Siva Sutras: The Yoga of Supreme Identity

The Saiva philosophy of Kashmir is generally called Trika Sastra, because it is philosophy of the triad (1) Siva (2) Sakti (3) Nara the bound soul or (1) para the highest (2) parapara identity in difference and (3) apara difference. The literature of the Trika system of Kashmir falls into three categories, viz., (1) the Agama Sastra, (2) the Spanda Sastra and (3) the Pratyabhijna Sastra. Agama Sastra is considered to be revelation by Siva. It lays down both the principles and practices of the system. The most important Agama of the Trika system was known as the Siva Sutras.

Siva Sutras are considered to be a revealed book of the Yoga: supreme identity of the individual self with the Divine. Here and English translation of the Siva Sutras has been provided, together with an abstract of each sutra, throws a flood of light on the entire system of Saiva Yoga. A glossary of technical terms and index are appended for the convenience of the reader.

Four commentaries on Siva Sutras are available at present, the Vimarsini commentary of Ksemaraja in prose, the Siva-sutra-vrtti by some anonymous author in prose, the Siva-sutra-varttikam by Varadaraja in verse.

The Siva-Sutra-vrtti is so close to Vimarsini that it appears to be either a preliminary draft or a later abstract of the Vimarsini. There is a strong presumption that the author of the Vrtti was Ksemaraja himself.