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Principle of Shakti in Kashmir Shaivism (Study)

by Nirmala V. | 2016 | 65,229 words

This page relates ‘Aunmukhya: The Preceding State of Iccha� of the thesis dealing with the evolution and role of Shakti—t feminine principle—within the religious and philosophical framework of Kashmir Shaivism. Tantrism represents an ancient Indian spiritual system with Shakti traditionally holding a prominent role. This study examines four major sub-streams: Kula, Krama, Spanda, and Pratyabhijnā.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Part 2.7 - Aunmukhya: The Preceding State of Icchā

The two parts (early and late) of śپ have been distinguished in the scriptures. The former is nothing but the first moment of —t eagerness occurs due to the expansion of the joy of power-the nature of supreme consciousness—is known as aunmukhya.[1] As a result, consciousness becomes eager to undertake the creation of a multifarious objective world. This is the plane, on which all the Śپ are mingled together and ready to unfold.[2]

The consciousness becomes eager and acts as if he is looking outward (but in reality it looks to itself because of the absence of a second) to create the multiplicity. Here the acts as the means for the non-cognition of non-duality. The very part of action also occurs also in the individual subjects who wish to climb the levels and realize the supreme.

Aunmukhya, being the first part all the will, has its occurrence in the limited individual also. Utpaladeva, explains this as:

(M)oreover, that can be seen in the area of heart from the moment of one remembers something that should be done; at the time of (receiving) delightful news; the moment one sees something frightening; when one sees something unexpectedly; at the time of orgasm and in the event expressing it; when reading, and when running.[3]

dzԲԻ岹 provides the following examples to explain aunmukhya:

प्रवृत्तस्� निमित्ताना� अपरेषा� क्� मार्गणम् �
गच्छतो निस्तरङ्गस्य जलस्यातितरङ्गिताम् �
आरम्भे दृष्टिमापाद्� तदौन्मुख्य� हि गम्यते �
व्रजतो मृष्टिता� पाणे� पूर्वः कम्पस्तदेक्ष्यते �
बोधस्य स्वात्मनिष्ठस्� रचना� प्रत� निर्वृति� �
तदास्ताप्रविकासोयस्तदौन्मुख्यं प्रचक्षत� �

pravṛttasya nimittānā� apareṣāṃ kva mārgaṇam |
gacchato nistaraṅgasya jalasyātitaraṅgitām ||
ārambhe dṛṣṭimāpādya tadaunmukhya� hi gamyate |
vrajato mṛṣṭitā� pāṇe� ū� kampastadekṣyate ||
bodhasya svātmaniṣṭhasya prati Ծṛt� |
tadāstāpravikāsoyastadaunmukhya� pracakṣate ||
 

(One understands eagerness when one casts a glance at the first movement of waveless water becoming extremely rough and one sees it in the initial trembling of a hand becoming a fist. Consciousness that is self-contained gains a delight form (the act of) creation. One speaks of the eagerness as the first budding of that condition.)[4]

Raffaele Torella precisely comments on this as;

When the will and the other powers arise with regard to something (assumed as) other, in actual fact this does not cause grossness in Ś's consciousness, since the objects, being just like reflections make no addition to it, nor is its manifesting itself as made of such objects to be taken as illusion.[5]

What is said here is that the lord wishes to act the verbal forms i.e., ñԲ and , and expresses an action that is characterised by will. 

As a result, Icchā should be viewed as instigate for ñԲ and -says dzԲԻ岹:

यत इच्छति तज्ज्ञातुं कर्तुं वा स्वेच्छय� क्रिया �

yata icchati tajjñātu� kartu� vā svecchayā kriyā |[6]

When Ś wishes to act or know, then the act of desiring is engaged in. So the power of will leads to the action (of knowing and acting). 

Utpaladeva views ñԲ also as , and interprets the aforesaid as;

Since it is said that the Lord desires either to know or to act expresses the verbal form of it as ‘activity by means of will� i.e., activity in the form of will.[7]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Abhinavagupta and Utpaladeva give a variety of meaning to the Sanskrit word aunmukhya. Rafaele Torella, in Dreamer and the Yogi says, “The Sanskrit word Aunmukhya perfectly expresses the transcendence of the object experienced in intentionality: The abstract substantive is formed on the unmukha, which means literally whose face is turned upwards To be unmukha, for consciousness is to be turned towards an object, that is above.

[2]:

vicitraracānānānākāryasṛṣṭipravartane |
bhavatyunmukhitā cittā secchāyā� prathamā tuṭi� ||
,
Śdṛṣṭi, I. 8.

[3]:

Śdṛṣṭivṛtti, I. 9-11; John Nemec, The Ubiquitous Ś, p.115. The present elucidation in turn paves the way to the holistic nature of Icchā and Aunmukhya because it easily goes with the ʰٲⲹñ conception that activities could not occur without the reflective awareness (refer to Īśٲⲹñ, I. 5. 19) also with the Bhartṛharian thought that nothing exists devoid of speech. For details see, John Nemec, Loccit., n. 115; Torella Raffaele, (Ed.) The Īśٲⲹñ, p.125, n.41. Also note the relation between ĀԲԻ岹 and Icchā.

[4]:

Śdṛṣṭi , I. 13-15.

[5]:

Raffaele Torella, Op.cit., p.126.

[6]:

Śdṛṣṭi , I.19 ab.

[7]:

John Nemec, “Evidence for Somananda’s Pantheism�, p.5. See also, Śdṛṣṭivṛtti, II. 1:—�śaktiśaktimatorabhedāt jñānaśaktimān ś�, udriktakriyāśaktirīśvara iti | ata evecchāśaktimaya� śivo citsvātantryaśaktimān paryante 貹ś� ||

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