Tremendous sacrifice, heroism and perseverence form the keynote of Indian culture. It is distinctly a product of Indian thought which 'receives everything' and 'aims at completeness of life. Her people are mostly progressive Hindus possessing a very rich religious tradition. From the dawn of civilization her faith is built on the fundamental truth of life, soul, nature, God; her conduct is guided by the belief in Eternity, Immanance of God and Divinity of the soul. Her spiritual acquisition passed through various stages and expressed, with the development of different religious literatures such as the Sruties Smrities, Puranas, Agamas etc, through different channels giving rise to many cults. Saiva cult is one of them. The system of thought developed therein offers her own theory of knowledge, interpretation of mind and nature of ethics and religion. It is very difficult to ascertain its antiquity as to when and how it took definite shape. Some believe that Saiva cult is the blend of two thought currents Aryan (Vedic) and Pre-Aryan (non-Vedic). It is not a single cult but a federation of cults. Whereas others believe that the Vedic Fire cult was replaced by Agamic worship of images in temples. Saiva theism was expounded in the Agamas and Upagamas long before Banabhatta of the 7th century AD. Traces of this cult is found in the great epics, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, in Abhignana Sakuntala and Mrichha Katika, the famous dramas of Kalidas and Sudraka respectively. Therein the glory of Siva is described beautifully. The Puranas such as Vayu, Kurma, Linga, corroborate similar depth of His glory. The inscriptions bearing the form of Siva on the coins of Gupta kings of Kanauj, second century AD. Sourastra kings of the fourth century AD, the form of trident, bull (vehicle of Siva) on the coins prevalent among the Jats, Hunas, from the pre-Christian period up to the 6th century A.D, the paintings on the walls of Siva temples in Sirohi country and Rajputna and the descriptions of the Siva temples of Kanauja, Malwa, Karachi, Gandhara, specially of Varanasi, given by the Chinese traveller Huenthsang of the 7th the century-all show that the worship of Siva was not a new development, it was in vogue in some form or other in the country from a very long time, The worship of God through symbol was not confined in India alone, it extended beyond her territories The countries, such as Java, Ballydwip, Sumatra, Babylonia, Hebrew country (in their system of worship through symbol in the house of God at Bath El), Egypt (in their worship of Orisis and Isis), Greek land (in their Waki's festival when they carry big golden image), Rome (in the system of carrying Tayo on their neck prevalent among the early Christains) may be mention-ed in this connection. The earliest religious (Vedic) literature also gives clue to the intro-duction of worship through symbols. Tai II, 1-3 says-The Supreme Spirit which is change less, Eternal, Infinite beyond space and time, cannot be limited by the form or attribute, Brih III, 88, corroborates the same trend of thought. But symbols representing God have a great advantage. The abstract idea is stilled in the crude mind with the help of concrete objects, it kindles holiness which sanctifies mind and purges it of its evil propensities. It is a process of deification it helps the aspirant to realise gradually the divinity of all perva ding soul. The said Linga (image) is nothing but the seat of God.
Vedas (1182)
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Ramayana (741)
Mahabharata (354)
Dharmasastras (165)
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Bhakti (242)
Saints (1503)
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Shiva (370)
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Vedanta (362)
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