To know Shiv is to become Shiv

By – Anup Taneja

Spanda-Karikas, a Kashmir Shaivism text, explains that the world, although an abhasa, reflection, is not a superimposition on Shiv from outside. Instead, it is a Selfcreation or Self-projection of Shiv who, by his own free will, constantly unfolds within his own being the wondrous universe with myriad names and forms.

Creation, thus, in Kashmir Shaivism, is not understood as an act where wilful effort is made to fulfil a want; rather, it is a natural and free activity that has the merit of being absolutely spontaneous.

Though Shiv in his original state abides as Pure Awareness, ‘I am’, completely absorbed in the bliss of his own Self, yet, at the same time, Selfconsciousness or Self-observation, called spanda, is the natural inner dynamism of Shiv, in the same way as self-illumination is the very nature of light. It is under the influence of spandashakti,the inner dynamism, that countless universes keep arising and subsiding on the Being of Shiv. Spanda, thus, is the throb, ecstasy of Shiv. There is no other material cause of creation.

In the process of enacting the wonderful drama of the colourful world, Shiv, of his own volition, sheds his undifferentiated state of Pure Awareness. He polarises himself into subject and object, accepts dualities, shrinks his powers of will, knowledge and action, puts on the cloak of maya, forgets his Shivahood, and reduces himself to an individual soul operating in the phenomenal world in a state of ignorance.

Abhinavagupta, a well-known authority on Kashmir Shaivism, explains the ontological status of the world in terms of Bimba-Pratibimba principle wherein the mysterious universe is seen as a pratibimba, reflection, of Shiv – the Self-luminous, Eternal Being. For example, if you stand in front of a mirror, your face will be reflected in it as pratibimba; while your actual face is bimba, archetype. And what happens to the reflected face need not happen to the actual face. So, if a stone is hurled at the reflection in the mirror, the latter may break into pieces but the actual face will remain unscathed. Therefore, what is real is bimba, actual face, and not pratibimba, reflection, which is merely an abhasa, which though objective, is not material.

Abhinava gupta further explains that just as earth and water, when reflected in a mirror, do not get mixed, so also the entire world of objects appears together in the mirror of Pure Consciousness, Shiv, like a reflection. Thus, Shiv, while appropriating the entire world of countless colours, remains immaculately pure and untainted and does not suffer the least diminution of his perfection despite diverse reflections getting superimposed on his being.

Utpaladeva, another authority on Kashmir Shaivism, says the entire creation of Shiv is so bizarre that all our attempts to conceptualise and define him are futile, for Shiv always eludes our grasp. The only way, therefore, to know Shiv is to become Shiv by delving deep into the vast inner realms of consciousness through regular meditation. Realisation will then dawn upon the seeker that in the luminous regions within, the divine effulgence of Shiv, radiates in all directions on a constant basis, reverberating with the knowledge of ‘Shivoham’, ‘I am Shiv’.

March 8 is Mahashivaratri

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