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Saiva Philosophy in the Purānas [CH. being represented in Brahman means that all negation of being is excluded. The neuter character of the being represents the fact that it is the puruşa, and this puruşa also is of an illuminating nature. The pure consciousness in the unity of sat-cid-ānanda represents the female part. So the two parts that are regarded as male and female are the illuminating part (prakāša) and the pure consciousness, and these two together are the generating causes of the world. So in the unity of sac-cid-ānanda we have the unity of Siva and Sakti. This illumination is also sometimes impeded, as the flame of a wick is impeded by smoke and other impurities. These are the malas which do not belong to Siva, but are seen in the fire of pure consciousness. It is on this account that the cicchakti or the energy of pure consciousness is seen in an impure state in human souls. It is for the expulsion of this mala that the pervasiveness of sakti or energy is to be assumed as existing in all time. Sakti thus is the symbol of bala or strength. In the paramātman there is both the Siva-aspect and the sakti-aspect. It is by the connection of Siva and Sakti that there is ānanda or bliss. The Atman is pure consciousness and this consciousness holds within it all knowledge and all energy; it is independent and free, and that is its nature. In the Siva-sūtra, jñāna or knowledge has been described as a bondage, but the word jñāna there means only finite, limited or turbid knowledge which all human beings have, and in this way alone can knowledge be regarded as bondage.
The Sakti or energy is also called spanda or vibration. Knowledge, movement and will are like the three sides of Siva, and human beings get their inspiration from between these. As we have said above, the Siva and Sakti combined gives the supreme Śakti called parāśakti, and from this parāśakti there evolves the cicchakti or power of consciousness. From this comes the sakti or bliss or ānanda-sakti, from this the will-power or icchā-sakti, and from this come jñāna-sakti, or power of knowledge, and the power of motivation, or kriyā-sakti. The first category of vibration in the category of Siva is called śiva-tattva. The world and the souls are entirely identical with Siva, and such a knowledge leads to liberation.
The supreme Lord contracts Himself and manifests Himself as the individual puruṣas or souls who enjoy the qualities of the prakrti. This enjoyment takes place through the function of fivefold kalā,
