The Philosophical Background of the Śiva-Sūtras

Śiva-sūtras are a treatise on Yoga, but this Yoga is based on a definite system of Philosophy. It will not be possible to understand this Yoga unless there is a clear grasp of the philosophy on which it is based.
We may consider the philosophical background of this Yoga under the following heads:

1. Ultimate Reality
2. Manifestation or the world-process
3. Bondage
4. Liberation

1. Ultimate Reality

Ultimate Reality is cit or Parāsaṁvit. It is non-relational consciousness. It is the changeless principle of all changes. In it, there is no distinction of subject and object, of "I" and "This."
It is the Supreme Self surveying Itself. In the words of Pratyabhijñā Śāstra, it is prakāśa-vimarśamaya. Prakāśa is the Eternal Light without which nothing can appear. It is Śiva. Vimarśa is Śakti, the svabhāva of Śiva. It is, so to speak, the mirror in which Śiva realizes His own grandeur, power, and beauty.
Vimarśa is the Kartṛtva Śakti (the power of doership) of Śiva. Mere prakāśa cannot be the nature of Reality. Even a diamond is prakāśa, but the diamond does not know itself as prakāśa. Vimarśa is that aspect of prakāśa by which it knows itself. That self-knowledge is an activity.

Vimarśa betokens that activity. As Kṣemarāja says in his Parāprāveśikā (p. 2), Vimarśa is "akrtrimāham iti visphuraṇam" — It is the non-relational, immediate awareness of "I." Kṣemarāja rightly says, "Yadi nirvimarśaḥ syāt anīśvaro jaḍaśca prasajyeta" (Parāprāveśikā, p. 2) — i.e., "If Ultimate Reality were merely prakāśa and not also vimarśa, it would be entirely powerless and inert." It is this "I"-consciousness of Ultimate Reality that is responsible for the manifestation, maintenance, and reabsorption of the universe.

Cit is conscious of itself as Cidrūpiṇī Śakti. This consciousness of itself as Cidrūpiṇī Śakti is Vimarśa. Vimarśa has been named variously as Parāśakti, Svatantrya, Aiśvarya, Kartṛtva, Sphuraṭā, Sāra, Hṛdaya, and Spanda(Parāprāveśikā, p. 2).

It is because Śaṅkara Vedānta considers Brahman to be only prakāśa or jñāna (light or illumination) without any vimarśa or activity that it has to invoke the help of Māyā for the manifestation of the universe. Brahman is devoid of any activity; it is, therefore, impotent to create. It is only Īśvara or māyopahita caitanya that can manifest the universe. But whence does this Māyā drop in? If it is some power extraneous to Brahman or Īśvara, then Śaṅkara Vedānta is reduced to dualism. If Māyā is only an expression of the power of Brahman, then Brahman cannot be divested of activity. Both Sāṅkhya and Vedānta consider the Puruṣa or Ātman to be niṣkriya or inactive, because they take the word "activity" in a very crude sense. Surely, Brahman or Ātman does not work like a potter or a watchmaker.

The very Vimarśa, the very Icchā (will) of the Divine, is spiritual energy of incalculable force that can proliferate into any form, from the subtlest to the grossest.
Svātantrya or unimpeded Sovereignty is the characteristic par excellence of Śiva. It expresses itself as Icchā (will), which immediately translates itself into jñāna (knowledge) and kriyā (action).

Ultimate Reality is not only Universal Consciousness but also Supreme spiritual energy or Power. This All-inclusive Universal Consciousness is also called Anuttara, the Highest Reality, the Absolute. It is both transcendental (viśvottīrṇa) and immanent (viśvamaya).

2. Manifestation or the World Process

It is the svabhāva or very nature of Ultimate Reality to manifest. Creativity is of the very essence of Divinity. If Ultimate Reality did not manifest, it would not be Self or consciousness, but not-Self, something like a jar.
As Abhinavagupta puts it: "If the Highest Reality did not manifest in infinite variety, but remained cooped up within its solid singleness, it would neither be the Highest Power nor Consciousness, but something like a jar."
Ultimate Reality or Parama Śiva is prakāśa-vimarśamaya. In that state, the "I" and the "This" are in an undivided unity. The “I” is the prakāśa aspect. "This," or its consciousness of itself, is the vimarśa aspect. This Vimarśa is svātantrya or unimpeded sovereign power, or Śakti. This Vimarśa is not contentless; it contains all that is to be.

Parātriṁśikā, 34:
"As the great banyan tree lies only in the form of potency in the seed, even so the entire universe, with all the mobile and immobile beings, lies as a potency in the heart of the Supreme."
The Śakti of the Supreme is called Citi or Parāśakti or Parāvāk. We shall see in the sequel what part Parāśakti or Parāvāk plays in the manifestation of word and its object.

Parama Śiva has infinite powers, but the following may be considered the main ones:

1. Cit – the power of Self-revelation, the changeless principle of all changes. In this aspect, the Supreme is known as Śiva.
2. Ānanda or Absolute Bliss. This is also called svātantrya. In this aspect, the Supreme is known as Śakti. Cit and Ānanda are the very svarūpa or nature of Parama Śiva. The rest may be considered to be His Śaktis.
3. Icchā or Will. In this aspect, He is known as Sadāśiva or Sādākhyā.
4. Jñāna or Knowledge. In this aspect, He is known as Īśvara.
5. Kriyā – the power of assuming any and every form. In this aspect, He is known as Sadvidyā or Śuddhavidyā.
   The Universe is simply an opening out (unmeṣa) or expansion (prasāra) of the Supreme as Śakti.
   The following appear in the course of manifestation.

I. The Tattvas of the Universal Experience 1-5

As already mentioned, Parama Śiva has two aspects, namely, transcendental (viśvottīrṇa) and immanent or creative. This creative aspect of Parama Śiva is known as Śiva tattva.

1. Śiva tattva is the initial creative movement (prathama spanda) of Parama Śiva.
2. Śakti tattva is the Energy of Śiva. She polarizes Consciousness into Aham and Idam ("I" and "This") — Subject and object.
   Śakti, however, is not separate from Śiva. Śiva, in his creative aspect, is known as Śakti. She is His ahaṁvimarśa("I-consciousness"), His unmukhata or intentness to create.
   Just as an artist cannot contain his delight within himself but pours it out into a song or a poem, so too Parama Śiva pours out the delightful wonder of His splendor into manifestation.
   In Śakti tattva, the ānanda aspect of the Supreme is predominant. Śiva and Śakti tattvas can never be separated.
3. Sadāśiva or Sādākhyā Tattva:
   The will (Icchā) to affirm the "This" side of the Universal Experience is known as Sadāśiva or Sādākhyā tattva. In Sadāśiva, Icchā (Will) is predominant.
   The experience of this stage is "I am this," but the "this" is only a hazy (asphuṭa) experience. The predominant side is still "I." The Ideal Universe is experienced as an indistinct something in the depth of consciousness.
   Sadāśiva tattva is the first manifestation (ābhāsa). In this Universal Experience, both the subject and object are consciousness. Consciousness in this aspect becomes perceptible to itself; hence, a subject and an object.

4. Īśvara or Aiśvarya Tattva

The next stage of the Divine experience is where Idam or the "This" side of the total experience becomes a little more defined (sphuṭa). This is known as Īśvara tattva. It is the unmeṣa or distinct blossoming of the Universe. At this stage, jñāna (knowledge) is predominant. The experience of Sadāśiva is "I am this." The experience of Īśvara is: "This am I."

5. Sadvidyā or Śuddhavidyā Tattva

In the Sadvidyā tattva, the "I" and the "This" sides of experience are equally balanced, like the two pans of an evenly held balance (samādhṛta-tulāputanyāyena). At this stage, kriyā Śakti is predominant. The "I" and the "This" are recognized in this state with such equal clarity that while both "I" and "This" are still identified, they can be clearly distinguished in thought. The experience of this stage may be called bhedābheda-vimarśa-nātma (diversity-in-unity), i.e., while the "This" is clearly distinguished from the "I," it is still felt to be a part of the "I" or Self. What is "I" is "This," what is "This" is "I," i.e., they have samānādhikaraṇa (co-reference).

The experience of this stage is known as parāpara daśā. It is intermediate between the para (higher) and apara (lower).
Up to this stage, all experience is ideal, i.e., in the form of an idea. Hence, it is called the perfect or pure order (Śuddhādhvā), i.e., a manifestation in which the svarūpa (true nature) of the Divine is not yet veiled.

 

Excerpt from the book "Shiva sutras" by Jaideva Singh