The Svacchanda Tantra

All objects in the world are superimposed upon the conscious Self, and the identification of the Self (ayamaham I-consciousness) also occurs in the non-Self, that is, the unconscious (inert) body. Advaita-Vedanta considers this to be a false superimposition (mithyadhyasa). Acharya Kshemaraja also considers this type of identification to be rooted in ignorance. Thus, in principle, the Pratyabhijna philosophy also recognizes false superimposition or ignorance; however, regarding the existence of the world, it does not accept the vivarta illusion-theory of Vedanta. Its concept of the world is exactly similar to that of Shuddhadvaita Pure Non-dualism.

I have written this introductory material on Pratyabhijna philosophy for the sole purpose of allowing the reader to enter the deep caverns of the Svacchanda Tantra a primary Kashmiri Shaivite scripture, which is being published by Sampurnanand Sanskrit University.

Svacchanda Independent/Free means self-reliant or independent of any other system. The God of Gods, the Supreme Lord Shiva, who is the creator of all beings, is Svacchanda in the form of Bhairava. Parama-Shiva, the sustainer of the world, is himself Bhairava; or, he is called Bhairava because he sustains (protects) devotees who are terrified of the two-fold world (jagat-traya). The glory and majesty of that very Svacchanda Parama-Shiva are expounded in the unique and profound meditative text known as the Svacchanda Tantra.

The Hindi interpretation of this foundational doctrinal text, which is fortunately available in the Sarasvati Bhavan Library of Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, is being presented by the scholar of Kashmir Shaivism and committed practitioner, Dr. Paramhansa Mishra. The great Mahamaheshvaracharya a great Shaiva master, Shri Kshemaraja, wrote a commentary revealing the essence of this work, called Udyota. Despite this, the text remained incomprehensible due to its initiatory procedures and theoretical complexities. A more significant fact is that even the best of scholars (if they are not initiated into the Shaiva Tantras and have not received the shaktipata descent of divine grace from a tradition-protecting master) would not be able to translate the original verses and Kshemaraja's Udyota commentary into Hindi, let alone provide a proper interpretation.

But the city of Varanasi, the destroyer of Tripura, is not devoid of such ascetic practitioners even today. In the form of Acharya Paramhansa Mishra, it has received a brilliant scholar who is a deep interpreter of all the divisions and sub-divisions of Kashmir Shaivism. Dr. Mishra has already authored authoritative explanations of many supreme Pratyabhijna texts in the national language, Hindi. Prominent among these are the Tantraloka (eight volumes), Tantrasara (two volumes), Shrimalinivijayottara Tantra, Shrikularnava Tantra, and Mantrayoga Samhita.