Synthesis of Yoga in Lingayatism

Author(s): N G Mahadevappa
Publisher: N G Mahadevappa

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SYNTHESIS OF YOGA IN LINGAYATISM
N.G.Mahadevappa "Chaitanya", Fifth Cross, Kalyan Nagar, DHARWAD-580 007 (Karnataka).
T
vinte : Cagayatism of the Kannada vacanas is often wrongly identified with
of the Sanskrit Saiva Agamas. The latter holds (1) that Śiva abides in
i wife Pārvati, sons Ganapati, Kumāra and Virabhadra, a host of cohorts, t rand of human skulls, holds a trident, rides a bull and is transcendent', kval which is a post-mortem achievement is a companionship with Śiva, i.e., which even to the liberated soul Śiva is 'the other?, (3) that one must
liscrimination failing which one goes to hell", (4) that one must beg for tid must not resort to any profession", (5) that one must perform the Vedic
rituals and (6) that since changing caste (varņa-sankara) is a great sin, a niva cannot become Virasaiva in this life and if one wants to become a
e must be born into a Virasaiva family as a consequence of great merit itaques sver thousands of births. Basavanna and his followers of the 12th century,
e vacanas in Kannada, rejected the belief in Kailāsa both as an abode of Faust as the goal of spiritual life. Paraśiva, for them is not nirguna (featureless),
(formless), present in everybody in the form of soul. Moksa for them is
- cath passage from the mortal world to Kailāsa, but eternal union with Pasiva), attainable in the embodied state. All those who wear iştalinga are at therefore, one should not observe caste discrimination and the related
ke taboo. One must earn one's livelihood honestly and the excess must be Surency to the needy. Anyone can become a Lingāyata at any time of his life. There it, the name 'Lingāyatism' is used in this paper in preference to the name
Virasuisin'. Moreover, the Sanskrit literature on Virasaivism is scanty and whatever ? vaid is influenced by the vast Kannada vacana literature of the 12th and later w ana-siters.
2. The spiritual path of Lingāyatism is called Şat-sthala or Sivayoga. But since the name 'Śivayoga' applies to the spiritual programme of the Tamil Saivas (Saiva
action) also, the word 'Şat-sthala' is used in this essay as a synonym of Agavale Sivayoga.)