The Five Divine Acts in Non-Dual Śaiva Tantra

Śiva in the Divine Trinity of Mainstream Hinduism

The term trimūrti refers to the trinity of the supreme deity in Hinduism. The cosmic functions of creation, preservation, and destruction are personified by three deities: typically Brahmā as the creator, Viṣṇu as the preserver, and Śiva as the destroyer.

This is exemplified in a verse from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (1.2.66), which mentions Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva together:

sṛṣṭisthityantakaraṇīṃ brahmaviṣṇuśivātmikām I
sa saṃjñāṃ yāti bhagavāneka eva janārdanaḥ II

“Janārdana, the one and only exalted being, assumes the names Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva, depending on whether he creates, preserves, or destroys.”

In mainstream Hinduism, Śiva is predominantly associated with destruction. However, non-dual Śaiva Tantra offers a profound and comprehensive perspective on Śiva’s role. Here, Śiva represents the abstract divine in its entirety. At the core of this teaching are the five divine acts that define the nature of reality and individual experience.

The Five Divine Acts in Non-Dual Śaiva Tantra

In non-dual Śaiva Tantra, the universal divine consciousness, Śiva and Śakti, pulsates in a rhythm of five cosmic acts. Through these acts, it manifests as the tangible world in cycles of creation and dissolution. These five acts are embodied in the gestures of Śiva’s cosmic dance as Naṭarāja (see image and table). While these gestures are often interpreted differently in mainstream Hinduism, in Tantra they represent deeper cosmic processes. The dance of Naṭarāja symbolizes the divine acts shaping the universe at every moment.

In the opening verse of the foundational Śaiva Tantra text, Pratyabhijñā-Hṛdayam, Kṣemarāja honors these five acts:

namaḥ śivāya satataṁ; pañca-kṛtya-vidhāyine l
cid-ānanda-ghana-svātma;-paramārthavabhāsine lI1lI

“Salutations to Śiva, who always performs the five acts [and] reveals the highest truth of one’s own self, full of the bliss of consciousness.”

This verse underscores the significance of these divine acts, through which Śiva as the universal principle shapes and permeates all existence.

These acts are not limited to grand cosmic processes like the creation or dissolution of the universe. They simultaneously unfold within every individual, continuously and independently. Our daily experiences are infused with these acts. It is the universal self, not the conditioned, thinking mind, that performs these five divine acts.

A Detailed Look at the Five Divine Acts

The five divine acts are described in various tantric texts. The commentary on Sūtra 10 of the Pratyabhijñā-Hṛdayam offers the simplified example of a blue clay pot to illustrate each act. Below is a detailed explanation of the five divine acts as understood in non-dual Śaiva Tantra.

(1) sṛṣṭi – Creation, Emission, Manifestation, Outpouring

In this act, consciousness flows into a perceivable form. It is the outpouring of self-expression. Every object, thought, experience, or emotion arises from consciousness.

For instance, we might perceive a blue clay pot on a table. The universal divine consciousness expresses itself in a particular form (pot), a specific color (blue), at a specific location (on the table), at a specific time (now).

(2) sthiti – Preservation, Sustenance, Stillness

This act involves maintaining and supporting something created for a certain period of time.

By consciously attending to the blue clay pot, this perception is sustained.

(3) saṁhāra – Withdrawal, Dissolution, Reabsorption

This act withdraws potential phenomena or partially dissolves current phenomena back into universal consciousness in an unmanifested form.

When perceiving the blue clay pot, other possible attributes (different form, color, or location) are withheld, although they exist as potential. If attention to the pot ceases, it partially dissolves back into potentiality.

(4) nigraha / tirodhāna – Forgetting, Concealing, Obscuring

For consciousness to manifest in a particular form, enabling the diversity of the world, it must “forget” and limit itself. This occurs through contraction and differentiation (māyā).

Forgetting occurs when we perceive the blue clay pot as separate from ourselves. We fail to recognize it as an expression of universal divine consciousness, identical to our own self.

(5) anugraha – Revelation, Grace, Remembrance, Unveiling

Anugraha translates to “what follows understanding.” It is the revelation that everything is consciousness and can be directly experienced. This act dissolves the forgetting.

When we perceive the blue clay pot and directly experience it as inseparable from consciousness (not as a thought), we experience the act of remembrance or the unveiling of our true universal divine nature.

Realizing that our self performs these five acts in every moment leads, with steady practice, devotion, and determination, to the unveiling of our divinity. We then experience everything as the unfolding of our own nature, attaining liberation in this lifetime (jīvan-mukti).

The Unique Perspective of the Krama Tradition

The Krama tradition within non-dual Śaiva Tantra offers a secret variation of the five acts, serving as a significant component of the spiritual path to liberation. The texts emphasize that guidance from a true teacher (sadguru) is indispensable for understanding the five acts within the Krama tradition.

A comparative overview of the two variations is presented in the table.

The five acts from the Krama tradition are listed in Sūtra 11 of the Pratyabhijñā-Hṛdayam and elaborated upon in Kṣemarāja’s commentary:

(1) ābhāsana – Manifestation or Appearance

Everything that emerges through the process of the outward flow of sensory goddesses is referred to as creation.

The sensory goddesses represent faculties like sight and other senses, which are not merely passive receivers of information but living energies that flow in two directions. When these energies flow outward, they expand and allow consciousness to create a world it can experience. When they flow inward, they contract, moving toward the core.

In the Krama tradition, the world is not understood as coming from external stimuli entering the brain. Instead, consciousness flows outward and creates everything one experiences. Thus, reality is perceived as emanating from within, unfolding into everything one encounters.

(2) rakti – Immersion or Devotion

An object or experience is preserved when one immerses oneself in it for a time, fully "entering into" the object or, literally, when consciousness becomes colored by the object (rajyati).

(3) vimarśana – Awareness or Reflection

In the moment of becoming aware, when one regains self-awareness, the object or experience dissolves or recedes into the background. A key concept in the Krama tradition related to this is camatkāra—a state of pure wonder or spiritual awe. It is the moment a yogin deeply experiences and internalizes the ecstasy of an encounter before expressing it mentally or verbally. Every perception can contain a camatkāra moment, a glimpse of the sheer wonder and beauty of existence.

(4) bījāvasthāpana – Planting the Seed

When an experience leaves an impression (saṁskāra), a 'seed' (bīja) is planted. This seed later germinates, binding one to the cycle of rebirth (saṁsāra).

Whenever we turn away from an unpleasant or overwhelming situation instead of fully experiencing it, consciousness creates an impression. This impression remains dormant, like a seed, until similar circumstances activate it, manifesting as aversion, attachment, or emotional reaction.

(5) vilāpana – Dissolution of the Seed

When something—whether an impression (bīja/saṁskāra) or a current experience—is processed through "sudden digestion" (haṭhapāka), also called the method of "total consumption" (alaṅgrāsa), with the fire of consciousness (cidagni), it is completely dissolved and integrated into the state of fullness (pūrṇatā).

Consciousness is likened to fire, consuming the fuel of emotions, thoughts, and experiences, transforming them into energy. This process of sudden digestion and total consumption are specialized terms from the Krama tradition. When the emotional energy of an impression is activated, and one holds this energy gently without identifying with it or constructing mental narratives around it, the energy is experienced as an expression of divine consciousness. It is then completely “digested” and no longer stored as an impression. Instead, it merges with the greater whole, subtly enriching one’s being.

The method of digesting an impression is the same as for a new experience. When a moment of experience can be fully “digested,” it leaves no impression. In other words, if one is fully present and accepts what they feel without judgment or mental storytelling, the energy is consumed. Just as with physical food, excess energy passes through, while the rest merges with the fire of consciousness, subtly strengthening one’s being. This leads to the experience of one’s inherent fullness.

Understanding the Five Divine Acts Leads to Joy and Liberation

Comprehending and directly experiencing the five divine acts of Śaiva Tantra—whether through the classical perspective or the secret Krama tradition—reveals that the joy of consciousness (cidānanda) and liberation in life (jīvan-mukti) are deeply rooted in our everyday experiences. These teachings open the door to recognizing our divine nature and experiencing the true fullness of life.

Picture Source

Heade: OpenA