| Abstract: |
The levels of language (vāc) known by the names parā, paśyantī, madhyamā, and vaikharī, are a mainstay of esoteric practice in Śaiva, Śākta, and even Vaiṣṇava tantras. In this paper, I will present new evidence from the earliest source that mentions the levels, Bhartṛhari’s Vākyapadīya, as well as from one of Abhinavagupta’s earliest works, the Mālinīvijayavārtika to show that the levels are primarily intended as a model of revelation. They work as a bridge between divine and human consciousness, unique to a metaphysical outlook that maintains a close relationship between language and consciousness. It is by virtue of this ‘divine linguistic consciousness’ and the levels that mediate human experience of it, that revelation can be viewed as a natural occurrence arising within subjective awareness and potentially accessible by any practitioner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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