Svātantrya is described as an energy that emanates from the Supreme (Paramaśiva),[2] a wave of motion inside consciousness (spanda) that acts as the fundament of the world,[3] or in another view, the original word (logos, pārāvak).
Svātantrya is a concept that goes to the root of many spiritual matters in Kashmir Shaivism,[6] like, the divine sovereignty of Śiva (God),[7] consciousness (caitanya), creative power (vimarśa), mantric efficiency and Kundalini.
[23] Disclaimer: on this topic there is a certain amount of melding and unification of the seemingly distinct concepts of will, freedom, consciousness, speech and bliss in the speciality texts.
The prakāśa-vimarśa theory affirms the world is based on two principles: the self shining conscious light (prakāśa) and its ability to contain a reflection of itself and of the creation (vimarśa).
Speech is seen in Kashmir Shaivism as differentiated in four classes : external (vaikharī), mental (madhyamā), subtle (paśyanti) and supreme (parā).
Resulting actions are necessarily without base in egoism (without the attributes of good or bad)[35] – and this is an attitude that defines the discipline of karma yoga.
All the spiritual paths (upāyas): that of Śiva (śāmbhavopāya), that of Śakti (śāktopāya) and that of the human (āṇavopāya) are subsumed under the umbrella of svātantrya as it is the sole mediator of divine grace.
In a meditation prescribed in Vijñana Bhairava Tantra, one is supposed to unite vital energy (prāṇa) with svātantrya in the mystical force center that exists 12 finger widths above the head, dvadaśānta.
[47] Other scriptures also refer to svātantrya as the Glory of Siva[25] on account of it being identical to the 'ocean' of uncreated light (prakāśa) and cosmic bliss (ānanda) – cidānanda-Ghana.