Vasugupta

Vasugupta (9th century CE) is the traditional revealer of the Śivasūtras and the founding teacher of the Spanda school of Kashmir Śaivism. Legend holds that Śiva revealed the sūtras to him in a dream on Mount Mahādeva; from that revelation grew the Spanda literature, including the Spanda Kārikās often linked to his circle. Whether Vasugupta personally authored every Spanda verse remains debated — some traditions assign the Kārikās to Kallaṭa or to Vasugupta himself — but he stands at the head of the Spanda lineage that later flows into Abhinavagupta's Trika synthesis.