"Sidhantham is whether Dualism or Monotheism" - A short Note by Arul
Beloved Devotees, May Almighty Grace Light bless us with the required worldly wealth and abundant Divine Treasures! As a Sutha Sanmargi, we all need to know the real difference between Sidhantha and Vedhantha clearly to understand His Holiness directions very well for us. Hope my short description below here may focus the spot-light on truth.
After the arrival of Aryas, ancient North was well known for Vedhantham, which is mostly philosophical in nature. Ancient Indians, even before the Vedic Era, especially Tamilians were excellent in Sidhantham, which is rich in both science and philosophy altogether. Nevertheless, a considerable fusion between Vedhantha and Sidhantha was in progress slowly as India was able to produce great scholars before the entry of Islam and Christianity into India. In short, Ancient India was very much popularly renowned for both Wealth and Wisdom. However, enough traces of clashes were seen against Vedhantha in the Indian history, even before and after the invasion of both Muslims and Christians. Those traces of clashes eventually became as different religions in India as Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrian, Bakthi Movements, Shaivites, etc.
The Shaiva Sidhantha gained a great identity for Tamilians, but it is just only a part, not the whole. So, we should not depend on Shaiva Sidhantham entirely to blindly mention that Sidhantham endorses only dualism. Of course, Shaivities worship Lord Shiva in their temples, who is All and in all; the creator, preserver, destroyer, concealer and revealer, yet they do strive to be one with SIVA within through Sariyai, Kriyai, Yoga and Gnanam.
Types of Shaiva Sidhanthaas:
Pashupata Shaivism: It is the oldest named Shaivite group. The Pashupatas were ascetics.
Shaiva Siddhantha: Considered normative tantric Saivism. Shaiva Siddhantha provides the normative rites, cosmology and theological categories of tantric Saivism. There is a dualistic dimension to Shaivism, as expounded by Meykandar.
However, the Pure/Shuddha Siddhantha proclaimed by Rishi Thirumular and his Paramparai (Guru Lineage), is strictly non-dualistic, and proclaims the soul to be at all times one with Shiva. This tradition was once practiced ALL OVER India. For example the theologians Sadyojoti, Bhatta Narayanakantha and his son Bhatta Rāmakantha (ca. 950-1000 AD) developed a sophisticated Siddhantha Theology in Kashmir. However the Muslim subjugation of north India restricted Shaiva Sidhantha to the south.
Kashmir Shaiva Siddhanta, a householder religion, was based on a Strong Monistic Interpretation of the Bhairava Tantras (and its subcategory the Kaula Tantras), which were Tantras written by the Kapalikas. There was additionally a revelation of the Siva Sutras to Vasugupta. Kashmir Saivism claimed to supersede the dualistic Shaiva Siddhanta. Somananda, the first theologian of monistic Saivism, was the teacher of Utpaladeva, who was the grand-teacher of Abhinavagupta, who in turn was the teacher of Ksemaraja.
Natha Siddha Siddhanta: Founded by Matsyendranatha (ca 800–1000) and expounded by Rishi Gorakshanatha (ca 950), and this Monism is known as Bhedabheda, embracing both the transcendent Shiva as well as the immanent Shiva. Shiva is efficient and material cause. The creation and final return of soul and cosmos to Shiva are likened to bubbles arising and returning to water. Influential in Nepal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.
Lingayatism: Made popular by Basavanna (1105–1167), this version of qualified Non-Dualism, Shakti Vishishtadvaita, accepts both difference and non-difference between soul and God, like rays are to the sun. Shiva and the cosmic force are one, yet Shiva is beyond His creation, which is real, not illusory. God is efficient and material cause. Influential primarily in Karnataka.
Advaita Sidhantha: This monistic theism, formulated by Srikantha (ca 1050), was later developed as Shuddhadvaitha Sidhantha by Appaya Dikshita (1554–1626). Its area of origin and influence covers most of Karnataka state.
Sidhantham left a major imprint on the intellectual life of classical Cambodia, Champa in what is today southern Vietnam, Java and the Tamil Lands. The wave of Shaivite devotionalism that swept through late classical and early medieval India redefined Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Shaivite worship legitimized several ruling dynasties in pre-modern India, including the Chola and the Rajputs. A similar trend was witnessed in early medieval Indonesia with the Majapahit empire and pre-Islamic Malaya. Nepal is the only country in the world where Shaiva Sidshata is the most popular form of Hinduism till today.
In reality, Sidhantha was the mother of today’s modern science. As a matter of fact, Sindhantham comes under higher order scientific and philosophical cognition rather than Vedhantham. In other words, Sidhantham is a normative science.
During the fusion/transition in the past, Vedhantha had acquired ample scientific components or Sashtdras from Sidhantha, whereas Saiva Sidhantham had absorbed considerable Thothdras from Vedhantham as well. In addition to these changes, both Nadhantham and Kalandham eventually got dissolved in Sidhantham. Similarly, both Yogandham and Bhodhandham in the long run got engrossed in Vedhantham. But, at the end, Pure/Sutha Vedhantham and Pure/Sutha Sidhantham were able to stand independently on their own base to oppose each other forever.
At this juncture, His Holiness, Vallalar’s Divine Wave has ascended very higher gracefully than anyone else ever before to unify both Pure/Sutha Sidhantha and Pure/Sutha Vedhantha in order to positively pacify superfluous conflicts among different schools of opposing theological thoughts, and hence, His Holiness, Vallalar has first started Samaras Vedha Sanmarga Sangam, combing all the schools of ultimate thoughts of all theologies, and has become the first super most star in the world of theologies. No doubt, this is the real historical and clear proof for being that the first great soul in the whole world, who has built an extraordinary intellectual bridge between the gap of Pure/Sutha Vedhantham and Pure/Sutha Sidhantham is His Holiness, Vallarperuman. Here, Sanmargam is nothing but the Ultimate Sutha Sidhantham/Purest Science.
Later, after preparing the people to understand His precepts, His Holiness, Vallarperuman has changed the name of Samarasa Vedha Sanmargam as “Samarasa Pure/Sutha Sanmargam”. This type of Teaching Strategy in Pedagogy is termed as ‘Known to Unknown Method of Instruction’. This is the shortest description of how our Vallalar Peruman has made a permanent full-stop for all the unnecessary long lasting theological clashes, not only among all Indians, but also among all in the whole world. Well.
Vedhantheess made Yoga easy and popular worldwide, after grasping Sariyai, Kiriyai, Yoga and Gnana Sasthdras/Scientific Components of Sidhantham. Hats off to them! Yogathil Sariyai, Yogathil Kirai, Yogathil Yogam and Yogathil Gnanam were given different names as Pakthi Yogam, Karma Yogam, Gnana Yogam and Raja Yogam by Vedantees like Swami Vivekanda. Adi Sankarar had also already advocated Advaita Vedhantha and established his teaching all over India, and that helped many Vedhantha Scholars spread Vedic Voices and its Philosophy very popularly worldwide. But, all ended in vain as they only speak volumes of enhancing words as we do see on a stage today, but yield nothing in reality for the benefits and comforts of real world around us rather than social conflicts.
But, Pure Sidhantham has been shining forever as it has quickly got transformed as Modern Science with an adequate room for Theory/Philosophy/Vedhantha. Unfortunately, we have no concept of what we are talking now, since we have been made to overlook our own wealth of wisdom due to several socio-economic and religious-political changes over thousands of years on this holy land.
The ultimate destination of Vedhantha is Advaitha Nilai/Oneness/Mukthi Nilai/Nirvaana/Eternal Samadhi. But, according to Pure Sidhantha, the ultimate destination is not only Advaitha Nilai/Oneness/Mukthi Nilai/Nirvaana/Eternal Samadhi, but also ‘SiThi Inbham’. And, Samarasa Sutha Sanmaargam starts from where the Fusion/Orumai of Vedhantha-Sidhantham comes to an end. Please read the following sacred verses of Arutpa. “Mukthi Enbathu Munuru Sadhanam (Mukthi is Pre-Practice”, “SiThi Enbathu Nilai Seerntha Anubhavam (SiThi is known Experience)”, “Vedhantha Nilaiyaaki Sidhanthathin Meiyaaki Samarasathin Vivekamaaki….” Well.
To make the long story short, Vedhantha is like a Scalar, whereas Sidhantha is like a Vector; and Samarasam is like a Tensor. Both a scalar and a vector in Math are nothing but different ranks of a Tensor. In other words, scalar has only quantity, but a vector has both quantity and direction. For example, let us consider the distance between two stars. Vedhantham says that distance as, “It is a very long distance”. Sidhantha says as, “It is 100 light years in the North East” On the other hand, Samarasa/Sutha Sanmargam makes you measure the distance between those stars practically by yourself to say as, “Yes. It is a very long distance, and which is measured as 100 light years in the North East.” Let us try to understand the truth here.
To put it in different way, Vedhantha and Sidhantha are the two sides of a same coin, and that coin is ‘Samarasam. Yes! We could also view Vedhantha as the theoretical side of Sidhantham, and Sidhantham as the practical side of Vedhantham. So, let us not be duped by someone else, and hence, let us always stay focused on the ultimate unified universal Grace Path as shown by Vallalar.
As a summary to say something about Sidhantham, Sidhantham was born as dualism, grown to be Pure Sidhantham, which is nothing but Advaitham, and matured perfectly as Samarasa Sutha Sanmargam to help an individual manifest The Nature Truth/Perfection to receive the Almighty Grace Light and experience the Limitless Nature Bliss that all already exist in him/her.
ArutPerumJyothi…
Have a Blessed Day!
Kindly Yours,
Arul