Why we call Kashmir Shaivism as crown jewel of Hinduism, specifically- Shaivism?
Let's have a little peek into history of Shaivism & Kashmir!
In start of Satayuga, Shiva manifested as a being of 5 heads (comprising of 5 great energies - citta, Ananda, iccha, jnana & kriya.
He was called Svacchandanath.
Each mouth was called isana, tatpurusa, aghora, vamdeva, sadyojate & gave rise to 1 tantra each respectively.
5 initial tantras by 5 great energies combined unequally into initially:
a) 10 Tantras - dualistic- (dvaita) - called as Shiva Tantras
Then they recombined more equally & gave rise to:
b) 18 Tantras - monism cum dualism (bhedabheda)- called as Rudra Tantra
Lastly 5 great energies combined in equal composition & gave rise to monistic thought (advait/ abheda) & called as 64 Bhairava Tantras.
These 64 Bhairava Tantras gave rise to foundation of Kashmir Shaivism.
Svacchandanath after originated Bhairava Tantras was satisfied & looked for apt disciple.
Such master disciple relationship kept Tantras being handed over to next generation orally as all had great remembering capacity.
But in Kaliyuga it started to vanish.
So in Kaliyuga, Shiva again manifested but now as one headed Srikantanatha.
He had to only revive the knowledge which was already in creation.
He looked for worthy disciple & found one in Durvasa Risi.
Durvasa Risi was celibate & he couldn't find worthy disciple for long.
So he created Manas putra Tryambakanatha & taught him monistic Bhairava Tantra.
He had another Manas putra named Amardakanatha & taught him dualistic- Shiva Tantra.
He had third Manas putra Srinatha & initiated him in mono-dualistic Rudra Tantra.
Lastly he had one Manas putri too.
She was named Ardhatryambaka & was initiated in monistic Bhairava Tantra.
She headed Ardhatryambaka school of Bhairava Tantra.
This school is run by woman to woman secretly.
Not much is known about it in recent times.
So Tryambakanatha, 1st Manas putra of Durvasa Risi & master of monistic Bhairava Tantra similarly passed the knowledge to his own Manas putra- Tryambakaditya & himself went resting in Trambaka Gufa (cave).
Tryambakaditya also had 1 Manas putra who was similarly initiated in monistic Bhairava Tantra.
Such 15 siddhas were created.
15th siddha gave into anav mala & couldn't create Manas putra.
He married a girl & had son named Samgamaditya
Samgamaditya came to Kashmir & married.
He had a son named Varsaditya.
This is how purest monistic Bhairava Tantra straight from Shiva's mouth becomes established in land of Kashmir.
Varsaditya had a son Arunaditya.
Arunaditya had a son Ananda.
Ananda had a son Somanandnatha.
Somanandnatha, great grandson of Varsaditya & great great grandson of Samgamaditya who first brought Bhairava Tantra to kashmir, now established formal school of Shaivism.
This school was called Prayabhijna school of Shaivism & was 1st to take disciple out of lineage of Durvasa Risi.
1st disciple was Utpaladeva.
His disciple was Lakshmangupta.
Lakshmangupta gave this world the most famous Shaivism scholar & master - Abhinavgupta!
Some time ago there was a king of Kashmir called Lalitaditya.
He travelled to a land in Madhya Pradesh called Antarvedi, where he met great Shaiva teacher Atrigupta.
He requested him to accompany him to kashmir.
Atrigupta agreed.
He was given old palace of Pravarasena to live.
Abhinavgupta was in line of Atrigupta.
After Atrigupta moved to Kashmir, there was no authority of Kashmir Shaivism left in India.
From this time onward teaching of Bhairava Tantras is called Kashmir Shaivism & it remained in Kashmir valley.
After some centuries, in house of Atrigupta, Varahgupta was born.
He was father of Narasimhagupta who is father of our great Abhinavgupta.
So monistic Bhairava Tantra is synonymous to Kashmir Shaivism & such is importance of this spiritual land.
An article by GS
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