The word “denomination” – Fisher uses the word “groupings”, or we may use the word “branches” – is not the best word to discuss the three traditions within that single tradition we call “sanātana dharma”! There other Hindu movements, particularly more modern ones, that may not fit into these three!
Please read Fisher, pages 86-90.
We will also have an opportunity to briefly watch a 12-minutes DVD clip in the class on a Saivite story that may remind us of the “forbidden fruit” story of Genesis 3 and other religious themes! The story is about the fruit Narada brings to the court of Siva causing a clash between Ganesha and Kartikeyah, the sons of Siva and Parwathy.
Please read Fisher, pages 86-90.
We will also have an opportunity to briefly watch a 12-minutes DVD clip in the class on a Saivite story that may remind us of the “forbidden fruit” story of Genesis 3 and other religious themes! The story is about the fruit Narada brings to the court of Siva causing a clash between Ganesha and Kartikeyah, the sons of Siva and Parwathy.
Narada is somewhat like the tempter who comes to the God’s court in the book of Job or Shaitan of the Qur’an always making “mischief”!
We will take a little time to discuss some of the “religious values” communicated in this clip! What is role Avvai, the woman-sage, Tamil poetess, play in this story? Is this an indication of religion as a “human construct”?
The three traditions – the order I am using here is simply that of Fisher – that we need to explore are:
A. Saktas
B. Saivites
C. Vaishnavites
A. Saktas
1. The female power of the Hindu deity, or the feminine principle, is known as sakti, energy, from where the Saktas are derived. They may follow the Vedic path or may not!
2. Sakti worship is very popular at village – or folk level! Popular also with the lower castes in the Hindu community!
3. Goddess connected with Saktas: Durga and Kali – fearsome yet loving.
4. Durga is … “a gentle face but ten arms holding weapons with which she vanquishes the demons who threaten the dharma; she rides a lion. She is the blazing splendor or God incarnate, in benevolent female form.”
5. Kali is the divine in its fierce form. “She may be portrayed dripping with blood, carrying a sword and a severed head, and wearing a girdle of severed hands and a necklace of skulls symbolizing her aspect as the destroyer of evil. What appears as destruction is actually a means of transformation. With her merciful sword she cuts away all personal impediments to realization of truth, for those who sincerely desire to serve the Supreme ... Fearsome to evil-doers, but loving and compassionate as a mother to devotees, Kali wears a mask of ugliness.”
6. Closely connected to “nature worship”!
7. Connection with tantrism!
8. Today the followers of Mayamma (a cult in Kannyakumari in South India) and Amma in Kerala are considered as somewhat modern day Saktas! See http://www.amma.org/
B. Saivites
1. Those wearing three parallel lines on the forehead! You will see this in the Video clip.
2. Worshippers of Siva as the foremost of he divine! In this Siva “is the unmanifest; he is creator, preserver, destroyer, personal Lord, friend, …” etc.
3. Siva is the dancer! This symbolizes the “acting of the creative force” Siva is. Linga, an elongated piece of stone or a boulder, symbol of a male genital, symbolizes, again, the creative force of Siva.
4. Siva is the god of the yogis!
5. Siva has various feminine consorts. To view some of these you may go to: http://brian.hoffert.faculty.noctrl.edu/REL100/05.SaktasSaivitesVaishnavites.html
C. Vaishnavites
1. Three lines vertical or V shape or U shape line is worn on the forehead of the Vaishnavites.
2. Both the epics Ramayana, story of Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu and Maha Bhartha, story of Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu aiding Pandavas are connected with this tradition.
3. Bhagavad Gita is also directly connected with the teachings of Lord Krishna, an incarnation of primary most gracious deity Vishnu.
4. Lakshmi is the consort of Vishnu; Radha the consort of Krishna and Sita the consort of Rama.
Questions to Explore:
1. What are the three major branches of Hinduism? Explain.
2. Write notes on the following Hindu concepts: a. ahimsa; b. maya; c. ichhā; d. lilā; e. kali yuga and f. moksha.
The three traditions – the order I am using here is simply that of Fisher – that we need to explore are:
A. Saktas
B. Saivites
C. Vaishnavites
A. Saktas
1. The female power of the Hindu deity, or the feminine principle, is known as sakti, energy, from where the Saktas are derived. They may follow the Vedic path or may not!
2. Sakti worship is very popular at village – or folk level! Popular also with the lower castes in the Hindu community!
3. Goddess connected with Saktas: Durga and Kali – fearsome yet loving.
4. Durga is … “a gentle face but ten arms holding weapons with which she vanquishes the demons who threaten the dharma; she rides a lion. She is the blazing splendor or God incarnate, in benevolent female form.”
5. Kali is the divine in its fierce form. “She may be portrayed dripping with blood, carrying a sword and a severed head, and wearing a girdle of severed hands and a necklace of skulls symbolizing her aspect as the destroyer of evil. What appears as destruction is actually a means of transformation. With her merciful sword she cuts away all personal impediments to realization of truth, for those who sincerely desire to serve the Supreme ... Fearsome to evil-doers, but loving and compassionate as a mother to devotees, Kali wears a mask of ugliness.”
6. Closely connected to “nature worship”!
7. Connection with tantrism!
8. Today the followers of Mayamma (a cult in Kannyakumari in South India) and Amma in Kerala are considered as somewhat modern day Saktas! See http://www.amma.org/
B. Saivites
1. Those wearing three parallel lines on the forehead! You will see this in the Video clip.
2. Worshippers of Siva as the foremost of he divine! In this Siva “is the unmanifest; he is creator, preserver, destroyer, personal Lord, friend, …” etc.
3. Siva is the dancer! This symbolizes the “acting of the creative force” Siva is. Linga, an elongated piece of stone or a boulder, symbol of a male genital, symbolizes, again, the creative force of Siva.
4. Siva is the god of the yogis!
5. Siva has various feminine consorts. To view some of these you may go to: http://brian.hoffert.faculty.noctrl.edu/REL100/05.SaktasSaivitesVaishnavites.html
C. Vaishnavites
1. Three lines vertical or V shape or U shape line is worn on the forehead of the Vaishnavites.
2. Both the epics Ramayana, story of Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu and Maha Bhartha, story of Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu aiding Pandavas are connected with this tradition.
3. Bhagavad Gita is also directly connected with the teachings of Lord Krishna, an incarnation of primary most gracious deity Vishnu.
4. Lakshmi is the consort of Vishnu; Radha the consort of Krishna and Sita the consort of Rama.
Questions to Explore:
1. What are the three major branches of Hinduism? Explain.
2. Write notes on the following Hindu concepts: a. ahimsa; b. maya; c. ichhā; d. lilā; e. kali yuga and f. moksha.
