Kaula Emperor Abhinavagupta

 Guru Purṇimā (Late post) 

Jaya jaya Yoginībhū, the Shāktasamrāṭ Abhinavagupta 

Two streams are observed in the Trikā or Kaula philosophy, — Śivādvaitavādī / शिवाद्वैतवादी (monistic Śaiva) and Śāktādvaitavādī / शाक्ताद्वैतवादी (monistic Śākta). Regarding this, Mahāmahopādhyāya Gopinath Kaviraj, a great Upāsaka of Śrividyā, stated:

 "Those who are acquainted with the history of the Kula path certainly know this. The Shāktas are Shaktādvaitavādins (monistic Shaktas). According to them, this state of Mahāshakti—the supreme illuminating form of Paramashiva—is non-different from her. Texts like the 'Tripurā Rahasya' (त्रिपुरा-रहस्य) are to be known as scriptures of the Shaktādvaita tradition. The text named 'Shivadrishti' is the principal text of the monistic Shaiva tradition. Furthermore, the mysterious matter is that in ancient times, universally revered teachers like Somānanda even sailed in two boats at once. His work named 'Shivadrishti' (शिवदृष्टि) is the supreme text of the monistic Shaiva tradition. In it, the supremacy of Paramashiva is primarily established, although it is also acknowledged that Shiva and Shakti are identical in every way. This Somānanda has another excellent work, which is the commentary named 'Vivaranī' (विवरणी) on the text called 'Parātrīṁshikā' (परात्रिंशिका). In this commentary text, Somānanda himself adopts the Shaktādvaita viewpoint. From this, it is understood that he supported both the Shivasadvaita and Shaktādvaita viewpoints. Whichever way the devotee's mind inclines, that viewpoint ought to be adopted. From the perspective of ultimate conclusion (siddhānta), both are true."

Some people think of Acharya Shankara and other such teachers as the gurus of the Shāktas. That is not correct. Acharya Shankara was not a Kaula, and Vedantins are opposed to the Kula path. In Shankar's philosophy, there is no supremacy of Shakti; Shakti is transient and illusory there. The opposite philosophy of Shaktādvaitavāda is material-Brahmanism (Jadabrahmavāda). In fact, Shākta philosophy is dependent on Tantra, and the Brahman of Tantra is the third Brahman (the first being that of the Vedantins, and the second being that of the Buddhists).

​Acharya Abhinavagupta was one of the foremost bearers of this Shaktādvaitavāda (शाक्ताद्वैतवाद). He was as much a Shaiva as he was a Shākta. Exactly for this reason, Mahāmahopādhyāya Gopinath Kaviraj called him the 'Soul of Śākta culture.' If the Shāktas have any Jagadguru (जगद्गुरु), it is undoubtedly him.

​In the Īshvara-pratyabhijñā-vibrivitimarshinī (ईश्वर-प्रत्यभिज्ञा-विमर्शिणी), Abhinavagupta adopted the meaning of Utpaladeva’s 'vishesha-darshana' (special philosophy) from philosophies dominated by Shaktādvaita, and by interpreting 'vishesha' as 'Shakti,' he accepted it as the distinguishing (separating) characteristic from the 'general' philosophies of the Upanishadic lineage. That is, by considering the supreme principle as the possessor of Shakti (Shaktimān) and His intrinsic nature as Shakti, and by extracting the pure consciousness (śuddha-chaitanya) that is lost in general philosophies, they draw a line of differentiation upon the philosophical framework. With immense confidence, he proclaims this conception of Shakti as the hallmark of the Kaula vision and presents it as the unique source of his anandavāda (philosophy of bliss)—'The creation-energy (sargasḫakti) is the sixteenth digit (shodhashī kalā)'—this vision belongs neither to Samkhya nor to Vedanta, but is entirely Kaula; and it is the seed of the ground of supreme divine bliss (paramārshvika paramānanda) of this visarga-shakti. On the basis of these two—Shaktimayatā (impregnation with Shakti) and Shakti-rahitya (absence of Shakti)—they also delineate two sub-divisions situated between the two lineages, the philosophical consequence of which is far-reaching. 

Regarding the philosophy of the venerable Abhinavagupta, it is stated: 

"विशेषदर्शनेषु इति शाक्ताद्वैतप्रधानेषु, विशेषः शक्तिलक्षण आत्मनो दर्श्यते साक्षात्कारं नीयते येषु ।..... शुद्धचैतन्यमिति सामान्यदर्शनेषु सर्वोत्तीर्णैकरूपवेदकेषु दर्शितेति सूचयति ।"

​~ Īshvarapratyabhijñāvibrivitimarshinī, Chapter 3, p. 331

​Among the philosophies characterized by Shakti, the Shaktādvaita philosophy is the foremost; this is the opinion of the preeminent Acharya.

​Acharya Abhinavagupta was a worshipper of Kāli. According to him, Kāli is beyond tattvas (tattvātīta), supreme reflective awareness (parāvimarsha), pure consciousness (saṁvidshuddhā), and the nameless one (anākhyā). He discussed the Kāli tattva in detail in his text Tantrāloka.

​According to him:

Before the subject (pramātā) manifests as the knowable objects (prameya, etc.), consciousness (saṁvid) remains pure. This pure consciousness itself is designated by the name Shri Kālasaṁkarshini. 

He stated: 

"ततः- परस्या एव संविदस्तत्तत्प्रमात्रादिरूपत्वेन परिस्फुरणाद्धेतोः, -- तथात्वेन स्फुरणाৎप्राक्, शुद्धा -प्रमात्रादिनियतरूपानारूषिता इयं श्रीकालसङ्कर्षिणीऽशव्दाव्यपदेश्या परा संविद्देवी कालकलनाकलङ्कग्रसिष्णुतया 

द्योतमाना, तथा स्वात्मानतिरेकेऽपि अतिरेकायमाणतया यत् स्वातन्त्र्याद्भासनं, तत्र सोत्सुका सिसृक्षायोगिनी सती, सृष्टिं कलय़ते- वहिरासूत्रितप्राय़ं भावजातं विमृशति, अत एव तन्नाम्ना-अन्वर्थेनऽश्रीसृष्टिकालीऽशव्देन, आगमे -श्रीपञ्चशतिकादौ, उच्यते -- अभिधीयते इत्यर्थः, यदुक्तं तत्र ऽमन्त्रोदय़ा व्योमरूपा व्योमस्था व्योमवर्जिता ।"

​Meaning —

Thereafter—owing to the fact that the supreme Consciousness itself manifests as the creator, preserver, and destroyer, i.e., as the subject (pramātā), etc., prior to manifesting in such a manner, that pure Consciousness—untainted by any specific form of the subject or objects (akalushitā)—unnameable by the word "Shri Kalasankarshini" (anākhyā), the supreme goddess of consciousness, due to her capacity to devour the blemish of temporal division (Kāla-kalana), and possessing the spontaneous, sovereign manifestation (svātantrya-labdha bhāsana or prakāsha) of appearing as if different or separate despite being identical to her own Self, becomes eager and assumes the form of a yoginī with the desire to create (sisrishā), and expands creation—reflects upon or contemplates the states that are on the verge of outward manifestation. And for that very reason, she has been addressed—that is, designated—by that apt name "Shri Srishtikali" in Āgamas such as the Kālikākulapañhashatikā, as it is stated there:

​"She is the origin of mantras, of the nature of space (vyomarūpā), residing in space (vyomasthā), and devoid of space (vyomavarjitā)."

​He quoted the Kālikūlashāstra (tāntrik texts of the lost Kālīkrama) to explain the unnameable (anākhyā) form of Goddess Kālī, which transcends name and form (nāma-rūpātīta). Furthermore, quoting the Kālikulapañhashatika Tantra, he provided a refined analysis of the twelve Kālī tattvas. In the fourth Ahnika of the Tantrāloka, he stated: 

"She who is the doer of the fivefold kalana (measurement/operation) has become renowned by the names 'Devi Kālī' or 'Kālikarshinī.

She has many other expressive names. Among them is the term 'Matrisambhava' (the state or matrix of the Mother). Subjecthood (pramātritva) is clearly manifest in the twelvefold consciousness (dvādasha-samvitti). For this reason, the designation is 'Matrisambhava.' This very Goddess has been celebrated by the designation 'Vāmeshvarī' in the Shri Nishātana Shastra." 

He stated:

एषा वस्तुत एकैव परा कालस्य कर्षिणी। शक्तिमद्भेदय़ोगेन यामलत्वं प्रपद्यते ॥ 

भैरवरूपी कालः सृजति जगৎकारणाविकोटान्तम् । इच्छावशेन यस्याः सा त्वं भुवनाम्विके जय़सि ॥ 

तस्य प्रत्यवमर्शो यः परिपूर्णोऽहमात्मकः । स स्वात्मनि स्वतन्त्रत्वाद्विभागमवभासय़ेৎ ॥ 

​Meaning — "The supreme energy alone is Kālasaṁkarshinī. When she reflects upon differentiation with her own empowered existence (shaktimat-sattvā), she attains the state of yamalatva (Shiva-Shakti).

From whose very will, Shiva—the cause of the universe beginning from the Bhairava-form down to the crore—creates. O Goddess, you are indeed She! Thus you are the mother who brings forth the universe. Victory be to you!"

That creative, consciousness-dispensing primordial energy, the Shaktimān—that is, Shiva Himself of the nature of reflective self-illumination (virmarshamaya prakāsha-rūpa)—acquires the auxiliary state of Yamala. Upon this foundation, the convention and usage of Shakti and Shaktimān are established. In reality, prakāsha (illumination) is not different from vimarsha (reflection), nor is vimarsha separate from prakāsha.

​That is to say, the Goddess attains a state of duality as a result of the union with Shaktimad-bheda; 'Shaktimat' here is the cause of the creation of a dual existence. Kālasaṁkarshinī Kālī transforms Herself into Shaktimān Shiva and the Goddess Shakti. This is akin to the origin of Mahākāla and Dakshinākālī from the Ādyākālī of the Yoginī Tantra! The foundational philosophy of the Kālīkula has been one from the very beginning.

​In explanation of this, it has been stated:

​"एषा इत्यनुत्तरा संविৎ, कलय़ति शिवादिनित्यन्तं जगৎसृजति इति कालः भैरवः, तस्य कर्षिणी स्वात्माय़ततय़ावभासय़न्तीत्यर्थः । नहि तदिच्छा मन्तरेण किचिदनि प्रस्फुरेदिति भावः ।"

Meaning — That Anuttarā consciousness-energy; she who creates the universe from Shiva down to the lowest (nitya or anta), she—Kālakarshinī—manifests Kāla or Bhairava as established and situated within her own Self—this is the precise meaning. The underlying import is that not even the slightest thing can blossom forth without the will of the Goddess.

​May Acharya Abhinavagupta bestow upon us devotion to Kālī!

Victory to Mother Kālī.