Essay name: Srikara Bhashya (commentary)
Author: C. Hayavadana Rao
The Srikara Bhashya, authored by Sripati Panditacharya in the 15th century, presents a comprehensive commentary on the Vedanta-Sutras of Badarayana (also known as the Brahmasutra). These pages represent the introduction portion of the publication by C. Hayavadana Rao.
Page 920 of: Srikara Bhashya (commentary)
920 (of 953)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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INTRODUCTION 859 and action (kriy膩), they form what are called Kal膩, N谩da
and Bindu. Again, each of these three lingas鈥擝h膩va,
Pr膩na and Ishta-is divided into two: the first into
Mahalinga and Prasadalinga, the second into Charalinga and
Sivalinga, and the third into Gurulinga and Ach膩ralinga.
Six different kinds of sakti operate on these six and pro-
duce six different forms. These are: (i) Mah膩linga, which
is formed when the Siva essence is operated on by the power
of intelligence (chitsakti); its attributes are the absence of
birth and death, freedom from taint, perfection, unity,
subtleness, being higher than the highest, incorruptibility,
unfathomableness, capability of being apprehended by faith
and love and idealistic form (chaitanyarupa). (ii) Prasadalinga
which is produced when the Siva essence is permeated
with its highest power (Par膩sakti); the principle called
Sadakhya is produced; it is light, eternal, indivisible,
imperceptible to the senses, apprehensible by reason, in-
destructible, and the rudiment which developes. (iii) Chara-
linga, which is produced when the Siva essence is oper-
ated upon by its primeval power (Adisakti); it is infinite
and pervades the internal and external worlds, which is full
of light, is a Purusha (person), and is higher than Pradh膩na
or Prakriti, and is capable of being contemplated by the
mind alone. (iv) Sivalinga, which is produced when the
Siva essence is permeated by the will power (Icch膩sakti);
it is a finite principle with a sense of egoism, possessed of
knowledge and power, having a celestial refulgence, with
one face, and serene. (v) Gurulinga, which is produced
when the Siva essence is permeated with the knowledge
(Jn膩nasakti); it possesses energy, presides over every
system or science that instructs, is full of light, a boundless.
ocean of joy, and dwells in human intelligence. (vi) Ach膩ra-
linga, which is produced when the Siva essence is influenced
by the power of action (Kriy膩sakti); in the shape of action
it serves as the support, for the existence of all things; it is
conceivable by the mind, and leads to self-renunciation.
In view of the position assigned to Sakti in this conception
of the Absolute, Virasaivism has been sometimes called
