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The Kashmir Timeline

Kashmir Shaivism

A philosophy of the self that began in the Valley.

Text placard

No freely licensed photograph of this exhibit was found, so it is shown as text.

Kashmir Shaivism teaches that the individual self and Shiva, pure consciousness, are not truly separate, and that liberation comes from recognising this. It grew from the Shiva Sutras, attributed to the sage Vasugupta, and reached its peak in the works of Abhinavagupta. It is still studied around the world.

Facts

  • Tradition says Vasugupta found the Shiva Sutras carved on a rock near Srinagar.
  • Its central idea of recognition is called pratyabhijna.