Principle of Shakti in Kashmir Shaivism (Study)
by Nirmala V. | 2016 | 65,229 words
This page relates 鈥楽hakti as the Overarching Nature of Shiva鈥� of the thesis dealing with the evolution and role of Shakti鈥攖he feminine principle鈥攚ithin 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 Pratyabhijn膩.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 11 - 艢补办迟颈 as the Overarching Nature of 艢颈惫补
The demonstration of 艢补办迟颈 as the integral nature of the supreme 艢颈惫补 is possibly shared by more or less by all the renowned scholars of 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻. This divine nature of 艢颈惫补鈥檚 perfect freedom (expressed as 鈥�惫颈尘补谤艣补 by Utpaladeva in a posterior time) provides the ground for 艢颈惫补 to his own self-realisation. 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻 accentuates on the theory that the universe as a whole is the manifestation of the supreme reality[1]鈥斉毦北共�. And his 艢补办迟颈 is the controlling factor in the process of universal emanation. Thus 艢补办迟颈, in a clearer sense, can be defined as the conscious nature of 艢颈惫补鈥檚 egoity and creative tendency.82
That is why Navjivan Rastogi describes that,
鈥溑毑拱斐倬� was deployed by way of the most effective strategy for promoting an all-affirming (i.e., transgressive and inclusive both) model of non-dualistic absolutism.鈥�[2]
Representation of the universe in terms of 艢补办迟颈 is an unexceptional method in the domain of non-dualistic 艢补颈惫颈蝉尘. Many terms like 艢补办迟颈prasara, 艢补办迟颈sph膩ra, 艢补办迟颈prak膩艣ana etc. are used to describe the divergent universe by the quantifiable 艢补办迟颈.[3] 艢颈惫补s奴tra, likewise postulates the universe as contrasted to its actuality, when the wheel of powers is united.[4]
Utpaladeva also attempts to elucidate 艢补办迟颈 as Vimar艣a, the essence and the of heart of 艢颈惫补:
啶膏ぞ 啶膏啶啶班い啷嵿い啶� 啶す啶距じ啶む啶むぞ 啶︵啶多啶距げ啶距さ啶苦ざ啷囙し啶苦ぃ啷� 啷�
啶膏啶粪ぞ 啶膏ぞ啶班い啶ぞ 啶啶班啶曕啶むぞ 啶灌啶︵く啶� 啶ぐ啶啶粪啶犩た啶ㄠ 啷�蝉腻 蝉辫丑耻谤补迟迟腻 尘补丑腻蝉补迟迟腻 de艣ak膩l膩vi艣e峁峁嚹� |
sai峁Ｄ� 蝉腻ratay膩 prokt膩 丑峁沝补测补峁� 辫补谤补尘别峁ａ弓丑颈苍补岣� ||(It is the luminous vibrating, the absolute being, unmodified by space and time; it is that which is said to be the heart of the supreme lord, in so far as it is his essence.)[5]
艢颈惫补 assumes the nature of various 艢补办迟颈s with respect to the duties to be done by him.
Thus 厂辞尘腻苍补苍诲补 points out that,
鈥淲hen he is in the form of a lysis, in the experience of his conscious beatitude to the exclusion of all else-in this state indeed he is at once will, knowledge and action-then these three powers which are in their most subtle form, are in a state of perfect union.鈥�[6]
As indicated earlier, 艢补办迟颈 is the essential aspect of sentient limited beings to discover the reality as their own self. In such case too 艢补办迟颈 is the nature of the supreme in the form of limited immanent form. 艢D renders that liberation happens then, when the 艢补办迟颈s dissolve into 艢颈惫补 takes place.[7] Utpaladeva, following the common opinion of 膧驳补尘补蝉, points out that no one can speak of 艢颈惫补 without 艢补办迟颈, as 艢颈惫补 would then be insentient.
Raffaele Torella says,
If they are 艢补办迟颈s, 艢颈惫补 is the possessor of 艢补办迟颈s though being inseparable from them; he is the only real 艢补办迟补 in ways infinite as his powers (iv.4-5). If they are states, he is their substratum. (iv.51).[8]
艢颈惫补d峁涐梗峁璱 extended the discussion about the representation of 艢颈惫补 as the substratum and 艢补办迟颈 as its being.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
According to 笔谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻, everything is made of consciousness i.e., 艢颈惫补 and he is the cognisor of all these diversities through the means which is also indifferent from him. This theory is central to the philosophy of 艢补颈惫颈蝉尘 known as 膧bh膩sav膩da. Utpala suggests the twofold nature of 艢颈惫补 as 笔谤补办腻艣补 and Vimar艣a.
[4]:
艢颈惫补s奴tra, I. 6. See Mark S. G. Dycskowski, Op.cit., p.67 ff. for more discussion.
[5]:
莫艣惫补谤补辫谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻办腻谤颈办腻, I. 1. 5. 14. The same is reckoned as 惭腻测腻 in latent literature of 艢补颈惫颈蝉尘 as John Nemec notes, 鈥淭he extensive reference to the power of 惭腻测腻 is almost entirely missing in 艢颈惫补d峁涐梗峁璱.鈥敵Т浅灸宀圆共曰宀� rather speaks of 艢颈惫补鈥檚 nature as consciousness and as manifesting itself in the form of multiple realities. This he does through his threefold powers of will, cognition and action.... the nature of his strict pantheon.鈥漈he Ubiquitous 艢颈惫补, p.100 ff.
[6]:
Gnoli鈥檚 translation on 艢颈惫补d峁涐梗峁璱 I. 3-4, as quoted in John Nemec, Op.cit., p.135.
[7]:
艢颈惫补d峁涐梗峁璱, I. 6.
[8]:
Raffaele Torella (Ed. and Tr.), The 莫艣惫补谤补辫谤补迟测补产丑颈箩帽腻办腻谤颈办腻, p.16.