| − | '''Shaivism''' is a sect of [[Hinduism]], most popular in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Followers of Shaivism are known as Shaivas, or Shaivites.<ref name="demographics">Menachery, George, and Ignatius Hirudayam. ''Canonical Books of Saivism and Vaishnavism in Tamil and Sanskrit''. Vol. 3. Print.</ref> It is known in [[Sanskrit]] as शैव पंथ. The main belief of Shaivism is that [[Shiva]], is the creator of all, destroyer, preserver and lord of all existance. | + | '''Shaivism''' is a sect of [[Hinduism]], most popular in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Followers of Shaivism are known as Shaivas, or Shaivites.<ref name="demographics">Menachery, George, and Ignatius Hirudayam. ''Canonical Books of Saivism and Vaishnavism in Tamil and Sanskrit''. Vol. 3. Print.</ref> It is known in [[Sanskrit]] as शैव पंथ. The main belief of Shaivism is that [[Shiva]], is the creator of all, destroyer, preserver and lord of all existence. |
| | It is also the oldest form of Hinduism today.<ref name="history">Flood, Gavin. An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambrige: Cambridge UP, 1996. Print.</ref> | | It is also the oldest form of Hinduism today.<ref name="history">Flood, Gavin. An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambrige: Cambridge UP, 1996. Print.</ref> |
| | The ''[[Shvetashvatara Upanishad]]''<ref name="history" /> is the earliest textual exposition of a systematic philosophy of Shaivism.<ref>Śvetāśvatara Upanishad as a systematic philosophy of Shaivism see: ''Harvnb, Chakravarti'' 1994 pg 9.</ref> The [[Shiva Rahasya Purana]], an [[Upapurana]], is an important scriptual text. | | The ''[[Shvetashvatara Upanishad]]''<ref name="history" /> is the earliest textual exposition of a systematic philosophy of Shaivism.<ref>Śvetāśvatara Upanishad as a systematic philosophy of Shaivism see: ''Harvnb, Chakravarti'' 1994 pg 9.</ref> The [[Shiva Rahasya Purana]], an [[Upapurana]], is an important scriptual text. |