https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utpaladeva Utpaladeva (ca. AD 900–950) was one of the great teachers of the philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism. Utpaladeva, an influential philosopher-theologian of the Pratyabhijna school of Shaiva thought composed the Ishvara-pratyabhijna-karika, or 'Verses on the Recognition of the Lord' and the 'Shivastotravali'. Shivastotravali Shivastotravali is a collection of hymns dedicated to Lord Shiva by Acharya Utpaladeva, the great Shaivite master intensely in love with Lord Shiva and earnestly craving to be one with Him. The book comprises 450 verses arranged in twenty chapters. Each verse is soaked in the nectar of his intense devotion for the Lord and extreme craving for God-consciousness. The book represents his direct and uninhibited one one-way dialogue with Lord Shiva, projecting his problems, one at a time and seeking His indulgence in getting over these. Utpaladeva was renowned as a siddha, a perfected being, or enlightened master of the Tantric tradition in Kashmir. The Shivastotravali reflects Utpaladeva's philosophy, known as Pratyabhijna - the splendor of Self-recognition. The Shivastotravali is a collection of ecstatic devotional songs expressing the process of awakening to Shiva's supreme consciousness. This exquisite path does not require relinquishing one's home and heading for a mountain cave. Instead, it calls for changing one's view of the world and recognizing divine consciousness in oneself, in others, and in every aspect of life. This supreme state, says Utpaladeva, arises naturally through bhakti, or ardent devotion. For over a thousand years the Shaiva community of Kashmir has used in its worship the devotional songs of Utpaladeva's Shivastotravali. Each verse depicts a problem and a request for its resolution. The problem starts in a verse and ends in that verse. The next verse describes yet another problem that he wants to be resolved. He seeks solution of all his problem on the spiritual path. All obstacles on the path to become one with Lord Shiva. He is not worried about the problems that stare him in the face on his worldly path. He is ready to face whatever crises come his way in this world but he wants his spiritual path to be obstacle-free. The Shivastotravali has been called a sacred stream that flows between this world and the world of the gods, consecrating everything along its course. Madhuraja-yogin, a disciple of Abhinavagupta (and thereby a direct preceptorial descendent of Utpaladeva) so praises the Shivastotravali: " Though there are over thousands of Streams of beautiful verses, None at all compares to that Celestial river, the Stotravali. As soon as it passes through the tirtha [sacred ford] of the ear It purifies the soul of man, And flows on to the throat, Where lies the city of Shrikantha' [Shiva as the Blue-throated Lord]."[1][2] Utpaladeva's Shivastotravali [1] Shivastotravali sung by Swami Lakshmanjoo [2] http://www.koausa.org/Saints/Utpaladeva/ Shaiva Devotional Songs of Kashmir: A Translation and Study of Utpaladevas Shivastotravali (Suny Series in Human Communication Processes) Constantina R. Bailly Utpaladeva’s Lost Vivṛti on the Īśvarapratyabhijñā-kārikā [3] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy6EyGOMhItWZ5jdfr4BqpA

• published: 28 Mar 2015
• views: 0