Sadāśiva

Sadāśiva · sadā-śiva, “the ever-auspicious one”

Sadāśiva is the form of Bhagavān Śiva that stands above the five lords of creation, Brahmā, Vishṇu, Rudra and Īśvara, as the fifth and highest of them. In the Agni Purāṇa, Bhagavān Śiva himself teaches Skanda the Śaiva dīkshā (initiation), and in that teaching Sadāśiva is the sole cause of the Śāntyatīta kalā, the last and highest of the five kalās (spheres) through which the disciple’s ātmā is purified on its way to Paramaśiva. He is of the form of nāda, the subtle sound, and dwells above the forehead.

The Purāṇa shows him everywhere at the summit of an order. He is the fifth of the five mūrtīśas (lords of the mūrtis) worshipped in the foundation stones of a temple; the yajña-maṇḍapa is seen as Śaṅkara’s abode, pervaded by him; in the dhyāna of Kubjikā Devī he is in her forehead. Agni Deva teaches that Haṃsa, the breath that says “haṃsa” within every being, is Sadāśiva himself, who dwells inside and outside the jīvātmā as oil is in sesame and fragrance in a flower. The forms of the Prāsāda mantra are his forms made of sound.

In the nirvāṇa-dīkshā

The nirvāṇa-dīkshā is the initiation that gives moksha. On the evening before it, the guru binds the five kalās into a thread. The Śāntyatīta kalā is white, and it is set at the head of the thread. It holds two tattvas, one mantra, one pada, sixteen letters, eight bhuvanas (worlds), the bījas beginning with ka and kha, nāḍīs, two kalās, the objects of sense and the guṇas, with Sadāśiva as its sole cause. Its bīja is hūṃ. Below it is the black Śānti kalā, whose cause is Īśvara seated in the lotus. The Śānti kalā holds two tattvas: Īśvara and Sadāśiva.

When the guru comes to purify the Śāntyatīta kalā, the last kalā, he names its contents again: the two tattvas Śiva and Śakti; the eight bhuvanas Indhaka, Dīpaka, Rocaka, Mocaka, Ūrdhvagāmī, Vyomarūpa, Anātha and Anāśrita; the Oṃkāra as its pada and the Īśāna mantra as its mantra; the sixteen letters from a to visarga; nāda and ha-kāra as its bījas; the nāḍīs Kuhū and Śaṅkhinī; the vāyus Devadatta and Dhanañjaya; speech and hearing; and śabda, sound. Its state is the fifth, beyond the fourth (turīyātīta), and its sole cause is Sadāśiva.

The guru calls Sadāśiva down (āvāhana), worships him, offers him tarpaṇa, and with bhakti prays: “Bhagavān Sadāśiva! In your adhikāra (domain) I am giving dīkshā to this mumukshu, this seeker of moksha. Be always favourable to him.” When the bonds (pāśa) of the kalā have been cut with the astra and offered into the fire, he worships Sadāśiva again and gives him the śulka (the due) with the mantra:

oṃ hāṃ sadāśiva manobinduṃ śulkaṃ gṛhāṇa svāhā

“O Sadāśiva, accept manas and bindu as the śulka.”

Then he makes Sadāśiva hear the command of Śiva: “Sadāśiva! All the pāpas in this paśu (bound soul) have been burned. You should not stay here to bind him.” He gives the pūrṇāhuti with the mūla-mantra and sends Sadāśiva back.

At the joining of the disciple’s ātmā with Paramaśiva, the guru meditates on the syllables of Oṃ rising through the body: u for Vishṇu, ma for Rudra at the palate, the bindu for Īśvara in the middle of the forehead, and above the forehead, up to the brahmarandhra (the opening at the crown), Sadāśiva, whose form is nāda, and Śakti with him. Leaving each of these behind, at last the ātmā dissolves into the Śiva-tattva beyond.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 83, 87–88

In the temple and the maṇḍapa

When the foundation stones of a temple are laid with five stones, the five mūrtīśas Brahmā, Vishṇu, Rudra, Īśvara and Sadāśiva are worshipped in the five mūrtis, beginning with the earth, with mantras such as oṃ pṛthivīmūrtaye namaḥ.

In the rites of pratishṭhā (consecration), the maṇḍapa, with its banners and śakti, pervaded by Sadāśiva, is to be seen with a true eye as the abode of Śaṅkara. The one who knows the mantras then places, in the order of creation, Brahmā, Śesha, Rudra, Īśa and Sadāśiva.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 92, 96

In the worship of Kubjikā

In the pūjā of Kubjikā Devī, Sadāśiva is worshipped in the place of the maṇḍala, with Piṅgala, the assembly of Bhṛgvānandanātha, Lāṅgūlānanda and Saṃvarta. In her dhyāna, Brahmā is at the soles of her feet, Vishṇu at her hips, Rudra in her heart, Īśvara in her throat, Sadāśiva in her forehead, and Śiva above her. In another maṇḍala, hruṃ svāhā is written in the centre and the devatās of the directions are written around it from the east, Sadāśiva first.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 144, 147

Haṃsa within the jīvātmā

Teaching Vasishṭha Maharshi the nāḍī-cakra (the wheel of channels in the body), Agni Deva says that Śiva has two forms, sakala (with form) and nishkala (without form), and the yogis do japa as “haṃsa, haṃsa”. Haṃsa means Sadāśiva. As oil is in sesame and fragrance in flowers, Sadāśiva dwells inside and outside the jīvātmā. In the body Brahmā is in the heart, Vishṇu in the throat, Rudra in the middle of the palate, Maheśvara on the forehead and Sadāśiva at the tip of prāṇa; beyond all of them is the Parātpara Brahma. The sakala Paramātmā has the form of Brahmā, Vishṇu, Rudra, Maheśvara and Sadāśiva; the nirguṇa Paramātmā is called nishkala.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 214

The Prāsāda mantra

Bhagavān Śiva tells Skanda the forms of the mantra called Prāsāda-parā: Sakala, Nishkala, Śūnya, Kalāḍhya, Samalaṅkṛta, Kshapaṇa, Kshaya, Antastha, Kaṇṭhoshṭha and Śiva. These are the forms of Sadāśiva made of sound (śabdamaya), and they give every siddhi.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 317

Sources

• Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 83, 87–88, 92, 96, 144, 147, 214, 317