oorr ooverver 220000 yyears,ears, WWesternestern sscholarscholars hhaveave sstrug-trug- INSIGHT ggledled ttoo uunderstandnderstand HHinduism,induism, a faithfaith whosewhose ffollowersollowers sseemedeemed ((toto ooutsiders)utsiders) ttoo arbitrarilyarbitrarily wworshiporship aanyny oonene ooff a ddozenozen GGodsods asas thethe SSupreme,upreme, a rreligioneligion vvastlyastly ddiverseiverse iinn iitsts bbeliefs,eliefs, ppracticesractices aandnd wwaysays ooff wworship.orship. SSomeome IIndologistsndologists llabeledabeled tthehe HHinduisminduism theythey encounteredencountered polytheistic;polytheistic; oothersthers eveneven ccoinedoined newnew tterms,erms, llikeike hhenotheism,enotheism, ttoo ddescribeescribe tthishis bbafflaffl iingng aarrayrray ooff sspiritualpiritual ttraditions.raditions. FFew,ew, hhowever,owever, hhaveave rrealized,ealized, aandnd ffewerewer sstilltill hhaveave wwritten,ritten, tthathat IIndia’sndia’s SanatanaSanatana Dharma,Dharma, oror “eternal“eternal faith,”faith,” kknownnown ttodayoday aass HHinduisminduism andand comprisingcomprising nearlynearly a billionbillion A SSplendrousplendrous ffollowers,ollowers, iiss a ffamilyamily ooff rreligionseligions wwithith ffourour pprincipalrincipal ddenominations—Saivism,enominations—Saivism, SShaktism,haktism, VVaishnavismaishnavism aandnd SSmartism.martism. ThisThis singlesingle perceptionperception isis essentialessential fforor LLotusotus wwithith uunderstandingnderstanding HHinduisiminduisim andand explainingexplaining itit accuratelyaccurately ttoo oothers.thers. ContraryContrary ttoo pprevailingrevailing mmisconceptions,isconceptions, HHindusindus allall worshipworship a oneone SupremeSupreme BBeing,eing, thoughthough byby FFourour SuperbSuperb ddifferentifferent nnames.ames. FForor VVaishnavites,aishnavites, LLordord VVishnuishnu iiss GGod.od. FForor SSaiai vvites,ites, GGodod isis Siva.Siva. ForFor Shaktas,Shaktas, GGoddessoddess ShaktiShakti iiss ssuu ppreme.reme. FForor SSmarmar ttas,as, lliberaliberal HHindus,indus, thethe choicechoice ofof PPetalsetals DDeityeity iiss leftleft toto thethe devotee.devotee. EEachach hhasas a mmultitudeultitude ooff gguruuru llineages,ineages, rreligiouseligious lleaders,eaders, ppriesthoods,riesthoods, ssacredacred lliterature,iterature, mmonasticonastic ccommunities,ommunities, sschools,chools, ppilgrim-ilgrim- aagege centerscenters aandnd ttensens ooff tthousandshousands ofof temples.temples. TheyThey ppossessossess a wwealthealth ooff aartrt aandnd aarchitecture,rchitecture, pphilosophyhilosophy aandnd sscholarship.cholarship. TheseThese fourfour sectssects holdhold suchsuch divergentdivergent bbee lliefsiefs tthathat eeachach iiss a ccompleteomplete aandnd iindependentndependent rreli-eli- ggion.ion. YYet,et, ttheyhey ssharehare a vvastast hheritageeritage ooff ccultureulture aandnd bbelief—elief—kkarma,arma, ddharma,harma, rreincarnation,eincarnation, all-pervasiveall-pervasive DDii vinity,vinity, temtem pleple worship,worship, sacsac rara ments,ments, mmanifoldanifold DDeities,eities, tthehe gguru-uru-sshishyahishya ttraditionradition aandnd tthehe VVedasedas aass sscripturalcriptural SSaivismaivism aauthority.uthority. IInn thisthis eight-pageeight-page IInsight,nsight, ddrawnrawn ffromrom SSat-at- SSaiviteaivite HHindusindus worshipworship thethe gguruuru SSivayaivaya SSubramuniyaswami’subramuniyaswami’s DDancingancing withwith Siva,Siva, SSupremeupreme GGodod asas Siva,Siva, thethe wwee oofferffer a ssynopsisynopsis ooff tthesehese ffourour ddenominations,enominations, ffol-ol- CCompassionateompassionate OOne.ne. SaivitesSaivites SSmartismmartism llowedowed byby a point-by-pointpoint-by-point ccomparison.omparison. eesteemsteem sselfelf ddisciplineiscipline aandnd pphi-hi- SShaktismhaktism SSmartasmartas wworshiporship thethe SSupremeupreme iinn llosophyosophy aandnd ffollowollow a ssatat gguruuru. SShaktashaktas wworshiporship tthehe SSupremeupreme aass oonene ooff ssixix fforms:orms: GGanesha,anesha, SSiva,iva, TTheyhey wworshiporship iinn tthehe ttempleemple tthehe DDivineivine Mother,Mother, ShaktiShakti oror Devi.Devi. SSakti,akti, VVishnu,ishnu, SSuryaurya aandnd SSkanda.kanda. aandnd ppracticeractice yyoga,oga, sstrivingtriving ttoo SShehe hhasas mmanyany fforms.orms. SSomeome aarere VVaishnavismaishnavism BBecauseecause theythey acceptaccept allall thethe majormajor EEach of Hinduism’s philosophies, schools and lineages VVaishnavitesaishnavites wworshiporship tthehe SSupremeupreme bbee oonene wwithith SSivaiva wwithin.ithin. ggentle,entle, ssomeome aarere fi eerce.rce. SShaktashaktas uusese HHinduindu Gods,Gods, theythey areare knownknown asas ssharrese a common purpose: to further the soul’s unfoldmment aass LLordord VVishnuishnu aandnd HHisis incarnations,incarnations, cchants,hants, rrealeal mmagic,agic, hholyoly ddiagrams,iagrams, lliberaliberal oorr nnonsectarian.onsectarian. TheyThey ffollowollow tto its divinne desttiny. Nowhere is this process better rer pre- eespeciallyspecially KKrishnarishna andand Rama.Rama. Vaish-Vaish- yyogaoga aandnd rritualsituals ttoo ccallall forthforth cos-cos- a pphilosophical,hilosophical, meditativemeditative path,path, ssented thaan ini the growth of the renowned lotus, which, nnavitesavites aarere mainlymainly dualistic.dualistic. TheyThey aarere mmicic fforcesorces andand aawakenwaken tthehe ggreatreat eemphasizingmphasizing mman’san’s oonenessneness wwithith sseekkini g the sun, arises from the mud to become a magnifi - ddeeplyeeply ddevotional.evotional. TTheirheir rreligioneligion iiss rrichich kkundaliniundalini ppowerower wwithinithin tthehe sspine.pine. GGodod throughthrough understanding.understanding. cec nt fl ower. Its blossom is a prp omise of purity and pep rfectionn. iinn saints,saints, ttemplesemples aandnd sscriptures.criptures. october/november/december, 2003 hinduism today 45 WWhathat IIss thethe WWhathat IIss thethe DDeeplyeeply MMysticalystical MMagicagic aandnd PPowerower SSaivaaiva Sect?Sect? OOff Shaktism?Shaktism? Saivism is the world’s oldest reli- Shaktism reveres the Supreme as gion. Worshiping God Siva, the the Divine Mother, Shakti or Devi, compassionate One, it stresses in Her many forms, both gentle potent disciplines, high philo- and fi erce. Shaktas use mantra, sophy, the guru’s centrality and tantra, yantra, yoga and puja to bhakti-raja-siddha yoga leading invoke cosmic forces and awaken to oneness with Siva within. Aum. the kundalini power. Aum. art by s. rajam Seated on Nandi, his bull mount, the perfect devotee, Shakti, depicted in Her green form, radiates beauty, Lord Siva holds japa beads and the trident, symbol of energy, compassion and protection for followers. Wear- love-wisdom-action, and off ers blessings of protection ing the tilaka of the Shakta sect on Her forehead, She and fearlessness. Mount Kailas, His sacred Himalayan blesses devotees, who shower rosewater, hold an abode, represents the pinnacle of consciousness. umbrella and prostrate at Her feet. AIVISM IS ANCIENT, TRULY AGELESS, FOR IT HAS NO a profound system of temple mys ti cism and siddha HILE WORSHIP OF THE DIVINE MOTHER EX TENDS Shakta yogis seek to awaken the sleeping Goddess beginning. It is the precursor of the ma- yoga. It provides knowledge of man’s ev o lution beyond the pale of history, Shakta Hin- Kundalini and unite her with Siva in the sa has rara ny-faceted religion now termed Hinduism. from God and back to God, of the soul’s un fold - duism arose as an organized sect in India chakra. Shak ta universalists follow the reformed Scholars trace the roots of Siva worship back ment and awak ening guided by en lightened sages. around the fi fth century. Today it has four Vedantic tradition ex em plifi ed by Sri Ram akrishna. more than 8,000 years to the advanced Indus Val- Like all the sects, its majority are devout families, expressions—de vo tional, folk-shamanic, yogic and “Left-hand” tan tric rites transcend traditional eth- ley civ ilization. But sa cred writings tell us there nev- headed by hundreds of orders of swamis and sa- universalist—all invoking the fi erce power of Kali or ical codes. Shaktism is chiefl yad vaitic, de fi n ing er was a time when Saivism did not exist. Modern dhus who follow the fi ery, world-re nouncing path Durga, or the benign grace of Par vati or Ambika. the soul’s destiny as complete identity with the history re cords six main schools: Saiva Siddhanta, to moksha. The Ved as state, “By knowing Siva, the Shakta de vo tionalists use puja rites, especial ly to Un man ifest, Siva. Central scrip tures are the Vedas, Pashupatism, Kashmir Saivism, Vira Saivism, Siddha Auspicious One who is hidden in all things, exceed- the Shri Chakra yan tra, to es tablish intimacy with Shakta Agamas and Pur anas. The Devi Gita extols, Siddhan ta and Siva Ad vaita. Saivism’s grand eur ingly fi ne, like fi lm arising from clarifi ed butter, the the God dess. Sha man ic Shak tism employs magic, “We bow down to the uni ver sal soul of all. Above and beauty are found in a practical culture, an en- One embracer of the universe—by realizing God, trance medium ship, fi rewalking and animal sac- and below and in all four directions, Mother of lightened view of man’s place in the universe and one is released from all fetters.” Aum Namah Sivaya. rifice for healing, fertility, pro ph e cy and power. the universe, we bow.” Aum Chandikayai Namah. 46 hinduism today october/november/december, 2003 october/november/december, 2003 hinduism today 47 WWhathat IIss thethe WWhathat IIss thethe DDevotionalevotional UUniversalisticniversalistic VVaishnavaaishnava