The universe according to Kashmir Shaivism

Anup Taneja 6 Nov 2012

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hindu cosmology | shiva | shati | hindu philosophy
The genesis o! the entire phenomenal creation is given as a single thought that arose as a
vi"ration on the canvas o! Pure #onsciousness $ the "oundless space %ith neither inside
nor outside in %hich the universe is "orn& develops and perishes'
The doctrine o! Kashmir Shaivism e(plains the phenomenon o! mani!estation o! the
universe in terms o! the dynamic aspect o! Pure #onsciousness $ the aspect that
represents constant changes that occur under the in!luence o! an in!inite num"er o!
vi"ratory pulsations' The changes& it may reiterated& occur on the sur!ace o! Pure
#onsciousness %hich is ain to the phenomenon o! innumera"le "u""les appearing on
%ater'
The %ord )mani!est* signi!ies appearance o! something to the mind& meaning there"y that
there can "e no )appearance* or mani!estation in the a"sence o! the perceiver' Pure
#onsciousness includes "oth the perceiver and the perceived& the su"ject and the o"ject'
+n its su"jective aspect& Pure #onsciousness "ecomes visi"le to itsel! "oth as su"ject and
o"ject and no duality o! consciousness is o"served'
+n the terminology o! Kashmir Shaivism& the su"ject and o"ject are re!erred to as aham or
)+* and idam or )this* respectively' They are so closely related that %ithout the one& the
other cannot e(ist in the same %ay as darness and night are insepara"le' ,uring the
phase o! pralaya or re-a"sorption o! the universe& the t%o e(ist in a state o! per!ect
e.uili"rium' And the moment the process o! cosmic evolution is set in motion& the
e.uili"rium gets distur"ed& resulting in the appearance o! duality o! #onsciousness in the
!orm o! aham and idam& the su"ject and the o"ject'
These t%o aspects are the t%o !undamental tattvas in the evolutionary process& namely&
the Shiva tattva and the Shati tattva' The !ormer represents light& the principle o!
e(istence and "eing/ the latter represents the primordial& creative energy $ the po%er o!
consciousness'
The Shiva tattva is the passive aspect o! Pure #onsciousness& the static centre& that
provides support to all things' +t is everlasting& eternal and supremely pure/ and despite
appearing as space& time and !orm& it does not undergo any change and maintains its
immaculate purity'
The Shati tattva represents the o"ject in the dual relationship o! the evolution o! the
universe' +t is the cause that generates all vi"ratory motions and changes that occur in the
mani!est universe' Shati is the dynamic po%er that "rings into "eing all the names and
!orms that are there in the universe and also %ithdra%s the entire creation in the process
o! Shati*s cosmic drama %ith the 0ternal 1eing at the end o! the cycle o! time'
2hile Shiva represents the )chit* aspect o! sat-chit-aand or e(istence-consciousness-"liss&
Shati represents the )anand* aspect' 2hen Shati is predominant& unalloyed "liss is
e(perienced' She& "y producing a stress on the canvas o! Pure #onsciousness& polarises
the latter into positive and negative& the aham and the idam' And "y virtue o! "eing the
po%er that creates& She is regarded as the !eminine aspect o! nature& the 3other o! the
4niverse$the inetic aspect o! Pure #onsciousness'
)Pratya"hijna 5ridayam*& a te(t in Kashmir Shaivism& says& 6Shati descends !rom the
plane o! Pure #onsciousness& un!olds the universe upon her o%n screen "y the po%er o!
her %ill and "ecomes the mind "y contracting in accordance %ith the o"ject perceived7'