Saiva arguments against the grammarians: Somananda's "Sivadrsti", chapters one and two

This dissertation is a study of the first two chapters of the Śivadrsti of Somānanda, the ninth-century Kashmiri credited with founding the Pratyabhijñā or “Recognition” school of Śaivism, along with Utpaladeva's heretofore untranslated Śivadrstivrtti , also called the Padasamgati, the only surviving commentary on the Śivadrsti . These two chapters present a summary view of Somānanda's philosophy. In the first chapter, the author presents his own philosophical position in a telegraphic style; in the second chapter, he criticizes the monistic idealism of Bhartrhari and the grammarians. Read together, they show the degree to which Bhartrhari's view influenced the Pratyabhijñā, as well as the differences in the ways in which Somānanda and Utpaladeva negotiate their relationship to Bhartrhari. In the introduction are included: a summary review of scholarship concerned with Pratyabhijñā philosophy and Somānanda in particular, biographical information about Somānanda, and a review of the author's philosophical position, situated in relation to that of Bhartrhari. The dissertation also includes an edition and translation of the first two chapters of the Śivadrsti and the commentary, based on the readings of three unpublished manuscripts. Finally, autobiographical portions of the text are included in an appendix.