Justice G D Sharma (Retd)
Kashmir Shaivism is a School of the Tantric Shiva Tradition that originated in Kashmir between approximately 700-1100 Common Era (CE). During that time, Kashmir was the epicentre of intellectual and Spiritual life.
Kashmir Shaivism devotees believe in all powerful deity Shiva, that is universal shared consciousness. This consciousness is believed to be within each individual and, similar to a yoga practice. It centres on revealing the inner self as connected with a higher consciousness. The above said thought process was also influenced by several Indian Philosophical and Spiritual traditions including ideas from Patanjali’s yoga sutra and Yogacara.
“Nilamata Purana” is an ancient text (6″ to 8″ Century CE) from Kashmir which contains information on its history, geography, religion and folklore. It was used by Kalhan as one of the sources of his historical treatise “Rajatarangini” written in Sanskrit poetry in 12″ Century which gives some glimpses of the contemporary times as well as of the past. Gonanda is the first known king of Kashmir and was a relation and friend of Jarasandha (King of Magdha). He had gone to help Jarasandhaha in a war against lord Krishna and was killed by the latter. His son who wanted to take revenge too was killed. His widow was made the ruler by Lord Krishna himself who was succeeded by her son known as Gonanda II. After him, Kashmir was ruled by at least 43 kings.
Ashoka the Great was the third ruler of the Indian Mauryan Empire. He ruled between 273-232 BE and extended his control over Kashmir. He encouraged Budhism in the valley but was not intolerant of Kashmir Shaivism (Hinduism). He is the founder of present Capital city of Srinagar. He repaired old Shiva Temples and constructed two new ones. His son Jalauka after him became Monarch of Kashmir and he came under the influence of Hinduism. Three centuries later Kashmir passed under the control of Kaushans. The most powerful monarch of this dynasty was Kanishka whose rule extended to North -Western India and central Asia. Budhism was adopted as State religion and Kashmiri Missionaries carried the messages of Buddhism to China and far of places in South Central Asia. The fourth Budhist Council was held by Kanishka in Kashmir.
The Kushans were succeeded by a number of rulers and during the regime of these kings Shaivism progressed and Buddhism suffered. Then came the rule of Karkota dynasty and the most outstanding king was Lalitaditya who ruled for 37 years from CE 724-761. Like Alexander the great, he was fervently motivated to be a Conqueror. His kingdom touched the banks of river Cauvery in South India and had authority upto Bengal. His one illustrious predecessor had remained under the Suzerainty of Emperor Harsh Varma whose capital was Kannouj (now in UP). In the east of Kashmir Valley – Ladakh and part of Tibet were under his control. Lalitaditya subjugated Emperor Harsh Varma and brought him under his sway.
Lalitaditya was fond of scholars and he brought Abhigupt to Kashmir who was a renowned and an accomplished scholar of Kannouj state. In Kashmir Lalitaditya granted big estate to him as well as got house built for him. A little more than two hundred years thereafter, a great saint of international importance and unparallel exponent of Kashmir Shaivism was born in the family of Abhigupt. He was so extraordinary that instead of his real family name his spiritual guru Shambhu Nath with consensus of other spiritual masters of that time gave him the name title of Abhinavgupt carrying a meaning of “Competence and authoritativeness”. Various Contemporary scholars have characterized him as a brilliant scholar and saint, the pinnacle of the development of Kashmir Shaivism and “in possession of Yogic realization.” Abhinavgupt himself has recorded about the migration of his ancestors from Kannouj in his famous book “Tantraloka” to the following effect:-
Abhinavgupt was born in Kashmir in a family of scholars and mystics and studied all the schools of philosophy and art of his time under the guidance of as many as fifteen (or more) teachers. He completed over 35 works and the largest and most famous of which is “Tantraloka”- an encyclopedic treatise on all the philosophical and practical aspects of Kashmir Shaivism. An Italian Sanskrit Scholar by the name of Reniero Gnoli has completed a translation of “Tantraloka” in a European language.
Acharya Abhinavgupt in spiritual parlance describes his origin “Yognibhue”. In “Kashmir Shaivism”; it is considered that a progeny of parents established in the divine essence of “Bhairava” is endowed with exceptional spiritual and intellectual prowess. Such a child was supposed to be “repository of knowledge”. He is known for his voracious thirst for knowledge and for this reason he chose to study under 15 teachers of course his first teacher was his father.
In his works, he had tried to resolve differences of different scriptures by integration in a superior perspective. He remained unmarried all his life. He lived his life as a writer and a teacher.
There is legend that at the time of his death, he took with him 1200 (twelve hundred) disciples and marched off to a cave an actual place known even upto to this day, (known as Bhairav Cave) reciting his poem “Bhairva-Stava”, a devotional work. They were never to be seen again. Throughout his life, his activities remained confined in the forecorners of Kashmir valley only. The above said cave is situated in village Magan on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway from where .a link road also leads to connect famous world known resort namely, Gulmarg. After the hay days of onset militancy in Kashmir Valley, this place became a notorious hub by way of a breeding ground and providing a safe sanctuary of militants and their cohorts. Some years back when Abhinavgupt’s day was celebrated throughout the country including in the city of Jammu, I had the privilege to preside over the function as Chief Guest. Few Kashmiri Pandit young men who had not migrated from Kashmir Valley laid information in that gathering to the effect that recently militants had made an unsuccessful attempt to blast the Bhairav Cave. Some patriots filed writ petition in the High Court and succeeded to get a direction for its protection by the Government. It is undoubtedly a National Monument of Historic importance and as such demands its protection and preservation through the intervention of Central Government too.
The last recognized master of the oral tradition of Kashmir Shaivism, Swami Lakshman Joo gave a condensed version of the important philosophical chapters of “Tantarloka” in his book, “Kashmir Shavism – The Secret Supreme”.
His philosophy, arguments and reasoning are based on logic. There should be research on his teachings and works which are based upon “humanism and non-dualism” as propounded by his self realized line of various gurus. Late Prime Minister Shrimati Indira Gandhi was an ardent devotee of Swami Lakshman Joo and her visit to Kashmir Valley used to remain incomplete without paying obeisance to Swami Ji. He had shed his mortal coil in this mundane world in the month of September, 1991 in his Ashram in Srinagar which still exists unattended in a dilapidated condition in the vicinity of famous “Nishat Garden” of Srinagar city. Kashmir Shaivism is gaining interest not only in India but abroad also. In Universities where teaching of Sanskrit has been introduced as one of the compulsory or optional subject the study of Kashmir Shaivism also becomes relevant at the choice of concerned students. The study of Sanskrit is gaining popularity throughout the world and it is taught in more than 40 universities of the world. Sanskrit is indubitably the oldest and most scientific language in the world. This subject should be introduced in every university especially in India and more particularly in state of J&K where it was taught with interest and concern even during Dogra Rule. Not only that, the teaching of Sanskrit was more vigorously followed thereafter even for sometime during Islamic Rule which was established in 1339 by Shah Mir (known as Bulbul Shah) who originally was a Persian by nationality and Hindu King had given him the shelter. He established his family rule of Islamic nomenclature by practicing treachery against that ruler who had given him shelter to live in Kashmir but kept the Sanskrit language as official language till one of his descendents namely, Sikandar Shah Mir (known as Sikandar Butshikan) ascended the throne and ruled from 1389 to 1413. He implemented an orthodox Islamic religious policy and with the support of a perverted Kashmiri Pandit known by the name of Sua Bhat who converted himself to Islam under the name of Malik Saif-ud-Din made notorious strenuous efforts to convert the Hindus of Kashmir to Islam and broke hundreds of temples, replaced Sanskrit with Persian as official language and thereafter caused irreparable loss to Shaivism philosophy. He killed so many Hindus and destroyed religious books and during his time migration of Hindu population took place. This trend was reverted when Zain-ul-Abidin ascended the throne in 1420 and continued his rule till 1470. He called back many migrated Hindus and also built some temples. In history he is known as “Baad-Shah” (Great King). He encouraged Sanskrit language. Muslim Rule remained in Kashmir valley for 500 years. At the beginning of Muslim Rule, Hindu population was 100 percent but after 500 years it was reduced to 10 percent.
The teaching of Sanskrit in the schools would also prove counter-productive against Jehadi teachings which believe in supremacy of their self propounded doctrines of the destruction and mayhem. These anti human teachings flourished in 106 Madarssas in 1990 which were established to perpetuate Islamic “Wahabism cult”. I had the opportunity to study their barbaric curriculum as Chairman of the Tribunal established to Judicially adjudicate on the Administrative Ban imposed on this ancillary organization namely, Falai-Am-trust (educational wing of its parental militant organization namely J&K Jamait-e-Islami). During Governor Shri Jagmohan’s rule, 700 teachers engaged in Falai-Am-trust educational wing were dismissed but all of them after the dawn of popular rule of Kashmir centric political party National. Conference headed by Dr. Farooq Abdullah were absorbed in Government schools. One can understand their bent of mind and this is also one of the reasons to keep the militancy alive in Kashmir valley. This fact is recorded in details in my authored book titled, “Plight of Jammu & Kashmir- The Unknown Files”. Now, this is the right time to establish Sharda Peeth University in Kashmir Valley with the dominant object of reviving Kashmir-Shaivism which embraces common culture of Kashmiri brotherhood and nullifies the jehadi theory that Kashmir is a separate Nation. In Kashmir Valley where the ‘Wahabi culture’ has been introduced and nourished to perpetuate family rules can be curbed effectively by this Kashmiri Sufi tradition of tolerance and co-existence. The Wahabi philosophy till date has not been able to erase the original Kashmiri culture because in the mosques in Srinagar or elsewhere in the valley where the Namaz is recited that is in total difference to the practice observed as followed in the world. The Namaz is sung in versus which seem to be very much akin to the recitation of Sanskrit Shlokas as sung in Hindu temples.
The people of J&K State are thankful to the elderly learned Sanskrit scholars of Jammu region who had the foresight and vision to keep alive the name of Archarya Abhinavgupt by getting constructed a convention hall in the heart of Jammu city on his name whileas, the scholars and politicians of Kashmir valley who after 1947 remained more close to the seat of power in the Kashmir centric class of ruling leaders holding the reigns of power have done nothing. Not only that, some of them had yielded considerable influence in the Central Government also and they could moot the idea about real Kashmir culture and Kashmiriat. My practical experience of dealing with thousand numbers of militants and banned militant organizations inclusive of their prominent leaders have confirmed my belief in the old wise saying that when a nation has to be destroyed first of all its culture should be whipped out which thing has been done in Kashmir. Till the bifurcation of the state as Union Territories the Wahabi culture had a breeding ground in Kashmir valley to allure the youths of impressionable age to fight for the cause of converting the state purely on the basis of religion as a Muslim state. But now the tables have been turned against those anti national elements who used to be encouraged by some politicians, bureaucrats and over ground workers as well as sleeping cells in the civil society. Now, they are realizing “how so ever high you may be but still law is above you which means the majesty of law and rule of law”.
Undoubtedly, Indian culture does not discriminate any countryman on the basis of his religion, caste and creed which is the essence of Hindu Holy Scriptures mostly written in Sanskrit language as well as highlighted in later Buddhist religion and as well found in different ways in subsequent recognized all other religions of the world. Such a Universal truth has been followed and reiterated by the Supreme Court in a decision given in the case titled Ismail Farooqui v/s Union of India and others1994(6) SCC 360 which is also known as Ayodhya Case. Honourable Justice A. M. Ahmedi and Justice SP Bharucha had praised Hindu religion’s secularism by stating: – “Hinduism is a tolerant faith, which has enabled Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrainism, Judaism, Budhism, Jainism and Sikhism to find shelter and support of this land”.
(The writer is a trustee of Samaskrit Bharti as well as Member of Governing Council, National Foundation for Communal Harmony, Government of India.)
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