Spanda-Karikas (The Divine Creative Pulsation: The Karikas and the Spanda-Nirnaya)

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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 an integral view of Salva philosophy.

Ksemaraja has written a commentary on Spandakarikas, titled Spanda-nirnaya. 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.

I have tried to provide a readable translation of both the karikas and the Spanda-nirgaya 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, I have given a running exposition of each karika in my own words.

The text and commentary published in the Kashmir Series of Texts and Studies have been adopted. A few misprints that occurred in the above edition have been corrected with the assistance of Svami Laksmana Joo. I am deeply indebted to him for his luminous exposition of this important text.

A long Introduction has been given in the beginning of the book, and a glossary of technical terms and an Index have been appended at the end.

Spandakarikas The importance of the book

Spandakarikas are a sort of commentary on the Siva-sutras. The word karika means a collection of verses on grammatical, philosophical or scientific subjects. The word spanda literally means a throb.' It connotes dynamism or the dynamic aspect of the Divine, the Divine creative pulsation.

The Self, according to Spandakarikas, is not simply a witnessing consciousness, but is characterized by both cognition and activity. He who is in communion with this active Self can alone rise to the status of his highest being.

The author of Spandakarikas

The opinion regarding the authorship of Spandakarikas is divided. According to Bhaskara and Utpala Vaisnava or Bhatta Utpala, both of whom flourished in the second and third quarters of the 10th century A.D., the author of these karikas was Kallata who was the chief disciple of Vasugupta. Bhaskara says in his siva-sutra-varttika that Kallata wrote a commentary, called Spanda-sutras on the three sections of the siva-sutras, and a commentary, called Tattvartha-cintamani on the fourth section of the siva-sutras,

Bhatta Utpala, in his commentary, on the Spandakarikas, entitled Spandapradipika, says in the 53rd verse that Bhatta Kallața duly versified the secret doctrine after receiving it from his guru (spiritual guide) Vasugupta who had clear insight into Reality.

Ksemaraja and Mahesvarananda attribute the authorship of the karikas to Vasugupta. Both refer to the following verse:

'व्याकरोत्त्रिकमेतेभ्यः स्पन्दमूत्रैः स्वकैस्ततः ।

तत्त्वायंचिन्तामण्याख्यटीकया खण्डमन्तिमम् ।। S. S. V. pp. 2-3.

'वस्तुगुप्तादवाप्येदं गुरोस्तत्त्वायंदशिनः ।

रहस्य श्लोकयामास सम्यक् श्रीभट्टकल्लटः ।।