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xxxv] History and Literature of Vira-saivism 49 world. As we shall have occasion to notice later on, the whole doctrine of șaț-sthala, which forms the crux of Vīra-saiva thought, is only an emphasis on the necessity on the part of every individual to look upon him and the world as being sustained in God and being completely identified with God. There are, indeed, many phrases which suggest a sort of bhedābheda view, but this bhedābheda or difference in unity is not of the nature of the tree and its flowers and fruits, as such a view will suggest a modification or transformation of the nature of Siva. The idea of bhedābheda is to be interpreted with the notion that God, who is transcendent, appears also in the form of the objects that we perceive and also of the nature of our own selves.
The Siddhānta-śikhāmaņi was based on the Agamas and therefore had the oscillating nature of philosophical outlook as we find in the different Āgamas. Thus in Siddhānta-śikhāmani, ch. v, verse 34, it is said that the Brahman is without any form or quality, but it appears to be the individual souls (jīvas) by its beginningless association with avidyā or nescience. In that sense jīva or the individual soul is only a part of God. Siddhānta-śikhāmani further says that God is the controller, the mover (preraka) of all living beings. In another verse it says that Brahman is both God and the souls of beings at the same time. In pure Siva there are no qualities as sattva, rajas and tamast. Again Siddhānta-śikhāmaņi oscillates to the Vedānta view that the individual souls, the objects of the world as well as the Supreme Controller, are all but illusory imposition on the pure consciousness or Brahmana. The Siddhāntaśikhāmaņi admits both avidyā and māyā after the fashion of Sankarites. It is in association with avidyā that we have the various kinds of souls and it is with the association of māyā that Brahman appears as omniscient and omnipotent. It is on account of the avidyā that the individual soul cannot realise its identity with Brahman, and thus goes through the cycle of births and rebirths.
Yet there is another point to note. In the Yoga-sūtra of Patañjali, it is said that the nature of our birth, the period of life
guna-trayātmikā saktir brahma-nişthā-sanātani, tad-vaişamyāt samutpannā tasmin vastu-trayābhidhā.
Siddhānta-sikhāmani, ch. V, verse 39. bhokta bhojyam prerayitā vastu-trayamidam smrtam, akhande brahma-caitanye kalpitam guna-bhedataḥ.
Ibid. ch. V, verse 41.
