The Sanskrit term Rahasyaśāstra can be transliterated into English as Rahasyasastra or Rahasyashastra, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: academia.edu: Religious Inclusivism in the Writings of an Early Modern Sanskrit Intellectual (Shaivism)

Rahasyaśāstra (रहस्यशास्त्र) (Cf. Mantramārga) refers to a “special or esoteric teaching”.—While Śaiva Siddhānta adheres to a strictly dualist doctrine (dvaitavāda, bhedavāda) according to which Śiva is the efficient cause of the world and is distinct from souls and worlds, non-dualist schools hold that Śiva is ultimately non-different from the soul and that liberation is achieved not through ritual but through gnosis. Thus Abhinavagupta, like most other esoteric Śaivas, sees Śaiva Siddhānta as a general and exoteric revelation (sāmānyaśāstra) that his non-dualist theory and practice transcend as a special or esoteric teaching (viśeṣaśāstra, rahasyaśāstra). The theoreticians of Śaiva Siddhānta, on the other hand, disagree with this non-dualist metaphysics and claim that their dualist position is final.

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions

Rahasyaśāstra (रहस्यशास्त्र) refers to the “secret śāstras”, according to Īśvarapratyabhijñāvimarśinī’s Īśvarapratyabhijñāvimarśinī (on the Īśvarapratyabhijñākārikā verse 4.16).—Accordingly, “This new, easy [path]—(easy) because it lacks in the (need for) skill in the external and internal exertions (usually required) for the (removal of one’s) afflictions, [practices] such as appropriate conduct [caryā] and breath exercises [prāṇāyāma]—which is included in all the secret śāstras [i.e., sarva-rahasyaśāstra-antargata], (and) is not well known since it has been concealed from public view, was first explained in the śāstra (entitled) the Śivadṛṣṭi by the venerable Somānanda, our great grand guru”.

context information

Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

Rahasyaśāstra (रहस्यशास्त्र) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—and rahasyastotra Quoted by Utpala in Spandapradīpikā.

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Shastra, Rahasya.

Full-text: Rahasya, Vishesha, Visheshashastra, Samanyashastra, Samanya.

Relevant text

Search found 1 books and stories containing Rahasyashastra, Rahasyaśāstra, Rahasya-shastra, Rahasya-śāstra, Rahasyasastra, Rahasya-sastra; (plurals include: Rahasyashastras, Rahasyaśāstras, shastras, śāstras, Rahasyasastras, sastras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Gitartha Samgraha (critical Study) (by Partha Sarathi Sil)

3. Karmaṣaṭka in the Gītārthasaṅgraha < [Chapter 4 - Critical Study of the Gītārthasaṅgraha]

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