Svātantrya darpaṇa of Balajinnāṭha Paṇḍita is a work dealing with Kashmir Shaivism, but is considered to represent Navya śaiva śāstra. A few verses from across this work, which present an overview of other darśanas from the lens of the author.
nigrahaśaktermahimā
nāstikavādādikalikaluṣavṛddhiḥ |
anayā maheśaśaktyā
nigṛhītā mānavā vadantīttham ||
The poet here analyses why nāstikya or atheism is prevalent in the first place? As the evils of the age of Kali which cause corruption of one’s moral and virtues, theories such as Atheism also are due to the aspect of nigraha of the great Lord. Thus, even nāstikavāda is also a result of the blossoming of the nigraha aspect of the sovereignty or power or supremacy of Parameśvara.
The Cārvākas of the yore and the modern scientists and physicists or those prescribing to theories such as that of Sāmyavāda may be considered true atheists, as they reject īśvara, dharma, adharma and the theory of karma. They do not accept the concept of ātman as different from the body. While the school of sāṃkhya questions the existence and powers of īśvara, they do accept other concepts such as dharma, adharma, theory of karma, etc. On this account, they are regarded as an āstika school. Though Buddhists and Jains reject the prāmāṇya of the Veda, they are (in the opinion of the author), still ardha nāstikas and not complete atheists, the reason being their acceptance of puṇya, pāpa, theory of karma, etc.
mahimānugrahaśakteḥ parameśa
syātra mukhyato dvividhaḥ |
āvirbhāvastu guroḥ prathamaḥ
śāstrasya cāparo vedyaḥ ||
The cause of every mokṣa śāstra is the anugraha śakti of Parameśvara – be it through direct revelation from the Supreme or through an authentic lineage of Gurus. The appearance of a Guru who can lead a disciple towards accomplishing the direct revelation of the Lord happens only due to the special grace or anugraha of Parameśvara himself. The appearance of such a Guru is considered to be of greater importance than even the appearance of a mokṣa śāstra, for his upadeśa itself is of the nature of śāstra. Also, it is only through the assistance of such a Guru that (other) śāstras yield fruit.
paramānugrahanunnairbahudhā (?)
gurubhistu śāstramupadiṣṭam |
advaitaṃ dvaita¤ca dvaitādvaitaṃ
tathā samavalambya ||
A Guru first examines the seeker or mumukṣu who comes to him for his adhikāra or qualification and then teaches the same śāstra from the perspectives of bheda, bhedābheda or abheda. From the perspective of abheda or non-duality, it is one Pārameśvara tattva that shines everywhere at all times. From the perspective of bhedābheda, though one sees jīva and jagat as different from one another, both of them are seen as non-different from parameśvara. From the perspective of bheda or duality, brahma, jīva and jagat are all distinct from each other.
Who is to be taught dvaita, and who is to be taught advaita? The answer lies in adhikāra bheda:
svalpamatīnāṃ dvaitaṃ
dvaitādvaitaṃ tataḥ prabuddhānām |
dhīrāṇāṃ cādvaitaṃ
sambodhārthaṃ samāśritaṃ gurubhiḥ ||
For those with low intellect, dvaita śāstra is prescribed. For those with average intellect, dvaitādvaitaand for those with sharp intellect, advaita is prescribed.
upadeśasya prakārāścatvāro
mukhyato matāssadbhiḥ |
yānāśritāni śāstrāṇi
aṃśāmśatayā.athavā supūrṇatayā ||
Some śāstras adopt a single vāda or hypothesis completely to formulate their school of thought. For example, Vijnānavādins depend completely on ābhāsavāda and Sāmkhyas rely on Pariṇāmavāda. Some other śāstras rely on two or more vādas. For example, the Vaiṣṇavas adopt Svātantravāda in part and also partially utilize Pariṇāmavāda (they accede the svātantrya of Parameśvara while proclaiming pariṇāma of his līlāsiddhāntarūpiṇī śakti).
So what are the four basic theories or vādas?
tatraiko.astyārambhaḥ
pariṇāmo.asti dvitīyako vādaḥ |
ābhāso.asti tṛtīyasturyaḥ
svātantryameva siddhāntaḥ ||
The three basic vādas are: ārambha, pariṇāma, and ābhāsa. However, svātantrya is not a vāda or hypothesis (according to Kashmir Shaivism) but is a siddhānta as it states truth the way it is.
atrānugrahalīlāṃ citrāṃ
paśyanti bhaktirasarasikāḥ |
nigrahanīrasahṛdayā vivadante
tarkakarkaśaiḥ kalahaiḥ ||
Those devoted to pārameśvarī śakti (and hence graced by anugraha) view the līlāvilāsa or the Divine Play of the Supreme in all śāstras and their corresponding teachings. Those subject to the nigraha of parameśvara fight needlessly, resort to skullduggery, consider their own hypothesis to be the sole truth, and reject the rest as totally false without open examination. And to do this, they rely on harsh, dry logic alone.
śiṣyamatervaicitryād yuktāḥ
pūrve trayo.apyamī vādāḥ |
tuṣṭikarastīkṣṇadhiyāṃ tathāpi
ramyasturīyasiddhāntaḥ ||
Based on the grasping capabilities of disciples of uttama, madhyama and adhama adhikāra, one is taught ābhāsa, ārambha and pariṇāmavādas. For a disciple with uttamottamādhikāra who is blessed with a sharp intellect and other virtues, the teaching to be taught that shall grant fulfillment is the siddhānta of svātantrya alone. Also, since this siddhānta is revealed in the state of turyā, it is complete in itself and capable of calming all doubts.
bhedadṛśastvārambhe raktāḥ
suvivekino.api pariṇāme |
ābhāse.ativiraktāḥ
svātantrye ca prakṛṣṭabhaktiyuktāḥ ||
The author now provides a mapping between the various darśanas and the three (four) vādas:
A. ārambhavāda – nyāya and associated schools (bhedadṛśaḥ )
B. pariṇāmavāda – sāṃkhya (suvivekinaḥ )
C. ābhāsavāda – Buddhists and vedāntins (ativiraktāḥ )
D. svātantrya – advaita śaivas (prakṛṣṭabhaktibhājaḥ )
If the use is bhaktiyuktāḥ, that would imply śaivas and vaiṣṇavas, who we explained earlier as adherents of both pariṇāma and svātantrya. However, the reference here is to prakṛṣṭabhaktāḥ i.e. advaya śaivas.