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THE SHAIVA SHAKTA TRADITION
Aghora represents a tradition which, in the present day, can be placed within the Shiva Shakti school of thought. Without going into the debates about the finer nature of its myriad streams, we will take a broad look at the Shaiva Shakti tradition as enunciated by scholars based on the writing sources derived from derived from various scriptural texts consisting of the Vedas, the Upanishads and the puranas that describe the number of shiva and his relation to Shakti. For example, the rig vada (approximately 1200 BCE) describes a fiery and terrifying God named Rudra, a god who is fierce but who provides blessings and rules benevolently over herbs. The rudradhyaya chapter of the yajur Veda describes rudra’s auspicious form, which is innately united with his feminine power, and is called Shiva (shiva). Within this description, shiva is embellished with the adjective Aghora. According followers of the tradition, the illustration implies that Rudra is shiva and shiva is aghora, a Sanskrit word which is known as ‘Aughar’ in the present times. Another name for Rudra Shiva in the rig Veda is pashupati, a god who protects the sheep, cows and horses. Agama and Tantra scriptures consider Shiva and Shakti to be inseparable. The illustration mentioned above from the yajur Veda leads to the conclusion that Rudra is Shiva only because he is inseparably joined with the feminine Shakti, Aghora. A huge cornucopia of Tantra literature has been composed to expand upon Rudra’s Shiva /Aghora from. It can be said that worshippers of Rudra’s Shiva or Aghora from are, interestingly, Shakti worshippers. Aughars, observers of the Shiva Shakti tradition, therefore, are regarded as a personified embodiment of Rudra, auspicious form, which is in constant union with his feminine power Shiva other scriptures mention several names for Rudra, namely Sadashiva, Ishana, Tatpurusha, Aghora, Vamdeva, Sadyojata, Harparvatirupa, Neelkanth, Ardhanarishwar pashupati, Neelagreeva, and chadeshwar. Quite commonly Shiva is attributed with five faces namely sadyojata, vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpursh with air and Ishana. Each one of these faces, according to the vishnudharmottara puruna, is associated with one of the five constituent elements of the cosmos. Sadyojata is associated with the earth element, vamadeva with water, Aghora with fire, Tatpursh and air and Ishana with space. When these five faces of Shiva are thought of in conjunction with these five constituent elements of the cosmos, then emerge the five name of shiva which are widely known today, namely Mahadeva which represent the earth, Bhairava which represents fire, Nandi representing air, Uma, for water and sadashiva, space.
Based on the specific doctrinal inclinations of practitioners, in the context of the various forms of shiva, ancient scriptures delineate four major shaiva sects named, pashupati, kapadaman and kapalika, or pashupati, Shaiva kalamukh, and kapalika. 6 The major literature of these four shaiva sects is known collectively as shaivagam. This literature, though, is sometimes further locally subdivided in the regions where they became popular, such as pashupata though, propounded by nakulish or lakulish, popular in Gujarat and the rajputana in the 3rd or 2nd century B.C., Shaiva siddhanta, revered in the Tamil region of south India, vir shaiva thought known in the Karnataka region of south India, and the prettyabhigya thought, which was centred in Kashmir and which is said to have been propounded primarily by the son of Rishi durwasa a sage by the name of Tryambak. All these name of Shiva and the various sects associated with them mentioned in the Vedic, tantric and puranic literature point to the fact that the populace worshipped rudra or shiva in various forms though a large part of India over the centuries, leading too many different traditions of Shiva Shakti worship. One amongst these was that of Aghora.
Aghora represents a tradition which, in the present day, can be placed within the Shiva Shakti school of thought. Without going into the debates about the finer nature of its myriad streams, we will take a broad look at the Shaiva Shakti tradition as enunciated by scholars based on the writing sources derived from derived from various scriptural texts consisting of the Vedas, the Upanishads and the puranas that describe the number of shiva and his relation to Shakti. For example, the rig vada (approximately 1200 BCE) describes a fiery and terrifying God named Rudra, a god who is fierce but who provides blessings and rules benevolently over herbs. The rudradhyaya chapter of the yajur Veda describes rudra’s auspicious form, which is innately united with his feminine power, and is called Shiva (shiva). Within this description, shiva is embellished with the adjective Aghora. According followers of the tradition, the illustration implies that Rudra is shiva and shiva is aghora, a Sanskrit word which is known as ‘Aughar’ in the present times. Another name for Rudra Shiva in the rig Veda is pashupati, a god who protects the sheep, cows and horses. Agama and Tantra scriptures consider Shiva and Shakti to be inseparable. The illustration mentioned above from the yajur Veda leads to the conclusion that Rudra is Shiva only because he is inseparably joined with the feminine Shakti, Aghora. A huge cornucopia of Tantra literature has been composed to expand upon Rudra’s Shiva /Aghora from. It can be said that worshippers of Rudra’s Shiva or Aghora from are, interestingly, Shakti worshippers. Aughars, observers of the Shiva Shakti tradition, therefore, are regarded as a personified embodiment of Rudra, auspicious form, which is in constant union with his feminine power Shiva other scriptures mention several names for Rudra, namely Sadashiva, Ishana, Tatpurusha, Aghora, Vamdeva, Sadyojata, Harparvatirupa, Neelkanth, Ardhanarishwar pashupati, Neelagreeva, and chadeshwar. Quite commonly Shiva is attributed with five faces namely sadyojata, vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpursh with air and Ishana. Each one of these faces, according to the vishnudharmottara puruna, is associated with one of the five constituent elements of the cosmos. Sadyojata is associated with the earth element, vamadeva with water, Aghora with fire, Tatpursh and air and Ishana with space. When these five faces of Shiva are thought of in conjunction with these five constituent elements of the cosmos, then emerge the five name of shiva which are widely known today, namely Mahadeva which represent the earth, Bhairava which represents fire, Nandi representing air, Uma, for water and sadashiva, space.
Based on the specific doctrinal inclinations of practitioners, in the context of the various forms of shiva, ancient scriptures delineate four major shaiva sects named, pashupati, kapadaman and kapalika, or pashupati, Shaiva kalamukh, and kapalika. 6 The major literature of these four shaiva sects is known collectively as shaivagam. This literature, though, is sometimes further locally subdivided in the regions where they became popular, such as pashupata though, propounded by nakulish or lakulish, popular in Gujarat and the rajputana in the 3rd or 2nd century B.C., Shaiva siddhanta, revered in the Tamil region of south India, vir shaiva thought known in the Karnataka region of south India, and the prettyabhigya thought, which was centred in Kashmir and which is said to have been propounded primarily by the son of Rishi durwasa a sage by the name of Tryambak. All these name of Shiva and the various sects associated with them mentioned in the Vedic, tantric and puranic literature point to the fact that the populace worshipped rudra or shiva in various forms though a large part of India over the centuries, leading too many different traditions of Shiva Shakti worship. One amongst these was that of Aghora.
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