The Antiquity of Shaivism;
Some historians suggest that Saivism as a distinct tradition
emerged between 300 B.C and 200 A.D. This hypothesis is difficult
to accept because Svetasvatara Upanishad extols Shiva as the
highest supreme Brahman. In character and composition, it is
essentially a Saiva Upanishad. The Upanishad is considered one
of the earliest and pre-Buddhist. The name of Shiva figures
prominently in the later hymns of the Vedas and in the two epics
namely the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It is probable that
Saivism as a distinct tradition gained popularity during 300
B.C to 500 A.D, but existed for a long time before that. Numismatic
evidence showing Shiva on the coins of Greek, Saka, and Parthian
kings, and a reference to Siva bhagavata in Panini's work also
show the growing popularity of Saivism in the post Mauryan India
and its spread to various parts of the subcontinent in the next
few centuries. However, it is difficult to believe that Saivism
emerged out of nowhere during this period. Saivism is certainly
one of the earliest traditions of Hinduism, which probably prevailed
in its earlier days in the hilly and mountainous regions of
the subcontinent and gained wider recognition in the aftermath
of the collapse of Sindhu-Sarasvathi civilization.
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