Pratyabhijna

Pratyabhijna (Sanskrit: प्रत्यभिज्ञा pratyabhijñā, lit. "re-cognition") is an idealistic monistic and theistic school of philosophy in Kashmir Shaivism, originating in the 9th century A.D.

The name of the system is derived from its most famous work, Īśvara-pratyabhijñā-kārikā by Utpaladeva. Etymologically, Pratyabhijna is formed from prati – "something once known, now appearing as forgotten", abhi – "immediate" and jñā – "to know". So, the meaning is direct knowledge of one's self, recognition.

The central thesis of this philosophy is that everything is Shiva, absolute consciousness, and it is possible to re-cognize this fundamental reality and be freed from limitations, identified with Shiva and immersed in bliss. Thus, the slave (pasu - the human condition) becomes the master (pati - the divine condition).

The Pratyabhijna system had a period of intense development between the 9th and the 11th centuries, with a lineage of masters and disciples who wrote treatises and mystical poetry.

The founder of the Pratyabhijna school was Somananda (875–925 A.D.). His work, Śivadṛṣṭi is the basis of the system. He was followed by his son and disciple, Utpaladeva (900–950 A.D.), who wrote the most important treatise of the system, Īśvara pratyabhijñā kārikā. Expanding on the ideas of his master, the Isvara Pratyabhijna Karika is a philosophical treaty discussing the fundamental doctrine of the school and comparing it with various rival schools, analyzing the differences and refuting them, in the style of Buddhist logic. The name of the school is derived from the title of this work, and even more, in the rest of India, sometimes, the whole Kashmiri Shaivite religion was referred to by the name of Pratyabhijñā Shastra.

Another important master of this school is Abhinavagupta, who realized a synthesis between various schools of Kashmir Shaivism in his magnum opus, Tantraloka.Abhinavagupta also wrote two commentaries on Īśvara pratyabhijñā kārikā. The disciple of Abhinavagupta, Ksemaraja wrote a digest of the Pratyabhijna philosophy called Pratyabhijñā hṛdayaṃ  – "the spontaneous recognition of the essence of the heart", which is the most popular introduction to the system.

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