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Saivism is considered by many to have been born in Tamilnadu, the southern most part of India. Though it spread to other parts of the country, it could not make much headway there. So even today Tamilnadu continues to be the home of Saivism. It can be dated back to Indus Valley Civilisation, but it became a distinct religion and took the name Saivism only during the period between 3rd century A.D. to 10th century A.D. Salient features 1 Siva is considered to be the supreme God. Of the god-trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, the last is the most powerful and controls the other two. 2 He is worshipped in two forms. One as a lingam and the other as human form. The human form has several varieities. The most important of them are Nataraja - the dancing posture and Dakshinamoorthy - the teacher instructing the four sages on the absolute truth. 3 His consort Parvathi, his sons Ganapathi and Murugan are also worshipped in the temples. 4 There are many temples in Tamilnadu dedicated to Siva. Their architecture, lay-out, the location of various idols, methods of worship, are all prescribed by books called Agamas and no deviation is allowed. 5 People also worship Siva at home. They have idols of natural lingam-shaped Salagramam stones to which they perform ablution, flower-worship and Nivedhanam. (food offering) 6 Certain portions of the Vedas such as Rudram and Chamakam are considered adoratory to Siva, 7 The sacred ash forms an important part of worship. Siva is bathed in it. This is distributed to the devotees who wear it on their forehead,neck, chest and hands of the body with reverence. 8 The sacred syllable Om is used during the worship preofusely. 9 The five syllabled word Na-ma-si-va-ya is considered holy and devotees consider it their duty to repeat it several times. 10 The priests of the Siva temples are called Sivacharyas. Brahmins are not allowed to perform the worship inside the sanctum sanctorum, which is the exclusive and hereditary privilege of Sivacharyas. 11 Chidambaram, a town in Tamilnadu houses the famous Nataraja temple. This place is considered the holiest of Siva shrines. 12 Thirugnana Sambandar, Thirunavukkarasar, Sundaramurthy and Manicka vachakar are considered the Gurus of Saivism. The hymns sung by the first three are collected into a book called Thevaram. The work of Manickavachakar is called Thiruvachakam. These books are reverentially worshipped and recited by the devotees. The first three form part of the 63 Nayanmars, staunch devotees of Siva. 13 Saivism had been in conflict with Vaishnavism, another sect of Hinduism, in the past. In spite of several efforts by well-meaning kings and saints, the cold war between the two still continues. Notes:- Saivism in other parts of India Of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines, the most famous temples dedicated to Siva, Rameswaram alone is in Tamilnadu. Varanasi on the banks of Ganga and Kedarnath on the Himalayas are two of them. Saivism in Indus Valley In Mohenjodaro, Harappa and other sites of western India and Pakistan , the remains of an ancient civilisation dating back to 3rd millennium B.C. have been excavated. Among the artefacts, a lingam, a figure of a male god in Yogic posture and another surrounded by animals have been found.These Mahayogi and Pasupathi could be the precursors of Dakshinamoorthy, a form of Siva. Period of evolution Karaikkal Ammaiyar, the earliest of the 63 ardent devotees of Siva is supposed to have lived in 3rd century A.D. The Saivism as gathered from her hymns is different in many aspects from the one that prevailed in the time of Manicka vachakar (10th century A.D.), one of the four main Gurus of Saivism. Saivism can be said to have attained the present form during this period. The god trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Siva are considered to be the trinity of Hindu gods. Each has a specific duty. The former creates, Vishnu protects and Siva destroys the world. In vedic times, these deities were not worshipped. These concepts evolved later. Lingam The lingam forms the main deity in Siva temples. It is made of stone. It is cylindrical in shape with rounded top. The base of the lingam is a wide circular disc like structure and is called Avudaiyar. Usually the lingam faces east. But there are many exceptions where it is placed facing west. No lingam faces north or south. The lingam of Tamilnadu has a peculiar history of its own. The people of Tamilnadu (during the pre-Christian era and the first few centuries) erected stones on the graves of warriors killed in battles as a mark of honour. The stones were erected facing east as was the custom from immemorial times in burying the dead. The stone on the tomb of the royalty had a special treatment. It had a roof and an enclosure. This was called Ko Il, meaning, the home of the king. The stone was polished to have a smooth surface. Just as they did to the living king, the stone was also bathed and fed. In later days, not only the kings killed in the battle field but also those who died naturally and the saints were extended this honour. Priests were appointed to look after these tombs-turned- places of worship. These priests who did this job hereditarily, were known later as Adhi Saivas . Later these polished stones were conceived to represent the union of male and female. This kind of Phallus worship was present in many cultures of the world. It was despised in the Vedas. But the lingams of Tamilnadu were heroic stones first and only later the concept of phallus was imposed on it. Later, when temples were built on non-grave spots, the lingam was erected facing west. Nataraja Nataraja idol, usually made of bronze, is kept and worshipped in the north east corner of the temple. The evolution of Nataraja is interesting. In olden days, it was believed that the dead became spirits and haunted the burning ghats. They worshipped those spirits to ward off any harm from them. In course of time, the belief evolved that there was a head of those departed souls and he was worshipped. In the next stage of the evolution of religious beliefs, the head of the spirits and Rudra mentioned in the Vedas came to be considered identical. Perhaps it was influenced by the Vedas. (Rudram, a part of Yajur Veda, begins eulogising Rudra and ends up praising Yama, making no distinction between the two.) The three eyed Rudra is the lord of spirits. He presided over not only the dead but also the living and granted welfare to his devotees. The above was the condition when Ammaiyar lived. She describes the lord as wearing the sacred thread, having the river Ganga on his head, sharing his body with his consort, dancing in the cremation ground in the company of demons. But she did not call him by the name Siva. The next stage was very important and it led to many far - reaching changes in the religion in later times. The scene was the region ruled by Chola Kings. With its fertile soil it provided a lot of opportunities for the development of religion, arts and literature. Those who pioneered the reformation were the Cholias of Chidambaram, the aboriginal brahmins of the Chola region. (They are, even today, identifiable by their peculiar way of wearing their tufts, tying the tuft in the front part of their head and not in the back as others do.) These Cholias installed a bronze idol of the dancing lord in a hall, which they named Ambalam, meaning an open place. This idol was given all honours which were given to the stone on the grave of the king, like ceremonial ablutions, feeding, flower decoration etc. They being Vedic scholars, used those portions of the Vedas as might be relevant to the new form of worship. Thus the dancing lord of the cremation ground was brought to a dignified place and Chidambaram became the nursery for the religious revolution that was to take place shortly afterwards. Dakshinamoorthy The stone idol of Dakshinamoorthy is placed, facing south as his name literally means, on the southern part of outer circumambulatory path of the sanctum sanctorum. He sits under an Al (banyan) tree and teaches his sage-disciples. This can be linked to the Mahayogi figure of the Indus Valley. Absolute truth He is supposed to teach without opening his mouth, simply by his gesture. His right index finger is bent and touching the tip of the thumb. The other fingers stand apart. This is explained as follows. The thumb denotes God. The index finger denotes the man. The other three fingers represent three impurities of man such as haughtiness, ignorance and past misdeeds. Man can reach god when he dissociates himself from the impurities and bends towards god. Parvathi Parvathi is the consort of Siva. She is the daughter of the mountain-king, Himalaya. During the Sangam age, the worship of Parvathi was not prevalent. During Ammaiyar's time She was supposed to occupy the left half of the body of her husband. When temples were begun to be built, she was not worshipped separately. But later, separate shrines for Parvathi came to be built, probably influenced by the Sakthi cult. Parvathi's stone image is usually erected near the sanctum sanctorum in a separate shrine. It usually faces south or east. Ganapathi Variously called Ganesha , Vinayaka, Pillaiyar etc., he is the eldest son of Siva and Parvathi by some accounts. In others, he is the second son. He is located in three places. At the base of the flag-mast, on the southern side of the entrance and on the south west corner of the circumambulation. These are all made of stone. This deity is given the priority in worship. Hindus believe that Vinayaka removes all obstacles and hence is worshipped at the beginning of all mundane and spiritual activities. But the worship of Ganapathi was alien to Tamilnadu and probably migrated from Maharashtra alomg with the brahmins. The description of Ganapathi as we find today is not mentioned in the Vedas also. But nowadays Ganapathi is worshipped before every Vedic ritual. Murugan He is variously called Velan, Kumaran etc and identified with Subrahmanya and considered the second son of Siva and Parvathi. Even during the Sangam age he was worshipped and known as the son of the Lord under the banyan tree and Korravai, whereas Ganapathi was not mentioned till 6th century. Murugan was the favourite god of the hill areas of ancient period. The statue of Murugan is usually placed at the northern side of the entrance and just behind the lingam on the circumambulation. Architecture The Siva temples have a tall tower called Gopuram at the entrance. The lingam is placed deep inside straightly facing the front entrance. In between, the flagstaff, the altar and the Nandhi (bull) hide the line of sight. Around the sanctum sanctorum there is one circumambulatory path, sometimes more. All around there is a tall compound wall. Other idols In the circum-path, on the southern side, the idols of 63 Nayanmars, facing north, are placed in big temples. Facing south is the figure of Dakshinamoorthy. On the western side, the idols of Ganapathi, Murugan, Lakshmi and Saraswathi are placed in that order. On the northrn side, the idol of Durga, called Korravai in Sangam age adorns the northern wall of the sanctum sanctorum. Just in front of it is the shrine of Chandeswarar, who is supposed to be the accountant of the Siva household. At the north eastern corner is the idol of Nataraja. Navagrahas (the planet-gods) are kept on a raised platform near there. Worship Worship by the priest is done for one time to six times a day depending on the resources and the popularity of each temple.The usual methods of worship follow this routine. The deity is bathed with oil, water, milk, ghee, honey, curd, various juices, sandal paste etc.. Then it is dressed in the traditional way of Tamilnadu. Jewels and flower garlands are put on. Incenses are burnt. Then food, usually a rice preparation, is offered. Then lamps of various designs are shown to the deity as an honour.Camphor is lit and shown. Then the burning camphor is brought to the devotees who reverentially show their palms over it and place them over their eyes. The sacred ash and Kumkum is distributed which are applied on the forehead. They go round the temple once or more and prostrate before the deity. Various Vedic and other hymns like Thevaram are recited. Except the priest, none is permitted to perform the rituals or go inside the sanctum sanctorum. Except in Chidambaram and a few other places, AdhiSaivas act as priests Agamas Agamas are books of later period. They are usually in Sanskrit. They are 28 in number. Each temple follows its own Agama. The priests are well versed in Agamas, whereas they study only a limited portion of the Vedas. Salagaramam This is a stone available in the river bed of Gandaki in Nepal. This is black and has a glossy surface. It varies in shape from cylindrical with rounded ends to flattened globes. Depending on the shape, this is considered to represent variously Siva, Vishnu etc. Very big stones are used to chisel figures of gods for worship in temples. Small ones are worshipped at homes. Rudram The Vedas adore many gods such as Agni, Vayu, Soma, Surya etc. In the long list of gods, Rudra is one. Rudram is the verse praising the glory of Rudra. In the beginning of the verse, Rudra is seen similar to the sun. As it develops, the verse says that there are thousands of Rudras. It enumerates the various forms of Rudra and salutes them. The following are some of the various salutations. Ye the golden handed, salutations to thee.Ye the commanders of the armies, salutations to thee. In this manner, Rudra is addressed as being the lord of the animals, people sitting on the back of the bulls, those wearing the sacred thread, ministers, merchants, leader of robbers, cheaters, sitting people, those lying on their backs, dogs, masters of the dogs, potters, carpenters, waters of the lake, waters of the tank, rain waters, arid zones, clouds, lightning, wind. Among these 300 odd forms of Rudra, one is Siva, meaning the benevolent. It has no special significance of its own but it had a significance attached to it by the people who revolutionised the religion of the day. Chamakam This is another Vedic hymn. This contains the prayer of a devotee to the Lord to bestow on him various material benefits and spiritual salvation. This list is long - nearly 300 items such as long life, grains of various kinds, cattle of various kinds, rivers, hills etc. It is considered a favourite prayer to Siva, though nowhere in the entire hymn the name of Siva is mentioned. In fact it is addressed to Agni and Vishnu. Sacred Ash Known as Vibhoothi, in Sanskrit, it is made by burning dried cow -dung. It is showered on lingam and especially, Murugan as a form of honour. It is collected again and distributed to the devotees, who wear it on their foreheads with reverence. There are elaborate rules for making sacred ash. Om This is the holiest of syllables of Veda. The Vedas speak highly of this. Various meanings are given to it. In short, it represents the entire universe and the God. It precedes every hymn of Vedas and other religious prayers. Namasivaya The holiest word for Saivites today. It has its origin in Yajur Veda. It means 'salutation to the benevolent'. This is one of the 300 odd attributes of Rudra, the Vedic god. Sivacharya Priests appointed to look after the royal tombs-turned- places of worship. They did this job hereditarily. They are also known as Adhi Saivas or Gurukkals. Still they are a caste by themselves and do not inter-marry with Brahmins or others. Siva Shrines There are numerous Siva temples in Tamilnadu. Of them those visited by the saint-trinity, Appar, Sambandar and sundarar are the most famous and considered to have special divinity about them. Each has local legend describing the miracles performed by Siva on that soil. Gurus Thirugnana Sambandar, Thirunavukkarasar, Sundaramoorthy and Manickvachakar are the Four Gurus of Savism. The first three are also counted under the list of devotees called Nayanmars. The Tamil hymns composed by them are collectively known as Thevaram. They lived in about 7th century A.D. The last named lived in 10th century A.D.His songs are called Thiruvachakam. ===Nayanmars--- The 63 ardent devotees of Siva who lived upto the period of Sundaramoorthy are called collectively by the name, Nayanmar.How each worshipped Siva and how she or he was led to salvation are described in a book called Peria Puranam written (in Tamil) by Sekkizhar of the 12th century A.D. The statues of these saints are also worshipped in siva temples. Vaishnavism The worship of Vishnu had been in Tamilnadu since time immemorial. But it became a separate sect and dissociated itself from Saivism only after the latter was born by the union of Vedic practices and the old Mahayogi worship of Tamilnadu between 3rd and 10th centuries. Probably it rose as a revolt to the defiling of the Vedas by the architects of Saivism. There had been many conflicts between these two and still the cold war continues, though not so intensely. The reformation by the immigrants The history of Saivism is closely linked to the immigration of Brahmins from the north into Tamilnadu. We can not decide the exact period of the migration, but the period of the first settlement could be guessed to have taken place between 3rd century A.D. and 7th century A.D. They, known as Vadamas, would have been fascinated by the Nataraja worship followed by the Cholia brahmins, because it was closer to their Vedic practices. The Chola Kings were tolerant towards Buddhism and Jainism but they were not reported to have embraced the non-vedic religions as their counterparts in Pallava kingdom and Pandya kingdom did. Most probably they might have requested the new brahmins to spread the Vedic religion and use the Ko Ils (royal graves converted into temples) for the purpose. Most probably on the advice of the Vadamas, an idol of Nataraja was installed in each Ko Il. It was given the honour of priority of worship. Even today this priority continues. The lingam was proclaimed to be the ‘ formless form’ of the Almighty and Nataraja, the human-form-representation of God. Thus the odium attached to a grave was sought to be removed and the Ko Il became a sanctified place. Siva in the Vedic hymn means the benevolent. It is just one of the various attributes of Rudra. Siva in Tamil means the red coloured. This was the description of the body of the Lord since the early times. So in the 300 odd names of Rudra, the one which was close to the ancient concept of the Tamil god, was Siva. So this name was found to be useful in bridging the Vedic god Rudra and the ancient Cosmic Dancer of the Tamil land. Hence this name was made popular and the hymn containing it was made specially applicable for the newly created Siva. The priests of the royal grave temples were initiated into brahminism. They were made to wear the sacred thread and certain portions of the Vedas such as Rudram and Chamakam were taught to them. The Vadamas also introduced the sacred ash (vibhuthi) in the temples. This is a custom peculiar to Maharashtra only and people of no other region of India smear this sacred ash made from cow-dung on their forehead. Here in Tamilnadu, this custom was well received as Rudra was conceived to be dancing in the crematorium smearing the ash of the burnt corpses all over his body and it was considered a holy thing. Saivism - a product of evolution Five streams of thought and practices seem to have gone into the making of today's Saivism. They are 1 Ancestor Worship 2 Indus Valley worship of Mahayogi 3 Heroic Stone worship 4 Phallic Worship 5 Vedic Influence Ancestor worship From time immemorial, man has wondered about death and believed that death was another phase or continuation of life. So he buried the dead with foodstuffs etc. so that the departed soul could use them for the next life. That was the case with the people of Tamilnadu also. '''Urns''' for burying the dead used in the iron age have been excavated in several parts of Tamilnadu. They contained the corpses and foodstuffs. The urn has a hole on the top. The corpse was placed inside the urn facing the hole and it was buried in such way that the hole always faced the east. The present custom of worshipping at the tomb of the ancestor should have been practised in the distant past also considering the honours with which they packed the dead. Then they began to conceive that the dead spirits were controlled by a leader and it was enough to worship him alone. Perhaps the growing number of ancestors to be worshipped necessitated such a change. Naturally the abode of the leader of spirits was the graveyard or cremation ground. We see in the hymns of ''' Karaikal Ammaiyar ''' that the Lord was dancing in the cremation ground accompanied by spirits. Mahayogi worship The seals of the Indus Valley Civilisation show a male in ''' Yogic ''' posture. The hood on his head has two horns. One seal shows him surrounded by animls. These features must have been purposely intended to differentiate their god from ordinary man. The modern day Saivism has a somewhat similar figure, called ''' Dakshinamurthy ''' and it is one of the forms of Siva. One of his legs is touching the ground and the other is folded like the '''Mahayogi'''. Instead of the animals, he is surrounded by sages. This figure could have been evolved from the Indus valley figure. Though the Mahayogi's background is not depicted in the seals, in the ''' Sangam age''', he was described as sitting under a ''' Banyan Tree ''' and his name was '''the god sitting under the banyan tree'''. In Ammaiyar's time, that is 3rd century A.D. the same god is conceived to be dancing in a banyan grove near the cremation ground. That the left leg of both Dakshinamurthy and the dancing god does not touch the ground is to be noted. Considering the similarity of the banyan tree also, it can be safely assumed that the same Dakshinamurthy became the dancer. Vedic influence-phase I Of the numerous gods adored by the Vedas, Rudra is one. The hymn dedicated to him is called Rudram . In the beginning of the hymn, ''' Rudra ''' is identified with the sun. As it proceeds, every person or thing is considered a form of Rudra. From the leader of the armies down to the thief, every one is considered Rudra and is saluted. Rudram ends with a salutation to ''' Yama ''', the god of death, thus making no distinction between Rudra and Yama. Perhaps due to the influence of this, the Dancing God of Tamilnadu was portrayed as having the cremation ground as his abode. Like Rudra, He was also depicted as having a third eye in the middle of his forehead. In Ammaiyar's hymns, the Dancing God was called by various names each representing a particular attribute of his. But He was not called Siva. The Sangam literature does not either use the name Siva. Heroic Stone Worship The temple in Tamilnadu is referred to by the Tamil word KOIL . The word means the home of the king. Considering the practice of erecting stones on the graves of warriors killed in battles, it can be safely assumed that such stones on the tombs of Kings were given special treatment with a roof and an enclosure and they were worshipped. Adhering to the traditional practice of burying the dead facing east, the stone was erected facing east. It was given all honours like bathing and feeding as was done to a living king. (This practice continues even today. '''Siva Lingam ''' is particularly said to be fond of bathing several times a day. ) Thus this place came to be called KOIL. Perhaps the stone was polished and made cylindrical. This must have later evolved into the Lingam ( Phallus ) of later times. Phallic Worship The worship of the union of sexual organs as a sign of fertility had been in vogue in all countries. When and how the heroic stone of Tamilnadu got converted into Lingam is not known. But it is certain that the Lingam of Tamilnadu was heroic stone first and only later the idea of phallus was imposed on it. In today's Saivism, the Lingam is considered as the formless form of Siva. (Dakshinamurthy, ''' Nataraja ''' and other figures are his expressed forms. The '''void''' is considered to be his hidden nature. The Lingam is the combination of the two.) Vedic influence-phase II Ascendency of Rudra over Yama Thirukkadaiyur is one of the holy places of Saivism today. There is a legend woven around this place. '''Yama''' tried to snatch the life of a devotee of Siva, who protected the devotee and destroyed Yama. It is possible that there was a conflict between the worship of Yama and the newly emerging brahminised form of the Lord and the latter sect won. Interestingly, the temple has an appelation as '''Mayanam''' which means a burning ghat. Nataraja worship Now another place came into prominence. This was Thillai or modern '''Chidambaram'''. Here the bronze image of the dancing Lord was placed under a roof and called Nataraja, the King of dancers. (Stone sculpting got a fillip only during the rule of the '''Great Pallavas''' in the 7th century and it spread to other regions of Tamilnadu only after that. Moreover the '''Chola region''' had no rocks or mountains and it was only later that powerful Chola kings brought stones from far-off places. Hence they had to use only bronze images.) Even today Chidambaram continues to be the holiest place for Nataraja worship and the temple is closely held by a group of '''brahmins''' known as '''Deekshitars'''. They maintain their ethnic purity till date and Nataraja is considered their exclusive property. They have a peculiar way of wearing their tufts. They belong to a group called '''Cholia''' among brahmins. (The tuft of the Cholia brahmins has become proverbial.) Cholia means belonging to Chola country and they were the aborigines of the land as distinguished from the other brahmin - groups. These Deekshitars caused a very big change in Saivism by shifting the abode of the Lord from the cremation ground. Hindus traditionally consider the burial and cremation ground as an unclean place and now the god has been shifted away from there, the ferociousness attached to him softened. His looks were pleasing and the religion became refined. They used '''Vedic''' hymns for the worship of Nataraja and like the Lingam of the Koils, this bronze image was also given all honours like bathing, flower decoration, showing various kinds of lamps and offering of food. Nataraja worship was not mentioned in the '''Vedas''' and as if to accommodate the Vedic concept of god, they set apart a room for the formless worship of the god. Now it is known as '''Chidambara Rahasyam''' - the secret of Chidambaram and a vacant place is shown as God. Here also, they had to contend with the worshippers of '''Kali''', the aborginal female goddess with frightening features. The legend of Chidambaram that Kali was defeated in a dance competition with Nataraja and was exiled could mean the victory of Nataraja worship over that of Kali. Vedic influence-phase III Waves of brahmin migration into Tamilnadu took place after the time of Ammaiyar. The first group was called Vadama which means, in '''Tamil''', the people from the north. Perhaps they came from Maharashtra. Three evidences could be cited. They wear the '''holy ash''' on their foreheads which is a custom peculiar to '''Maharashtra'''. In their daily prayers, they pray to the river '''Narmada''', a river of Maharashtra. The prevalence of the worship of '''Ganapathi''' in Maharashtra and Tamilnadu prominently may suggest that these brahmins brought this custom also with them to Tamilnadu. Subsequently, more groups of brahmins came from the north. Perhaps to distinguish themselves from the newer settlers, the Vadamas gave them names in '''Sanskrit''' such as '''Brihacharanam''' (the big footed), '''Vathima''' (a corrupt form of '''Upadhyaya''' meaning a teacher), '''Ashta Sahasram''' (the eight thousand that came at the time of '''Rajendra Chola'''), '''Swarna Kesiya''' (the golden haired). While the other groups were settled in 18 villages each, the first settlers, the Vadamas spread throughout Tamilnadu and were more numerous than all the other groups put together. They might have come on the invitation of Chola Kings who were known for their patronage to Vedic religion. Reforms brought about by Vadamas These Vadamas could have taken a liking to the cult of Nataraja worship since it was nearer to their Vedic practices and could have spread it to all other parts of Tamilnadu, since the original founders of the Nataraja worship, the Deekshitars did not move out of Chidambaram. Perhaps by their insistence, Nataraja was given priority of worship over the Lingam in the KOILs and this practice continues till todate. Conversion of Adhi Saivas The priests of the KOILs, known as Adhi Saivas, are a separate class by themselves. Though they are called as brahmins by others, they do not regard themselves as such. The nomenclature of the cook and assistant in Siva temples as '''Brahmana Pillai''', meaning a brahmin youth, shows that the Adhi Saivas were not brahmins. In those days of strict compartmentalisation of society and taboos on eating food touched by others, the new settlers could have refused to take the food prepared by the Adhi Saivas and appointed one of their own group in each temple for this purpose. The Adhi Saivas were initiated into brahminism with the wearing of the sacred thread like the brahmins. They were also taught a few portions of the Vedas, like Rudram and '''Chamakam''', for reciting during the worship of Siva. Even today, the Adhi Saivas learn only these hymns and not the entire Vedas. The Sacred Ash Sacred ash came to be used as a sign of the renovated religion. It was not difficult for the Tamil people to accept this custom, since already they had conceived the Lord as smearing the ash of the cremation ground on his body while dancing. But the ash used in the temple was not the ash of the cremation ground but that of the burnt cow dung. Other gods of Saivism Ganapathi and Murugan worship Ganapathi, brought from Maharashtra, came to be worshipped in the KOILs and gradually the worship of Murugan, the custom of the hilly region of Tamilnadu spread throughout the land. Sakthi cult There existed in Tamilnadu the worship of female goddesses and Kali was one of them. They were all ferocious and human sacrifices to them were common. The new Saivam began to refine this and the Sakthi cult was born. Goddess with benign and beautiful looks came to be regarded as Sakthi, the consort of Siva. Formerly, the dancing Lord was conceived to be having his wife in the left half of his body. Hence she was not separately worshipped. Now stone sculpting had become popular and separate shrines with stone images of Sakthi came to be erected within Siva temples. Some temples of the former ferocious goddesses were converted into Sakthi temples and Lingam was also erected in them. The legend that Sankara reduced the ferociousness of Akilandeswari in '''Thiruvanaikoil''' (near '''Trichy''') by making some changes in her ornaments lends support to this. Emergnce of the name 'Siva' The Dancing Lord of the Ammaiyar's period who came to be called Nataraja later, was red in colour. Siva in Tamil means red. The Vadamas who combined the Nataraja worship and the Lingam worship searched for a similar word in the Vedas. They found that one of the 300 odd forms mentioned in Rudram was Siva, which meant benevolent. The word Siva was found to be bridging the two seccts and they popularised it. Thereafter the god came to be known as Siva and the religion Saivam. The Buddhist '''ahimsa''' principle had already spread considerably in the land. Saivism adopted it and avoided all animal sacrifices in the newly established form of worship. Hence vegetarianism came to be called '''Saivam''' in Tamilnadu. Counter reformation Far reaching changes in religion meet with stiff resistance everywhere . There should have been among the Cholias such people who opposed the installation of the image of the Lord of the burning ghat ( the worship of which was not sanctioned in the Vedas) in a temple and the use of Vedic hymns for its worship. They retaliated by installing an image of Vishnu close by. They did not accept the spread of Nataraja cult, the brahminisation of the Koils and the non -Vedic worship of the Lingam. Of course, the Veda censures the phallic worship. They wanted to maintain the purity of the Vedic religion and they became the '''Vaishnavas'''. They would not accept the custom of wearing the sacred ash. Some of the settlers from the north also joined them. Though these two groups were united in maintaining the purity of Vedic practices, their cultural backgrounds differed due to geographical reasons and they chose to remain independent of each other. Thus Vaishanvas were divided into '''Thenkalai''' (the Southern sect) and '''Vadakalai''' (the Northern sect). Nowhere else in India can we see the conflict of Saivism and Vaishnavism. Consolidation When Sankara began the great revival of '''Hinduism''' in the 8th century, he could not ignore the ground realities and accepted all the prevailing religious practices of the brahmins as Vedic. Thus was born his six-fold categorisation of Hinduism. They are 1 '''Saivam''' ( the worship of Siva), 2 '''Vaishnavam''' ( the worship of Vishnu), 3 '''Saktham''' (the worship of Sakthi), 4 '''Ganapathyam''' ( the worship of Ganapathi), 5 '''Koumaram''' ( the worship of Murugan), 6 Souram (the worship of the sun). To be fair, the last one was the true Vedic religion as the Vedas advocate prayer to the sun with its famous '''Gayathri Mantra''' . Present day Saivism -Vaishnavism relations The Vaishnavas would not accept Sankara's recognition of Saivam as a Vedic sect and they continued to remain secluded from the mainstream. There had been many conflicts between the two sects in the past. Even today the cold war between the two prominent sects of Tamilnadu continues to some extent. |
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