![]() Shiva (above) is the primary God in Shaivism. |
Part of a series on |
Shaivism |
---|
![]() |
![]() |
Part of a series on |
Hinduism |
---|
![]() |
Shaivism (/ˈʃaɪvɪzəm/; Sanskrit: शैवसम्प्रदायः, romanized: Śaivasampradāyaḥa) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva[1][2][3] as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations,[4][5] it incorporates many sub-traditions ranging from devotional dualistic theism such as Shaiva Siddhanta to yoga-orientated monistic non-theism such as Kashmiri Shaivism.[6][7][8] It considers both the Vedas and the Agama texts as important sources of theology.[9][10][11] According to a 2010 estimate by Johnson and Grim, Shaivism is the second-largest Hindu sect, constituting about 252 million or 26.6% of Hindus.[4][12]
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.[13] In the process of Sanskritisation and the formation of Hinduism, starting in 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.[2][14]
Both devotional and monistic Shaivism became popular in the 1st millennium CE, rapidly becoming the dominant religious tradition of many Hindu kingdoms.[2] It arrived in Southeast Asia shortly thereafter, leading to 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.[15][16]
[6][7][17] The followers of Shaivism are called Shaivas or Shaivites.
davidsmith116
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search