Trika

Article summary

Trika was a school of Kaula which flourished in Kashmir between ca. 900 and 1300 CE, and is often used synonymously for the whole of Kashmir Shaivism, an exegetical tradition which developed in Kashmir after 850 CE, as an adaptation to upper-class Hindu norms of 'wild' tantric Kaula traditions. The Kashmir Trika-tradition developed the "Philosophy of Recognition" (pratyabhijñā), a nondual form of Tantric Shaivism. Defining features of the Trika tradition are the use of several triades in its philosophy, including the three goddesses Parā, Parāparā, and Aparā ; and its idealistic and monistic teaching of pratyabhijna ("direct knowledge of one's self," "recognition" ) philosophical system, propounded by Utpaladeva (c. 925–975 CE) and Abhinavagupta (c. 975–1025 CE). The name of the system is derived from its most famous work, Īśvara-pratyabhijñā-kārikā by Utpaladeva. The central thesis of this philosophy is that we are Śiva, and that we have to "re-cognise" this. Thus, the slave (paśu: the human condition) shakes off the fetters (pāśa) and becomes the master (pati: the divine condition). The main exegetical works of the Trika-tradition are those of Abhinavagupta, such as the Tantraloka, Mālinīślokavārttika, and Tantrasāra. Another important text of this tradition is the Vijñāna-bhairava-tantra, which focuses on outlining numerous yogic practices.…

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