Principle of Shakti in Kashmir Shaivism (Study)
by Nirmala V. | 2016 | 65,229 words
This page relates ‘Powers of Time and Creation: Bifurcation of Kriyashakti� 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.
Part 2.13 - The Powers of Time and Creation: Bifurcation of śپ
The power of action of the supreme self is manifested as both the śakti and Nirmāṇaśakti.[1] Every action is grounded on some sort of sequenc.[2]
Discussions of the śپ, firstly introduce its sequential nature which directly leads to the concept of śakti:
“T worldly action can be maintained to be successive, due to the power of time.�[3]
Further it is defined by Utpala as:
कालः सूर्यादिसञ्चारस्तत्तत्पुष्पादिजन्म वा �
शीतोष्णे वाऽथ तल्लक्ष्यः क्रम एव � तत्त्वतः �� sūryādisañcārastattatpuṣpādijanma |
śītoṣṇe 'tha tallakṣya� krama eva sa ٲٳٱٲ� ||
Some more examples are as follows:
The consciousness of length and shortness is also of the nature of succession, because there is difference of manifestation, due to extendedness (vaitatya of succession) or absence thereof. Similarly the ideas of propinquity and remoteness refer to the same, because there is clearness in one case and absence thereof in the other. Thus the variety of manifestations of an individual, such as Devadatta etc., being measured with the movement of sun etc., as gold is measured with (weighed against) weights, is spoken of as “Devadatta goes the whole day.�[4]
is caused by differentiation; the very difference in nature is called śakti. The śپ of Ś reflects many actions, in a specific order. That order is nothing but the time-must be denoted as śakti.[5] is caused by bheda, the very 屹bheda is called kālaśakti. In all things the diversity of manifestation is the source of succession which has a vicchinn (discontinuous illumination). This bheda (difference) originates from the sadasattva (existence and non-existence of ). This has been termed as Citr.
Īśٲⲹñ says;
क्रम� भेदाश्रय� भेदोऽप्याभाससतसत्त्वतः �
आभाससतसत्त्व� तु चित्राभासकृत� प्रभोः �kramo bhedāśrayo bhedo'pysatasattvata� |
satasattve tu citrkṛta� prabho� ||[6]
Citr, discussed here can be considered or as 屹 (the imaginations of the knower). If so, then Ś the one who is full of consciousness and uninterrupted by the movement of time, should also have this wrong imagination, since he is also a �. Then the question arises that what happens if he is a non-cognizor (a�). If he is not a �, then there won’t be the order of time, then it leads to kramāśrayānavasthānam and finally will reach the conclusion that there is no in ʲś. So in past, present and future Ś is the �.
The lord has two types of śپ viz., 1. Kramarūpa nirmāṇa-峾ٳⲹ, and 2. Kramarūpakriyoparāgayogatva. The power of creation is the second major division of śپ, which is known alternatively through the terms like nirmāṇaśakti, śپ, etc.[7] The creation of everything by the power of creation of the lord is nothing but his manifestation itself. Lord’s will is the real cause of the all the actions, because he is the universal doer.[8]
The supreme consciousness creates everything anew in every moment:
आभाससारे हि पदार्थवर्ग आभासनक्रियैव प्राधान्ये� विजृम्भत�, तत एव क्रियाशक्तिस्फारमात्रं भगवत� जगदिति कृतमतय� मन्यन्ते � आभासनक्रिय� � यावत� अपूर्व� नैसर्गिकी व्यवधानवन्ध्या तात्कालिकालिङ्गितस्फुटभावा वर्तते, तावदाभासोऽपि स्फुटोऽभिन� एव �... प्रकाशरूपतया सर्वस्� सदैव स्वयमे� परमार्थसत्त्वे कस्यचिन्निर्माणमित� अवकाशाभावात् आभासनक्रियामुखेन त्वपूर्वत्वं कुलगिरिप्रभृतेरापि प्रतिक्षणमविश्रान्� इत� कथितयुक्त्या भवतीति तदपि सृज्यत एवेत� सद� सृष्ट्यादिशक्तियोगोऽपि भगवत� � नोपपद्यत इत� �
sāre hi padārthavarga nakriyaiva prādhānyena vijṛmbhate, tata eva śaktisphāramātra� bhagavato jagaditi kṛtamatayo manyante | na ca 屹 apūr naisargikī vyavadhānavandhyā tātkālikāliṅgitasphuṭabhā vartate, tāvadābhāso'pi sphuṭo'bhinava eva |... prakāśarūpatayā sarvasya sadaiva svayameva paramārthasattve kasyacinnirmāṇamiti avakāśābhāt namukhena tvapūrvatva� kulagiriprabhṛterāpi pratikṣaṇamaviśrānta iti kathitayuktyā bhavatīti tadapi sṛjyata eveti ṛṣṭy徱śپDz'辱 bhagavati na nopapadyata iti |[9]
If imagination is identified with it could lead to the conclusion that it is nothing but the itself. In ascertaining so, the eternal occurrence of is confirmed. Thus the will itself of the supreme who wishes to appear as multifarious universe is the action, agent and the cause of it.
Besides these, several other minor forms of Śپ (eg. ), having specific contextual functions and identities are also current in the Kashmir Ś. These minor forms would come under the major models discussed here.
The discussions on Śپ in the first part of the present chapter provide a vivid picture that the very principle is of an undeniable nature having a central position in the domain of Tantrism. But, the elucidation of different types and functions of Śپ in Kashmir Ś dealt with in the second part of the chapter makes it clear that in the later phase of the doctrine there has been a an enormous decrease it its prominence as a feminine or as a central principle. So, the demeaned identity of Śپ in the fully developed school of monistic Ś popularly known as Kashmir Ś should be viewed as the aftereffect of certain changes taken place within its milieu.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
Abhinavagupta is of the view that sequence itself is the time;�śarīrāntaranupraveśanavaśonmiṣitaśarīra� krama eva �... bhāvavikāraṣaṭkaparamārtha eva ḥI na hi bhāvavikārādhikā kācit �: Īśٲⲹñ屹ṛtśī, Vol.3, p.9. cf. Ṣaḍbhāvavikāras presented in Nirukta.
[3]:
K. C. Pandey (Tr.), Op.cit., p.120.
[4]:
Ibid., p.121.
[5]:
[6]:
Īśٲⲹñ, II. 1. 4. It is of two kinds: ś and , which are conceived on the basis of deśavaicitrya and vaicitrya respectively:
mūrtivaicitryato śmyatyaho |
vaicitryanirbhāsātmapīśvara� ||, Īśٲⲹñ, II.1.5.
[7]:
The mental construction is also a type of creation according to Śaivite theories: �yadida� yathābhīṣṭasya bahirasattd ananubhūtasyāpi samyagullekhana� Բ� ca vikalpasya prasaṅgāddarśita� asmādeva hetorida� api siddhyati� ya� kaścit kīṭo jīvanaviśiṣṭa� tasyāvabhāsanarūpā jñānaśaktirullekhanarūpā śaktirnaisargikī �
[9]:
Īśٲⲹñ屹ṛtśī, Vol.2, pp.333-334.