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vignesh2014
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The samhita part of vedic literature, did not deem any personal forms of God, as we find in the Hindu society today. The mantras deem energetic field in various aspects denoted by the particular words Brahmaa, Vishnu and Shiva. The sacrificial part and meditative part were considered part of Upasana. There is no mention of the words Bhakti or Mandiram, or Aalayam in the mantras.
Upanishads, expounding philosophy have been accorded par status with the shruti. These are not 'apaurusheya' (not made by humans) as the Vedas are. Upanishads contain references to various forms of Divinity in vogue in worship pattern of people, by synthesise them philosophically as the Supreme reality Brahman.
The only part of Vedas with innumerable salutations 'namaH' is in the Rudra Prasna of Taittiriya Samhita and Rudrashtadhyayi of Vajasaneya Maadhyandina samhita addressed to Rudra. The fusion of the Divinity as Rudra and Shiva in popular worship has taken place over several millennia.
The Upanishads are the compilations of various seers and sages. They contain several legends also. Clearly they are 'paurusheya' (made by humans)
The Taittriya Mahanarayanopanishad has got a chapter Devata Gayatri MantraaH, listing Rudra (twice), Danti (Ganapati),Nandi,Skanda (kartikeya), Garuda, Brahma, Vishnu, NarasimhaAaditya,Agni and Durga. The same Upanishad has a chapter 'Shivopasana MantraaH', commencing with "Nidhanapataye namaH' There is no unanimity about the number of Upanishads. Many have come up after several forms of deities came into vogue popularly.
Strangely, contrary to present day Dashavata theory of Vishnu, the Nrisimha Poorva taapini upanishad, considers Nrisimha as a manifestation of Shiva.
For attracting and retaining the masses to whom the philosophical treatises were inaccessible and largely unintelligible, Puranas came into existence. Tradition is that 18 puranas were composed by Sage Vyasa, but the form content and treatment of subject widely differ. Perhaps many scholars to gain immortality to their works, attributed them to Sage Vyasa. In these also Shiva devoted Puranas are there.
Both the 'itihasa's, the Mahabharata and Ramayana do not mention existence of any temple except for Shiva and Gauri (Katyayani) and external worship was always to the Shivalingam, sometimes instantly formed with earth or even sand, as Sri Rama did.
With the sharp demarkation of Vaishnavism and Shaivism, a contribution of the Tamil country, Sansrit works too incorporated many legends extolling the particular deity form. While so doing, the other deity form was accorded lesser status. From the 12th century onwards, the legends about Brahmaa and Shiva, as mentioned in the question were incorporated by the SriVaishnavaite sect. Embellishment of these legends were done by writing Sthala Puranas for deities at various places. Tamil Savants of Bhakti movement composed hymns in Tamil and the places which were mentioned in these poetic works were given status of 108 Divya Desam by SriVaishnavaite scholars and 235 'paadal petra sthalam' by Saivaite scholars in later days.
In this background, one point of consensus is that Lord Shiva is accepted as 'not born' 'aja' in Sanskrit, 'a' meaning 'non' and 'ja' meaning 'born', 'aja' meaning unborn.
Tamil devotional literature describes Lord Shiva as 'piRavaa yaakkai(p) periyon' = the one supreme who had no birth (=beginning). Saint Manikkavachakar extols as: "Munnai(p) pazham porutkum munnai(p) pazham poruLe, pinnai(p) pudumaikkum perthum ap pettriyane" = Ye who is ancience to the utmost known ancient and one who is novel of the most novel entity', thus describing the ad-infinitum quality of Lord Shiva.
Upanishads, expounding philosophy have been accorded par status with the shruti. These are not 'apaurusheya' (not made by humans) as the Vedas are. Upanishads contain references to various forms of Divinity in vogue in worship pattern of people, by synthesise them philosophically as the Supreme reality Brahman.
The only part of Vedas with innumerable salutations 'namaH' is in the Rudra Prasna of Taittiriya Samhita and Rudrashtadhyayi of Vajasaneya Maadhyandina samhita addressed to Rudra. The fusion of the Divinity as Rudra and Shiva in popular worship has taken place over several millennia.
The Upanishads are the compilations of various seers and sages. They contain several legends also. Clearly they are 'paurusheya' (made by humans)
The Taittriya Mahanarayanopanishad has got a chapter Devata Gayatri MantraaH, listing Rudra (twice), Danti (Ganapati),Nandi,Skanda (kartikeya), Garuda, Brahma, Vishnu, NarasimhaAaditya,Agni and Durga. The same Upanishad has a chapter 'Shivopasana MantraaH', commencing with "Nidhanapataye namaH' There is no unanimity about the number of Upanishads. Many have come up after several forms of deities came into vogue popularly.
Strangely, contrary to present day Dashavata theory of Vishnu, the Nrisimha Poorva taapini upanishad, considers Nrisimha as a manifestation of Shiva.
For attracting and retaining the masses to whom the philosophical treatises were inaccessible and largely unintelligible, Puranas came into existence. Tradition is that 18 puranas were composed by Sage Vyasa, but the form content and treatment of subject widely differ. Perhaps many scholars to gain immortality to their works, attributed them to Sage Vyasa. In these also Shiva devoted Puranas are there.
Both the 'itihasa's, the Mahabharata and Ramayana do not mention existence of any temple except for Shiva and Gauri (Katyayani) and external worship was always to the Shivalingam, sometimes instantly formed with earth or even sand, as Sri Rama did.
With the sharp demarkation of Vaishnavism and Shaivism, a contribution of the Tamil country, Sansrit works too incorporated many legends extolling the particular deity form. While so doing, the other deity form was accorded lesser status. From the 12th century onwards, the legends about Brahmaa and Shiva, as mentioned in the question were incorporated by the SriVaishnavaite sect. Embellishment of these legends were done by writing Sthala Puranas for deities at various places. Tamil Savants of Bhakti movement composed hymns in Tamil and the places which were mentioned in these poetic works were given status of 108 Divya Desam by SriVaishnavaite scholars and 235 'paadal petra sthalam' by Saivaite scholars in later days.
In this background, one point of consensus is that Lord Shiva is accepted as 'not born' 'aja' in Sanskrit, 'a' meaning 'non' and 'ja' meaning 'born', 'aja' meaning unborn.
Tamil devotional literature describes Lord Shiva as 'piRavaa yaakkai(p) periyon' = the one supreme who had no birth (=beginning). Saint Manikkavachakar extols as: "Munnai(p) pazham porutkum munnai(p) pazham poruLe, pinnai(p) pudumaikkum perthum ap pettriyane" = Ye who is ancience to the utmost known ancient and one who is novel of the most novel entity', thus describing the ad-infinitum quality of Lord Shiva.
