Proponents of Kashmir Shaivism

 

Featured Collections

Acharya Abhinavagupta
Abhinavagupta was a great scholar and Shaiva teacher, who possessed knowledge in all matters relating to Kashmir Shaivism. The versatility of this genius was recognised in his own time. He was one of the best authorities on Shaiva philosophy and various branches of Sanskrit literature.
>>>
Utpaladeva
Very little is known about Utpala, the great mystic Saint of Kashmir, except that he might have lived somewhere in Nauhatta (Navyut) in Srinagar. From some authors on Kashmir Shaivism and his contemporaries we find that he was a Brahmin and lived a married life around the middle of 900 A.D. He was the son of Udayakar.
>>>
Lal Ded
Kashmir has produced many saints, poets and mystics. Among them, Lal Ded is very prominent. In Kashmir, some people consider her a poet, some consider her a holywoman and some consider her a sufi, a yogi, or a devotee of Shiva. Sume even consider her an avtar.
>>>
  Rupa Bhawani
Rupa Bhawani was the second great mystic poet of 17th century. She had a great and deep experience of ups and downs of life. The worldly sufferings showed her the path of spiritual life. Her spiritual 'Guru' was her father Pandit Madhav Joo Dhar who initiated her into the mysteries and practices of yoga. 
>>>
Krishna Joo Razdan
Razdan Sahib is proud of Kashmiri language which is the principal medium of his poetic expression. He regards it dearest to the Mother Goddess. He is convinced that salvation for Kashmiris is attainable only by singing praises of the Mother Goddess in Kashmiri language. Razdan Sahib's poetry objectifies his perpetual struggle for comprehending the mysterium tremendum enveloping man all around.
>>>
  Bhagwan Gopinathji
Bhagwaanji was veritably God in the human form. This became unmistakably evident to the discerning among his devotees who found him ever-absorbed in the universal consciousness. He would come down to our plane of consciousness only when prompted to answer queries by the seekers and would then instantly return to his exalted state of divine bliss.
>>>
Swami Lakshman Joo
It is only when you met him, as I did for an interview in 1971, that you would feel his irresistible charm emanating from that sweet child-like innocence which hid from our naked eye his spiritual and philosophic attainments. As a man, he was upright, humble and very generous. Hundreds and thousands flocked to him for succor and he was not found wanting in this respect. Many an afflicted found solace in his presence.
>>>
  Swami Govind Kaul
His devotional lyrics reveal that he was deeply influenced by the thought-current of Mansurul-Halaj as well and he freely used the popular idiom of his own Kashmiri dialect, being a blend of Sanskrit, Persian and Arabic. His songs are rich in imagery, and the vocabulary he employs to convey his inner experiences suggests, unmistakably, how he too must have followed the same spiritual path that Lalleshwari had treaded several centuries before him.
>>>
Pandit Raghu Nath Kukiloo
While he had fathomed the depths of the Shakta philosophy of Kashmir, which he would interpret in his own unique manner, Pandit Kukiloo's understanding of the Vedantic and Shaiva philosophies was equally profound.
>>>
  Saint-Poet Mirza Kak
After Lal Ded, Sahzanand and Roopa Bhawani, the Valley was again blessed with the birth of one more saint- poet Mirza Kak, who continued the Vakh parampara in Kashmir. Vakhs are the quintessence of spiritual and religious sayings and utterances of mystics and saints.
>>>
Janki Nath Kaul 'Kamal'
Born at Drabiyar, Srinagar, in 1914, Shri Jankinath Kaul 'Kamal' was well known as an accomplished scholar through his writings in the fields of Kashmir Shaivism and Vedanta, which have received countrywide recognition. He attained fame and popularity as a versatile and talented writer and earned for himself a position of special esteem because of his qualities of dedication and selfless service. >>>
  Dinanath Yaksh
The Sanskritic Shastras have survived in India as a part of the Vedic ritualistic culture. The Vedic ritualism has been a text-based culture. In the development of this ritual-culture a variety of sciences emerged as a part of it thus making it richer. These sciences were a part of a living tradition survived by the respective experts called Pandits.  >>>
Baljinath PanditProfessor Baljinath Pandit was born in the year 1916 in a village called Kulgam situated in the district of Anantnag in Kashmir. His parents were Pandit Aftabram Pandit and Srimati Amaravati. He did his primary and secondary education from a school in his native village Kulgam. He completed his high school education at an early age since he was an exceptionally intelligent boy. >>>   Professor Nilkanth GurtooNilkanth Gurtoo
He was born on 2 January, 1925 in Srinagar (Kashmir) and was a son of Pandit Tarachand Gurtoo. He was initiated into Sanskrit studies by Pandit Maheshwar Nath Nehru. Pandit Jankinath Dhar (Vanaprastha) of Arya Samaj taught him the Astadhyayi of Panini. Later, he learned advanced texts of Sanskrit grammar and linguistics with Pandit Lalkak Langoo and Pandit Sarvadananda Handoo of Dharmarth Council taught him several texts of Sanskrit literature.  >>>
Virendra Qazi
Due to grace of God and love and admiration of people, Virendra Qazi is making original contribution in Indian Tantra Shastra. Kashmir Shaivism is very popular in US and Europe with research at leading universities. He presents this philosophy in common man’s language and he is getting overwhelming response from all over the world. Last year in August, Midland Broad Casting Corporation, Leister, UK, recorded his lecture on Kashmir Shaivism, which was shown all over UK. >>>