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

Re: The so called difference between Shivaism and Vishnuism [Re: AKMehta] #19958 - 09/11/02 02:38 AM Edit Reply Quote

The problem, AK, is that the minor differences are complicated by the fact that no Hindu is pure Shaiva or Vaishnava. And that's the beauty. Any Hindu is a Shaiva as well as Vaishnava as Br�hma. The triadic nature of creation gives these three possibilities, which are just three sides of the same coin. Perhaps the face (Sagunika-personal Bhakti) on the coin is more emphasized by the Sagunika version of the Vaishnava ideas, the numeral (Nirgunika-abstract Jnanika) more the Nirgunika version of the Shaiva ideas, and the side (p�rshva) of the coin may represend the Br�hma version of balance and flash of the transcendent. This triadic concept can be explained in may ways, which is exactly done in Hindu scriptures.