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Somānanda
Somananda (875–925 CE) was one of the teachers of Kashmir Shaivism, in the lineage of Trayambaka, and the author of the first philosophical treatise of this school (the ).History of Kashmir Shaivism, B N Pandit, page 27 A contemporary of Bhatta Kallata,History of Kashmir Saivism - B.N. Pandit, p. 27 the two were the first of the Kashmiri Shaivites to propose the concepts of non-dual Shaivism in a rigorous and logical way. Somananda lived in Kashmir—most probably in Srinagar, where most of the later philosophers of the school lived—as a householder. Lineage There is considerable myth surrounding the origins of Somananda. He claimed himself to be a descendant of the sage Durvasa, who had received from Shiva the spiritual mission of keeping the tradition and secrets of Kashmir Shaivism, Agamic Shaivism alive. It is said that Durvasa created his son—the aforementioned Tryambaka—directly from his own mind (similarly to the way that Athena was said to have been created ...
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Kashmiri Shaivism
Kashmir Shaivism tradition is a 20th century umbrella-term for a body of Sanskrit learning, Sanskrit exegetical literature from several Nondualism, non-dualist Shaivism, Shaiva-Shaktism, Shakta Tantra, tantric and Monism, monistic religious traditions, often used synonymously for the Trika-school or the "Philosophy of Recognition" (''Pratyabhijna, Pratyabhijnad''). These traditions originated in Kashmir after 850 CE, as an Sanskritization, adaptation to upper-class Hindu norms of 'wild' tantric Kaula (Hinduism), Kaula traditions. Trika Shaivism later spread beyond Kashmir, particularly flourishing in the states of Odisha and Maharashtra. Defining features of the Trika tradition are its Idealism, idealistic and Monism, monistic ''pratyabhijna'' ("direct knowledge of one's self," "recognition") philosophical system, propounded by Utpaladeva (c. 925–975 CE) and Abhinavagupta (c. 975–1025 CE), and the use of several triades in its philosophy, including the three goddesses Par ...
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Utpaladeva
Utpaladeva (c. 900–950 CE) was a Shaiva tantrik philosopher, theologian and poet from Kashmir. He belonged to the Trika Shaiva tradition and is a thinker of the Pratyabhijñā school of monistic idealism.Torella, Raffaele (2021), ''Utpaladeva: Philosopher of Recognition'', pp. 1-3. DK Printworld (P) Ltd, His '' Īśvarapratyabhijñākārikā'' (IPK, ''Verses on the Recognition of the Lord'') is a central text for the Pratyabhijñā school of Shaiva Hindu philosophy. Utpaladeva was also a tantrik guru and a religious bhakti poet, having authored the influential '' Śivastotrāvalī (A Garland of Hymns to Śiva)'', a collection of Shaiva hymns that remain popular with Kashmiri Shaivas. Utpaladeva was a student of Somānanda (875–925 CE) and an influence on the exegete Abhinavagupta, whose works later overshadowed those of Utpaladeva. However, according to the Indologist Raffaele Torella "most of Abhinavagupta’s ideas are just the development of what Utpaladeva had alrea ...
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Idealism
Idealism in philosophy, also known as philosophical realism or metaphysical idealism, is the set of metaphysics, metaphysical perspectives asserting that, most fundamentally, reality is equivalent to mind, Spirit (vital essence), spirit, or consciousness; that reality is entirely a mental construct; or that ideas are the highest type of reality or have the greatest claim to being considered "real".Goldschmidt et al. 2017, p. ix. Because there are different types of idealism, it is difficult to define the term uniformly. Indian philosophy contains some of the first defenses of idealism, such as in Vedanta and in Shaivism, Shaiva Pratyabhijna, Pratyabhijña thought. These systems of thought argue for an all-pervading consciousness as the true nature and ground of reality. Idealism is also found in some streams of Mahayana Buddhism, such as in the Yogachara, Yogācāra school, which argued for a "mind-only" (''cittamatra'') philosophy on an analysis of subjective experience. In ...
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Samkhya
Samkhya or Sankhya (; ) is a dualistic orthodox school of Hindu philosophy. It views reality as composed of two independent principles, '' Puruṣa'' ('consciousness' or spirit) and '' Prakṛti'' (nature or matter, including the human mind and emotions). ''Puruṣa'' is the witness-consciousness. It is absolute, independent, free, beyond perception, above any experience by mind or senses, and impossible to describe in words. ''Prakṛti'' is matter or nature. It is inactive, unconscious, and is a balance of the three '' guṇas'' (qualities or innate tendencies), namely '' sattva'', '' rajas'', and '' tamas''. When ''Prakṛti'' comes into contact with ''Purusha'' this balance is disturbed, and ''Prakṛti'' becomes manifest, evolving twenty-three tattvas, namely intellect ('' buddhi'', ''mahat''), I-principle ('' ahamkara''), mind ('' manas''); the five sensory capacities known as ears, skin, eyes, tongue and nose; the five action capacities known as hands (''hasta''), fee ...
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Vaisheshika
Vaisheshika (IAST: Vaiśeṣika; ; ) is one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy from ancient India. In its early stages, Vaiśeṣika was an independent philosophy with its own metaphysics, epistemology, logic, ethics, and soteriology. Over time, the Vaiśeṣika system became similar in its philosophical procedures, ethical conclusions and soteriology to the Nyāya school of Hinduism, but retained its difference in epistemology and metaphysics. The epistemology of the Vaiśeṣika school of Hinduism, like Buddhism, accepted only two reliable means to knowledge: direct observation and inference.DPS Bhawuk (2011), Spirituality and Indian Psychology (Editor: Anthony J.Marsella), Springer, , page 172* Eliot Deutsch (2000), in Philosophy of Religion : Indian Philosophy Vol 4 (Editor: Roy Perrett), Routledge, , pages 245-248; * John A. Grimes, A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy: Sanskrit Terms Defined in English, State University of New York Press, , page 238 The Vaiśeṣ ...
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The 36 Tattvas
The tattvas in Indian philosophy are elements or principles of reality. Tattvas are the basic concepts to understand the nature of absolute, the souls and the universe in Samkhya and Shaivite philosophies. Samkhya philosophy lists 25 tattvas while later Shaivite philosophies extend the number to 36. Tattvas are used to explain the structure and origin of the Universe. They are usually divided into three groups: ''śuddha'' (pure tattvas); ''śuddhaśuddha'' (pure-impure tattvas); and ''aśuddha'' (impure tattvas). The pure tattvas describe internal aspects of the Absolute; the pure-impure tattvas describe the soul and its limitations; while the impure tattvas include the universe and living beings that assist the existence of soul. Overview ''Tattva'' () is a Sanskrit word meaning 'thatness', 'principle', 'reality' or 'truth'. Samkhya philosophy enumerates only 25 ''tattva''s; twenty-four ''ātma tattva''s along with ''purusha'', which is ''ātman'' or the soul. Shaivite philosop ...
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Shakti
Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; 'energy, ability, strength, effort, power, might, capability') in Hinduism, is the "Universal Power" that underlies and sustains all existence. Conceived as feminine in essence, Shakti refers to the personified energy or power of a Deva (Hinduism), male deity, often personified as the female consort of the given Hindu god. In Tantric Shaktism, Shakti is the foremost deity, akin to Brahman. In Puranic Hinduism, Shiva and Shakti are the masculine and feminine principles that are complementary to each other. The male deity is ''purusha'', pure consciousness, which creates the universe through the female creative energy of Shakti, which is ''Prakṛti, prakriti'', 'nature'. The term ''Shakta'' is used for the description of people associated with Shakti worship. The Shakta pithas are shrines, which are believed to be the sacred seats of Shakti. Etymology and overview According to the Monier Monier-Williams, Monier-Williams dict ...
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Svātantrya
Svātantrya (from the Sanskrit ''sva'' meaning ''self'' and ''tantram'' meaning ''dependence''Siva Sutras – Jaideva Singh, p. 9 – 'self-dependency', or 'free will') is the Kashmiri Shaivite concept of divine sovereignty. ''Svātantrya'' is described as an energy that emanates from the Supreme (''Paramaśiva''), a wave of motion inside consciousness (''spanda'') that acts as the fundament of the world, or in another view, the original word (logos, pārāvak).Pratyabhijnahrdayam – J. Singh, p. 16 It does not use any external instrument as it itself is the first stage of creation. In antithesis with the Vedantic concept of Brahman, which is a mere conscious witness without effective power, being inflicted by the illusory power (or ''maya'' of the Brahman), in the Kashmiri Shaivite viewpoint creation is actively willed into existence by the supreme consciousness (''Śiva'') by the means of his irresistible will-force (''Svātantrya''). This is an important aspect o ...
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