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Worship of Shiva/Rudra
- Thread starter Aupmanyav
- Start date
Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
I suppose Shaiva philosophies and not Shiva worship in as mentioned in Shaiva puranas (Shiva Purana, Linga Purana, Skanda Purana, Varaha Purana, Vāmana Purana, Kūrma Purana, Matsya Purana, Mārkandeya Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Brahmānda Purana) like the Vaishnavas worship Vishnu or Krishna as mentioned in Vaishnava puranas (Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Nāradeya Purana, Garuda Purana, Vayu Purana, Varaha Purana). Worship and not philosophize. Well, some one can say that there is no worship without philosophy.
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Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
Goal depends on what a person believes. If one takes Shiva to be a personal God, then deliverance through his grace. If one takes Shiva as the constituting principle of the universe (Brahman), then strengthening and realizing this non-duality.
If I were to make the chart, I would have this in the beginning:
If I were to make the chart, I would have this in the beginning:
Attachments
Subhankar Zac
Hare Krishna,Hare Krishna,
I just meditate on the Nataraja Avatara. 
shivsomashekhar
Well-Known Member
Especially for comments by Vinayaka.
I would modify this picture to show two roots - (1) the Vedic Rudra and (2) the indigenous, non-vedic Shiva and the two merging eventually.
shivsomashekhar
Well-Known Member
Absolutely not. The idea of a Tamasic Shiva was created by Vaishnavas due to sectarian rivalry and has no significance outside Vaishnavism.
No significance at all?
I never understood that sort of thing.
I'd go to Shiva abhishekham as easily as I'll go to a Sudarsana abhishekam. I see people at the temple going from sanctum to sanctum of Vishnu, Shiva and Devi. Unless you really knew, you couldn't tell by what puja they attended what their sect was.Stuff like the Aghori, Kapalikas, Kaula, Vamachara and others. Well, at least on the more extreme end. Less extreme is other Tantras and other stuff ect.
edit: Vamachara isn't shaivite but a shaivite can practice vamachara, which would make them non puranic.
In the grand scheme, the history doesn't really matter. What matters is what we are today. Will looking a lineages help one realise the self, develop character, or find bliss? Let the historians have at it if they wish. Basically though, its rather easy to distinguish between a Puranic Saivite, and a non-Puranic one. The Puranic one focuses mostly on Shiv-ji the anthropomorphised God with a blue throat, a wife, and one or two children. The non-Puranic Saivite will focus on Nataraja, the Lingam, or even Ardhinarisvara. In my experience, quite differing approaches. Besides the focus, the importance of the Puranas themselves goes fro very important, to insignificant.
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Sumit
Sanatana Dharma
No, it wasn't, the tamasic form of shiva has been worshipped since ancient times and is not invented by Vaishnavas or any other hindu sect.
Evidence?
Sumit
Sanatana Dharma
WHo is Bhairav and how is he worshipped?
निताइ dasa
Nitai's servant's servant
There is alot of evidence in the puranas about this categorization of sattvic, rajasic and tamasic deities. I've seen verses from Padma Purana, Garuda Purana, Skanda Purana and also Matsya Purana on this actually. Bhagavatam is very clear that Lord Shiva is a deity of tamo guna, and Bhagavtam is one of those puranas that has not been interpolated (all 18000 32 syllable verses are still with us, thanks to Sridhara Svami's commentary). Of course opponents will say they are all interpolations, but I beg to differ.
It is the interpretation of tamo guna that is a controversy. I've heardshaivites say that tamo guna refers to the destructive properties of Lord Shiva.