Abhasa

Abhasa

"reflection", "likeness"

The way in which Shiva creates the world and its inhabitants from Himself.  The doctrine of emanation is a central concept of the monistic schools (especially Kashmir Shaivism).

The name of the teaching "Abhasavada", adopted in Shaivism and Advaita Vedanta, comes from the word "abhasa".  According to it, everything that exists is a reflection of the Supreme Reality.

In Shaivite teachings, to explain creation, they rely on the free will of Maheshvara (the god Shiva). He is also the guardian and destroyer. There were two theories to explain the willpower of Shiva – Svatantravada and Abhasavada. All creation or manifestation is the result of the Kriya Shakti of the Lord, which becomes Nirmana Shakti (original will) due to the operation of the three laws, which are: the law of separation (bheda-bheda), the law of perception (Mana-TAT-phala-meya) and the law of causality (Karya karana, Kriya Shakti).

Svatantravada or the theory of the manifestation of creative will is the central teaching of the Pratyabhijna system. This is the doctrine of the independence and sovereignty of the will of the Lord, which gives impulse to the process of creating the world. This explains the creative force in nature and the multiplication of the effect. This theory replaced Arambhavada (realistic creation theory), Parinamavada (transformation theory) and Vivartavada (creation theory). Abhasavada is a monistic theory of manifestation, developed by Abhinavagupta, who explains the appearance and maintenance of the objects of this world as a manifestation of abhasa, a reflection of the nature of Shiva, as the supreme cause (Parama-Shiva). Manifested in various forms of the universe, in such a way that everything that exists is the abhasa of Shiva. Thus Prakriti is a projection of Shiva's free will.

In Advaita Vedanta, the Abhasavada theory is advocated by Sureshvara, who believes that the individual soul is only an illusory appearance, a projection, of the consciousness of Brahman. Shankara, who belongs to this school of thought, believed that at the level of consciousness, jiva and Ishvara are not considered mere reflections or manifestations of Brahman, but since they are identical to Brahman, they do not have their own identity. Shurushvara states that jivas are as real as Brahman, they are the primary phenomena in and through avidya, while the objects of the world are not real, they are secondary phenomena, mere reflections of the primary manifestations. Reality thus appearing in Avidya is the cause of all further manifestations, recognized illusions. Shankara believed that Avidya or Maya is a manifestation of metaphysical ignorance. Thus, the creation of the Universe is nothing else but self-creation (Brahma Sutras I. Iv. 26); Brahman creates everything and transforms into all things. Pratibimbavada, the theory of reflection, is also derived from Abhasavada.