Shiva Sutra #4: The Universal Mother Commands All Knowledge

ज्ञानाधष्ठानं मातृका | jñānādhiṣṭhānam mātṛkā

jñāna = knowledge, wisdom

adhiṣṭhāna = basis, foundation, authority

mātṛkā = universal mother, matrix, power/shakti (of vowels, sounds, alphabets)

The fourth Shiva Sutra, “Jnanadhisthanam Matrika,” often translated as “The universal mother commands all knowledge,” highlights the profound role of Matrika, the Universal Mother, in governing knowledge and creation through her divine power. This sutra emphasizes the significance of sound, particularly the vibrational frequencies represented by letters and words, in shaping both our understanding of reality and the universe itself.

The Creative Power of Matrika

According to Kashmir Shaivism, our universe originates from subtle ‘unknown’ sound. The term “Matrika” in Sanskrit represents the Universal Mother and her power (Shakti) of sound, which manifests as vibrational frequencies penetrating all of existence through letters and words, forming the basis of both our objective and subjective reality.

Connecting Ancient Wisdom with Modern Science

This sutra also resonates with Western science’s view of reality, which suggests that our brain constructs our perception of the external world. Sensory neuroscience explains how our sensory organs like the eyes, ears, skin, tongue, and nose perceive stimuli from the environment and transmit that information to the brain through electrical signals. These signals are then processed by the brain, which interprets them based on various factors such as past experiences, beliefs, and conditioning, resulting in individualized perceptions of the world. It’s like each person has their own special way of looking at things, influenced by their unique life story written in their DNA over many lifetimes.

The ancient sages of Kashmir Shaivism understood these sensory functions, believing the world emerges from the Divine Pulsation, the Spanda Principle. They proposed the theory of Matrika or Universal Mother, highlighting the creative power of sound inherent in letters, and viewed writing as a symptom of the Kali Yuga, a period of spiritual decline.

The Spiritual Essence of Matrika

In Kashmir Shaivism, Matrika is the unseen powerful Universal Mother (Prakruti), who is the master director and commands by directing all knowledge and creation through her sound. She orchestrates the limitations (Maya) that veil the true nature of the One (Shiva), leading to the illusion of a differentiated world. While the human world operates on words, the spiritual realm transcends language and thought, existing in the silence beyond sound. And the veil of maya is to keep us as human beings to prevent us from ascending higher in the spiritual path.

Liberation through Meditation and Inner Exploration

The Supreme Consciousness, of which we all are a contracted form, operates in silence without words. To go there we have to go from sound to silence. There is a space or a gap between two thoughts where there is silence and no mental activity. That gap is the superconsciousness of Shiva. When you abide in that silent gap and remain in it, you are in touch with the Consciousness of Shiva.

This sutra guides us for meditation and inner exploration. It suggests that by tuning into the innermost essence of our being (which is a microcosmic reflection of the Universal Mother), we can access a deeper wellspring of wisdom and knowledge.

As we grow in awareness and turn our consciousness inward, this power of delusion becomes a liberating force. The Matrika, initially causing delusion, then ultimately guides us towards enlightenment, revealing our true nature and helping us return to our original state of Oneness.

This inner journey can lead to a transformative understanding of oneself and the universe.

By kissing these four energies, you are deprived of your real nature of universal consciousness. Not even for a moment are you situated in one-pointedness. Your organs of action and organs of knowledge lead you to the external, not the internal, world. Thus, these threefold malas are correctly said to bind your own nature.

— Swami Lakshmanjoo