Śaiva nondualism

As a world view based on reason and revelation, Śaiva nondualism is expected to have its roots in Śaiva scriptures. Indeed, one of the most popular divisions of the Śaiva scriptures presents three sets of texts, characterised by dualism, dualism-cum-nondualism and nondualism, promulgated by Śiva, Rudra and Bhairava, respectively, in the number of ten, eighteen and sixty-four. The scrutiny of what is extant from the sixty-four Bhairavatantras risk disappointing the seeker for unequivocal nondualist lines, various forms of dualism being no doubt the common ground of the earliest Śaiva tantras. The very occurrence there of terms like advaita, advaya, etc., essentially concerns ritual practice. Apart from isolated instances, straightforward affirmation of ontological and epistemological nondualism can be found only in post-scriptural tradition centred on the seminal work of Somānanda and Utpaladeva, then merely followed (and only partly developed) by Abhinavagupta. Such exegetical tradition is discernible in later markedly nondual scriptures, such as the Kālikākrama.