was written by Sage Vasugupta in the late 8 century or early 9 century AD. Sage Vasugupta is also known for the Shiva Sutras, a text revealed to him by Lord Shiva.
The Spanda Karikas contains a wealth of knowledge. It explains to us how the world has been created, what are the important elements within it, what causes our bondage, and the means to overcome that bondage. Like all great texts, The Spanda Karikas is highly transformative. Its verses can transform our life and take us to a higher plane of existence. Drink from its cup of wisdom and watch your life transform.
Ranjit Chaudhri has translated some important texts of Kashmir Shaivism from Sanskrit into English. These include 112 Meditations for Self Realization: The Vigyan Bhairava Tantra, The Shiva Sutras: Eternal Wisdom for Life, and Sounds of Liberation: The Spanda Karikas. He presently lives in Kolkata.
The Spanda Karikas was written by the sage Vasugupta in the late 8th, or early 9th century AD. Vasugupta is known for the Shiva Sutras, a text revealed to him by Lord Shiva.
The Spanda Karikas beautifully explains some of the subject matter of the Shiva Sutras. It also covers entirely new areas. At places, the wisdom it contains is breathtaking.
What does Spanda Karikas mean? Spanda literally means vibration, throb, pulse, or movement. In this system, it has a larger meaning. Spanda stands for pure consciousness, Divine consciousness, or the highest form of consciousness. It is the state of Shiva or God. It is not inert, passive consciousness. It is a dynamic, vibrant, pulsating consciousness, which is throbbing with life. This consciousness is the creator of the universe and of all forms in it. It is the seed of all life forms. This is consciousness with a divine pulse or throb within it. Hence, the word Spanda has been used to describe Divine consciousness. It contains within it a certain dynamism or energy.
Most mystics describe our highest state to be that of pure consciousness. Vasugupta agrees with that. However, he gives consciousness a new name, Spanda, to describe it more accurately. Consciousness is not passive; it is dynamic. It contains an energy or life force within it that is responsible for all creation.
Karikas, according to the Sanskrit-English Dictionary by Monier Monier-Williams means, "Concise statement in verse of philosophical and grammatical doctrine." Spanda Karikas literally means verses on the doctrine of Spanda, or verses on the subject matter of Divine pulsating consciousness.
The Spanda Karikas and the Shiva Sutras belong to the Spanda School of Kashmir Shaivism, which is one of four schools of thought in Kashmir Shaivism. Two other important texts of this school are the Vigyan Bhairava Tantra and the Paratrishika.
Kashmir Shaivism is a philosophy that is non-dualistic. It teaches that there is not two, but only One. We are not separate from our Creator, but one with it. Only God exists. Everything and everyone is part of God. There is no separation between the Creator and the created. God, or the Supreme Being, in this philosophy is called Param Shiva (Supreme Shiva), or sometimes simply Shiva. The process of realising our oneness with God is called self-realisation or liberation. We realise our true self, and our true self is Shiva or God.
There are ancient commentaries on the Spanda Karikas by Kallata, Ramakantha, Bhatta Utpala, and Kshemaraja. The verses used here are taken from Kshemaraja's work. Traditionally, the Spanda Karikas contained 52 verses. Kshemaraja's text has 53. He has added one more verse, explaining the benefits of the knowledge contained in this text.
Most commentaries have divided the text into three or four chapters. However, it is a short text and was meant to be read at one stretch. I have kept all the verses in one chapter. At the end of the book, the verses are repeated without any commentary, for the benefit of those who wish to read the original text, without any break or commentary.
The Spanda Karikas contains a wealth of knowledge. It explains to us how the world has been created, what are the important elements within it, what causes our bondage, and the means to overcome our bondage. Like all great texts, the Spanda Karikas is transformative. Its verses can transform our life, and take us to a higher plane of existence. Drink from its cup of wisdom, and watch your life transform.
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