Shaivite Kali: One Hundred Sixteen

In Lakshmanjoo's interpretation, Mahakali is that power who with a single frown shatters all forms and lines of the universe, absorbing time and space into her own nature. She declares—"Here there is no past, present, or future; nothing is born, nothing dies." This means that upon reaching the highest level, consciousness sees—all change is actually a play of eternal consciousness; creation-dissolution, birth-death are all different waves of the same infinite being.

As lord of Mahakala, Shiva surrenders in bliss to that divine play. He does not resist Kali, but rather expresses his joy through her very dance. Thus "Kali dancing upon Shiva" signifies no victory or defeat, but consciousness's own completeness, where stillness and movement, silence and sound, purusha and prakriti—all merge on one infinite plane.

In this way Kali is simultaneously shakti and jivatma—as mahashakti she is the movement of supreme consciousness, and as jivatma she is the small reflection of that movement within each of us. In Kashmir Shaivism, when the seeker enters deeply within and follows the path of his own shakti, he sees—those bonds that held him were actually different forms of Shiva-consciousness itself. Thus that path ultimately leads to Shiva; for there is no Shiva without shakti, and no shakti without Shiva.

Shiva and Kali are two complementary poles of one consciousness-reality. Shiva is pure, formless atman—the light-form of consciousness, and Kali is the reflected movement of that light—who experiences herself as "I." This unity reveals that doer and deed, the power of knowing and the known object, observer and observed—all are one indivisible consciousness. Our every perception, thought, feeling, action is actually the vibration of Shiva-consciousness—where seer and seen, shakti and Shiva, dance in one unbroken supreme unity.

In Kashmir Shaiva philosophy, Kali's threefold dynamism—sthiti, utthana, vilaya—symbolizes consciousness's eternal rhythm. Within these three movements lies the complete dance of Kalishakti. From the Shaiva perspective, the world or experience is no static object; rather it is a continuous process—becoming still, emerging, and returning to merge with its source. This sequential threefold movement comprises the three aspects of consciousness's own vibration—where Shiva and shakti, stillness and movement, light and reflection flow as one.

Sthiti means that foundational stable awareness where consciousness rests peacefully in its own radiance. This is the "holder" or foundation—upon which all experience occurs. It symbolizes Shiva—immovable, formless, yet all-pervading. In human terms this is that inner "witness-state"—where we observe silently without judgment; consciousness is simply present. In this state one can feel the "ground of Shiva" within body and mind—the light of stillness.

Utthana means that moment when still consciousness stirs in its own joy—movement, feeling, thought, creative power manifest. This is Kalishakti's dance, where the stillness of light transforms into waves. Consciousness flows through action, feeling, or thinking, and in that flow creation and experience are born. Thus utthana is the reflection of "vimarsha"—consciousness begins to know itself by looking toward itself.

Vilaya is that ultimate movement where all experience, feeling, thought merges back into its source. This is not mere destruction but supreme union—where knower and known, observer and observed, shakti and Shiva become one. The ego or "I am the doer" dissolves, and consciousness rests in its infinite nature. Vilaya is thus the moment of "letting go"—when there remains no gap between knowing and the known, only oneness.

These three aspects—sthiti, utthana, vilaya—form the basic structure not only of mental experience but of the cosmic cycle itself. The Mahanayana-prakasha (a treatise on gradual realization) states this truth clearly: "Just as the emergence of the universe is inevitable, so too its stability and dissolution are reflections of one's own essential nature." The original Sanskrit verse—"sthitinashau svabhavasya svarupo cha vilapanam"—means "stability and dissolution are actually manifestations of one's own nature." That is, worldly creation and dissolution are not external events; Shiva's own self expresses itself through that stability and dissolution.

In human experience too these three levels are clearly visible: when the mind is calm and centered—that is sthiti; when we are in the flow of action, thought, or feeling—that is utthana; and when we completely let go and surrender—that is vilaya. One could say we pass through these three movements of consciousness in every moment.

Philosophically this reflects that Shaiva sequence-doctrine where one indivisible consciousness—indivisible Shiva—limits itself to become contracted Shiva (sankuchita Shiva), and from there again through spanda (universal vibration) and vimarsha (self-reflection) manifests itself as the world. This "utthana-sthiti-vilaya" of creation is thus no external sequence of events; it is the expression of consciousness's own blissful vibration.

Thus Kali's threefold movement—sthiti, utthana, and vilaya—is the rhythm of that eternal consciousness-dance, where the world is born, sustained, and returns to its source each moment—yet never separates from consciousness.

A profound parallel appears between modern consciousness science and Kashmir Shaiva philosophy—especially when these three consciousness movements of sthiti, utthana, vilaya are correlated with the framework of modern brain science. Here sthiti—meaning consciousness's foundation or stable radiance—finds philosophical equivalence in what modern research describes as "pure consciousness" or "wakeful resting awareness."

In this state the mind is still yet awake—no thoughts, yet presence remains intact. In meditation terminology this is that state when the mind doesn't engage with any thought or object, but remains stable in its own clear presence. As mindfulness practice says—"silently knowing, without reacting"—this attitude is the modern echo of sthiti.

Scientist Karl Friston's explanation of consciousness's fundamental function in his Free Energy Principle (FEP) also shows remarkable similarity to this "sthiti." According to Friston, living beings or brains constantly reduce their free energy—that is, the difference between prediction and reality (prediction error)—to maintain internal balance. Put differently, this is a natural tendency whose purpose is to keep oneself stable with minimal effort. This process is actually a deep inherent intelligence of consciousness—a kind of "stable attractor"—that maintains coherence amidst all change.

Philosopher Evan Thompson in his Enactive Cognition says consciousness is not like a static object, but a living process constituted through action itself. Yet within that action remains an "attractor"—that stable point from which consciousness's action begins and to which it returns. This explanation perfectly aligns with Kashmir Shaivism's concept of sthiti—consciousness manifests the world through its own wave-like utthana and vilaya while remaining centered in itself.

From neuroscience's perspective, the sthiti-state is possibly that baseline neural homeostasis where the brain maintains maximum balance with minimal energy expenditure. That is, no excessive pressure of thought or action, yet an underlying alertness is maintained.

For example, during meditation one observes—the Default Mode Network (usually associated with self-centered thinking and reminiscence) becomes quiet; sensory-motor related parts also remain calm; yet consciousness remains in silent but fully wakeful state.

This state is called "restful awareness" or "pure consciousness"—where both mind and body are resting, but consciousness is active and present in silent radiance.

Experientially this is such a state—when the meditator sits silently, mind thoughtless but fully awake. Eyes may be open yet not seeing; thoughts may come but one doesn't respond. The mind simply knows without grasping anything—this is that "witness consciousness."

Shaiva philosophy's sthiti and modern consciousness science's restful alertness are essentially two languages for the same consciousness rhythm. One presents it as the philosophical form of self-expression, the other as scientific description of neurophysiological process. Both emphasize such foundational awareness where knowing means being, and being means knowing.

Thus "sthiti" is not merely meditative rest; it is consciousness's deep self-contained balance—where brain, mind, body and environment merge in inner harmony. Just as the reflection of sky appears in calm lake water, this pure consciousness of sthiti holds every form of the world while remaining unmoved and radiant.

Utthana or expansion is that moment of consciousness when stable awareness gains movement in its own joy, spreads its radiance, descends into the flow of creation. This is consciousness's exuberant wave—where knowing is not merely static reflection but living action. Modern psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has identified the mental counterpart of this utthana as the "Flow State."

This flow state is an experience where one becomes completely absorbed in some activity—attention becomes so focused that self-consciousness fades, sense of time disappears, and "I" and "action" become one. When someone is playing piano perfectly, dancing, painting, or immersed in research—this rhythm of utthana becomes active. Csikszentmihalyi said, "Flow is a mental state where the person is fully energized by focused attention, complete involvement, and a feeling of deep enjoyment."

In Kashmir Shaiva terminology this state is utthana—when consciousness's vibration flows into creation in its own joy. Here consciousness is not merely observer; it becomes the very movement of creation. Within this utthana manifests Kali's creative and sustaining power—srishti-kali, rakta-kali, samhara-kali—these three shaktis are three aspects of consciousness's evolution: creation, manifestation, and transformation. Just as when an artist becomes absorbed in creation, they no longer remain separate; creation, creator, and the process of creating—all become one. This unification is Kali's dance—consciousness's vibration in the form of utthana.

In this state action is no toil; rather it is consciousness's spontaneous expression of joy. The ego-sense of "I am doing" dissolves, leaving only "being done"—a self-evident rhythm. Modern neuroscience also shows that in this state the prefrontal cortex—where self-monitoring and judgment reside—reduces activity (transient hypofrontality). Thus when the veil of self-consciousness lifts, consciousness can flow freely.

This utthana is a form of libidinal vitality on both mental and physical levels—a kind of living dance where energy doesn't merely survive but transforms itself. Just as a river takes curves in its own current, consciousness creates form, meaning, feeling, and experience in its creative flow.