Pashupata Shaivism (Pāśupata, Sanskrit: पाशुपत) is the oldest of the major Shaivite Hindu schools
The mainstream which follows Vedic Pasupata penance are ‘Maha Pasupatas’ and the schism of ‘Lakula Pasupata’ of Lakulisa
There is a debate about pioneership of this schism and the Goan school of Nakulish darshan believes that Nakulish was pioneer and Lakulish and Patanjalinath were his disciples while Gujarat school believes that Nakulish and Lakulish are one
Sarvadarśanasaṅgraha written by Vidyaranya (sometimes also known as Madhavacharya) mentions it as “Nakulish Darshan” not as “Lakulish Darshan”
Both sub schools are still active in their own areas
The philosophy of the Pashupata sect was systematized by Lakulīśa also called Nakulīśa) in the 2nd century CE
The main texts of the school are Pāśupatasūtra with Kauṇḍinya’s Pañcārthabhāṣya, and Gaṇakārikā with Bhāsarvajña’s Ratnaṭīkā
Both texts were discovered only in the twentieth century
Prior to that, the major source of information on this sect was a chapter devoted to it in Vidyāraṇya’s Sarvadarśanasaṅgraha