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93-459: Various legends explain how the Shakta pithas came into existence. The most popular is based on the story of the death of the goddess Sati . Out of grief and sorrow, Shiva carried Sati's body, reminiscing about their moments as a couple, and roamed around the universe with it. Vishnu had cut her body into 51 body parts, using his Sudarshana Chakra , which fell on earth to become sacred sites where all

186-736: A sannyasi and had him marry her. While many versions of the tale mention Daksha's objections to the marriage, the Shiva Purana does not mention any harsh opposition, though he starts to develop a deep hatred after the wedding. In a legend from the Shiva Purana , Sati and Shiva were once wandering the earth. They passed through the Dandaka forest, where they came across Rama , accompanied by Lakshmana , searching for his wife Sita after her abduction by Ravana . Observing Rama's lament, Shiva bowed before him, following which he blessed

279-428: A 2010 estimate by Johnson and Grim, Shaivism is the second-largest Hindu sect , constituting about 252 million or 26.6% of Hindus. Shaivism developed as an amalgam of pre-Vedic religions and traditions derived from the southern Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta traditions and philosophies, which were assimilated in the non-Vedic Shiva-tradition. In the process of Sanskritisation and the synthesis of Hinduism , starting in

372-526: A Himalayan cave. The Kalika Purana does not mention Sati going to the event, instead it is found that Sati left her body using a yogic process , after her niece, Vijaya informed her about the yajna. Another important legend associated with Sati is the formation of the Shakta pithas . Shakta pithas are shrines of the Mother Goddess, believed to have enshrined with the presence of Shakti due to

465-399: A child, Sati adored the tales of Shiva and grew up an ardent devotee. As she grew to womanhood, the idea of marrying anyone else, as intended by her father, became unfair to her. It is believed that Brahma intended to get Sati married to Shiva and bring him into worldly affairs. Sati is described to be very beautiful but the legends emphasize her penance and devotion, which won the heart of

558-563: A devotee clad in animal skins and carrying an ayah sulikah (iron spear, trident lance) as an icon representing his god. The Shvetashvatara Upanishad mentions terms such as Rudra, Shiva, and Maheshwaram, but its interpretation as a theistic or monistic text of Shaivism is disputed. The dating of the Shvetashvatara is also in dispute, but it is likely a late Upanishad . The Mahabharata mentions Shaiva ascetics, such as in chapters 4.13 and 13.140. Other evidence that

651-434: A diverse range of philosophies, ranging from theistic dualism to absolute monism . In Shaivism, there are ten dualistic ( dvaita ) Agama texts, eighteen qualified monism-cum-dualism ( bhedabheda ) Agama texts and sixty four monism ( advaita ) Agama texts. The Bhairava Shastras are monistic, while Shiva Shastras are dualistic. The Agama texts of Shaiva and Vaishnava schools are premised on existence of Atman (Self) and

744-517: A father who merits her respect and remarry Shiva. The Mahabhagavata Purana presents Sati as a fierce warrior. When Shiva prevented Sati from visiting the event, she transformed into the ten fearsome Mahavidya goddesses led by Kali , and surrounded him from the ten cardinal directions. Seeing his wife's powers, Shiva allowed her. Sati, transformed as Kali, went to the sacrifice and split herself into two entities — one real but invisible and another just Chhaya (shadow or clone). Chhaya Sati destroyed

837-677: A prophecy. When Kamsa tried to kill the girl, she slipped from his hands, assumed her true form and warned Kamsa that his killer (Krishna) still lived on. She left Mathura and the goddess chose the Vindhya Mountains as her abode to live on the earth. It is also believed that Vindhyavasini is the sister of Krishna and Subhadra was her only incarnation. Sati (goddess) Sati ( / ˈ s ʌ t iː / , Sanskrit : सती , IAST : Satī , lit.   ' truthful' or 'virtuous ' ), also known as Dakshayani (Sanskrit: दाक्षायणी , IAST: Dākṣāyaṇī , lit. 'daughter of Daksha'),

930-578: A prototype of Shiva. Gavin Flood characterizes these views as "speculative", saying that it is not clear from the seal if the figure has three faces, or is seated in a yoga posture, or even that the shape is intended to represent a human figure. Other scholars state that the Indus Valley script remains undeciphered, and the interpretation of the Pashupati seal is uncertain. According to Srinivasan,

1023-470: Is a complex religion and a way of life, with a diversity of ideas on spirituality and traditions. It has no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no governing body, no prophet(s) nor any binding holy book; Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic, or humanist. Shaivism is a major tradition within Hinduism with a theology that

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1116-525: Is a disputed site and today only an Islamic Minar is seen there and a door claimed by the locals as the door to the garbagriha of the temple is closed by the ASI . The Hindus claims that the temple was destroyed and the minar was built there. It is claimed that Shrinkhala Mata Murti was taken to Shringeri Karnataka but no such temple exits there till date. At present in Hooghly district only one Ratnabali Shaktipeeth

1209-536: Is because it is the place where the goddess chose to reside after her birth in Dvapara Yuga . At the time of the birth of Krishna to Devaki and Vasudeva , Vindhyavasini took birth in Gokula to Nanda and Yashoda as per the instruction of Lord Vishnu . Vasudeva replaced his son Krishna with this girl child of Yashoda so that Krishna could escape his demon uncle Kamsa , whom he would kill later according to

1302-650: Is currently in a ruined state. Only ruins are found in these places. Its ruins are near the Line of Control (LOC) between the Indian and Pakistani-controlled portions of the former princely state of Kashmir and Jammu . Instead, Sringeri Sharada pitham , Sringeri in Karnataka even though not a Shakta pithas, is this aspect of the goddess. It is believed that Goddess Sharada moved from her ruined temple in Kashmir to live in

1395-949: Is currently relocated in Kumartuli Dhakeshwari Temple in Kolkata West Bengal. The temple pujari came with the main murti during the Bengal violence during partition via a special chartered plane. While in Dhaka Bangladesh a replica is placed in the Temple. The main gem of Goddess Sati is lost long before (the factual date is unknown). So for actual Darshan visit the Kumartoli kolkata West Bengal one. 2) The Shrinkhala Shaktipeeth (one of 18 Maha Shakta pitha) in West Bengal Hooghly

1488-488: Is derived from the "sat" which means "truth". She is known by various patronymics, though these names can be used for any of the daughters of Daksha. Some of these names include Dakshayani, Dakshakanya and Dakshaja. According to scholars William J. Winkins and David R. Kinsley, the Vedic scriptures (2nd millennium BCE) do not mention Sati-Parvati but hint to two goddesses associated with Rudra — Rudrani and Ambika. In

1581-554: Is often mentioned as the youngest and the most beloved daughter of Daksha. According to the Shakta (goddess-oriented) texts including Devi Bhagavata and the Mahabhagavata Purana , before her birth, Brahma advised Daksha to meditate upon the Great goddess and convince her to take an avatar as their daughter (Sati). The goddess agreed but warned that if he mistreated her, she would abandon her body. Even as

1674-578: Is one of the major Hindu traditions , which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being . One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions ranging from devotional dualistic theism such as Shaiva Siddhanta to yoga -orientated monistic non-theism such as Kashmiri Shaivism . It considers both the Vedas and the Agama texts as important sources of theology. According to

1767-425: Is possibly linked to the importance of Shaivism in ancient times are in epigraphy and numismatics, such as in the form of prominent Shiva-like reliefs on Kushan Empire era gold coins. However, this is controversial, as an alternate hypothesis for these reliefs is based on Zoroastrian Oesho . According to Flood, coins dated to the ancient Greek, Saka and Parthian kings who ruled parts of the Indian subcontinent after

1860-492: Is predominantly related to the Hindu god Shiva. Shaivism has many different sub-traditions with regional variations and differences in philosophy. Shaivism has a vast literature with different philosophical schools ranging from nondualism , dualism , and mixed schools . The origins of Shaivism are unclear and a matter of debate among scholars, as it is an amalgam of pre-Vedic cults and traditions and Vedic culture. Some trace

1953-539: Is present (Third mahavidya) (main form of Parvati ) Currently in Kumartoli Kolkata , West Bengal Other Shakipeeths:- These are not recognised as the Shakta pithas, but still claimed by the followers, for various reasons. 1. Jwala Devi Jobner 2. Jayanti Kali Temple 3. Asamai Devi Temple in Kabul, Afghanistan 4. Juranpur Kali Temple , West Bengal 5. Sarbamangala Temple Burdwan West Bengal ( it

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2046-597: Is present everywhere in the world including all non-living beings, and there is no spiritual difference between life, matter, man and God. While Agamas present diverse theology, in terms of philosophy and spiritual precepts, no Agama that goes against the Vedic literature, states Dhavamony, has been acceptable to the Shaivas. Shaivism is ancient, and over time it developed many sub-traditions. These broadly existed and are studied in three groups: theistic dualism, nontheistic monism, and those that combine features or practices of

2139-689: Is said that Devi Shakti's part fell here as claimed by the pujaris and local legends) There are disputes about the location of the Jayanti Shakta pitha. Based on most presented manuscripts and facts it is situated in Jaintiapur Upazila, Bangladesh , which was previously the capital of the Jaintia Hills tribe kingdom, which became the Jaintia hills district of Meghalaya, India, excluding Jaintiapur. However, some people say that it

2232-620: Is the Hindu goddess of marital felicity and longevity, and is worshipped as an aspect of the mother goddess Shakti . Sati was the first wife of Shiva , the other being Parvati , who was Sati's reincarnation after her death. The earliest mentions of Sati are found in the time of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata , but details of her story appear in the Puranas . Legends describe Sati as

2325-487: Is the "creator, reproducer and dissolver". The Sanskrit word śaiva or shaiva means "relating to the god Shiva", while the related beliefs, practices, history, literature and sub-traditions constitute Shaivism. The reverence for Shiva is one of the pan-Hindu traditions found widely across South Asia predominantly in Southern India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. While Shiva is revered broadly, Hinduism itself

2418-400: Is the Hindu tradition that most accepts ascetic life and emphasizes yoga, and like other Hindu traditions encourages an individual to discover and be one with Shiva within. The followers of Shaivism are called Shaivas or Shaivites. Shiva ( śiva , Sanskrit : शिव ) literally means kind, friendly, gracious, or auspicious. As a proper name, it means "The Auspicious One". The word Shiva

2511-761: Is the Nartiang Durga temple which is the real Jayanti Temple, though there is a shortage of evidence. Some other people argue the actual shrine is at Amta in West Bengal, where the goddess is worshiped as Maa Melai Chandi in Melai Chandi Mandir . But this fact can not be corroborated with any evidence. Moreover, refuting most texts, in Melai Chandi Mandir, the Bhairava is Durgeshwar rather than Kramadishwar . Some also identify

2604-577: Is the oldest known lingam and has been dated to between 3rd to 1st-century BCE. It is a carved five feet high stone lingam with an anthropomorphic image of Shiva on one side. This ancient lingam is in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Shaivism arrived in a major way in southeast Asia from south India, and to much lesser extent into China and Tibet from the Himalayan region. It co-developed with Buddhism in this region, in many cases. For example, in

2697-641: Is used as an adjective in the Rig Veda , as an epithet for several Rigvedic deities , including Rudra . The term Shiva also connotes "liberation, final emancipation" and "the auspicious one", this adjective sense of usage is addressed to many deities in Vedic layers of literature. The term evolved from the Vedic Rudra-Shiva to the noun Shiva in the Epics and the Puranas, as an auspicious deity who

2790-646: The Kurma Purana , the Padma Purana , the Linga Purana , the Shiva Purana , and the Matsya Purana . Sati was the daughter of Daksha —A Prajapati (agent of creation) and the son of the creator god Brahma —and Prasuti —the daughter of Manu . In some alternate accounts found in the Shiva Purana , Matsya Purana and Kalika Purana , her mother is mention to be Asikni . Sati

2883-589: The Mahabharata . The narrative of Sati's self immolation appears in the Puranas , Tantra literature, and in Kalidasa 's lyrical Kumarasambhava . According to the most popular narrative, Daksha organized a yajna (sacrifice) to which all the deities, except Sati and Shiva, were invited. Wanting to visit her relatives, Sati sought to rationalize this omission and reasoned that as family, such formality

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2976-823: The Shiva Purāṇa , the Skanda Purāṇa , and the Linga Purāṇa . Most of the Gupta kings, beginning with Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) (375–413 CE) were known as Parama Bhagavatas or Bhagavata Vaishnavas and had been ardent promoters of Vaishnavism . But following the Huna invasions, especially those of the Alchon Huns circa 500 CE, the Gupta Empire declined and fragmented, ultimately collapsing completely, with

3069-663: The Asura Taraka as well as some plays between Shiva and Uma (Parvati). Scholars believe that by the time of the Puranas (c. 4th - 13th century), legends of Sati and Parvati rose to prominence and these were adapted by Kalidasa in his epic poem Kumarasambhavam (c. 5th - 6th century). Some of the Puranas which narrate Sati's story are the Vayu Purana , the Skanda Purana , the Bhagavata Purana ,

3162-501: The Bhagavata Purana , Daksha arranged Sati's svayamvara (self-choice ceremony), where all except Shiva were invited. When Sati did not find Shiva, she threw a garland in the air to choose her husband. Shiva manifested there and it fell on him, thus they were married. In the 18th century Svathani Katha , when Shiva asked Sati's hand in marriage, Daksha refused, claiming him unsuitable. Vishnu aided Shiva by disguising him as

3255-646: The Caves of the Thousand Buddhas , a few caves include Shaivism ideas. The epigraphical and cave arts evidence suggest that Shaiva Mahesvara and Mahayana Buddhism had arrived in Indo-China region in the Funan period, that is in the first half of the 1st millennium CE. In Indonesia, temples at archaeological sites and numerous inscription evidence dated to the early period (400 to 700 CE), suggest that Shiva

3348-595: The Kena Upanishad , a goddess called Uma-Hemavati appears as a mediator between the gods and the Supreme Brahman . Both the archeological and the textual sources indicate that the first major appearances of Sati-Parvati were during the period of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata (1st millennium BCE). The Mahabharata mentions the destruction of Daksha yajna , the birth of Kartikeya , defeat

3441-469: The 1st millennium BCE and earlier, while the surviving Agamas can be traced to 1st millennium of the common era. The Vedic literature, in Shaivism, is primary and general, while Agamas are special treatise. In terms of philosophy and spiritual precepts, no Agama that goes against the Vedic literature, states Mariasusai Dhavamony, will be acceptable to the Shaivas. According to David Smith, "a key feature of

3534-502: The 51 pithas are in the present day countries of India, Sri Lanka , Bangladesh , Nepal , Tibet, Bhutan and Pakistan. The Shivacharita besides listing 51 maha-pithas, speaks about 26 more upa-pithas. The Bengali almanac , Vishuddha Siddhanta Panjika too describes the 51 pithas including the present modified addresses. A few of the several accepted listings are given below. In South India, Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh became

3627-541: The 5th century, during the late Guptas era. These inscriptions have been dated by modern techniques to between 466 and 645 CE. During the Gupta Empire (c. 320–500 CE) the genre of Purāṇa literature developed in India, and many of these Puranas contain extensive chapters on Shaivism – along with Vaishnavism , Shaktism, Smarta Traditions of Brahmins and other topics – suggesting the importance of Shaivism by then. The most important Shaiva Purāṇas of this period include

3720-722: The Goddess-oriented Shakta sect to be particularly holy. Besides main Shakta pithas, some small peethas like Bindudham came into existence which are due to Sati's fallen blood drops. A depressed Shiva returned to his ascetic world while Sati was reborn as Parvati , daughter of Himavat , king of the mountains and personification of the Himalayas , and his wife, Mena. Himavat appreciated Shiva ardently. Consequently, Parvati like Sati, won Shiva over by her penance and married him. The legend of Daksha Yajna and Sati's self-immolation had immense significance in shaping

3813-867: The Indian Government and the Sringeri Sharada Peetham in 2023, in Kupwara district, Jammu and Kashmir, on the other side of the LOC and much farther from the original temple. The Indian Government is planning an international corridor between the old Sharada pitha and mainland India. As per Sankara Samhita of Skanda Purana , In the listings below: More details on this are available in the text 'Tantrachūḍamanī' where Parvati tells these details to her son Skanda . Important : 1) The main vigraha of Dhakeshwari Shaktipeeth in Bangladesh

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3906-510: The Jayanti shrine with the Mahakal cave temple situated in the village Jayanti of Alipurduar, where many statues were created by Stalagmites and Stalactites (combination of limestone and water), but there is no evidence. The Vindhyavasini Shakta pitha is considered a Shakta pitha even though any body parts of Sati did not fall there. Vindhyavasini is the ultimate and the highest form of

3999-1044: The Shaiva Upanishads. These are considered part of 95 minor Upanishads in the Muktikā Upanishadic corpus of Hindu literature. The earliest among these were likely composed in 1st millennium BCE, while the last ones in the late medieval era. The Shaiva Upanishads present diverse ideas, ranging from bhakti -style theistic dualism themes to a synthesis of Shaiva ideas with Advaitic (nondualism), Yoga, Vaishnava and Shakti themes. The Agama texts of Shaivism are another important foundation of Shaivism theology. These texts include Shaiva cosmology , epistemology, philosophical doctrines, precepts on meditation and practices, four kinds of yoga, mantras, meanings and manuals for Shaiva temples, and other elements of practice. These canonical texts exist in Sanskrit and in south Indian languages such as Tamil . The Agamas present

4092-777: The Shaiva tradition in South India has been one of the largest sources of preserved Shaivism-related manuscripts from ancient and medieval India. The region was also the source of Hindu arts, temple architecture, and merchants who helped spread Shaivism into southeast Asia in early 1st millennium CE. There are tens of thousands of Hindu temples where Shiva is either the primary deity or reverentially included in anthropomorphic or aniconic form (lingam, or svayambhu ). Numerous historic Shaiva temples have survived in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Gudimallam

4185-470: The Tamil Saiva Siddhanta, one might almost say its defining feature, is the claim that its source lies in the Vedas as well as the Agamas, in what it calls the Vedagamas". This school's view can be summed as, The Veda is the cow, the true Agama its milk. The Śvetāśvatara Upanishad (400–200 BCE) is the earliest textual exposition of a systematic philosophy of Shaivism. Shaivism-inspired scholars authored 14 Shiva-focussed Upanishads that are called

4278-448: The Vedas and Upanishads, the Agamas, and the Bhasya . According to Gavin Flood – a professor at Oxford University specializing in Shaivism and phenomenology, Shaiva scholars developed a sophisticated theology, in its diverse traditions. Among the notable and influential commentaries by dvaita (dualistic) theistic Shaivism scholars were the 8th century Sadyajoti, the 10th century Ramakantha, 11th century Bhojadeva. The dualistic theology

4371-533: The Vedas and are involved in extreme experimentation, while others state the Shaiva sub-traditions revere the Vedas but are non-Puranik. Shaivism was the predominant tradition in South India, co-existing with Buddhism and Jainism, before the Vaishnava Alvars launched the Bhakti movement in the 7th century, and influential Vedanta scholars such as Ramanuja developed a philosophical and organizational framework that helped Vaishnavism expand. Though both traditions of Hinduism have ancient roots, given their mention in

4464-424: The ancient Sanskrit literature and even had impact on the culture of India. It led to the development of the concept of Shakta pithas and there by strengthening Shaktism . Many stories in Puranas took the Daksha yajna as the reason for its origin. It is an important incident in Shaivism resulting in the emergence of goddess Parvati in the place of Sati and making Shiva a grihastashrami (house holder) leading to

4557-408: The arrival of Alexander the Great also show Shiva iconography; however, this evidence is weak and subject to competing inferences. In the early centuries of the common era is the first clear evidence of Pāśupata Shaivism . The inscriptions found in the Himalayan region, such as those in the Kathmandu valley of Nepal suggest that Shaivism (particularly Pāśupata) was established in this region by

4650-591: The ascetic Shiva. According to the legend, Sati left the luxuries of her father's palace and retired to a forest to devote herself to austerities of a hermetic life and the worship of Shiva. She was often tested by Shiva or his attendants. Finally, Shiva acceded to her wishes and consented to marry. Despite Daksha's unwillingness, the wedding was held in due course with Brahma serving as the priest. Sati moved with Shiva in Kailash. Tension between Shiva and Daksha further arises when Daksha starts to dislike Shiva because of Shiva's odd appearance and behaviour. According to

4743-420: The beginning of Shiva's house-holder ( grihastāshramī ) life from an ascetic. This event is ahead of the emergence of both of the couple's children, Kartikeya and Ganesha . Each temple has shrines for Shakti and Kalabhairava , and most Shakti and Kalabhairava in different Shakta pithas have different names. The scriptures, which include the Kalika Purana , recognize four Shakta pithas as sites where most of

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4836-441: The celestial dance of destruction, across all creation. Frightened, the other deities requested Vishnu to intervene to stop this destruction. As a recourse, Vishnu used the Sudarshana Chakra on Sati's corpse. This caused various parts of Sati's body to fall at several spots across the world. The history of Daksha yajna and Sati's self-immolation had immense significance in shaping the ancient Sanskrit literature and influenced

4929-417: The construction of thousands of Shaiva temples on the islands of Indonesia as well as Cambodia and Vietnam, co-evolving with Buddhism in these regions. Shaivite theology ranges from Shiva being the creator, preserver, and destroyer to being the same as the Atman (Self) within oneself and every living being. It is closely related to Shaktism , and some Shaivas worship in both Shiva and Shakti temples. It

5022-401: The culture of India. Each of the places on Earth where Sati's body parts were known to have fell were then considered as Shakta pithas and were deemed places of great spiritual importance. Several stories in the Puranas and other Hindu religious books refer to the Daksha yajna. It is an important incident in both Shaivism and Shaktism , and marks the replacement of Sati with Parvati , and of

5115-456: The death of his wife, Shiva performed the destructive Tandava dance. He created two ferocious deities — Virabhadra and Bhadrakali , who wreaked mayhem at the sacrificial place. Nearly all those present were felled overnight; Daksha was decapitated by Virabhadra. After that night, Shiva, who is considered the all-forgiving, restored the slain to life and granted them his blessings. Daksha was restored both to life and to kingship. His severed head

5208-531: The earliest clear mention of Rudra ("Roarer") in its hymns 2.33, 1.43 and 1.114. The text also includes a Satarudriya , an influential hymn with embedded hundred epithets for Rudra, that is cited in many medieval era Shaiva texts as well as recited in major Shiva temples of Hindus in contemporary times. Yet, the Vedic literature only present scriptural theology, but does not attest to the existence of Shaivism. According to Gavin Flood , "the formation of Śaiva traditions as we understand them begins to occur during

5301-624: The early 7th century, the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Xuanzang (Huen Tsang) visited India and wrote a memoir in Chinese that mentions the prevalence of Shiva temples all over North Indian subcontinent , including in the Hindu Kush region such as Nuristan . Between the 5th and 11th century CE, major Shaiva temples had been built in central, southern and eastern regions of the subcontinent, including those at Badami cave temples , Aihole , Elephanta Caves , Ellora Caves (Kailasha, cave 16), Khajuraho , Bhuvaneshwara, Chidambaram, Madurai, and Conjeevaram. Major scholars of competing Hindu traditions from

5394-489: The effect of discrediting Vaishnavism, the religion it had been so ardently promoting. The newly arising regional powers in central and northern India, such as the Aulikaras , the Maukharis , the Maitrakas , the Kalacuris or the Vardhanas preferred adopting Shaivism instead, giving a strong impetus to the development of the worship of Shiva . Vaishnavism remained strong mainly in the territories which had not been affected by these events: South India and Kashmir . In

5487-403: The energy is. Vimala where the feet fell (Pada Khanda), Tara Tarini housing the breasts (Stana Khanda), Kamakhya , where the genitals fell ( Yoni Khanda) and Dakshina Kalika , where the toes of right foot fell. These four temples originated from the lifeless body of Sati. Apart from these 4 there are 48 other famous pithas recognized by religious texts. According to the Pithanirnaya Tantra

5580-441: The epics such as the Mahabharata , Shaivism flourished in South India much earlier. The Mantramarga of Shaivism, according to Alexis Sanderson, provided a template for the later though independent and highly influential Pancaratrika treatises of Vaishnavism. This is evidenced in Hindu texts such as the Isvarasamhita , Padmasamhita, and Paramesvarasamhita . Along with the Himalayan region stretching from Kashmir through Nepal,

5673-408: The existence of an Ultimate Reality ( Brahman ) which is considered identical to Shiva in Shaivism. The texts differ in the relation between the two. Some assert the dualistic philosophy of the individual Self and Ultimate Reality being different, while others state a Oneness between the two. Kashmir Shaiva Agamas posit absolute oneness, that is God (Shiva) is within man, God is within every being, God

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5766-407: The falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati. It is believed that an enraged Shiva performed the Tandava dance with Sati's charred body, which led her body to come apart and the pieces fell at different places on earth. In a more detailed narration found in some texts, Shiva, crazed with grief, roamed with Sati's corpse throughout the universe, causing universal imbalance. The divinities called upon

5859-476: The favourite child of Daksha , who marries Shiva against her father's wishes. Later, when Daksha organises a yajna (fire-sacrifice) in which he doesn't invite her and her husband, Sati goes to attend it, only to be humiliated by her father. She then immolates herself to protest against him, and uphold the honour of her husband. In Hinduism, both Sati and Parvati, successively play the role of bringing Shiva away from ascetic isolation into creative participation with

5952-491: The former with victory and revealed himself before him. Overcome by maya , Sati asked her consort to whom he had bowed. Shiva informed her that Rama was a full incarnation of Vishnu . Seeing that she was unconvinced, Shiva encouraged her to test Rama's divinity for herself. Sati did so by assuming the guise of Sita and appearing before him. Rama laughed, seeing through the goddess's disguise, wondering why she had assumed his wife's form. Her doubts fading, Sati asked Rama how he

6045-464: The god Vishnu to restore Shiva to normalcy and calm. Vishnu used his Sudarshana Chakra (discus weapon) to dismember Sati's cadaver, following which Shiva regained his equanimity. The legend ends with Sati's body being dismembered into many pieces which fell on earth at various places. Several different listings of these holy places, known as Shakta pithas, are available; some of these places have become major centres of pilgrimage as they are held by

6138-955: The god (Shiva) with Tantra practices and Agama teachings. There is a considerable overlap between these Shaivas and the Shakta Hindus. Scholars such as Alexis Sanderson discuss Shaivism in three categories: Vedic, Puranik and non-Puranik (esoteric, tantric). They place Vedic and Puranik together given the significant overlap, while placing Non-Puranik esoteric sub-traditions as a separate category. Shaivism sub-traditions subscribe to various philosophies, are similar in some aspects and differ in others. These traditions compare with Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism as follows: Shaiva manuscripts that have survived (post-8th century) Nepal and Himalayan region = 140,000 South India = 8,600 Others (Devanagiri) = 2,000 Bali and SE Asia = Many —Alexis Sanderson, The Saiva Literature Over its history, Shaivism has been nurtured by numerous texts ranging from scriptures to theological treatises. These include

6231-432: The goddess, she is called Adi Parashakti . Goddess Vindhyavasini is considered the embodiment of all of the Mahavidyas , Navadurgas , Matrikas , Yoginis and all the other goddesses present in this universe, she is Tripura Sundari herself. Many legends are associated with Vindhyavasini, she is also called Mahadurga . She is the combined form of all 108 Shakta pithas as mentioned in the Devi Bhagavata Purana text. This

6324-418: The insult in the same manner. Daksha performed a yajna with a desire to take revenge on Shiva. Daksha invited all the deities to the yajna, except Shiva and Sati. The fact that she was not invited did not deter Sati's desire to attend the yajna. She expressed her desire to Shiva, who tried his best to dissuade her from going. He relented at her continued insistence, Sati went to her father's yajna. However, Sati

6417-423: The last centuries BCE , these pre-Vedic traditions became aligned with the Vedic deity Rudra and other Vedic deities, incorporating the non-Vedic Shiva-traditions into the Vedic-Brahmanical fold . Both devotional and monistic Shaivism became popular in the 1st millennium CE, rapidly becoming the dominant religious tradition of many Hindu kingdoms . It arrived in Southeast Asia shortly thereafter, leading to

6510-412: The major eighteen Puranas mentions 64 Shakta pithas of the goddess Parvati in the Bharat or Greater India including present-day India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, some parts of Southern Tibet in China and parts of southern Pakistan. Another text which gives a listing of these shrines, is the Shakta Pitha Stotram , written by Adi Shankara , the 9th-century Hindu philosopher. According to

6603-470: The manuscript Mahapithapurana (c. 1690–1720 CE), there are 52 such places. Among them, 23 are located in the Bengal region, 14 of these are located in what is now West Bengal , India, 1 in Baster (Chhattisgarh), while 7 are in what is now Bangladesh . According to legend, lord Brahma once conducted a huge yajna (ritual sacrifice), where all the prajapatis, deities, and kings of the world were invited. Shiva and Sati were also called on to participate in

6696-579: The new temple in Sringeri. Requests have been made by the Hindu community in Pakistan to the Pakistani government to renovate the temple, the issue being raised by former Indian Home minister L. K. Advani to the Pakistan authorities as a confidence-building measure, by increasing the people-to-people cross-border interaction. Currently, a new Sharada pitha temple has been inaugurated and consecrated by

6789-702: The origin of Ganesha and Kartikeya . Kottiyoor Vysakha Mahotsavam , a 27‑day yagnja ceremony, conducted in the serene hilly jungle location in North Kerala yearly commemorating the Daksha Yaga. It is believed that Sati Devi self immolated in this location and apparently this is the location of Daksha Yaga. The pooja and rituals were classified by Shri Sankaracharya . Shaivism Saiddhantika Non - Saiddhantika Traditional Shaivism ( / ˈ ʃ aɪ v ɪ z ə m / ; Sanskrit : शैवसंप्रदायः , romanized :  Śaivasampradāyaḥ )

6882-566: The origins to the Indus Valley civilization , which reached its peak around 2500–2000 BCE. Archeological discoveries show seals that suggest a deity that somewhat appears like Shiva. Of these is the Pashupati seal , which early scholars interpreted as someone seated in a meditating yoga pose surrounded by animals, and with horns. This "Pashupati" ( Lord of Animals , Sanskrit paśupati ) seal has been interpreted by these scholars as

6975-632: The paramount position in ancient Java, Sumatra, Bali, and neighboring islands, though the sub-tradition that developed creatively integrated more ancient beliefs that pre-existed. In the centuries that followed, the merchants and monks who arrived in Southeast Asia, brought Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Buddhism, and these developed into a syncretic, mutually supporting form of traditions. In Balinese Hinduism , Dutch ethnographers further subdivided Siwa (shaivaites) Sampradaya " into five – Kemenuh, Keniten, Mas, Manuba and Petapan. This classification

7068-527: The people can pay homage to the goddess. To complete this massively long task, Shiva took the form of Bhairava . Most of these historic places of goddess worship are in India, but there are seven in Bangladesh, four in Nepal, two in Pakistan, and one each in Tibet , Sri Lanka and Bhutan. There were many legends in ancient and modern sources that document this evidence. A consensus view on the number and location of

7161-541: The period from 200 BC to 100 AD." Shiva was originally probably not a Brahmanical god, but eventually came to be incorporated into the Brahmanical fold. The pre-Vedic Shiva acquired a growing prominence as its cult assimilated numerous "ruder faiths" and their mythologies, and the Epics and Puranas preserve pre-Vedic myths and legends of these traditions assimilated by the Shiva-cult. Shiva's growing prominence

7254-491: The precise sites where goddess Sati's corpse fell is lacking, although certain sites are more well-regarded than others. Maximum number of Shaktipeeths are present in the Bengal region. During partition the numbers were West Bengal (18, 1 disputed as Shrinkhala Devi Temple ) and Bangladesh (7). After the secret transfer of Dhakeshwari Shaktipeeth to Kolkata the numbers stand as West Bengal (19,1 disputed Shrinkhala Devi Temple) and Bangladesh (6). The Brahmanda Purana , one of

7347-410: The proposal that it is proto-Shiva may be a case of projecting "later practices into archeological findings". Similarly, Asko Parpola states that other archaeological finds such as the early Elamite seals dated to 3000–2750 BCE show similar figures and these have been interpreted as "seated bull" and not a yogi, and the bull interpretation is likely more accurate. The Rigveda (~1500–1200 BCE) has

7440-516: The sacred event by jumping into the sacrificial fire, while the "real" Sati is reborn as Parvati. The Brihaddharma Purana (c. 13th century) narrates the creation of the Mahavidyas but there is no mention of Sati splitting into two. She retains her calming nature after Shiva allowed her. The most drastic change in this text is the absence of the self-immolation of Sati. Instead, the text mentions that she cursed her father and quit her body in

7533-459: The second half of the 1st millennium CE, such as Adi Shankara of Advaita Vedanta and Ramanuja of Vaishnavism, mention several Shaiva sects, particularly the four groups: Pashupata, Lakulisha, tantric Shaiva and Kapalika. The description is conflicting, with some texts stating the tantric, puranik and Vedic traditions of Shaivism to be hostile to each other while others suggest them to be amicable sub-traditions. Some texts state that Kapalikas reject

7626-564: The site for a 2nd-century temple. There are believed to be 64 locations. Adi Shankara 's Ashtadasha Shakta pitha Stotram mentions 18 locations known as the Maha Shakta pithas . Among these, the Shakta pithas at Kamakhya , Gaya and Ujjain are regarded as the most sacred as they symbolize the three most important aspects of the Mother Goddess viz. Creation (Kamarupa Devi), Nourishment (Sarvamangala Devi/Mangalagauri), and Annihilation (Mahakali Devi). Modern location Sharadha pitha

7719-473: The terms such as "Shiva, Mahadeva, Maheshvara and others" synonymously, and they use iconography such as the Linga , Nandi , Trishula (trident), as well as anthropomorphic statues of Shiva in temples to help focus their practices. Another sub-group is called esoteric, which fuses it with abstract Sivata (feminine energy) or Sivatva (neuter abstraction), wherein the theology integrates the goddess (Shakti) and

7812-471: The world. Sati's story plays an important part in shaping the traditions of two of the most prominent sects of Hinduism — Shaivism and Shaktism . It is believed that after Sati's death, Shiva carried her body around the world. As he did so, her body parts fell to the ground at 51 different places. These places are now known as Shakta pithas , and they are sacred to Hindus . The name "Satī" means "truthful", "virtuous" or "noble" in Sanskrit . The word

7905-500: The yajna. All of them came for the yajna, and sat in the ceremonial place. Daksha came last. When he arrived, everyone in the yajna, with the exception of Brahma and Shiva, stood up, showing their reverence for him. Brahma, being Daksha's father, did not rise. Shiva, being Daksha's son-in-law, and also due to the fact that he considered himself superior in stature to Daksha, remained seated. Daksha misunderstood Shiva's gesture, and considered this act an insult. Daksha vowed to take revenge on

7998-589: Was challenged by the numerous scholars of advaita (nondualistic, monistic) Shaivism persuasion such as the 8th/9th century Vasugupta, the 10th century Abhinavagupta and 11th century Kshemaraja, particularly the scholars of the Pratyabhijna, Spanda and Kashmiri Shaivism schools of theologians. The Vedas and Upanishads are shared scriptures of Hinduism , while the Agamas are sacred texts of specific sub-traditions. The surviving Vedic literature can be traced to

8091-492: Was facilitated by identification with a number of Vedic deities, such as Purusha , Rudra , Agni , Indra , Prajāpati , Vāyu , among others. The followers of Shiva were gradually accepted into the Brahmanical fold, becoming allowed to recite some of the Vedic hymns. Patanjali 's Mahābhāṣya , dated to the 2nd century BCE, mentions the term Shiva-bhagavata in section 5.2.76. Patanjali, while explaining Panini's rules of grammar, states that this term refers to

8184-463: Was not given her due respect at the yajna, and had to bear witness to Daksha's insults aimed at Shiva. Anguished, Sati cursed her father and self-immolated. Enraged at the insult and death of his spouse, Shiva in his Virabhadra avatar destroyed Daksha's yajna and cut off his head. His anger not abated and immersed in grief, Shiva then picked up the remains of Sati's body and performed the Tandava ,

8277-513: Was substituted with that of a goat. There are varying accounts of this event. The Devi-Bhagavata Purana adds the reason behind Daksha's harsh behaviour. Shortly after Sati's marriage, Daksha polluted a sacred flower garland and as a result, he was cursed to hate his beloved daughter. At the sacrificial place, after Daksha discarded Sati's gifts and humiliated her, she used her cosmic powers and burnt her body. Some texts suggest that before Sati's death, Shakti promised that she will be reborn to

8370-509: Was the highest god. This co-existence of Shaivism and Buddhism in Java continued through about 1500 CE when both Hinduism and Buddhism were replaced with Islam, and persists today in the province of Bali. The Shaivist and Buddhist traditions overlapped significantly in southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, Cambodia, and Vietnam between the 5th and the 15th century. Shaivism and Shiva held

8463-431: Was to accommodate the observed marriage between higher caste Brahmana men with lower caste women. Shaivism centers around Shiva, but it has many sub-traditions whose theological beliefs and practices vary significantly. They range from dualistic devotional theism to monistic meditative discovery of Shiva within oneself. Within each of these theologies, there are two sub-groups. One sub-group is called Vedic-Puranic, who use

8556-413: Was unnecessary. Shiva tried to stop her as he knew that Daksha would humiliate her, but when she was not convinced, he sent her with his gana attendants. Sati was received by her mother and her sisters, but Daksha was furious by her uninvited arrival and humiliated her and mocked Shiva. Wanting to break all ties with her father and uphold the honour of her husband, Sati self-immolated. Deeply hurt by

8649-483: Was worthy of being saluted by Shiva. Rama explained to her his true identity and circumstance and spoke to her of his devotion to Shiva, after which she praised him and returned to her consort. The most prominent legend associated with Sati is her self-immolation to protest against her father. The first text to mention Daksha Yajna is the Taittiriya Samhita and it later appears in the Ramayana and

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