The Touch of Sakti

Contents Foreword by Andre Padoux ix Preface xvii Abbreviations xxi List of Plates xxiii 1 Introduction Trika Saivism of Kashmir 1 Scriptural Authority 2 Historical Development 4 The Different Meanings of Sparsa in Indian 19 The Term Sparsa in Early Texts of 28 Non-dualistic Kashmir Saivism 2 Hermeneutical Reflections Is Cit “Consciousness”? 40 Is Vimarsa “Reflective Awareness”? 53 Remarks on Tantric Language and its Interpretation with the Example of Tantraloka 57 3 The Touch of Sakti (Saktisparsa): Selected Texts of Non-dualistic Saivism of Kashmir Utpaladeva: Sivastotravali With The Commentary (Vivrtti) By Ksemaraja 71 Introduction 71 Abhinavagupta : Tantraloka With Commentary 133 (Viveka) By Jayaratha Introduction 133 The Sensual Touch 139 The Touch of the Mirror 148 The Touch of Anuttara-Samvit 154 A Note on Anuttara 156 The “Touch of Ants” (Pipilikasparsa) 174 The “Touch of Fullness” (Purnatasparsa) 191 Sparsa as Consonant 199 “Sakti, of the Nature of Touch” 203 A Note on the Touch of the Sexual Fluids 207 “Uccara of Om” 215 The Practice of Uccara according to the Tantraloka 219 The twelve main stages of the Power 223 Sparsa in the process of manifestation: 237 Svacchandatantra 11 ‘Light,’ ‘Sound,’ ‘Touch’ as Stages of 240 Nearness 4 Conclusion: The Question of the Liberating and Critical Potential of Trika Saivism 247 Bibliography 259 Index 275