Saivism A Perspective Of Grace

A Comprehensive Study Of 8 Classical Works Known As Siddhanta Astakam Of Umpati Sivacarya. 7 Chapters - 4 Appendices - Bibliography - Index Of Tamil And Sanskrit Words.

Saivism is one of the pervasive expressions of Indian Religious Culture stretching to the dim past of pre-history and surviving as a living force in the thought and life of millions of Hindus especially in Southern India and Northern Ceylon. The present work is scholarly reconstruction of Saivism in its characteristic and classical from as Saiva Siddhanta, focusing mainly on the philosophical doctrine and presenting a conceptual analysis of its formative notions, problems and methods. Anteceding the rise of the great systems of Vedanta including that of Sankara, Saiva Siddhanta in its fully systematised form as Mystical Theology in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries represents a constructive reaction to the theological, ethical and aesthetic aspects of Vedanta as a whole. A patient study of this much neglected phase of religo-philosophical development of India should prove useful for a more balanced understanding of Indian religiosity, providing a corrective to the view entertained not without justification that Indian religious thought does not affirms the values of freedom, love and personality. This methodical study, appended with very exhaustive glossary, bibliography and index and two-hundred pages of references and foot-notes is designed to meet the requirements of seriious students of Eastern religious thought.

Setting Out A Spiritual Dialogue Between Saiva And Christian Mysticism, The Book Articulates World-Views Of The Mystical Traditions Of Saiva-Siddhanta, Kashmir Saivism, Meister Eckhart, Hadewijch, Julian Of Norwich, St. Ignatius Loyola And Of The Eastern Christianity.

It is often said that the real confrontation between Christianity and the great religions of the world is only just beginning. Bishop Kulandran's book on the pivotal religious doctrine of Grace marks the first stage in the new encounter between Christianity and Hinduism. The result of considerable research and theological reflection, Bishop Kulandran's book is an objective and scholarly appraisal of Christianity and Hinduism, their similarities and differences, and of the two different worlds in which they move. Hinduism's uncertainty about the character of God and Christianity's dogmatic certainty are examined in detail. The sense of man's need of God's grace in Christianity, and Hinduism's rejection of any act of reconciliation are seen by Bishop Kulandran as central to the dialogue between the two religions. As Dr. Hendrik Kraemer says in the foreword, Bishop Kulandran's book is animated by the desire for fair presentation and understanding and is a new and important contribution to the subject and not merely a repetition of what has often been said before. The author belonged by birth and experience to the Indian world and as a Bishop of the Church of South India knew the power as well as the limitations of the Christian mission in the world of Hinduism. This scholarly work is a valuable contribution to comparative religion and is an illuminating exploration of two of the world's most important religions.

Mahadeviyakka, or Akkamahadevi was bom at Udutadi a village not far from Shimoga, which was then the capital ofking Kausika. Her parents were named Sumati and Nirmalay' Akkamahadevi herself seems to have had her initiation in early childhood and the impress of the seal of Grace must have been strong on her, for she was from that moment a dedicated child. Beautiful as she was in person (traditional biographers, in their charming old way, describe her as a Rudrakannike). She was more beautiful in mind and heart. So firm was her conviction of being already wedded to her lord Mallikaijuna, that at the age of eighteen, in a country, at a time noted for early marriages, she was still single. The turning-point in her life came when king Kausika, returning from a hunt, saw her among the crowd that had been drawn by the din and splendour ofthe cavalcade, and on the instant fell captive to her beauty.

This is a full account of Siva's Dance of Bliss, which has become a popular symbol in the West for Hinduism and Eastern Mysticism. Siva is one of the two main gods of Hinduism, and his worshippers comprise half of all Hindus. Siva's Dance of Bliss is based on a remarkable Sanskrit poem written by Umapati Sivacarya, Saiva theologian and temple priest in Cidambaram, South India, in the fourteenth century. Starting with the bronze image of Nataraja, King of Dancers, thereafter the Cidambaram temple, its myth and its priests are viewed in the light of the poem. Umapati's Saiva theology is discussed in relation to his life and also in relation to Vedanta and yoga. The iconography and mythology of the Goddess and of other forms of Siva provide necessary perspective. Art from Cidambaram and neighbouring sites illuminates the text.