ABSTRACT
The term Śaivism here refers to a number of distinct but historically related systems comprising theology, ritual, observance and yoga, which have been propagated in India as the teachings of the Hindu deity Śiva. A Śaiva is one who practices such a system. To understand the term to mean ‘a worshipper of Śiva’ or ‘one whose deity is Śiva’ is less precise; for a Śaiva may well be a worshipper not of Śiva but of the Goddess (Devī). Though she is commonly represented as the consort of Śiva and, theologically, as that god’s inherent power (śakti), it is none the less the defining mark of certain forms of Saivism that she is seen as transcending this marital and logical subordination.
