They worship Åšiva both as Mahāyogi and the MāyÄ«n.Among the Yogis there are many subsects with numerous rites.One of the most universally practiced rites is prāṇāyāma.One of the larger sects, the Kanphati Yogis, have their earlobes perforated and enlarged by heavy iron rings.In many images from rather early dates Åšiva displays this type of perforated and enlarged earlobes.South India, especially the land of the Tamils, became the home of a fervent Åšiva bhakti.TirumÅ«lār aimed toward reconciling the Vedas and the Ä€gamas.He calls Åšiva brilliance, nectar, river of mercy, inner light, Åšiva is everywhere.Appar, who had been a Jaina and turned into an ardent foe of Jainism, became a martyr for Åšiva’s sake.Attainment of the state of Åšiva is moká¹£a.The soul should release itself from its mala.For this Åšiva’s grace is necessary.The most powerful means to reach it is the pañcāká¹£ara.The five letters are the final mantra through which one must reach Åšiva.Worship Åšiva with all your heart and you will be saved.In later times, up to our own age, there have also been many Åšaiva saints.Most of them were appropriated by one of the schools outlined above.Among the numerous Hindu temples built inside and outside India in the last few decades, there are also a large number of Åšaiva sanctuaries, built in the traditional style.What is new is an attempt to express Åšaivism in a Western idiom, to relate it to other religions and to modern scientific ways of thinking.Christian missionaries, intrigued by the rich literary heritage of the Tamils, began translating Åšaivite religious texts into Western languages and wrote monographs on it.He translated the Tamil classics Tirukkural and Tiruvācakam into English.These missionary scholars found a large amount of agreement between Åšaiva Siddhānta and Christianity.Following these pioneers, a fair number of Western scholars have focused their research on Åšaivism.Some, like Alain Daniélou or Stella Kramrisch, even took initiation from Åšaivite gurus.Åšivaraman’s Åšaivism in Philosophical Perspective is a most thorough insider presentation of Åšaiva Siddhānta.In the 1980s a Department of Åšaiva Siddhānta was established at the University of Madras, dedicated to the scholarly study of that school of thought.The Mon Khmer and the Kols set up right conical stones for religious purposes.These are reminiscent of the digging stick, which is used as a primitive plough.The Åšibis were intimately associated with the Usinaras.Majumdar, The Classical Accounts of India, p.These, it is said, were descended from the soldiers, who under Herakles, attacked the rock Aornus, and after falling to capture it were settled by him in this part of the country.Chattopadhyaya, Evolution of Theistic Sects, p.162 suggests that Ahirbudhnya may be a name of Åšiva.Agravala, India as known to Pāṇini, pp.Guá¹…aratna, a commentator on Haribhadra, specifies this statement saying that the Nāyaikas were Åšaivas, the VaiÅ›eá¹£ikas Pāśupatas.Also the followers of the Sāṁkhya and the Yoga systems were considered Åšaivas.A king GautamÄ«putra Vindhyāvedhana received, according to a coin, his kingdom from MaheÅ›vara and Mahasena.His banner shows a bull.In it Åšiva is identified with the Bhagavat MaheÅ›vara in whose power are Māyā and praká¹›ti.Matsya and Åšiva Purāṇa are ascribed to the Gupta period.Similar mahgalas in Åšiva’s honor are also found before Mālavikāgnimitra and Vikramorvaśīya.

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