The Ubiquitous Siva : Somananda's Sivadrsti and His Tantric Interlocutors - John Nemec

The Ubiquitous Siva

Somananda's Sivadrsti and His Tantric Interlocutors

By: John Nemec

Hardcover | 27 October 2011

At a Glance

Hardcover


RRP $182.95

$111.90

39%OFF

or 4 interest-free payments of $27.98 with

 or 

Aims to ship in 5 to 10 business days

When will this arrive by?
Enter delivery postcode to estimate

John Nemec examines the beginnings of the non-dual tantric philosophy of the famed Pratyabhijña or "Recognition [of God]" School of tenth-century Kashmir, the tradition most closely associated with Kashmiri Shaivism. In doing so it offers, for the very first time, a critical edition and annotated translation of a large portion of the first Pratyabhijña text ever composed, the Sivadrsti of Somananda. In an extended introduction, Nemec argues that the author presents a unique form of non-dualism, a strict pantheism that declares all beings and entities found in the universe to be fully identical with the active and willful god Siva. This view stands in contrast to the philosophically more flexible panentheism of both his disciple and commentator, Utpaladeva, and the very few other Saiva tantric works that were extant in the author's day. Nemec also argues that the text was written for the author's fellow tantric initiates, not for a wider audience. This can be adduced from the structure of the work, the opponents the author addresses, and various other editorial strategies. Even the author's famous and vociferous arguments against the non-tantric Hindu grammarians may be shown to have been ultimately directed at an opposing Hindu tantric school that subscribed to many of the grammarians' philosophical views. Included in the volume is a critical edition and annotated translation of the first three (of seven) chapters of the text, along with the corresponding chapters of the commentary. These are the chapters in which Somananda formulates his arguments against opposing tantric authors and schools of thought. None of the materials made available in the present volume has ever been translated into English, apart from a brief rendering of the first chapter that was published without the commentary in 1957. None of the commentary has previously been translated into any language at all.
Industry Reviews
"This praiseworthy work will guide many scholars in this field."--Religious Studies Review

Other Editions and Formats

Paperback

Published: 1st July 2011

More in Oriental & Indian Philosophy

The Golden Road : How Ancient India Transformed the World - William Dalrymple
The Art of War & Other Classics of Eastern Philosophy : Leather-bound Classics - Confucius
Ikigai : The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life - Hector Garcia
Ikigai : 43 Japanese words to live by - Mari Fujimoto

RRP $27.99

$26.50

Meditations : The Philosophy Classic - Marcus Aurelius

RRP $24.95

$23.75

The Heart of Yoga : Developing a Personal Practice - T. K. V. Desikachar
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Swami  Satchidananda
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind : 50th Anniversary Edition - Shunryu Suzuki
The Tao of Pooh 40th Anniversary Gift Edition - BENJAMIN HOFF
Ikigai : The Japanese Secret to A Long and Happy Life - Héctor García
Karma : A Yogi's Guide to Crafting Your Destiny - Sadhguru