History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c92.77

v7.c92.77

It is necessary now to turn to the Śāradātilaka which belongs to about the 11th century A. D. That work is divided into 25 *paṭalas* and contains over 4500 verses It presents in the beginning a somewhat abstruse and involved philosophy. It says that Śiva is both *nirguṇa* and *saguṇa*, the former being different from Prakṛti, the latter being associated with Prakṛti. Then it describes the order of evolution and manifestation as follows :—From the Saguna Parameśvara described as "Sac-cidānanda-vibhava' Śakti¹⁷¹⁴ proceeds; from the latter arises *nāda* (*para*) and from nāda arises *bindu* (*para*) which is divided into three viz. bindu (*apara*), *nāda* (*apara*) and *bīja*; the first is indentified with Śiva, *bīja* being Śakti and *nāda* being the coming together of the two (Śiva and Śakti). Śakti creates the worlds, she is *śabda-bhahma* (I. 56) and is called *parāśakti* (I. 52) and *para-devatā* (I. 57). She flashes like lightning in the *ādhāra-cakra*.¹⁷¹⁵