The Saiva Pantheon - Gods and Goddesses Of Saivism
The Saiva pantheon is as rich and diverse as the Hindu pantheon, consisting of numerous gods and goddesses, ranging
from countelss village deities, shaktis to the highest of the
highest, Siva and Parvathi themselves. The retinue of Siva also includes
numerous siddhas, yogis, saints and gurus belonging to various
traditions and schools of Saivism. In addition to these
Siva Himself has innumerable names, aspects and functional roles, some of whom are revered as gods in their own
right such as Bhairava, Dattatreya, Hanuman, Dakshinamurthy, Baidyanath etc. The Indian subcontinent is dotted with numerous temples
and sacred places built in honor of these gods and goddess, whom Hindus revere with utmost devotion. Many rivers,
river names, place names and mountain ranges are associated with the
legends of Lord Siva, in addition to the sacred places where jyotirlingas and shakti pithas
are set up. One of the best kept secrets of Hinduism are the secret
energy centers that exist in the Indian subcontinent unknown to the
general public but known to only a few of the most advanced yogis of
various tantric schools who use them to practice the most esoteric
rituals. Saivism is very much like the tip of the iceberg. What we
know about it is actually an insignificant part of a vastly unknown
branch of Hinduism. The Agamas and the Puranas reveal only that much
which we can understand with our ordinary awareness. In this section we will bring to you information on the
important gods and goddesses of Saivism.
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