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Principle of Shakti in Kashmir Shaivism (Study)

by Nirmala V. | 2016 | 65,229 words

This page relates ‘Anuttara: The Unsurpassable Ultimateâ€� 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 PratyabhijnÄ.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Part 2.4 - Anuttara: The Unsurpassable Ultimate

[Full title: (2) De-Shaktisation trough the formulations of new concepts, treatises and sub-schools (4) Anuttara: The Unsurpassable Ultimate] 

Anuttara is functionally most significant conception of state that directly indicates the ultimate reality. It is the phase in which the sense of duality gets disappeared and the union of Åš¾±±¹²¹ and Åš²¹°ì³Ù¾± is fully realised.

Note: This highest state which is neither termed as immanent nor as transcendental, according to Abhinavagupta is the ultimate goal of the Kaula practitioners;

इतà¥à¤¥à¤� यामलमेतदà¥à¤—लितभिदà¤� संकथà¤� यदेव सà¥à¤¯à¤¾à¤¤à¥ à¥�
कà¥à¤°à¤®à¤¤à¤¾à¤°à¤¤à¤®à¥à¤¯à¤¯à¥‹à¤—ातà¥à¤¸à¥ˆà¤µ हि संविदà¥à¤µà¤¿à¤¸à¤°à¥à¤—संघटà¥à¤Ÿà¤� à¥�
तदà¥à¤§à¥à¤°à¥à¤µà¤§à¤¾à¤®à¤¾à¤¨à¥à¤¤à¥à¤¤à¤°à¤®à¥à¤­à¤¯à¤¾à¤¤à¥à¤®à¤•जगदà¥à¤¦à¤¾à¤°à¤¸à¤¾à¤¨à¤¨à¥à¤¦à¤®à¥ à¥�
नो शानà¥à¤¤à¤‚ नापà¥à¤¯à¥à¤¦à¤¿à¤¤à¤‚ शानà¥à¤¤à¥‹à¤¦à¤¿à¤¤à¤¸à¥‚तिकारणमà¥� परà¤� कौलमà¥� à¥�

itthaá¹� yÄmalametadgalitabhidÄ saṃkathaá¹� yadeva syÄt |
kramatÄratamyayogÄtsaiva hi saṃvidvisargasaṃghaá¹­á¹­aá¸� ||
taddhruvadhÄmÄnuttaramubhayÄtmakajagadudÄrasÄnandam |
no Å›Äntaá¹� nÄpyuditaá¹� Å›ÄntoditasÅ«tikÄraṇam paraá¹� kaulam ||
°Õ²¹²Ô³Ù°ùÄå±ô´Ç°ì²¹, XXIX. 83.

Neverthless, Abhinavagupta’s position here does not exceedingly satisfactory to the inevitable hierarchical norms in the philosophy of Śaivite monism. Thus he frequently attempts to exemplify the Anuttara as the supreme lord himself rather than the supreme state.

°Õ²¹²Ô³Ù°ùÄå±ô´Ç°ì²¹ depicts Anuttara as Akula to whom the °­²¹³Ü±ô¾±°ìīś²¹°ì³Ù¾± belonged to:

अनà¥à¤¤à¥à¤¤à¤°à¤‚ परमॠधाà¤� तदेवाकà¥à¤²à¤®à¥à¤šà¥à¤¯à¤¤à¥� à¥�
विसरà¥à¤—सà¥à¤¤à¤¸à¥à¤¯ नाथसà¥à¤¯ कौलिकीशकà¥à¤¤à¤¿à¤°à¥à¤šà¥à¤¯à¤¤à¥‡ à¥�

²¹²Ô³Ü³Ù³Ù²¹°ù²¹á¹� param »å³óÄå³¾²¹ tadevÄkulamucyate |
visargastasya nÄthasya kaulikīśaktirucyate ||
[1]

He also tries to explain sixteen distinct meanings of the very concept while explaining the most significant reference found in ±Ê²¹°ùÄå³Ù°ù¾±á¹ƒÅ›i°ìÄå±¹¾±±¹²¹°ù²¹á¹‡a. According to it, Anuttara is the concept which is absolutely independent and higher than all the categories of manifestation; in which no questions and answers are possible; is the highest reality in complete freedom; is the supreme spiritual level attained by the Yogins through contemplation where there is no ‘going beyondâ€�; is the state in which no bondage of any kind exists; is from which there is no liberation; relating to which any expression is impossible; in which the objective contemplation too is impossible; that which springs from something; from which the ±Ê²¹Å›²â²¹²Ô³ÙÄ«, ±Ê²¹°ùÄå etc. are sprung out; that which cannot be attained through the thrust of the teacher; is absolutely contentless (śū²Ô²â²¹); in which the creative power is predominant.[2]

The term Sarva is also generally used in the doctrine of monistic Åš²¹¾±±¹¾±²õ³¾ as equivalent to Anuttara. According to Elisa Freschi, as it has the form of Anuttara, Sarva becomes unique in Åšaivite theory of ‘sarvam sarvatmakamâ€�[3]. Anuttara—the unsurpassable—is the supreme lord himself. Uttara is the three Åš²¹°ì³Ù¾±s viz., ±õ³¦³¦³óÄå, ´³Ã±Äå²Ô²¹, and °­°ù¾±²âÄå and one which transcends these three is Anuttara. Abhinavagupta gives about 16 definitions in his ±Ê²¹°ùÄå³Ù°ù¾±á¹ƒÅ›i°ìÄå±¹¾±±¹²¹°ù²¹á¹‡a

´¡²Ô³Ü³Ù³Ù²¹°ùÄå, a notion referred to in feminine gender, at the same time, is a concept which creates misperception since it appears identical with the principle Anuttara-the masculine. It abides only in the state of KaulikÄ« Åš²¹°ì³Ù¾±, i. e., always subordinate to Åš¾±±¹²¹.

The entire universe is a reflection of pure void of consciousness of Bhairava and it is independent of anyone else. The lord with complete independence known as Anuttara, being the self of the universe is inseparably united with the goddess. The supreme lord with power, Akula, is beyond the group of manifestation.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Ibid., III.143.

[2]:

See K. C. Pandey, Op.cit, pp.636-641. ±Ê²¹°ùÄå³Ù°ù¾±á¹ƒÅ›i°ìÄå±¹¾±±¹²¹°ù²¹á¹‡a, pp.19-35; anuttaramiti na vidyate ³Ü³Ù³Ù²¹°ù²¹á¹� ²¹»å³ó¾±°ì²¹á¹� ²â²¹³Ù²¹á¸�, ²â²¹³Ù³óÄå hi tattvÄntarÄṇi á¹£aá¹­t°ù¾±á¹ƒÅ›a³Ù anÄÅ›ritaÅ›ivaparyantÄni parabhairavabodhÄnupraveÅ›ÄsÄditatathÄbhÄvasiddhÄ«ni saṃvidamadhikayanti, naivaá¹� parÄ paripÅ«rṇÄ� parabhairavasaṃvit tasyÄá¸� ²õ²¹»åÄå svayamanargalÄnapeká¹£aprathÄcamatkÄrasÄratvÄt | tathÄ na vidyate praÅ›naprativacorÅ«paá¹� yatra, yata eva hi mahÄsaṃvitsindhoá¸� ullasadanantapratibhÄparyantadhÄmna ullÄsyapraÅ›napratibhÄnÄdipÄtraá¹� bhavati Å›¾±á¹£y²¹á¸� tadeva ±¹²¹²õ³Ù³Ü³Ù²¹á¸� ³Ù²¹³Ù³Ù±¹²¹á¹� satatoditam...uttaraṇam uttaro bhedavÄdÄbhimato'pavargaḥsahi prastuto niyatiprÄṇatÄá¹� nÄtikrÄmati |... nÄbhihá¹›tkaṇaá¹­hatÄlubrÄhmabhairavabilÄdyadhiṣṭhÄnakramaprÄpta Å«rdhvataraṇakrama ³Ü³Ù³Ù²¹°ù²¹á¸�, tathÄ uttaranti ata iti uttaro ²ú²¹²Ô»å³ó²¹á¸�, uttaraṇamuttaro ³¾´Ç°ìá¹£aá¸�, tat evaá¹� ±¹¾±»å³óÄå ³Ü³Ù³Ù²¹°ùÄå yatra na santi; ³Ü³Ù³Ù²¹°ù²¹á¹� ca Å›²¹²ú»å²¹²Ô²¹á¹� tat ²õ²¹°ù±¹²¹³Ù³óÄå Ä«dṛśam tÄdṛśam iti ±¹²â²¹±¹²¹³¦³¦³ó±ð»å²¹á¹� kuryÄt, tat yatra na bhavati avayavacchinnamidamanuttaram |...yÄvadanuttare rÅ«pe praviviká¹£uá¸� mÄyÄ«yaá¸� ±è°ù²¹³¾Äå³ÙÄå ³ÙÄå±¹²¹³Ù kalpita eva viÅ›eá¹£Ätmani, tatra tu avikalpitaá¹� yat avinÄbhÄvi tadvinÄ kalpitarÅ«pÄsphuraṇÄt, tadeva vastuto'nuttaram |...tat Ä«dṛśama³Ü³Ù³Ù²¹°ùÄådharyadvaitasaṃmohÄdhÄyi uttaratvaá¹�, tathÄ ca viprarÄjanyavaiÅ›yaśūdrÄntyajÄtivibhÄgamayam Å«nÄdhikatvaá¹� yatra na syÄt, bhÄvaprÄdhÄnyamuttaraÅ›abdasya | ³Ü³Ù³Ù²¹°ùÄåá¸� paÅ›yantyÄdyÄá¸� Å›aktayaá¸� aghorÄdyÄá¸�, parÄdyÄá¸� tÄá¸� yatra na syuá¸�... tat evaṃvidho nudÄ preraṇena ³Ù²¹°ù²¹á¸� ³Ù²¹°ù²¹á¹‡aá¹� yatra na bhavati tat anuttaram |...yÄ iyaá¹� nut visargÄntatÄ tasyÄ eva ³Ù²¹°ù²¹á¸� ±è±ô²¹±¹²¹²Ô²¹á¹� sarvauparivá¹›ttittvaá¹� yatra |...evaá¹� svÄtantryasÄrÄkalitakriyÄÅ›aktiÅ›arÄ«ramanuttaram | yato yÄvadidaá¹� parameÅ›varasya bhairavabhÄnoḥraÅ›micakrÄtmakaá¹� nijabhÄsÄsphÄramayaá¹� kulamuktaá¹� taccaitat antarmukhaparabhairavasaṃvittÄdÄtmyalaká¹£aṇaá¹� nirodhameti ³Ù²¹»åÄå tadeva paramÄnandÄmá¹›tÄsvÄdamayamadeÅ›akÄlakalitam ²¹²Ô³Ü³Ù³Ù²¹°ù²¹á¹� »å³ó°ù³Ü±¹²¹á¹� visargarÅ«paá¹� satatoditam |

[3]:

Visit www.elisafreschi.com for more details.

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