- Aṇḍa
In Kaśmir Śaivism the world is described as being composed of four spheres (IAST|aṇḍa) that contain a series of phenomenal elements (
tattva ). The four "IAST|aṇḍa" are described to appear by the means of internal abundance ofSiva 's divine powers. [Essence of the Exact Reality or Paramārthasāra of Abhinavagupta, B.N. Pandit, 1991, page 21] Outside the four IAST|aṇḍa is Śiva tattva which is the substrate and essential nature of all the other tattvas.IAST|Śakti aṇḍa
Projected by the absolute, IAST|Śakti aṇḍa is the first step of creation. Also called "the pure creation" because at this level the divine nature of
Śiva is not obscured, it manifests a state of diversity in unity. The divine powers (Śakti ) gradually descend from "Ānanda Śakti" (bliss) to "Icchā Śakti" (the power of will), "Jñāna Śakti" (the power of knowledge) and "Kriyā Śakti" (the power of action), at the same time creating the basis for the dual creation. At this stage tough, the duality is only "in concept" - there is no actual division or limitation yet. This "IAST|aṇḍa" contains Śakti tattva, Sadāśiva tattva, Iśvara tattva and Śuddha-vidyā tattva (all the pure tattvas except the first one, Śiva tattva). [IAST|Parā-trīśikā-Vivaraṇa, The Secret of the Tantric Mysticism, Abhinavagupta, Jaideva Singh, page 103]IAST|Māyā aṇḍa
The "sphere of Māyā" brings about the forgetting of the divine nature and purity that exists in IAST|Śakti aṇḍa. The divine creation is covered with five limitations ("kañcuka") that make the infinite, eternal, perfect in itself, all knowing and all powerful nature of
God , as manifested first in the "IAST|Śakti Aṇḍa", appear limited in space (Niyati tattva) and time (Kāla tattva), incomplete (Rāga tattva), with limited knowledge (Aśuddha-vidyā tattva) and power of action (Kalā tattva). This IAST|aṇḍa contains seven tattvas, from Māyā tattva to IAST|Puruṣa tattva [IAST|Parā-trīśikā-Vivaraṇa, The Secret of the Tantric Mysticism, Abhinavagupta, Jaideva Singh, page 103] .IAST|Prakṛti aṇḍa
IAST|Prakṛti aṇḍa describes the world as it is perceived from the common human level of consciousness. It contains the śakti of the individual soul (IAST|puruṣa): IAST|Prakṛti tattva, the intellect (Buddhi tattva), the ego (Ahamkāra tattva), the sensory mind (Manas tattva), the five sense organs (Jñānendriya), the five organs of action (Karmendriya, the five subtle essences (Tanmātra) and the last four physical elements (Mahābhutā) : Ākāśa tattva, Vāyu tattva, Tejas tattva and Jala tattva [IAST|Parā-trīśikā-Vivaraṇa, The Secret of the Tantric Mysticism, Abhinavagupta, Jaideva Singh, page 103] .
IAST|Pṛthvī aṇḍa
IAST|Pṛthvī aṇḍa is the terminal point of creation - the solid matter. There is only one tattva in this sphere: IAST|Pṛthivi tattva. This tattva has a special statute because it contains in essence all the other tattvas and is the home of IAST|Kuṇḍalinī Śakti [IAST|Parā-trīśikā-Vivaraṇa, The Secret of the Tantric Mysticism, Abhinavagupta, Jaideva Singh, page 103] .
ee also
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The 36 tattvas
*Trika
*Turya References
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