Vasugupta

c. 850 · Kashmir

Source-point of the Trika/Spanda line: the Sivasutras (terse aphorisms of recognition) and, on one transmitted account, the teacher whose doctrine Kallata versified as the Spandakarikas (authorship disputed — Vasugupta vs Kallata recensions differ, preserve both).

Birch-bark Sharada manuscript of Shaivite ritual paddhatis, Tuebingen Ma I 404 (PD). The script-and-birch culture transmitting his sutras; folio shown is ritual manual, not his text. Credit: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Bio. Source-point of the Trika/Spanda line (c. 850): the Sivasutras, revealed on Mahadeva mountain rock, and — on one transmitted account — the doctrine Kallata versified as the Spandakarikas (authorship disputed across recensions; both readings kept).

Lineage

teacher of Somananda, Kallata

Read alongside

Mark Dyczkowski — Aphorisms of Śiva translation
Independent (Dyczkowski personal/associated editions)

Jaideva Singh — Śivasūtra translation
Varanasi (Motilal Banarsidass translator)

Alka Tyagi — Bhairava in the Śivasūtras
Independent (DK Printworld Studies in Kashmir Saivism)

dates tradition: Sivasutras revealed on Mahadeva mountain rock Birth ~820 (approx). · canon: · machine-readable JSON · bio schema

Sources & corrections: edit source →. bio, dates and lineage live here.