The Śiva Sūtras
The Śiva Sūtras is a seminal Kashmir Shaiva text, attributed to the sage Vasugupta, 9th century CE. They present the foundational teachings of Kashmir Shaivism. Paintings are shown for the beginning few sūtras of the text.
Śiva Sūtra 1.1, 2022, oil on canvas, 16” x 20”. The Self is Awareness (pure consciousness).
Śiva Sūtra 1.2, 2025, oil on canvas, 16” x 20”. Knowledge (born of the mind) is bondage.
![Śiva Sūtra 1.3, 2024, oil on canvas, 16” x 20”.
There are two other sources of limitation/bondage [māyiya mala, kārma mala].](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677dbb3375c7077642913d35/9ad6970c-b4ab-4d45-a559-6d261df3267e/3_S%CC%81ivaSu%CC%84tra3.Work_Townsend.jpg)
Śiva Sūtra 1.3, 2024, oil on canvas, 16” x 20”. There are two other sources of limitation/bondage [māyiya mala, kārma mala].
Śiva Sūtra 1.4, 2025, oil on canvas, 16” x 20”. The mātṛkā (the Mother or power of sound, the alphabet) is the basis of all knowledge (inherent in the three limiting factors).
Śiva Sūtra 1.5, 2024, oil on canvas, 16” x 20”. The sudden, opening flash of transcendent consciousness (freeing one from bondage) is Śiva.
Śiva Sūtra 1.3, 2024, oil on canvas, 16” x 20”. Through intensive and fixed awareness, there is union with the collective whole of the powers and the disappearance of the perception of the world as separate from consciousness.