Śrīkaṇṭha Śivācārya (also known as Nīlakaṇṭha Śivācārya) composed the Srikanta Bhashyam,[10] a commentary on the Brahma Sutras, which became known as Śivādvaita.[11] The time frame of Śrīkaṇṭha's work is not exactly known, but it is argued to fall somewhere between the 11th and 11 century,[3][4][2][5][6][7] with the 14th to 15th century being more likely, according to Duquette.[12][a]Sri Appayya Dikshita (16th century CE[8]) contributed further to Shiva Advaita by expounding Śrīkaṇṭha's philosophy in his Sivarka Mani Dipika.[11]
Tenets
The theory of Śivadvaita resembles very closely Ramanuja's Viśiṣṭādvaita non-dualism doctrine,[b] but differs in who is considered Supreme. While Ramanuja considers Vishnu to be supreme, Śrīkaṇṭha considers Shiva supreme.[11][2][11] While Śrīkaṇṭha does not deny Nirguna Brahman, which is central to Advaita,[12] he affirms the supremacy of Saguna Brahman, typical of qualified non-dualism. However, Appayya affirms a form of pure non-dualism, and recasts Śrīkaṇṭha's work in an effort to establish Shiva Advaita in his Śivādvaitanirṇaya.[12]
Notes
↑Kasivasi Senthinatha Iyer places it in the 7th century, arguing that it appeared before all the Bhashyams like Shankara, Ramanuja, and Madhva.[13]
↑Compared to the Smārta tradition of Advaita, which regards Shiva as a manifestation of saguṇa Brahman ultimately dissolving into the impersonal nirguṇa Brahman, Srikanta’s Shiva Advaita is more sectarian and theistic, emphasizing Shiva as the unique and supreme Parabrahman.
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