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Tantrāloka (Tantraloka): Chapter 20 - stanzas 1 to 15 - Non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir
Tulādīkṣā
Introduction
This is the only set of stanzas (from the stanza 1 to the stanza 15) of the twentieth chapter (called Tulādīkṣā).
This work was written by the great Master Abhinavagupta and is a compendium of Tantra in all its facets. Tantrāloka is the most important and voluminous work of the greatest Trika Master. Abhinavagupta was also the teacher of eminent Kṣemarāja and lived about 975-1025 AD in Kashmir.
This treatise whose name is Tantrāloka is a complete encyclopedia of Tantra. Since it is a very advanced text in Trika Shaivism, there is no surprise if a neophyte finds it difficult to understand. To start to understand it, the level of the reader must be the one of a real disciple in Trika Shaivism. If this requirement is not met, then there will be a lot of confusion and constant disappointment. Because in spite of my great efforts to explain the things so easily as possible, to study this treatise requires some spiritual caliber. In this system, sometimes it is not possible even to write about certain topics due to the extreme limitation of the words. Because in the end, all this knowledge has to do with 'states', and it is extremely difficult to write about 'states' in a precise way. Abhinavagupta has done his best to accomplish this formidable task of writing about what is superior and intangible. Anyway, despite his incredible skills to carry out this, he is not revealing everything. It is not because he is all the time hiding things from the reader, but because he is sometimes hiding and on other occasions he just cannot write about some extremely subtle topics because of the limitation of the words.
Goal of life is Liberation. Man has searched for freedom always in human history, but according to Trika Shaivism that is not real Liberation. Real Liberation does not mean that your body should be free from some prison and things like that. Real Liberation amounts to attaining His Svātantrya or Absolute Freedom. When the Great Lord's Svātantrya is achieved, then you see unity in all the things, i.e. you stop seeing duality as before. All is forever identified with Svātantrya, with Him, and that is the end of the story called 'you in bondage'. From this point on nothing will get in your way, because if something apparently gets in your way, that is Svātantrya again. This constant awareness of unity in all is real Freedom. There is no other attainment greater than this!
Keeping the above in mind, now read Tantrāloka and experience Supreme Delight, dear Śiva.
Important: All that is in brackets and italicized within the translation has been added by me in order to complete the sense of a particular phrase or sentence. In turn, all that is between double hyphen (--...--) constitutes clarifying further information also added by me.
Stanzas 1 to 15
अथ श्रीतन्त्रालोके विंशतितममाह्निकम्।
Atha śrītantrāloke viṁśatitamamāhnikam|
Here begins (atha) the twentieth (viṁśatitamam) chapter (āhnikam) in venerable Tantrāloka (śrī-tantrāloke)|
अथ दीक्षां ब्रुवे मूढजनाश्वासप्रदायिनीम्॥१॥
Atha dīkṣāṁ bruve mūḍhajanāśvāsapradāyinīm||1||
Now (atha) I am speaking (bruve) about the initiation (dīkṣām) that gives consolation/confidence to the people who are under the sway of Moha --i.e. of Māyā; this the literal meaning of "mūḍha" (under the sway of Moha), though a typical dictionary translation might be "fool"-- (mūḍha-jana-āśvāsa-pradāyinīm)||1||
त्रिकोणे वह्निसदने वह्निवर्णोज्ज्वलेऽभितः।
वायव्यपुरनिर्धूते करे सव्ये सुजाज्वले॥२॥
बीजं किञ्चिद्गृहीत्वैतत्तथैव हृदयान्तरे।
करे च दह्यमानं सच्चिन्तयेत्तज्जपैकयुक्॥३॥
वह्निदीपितफट्कारधोरणीदाहपीडितम्।
बीजं निर्बीजतामेति स्वसूतिकरणाक्षमम्॥४॥
Trikoṇe vahnisadane vahnivarṇojjvale'bhitaḥ|
Vāyavyapuranirdhūte kare savye sujājvale||2||
Bījaṁ kiñcidgṛhītvaitattathaiva hṛdayāntare|
Kare ca dahyamānaṁ saccintayettajjapaikayuk||3||
Vahnidīpitaphaṭkāradhoraṇīdāhapīḍitam|
Bījaṁ nirbījatāmeti svasūtikaraṇākṣamam||4||
The true (Guru) (sat) who is totally engaged in the muttering of that (Mantra) (tad-japa-ekayuk) should imagine --lit. "should think about/bring before the mind"-- (cintayet) a triangle (trikoṇe), which is the seat of fire (vahni-sadane), flaming very violently (su-jājvale) on the (palm of his) right hand (kare savye) —(and this triangle) is blazing up on all sides with the letter of fire (vahni-varṇa-ujjvale abhitas), while is agitated by the abode of air (vāyavya-pura-nirdhūte)—. Having grabbed (gṛhītvā) some (kiñcid) seed (bījam), (the Guru should imagine) that this --viz. the seed-- (etad) (is) being consumed by fire (dahyamānam) in (his) hand (kare) and (ca) likewise (tathā eva) inside (his) heart (hṛdaya-antare). The seed (bijam), oppressed by the combustion of an uninterrupted series of letters "Phaṭ" inflamed by the fire (vahni-dīpita-phaṭ-kāra-dhoraṇī-dāha-pīḍitam), unable to produce its own fruits (sva-sūti-karaṇa-akṣamam), becomes impotent (nirbījatām eti)||2-4||
तप्तं नैतत्प्ररोहाय तेनैव प्रत्ययेन तु।
मलमायाख्यकर्माणि मन्त्रध्यानक्रियाबलात्॥५॥
दग्धानि न स्वकार्याय निर्बीजप्रत्ययं त्विमम्।
स श्रीमान्सुप्रसन्नो मे शम्भुनाथो न्यरूपयत्॥६॥
बीजस्याप्यत्र कार्या च योजना कृपया गुरोः।
यतो दीक्षा सुदीप्तत्वात्स्थावराण्यपि मोचयेत्॥७॥
Taptaṁ naitatprarohāya tenaiva pratyayena tu|
Malamāyākhyakarmāṇi mantradhyānakriyābalāt||5||
Dagdhāni na svakāryāya nirbījapratyayaṁ tvimam|
Sa śrīmānsuprasanno me śambhunātho nyarūpayat||6||
Bījasyāpyatra kāryā ca yojanā kṛpayā guroḥ|
Yato dīkṣā sudīptatvātsthāvarāṇyapi mocayet||7||
This (seed) (etad) which has been heated/inflamed (taptam) cannot become a sprout (na... prarohāya). By that very proof (tena eva pratyayena), Āṇavamala, Māyīyamala and Kārmamala --the three mala-s or impurities of the soul-- (mala-māyā-ākhya-karmāṇi), by force of Mantra, meditation and ritualistic activity (mantra-dhyāna-kriyā-balāt), are burnt up (dagdhāni) so that they cannot yield their effect (na sva-kāryāya). He (saḥ), the venerable (śrīmān) Śambhunātha --Abhinavagupta's Kulaguru-- (śambhu-nāthaḥ), very kindly disposed toward (su-prasannaḥ) me (me), described (nyarūpayat) this (imam) proof of sterilization --i.e. of causing a mala or impurity to be impotent like a burnt seed-- (nirbīja-pratyayam tu). And (ca) here (atra), the act of joining (yojanā) the seed (bījasya) (to the Supreme Principle) may be performed (kāryā) by the compassion (kṛpayā) of the Guru (guroḥ), because (yatas) (this type of) initiation (dīkṣā) liberates (mocayet) even (api) vegetables --anyway, lit. "stationary or inanimate objects, which includes vegetables, minerals, etc."-- (sthāvarāṇi) as it is very brilliant and splendid --viz. this kind of initiation is like this-- (su-dīptatvāt)||5-7||
यो गुरुर्जपहोमार्चाध्यानसिद्धत्वमात्मनि।
ज्ञात्वा दीक्षां चरेत्तस्य दीक्षा सप्रत्यया स्मृता॥८॥
अवधूते निराचारे तत्त्वज्ञे नत्वयं विधिः।
साचारैः क्रियते दीक्षा या दृष्टप्रत्ययान्विता॥९॥
निराचारेण दीक्षायां प्रत्ययस्तु न गद्यते।
ज्ञानं स्वप्रत्ययं यस्मान्न फलान्तरमर्हति॥१०॥
ध्यानादि तत्फलात्साध्यमिति सिद्धामतोदितम्।
तुलाशुद्धिपरीक्षां वा कुर्यात्प्रत्यययोगिनीम्॥११॥
यथा श्रीतन्त्रसद्भावे कथिता परमेशिना।
श्रीपूर्वशास्त्रेऽप्येषा च सूचिता परमेशिना॥१२॥
आनन्द उद्भवः कम्पो निद्रा घूर्णिश्च पञ्चमी।
इत्येवं वदता शक्तितारतम्याभिधायिना॥१३॥
उद्भवो लघुभावेन देहग्रहतिरोहितेः।
देहो हि पार्थिवो मुख्यस्तदा मुख्यत्वमुज्झति॥१४॥
भाविलाघवमन्त्रेण शिष्यं ध्यात्वा समुत्प्लुतम्।
कर्माणि तत्राशेषाणि पूर्वोक्तान्याचरेद्गुरुः॥१५॥
Yo gururjapahomārcādhyānasiddhatvamātmani|
Jñātvā dīkṣāṁ carettasya dīkṣā sapratyayā smṛtā||8||
Avadhūte nirācāre tattvajñe natvayaṁ vidhiḥ|
Sācāraiḥ kriyate dīkṣā yā dṛṣṭapratyayānvitā||9||
Nirācāreṇa dīkṣāyāṁ pratyayastu na gadyate|
Jñānaṁ svapratyayaṁ yasmānna phalāntaramarhati||10||
Dhyānādi tatphalātsādhyamiti siddhāmatoditam|
Tulāśuddhiparīkṣāṁ vā kuryātpratyayayoginīm||11||
Yathā śrītantrasadbhāve kathitā parameśinā|
Śrīpūrvaśāstre'pyeṣā ca sūcitā parameśinā||12||
Ānanda udbhavaḥ kampo nidrā ghūrṇiśca pañcamī|
Ityevaṁ vadatā śaktitāratamyābhidhāyinā||13||
Udbhavo laghubhāvena dehagrahatirohiteḥ|
Deho hi pārthivo mukhyastadā mukhyatvamujjhati||14||
Bhāvilāghavamantreṇa śiṣyaṁ dhyātvā samutplutam|
Karmāṇi tatrāśeṣāṇi pūrvoktānyācaredguruḥ||15||
The initiation (dīkṣā) of a Guru (guruḥ) who (yaḥ) performs (caret) (such an) initiation (dīkṣām) after knowing (jñātvā) in himself (ātmani) that (his) muttering of Mantra-s, offerings to the fire, worship and meditation have been accomplished (japa-homa-arcā-dhyāna-siddhatvam) is said to be (smṛtā) with pratyaya or proof (sa-pratyayā). This (ayam) procedure (vidhiḥ) is not (na tu) for the avadhūta --lit. someone who has shaken off from himself worldly feeling and obligation-- (avadhūte), for the nirācāra --lit. "someone who is beyond ācāra or the established rule of conduct", but Jayaratha will say that a "nirācāra" is a knower, while the opposite, the "sācāra", is someone for whom the ritualistic activity is essential-- (nirācāre) (and) for the knower of the (Supreme) Principle --"knower of the tattva-s or categories" is another possible translation, but I guess that it is not adequate in this context-- (tattva-jñe). The initiation (dīkṣā) that (yā) is endowed with a visible proof (dṛṣṭa-pratyaya-anvitā) is performed (kriyate) by the sācāra-s --as I said before, a "sācāra" is someone for whom the ritualistic action is essential-- (sācāraiḥ). But (tu) a pratyaya or proof (pratyayaḥ) is not mentioned (na gadyate) with reference to an initiation (dīkṣāyām) performed by a nirācāra --I explained before the meaning of this term-- (nirācāreṇa).
Knowledge (jñānam) (is) self-proving (sva-pratyayam) because (yasmāt) another result (phala-antaram) is not required (na... arhati). It has been said in Siddhāmata (siddhāmata-uditam) that (iti) meditation, etc. (dhyāna-ādi) are proved (sādhyam) from their fruit (tat-phalāt).
Or (vā) (the Guru) should perform (kuryāt) (the initiation) which is connected with the proof (pratyaya-yoginīm) (and) which is an investigation into the purity (of the disciple) through a scales (tulā-śuddhi-parīkṣām) such as (yathā) has been declared (kathitā) by the Supreme Lord (parama-īśinā) in the venerable Tantrasadbhāva (śrī-tantrasadbhāve).
This (initiation) (eṣā ca) has been indicated (sūcitā) by the Supreme Lord (parama-īśinā) in the venerable Pūrvaśāstra --i.e. in Mālinīvijayottaratantra-- (śrī-pūrvaśāstre) as well (api), when He speaks about the gradation of Śaktipāta --i.e. of Grace bestowal-- (śakti-tāratamya-abhidhāyinā) by saying (vadatā) so (evam): "Bliss (ānandaḥ), springing or leap (udbhavaḥ), tremor (kampaḥ), sleep (nidrā) and (ca) rolling/moving to and fro (ghūrṇiḥ), as the fifth one (pañcamī... iti)".
The leap (ubhavaḥ) (is) due to lightness (laghu-bhāvena) since there is concealment/obscuration of the grip on the body (deha-graha-tirohiteḥ).
The body (dehaḥ) is indeed made of the earth element (pārthivaḥ) mainly --expecting, for example, "mukhyatas"-- (mukhyaḥ), then (tadā) after meditating --i.e. after the Guru meditates-- (dhyātvā) on the disciple (śiṣyam) as having leaped up (samutplutam) through the future --viz. to be taught later on-- Mantra of lightness (bhāvi-lāghava-mantreṇa), (the earth element) abandons (ujjhati) (its) preeminence (in such a body) (mukhyatvam).
There (tatra), the Guru (guruḥ) should perform (ācaret) all (aśeṣāṇi) the abovementioned (pūrva-uktāni) rituals (karmāṇi)||8-15||
उक्ता सेयं तुलाशुद्धिदीक्षा प्रत्ययदायिनी।
Uktā seyaṁ tulāśuddhidīkṣā pratyayadāyinī|
This very (sā iyam) initiation of the purification through a scales (tulā-śuddhi-dīkṣā), which gives proof (pratyaya-dāyinī), has been described (uktā)|
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