A central theme of the philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism is the highly esoteric principle known as spanda which means vibrationless/vibration or established stable movement. In Shaivism there are two texts that deal specifically with the spanda principal. The Spanda Karika (precise philosophical statements) on the Spanda theory and the Spanda Sandoha (exposition) of the spanda principle.
The theory of spanda was hidden in the body of the Tantras and was extracted by Vasugupta and given to us in the form of the Spanda Karikas. The Spanda Sandoha is a commentary by Kṣemarāja on the first verse of Vasugupta’s Spanda Kārikā.
Both texts are available now as one study set (book and audio download) under the title The Mystery of Vibrationless-Vibration in Kashmir Shaivism: Vasugupta’s Spanda Kārikā & Kṣemarāja’s Spanda Sandoha – revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo).
In the following excerpt from the Spanda Sandoha, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains how one can find God Consciousness in the daily routine of life.
tatrāpi madhye madhye prakaṭībhavati /
yatsvarūpa ābhijñānāya sphuṭayiṣyati [not recited]
Tatrāpi, in the daily routine of life also–another important point is in the daily routine of life also some time, sometimes, at some points, you will see the rise of God consciousness alive there.
Yatsvarūpa ābhijñānāya sphuṭayiṣyati, this svarūpa157 [of God consciousness] is clarified in this śloka of the Spanda Kārikā:
atikruddhaḥ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . /158
When you are extremely angry, filled with anger, [or] when you are extremely filled with the excitement of sexual desire, or when you are extremely filled with fear–as you have already been explained that–in those states, God consciousness is alive. It is in Its . . .
ERNIE: Seed form?
SWAMIJI: No. It is unmeṣa.
JOHN: Expanded form or . . .
SWAMIJI: No, unmeṣa. It has risen there, It is not subsided. Although It is subsided always [in the field of differentiated perception], but sometimes . . .
GANJOO: It rises.
SWAMIJI: . . . It rises at times, in the daily routine of life also. When you sleep, and sleep has not yet come–this wakefulness, the state of wakefulness is ending but sleep has not yet come–in that gap, It rises. So, that God consciousness is not [absent, It] is alive everywhere.
JOHN: But That also is hidden, isn’t it? Like in that gap, . . .
SWAMIJI: Yes.
JOHN: . . . isn’t that hidden by tirodhāna śakti159?
SWAMIJI: Yes, that is quite true, but . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . prabuddhaḥ syādanāvṛtaḥ //160
"One who is alert, he can experience that state in the daily routine of life also." ~ Swami Lakshmanjoo
JOHN: So it is only hidden for that person who is not alert. Tirodhāna śakti works for . . .
SWAMIJI: Who is not alert, yes.
ityantaṁ śloka catuṣṭayam /
These four ślokas explain the same point there in the Spanda [Kārikā].161
________
157 The self-form or nature.
158 See Spanda Kārikā 1.22
159 Lord Śiva’s concealing energy as opposed to His anugraha śakti (revealing energy).
160 See Spanda Kārikā, 1.25
161 The four ślokas referred to here are Spanda Kārikā, 1.22 to 1.25.
Vasugupta’s Spanda Kārikā & Kṣemarāja’s Spanda Sandoha – revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo)
