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Principle of Shakti in Kashmir Shaivism (Study)

by Nirmala V. | 2016 | 65,229 words

This page relates ‘Kriyashakti: The Power of Action� of the thesis dealing with the evolution and role of Shakti—the 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.

śپ, is the stage in which the desired and cognized objects are realised through action. The supreme lord with the power of action appears as the multiform manifested universe. Śaivite theory of omnipotence is the response to the Buddhist disputes based on their own theory of causality. They assert that the ultimate doer is an unsubstantiated conception and the action itself is a definite mental construct. Śaivites are ardently concerned to establish the omnipotent doer, and define as action in the form of sequence. So the power of action is present behind every cognition. 

The very concept is clarified by Abhinavagupta as;

जानामीत्यन्तःसंस्कारयोगेऽप� भाति, ये� शुक्लादेर्गुणात् अत्यन्तजडात् जानामीति वपुः चित्स्वभावतामभ्येत� � � संरम्भ� विमर्श� क्रियाशक्तिर्भवत� � यदुक्त� अस्मत्परमेषठिगुरुभिः सोमानन्दपादै� “घटादिग्रहकालेऽप� घट� जानाति सा क्रिया� इत� �

jānāmītyantaḥsaṃskārayoge'pi bhāti, yena śuklāderguṇāt atyantajaḍāt jānāmīti vapu� citsvabhāvatāmabhyeti sa ca saṃrambho vimarśa� kriyāśaktirbhavati | yadukta� asmatparameṣaṭhigurubhi� somānandapādai� “ghaṭādigrahakāle'pi ṭa� پ kriyā� iti |[1]

As ñԲ is ʰś, can be viewed as վś,[2] and hence the nature of supreme consciousness can be attributed to the very powers as pūrvajñātavastu and ādisiddhavastu.[3]

Ś—the Supreme has the power of ṛt with which he performs the five actions (貹ñṛtⲹ) of manifestation viz. creation, maintenance, destruction, concealing, and revealing. (ṛṣṭi, sthiti, , پDz屹 and anugraha).

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

, Vol. 1, p.67.

[2]:

See, Īśٲⲹñ屹śī�tasya viśvapateryā ٳ bhavanakartṛtā ܰٳrūpā ū� ܰٳ ٳٱٲⲹٰ saiva prakāśasya vimarśāvyartirekāt vimarśātmakacamatkārarūpā ī śپܳⲹٱ

[3]:

For limited beings, these powers are knowledge and action, but for the supreme everything is already known and attained.

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