Shaiva Siddhanta is
a religious group in southern India that originated in Tamil Nadu and is made
up of followers (bhakta) of the deity Shiva.
The Shaiva Siddhanta is based on a set of fourteen
manuscripts, all finished by the fourteenth century C.E., in which Sanskrit
literature on Shiva were reinterpreted in light of the Nayanars' religious
beliefs.
In the seventh and eighth centuries, the Nayanars were a
group of sixty-three poet-saints who lived in southern India.
The ninth-century poet Manikkavachakar was the most renowned
and important of these translators.
The trinity of Shiva as "Lord" (pati), human souls
trapped in bondage (pashu), and the "bonds" (pasha) binding these
souls is central to Shaiva Siddhanta.
Shiva is regarded as the ultimate god, wielding the shackles
of maya, or illusion, to enslave souls.
He is also shown as courteous and caring to his worshipers,
a far cry from the unpredictable and potentially deadly character from his
mythology's beginnings.
Shiva, as ultimate lord, is the source of all spiritual
enlightenment and energy, as well as the force that creates, sustains, and
reabsorbs the world.
Souls are seen as distinct from Shiva since they are
vulnerable to flaws, while his strength is still their ultimate source.
The only way to emancipation is to devote oneself to Shiva,
who may break or transcend the chains of maya via his grace.
Even after freedom, souls remain separate from Shiva, while
being in his presence.
M. Dhavamony, Love of God According to Saiva Siddhanta,
1971, has further information.
See also Tamil Nadu and Shaiva.
