The Evidence for Somānanda's Pantheism

It is well known that Utpaladeva's (c. 925-975) articulation of the Pratyabhijnā deviates in style and substance from that of his teacher, Somānanda (fl. 900-950), and that the former's Īsvarapratyabhijnākārikās (along with two autocommentaries) come to be regarded as the definitive formulation of the school's philosophy almost from the moment they were first composed. In this essay, I argue that while the spirit and general philosophical contours of Somänanda's Èivadrsti serve as the basis for all subsequent writings in the history of the Pratyabhijnā, Somānanda nevertheless articulates a philosophical monism that is both pantheistic and absent in its essentials from Utpaladeva's oeuvre. This pantheism, I further suggest, stands in contrast to Utpaladeva's panentheistic monism, which while compatible with Somānanda's philosophical vision is nevertheless articulated in different terms: Somänanda emphasizes the functioning of Śiva's power(s), while Utpaladeva articulates a monism based on the identification of paired opposites. In doing so, this essay identifies Somānanda's unique contributions to the history of the Pratyabhijñā.