Cosmology and Cosmic Manifestations: Shaiva Thought and Art of Kashmir

Contents Preface Vii List of Illustrations Xvii 1. Nature, Culture and Cosmology 1 Nature as Culture 1 Concept of the Axis Mundi 5 Cosmology and Cultures 9 2. Kashmir Shaivism: A Historical Perspective 14 Development of Shaiva Thought-Process 15 Origin, Antiquity and Royal Patronage 18 3. Shakta Tradition 32 Manifestation(s) of Shakti in Kashmir 33 Continuity of Tradition 40 4. Metaphysics in Shaiva Tradition 49 Manifested World 49 Manifestation in Art 51 Shaiva and Shakta Cults: An Interrelatedness 55 Aesthetics in Art: The Ordering Principles 56 5. Shaiva Art and Iconography 61 The Symbolic and Anthropomorphic Forms of Shiva 61 The Minor Deities 93 The Composite Forms 98 6. Science, Spirituality and Shaivism 112 Conclusion 123 Bibliography 129 Index 135