Abstract
This paper surveys the key terms śaktipāta and samāveśa (both of which refer to religious experience) in the primary sources of Tantric Śaivism over several centuries of textual development, building up a theory as to their range of meanings. It specifically focuses on their usage by Abhinavagupta (Kāshmīr, 10th century) by presenting a complete translation of chapter 11 of his Tantrasāra. The paper thus serves to (a) illuminate the nature of spiritual experience and the qualifcations for religious praxis in Śaivism, (b) give insight into the worldview of the Tantric Śaivas, and (c) help in pinpointing a specific and significant issue in the phenomenological study of religion generally.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.
Primary sources
Īśvarapratyabhijñāvimarśsinī of Abhinavagupta, ed. Mukund Ram Shastri, 2 vols. KSTS 22, 33.Bombay, 1918, 1921. Also available online at the Muktabodha’s Institute’s Digital Library Archive: http://www.muktabodha.org/digital_library.htm
Ūrmikaulārṇava. National Archives of Nepal, Kathmandu MS 5–5207 (incomplete). Paper Newari script.
Kiraṇatantra. See Goodall (1998).
Niśvāsatattvasaṁhitā. NAK MS 1–277/NGMPP A 41/14. Palm-leaf; 114 leaves.
Mālinīvijayottara (MVT), ed. Madhusudan Kaul Shastri. KSTS 37. Srinagar, (1922). Also available online at http://www.muktabodha.org/digital_library.htm
Tantrīloka (TĀ) of Abhinavagupta with the commentary (-viveka) of Rījīnaka Jayaratha, ed. Mukund Ram Shastri. KSTS 23, 28, 30, 35, 29, 41, 47, 59, 52, 57, 58. Bombay and Srinagar, 1918–1938. Also available online at the Muktabodha Digital Library.
Tantrasīra of Abhinavagupta, ed. Mukund Ram Shastri. KSTS 17. Bombay, (1918). Also available online at the Muktabodha Digital Library.
Timirodghīṭana. Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation Project Reel No. A 35/3. Palm-leaf; late Nepalese ‘Licchavi’ script. Also available online as an e-text at the Göttingen Register of Electronic Texts in Indian Languages: http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/ebene_1/fiindolo/ gretil.htm
Translations and Secondary sources
Anonymous (2005). Toronto blessing. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_blessing
Dwyer and Graham (2003). The divine and the demonic. Routledge Curzon, London
Dyczkowski, Mark (1988). The Canon of the Śaivīgama and the Kubjikī Tantras of the Western Kaula Tradition. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Goodall, Dominic (Ed. and trans.) (1996). Hindu scriptures. London: Phoenix and California University Press.
Goodall, Dominic, (Ed. and trans.) (1998). Bhaṭṭarīmakaṇṭ haviracitī kiraṇavṛttiḥ. Bhaṭṭa Rīmakaṇṭha’s Commentary on the Kiraṇatantra. Vol. 1: chapters 1–6. Critical edition and annotated translation. Publications du département d’Indologie 86.1. Pondicherry: Institut français de Pondichéry/É École française d’Extrême-Orient.
Goudriaan, Teun, & Gupta, Sanjukta (1981). Hindu Tantric and Śākta Literature. History of Indian literature, Vol. II, fasc. 2. Wiesbaden: Otto arrassowitz.
Monier-Williams and Monier (1894). Hinduism. London Society for Promoting Chrisitian Knowledge, London
Muller-Ortega, Paul (1998). Abhinavagupta. In Edward Craig (Ed.), Routledge encyclopedia of philosophy. Also online at http://www.rep.routledge.com
Sanderson, Alexis (1986). Manṇḍala and Āgamic Identity in the Trika of Kashmir. In A. Padoux (Ed.), Mantras et Diagrammes Rituelles dans l’Hindouisme. Paris: éditions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.
Sanderson, Alexis. (1988). Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions. In S. Sutherland, et. al. (Eds.), The World’s religions. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Reprinted in The World’s religions: The religions of Asia, F. Hardy, ed. London: Routledge, 1990.
Sanderson and Alexis. (1992). The doctrine of the Mā linīvijayottaratantra. In: Goudriaan, T. (eds) Ritual and speculation in early tantrism, pp. State University of New York Press, Albany
Sanderson, Alexis. (1995). Meaning in tantric ritual. In A.M. Blondeau & K. Schipper (Eds.), Essais sur le Rituel III: Colloque du Centenaire de la Section des Sciences religieuses de l’É cole Pratique des Hautes Études. Louvain-Paris: Peeters.
Sanderson, Alexis. (2005). A commentary on the opening verses of the Tantrasāra of Abhinavagupta. In Sadananda Das & Ernst Fuuml;rlinger (Eds.), Sāmarasya: Studies in Indian arts, philosophy, and in terreligious dialogue in honour of Bettina Bäumer. New Delhi: D.K. Printworld.
Sanderson, Alexis. (2006). The Lākulas: New evidence of a system intermediate between Pañcā rthika PāŚBupatism and ā gamic Śaivism. Ramalinga Reddy Memorial Lectures, (1997). In Indian Philosophical Annual 24, Radhakrishnan Institute for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Madras.
Sanderson, Alexis. (2007). The Śaiva Exegesis of Kashmir. In Dominic Goodall, & André Padoux (Eds.), Tantric studies in memory of Hélène Brunner. Pondicherry: Institut français d’Indologie.
Smith and Frederick (2006). The self possessed: Deity and spirit possession in South Asian literature and civilization. Columbia University Press, New York
Torella, Raffaele. (1994). The Īśvarapratyabhijñ ākārikā of Utpaladeva with the author’s Vṛtti. Critical Edition and Annotated Translation. Serie Orientale Roma 71. Rome: Instituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente.
Tőorzsők, Judit (1999). The doctrine of magic female spirits. Critical edition of select chapters of the Siddhayogeśsvarīmata(tantra)with annotated translation. Doctoral thesis, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Oxford.
Vasudeva, Somadeva. (2004). The Yoga of the Mālinīvijayottaratantra. Chapters 1–4, 7, 12–17. Critical edition, translation and notes. Pondicherry: Institut français de Pondichéry/École française d’Extrême-Orient.
Vishnu Tīrtha, Swami. (1948). Devatma Shakti: (Kundalini) Divine Power. Rishikesh: Swami Shivom Tīrth.
(1985). Gods of flesh, Gods of stone. Columbia University Press, New York
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
An earlier version of this paper has been published in a somewhat different form in Evam: Forum on Indian Representations vol. 4, published by Samvad India, New Delhi, India.
This paper could not have been written without two years of intensive study with Professor Alexis Sanderson of All Souls College, Oxford, whose scholarship has proved essential in advancing my understanding of Śaivism. Also very helpful was Dr. Somadeva Vasudeva, now of Columbia University, whose database and encyclopedic knowledge have been invaluable. The germ of the idea for this article was suggested to me when Professor Paul Muller-Ortega (University of Rochester) first pointed out to me the passage beginning at MVT 2.14.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wallis, C. The Descent of Power: Possession, Mysticism, and Initiation in the Śaiva Theology of Abhinavagupta. J Indian Philos 36, 247–295 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10781-007-9021-9
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10781-007-9021-9
- Religious experience
- India
- South Asia
- Hinduism
- Śaivism
- Tantra
- Kāshmīr
- Abhinavagupta
- Sanskrit
- Philosophy
- Theology
- Possession
- Mysticism
- Initiation
- Śaktipāta
- Samāveśa