Spanda-Karikas: The Divine Creative Pulsation

by Jaideva Singh

The spandakarikas are a number of verses that serve as a sort of commentary on the Siva-sutras. According to Saivagama, the divine consciousness is not simply cold, inert intellection. It is rather spanda, active, dynamic, throbbing with life, creative pulsation. In Siva-sutras, it is the prakasa aspect of the divine that is emphasized; in Spandakarikas, it is the vimarsa aspect that is emphasized. Together, these two books give us integral view of Saivai philosophy. Ksemaraja has written a commentary on Spandakarikas, titled Spandanirnaya. He is fond of sesquipedalian compounds, long and windy sentences, but he is very profound in the comprehension of the subject and so cannot be ignored. The author tried to provide a readable translation of both the karikas and the Spanda-nirnaya commentary. Each karika (verse) is given both in Devanagari and Roman script, followed by its translation in English. This is followed by Ksemaraja s commentary in Sanskrit. Then follows an English translation of the commentary. After this, copious notes are added on important and technical words. Finally, a running exposition of each karika in author s own words given.

Genres: India, Philosophy, Mysticism, Hinduism

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Todd Settimo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The series of translations by Jaideva Singh is a master work. They rescue an all but dead and all so vital philosophy, Kashmir Shaivism, from obscurity. Kashmir Shaivism represents, for me, the most clear and direct exposition of the nature of supreme identity that I've ever read. I have no doubt that these books will keep me studying for the rest of my life. They are that dense.

[William Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vibrates with veracity!

[Shiva Somadev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shiva Sutras, Vijnana Bhairava, Pratyabijna Hridaya, Paratrisika Vivarana and Spanda Karikas from my opinion are the profoundest and the most essential Anuttara Trika of Kashmir Shaivism scriptures. Spanda is the Creative Throb, Divine pulsation, the Original Vibration from which the Universe originates. If one is serious about finding the the Ultimate Truth of Reality then this book can give you a great insights. Five Stars

Here is one of the most valuable reviews

"Tantric Science of the Sacred Tremor
Spanda-Karikas is a classic masterpiece of Shaivite philosophy/cosmology/speculation. Jaideva Singh's careful translation of this treasured text makes it available to Western/English speaking seekers in a helpful, illuminating and comprehensive manner without sacrificing even the slightest amount of its original profundity and power. This is a masterful presentation of Spanda-Karikas, both enlightening and praiseworthy. Each verse is presented first in its original Devanagari with accompanying English translation followed by extensive exposition by the great Shaivite saints Vasugupta and Ksemaraja. Jaideva Singh also includes copious and incredibly helpful notes on the text along with his own commentary on each verse. A must-have for any student of Shaivism/Hinduism. Without a doubt, an enlightening and fascinating journey into the Shaivite concept of Spanda and consciousness that will be a true boon to any earnest spiritual seeker. Though I do feel the need to include a word of caution to some readers. This text is by no means whatsoever "Hinduism-lite". Spanda-Karikas is a journey into the philosophical/speculative heart of Hindu thought. If you are just starting into Hinduism or your interest is more casual in nature I would recommend starting with Bhagavad Gita or the principal Upanishads as these may be more digestible and comprehensible to newcomers. This is not to discourage anyone, but I definitely suggest you approach this text after having already established a reasonable familiarity with the philosophical concepts of Hinduism, otherwise you may find yourself struggling just to keep your head above water in the ocean of complex terminology and concepts presented here."

[Bethany Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished two books this weekend as part of the completion of a 6-month tantric yoga class. Doing a deep dive into this philosophy was extremely challenging. And this book was particularly hard to read, both in the language (it was a dual-language reader in Sanskrit and English) and in meaning. To sum up- it’s an examination of consciousness: duality, oneness, and the gaps in between. “One’s essential nature, or Spanda principal, should be examined, because nothing can be so worthy of examination as one’s own essential nature.”

#reading #books #sanskrit #philosophy #yoga

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

This text is important but it's also incredibly dense. I'm not gonna lie, as much as I love yogic philosophy, Kshemaraja's commentary is as dry as it is detail-oriented. This book is not for beginners, and if you are a beginner in yoga, you probably aren't going to have any idea what this book is talking about. I would recommend having a really firm meditation practice before attempting this manuscript.

[Allen O'Dell Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second in importance only to the Siva Sutras, which these aphorisms elaborate. Everything is a vibration -- the vibration of being and not being, the pulse to limited individual focus and back to universal consciousness, the very pulse if the atoms. Jaideva provides an essential translation of this important text.

[agnostic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review is for the ancient text itself, and might have been another translation, but this translator is beyond reproach.

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will keep studying till the end of this life 🙏🏻

[Matt Holloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spanda Principle: if the macro-universe is a boundless, unified totality, why is it so dynamic?