Shaiva Devotional Songs of Kashmir

Summary: utpaladeva was considered a siddha, a perfected being, one of the masters of the tantric tradition in kashmir, and he is best known for his philosophical treatises description: the shivastrotravali reflects utpaladevas philosophy, known as the pratyabhijna school and yet it is unique among the authors work in its not being a straightforward philosophical treatise but instead, as dr bailly points out in her introduction, more of a spiritual diary of one who is actually treading the path of shiva the path that utpaladeva has chosen does not require leaving ones home and heading for mountain cave; instead it calls for changing ones view of the world, for leading a life of divine recognition while carrying on with ordinary life