The characteristic feature of this book, as also of other works bearing on the Trika Shāsana, consists in the fact that, unlike other Shāstras, it recognises all the three ways, namely, of Action ( Karma ), Devotion ( Bhakti) and Knowledge ( Jnāna ), to be eqully successful for the attainment of Moksha For example, we may take Bhāgavata. It discards the ritualistic ordinances of the Vedas and gives a lower position to the philosophical disquisitions of the Upanishadas, in comparison with the doctrine of devotion.
Commentary.-The commentator of the book is Abhinavagupta. According to an account given by him in his commentary we come to learn that there was another commentary on this book-more abstruse in its import-by Somānanda. The present cominentary, consisting of 1900 Shlokas is a sort of review of Somānanda's original commentary, meant for the guidance of the average reader. Abhinavagupta himself admits that he no where deviated from the path chalked out by Somānanda, who may, in all justice, be called the original commentator of Parā-Trishimkā. He also says that he undertook to write this commentary, mainly, at the affectionate entreaty of his three pupils, namely, Manoratha-Gupta, his own brother, Karna, the grandson of Vallabhāchārya, Prime Minister to Mahārājā Yashaskara of Kashmir (939 A. D.), and one Rāma Deva.
