This article from Wikipedia says Devi Bhagavata Purana "promotes bhakti (devotion) towards Mahadevi, integrating themes from the Shaktadvaitavada tradition (syncretism of Samkhya and Advaita Vedanta. literally, the path of nondualistic Shakti)". I never heard of this term. Is it an authentic theological term in Hinduism? Or Wikipedia just invented it? Please explain this term with authentic reference.
asked Apr 29, 2023 at 6:22
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1I think the use of the words synthesis or 'syncretism' with regard to the Samkaya school and the Advaita school is misleading. No doubt, there are many minor schools that blend traditions, but the Samkhya school is not really classified as a 'dualistic' school. Many Advaitists can be tantric followers of Shakti - Adi Shankaracharya was a devoted worshiper of Shakti, but no one would call him a blender of the Samkhya and Advaita schools. The Samkhya School is a completely separate school from the Uttara Mimamsa schools which include both the modern dualists and non-dualists.– Swami VishwanandaCommented Apr 30, 2023 at 8:45
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2 Answers
It certainly wasn't invented by Wikipedia, since I can find some earlier scholarly references to it. However, the term isn't referred to in any primary Hindu scripture.
Swami Prajnanananda writes in Schools of Indian Thought
If we look at the dualism on the sadhana side, we may be tempted to call it dualistic or pluralistic just as we please. In fact, Tantra philosophy upholds out-and-out the shaktadvaitavada, which means a synthesis of the dualistic and monoistic systems of thought.
Much earlier, indologist Arthur Avalon wrote a chapter in his famous Shakti and Shâkta which was titled 'Shakta Advaitavada.' There are a handful of other references to this in the book, which mainly tell us that according to Shakta Advaitavada,
- man is both Consciousness and Unconsciousness, or both Chita and Achita
- mulaprakriti, or fundamental matter, is genuine, and involves Maya-Shakti
- consciousness is essential to discovering Shakti
- spirit and matter are neither fully distinct nor fully the same; they are two sides to one coin
So Wikipedia is not incorrect, as Shaktadvaitavada is a Shaktic tradition which blends the dualistic (samkhya) with the monoistic (Advaita Vedanta).
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how a man can be both conscious and unconscious? sounds bizarre. Commented Apr 30, 2023 at 4:30
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I think the use of the words synthesis or 'syncretism' with regard to the Samkaya school and the Advaita school is misleading. No doubt, there are many minor schools that blend traditions, but the Samkhya school is not really classified as a 'dualistic' school. Many Advaitists can be tantric followers of Shakti - Adi Shankaracharya was a devoted worshiper of Shakti, but no one would call him a blender of the Samkhya and Advaita schools. The Samkhya School is a completely separate school from the Uttara Mimamsa schools which include both the modern dualists and non-dualists. Commented Apr 30, 2023 at 8:44
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Shakta Darshana is indeed a school of Indian philosophy. It is Advaitic in nature. One can get the flavour of it in Devi Gita, which is part of Srimad Devi Bhagavad Purana.
There are eight Shakta Upanisads as well. These are as follows. Tripuratapini Upanisad, Tripura Upanisad, Sarasvatirahashya Upanisad, Saubhagyalaxmi Upanisad, Bhavona Upanisad, Bahvrica Upanisad, Devi Upanisad and Sita Upanisad.
The well-organized Sutra literature also exists. The main texts of this branch are as follows.
- Shakti Sutram of Agastya - Hindi Bhashya Another Hindi Bhashya
- Shakta Darshana Sutra of Hayagriva
- Last, but not least - Shakti Bhashya of Brahmasutra (Vol.1 & Vol.2)
Apart from these books, there are a few more important texts on Shakta Darshana.
- Parashurama Kalpasutra is also an important text.
- Tripura Rahashya is another important text.
- Lalitopakhyana
answered Nov 22 at 12:13