Hinduism’s Four
Denominations
For over
200 years, Western scholars have struggled
to
understand Hinduism, a faith whose followers
seemed
(to outsiders) to arbitrarily worship any one
of a
dozen Gods as the Supreme, a religion vastly diverse
in its
beliefs, practices and ways of worship. Some Indologists
labeled
the Hinduism they encountered polytheistic;
others
even coined new terms, like henotheism, to
describe
this
baffling array of spiritual traditions. Few, however, have
realized,
and fewer still have written, that India’s Sanatana
Dharma,
or “eternal faith,” known today as Hinduism and
comprising
nearly a billion followers, is a family of religions
with
four principal denominations—Saivism, Shaktism,
Vaishnavism
and Smartism. This single perception is
essential
for understanding Hinduisim and explaining it
accurately
to others. Contrary to prevailing misconceptions,
Hindus
all worship a one Supreme Being, though by different
names.
For Vaishnavites, Lord Vishnu is God. For Saivites,
God is
Siva. For Shaktas, Goddess Shakti is supreme.
For
Smartas,
liberal
Hindus, the choice of Deity is left to the devotee.
Each
has a multitude of guru lineages, religious leaders,
priesthoods,
sacred literature, monastic communities,
schools,
pilgrimage centers and tens of thousands of temples.
They
possess a wealth of art and architecture, philosophy
and
scholarship. These four sects hold such divergent
beliefs
that
each is a complete and independent religion.
Yet,
they share a vast heritage of culture and belief—karma,
dharma,
reincarnation, all-pervasive Divinity,
temple
worship,
sacraments,
manifold
Deities, the guru-disciple tradition
and the
Vedas as scriptural authority.
In this eight-page
Insight,
drawn from Satguru
Sivaya
Subramuniyaswami’s
Dancing
with Siva, we offer a synopsis of these four
denominations, followed by a point-by-point comparison.
Each of
Hinduism’s philosophies, schools and lineages shares
a
common purpose: to further the soul’s unfoldment to its
divine
destiny. Nowhere is this process better represented
than in
the growth of the renowned lotus, which, seeking
the
sun, arises from the mud to become a magnificent
flower.
Its blossom is a promise of purity and perfection.
Hinduism
Is
A
Splendrous
Lotus
with
Four
Superb
Petals
Saivism
Saivite Hindus worship the
Supreme God as Siva, the
Compassionate One. Saivites
esteem self discipline and philosophy
and follow a satguru.
They worship in the temple
and practice yoga, striving to
be one with Siva within.
Shaktism
Shaktas worship the Supreme as
the Divine Mother, Shakti or Devi.
She has many forms. Some are
gentle, some are fierce. Shaktas use
chants, real magic, holy diagrams,
yoga and rituals to call forth cosmic
forces and awaken the great
kundalini power within the spine.
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavites worship the Supreme
as Lord Vishnu and His incarnations,
especially Krishna and Rama. Vaishnavites
are mainly dualistic. They are
deeply devotional. Their religion is
rich in saints, temples and scriptures.
What Is
the
Deeply
Mystical
Saiva Sect?
Saivism is the world’s oldest religion.
Worshiping God Siva, the
compassionate One, it stresses
potent disciplines, high philosophy,
the guru’s centrality and bhaktiraja-
siddha yoga leading to oneness
with Siva within. Aum.
Seated
on Nandi, his bull mount, the perfect devotee, Lord
Siva
holds japa beads and the trident, symbol of love-wisdom-
action,
and offers blessings of protection and fearlessness.
Mount
Kailas, His sacred Himalayan abode, represents
the pinnacle of consciousness.
Saivism
is ancient, truly ageless, for_
it has no beginning. It is the precursor of
the
many-faceted religion now termed Hinduism.
Scholars
trace the roots of Siva worship back
more
than 8,000 years to the advanced Indus Valley
civilization.
But
sacred
writings
tell us there never
was
a time when Saivism did not exist. Modern
history
records
six
main schools: Saiva Siddhanta,
Pashupatism,
Kashmir Saivism, Vira Saivism, Siddha
Siddhanta
and
Siva Advaita.
Saivism’s
grandeur
and
beauty are found in a practical culture, an enlightened
view of man’s place in the universe and
a
profound system of temple mysticism
and
siddha
yoga.
It provides knowledge of man’s evolution
from
God
and back to God, of the soul’s unfoldment
and
awakening
guided
by enlightened
sages.
Like all
the
sects, its majority are devout families, headed
by
hundreds of orders of swamis and sadhus
who
follow
the fiery, world-renouncing
path
to moksha.
The
Vedas
state,
“By knowing Siva, the Auspicious
One
who is hidden in all things, exceedingly fine,
like
film arising from clarified butter, the One
embracer
of the universe—by realizing God, one
is released from all fetters.” Aum Namah Sivaya.
What Is
the
Devotional
Vaishnava Sect?
Vaishnavism is an ancient Hindu
sect centering on the worship
of Lord Vishnu and His incarnations,
especially Krishna and Rama.
Largely dualistic, profoundly
devotional, it is rich in saints, temples
and scriptures. Aum.
Vishnu
is the infinite ocean from which the world emerges.
He
stands on waves, surrounded by the many-headed Seshanaga,
who
represents agelessness and is regarded as an
extension
of divine energy and an incarnation of Balarama,
Lord Krishna’s brother.
The
worship of vishnu, meaning “pervader,”
dates
back to Vedic times. The Pancharatra
and
Bhagavata sects were popular
prior
to 300 bce. Today’s five Vaishnava schools
emerged
in the middle ages, founded by Ramanuja,
Madhva,
Nimbarka,
Vallabha and Chaitanya. Vaishnavism
stresses
prapatti, single-pointed surrender
to Vishnu,
or His ten or more incarnations, called
avataras.
Japa
is a key devotional sannyasin, as
is
ecstatic
chanting and dancing, called kirtana.
Temple
worship
and festivals are elaborately observed.
Philosophically,
Vaishnavism
ranges
from Madhva’s
pure
dualism
to
Ramanuja’s qualified nondualism
to
Vallabha’s nearly monistic vision.
God
and
soul
are everlastingly distinct. The soul’s destiny,
through
God’s grace, is to eternally worship and
enjoy
Him.
While generally
nonascetic,
advocating
bhakti
as the highest path, Vaishnavism
has
a
strong monastic
community.
Central scriptures
are
the Vedas, Vaishnava
Agamas,
Itihasas
and
Puranas.
The Bhagavad Gita states,
“On those who
meditate
on Me and worship with undivided
heart,
I
confer attainment of what they have not, and preserve
what they have.” Aum Namo Narayanaya.
What Is
the
Universalistic
Smarta
Sect?
Smartism is an ancient brahminical
tradition reformed by
Shankara in the ninth century.
Worshiping six forms of God,
this liberal Hindu path is monistic,
nonsectarian, meditative
and philosophical. Aum.
Adi
Shankara lived from 788 to 820 ce, a mere 32 years, yet
he gave
Hinduism a new liberal denomination—Smartism.
Here,
wearing sacred marks, he holds his writings and is
flanked
by the six Deities of the Smarta altar: Surya the Sun,
Siva, Shakti, Vishnu, Kumaran and Ganesha.
Smarta
means a follower of classical
smriti,
particularly the Dharma Shastras,
Puranas
and Itihasas. Smartas revere
the
Vedas
and
honor the Agamas. Today this faith is
synonymous
with the teachings of Adi Shankara,
the
monk-philosopher
known
as Shanmata Sthapanacharya,
“founder
of
the six-sect system.” He campaigned
India-wide
to consolidate
the
Hindu faiths
of
his time under the banner of Advaita Vedanta.
To
unify the worship, he popularized the ancient
Smarta
five-Deity altar—Ganapati,
Surya,
Vishnu,
Siva
and Shakti—and added Kumara. From these,
devotees
may choose their “preferred Deity,” or Ishta
Devata.
Each God is but a reflection of the one
Saguna
Brahman.
Shankara organized hundreds
of
monasteries
into
a ten-order, dashanami
system,
which
now has five pontifical centers.
He
wrote
profuse
commentaries on the Upanishads,
Brahma
Sutras
and Bhagavad Gita. Shankara
proclaimed,
“It
is the one Reality which appears
to
our ignorance
as
a manifold universe of names and forms and
changes.
Like the gold of which many ornaments
are
made, it remains in itself unchanged.
Such
is
Brahman, and That art Thou.” Aum Namah Sivaya
As
just seen, the spectrum
of Hindu religiousness is
found within four major
sects or denominations: Saivism,
Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism.
Among these four streams, there are
certainly more similarities than differences.
All four believe in karma and
reincarnation and in a Supreme Being
who both is form and pervades form,
who creates, sustains and destroys
the universe only to create it again
in unending cycles. They strongly
declare the validity and importance
of temple worship, the three worlds
of existence and the myriad Gods and
devas residing in them. They concur
that there is no intrinsic evil, that the
cosmos is created out of God and is
permeated by Him. They each believe
in maya (though their definitions differ
somewhat), and in the liberation of
the soul from rebirth, called moksha,
as the goal of human existence. They
believe in dharma and in ahimsa, noninjury,
and in the need for a satguru to
lead the soul toward Self Realization.
They wear the sacred marks, tilaka,
on their foreheads as sacred symbols,
though each wears a distinct mark.
Finally, they prefer cremation of the
body upon death, believing that the
soul will inhabit another body in the
next life. While Hinduism has many
sacred scriptures, all sects ascribe the
highest authority to the Vedas and
Agamas, though their Agamas differ
somewhat. Here, now, is a brief comparison
of these four denominations.
On
the Personal God/Goddess
saivism: Personal
God and temple Deity
is
Siva, neither male nor female. Lords
Ganesha
and Karttikeya are also
worshiped.
shaktism: Personal
Goddess and temple
Deity
is Shri Devi or Shakti, female,
worshiped
as
Rajarajeshvari, Parvati, Lakshmi,
Sarasvati,
Kali, Amman, etc. —the
Divine
Mother.
vaishnavism:
Personal God and temple
Deity
is Vishnu, male. His incarnations
as
Rama
and Krishna are also worshiped, as
well
as His divine consort, Radharani.
smartism: Personal
God and temple Deity
is
Ishvara, male or female, worshiped
as
Vishnu, Siva, Shakti, Ganesha and Surya
or
another Deity of devotee’s
choice,
e.g.,
Kumara
or Krishna.
On
the Nature of Shakti
saivism: Shakti
is God Siva’s inseparable
power
and manifest will, energy or mind.
shaktism: Shakti
is an active, immanent
Being,
separate from a quiescent and
remote
Siva.
vaishnavism:
No special importance
is
given to Shakti. However,
there
are
parallels
wherein the divine consorts
are
conceived as the inseparable powers
of
Vishnu and His incarnations: e.g.,
Krishna’s
Radharani and Rama’s Sita.
smartism: Shakti
is a divine form of Ishvara.
It is
God’s manifesting power.
On
the Nature of Personal God
saivism: God
Siva is pure love and compassion,
immanent
and transcendent,
pleased by our purity and sadhana.
shaktism: The
Goddess Shakti is both
compassionate
and terrifying, pleasing
and
wrathful, assuaged by sacrifice and
submission.
vaishnavism:
God Vishnu is loving and
beautiful,
the object
of
man’s devotion,
pleased
by our service and surrender.
smartism: Ishvara
appears as a human-like
Deity
according to devotees’ loving worship,
which
is sometimes considered a
rudimentary,
self-purifying
practice.
On
the Doctrine of Avatara
saivism: There
are no divine earthly
incarnations
of the Supreme Being.
shaktism: The
Divine Mother does
incarnate
in this world.
vaishnavism:
Vishnu has ten or more
incarnations.
smartism: All
Deities may assume
earthly
incarnations.
On
the Soul and God
saivism: God
Siva is one with the soul. The
soul
must realize this advaitic (monistic)
Truth
by God Siva’s grace.
shaktism: The
Divine Mother, Shakti, is
mediatrix,
bestowing advaitic moksha on
those
who worship Her.
vaishnavism:
God and soul are eternally
distinct.
Through Lord Vishnu’s grace, the
soul’s
destiny is to worship and enjoy God.
smartism: Ishvara
and man are in reality
Absolute
Brahman.
Within
maya, the soul
and
Ishvara appear as two. Jnana (wisdom)
dispels
the illusion.
Spiritual
Practice
saivism: With
bhakti as a base, emphasis
is
placed on tapas (austerity) and yoga.
Ascetic.
shaktism: Emphasis
is on bhakti and
tantra,
sometimes occult, practices.
Ascetic-occult.
vaishnavism:
Emphasis is on supreme
bhakti
or surrender, called prapatti.
Generally
devotional
and nonascetic.
smartism: Preparatory
sadhanas are
bhakti,
karma, raja yoga. The highest path
is
through knowledge, leading to jnana.
Major
Scriptures
saivism: Vedas, Saiva
Agamas and Saiva
Puranas.
shaktism: Vedas,
Shakta Agamas (Tantras)
and Puranas.
vaishnavism:
Vedas, Vaishnava Agamas,
Puranas and
the Itihasas (Ramayana and
Mahabharata,
especially the Bhagavad
Gita).
smartism: Vedas, Agamas and
classical
smriti—Puranas,
Itihasas, especially the
Bhagavad
Gita, etc.
Regions
of Influence
saivism: Strongest
in South and North India,
Nepal
and Sri Lanka.
shaktism: Most
prominent in Northeast
India,
especially Bengal and Assam.
vaishnavism:
Strong throughout India,
North
and South.
smartism: Most
prominent in North and
South India.
Paths of Attainment
saivism: The path for Saivites is divided into four progressive
stages of belief and practice called charya, kriya,
yoga and jnana. The soul evolves through
karma and
reincarnation
from the instinctive-intellectual sphere
into virtuous and moral living, then into temple worship
and devotion, followed by internalized worship,
or yoga, and its meditative disciplines. Union with God
Siva comes through the grace of the satguru and culminates
in the soul’s maturity in the state of jnana, or wisdom.
Saivism values both bhakti and yoga, devotional
and contemplative sadhanas, or disciplines.
shaktism: The spiritual practices in Shaktism are similar
to those in Saivism, though there is more emphasis in Saktism
on God’s Power as opposed
to Being, on mantras and
yantras, and on embracing apparent opposites: male-female,
absolute-
relative, pleasure-pain, cause-effect,
mindbody.
Certain sects within Shaktism undertake
“left-hand”
tantric rites, consciously using the world of form to transmute
and eventually transcend that world. The “left-hand”
approach is somewhat occult in nature; it is considered a
path for the few, not the many. The “right-hand” path is
more conservative
in nature.
Artwork: The Divine is reflected in four pots, representing
Hinduism’s four main denominations, their
common source being the radiant Aum, the sacred
mystic syllable and symbol of Sanatana Dharma.
vaishnavism:
Most Vaishnavites believe that religion is the
performance of bhakti sadhanas, devotional disciplines, and
that man can communicate
with and receive the grace of the
Gods and Goddesses through the darshan (sight) of their icons.
The paths of karma yoga and jnana yoga lead to bhakti yoga.
Among the foremost practices of Vaishnavites is chanting the
holy names of the Avataras, Vishnu’s incarnations, especially
Rama and Krishna. Through total self-surrender, prapatti, to
Vishnu, to Krishna or to His beloved consort Radharani, liberation
from samsara (the cycle of reincarnation) is attained.
smartism: Smartas, the most eclectic of Hindus, believe that
moksha is achieved through jnana yoga alone—defined as an
intellectual and meditative but non-kundalini-yoga path. Jnana
yoga’s progressive stages are scriptural study (shravana), reflection
(manana) and sustained
meditation (dhyana). Guided by
a realized guru and avowed to the unreality of the world, the
initiate meditates on himself
as Brahman, Absolute Reality, to
break through the illusion of maya. Devotees
may also choose
from three other non-successive paths to cultivate devotion, accrue
good karma and purify the mind. These are bhakti yoga,
karma yoga and raja yoga, which certain Smartas teach can
also bring enlightenment.
Om Tat Sat
(My humble salutations to Sadguru Sri Sivaya Subramuniyaswami ji,
Satguru Bodhianatha Velayanswami ji, Hinduism
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