Roots of Shiva

[Abominable Snowman]

Namaste,

So while I am Shakta and have been so since I started following the dharma (basically) I have really only known of the Goddesses and Shaktism. I haven't been that religious and serious of a student of the dharma until 6 months ago to which my practice has steadily become more serious. I feel as though I want to return to my roots (so to speak) and explore Shaivism particularly Kashmiri or Lingayati Shaivism and I feel the best way is to start at level 0. What are the basic books, scriptures, sutras, etc of Shaivism? Who are the major figures, gurus, swamis, saints, etc of Shaivism? What do I need to know? Describe it in a nutshell sentence. What is the history and so forth of Shaivism outside of India? Who are famous and respected non-Indian Shaivites?

I have more questions but that should suffice for now. :)

Thank you.

[Eastern Mind]

Try http://www.saivism.net/


Aum Namasivaya

[Abominable Snowman]

Try http://www.saivism.net/


Thank you for the link, though I must admit I did expect your post to a bit longer, lol.

[Eastern Mind]

Vanakkam AS:

Why would I want to waste your time and my typing fingers with words which are mostly regurgitated gibberish when there are lengthy treatises and websites here and there and all around? http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/images/icons/icon7.gifWords cannot convey vibrations. For the record I follow monistic Saiva Siddhanta as presented by Rishis Tirumular and Nandinatha some 2300 years ago.

Aum Namasivaya

Anbe Sivamayam Satyame Parasivam

[Abominable Snowman]

I thank you for the info brother man.

[sm78]

Before you go into any present school (all of the present schools belong to the mantra-marga classification of shaivism, some still have some aspect of vedic shaivism preserved) - here is a chart of evolution of shaivism and shaktism. This is only my present idea from reading and should only be taken with a good dose of salt - however *on a whole* this is also the opinion of most scholars.

PS: One of the corner-stone of Agamic shaivism, tantric shiava-shaktism and tantric shaktism is the reliance and extension of samkhya philosophy - this is not separately represented in the chart. But samkhya is classified within vedic cannon - but some say it is pre-vedic.

[Abominable Snowman]

Thank you for the post, most informative indeed sir, I find the development and relation to Shaktism interesting. Do you perhaps have more sources and information on the subject?

[rkpande]

please try reading Skati and shakta by sir jhon woodroffe (written under pen name- arthur avalon) and the serpent power by the same writer.

[Abominable Snowman]

Thank you for the recommendation, I will check them out.

[saidevo]

namaste Snowman.

Perhaps you would find them useful--the links I have given for shaivam and tantra mantra yantra maNDalam as part of the Hindu Libray Texts I am collecting, in these posts:

http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=33889&postcount=17
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=34337&postcount=24