The Heart of the Yogini

The greatest contribution to development has come from Kashmir, while the preservation and promotion of the dualistic Shaiva philosophy have come from the South. However, this process was not exclusively limited to those regions, and over time, it maintained connections with other territories as well. We can say that the Pratyabhijna Recognition philosophy first developed in Kashmir and subsequently spread across the entire country. Similarly, the development of dualistic Shaiva philosophy occurred first in the Madhyadesha Central Region of India and later became confined to the Southern region.

Abhinavagupta describes Madhyadesha as the "abode of all scriptures" 1. "Indeed, Madhyadesha is the abode of all scriptures" (Tantraloka, 37.38).. His ancestors migrated from there to Kashmir. According to him, the trends of the dualist, dualist-non-dualist, and non-dualist philosophies emerged through institutions such as the Amardaka monastery. Dr. Vasudev Vishnu Mirashi 2. See the essay "Patangashambhu's Gwalior Museum Inscription" published in Prachyavidya Nibandhavali, Vol. 4, pp. 172-182, Madhya Pradesh Hindi Granth Academy, Bhopal, first edition, 1974., through the evidence of numerous inscriptions, has shed significant light on the monastic tradition of dualist Shaiva teachers, showing how they disseminated this knowledge born in Madhyadesha everywhere. Dr. V. S. Pathak 3. Citing a statement from Trilocana Shivacharya's Siddhantasara-vali, he explained that the Chola king Rajendra Chola, who encountered these teachers during his travels, took them with him from Kashi to his own kingdom. explains that they were brought to the Chola kingdom. Two verses 4. See Shaivabhushana. are available that provide information about the 18 manual-writers (paddhatikara) of the dualist Shaiva doctrine. Some of the early teachers mentioned therein belong to Kashmir, while the later ones belong to Madhyadesha. The names of the Southern teachers appear at the end. This leads us to believe that the tradition of Southern Indian manual-writers began with Trilocana Shivacharya, and it was there that the dualist Shaiva philosophy became established.