The Role of Sivadhiksha in Saiva Life as Told by the Sivagamas

சைவ வாழ்வியலில் சிவாகமங்கள் கூறும் சிவதீட்ங்யைின் வகிபங்கு

Abstract

The Agama is an age-old knowledge and sivagama is the book which removes the feces through knowledge and gives birth to the house. Manickavasagar’s statement that the Lord has the twenty-eight Agamas, which are saiva siddhanta texts and the precepts of Siddhanta Saivism, as his image, is “Agamam Aginindru Annippan Thal Vazhga” is a highlight of sivagama ideas. Here ‘Annipaan’ is waiting. It is the Kriyapada of the Sivagamas that speaks about Sivadīdīksha. In Kriyapada, when the souls attain shakti nipada, the miracle of appearing to them as gurumurthy and giving them religious special and naked initiations is spoken of. Initiation is the destruction of the stool and the giving of wisdom. This diksha is an important ritual taken up by all religions and the path to muthi. The upanayana ritual of wearing the sacred thread is the qualification for the recitation of the Vedas and the observance of the vedic discipline in the vedic system. In the same way, it is sivadīdīksha which creates the qualification for the recitation of thirumarais and sivagamas in saiva dharma and to carry forward saiva discipline. While deekshavidhi explains some explanations, Arumuga Navalar mentions in saivavina’s answer book about the special rule of initiation at the age of seven in Saivism. Even though the Guru preaches various mantras, the moola mantra is the thiruvainthazhutham “Shivayanam”, your name has not been forgotten in my tongue appar swamigal |nathan namam namasivayave| Sambandar also praises Thiruvainthazhuthu. It is the Kriyapada of the original Sivagamas of this study that gives the details of Sivadīksha. It is made clear that all Saiva samajists, from sivachariyars, should be initiated and should follow the principles of initiation. Shiva deeksha is associated with life and the steps of this initiation are that a person who is initiated by Shiva wears shiva symbols and performs panchakshara prayer and receives the muthi of Shiva and removes ignorance and attains knowledge. Contemporary Practices of Sivadheeksha The necessity of Sivadeeksha in the present context has also been highlighted.