He becomes 2 fold, 3 fold...

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~

namasté



In the pratyavbhijñāhṛdayaṁ¹ āgama there is a wonderful insight that is offered in sūtra 7 , it says:
and (though) He (śiva-bhaṭṭārka&#185 is one He becomes of two-fold form, threefold, fourfold and of the nature of sapta and pañca ( or 5 x7 =35).

What is this 1,2, 3,4, 5 and 7 ?

One - we know He is Fullness, anuttara, brahman ( unsurpassable)

Two fold - He is consciousness (caitanya) which is unbounded & He is the manifest creation that is within boundaries

Three fold - as śiva comes within boundaries, some like to call this condensation of the Infinite, this condensing resides with in the following 3:

• aṇu - fine , minute , atomic . Another way of saying the Supreme being condensed into the finite realm of the manifest.
  We can call this 'us'. We are considered condensed consciousness of the Supreme, and we are then jiva's.
• māyā - this word is rooted in mā , meaning to measure. Hence this the notion of the Infinite being (as if) measured out into finite things.
  • many come to the conclusion that this māyā is anchored in the notion of illusion found in ādi śaṃkara's view of advaita vedānta
    ( some call śāntabrahmavāda). This is not the case here.
  • this māyā brings about the experience of differences for us e.g. good , small, hot cold, good bad, right , wrong.
    It is the Supreme measured out in differences.
  • karma is karman - action , performance. I are not alluding to the theory of karma here. It is actions we perform.
    Many say they are rooted in vāsnanās - impressions in in the mind ( some like to call this citta, ~individual~ consciousness).

Four fold - śiva assumes the nature of :

• śūnya - void. This is the absence of all things; this too must be owned ( and is possible) by śiva.
  • prāṅa - we know as energy, life force; dynamism.
  • puryaṣṭaka - this means the city of 8. We find many references to the body as a city or village with 9, 10, or even 11 gates¹ ( openings);
    • for this the 8 that are being referenced is the 5 tanmātra-s ( the elements of air, fire, water, etc), manas ( mind) buddhi ( intellect) andahaṁkāra ( some prefer to spell it ahaṅkāra) meaning I maker or I doer - the ego.

• • Note that some may call this puryaṣṭaka by a different name - liṅga śarīra ( the ~mark~ of the body) which is the vehicle or abode of saṁskāra-s. We know saṁskāra's are the impressions on the mind-stuff from former states of existence. They are carried over from life-to-life we are told.

• the gross body ( of beings)

Five and seven
This can be taken taken a few ways -

• that of śiva's 5 natures or qualities
• that of 7 experients or types of experiences of awareness/conscious qualities
• that of 35 tattva's... But how can this be ? Within śaivism we speak of 36 tattva's ? Were is this 36th ?

This 5 and 7 is most profound - it contains all things & all conscious levels from śiva down to the sakala (that would be us).

Sakala means jiva's residing in māyā-tattva. Some care to call this māyīyamala ( the limiting condition of māyā, or the blemish of māyā).
Yet the defintion which is parallel to this idea is defined as sa + kalā or sa-kala consisting of parts , divisible , material.
Again nature of experience: differentiated consciousness ( wake, dream, sleep, turiya at times), experiences of place, time, moment,
persons, things.

Let me ask for your POV
What can one surmise from this insight ? That is, what does this say about śivabhaṭṭārka and the sakala ?

praṇām

words

• Pratyabhijñāhṛdayaṁ is authored by kṣemarāja-ji śiṣya of abhinavagupta. This word Pratyabhijñāhṛdayaṁ means the
  re-recognition of ones Self - in this word hṛdya is used as ~heart~ or the inner most , most dear, and hence the Self.
• śiva-bhaṭṭārka - we attach bhaṭṭārka to śiva's name in reverence of the Supreme. This bhaṭṭārka = bhaṭṭāra means honourable .
  Yet if we click down one more level we find bhaṭṭā that comes from bhartṛ meaning lord , my lord; It is also considered a title
  of respect used by humble persons addressing a prince ;
• gates - pura is known as 'the city' , also a fortress , castle, etc. and is used as a epithet of our body. The body is called the city of 11 gates (see below).
  The kaṭhopaniṣad (2nd adhyāya) helps us out and says it this way, The dehin - the embodied ones, humans are puram ekādaśa dvāram
  or the city (puri - city, fortress, town) of 11 ( ekā 1+ daśa10) gates (dvāra).
  • 11 gates
    • 9 gates = 9 openings 2 eyes, 2 ears, 1 mouth, 2 nostrils, and two below the waist. Note that various śastra call out the body with 9, 10 and 11 gates.
    • 10 gates : 9 openings forementioned + the navel.
    • 11 gates : 10 gates forementioned + vidrti विदृति or the opening in the top of skull (some call it the suture)