Principle of Shakti in Kashmir Shaivism (Study)
by Nirmala V. | 2016 | 65,229 words
This page relates ‘Shakti as Identical with Shiva� 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 12 - Śپ as Identical with Ś
The possibility for the existence of possessor as distinct from the power is explicitly denied in this context and established that the Śپ is considered to be indifferent from Ś who is also known as Śپmat (Śپmān).
Interpreting the Śsūtra, which expresses that the universe is the aggregate of Ś’s powers is Mark S. G. Dyczkowski opines as;
The universe is Ś in the form of his absolute energy and because the yogi is similar Ś (in all respects), the power of his consciousness is fully expanded� it is one’s own consciousness alone that manifests itself in this way and that as the wonderful diversity of all things, like one who is free to desire whatever he likes. Thus because the power (of consciousness) and its power are one, it is Ś himself who manifests in this way.[1]
Śdṛṣṭi pronounces that there is no separate existence for Ś and Śپ:
� शिवः शक्तिरहितो � शक्तिर्व्यतिरेकिणी �
शिवः शक्तिस्तथा भावानिच्छय� कर्तुमीदृशान् �
शक्तिशक्तिमतोर्भेद� शैवे जातु � वर्ण्यते �na ś� śaktirahito na śaktirvyatirekiṇ� |
ś� śaktistathā bhāvānicchayā kartumīdṛśān |
śaktiśaktimatorbheda� ś ٳ na varṇyate ||(Ś does not exist apart from Śپ. Śپ is not different (from Ś). And Ś is empowered to create such entities at will. In Ś, no difference whatsoever between power and the one possessing the power is described.)[2]
Following this, dzԲԻ岹 answers to the arguments—hypothesized as that of the opponents’—made through some analogies.
� हिमस्य पृथक्च्छैत्य� नाग्नेरौष्ण्यं पृथग्भवेत् �
मन्त्रस्तंभनताया� हि नासौ वह्निस्तदोच्यत� �
हेमादिवद्भास्वरं तद्द्रव्यं तैर्व्यभिचारितम् �
यद्यौष्ण्यव्यतिरेकत्वे दृष्टान्तो दाहकाश्रयात् �na himasya pṛthakcchaitya� nāgnerauṣṇya� pṛthagbhavet |
mantrastaṃbhanatāyā� hi nāsau vahnistadocyate ||
hemādivadbhāsvara� taddravya� tairvyabhicāritam |
yadyauṣṇyavyatirekatve dṛṣṭānto dāhakāśrayāt ||(Coldness is not separated from snow; heat cannot be separated from fire. Indeed (one might object that)a fire is not said to be one when in the state of being paralysed by mantra. Like gold etc., it is a brilliant substance. If you argue that these prove the erroneousness of our argument, (we reply:) the example would be a valid one if they were missing their heat, because fire depends on being something that burns.)[3]
dzԲԻ岹 tries to assimilate Varṇadevatas (which are the forms of Śپ acquainted in the Kula stream) into Ś:
शैवे वा� इन्द्रियत्वं अथ नादादिनोदिता �
तदभ्यासे फलावाप्तिः सुक्ष्ममन्त्रस्वरूपत� �ś 峦 Իⲹٱ� atha 徱Դǻ徱 |
tadabhyāse phalāvāpti� sukṣmamantrasvarūpatā ||—ŚD., III.10.
The estimations such as ‘sa ca� maheśvararūpa� also propose the indifference between Siva and Śپ.
The fundamental desire to create the universe occurs within Ś and afterwards, the activity originates and finally, the subject rises who recognizes it as the reality. Interestingly, these three forms of Śپs have been identified with Ś.
The remaining two Śپs are also allocated to this context as said by John Nemec;
As long as the erroneous condition of the world of transmigration, in which Ś’s oneness is not recognised, does not arise Ś’s nature is so great i.e.,... Accordingly all the five powers definitely exist, although in a unified form, at that time, since they are able to produce the objects associated with worldly activity.[4]
However, as formulated by John Nemec, the conception of indifference between Ś and Śپ could absolutely be credited to dzԲԻ岹’s pantheistic perspective, whereas Utpaladeva, being a panentheist, holds quite different observation in this matter:
dzԲԻ岹’s reluctance to dichotomizing distinctions between subject and object; between that which is transcendent and that which is immanent or between Ś and the phenomena he creates, is a feature of Śdṛṣṭi, that distinguishes it in the history of ʰٲⲹñ philosophy. Utpaladeva’s monism involving the identification of pairs and poles—‘I’and ‘that�; light and its reflection; agent and object.dzԲԻ岹 instead articulates a monism involving a single ubiquitous, cycling vortex of power(s) of activity with which Ś is fully forever identified.
(John Nemec, “The Evidence for dzԲԻ岹’s Pantheism�, Journal of Indian Philosophy, p.12.)
Note: Nemec’s view in this respect is agreeable partially, because the very approach towards the indifference between Ś and Śپ seems meticulous as he has observed. Some minor suitable attempts are there in Utpaladeva also.
For instance, see:
सोऽयमित्येवंरूपत्वेन परामृशन्ती अध्यवसाय� या परमेश्वरशक्तिः विमर्शरूपा आत्मवदेव अहमित्यनवच्छिन्नत्वे� भाति, � तु कदाचिदिदन्तय� विच्छिन्नत्वेन भाति... तस्मात� सर्व एव विमर्श� प्रकाशात� अविच्छिन्न एव इत� �
so'yamityevaṃrūpatvena parāmṛśantī adhyavasāyā yā parameśvaraśakti� vimarśarūpā ātmavadeva ahamityanavacchinnatvena bhāti, na tu kadācididantayā vicchinnatvena bhāti... tasmāt sarva eva vimarśa� prakāśāt avicchinna eva iti |
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Mark S. G. Dyczkowski, The Aphorisms of Ś, State University of New York Press, Albany, 1992, p.147.
[2]:
Śdṛṣṭi, III. 2cd- 3.John Nemec, The Ubiquitous Ś, p.214.
[3]:
Śdṛṣṭi, III. 7- 8, John Nemec, Op.cit, p.218.
[4]:
See John Nemec, Op.cit., p.123.