Work
Kashmir Shaivism
Overview
Kashmir Shaivism is a 19th-century umbrella-term for a body of Sanskrit exegetical literature of non-dual Shaiva-Shakta tantric and monistic religious traditions from Kashmir, "principally the Trika and the Krama," both subschools of the Kaula-tradition. This exegetical tradition developed in Kashmir after 850 CE, as an adaptation to upper-class Hindu norms of 'wild' tantric Kaula traditions, replacing Shaiva Siddhanta as the dominant form of Saivism. It includes the Spanda ('Divine vibration') teachings, and the "Philosophy of Recognition" (Pratyabhijñā) of the Kashmir Trika-school. The term "Kashmir Shaivism" is often used synonymously for the Kashmir Trika-school and its pratyabhijñā philosophy.
The Shiva Sutras of Vasugupta (9th c. CE) and the Spanda Karika (9th c. CE) are the central texts of the Spanda system, interpreting Shakti as spanda, "cosmic pulsation" or "divine vibration", the active and creative energy of Shiva.
Defining features of the Trika tradition are the use of several triads in its philosophy, including the three goddesses Parā, Parāparā, and Aparā; and its idealistic and monistic teaching of pratyabhijna ("direct knowledge of one's self," "recognition") philosophical system, propounded by Utpaladeva (c. 925–975 CE) and Abhinavagupta (c. 975–1025 CE). The main exegetical works of the Trika-tradition are those of Abhinavagupta, such as the Tantraloka, Mālinīślokavārttika, and Tantrasāra. Another important text of this tradition is the Vijñāna-bhairava-tantra, which focuses on outlining numerous yogic practices. Trika Shaivism later spread beyond Kashmir, particularly flourishing in the states of Odisha and Maharashtra.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Philosophers who discussed Kashmir Shaivism
- Abhinavagupta
- Bhāskara (Bhedabheda Vedanta)
- Swami Vivekananda
- Utpaladeva
- Śaṅkaranandana
- Kshemaraja
- Gopinath Kaviraj
Related ideas
- Ātman (Hinduism)
- Ishvara
- Abhinavagupta
- Indology
- Idealism
- Kundalini
- Soteriology
- Metaphysics
- Agama (Hinduism)
- Monism
- Kali
- Maharashtra
- Shakti
- Bhagavad Gita
- Shaivism
- Sanskrit
- Shiva
- Advaita Vedanta
- Tantra
- Buddhism
- Trika
- Motilal Banarsidass
- God
- Nondualism
Place in the tradition
Part of Idealism.