Two Transmission of Tantra | Jñānā vs Kriyā, Meditation vs Ritual

Speaker: Nishanth Selvalingam (Kashmir Shaivism, Tantric philosophy teacher)
Source: YouTube lecture from Denver 2026 retreat
Published: 2026-04-19
Duration: ~2 hours (transcript)
Classification: Practitioner-scholar lineage teaching

Core Argument

In Tantric traditions, two seemingly opposing transmissions coexist: the Jñāna path (contemplative, interior, knowledge-oriented) exemplified by texts like Vijñāna-Bhairava Tantra and Somānanda's Śiva-Dṛṣṭi, and the Kriyā path (ritual, external, action-oriented) centered on formal pūjā, homa, and deity practice. The apparent tension—where knowledge practitioners dismiss ritual as "gross" or "preliminary," and ritual practitioners dismiss study as "spiritually bypassing"—is resolved through understanding Icchā Śakti (desire/will) as the subsuming power from which both Jñāna and Kriyā flow. All sincere practice, whether contemplative or ritual-based, nourishes Icchā, and Icchā itself is sufficient for realization.

Key Teachings

Panchashakti (Five Powers of Consciousness):

• Cit Śakti (power of consciousness itself)
• Ānanda Śakti (bliss/fulfillment inherent to consciousness)
• Icchā Śakti (desire, will, the pre-cognitive desiring power) — SUBSUMING PRINCIPLE
• Jñāna Śakti (knowing, intellect, insight)
• Kriyā Śakti (doing, action, expression)

The Panchakris (Five Functions of God):

• Creation (Srsti)
• Maintenance (Sthiti)
• Destruction (Samhara)
• Revelation/Grace (Anugraha)
• Concealment/Delusion (Nigraha/Avidya)

God performs all five because God possesses all five powers. All beings, by virtue of possessing will, knowledge, and action, are expressions of God.

Jñāna vs Kriyā Reconciliation:

• Jñāna (knowing) is itself an action — to know is to do knowing
• Kriyā (doing) involves knowing what one is doing
• Cannot be separated; the distinction is linguistic, not ontological
• Both express Icchā — the desire to know and the desire to do
• Icchā is primary; Jñāna and Kriyā are secondary manifestations

The Two Transmissions as Valid Paths:

1. Interior/Jñāna Transmission: Vijñāna-Bhairava Tantra, Somānanda's Śiva-Dṛṣṭi — subtle practices, sky-like awareness, intellect-oriented
2. Exterior/Kriyā Transmission: Pūjā, homa, yāga, ritual practice, deity visualization
3. Neither is superior; they address different personality types and life circumstances
4. Teacher emphasis reveals personal inclination, not metaphysical hierarchy

Three Upāyas (Ways of Practice):

• Śāmbhava Upāya (path of bliss) — savoring fullness, aesthetic cultivation, beauty as practice
• Śakta Upāya (energy-oriented) — working with will and intention
• Āṇava Upāya (individual effort) — ritual and disciplined practice

All three can deepen Icchā when engaged with sincerity.

The Centrality of Desire (Icchā):

• Wanting to do puja is more important than doing puja
• Wanting to study is more important than studying
• The desire itself is the practice; form is secondary
• Ramakrishna dissolves all Ghana (knowledge) and Kriyā (action) questions into Icchā (longing)
• Icchā is sufficient for realization; Jñāna and Kriyā nourish and deepen it

Aesthetic Theory as Spiritual Practice:

• Beauty, art, and poetic expression are expressions of Icchā Śakti
• God creates from fullness, not from lack or need
• Artistic cultivation (poetry, music, visual refinement) is spiritual training, not decoration
• The world itself is God's poetic expression, overflowing from infinite bliss
• Pūjā must be beautiful; aesthetics are non-negotiable

God as Desiring Being:

• Rejects traditions that posit God as beyond desire or will (void-oriented, illusionalist traditions)
• In Tantra, God is inherently a willing, knowing, doing being
• Consciousness desires to know and desires to act, not from lack but from fullness
• This desire is intrinsic to consciousness, not a flaw

Epistemological Weight

Practitioner-Scholar Classification:

• Nishanth is initiated into Tantric transmission lineage
• Versed in primary texts: Vijñāna-Bhairava, Somānanda's Śiva-Dṛṣṭi, Abhinavagupta's commentaries, Kāma-Kalā, Tantrāloka
• Teaches within a gurukula framework (community transmission)
• Moves between philosophical rigor and lived insight
• Reliability: High on technical philosophical claims and textual interpretation; [PARAPHRASED] on illustrative anecdotes and personal teaching preferences

Source Tensions & Limitations

• [PARAPHRASED] throughout for illustrative examples, teaching moments, and personal teacher emphasis (he explicitly acknowledges his own preference for Ghana over Kriyā at different life stages)
• Prioritizes Somānanda's Icchā-centric framework; other Kashmir Shaiva teachers may weight the powers differently
• The claim that Icchā alone is sufficient for realization would be contested by some traditions; file as Somānanda's specific position, not universal Tantric consensus
• Limited engagement with Kriyā-heavy traditions' counterarguments (e.g., why ritual is not just expression of desire, but has independent efficacy)

Concepts Filed (Quick Ingest)

• Icchā Śakti — Desire as the Subsuming Power
• Jñāna vs Kriyā Reconciliation

Additional Material (Not Filed — Available for Future Ingest)

• Panchashakti framework (five powers and five functions)
• Three Upāyas: Śāmbhava, Śakta, Āṇava
• Aesthetic cultivation as Icchā expression
• Somānanda's theological innovations
• Comparison with other traditions (Advaita, Yoga Sūtra, devotional paths)