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Broadly speaking there are two narratives which offers us two different temporalities with regard to the origin of Trika Saivism. The first and the widely accepted narrative, to which majority of the scholarly writings subscribe, informs us, Trika Saivism emerged only in ninth century A.D. when Acarya Vasugupta got the revelation of Siva Sutras, seventy seven number in total.^[1] Various exegetes of Siva Sutras have expressed differently the process of the revelation of these Sutras to the sage.^[2] But this narrative doesn鈥漷 offer us any explanation as to Why Siva Sutras? Although, Ksemaraja an eleventh century A.D. exegete, informs us that the endeavour of preaching these Sutras was to counter Buddhist nihilists and non-dualists. But this kind of narrative doesn鈥漷 offer us any substantive explanation beyond theocratic lens and in multi-causal way about the origin of Trika Shaivism.

As an outlier case, on the other side, some scholars are further trying to push back its historicity from ninth to fourth century A.D. In this regard the narrative goes like this; once Siva, in the form of Srikantha was wandering in his abode Kailasa, saw the sufferings of humanity owing to the spiritual darkness, owing to the loss of teachings of Siva Tantras. Thus, to bring people out of this stressful situation, Srikantha conveyed Durvasa Rishi to revive these teachings which the latter did by creating three mind born sons鈥�Tryambaka, Amardaka and Srinatha鈥搘ho preached Advaita (non-dual), Dvaita (Dual), and Dvaita-advaita (Dual cum non-dual)Tantra respectively, hence, from here emerged three Saiva Tantric schools. Connecting to this narrative, scholars highlight that Somananda (9th century A.D.), founder of nondual philosophy of Trika Shaivism, claims himself to be the nineteenth descendent of Tryambaka.^[3] K.C Pandey opines that while applying the traditional method of allowing twenty-five years to each generation leads us to conclude for four hundred and fifty years of the gap between Tryambaka and Somananda, as Somananda lived in ninth century A.D. Kashmir and the difference of four hundred and fifty years between the two make us to safely put Tryambaka around fourth century A.D.^[4]

This narrative actually connects Somananda to Tryambaka and informs us that this tradition didn鈥漷 originate with Somananda rather Tryambaka and the former was just one among the long lineage of great Siddhas (accomplished beings). But this narrative is problematic as it tries to fit the historicity of the tradition in the source from which it derives its legitimacy/sanction. There are no two opinions on the point that Advaita Tantras are the main source of this tradition, but this tradition didn鈥漷 get its theology and philosophy formulated or canonized at the time when these Tantras were revealed to Tryambaka (4^th century A.D.), rather it took its shape when Siva Sutras were revealed to Acarya Vasugupta (9^th Century A.D.).