| Download and install the indispensable font(s) to view Sanskrit in its full glory Read Transliterating (2) (English) to fully understand the transliteration system |
Tantrāloka (Tantraloka): Chapter 24 - stanzas 1 to 24 - Non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir
Antyeṣṭiḥ
Introduction
This is the only set of stanzas (from the stanza 1 to the stanza 24) of the twenty-fourth chapter (called Antyeṣṭiḥ).
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 16
अथ श्रीतन्त्रालोके चतुर्विंशतितममाह्निकम्।
Atha śrītantrāloke caturviṁśatitamamāhnikam|
Here begins (atha) the twenty-fourth (caturviṁśatitamam) chapter (āhnikam) in venerable Tantrāloka (śrī-tantrāloke)|
अथ शाम्भवशासनोदितां सरहस्यां शृणुतान्त्यसंस्क्रियाम्॥१॥
सर्वेषामधरस्थानां गुर्वन्तानामपि स्फुटम्।
शक्तिपातात्पुराप्रोक्तात्कुर्यादन्त्येष्टिदीक्षणम्॥२॥
ऊर्ध्वशासनगानां च समयोपहतात्मनाम्।
अन्त्येष्टिदीक्षा कर्तव्या गुरुणा तत्त्ववेदिना॥३॥
Atha śāmbhavaśāsanoditāṁ sarahasyāṁ śṛṇutāntyasaṁskriyām||1||
Sarveṣāmadharasthānāṁ gurvantānāmapi sphuṭam|
Śaktipātātpurāproktātkuryādantyeṣṭidīkṣaṇam||2||
Ūrdhvaśāsanagānāṁ ca samayopahatātmanām|
Antyeṣṭidīkṣā kartavyā guruṇā tattvavedinā||3||
Now (atha), (all of you) listen (śṛṇuta) to the last purificatory rite (antya-saṁskriyām) —together with its secret (sa-rahasyām)— which is mentioned in the Śiva's doctrine (śāmbhava-śāsana-uditām).
(A Guru) should perform (kuryāt) the initiation in a funerary rite (antyeṣṭi-dīkṣaṇam) for all those who stay in inferior (traditions) (sarveṣām adhara-sthānām) —(from disciples) up to even Guru-s (guru-antānām api)— clearly (sphuṭam) through the aforesaid Śaktipāta --i.e. through Grace bestowal-- (śakti-pātāt purā-proktāt). (In turn,) the initiation during a funerary rite (antyeṣṭi-dīkṣā) is to be performed (kartavyā) by a Guru who knows the (Supreme) Principle (guruṇā tattva-vedinā) for those who reside in higher doctrines (ūrdhva-śāsana-gānām ca) (but) who have violated the rules (samaya-upahata-ātmanām)||1-3||
समयाचारदोषेषु प्रमादात्स्खलितस्य हि।
अन्त्येष्टिदीक्षा कार्येति श्रीदीक्षोत्तरशासने॥४॥
यत्किञ्चित्कथितं पूर्वं मृतोद्धाराभिधे विधौ।
प्रतिमायां तदेवात्र सर्वं शवतनौ चरेत्॥५॥
श्रीसिद्धातन्त्रकथितो विधिरेष निरूप्यते।
अन्तिमं यद्भवेत्पूर्वं तत्कृत्वान्तिममादिमम्॥६॥
संहृत्यैकैकमिष्टिर्या सान्त्येष्टिर्द्वितयी मता।
पूजाध्यानजपप्लुष्टसमये न तु साधके॥७॥
पिण्डपातादयं मुक्तः खेचरो वा भवेत्प्रिये।
आचार्ये तत्त्वसम्पन्ने यत्र तत्र मृते सति॥८॥
अन्त्येष्टिर्नैव विद्येत शुद्धचेतस्यमूर्धनि।
मन्त्रयोगादिभिर्ये च मारिता नरके तु ते॥९॥
कार्या तेषामिहान्त्येष्टिर्गुरुणातिकृपालुना।
न मण्डलादिकं त्वत्र भवेच्छ्माशानिके विधौ॥१०॥
केचित्तदपि कर्तव्यमूचिरे प्रेतसद्मनि।
पूजयित्वा विभुं सर्वं न्यासं पूर्ववदाचरेत्॥११॥
संहारक्रमयोगेन चरणान्मूर्धपश्चिमम्।
तथैव बोधयेदेनं क्रियाज्ञानसमाधिभिः॥१२॥
बिन्दुना रोधयेत्तत्त्वं शक्तिबीजेन वेधयेत्।
घट्टयेन्नाददेशे तु त्रिशूलेन तु ताडयेत्॥१३॥
सुषुम्नान्तर्गतेनैव विसर्गेण पुनः पुनः।
ताडयेत कलाः सर्वाः कम्पतेऽसौ ततः पशुः॥१४॥
उत्क्षिपेद्वामहस्तं वा ततस्तं योजयेत्परे।
प्रत्ययेन विना मोक्षो ह्यश्रद्धेयो विमोहितैः॥१५॥
तदर्थमेतदुदितं न तु मोक्षोपयोगदः।
इत्यूचे परमेशः श्रीकुलगह्वरशासने॥१६॥
Samayācāradoṣeṣu pramādātskhalitasya hi|
Antyeṣṭidīkṣā kāryeti śrīdīkṣottaraśāsane||4||
Yatkiñcitkathitaṁ pūrvaṁ mṛtoddhārābhidhe vidhau|
Pratimāyāṁ tadevātra sarvaṁ śavatanau caret||5||
Śrīsiddhātantrakathito vidhireṣa nirūpyate|
Antimaṁ yadbhavetpūrvaṁ tatkṛtvāntimamādimam||6||
Saṁhṛtyaikaikamiṣṭiryā sāntyeṣṭirdvitayī matā|
Pūjādhyānajapapluṣṭasamaye na tu sādhake||7||
Piṇḍapātādayaṁ muktaḥ khecaro vā bhavetpriye|
Ācārye tattvasampanne yatra tatra mṛte sati||8||
Antyeṣṭirnaiva vidyeta śuddhacetasyamūrdhani|
Mantrayogādibhirye ca māritā narake tu te||9||
Kāryā teṣāmihāntyeṣṭirguruṇātikṛpālunā|
Na maṇḍalādikaṁ tvatra bhavecchmāśānike vidhau||10||
Kecittadapi kartavyamūcire pretasadmani|
Pūjayitvā vibhuṁ sarvaṁ nyāsaṁ pūrvavadācaret||11||
Saṁhārakramayogena caraṇānmūrdhapaścimam|
Tathaiva bodhayedenaṁ kriyājñānasamādhibhiḥ||12||
Bindunā rodhayettattvaṁ śaktibījena vedhayet|
Ghaṭṭayennādadeśe tu triśūlena tu tāḍayet||13||
Suṣumnāntargatenaiva visargeṇa punaḥ punaḥ|
Tāḍayeta kalāḥ sarvāḥ kampate'sau tataḥ paśuḥ||14||
Utkṣipedvāmahastaṁ vā tatastaṁ yojayetpare|
Pratyayena vinā mokṣo hyaśraddheyo vimohitaiḥ||15||
Tadarthametaduditaṁ na tu mokṣopayogadaḥ|
Ityūce parameśaḥ śrīkulagahvaraśāsane||16||
In the venerable Dīkṣottaraśāsana (śrī-dīkṣottaraśāsane) (is established) that (iti) the initiation during a funerary rite (antyeṣṭi-dīkṣā) is to be performed (kāryā) for someone who, due to negligence, has blundered (pramādāt skhalitasya hi) into faults/defects regarding (his) observance of the samaya-s or rules (samaya-ācāra-doṣeṣu).
Whatever thing (yad kiñcid) has been expressed (kathitam) before (pūrvam) during the procedure called "redemption of the dead" (mṛta-uddhāra-abhidhe vidhau) with reference to an image (of the absent one) (pratimāyām) --see Chapter 21--, (the Guru) should perform (caret) all (sarva) that (tad eva) here (atra) with reference to the corpse (śava-tanau).
This (eṣaḥ) procedure (vidhiḥ) which is mentioned in the venerable Siddhātantra (śrī-siddhātantra-kathitaḥ) is (now) described (nirūpyate): "After making (kṛtvā) that (Mantra) (tad) which (yad) is (bhavet) the last one (antimam) first (pūrvam), (and) after withdrawing (saṁhṛtya) the first (Mantra) (ādimam) toward the last position (antimam), (the Guru pronounces those Mantra-s,) one by one (ekaikam) --Sanskrit here is too cryptic and far-fetched--. The sacrifice (iṣṭiḥ... sā) which (yā) (is) the last sacrifice (antya-iṣṭiḥ) is considered to be (matā) the second one (dvitiyā). (This funerary rite) is not (to be performed) (na tu) regarding an adept (sādhake) who has burnt up the rules by means of worship, meditation and muttering of Mantra-s (pūjā-dhyāna-japa-pluṣṭa-samaye), O beloved (One) (priye), because when (his) body falls (piṇḍa-pātāt), he --i.e. the adept-- (ayam) becomes (bhavet) a liberated one (muktaḥ) or (vā) someone who moves in the Ether of Consciousness (khe-caraḥ). There should not be (na eva vidyeta) a last sacrifice (antya-iṣṭiḥ) with regard to an Ācārya --viz. a Guru-- (ācārye) who possesses the Truth (tattva-sampanne). (Why? Because) when he dies (mṛte sati) wheresoever (yatra tatra), he is pure Consciousness (śuddha-cetasi) (and) is devoid of head --i.e. he is totally devoid of an identification with the body-- (a-mūrdhani)".
Here (iha), the last sacrifice (antya-iṣṭiḥ) is to be performed (kāryā) by an extremely merciful Guru (guruṇā ati-kṛpālunā) for those (teṣām) who --"te" (they) is redundant here because of the presence of "teṣām" later-- (ye ca... te), having been killed (māritāḥ) by the Yoga of Mantra-s, etc. (mantra-yoga-ādibhiḥ), (are now) in hell (narake tu). But (tu) here (atra), in the procedure carried out in the burning gounds (śmāśānike vidhau), there is no (na... bhavet) maṇḍala, etc. (maṇḍala-ādikam). Some people (kecid) said (a long time ago) --Perfect Tense indicates remote past-- (ūcire) that that --i.e. the last sacrifice-- (tad) is also to be performed (api kartamyam) in the abode of the ghosts (preta-sadmani). After worshiping (pūjayitvā) the All-pervasive One (vibhum), (the Guru) should perform (ācaret) the whole nyāsa (sarvam nyāsam) like before (pūrva-vat), by means of the sequence of withdrawal (saṁhāra-krama-yogena), from the feet (caraṇāt) up to the head (mūrdha-paścimam). He should awaken him --i.e. the dead person-- (bodhayet enam) in like manner (tathā eva) through ritual, knowledge and trance --here "samādhi" means "absorption" or "trance"-- (kriyā-jñāna-samādhibhiḥ).
The Supreme Lord (parama-īśaḥ) said --remote past is implied here by the use of Perfect Tense-- (ūce) in venerable Kulagahvaraśāsana (śrī_kulagahvara-śāsane): "(The Guru) should stop (rodhayet) the tattva --according to Jayaratha, "tattva" here means "ātmā", i.e. the disciple's bound soul which transmigrates-- (tattvam) by the bindu --according to Jayaratha, "bindu" here means "prāṇa", i.e. the vital energy in the exhalation-- (bindunā), (and then) pierce (it) (vedhayet) with the seed of Śakti --again, Jayaratha opines that this is "amṛtārṇa" or the Nectarean letter, i.e. "s"-- (śakti-bījena). (Now,) he should shake (ghaṭṭayet) (and hold the tattva) in the place of Nāda (nāda-deśe tu). (After that, the Guru) should hit (it) (tāḍayet) with the Trident --i.e. the letter "au"-- (triśūlena tu). (Afterward,) he should hit (tāḍayeta) all (sarvāḥ) the kalā-s or powers (kalāḥ) over and over again (punar punar) with the visarga --viz. the vowel "ḥ"-- residing inside the Suṣumnā (suṣumnā-antargatena eva visargeṇa). After that (tatas), that (asau) paśu or beast --i.e. bound soul-- (paśuḥ) trembles (kampate), or (vā) raises (utkṣipet) the left hand (vāma-hastam). After that (tatas), (the Guru) should place (yojayet) him --i.e. the bound soul-- (tam) in the Supreme (Principle) --viz. in Śiva-- (pare). Without (vinā) a proof (pratyayena), Liberation (mokṣaḥ) is not certainly believed (hi aśraddheyaḥ) by the deluded ones (vimohitaiḥ) (who are watching the procedure). For that reason (tad-artham) this --i.e. this proof-- (etad) has been mentioned (uditam), but anyway (tu) it does not confer the acquisition of Liberation (na mokṣa-upayoga-daḥ... iti) --so, this proof, viz. trembling or raising of the left hand, is just for the ignorant people watching the procedure--"||4-16||
Stanzas 17 to 20
साध्योऽनुमेयो मोक्षादिः प्रत्ययैर्यदतीन्द्रियः।
दीक्षोत्तरे च पुर्यष्टवर्गार्पणमिहोदितम्॥१७॥
तद्विधिः श्रुतिपत्रेऽब्जे मध्ये देवं सदाशिवम्।
ईशरुद्रहरिब्रह्मचतुष्कं प्राग्दिगादितः॥१८॥
पूजयित्वा श्रुतिस्पर्शौ रसं गन्धं वपुर्द्वयम्।
ध्यहङ्कृती मनश्चेति ब्रह्मादिष्वर्पयेत्क्रमात्॥१९॥
एतेषां तर्पणं कृत्वा शतहोमेन दैशिकः।
एषा सान्न्यासिकी दीक्षा पुर्यष्टकविशोधनी॥२०॥
Sādhyo'numeyo mokṣādiḥ pratyayairyadatīndriyaḥ|
Dīkṣottare ca puryaṣṭavargārpaṇamihoditam||17||
Tadvidhiḥ śrutipatre'bje madhye devaṁ sadāśivam|
Īśarudraharibrahmacatuṣkaṁ prāgdigāditaḥ||18||
Pūjayitvā śrutisparśau rasaṁ gandhaṁ vapurdvayam|
Dhyahaṅkṛtī manaśceti brahmādiṣvarpayetkramāt||19||
Eteṣāṁ tarpaṇaṁ kṛtvā śatahomena daiśikaḥ|
Eṣā sānnyāsikī dīkṣā puryaṣṭakaviśodhanī||20||
Since (yad) the goal (sādhyaḥ) (called) Liberation, etc. (mokṣa-ādiḥ) is beyond the powers of perception and action (ati-ndriyaḥ), (therefore) it is inferred (anumeyaḥ) through proofs --i.e. signs showing that Liberation, etc. happened-- (pratyayaiḥ).
Here (atra), in Dīkṣottara (dīkṣottare ca), an offering of the subtle body (puryaṣṭavarga-arpaṇam) is mentioned (uditam).
The procedure for that (tad-vidhiḥ) (is now enunciated:) Having worshiped (pūjayitvā) the god Sadāśiva (devam sadāśivam) in the central four-petalled lotus (śruti-patre abje madhye), (and) the set of four (constituted by) Īśvara, Rudra, Viṣṇu and Brahmā (īśa-rudra-hari-brahma-catuṣkam) starting from the east quarter (prāk-dik-āditas), he --i.e. the Guru-- should offer (arpayet), in succession (kramāt), "hearing and touch (śruti-sparśau), the group of two forms (vapus) (known as) taste (rasam) (and) smell (gandham), intellect and ego (dhī-ahaṅkṛtī), along with mind (manas ca iti)" to Brahmā, etc. --viz. to Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra and Īśvara-- (brahma-ādiṣu). (Finally,) the spiritual preceptor (daiśikaḥ) performs --lit. after performing-- (kṛtvā) a libation (tarpaṇam) for them --for those four deities-- (eteṣām) with one hundred homa-s (śata-homena). This (eṣā) (is) the initiation (dīkṣā) by means of nyāsa (sānnyāsikī) which purifies the subtle body (puryaṣṭaka-viśodhanī)||17-20||
Stanzas 21 to 24
पुर्यष्टकस्याभावे च न स्वर्गनरकादयः।
तथा कृत्वा न कर्तव्यं लौकिकं किञ्चनापि हि॥२१॥
उक्तं श्रीमाधवकुले शासनस्थो मृतेष्वपि।
पिण्डपातोदकास्रवादि लौकिकं परिवर्जयेत्॥२२॥
Puryaṣṭakasyābhāve ca na svarganarakādayaḥ|
Tathā kṛtvā na kartavyaṁ laukikaṁ kiñcanāpi hi||21||
Uktaṁ śrīmādhavakule śāsanastho mṛteṣvapi|
Piṇḍapātodakāsravādi laukikaṁ parivarjayet||22||
And (ca) in the absence (abhāve) of the subtle body (puryaṣṭakasya), there is no (na) heaven, hell, etc. (svarga-naraka-ādayaḥ). Having done (kṛtvā) so (tathā), no common/worldly (practice) is to be performed at all (na kartavyam laukikam kiñcana api hi). It has been said (uktam) in venerable Mādhavakula (śrī-mādhavakule) (that) he who follows (this special) teaching (śāsana-sthaḥ) should avoid (parivarjayet) common/worldly (practices) (laukikam) (such as) giving alms, emission of water --if this makes any sense--, etc. (piṇḍa-pāta-udaka-āsrava-ādi), even (api) with reference to the dead (mṛteṣu)||21-22||
शिवं सम्पूज्य चक्रार्चां यथाशक्ति समाचरेत्।
क्रमात्त्रिदशमविंशत्रिंशवत्सरवासरे॥२३॥
Śivaṁ sampūjya cakrārcāṁ yathāśakti samācaret|
Kramāttridaśamaviṁśatriṁśavatsaravāsare||23||
After completely worshiping (sampūjya) Śiva (śivam), he should perform (samācaret) the worship of the group (cakra-arcām), to the utmost of his power (yathāśakti), gradually (kramāt), during one year on the third, tenth, twentieth and thirtieth day (of every month) (tri-daśama-viṁśa-triṁśa-vatsara-vāsare)||23||
इत्युक्तोऽन्त्येष्टियागोऽयं परमेश्वरभाषितः॥२४॥
Ityukto'ntyeṣṭiyāgo'yaṁ parameśvarabhāṣitaḥ||24||
Thus (iti), this (ayam) which is called (uktaḥ) the Antyeṣṭi sacrifice (antya-iṣṭi-yāgaḥ) has been spoken by the Supreme Lord (parama-īśvara-bhāṣitaḥ)||24||
Further Information
This document was conceived by Gabriel Pradīpaka, one of the two founders of this site, and spiritual guru conversant with Sanskrit language and Trika philosophy.
For further information about Sanskrit, Yoga and Indian Philosophy; or if you simply want to comment, ask a question or correct a mistake, feel free to contact us: This is our e-mail address.
| Back to 23. 1-103 |  |
Continue to read 25. 1-29 |