Ishwa helper Reged: 03/03/02 Posts: 553

Re: The difference between Shivaism and Vishnuism [Re: AKMehta] #19644 - 09/04/02 05:09 AM Edit Reply Quote

Though I'm not an expert, I'll try to comment on the two movements. It's a very difficult question, because within their own section there are many subsections. Another difficulty has also be rightly observed, that there's a blending tendency since centuries. Many Vaishnavas use Shaiva prayers, etc. and vice versa. Shaivism has had , as one rightly has observed, more affinities with tyaga. It's more the ascetic Yogic path, whereas Vaishnavism has had more affinites with the Bhakti Yogic path. It seems that the family was a little more important for Vaishnavas as for the ascetic Shaivas. In the past, some of the Shaiva sections were in the outskirts of the society. Shaivism had also a little more interest in and emphasis on the Nirakara (Advaita started with Shaiva adherers) and Vaishnavism in the Sakara Rupa of Brahman (more advocated by Vaishnavas, who even turned the Kevala Advaita into many Sakarika emphasized systems, like Bhedabheda, Vishishta), compared to each other. The beauty of Hinduism is that almost every thinkable philosophical and religious system has been developed, but can coexist and blend together easily into a pragmatical lifestyle, providing a set of thoughts and practices for every individual or group up to their taste.