Advaita

Advaita or Non-duality is one of the several schools of philosophy that originated in the Indian Subcontinent. The most famous school of non-duality is that of Kēvalādvaita brought to prominence by ācārya Shaṅkara Bhagavatpāda. The central tenets of this school are codified in the Prasthānatraya Bhāṣya of Shaṅkarācārya.

The Advaita of Tantra, specifically of Kāśmīra śaiva darśana, differs from Kēvalādvaita of Vēdānta. The Advaita of Tantra and āgama schools is showcased in the works of Mahāmāhēśvara Abhinavagupta and Bhāskararāya Makhīndra. 

The peculiarity of Advaita of Shakta schools lies in the fact that it neither advocates the path of ‘dry’ knowledge, nor the path of devotion bereft of knowledge, rather it lays down a path that integrates knowledge and devotion both. Logically Bhakti has no place in the ultimate stage of the absolutism propounded by Shankara. According to him, devotion is basically duality-centric, and as such does not exist in the Absolutic state on attainment of knowledge. Needless to say, this devotion is ignorance-based and instrumental in character.

But, on the contrary, in the Tantric Advaita, Mōkṣa has been portrayed as Cidānanda lābha (attainment of Consciousness-Bliss) or Pūrṇāhaṁtācamatkāra (self-relish flowing from perfect I-hood). The aspect of consciousness (cidamśa) is Knowledge and that of bliss (ānandāmśa) is Devotion. The perfect I-hood or self-relish which marks the limit of Knowledge, also marks the limit of Devotion. It is why it offers congenial ground for synthesis. Here the element of consciousness i.e., Shiva-state, and that of bliss i.e., Shakti-state, stand fused together instantly turning it into synthesis of devotion-knowledge or equipoise of Shiva-Shakti.