SAIVA WORSHIP

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-M.ARUNACHALAM

The goals of life in the Vaidika society are laid down as four dharma,

artha, kama, moksa - virtue, wealth, happiness and release; they are called

aram, porul, inbam and vidu in Tamil. Of the four, the last, the attainment of

release from all earthly bonds, is held supreme. In Saivism, three entities are

considered to be eternal: God(Pati), Soul(Pasu), and Bonds(Pasa).

The soul is in a state of bondage with the worldly matter; the bonds are three

and are here inseperable from the soul and obstruct it from enjoying eternal

bliss with God. Release is the severance of the bonds resulting in the eternal

enjoyment of that bliss. This severance can result only througn God's grace.

Avoidance of evil deeds and the performance of meritorious acts in this birth

will earn merit for the doer, which in the proper time will make him fit to

receive Siva's grace. The greatest act of merit is the worship of Siva.

Worship is called Puja; for the follower of Siva, the Siva-puja is most

important. The Karanagama explains the meaning of the term Puja.

puryante sarvakarmani

jayate jnanam atmani

puranajjayate yasmat

puja sabdam ihocyate.

It is that by which all acts become full(or perfect) and that which confers

jnana(wisdom).

Siva of the Saiva religion is also the absolute of Saiva metaphysics.

Siva the Absolute has no form and no attributes. The mind of man cannot grasp

one which has no form. Man likes to pray to God, to supplicate to Him, and to

desire ultimate union with

Him to enjoy eternal bliss. To satisfy this desire on the part of man, Siva is

conceived of in three aspects: the formless, the formless-form, and the form.

These three are called the arupa, ruparupa and rupa aspects.

The arupa aspect is the All-pervasive, All-knowing one, who is beyond the

sensory perception of man. The ruparupa aspect is the sivalinga; its is not any

manifested form of Siva, nor is it formless, because we have before us here a

concrete piece of stone; the Sivalinga form is generally the one to which puja

is offered in personal worship or in public temple worship.

The rupa aspect is the manifest forms of Siva, such as the Chandrasekhara,

Bhiksatana, Daksinamurti and the like, which are said to have been assumed by

Siva on different occasions for conferring His Grace on devotees.