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Shiva Advaita (Devanagari:शिवाद्वैत, Kannada: ಶಿವಾದ್ವೈತ, Śivādvaita), also known as Śiva Viśiṣṭādvaita or Shaivite qualified nondualism is a Shaivite school of philosophy from Southern India that was founded by Srikanta Sivacharya during the eighth century and followed mostly by Veerashaivas.[1][2] According to this doctrine, the Shiva and the Brahman are the one and the same.[3]
Srikanta Sivacharya (also known as Nilakantha Sivacharya) wrote a commentary on Brahma Sutras, which became known as Śiva Viśiṣṭādvaita.[4] The time-frame of Srikanta's work is not exactly known, but believed to be somewhere between 12th and 14th century.[5] The theory of Śiva Viśiṣṭādvaita follows very closely Ramanuja's Viśiṣṭādvaita non-dualism doctrine, but differs in who is considered Supreme. Srikanta considers Shiva supreme. It is not known whether Srikanta Sivacharya's work was completed before or after Ramanuja's.[4] Sri Appayya Dikshita contributed further to Shiva Advaita by expounding Srikanta's philosophy in his Sivarka mani dipika.[4] Srikanta does not deny nirguna Brahman, which is central to Advaita.[5] In contrast to Srikanta, who considers his Brahma Sutra Bhasya Viśiṣṭādvaita (qualified non-dualism), which affirms the supremacy of saguna Brahman, Appayya affirms a form of pure non-dualism and recasting Srikanta's work in an effort to establish Shiva Advaita in his Śivādvaitanirṇaya.[5]
