परमार्थसार (महामाहेश्वर अभिनवगुप्त - त्रिक-दर्शन, अद्वैत शैव साधना एवं सान्वय सटीक)

18 Paramārthasāra of Abhinavagupta second and final stage a being studies divine scriptures and works on philosophy, comes into contact with a right preceptor, receives initiation in Śaiva path from him, practises yoga, develops correct understanding about the real truth of everything and finally realizes such truth through intuitional self-experience. Thus he realizes his real nature and recognizes himself as none other than God Him- self. Such self-realization is the aim of Kashmir Śaivism. As shown above, the monistic absolutism of Abhinavagupta is quite different from such principle of Advaita Vedānta because that philosophy takes theism as based on Māyā, an external ele- ment that comes into contact with Brahman and consequently presents it as God, soul and the objective existence. Besides, the Advaita Vedānta takes Brahman to be pure and tranquil conscious- ness, devoid of all activity. Kashmir Śaivism finds a divine and subtle stir within such tranquillity of the Absolute. It is the stir of divine power shining as the infinite blissfulness and such stir is the Godhead of the Absolute. Such stir of blissfulness of the pure consciousness is its kriyā without which it can not become aware of even itself. Such activity of awareness has been taken in Śaivism as the essence of all consciousness, but the quest of Vedāntins does not generally go so deep into the secrets of pure consciousness. The Buddhist absolutism does not at all touch even the outer level of such theistic consciousness. Their search stops at the dreamless state of animation and does not penetrate into the fourth state, the state of intuitive self revelation called the Turyā state. The theism of Vaiṣṇava philosophers does not go beyond the mythological conception of God and cousequently does not penetrate into the realm of absolutism. The pantheists in the West see everything as God but do not see Him beyond every thing. Like the Indian Vaiṣṇavas, they avoid absolutism. Śaivism teaches to see everything as God and also to see Him as pure and divinely potent consciousness, shining as transcendental reality beyond the whole phenomenon. The theism of Nyāya- Vaiśeṣika sees God as a divine authority dependent on many things other than Him. He has to work in accordance with the law of nature and the law of karman and has to depend on atoms etc. Such divine authorities are simply some supergods in Śaivism and the Absolute God is perfectly self dependent. Besides, Nyāya- Vaiśeṣika is a pluralistic and non-absolutist philosophy. Many schools of Indian philosophy maintain that Śakti, the divine power