________________
38
Literature of Southern Saivism
[CH.
Vātulāgama'. Vātulāgama from Adyar with commentary seems to be almost identical with the Vātulāgama of the Mysore Oriental Research Institute, only with this difference that the Vātulāgama of Mysore contains more verses in the concluding tenth chapter in which the Vira-saiva doctrine is praised above other Saiva doctrines. But the original beginning is more or less like the general Saiva doctrine as may be found in Tattva-prakāśikā with Aghora-śivācārya's commentary. There is also the tendency to derive the existence of Śiva as the ultimate reality on the basis of inference, as may be found in the Siddhānta systems of Saivism, such as the Mrgendrāgama or in the Lākulīša-Pāśupata system. The supplementary portion of Vātulāgama introduces the doctrine of linga-dhārana of the Vira-śaivas, but does not say anything about its specific philosophy or about its other doctrines associated with șaț-sthala.
Vatula-tantrama. Śiva-tattva is of three kinds: (1) nişkala, (2) sakala and (3) nişkala-sakala. Siva may be distinguished in ten ways: (1) tattva-bheda, (2) varņa-bheda, (3) cakra-bheda, (4) varga-bheda, (5) mantra-bheda, (6) pranava, (7) brahma-bheda, (8) anga-bheda, (9) mantra-jāta, (10) kīla. Though previously it has been said to be of three kinds, it has three forms again: (1) subrahmanya-śiva, (2) sadā-śiva and (3) maheśa.
Siva is called nişkala when all His kalās, that is parts or organs or functions, are concentrated in a unity within Him. In further defining the nature of nişkalatva, the author says that when the pure and impure elements that contribute to experience are collected together and merged in the original cause, and remain there as the budding cause of all powers that are to develop the universe, we have the nişkala stage. The commentator supports this idea by quotations from many texts. The sakala-nişkala is that in which the deeds of persons are in a dormant state, and when the time of creation comes it associates itself with the bindu state for
i Oriental Research Institute, Mysore. 2 Adyar Library manuscript.
