Devikalottara

---

Devikālottara (Sanskrit: देविकालोत्तर) is a Hindu scripture that belongs to the category of upa-agamas, or subsidiary texts of the Agamas. It is a dialogue between Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati, in which Shiva reveals the supreme knowledge and the code of conduct for attaining liberation.

Authorship and date

The authorship and date of Devikālottara are uncertain. Some scholars attribute it to the 8th century CE, while others place it between the 10th and 14th centuries CE. The text is also known by other names, such as Devikālottara Jñānāhāra Vichāra Patala, Kālajñāna, and Kālottara.

Content and structure

Devikālottara consists of 85 verses that are divided into three sections: jñāna (knowledge), āchāra (conduct), and vichāra (inquiry). The text covers topics such as the nature of reality, the means of liberation, the qualities of a seeker, the role of a guru, the practice of meditation, the ethical and moral principles, and the obstacles and pitfalls on the spiritual path.

The text begins with an invocation to Lord Ganesha, followed by Parvati's request to Shiva to teach her the highest wisdom and the discipline for liberation. Shiva then explains that one who is not able to realize the truth in his heart by this knowledge of spiritual wisdom known as Kālajñāna (the knowledge that transcends time) can never attain it even by studying countless scriptures. He then proceeds to impart the essence of Kālajñāna to Parvati in a concise and clear manner.

Jñāna (Knowledge)

The first section of Devikālottara deals with the nature of reality and the means of liberation. Shiva teaches Parvati that reality is one, non-dual, self-luminous, eternal, blissful, and beyond all attributes and limitations. He says that this reality is identical with one's own self, which is pure consciousness. He also says that ignorance or avidyā is the cause of bondage and suffering, and that knowledge or vidyā is the means of liberation. He instructs Parvati to realize her true nature by renouncing all identification with the body, mind, senses, ego, and objects. He also advises her to meditate on the mantra "I am That" (aham brahmāsmi) or "I am He" (so'ham) as a way of affirming her identity with reality.

The verses in this section are:

- Verse 1: Parvati's request to Shiva

- Verse 2: Shiva's introduction to Kālajñāna

- Verse 3: The futility of studying scriptures without Kālajñāna

- Verse 4: The prerequisites for Kālajñāna

- Verse 5: The benefits of studying Devikālottara

- Verse 6-7: The greatness of controlling the mind

- Verse 8-9: The definition of reality

- Verse 10-11: The identity of reality and self

- Verse 12-13: The nature of ignorance

- Verse 14-15: The nature of knowledge

- Verse 16-17: The means of knowledge

- Verse 18-19: The renunciation of identification

- Verse 20-21: The meditation on "I am That" or "I am He"

- Verse 22-23: The realization of one's true nature

Āchāra (Conduct)

The second section of Devikālottara deals with the code of conduct for attaining liberation. Shiva teaches Parvati that one who seeks liberation should follow certain ethical and moral principles that are conducive to spiritual progress. He says that one should practice non-violence (ahiṃsā), truthfulness (satya), non-stealing (asteya), celibacy (brahmacharya), non-attachment (aparigraha), compassion (karuṇā), contentment (saṃtoṣa), purity (śauca), self-control (dama), forbearance (kṣamā), faith (śraddhā), devotion (bhakti), surrender (prapatti), and service (sevā). He also says that one should avoid certain vices and defects that are detrimental to spiritual growth, such as anger (krodha), greed (lobha), delusion (moha), pride (mada), envy (mātsarya), lust (kāma), hatred (dveṣa), fear (bhaya), doubt (saṃśaya), laziness (ālasya), distraction (vikṣepa), and egoism (ahaṃkāra).

The verses in this section are:

- Verse 24-25: The practice of non-violence

- Verse 26-27: The practice of truthfulness

- Verse 28-29: The practice of non-stealing

- Verse 30-31: The practice of celibacy

- Verse 32-33: The practice of non-attachment

- Verse 34-35: The practice of compassion

- Verse 36-37: The practice of contentment

- Verse 38-39: The practice of purity

- Verse 40-41: The practice of self-control

- Verse 42-43: The practice of forbearance

- Verse 44-45: The practice of faith

- Verse 46-47: The practice of devotion

- Verse 48-49: The practice of surrender

- Verse 50-51: The practice of service

- Verse 52-53: The avoidance of anger

- Verse 54-55: The avoidance of greed

- Verse 56-57: The avoidance of delusion

- Verse 58-59: The avoidance of pride

- Verse 60-61: The avoidance of envy

- Verse 62-63: The avoidance of lust

- Verse 64-65: The avoidance of hatred

- Verse 66-67: The avoidance of fear

- Verse 68-69: The avoidance of doubt

- Verse 70-71: The avoidance of laziness

- Verse 72-73: The avoidance of distraction

- Verse 74-75: The avoidance of egoism

Vichāra (Inquiry)

The third section of Devikālottara deals with the inquiry into one's true nature. Shiva teaches Parvati that one who wants to attain liberation should constantly inquire into the question "Who am I?" (ko'ham). He says that this inquiry will lead one to the realization of one's self as pure consciousness, which is beyond the body, mind, senses, ego, and objects. He also says that this inquiry will destroy all ignorance and duality, and reveal one's identity with reality. He instructs Parvati to abide in the self, which is the source of all bliss and peace.

The verses in this section are:

- Verse 76: The importance of inquiry

- Verse 77: The method of inquiry

- Verse 78: The result of inquiry

- Verse 79: The nature of the self

- Verse 80: The identity of the self and reality

- Verse 81: The destruction of ignorance and duality

- Verse 82: The abidance in the self

- Verse 83: The bliss and peace of the self

- Verse 84: Parvati's gratitude to Shiva

Commentaries and translations

Devikālottara has been commented upon by several scholars and saints from various traditions. Some of the notable commentaries are:

• Kālottara Bhāshya by Abhinavagupta, a Kashmiri Shaiva philosopher and mystic. This commentary is considered to be one of the most authoritative and comprehensive expositions of Devikālottara. Abhinavagupta elucidates the text from the perspective of his own school of non-dualistic Shaivism, known as Trika or Pratyabhijñā. He also relates the text to other Agamic and Tantric scriptures, as well as to the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas.
• Devikālottara Vritti by Utpaladeva, a disciple of Abhinavagupta. This commentary is a brief and concise explanation of Devikālottara, following the line of thought of Abhinavagupta. Utpaladeva also adds some original insights and illustrations to clarify the meaning of the text.
• Devikālottara Tīkā by Kshemaraja, another disciple of Abhinavagupta. This commentary is a more elaborate and detailed exposition of Devikālottara, based on the teachings of Abhinavagupta and Utpaladeva. Kshemaraja also quotes extensively from other Agamic and Tantric texts, as well as from the works of other Kashmiri Shaiva masters.
• Devikālottara Vyākhyā by Ramakantha, a Shaiva Siddhanta scholar. This commentary is a critical and analytical interpretation of Devikālottara, from the standpoint of the dualistic school of Shaivism known as Shaiva Siddhanta. Ramakantha also compares and contrasts the teachings of Devikālottara with those of other Agamic and Vedantic texts.
• Devikālottara Vivriti by Sadyojyoti, a Shaiva Siddhanta scholar. This commentary is a shorter and simpler version of Ramakantha's Vyākhyā, following the same approach and methodology.
• Devikālottara Prakasha by Nrisimha Gupta, a Shaiva Siddhanta scholar. This commentary is a further elaboration and clarification of Ramakantha's Vyākhyā, with some additional arguments and examples.
• Devikālottara Dipika by Srikantha Sivacharya, a Shaiva Siddhanta scholar. This commentary is a summary and paraphrase of Ramakantha's Vyākhyā, with some minor modifications and variations.
• Devikālottara Jñānodaya by Appayya Dikshita, a Vedantic scholar. This commentary is an attempt to reconcile the teachings of Devikālottara with those of Advaita Vedanta, the non-dualistic school of Vedanta founded by Shankara. Appayya Dikshita also tries to harmonize the views of different schools of Shaivism with each other and with Vedanta.
• Devikālottara Jñānodaya Tīkā by Nilakantha Dikshita, a Vedantic scholar. This commentary is a sub-commentary on Appayya Dikshita's Jñānodaya, explaining and defending his interpretations and arguments.
• Devikālottara Jñānodaya Vyakhya by Narasimha Bharati Swami, a Vedantic scholar. This commentary is another sub-commentary on Appayya Dikshita's Jñānodaya, following the same line of thought as Nilakantha Dikshita.

Devikālottara has also been translated into several languages, such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, English, French, German, and Italian. One of the most popular translations is the one done by Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, who rendered the text into Tamil verses in his early days at Virupaksha Cave on Arunachala Hill. He also wrote an introduction to the text in which he praised its value and importance for seekers of truth.

Ramana Maharshi's work on Devikālottara

Ramana Maharshi was one of the most influential modern exponents of Advaita Vedanta and non-dualism. He was also well-versed in various Agamic texts, especially those related to Shaivism. He had a special affinity for Devikālottara, which he considered to be one of the most authoritative and concise texts

Relation to other texts

Devikālottara is considered to be one of the most authoritative and concise texts on non-dualistic Shaivism. It is also regarded as a summary and synthesis of various other Agamic texts, such as Malinivijaya Tantra, Svacchanda Tantra, Netra Tantra, Mrgendra Tantra, Sarvajñanottara Tantra, and Vijñānab

References

(1) Devikālottaram - RAMANA MAHARSHI. http://ramana-maharshi.weebly.com/uploads/2/4/7/2/24723372/devikalottaram_sri_ramana_translation.pdf..

(2) Sri Devikālottara - Arunachala Ashrama. https://archive.arunachala.org/docs/sri-Devikālottara.

(3) Devikālottaram PDF | PDF | Moksha | Shiva - Scribd. https://www.scribd.com/document/169200601/Devikālottaram-1-pdf

(4) Devikālottara – Beezone Library. https://beezone.com/beezones-main-stack/Devikālottara.html.

(5) Ramana Maharshi Works Extracts - Devikālottara – GreatMaster.Info http://greatmaster.info/ramanamaharshi/ramanateachings/ramanateachings1-46/.

This article "Devikalottara" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Devikalottara. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

---