance of
the hidden Ÿiva nature (ÿivatva) of the
soul: humans then realize that their true
and original Ÿiva nature was hidden and
curtailed through sins. The enlightened
person is conscious of Ÿiva’s presence
and whatever such a person does,
whether the world thinks it good or
bad, is Ÿiva’s deed.
Ÿaivism
The worship of Ÿiva, probably the oldest
of the Hindu traditions. Its beginnings
go back to prehistoric times.
LI¢GAS (3), the most typical expressions
of Ÿiva worship, have been found in
Indus civilization sites and some of the
seals were interpreted as representing
Ÿiva Mahäyogi and Ÿiva Paÿupati, figures
still prominent in Ÿiva worship.
Liögas were also found in South India,
which today is the centre of Ÿaivism.
In the Øgveda the word ÿiva (benevolent,
gracious) is not used as a proper
name but as an attribute of various
deities. However the worship of RUDRA,
which later became fused with Ÿaivism,
is quite prominent. Rudra, ‘the
Howler’, was feared rather than loved
and his worship consisted in depositing
offerings at crossroads imploring him
not to come or do harm.
The earliest known Ÿiva community
are the PÄŸUPATAS, worshippers of Ÿiva
as Lord of Animals. Sophisticated
Ÿaivite philosophies developed in South
India (ŸAIVA SIDDHÄNTA) and in
Kashmir (KASHMIR ŸAIVISM or Tøka).
Many important figures in the history of
Hinduism, such as ŸA¢KARA (2), and many
South Indian kings, were Ÿaivas. They
built magnificent sanctuaries in honour of
Ÿiva and established attractive festivals in
places such as TANJORE, CIDAMBARAM and
MADURAI. VÄRÄŒASÏ, the holiest city of
Hinduism, is sacred to Ÿiva, who is worshipped
in the Golden temple as
Viÿvanätha, Lord of the Universe.
Ÿaivite asceticism tended to run into
extremes: groups such as the Kapälikas
and Kälamukhas are said to eat human
corpses and to besmear themselves with
ashes taken from cremation grounds.
They do this to demonstrate the identity
of everything with the supreme Ÿiva and
their indifference towards conventions
of ordinary life.
Ÿaivism today is the second-largest
segment of mainstream Hinduism, with
several hundred million followers.
Ÿakadvïpa
The continent of the ŸAKAS. Ÿakadvïpa
is also an alternative name for ŸVETA-
DVÏPA, the ‘white island continent’,
which is mentioned in the Mahäbhärata
as a place where perfect beings worship
NÄRÄYAŒA, and which was visited by
the sages NÄRA and NÄRADA (2). It is
quite often mentioned in Hindu literature,
but has not been satisfactorily identified.
Ÿakas
A people from the north, usually identified
with the Yavanas. They are thought to
be the Indo-Scythans described by
Ptolemy. They invaded India between
200 BCE and 100 CE and founded a kingdom
in north-western India. The Ÿaka
era, beginning in 78 CE, still widely used
in India, derives from them.