Shiva Sutras of Vasugupta

For the set of phonematic codes in ancient Sanskrit grammar, see Shiva Sutras.

Shiva Sutras (Devanāgarī शिवसूत्र; IAST: Śivasūtra) are a collection of seventy-seven aphorisms that form the foundation of the nondual tradition of the spanda ("divine vibration) tradition.[1]. They are attributed to the sage Vasugupta of the 9th century C.E.[2][3][4]

Authorship

Vasugupta is said to have lived near Mahadeva Mountain in the valley of the Harvan stream behind what are now the Shalimar Gardens near Srinagar. One myth is that he received the aphorisms in a dream visitation of a Siddha or semi-divine being. Another is that Shiva came to him in a dream and instructed him to go to a certain rock on which he would find the teachings inscribed.[5]

Historically the Shiva Sutras and the ensuing school of Kashmir Shaivism are a Tantric or Agamic tradition[1]. The Kashmiri Shaivism is combination of Shaivism, Agama and Tantra.

Structure

The text of Shiva Sutras is divided into three chapters, each dealing with certain means (upāya) for attaining Liberation[6]. The first chapter provides the general philosophical background of Trika Shaivism and then describes Śāmhavopāya, or the means pertaining to Śambhu, i.e. Śiva. There, the revelation of Śiva as the Real I and true nature of reality occurs in thoughtless state by the mere orientation of the will. The means described in the second chapter belong to Śāktopāya, or the means pertaining to Śakti. They bring a yogī to the thoughtless state by concentration on I-consciousness, that is Śakti, and by understanding all internal and external phenomena as its manifestation. Finally, the third chapter, Āṇavopāya, deals with the means pertaining to a limited individual (aṇu). A yogī who cannot contemplate I-consciousness directly, realizes it by concentration on the intellect, vital energy, physical body or senses, or external objects. The three means of self-realization are presented in Shiva Sutras in the order from the highest to the lowest. A yogī is supposed to start with the highest means and if the practice is unsuccessful, resort to the lower means.[7]

Commentaries

A number of commentaries were written by Vasugupta's contemporaries or successors. Most famous of them is Kshemaraja's Vimarshini (10th Century C.E.) which has been translated into English by Jaideva Singh[6], Swami Lakshman Joo[8], and Gabriel Pradīpaka[9]. Another is a commentary called the Varttika by Bhaskara (11th century C.E.) which has been translated into English by Dr. Mark Dyczkowski.[10]

Translations

There are many translations of the Shiva Sutras into English. A painstaking Italian translation of the Sutras and the Kshemaraja's Vimarshini by Raffaele Torella is also available. Demetrios Th. Vassiliades translated the Shiva Sutras with the Kshemaraja's Vimarshini into Greek.[11] Gerard D. C. Kuiken has also published a literal translation of the aphorisms without adding any insights or commentary.[12] Gabriel Pradīpaka provided a word-for-word translation of Shiva Sutras based on Kshemaraja's Vimarshini[13].

The Fifth Guru of Kriya yoga (Babaji's lineage), Shailendra Sharma gave yogic commentaries to Shiva Sutras in 1993.[14] In 2014 new translation of Shiva Sutras into English has been made available along with innovative commentary organized into chapters called cascades.[15]

See also

Bibliography

  • Kshemaraja (1911). The Shiva Sutra Vimarshini: Being the Sutras of Vasu Gupta with the Commentary Called Vimarshini.

References

  1. ^ a b Pandit, Balajin Natha (1990). History of Kashmir Saivism (1st ed.). Srinagar: Utpal Publ. ISBN 978-81-85217-01-7.
  2. ^ Jagadish Chandra Chatterji (1914). Kashmir Shaivaism. SUNY Press. pp. 156–. ISBN 978-0-88706-179-0. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  3. ^ Vasugupta (1992). The Aphorisms of Siva: The Siva Sutra with Bhaskara's Commentary, the Varttika. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-1264-0.
  4. ^ Swami Lakshmanjoo (2007). Shiva Sutras: The Supreme Awakening. AuthorHouse. pp. 10–. ISBN 978-1-4343-1407-9.
  5. ^ Dyczkowski, Mark S. G. (1987). The Doctrine of Vibration: An Analysis of the Doctrines and Practices of Kashmir Shaivism. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. p. 21. ISBN 0-88706-432-9.
  6. ^ a b Vasugupta; Kṣemarāja; Vasugupta (2003). Singh, Jaideva (ed.). Śiva Sūtras: the yoga of supreme identity; text of the Sūtras (Reprint ed.). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0407-4.
  7. ^ Pradīpaka, Gabriel. "Meditation 1 (according to Non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir)-1 - Sanskrit & Trika Shaivism". www.sanskrit-trikashaivism.com. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
  8. ^ Lakshman Joo, Swami (2007). Hughes, John (ed.). Shiva Sutras: The Supreme Awakening (2nd ed.). Universal Shaiva Fellowship. ISBN 978-1-4343-1407-9.
  9. ^ Pradīpaka, Gabriel. "Śivasūtravimarśinī (Shiva Sutra Vimarshini) - Sanskrit & Trika Shaivism". www.sanskrit-trikashaivism.com. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
  10. ^ About Dr. Mark Dyczkowski [1][2][3]
  11. ^ Vassiliades, Demetrios Th. (2015). Σίβα Σούτρα του Vasugupta με τη Śiva Sūtra Vimarśinī του Kshemarāja. ISBN 978-960-87774-7-7.
  12. ^ The Shiva Sutra of Vasugupta: Sanskrit and English Translation: Gerard D. C. Kuiken[4]
  13. ^ Pradīpaka, Gabriel. "Śivasūtra-s (Shiva Sutras) - Non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir - Sanskrit & Trika Shaivism". www.sanskrit-trikashaivism.com. Retrieved 2026-02-13.
  14. ^ Shiva-Sutras[5]
  15. ^ Translation.
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