What are the salient features of krama tradition of Kashmir Shaivism?

Question

Kashmir Shaivism also known as trika has some important branches

One of them is the krama tradition

What is its significance?

What are the salient features?

Answer 1

Like out of Vedas many schools were established so from Bhairava Agamas which were monistic, schools of Kashmiri Shaivism were established. Initially there used to be many schools of Bhairava Agamas but as the time passed mainly 4 schools remained.

• Prtyabhijna
• Spanda
• Krama
• Kula

Although these 4 different schools propagates non dualism, but they are different in approach to the ultimate reality or Shiva. Among these, Krama is said to be retraced back to mind daughter of Durvasasa - is the reason it is more feminine inclined or Vimarsyavaadi (More inclined to Shakti aspect of Lord Shiva). From The secret supreme by Swami Lakshmanjoo -

The Krama system does not recognize the ways of either the Pratyabhijna or the Kula system. In the Krama system, you must rise in succession, step by step. This system teaches that step-by-step realization makes your realization firm. As the Krama system is concerned with successive realization, it is primarily concerned with space and time, because where there is succession there you find the existence of space and time. In both the Pratyabhijna and Kula systems you are beyond space and time. In the Krama system, it is in the end, not in its process, that you are beyond time and space because it also carries you to that timeless and space-less state.The Krama system is primarily attributed to shaktopaya and to the twelve Kalis. The twelve Kalis are said to be the twelve movements of any one cognition. For example, if you look at any object such as a pot, the sensation travels from your thought to the place of the pot, and then returns again from the place of the pot to your thought, giving you the sensation whereby you realize this pot. You do not realize this pot at the place of the pot, you realize this pot in your mind. Your perception has moved from inside to the pot, and then returned again from the pot to your thought. And these movements are distributed in twelve ways as the twelve Kalis in the Krama system. The rise of prana kundalini is also described in the Krama system, because in prana kundalini you rise from one cakra to another, from one state to another state. As this is a successive process it is found in the Krama system. Although the Krama system existed in the beginning of kali-yuga, having been introduced by the sage Durvasa, it was reintroduced at the end of the 7th century A.D. in Kashmir by the sage Erakanatha, who was also known as Shivanandanatha. Shivanandanatha had only three chief disciples which he initiated into the Krama system. Because in this system predominance is given only to shakti, all three were females. Their names were Keyuravati, Madanika, and Kalyanika. They were quite prominent and were completely informed in the Krama system. Afterwards, these ladies also initiated disciples, which were both male and female. Chapter 19.

As a side note- the great acharya Abhinavgupta woven all these schools in single thread, so there doesn't exists a separate school like Krama anymore as it has been fully integrated under a name Kashmiri Shaivism - which is all compassing in its nature.