In this excerpt of Chapter 12 Verse 28 from the Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali by Swami Lakshmanjoo, we find Utpaladeva proclaiming:

“Existing or non-existing,

I will find You everywhere and

I will worship You everywhere.”

Chapter 12 (01:04:39)

भावा भावतया सन्तु भवद्भावेन मे भव  ।

तथा न किञ्चिदप्यस्तु न किञ्चिद्भवतोऽन्यथ  ॥२८॥

bhāvā bhāvatayā santu bhavadbhāvena me bhava /

tathā na kiñcidapyastu na kiñcidbhavato’nyathā //28//

There is one desire in me. Let the objective world be perceived by me in its existent way (bhāvatayā). Let the non-existent world remain non-existent to me because it is not existing. That world, which is not one with You, is not-existing. That world, which is one with You, is existing.

It is philosophy.

That world, which is existing, is one with You. That world, which is not existing, is away from Your God consciousness. Let these two kinds of worlds remain as they are.

Bhāvā bhāvatayā, let the existent world be perceived by me just . . .

SCHOLAR As it is.

SWAMIJI: . . . as it is. Let the non-existent world [remain] as non-existing. Na kiñcit, na kiñcidastu, the non-existent world, let the non-existent world be perceived by me as non-existent because bhavato anyathā, it is away from You. Let the existent world remain as the existent world to me because it is one with You.

JOHN: I thought also non-existent world was one with You.

SWAMIJI: Yes, if you go into the depth of that understanding, then that non-existent world is also one with You.

But that which is not one with You, it is not there. The non-existent world means, e.g., not the milk of a bird.

SCHOLAR: Son of a barren woman.

SWAMIJI: That is also existing.

SCHOLAR: As an idea.

SWAMIJI: Yes. In mahāvyāpti, that is also existing.¹⁹⁷

Non-existing is that world, which is not that way also, i.e., which you cannot imagine. That which you cannot imagine, that is non-existent.

JOHN: In other words, what really is non-existent.

SWAMIJI: As long as it is said, as long as it is imagined, it is existing. That thing that is not imagined is not existing. Even that non-existing thing [that is imagined] is also existing in God consciousness. So, It is beyond that.

This is discussed in Pratyabhijñā in mahāvyāpti.¹⁹⁸

Chapter 12 (01:07:38)

यन्न किञ्चिदपि तन्न किञ्चिद –

प्यस्तु किञ्चिदपि किञ्चिदेव मे  ।

सर्वथा भवतु तावता भवान्

सर्वतो भवति लब्धपूजितः  ॥२९॥

yanna kiñcidapi tanna kiñcid-

apyastu kiñcidapi kiñcideva me /

sarvathā bhavatu tāvatā bhavān

sarvato bhavati labdhapūjitaḥ //29//

Whatever is not existing, that is not existing; whatever is existing, that is existing. So, in this way, let me perceive this objective world. Let me perceive the objective world in this way: that object, which is not existing, is not existing; that object, which is existing, is existing.

In this way, when I come to this [conclusive] perception, by that way, I would achieve You and I would worship You. This is my only desire. Sarvathā bhavatu, tāvatā, by that way (after bhavatu, you must put a comma), tāvatā, by this kind of perception, bhavān sarvato bhavati labdha pūjitaḥ¹⁹⁹, I will find You everywhere and I will worship You everywhere.

–––––––––––––––––––

197  “And it is mahāvyāpti, the great pervasion. The great pervasion is that pervasion [of consciousness] where you pervade this whole universe. . . . Not only the existence of the universe is pervaded, but also the negation of the universe is also pervaded there.” Tantrāloka, 5.49 (USF archives).

198 “Those of limited vision, however, in various parts are caused to identify themselves with the various [limited] stages by His will on account of which, even though when it is made clear that the essential reason of the erroneous concepts of the preceding experients lies in their identification with the body, etc., they are unable to comprehend the great pervasion [mahāvyāpti] (of the Ātman) described above (by Trika philosophy, viz., that the ātman is both immanent in the universe and transcends it) unless the Śakti of the Highest descend upon them (i.e. without the grace of the Highest Śakti).” Pratyabhijñāhṛdayam, The Secret of Self-Recognition, Sanskrit Text with English Translation, Notes and Introduction by Jaideva Singh (Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1963-2011). Note: Jaideva Singh studied this text word-by-word with Swami Lakshmanjoo. The above quote on ‘mahāvyāpti’ appears in Kṣemarāja’s commentary of sūtra 8, p56.

199 Pūjita (he is worshiped) bhāvaikataḥ (by the oneness of our Being). [Editor’s note]