3.2. Kartṛtā of Śiva

[Full title: Special Features of Śiva and Brahman (2): Kartṛtā of Śiva]

The second Kārikā of Īśvarapratyabhijñākārikā clearly establishes the active nature of Ultimate reality. Utpala says that no sensible person can deny the existence of sentient and active Maheśvara.^[1] This active nature is nothing but Śakti. Śiva Himself is Śakti and Śakti Herself is Śiva. Śiva is always united with Śakti.^[2]

This dynamic power itself is called as:

1. Jnātṛtva-śakti (the power of knowledge),
2. Kartṛtva-śakti (power of action),
3. Nirmāṇa-śakti (power of creation),
4. Svātantrya-śakti (power of freedom), etc.

With this power Śiva manifests himself as the universe. Śiva is always vibrant with spontaneous activity. This vibrant nature is technically called as Kriyā, Spanda or Vimarśa. Utpala logically explained the oneness of Śiva and his own active nature in the Kriyādhikāra of Iśvarapratyabhijñākārikā. The existence of a single reality in different forms, forced by time, is action itself. So an entity, able with Śakti and free to transform itself, being a cause means being the agent of the action.^[3]

L.N. Sarma has illustrated the different notions of this dynamic aspect. He says,

“Although the terms like Svātantrya, Śakti, Ahantā, Sphurattā, Vimarśa etc. represents the dynamic aspect of the absolute; all of them do not equally emphasize the same form of dynamism. While Ahantā emphasizes the dynamism of integration, Sphurattā indicates the manifestation of the unmanifest. Vimarśa expresses the determination of the indeterminate and Svātantrya stands for the capacity to perform the impossible.”^[4]

Thus it is established that the dynamic power itself is the Kartṛtā (subjectivity) of Parameśvara.^[5]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

kartari jñātari svātmanyādisiddhe maheśvare | ajaḍātmā niṣedhaṃ vā siddhiṃ vā vidadhīta kaḥ || Īśvarapratyabhijñā-kārikā, 2.1.2.

[2]:

……. | na śivaśśaktirahito na śaktirvyatirekiṇī || śivaśśaktastathā bhāvānicchayā kartumīhate | śaktiśśaktimatorbhedaḥ śaive jātu na varṇyate || Śivadṛṣṭi, 3.2-3.

[3]:

ekasvabhāvasya bhedena sthitiḥ pariṇāmaḥ kālakalitaḥ kriyaiva, tataḥ pariṇāme svatantrasya kartṛtā hetutā | Īśvarapratyabhijñākārikā-vṛtti, 2.4.18.

[4]:

Sarma, L.N., Kashmir Śaivism, p. 180.

[5]:

tiṣṭhāsorevamicchaiva hetutā kartṛtā kriyā || Īśvarapratyabhijñā-kārikā, 2.4.21.