| 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 36 - stanzas 1 to 15 - Non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir
Āyātikathanam
Introduction
This is the only set of stanzas (from the stanza 1 to the stanza 15) of the thirty-sixth chapter (called Āyātikathanam).
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 10
अथ श्रीतन्त्रालोके षट्त्रिंशमाह्निकम्।
Atha śrītantrāloke ṣaṭtriṁśamāhnikam|
Here begins (atha) the thirty-sixth (ṣaṭtriṁśam) chapter (āhnikam) in venerable Tantrāloka (śrī-tantrāloke)|
आयातिरथ शास्त्रस्य कथ्यतेऽवसरागता।
श्रीसिद्धादिविनिर्दिष्टा गुरुभिश्च निरूपिता।
भैरवो भैरवी देवी स्वच्छन्दो लाकुलोऽणुराट्॥१॥
गहनेशोऽब्जजः शक्रो गुरुः कोट्यपकर्षतः।
नवभिः क्रमशोऽधीतं नवकोटिप्रविस्तरम्॥२॥
एतैस्ततो गुरुः कोटिमात्रात्पादं वितीर्णवान्।
दक्षादिभ्य उभौ पादौ संवर्तादिभ्य एव च॥३॥
पादं च वामनादिभ्यः पादार्धं भार्गवाय च।
पादपादं तु बलये पादपादस्तु योऽपरः॥४॥
सिंहायार्धं ततः शिष्टाद्द्वौ भागौ विनताभुवे।
पादं वासुकिनागाय खण्डाः सप्तदश त्वमी॥५॥
स्वर्गादर्धं रावणोऽथ जह्रे रामोऽर्धमप्यतः।
विभीषणमुखादाप गुरुशिष्यविधिक्रमात्॥६॥
खण्डैरेकान्नविंशत्या विभक्तं तदभूत्ततः।
खण्डं खण्डं चाष्टखण्डं प्रोक्तपादादिभेदतः॥७॥
पादो मूलोद्धारावुत्तरबृहदुत्तरे तथा कल्पः।
सांहितकल्पस्कन्दावनुत्तरं व्यापकं त्रिधा तिस्रः॥८॥
देव्योऽत्र निरूप्यन्ते क्रमशो विस्तारिणैव रूपेण।
नवमे पदे तु गणना न काचिदुक्ता व्यवच्छिदाहीने॥९॥
रामाच्च लक्ष्मणस्तस्मात्सिद्धास्तेभ्योऽपि दानवाः।
गुह्यकाश्च ततस्तेभ्यो योगिनो नृवरास्ततः॥१०॥
Āyātiratha śāstrasya kathyate'vasarāgatā|
Śrīsiddhādivinirdiṣṭā gurubhiśca nirūpitā|
Bhairavo bhairavī devī svacchando lākulo'ṇurāṭ||1||
Gahaneśo'bjajaḥ śakro guruḥ koṭyapakarṣataḥ|
Navabhiḥ kramaśo'dhītaṁ navakoṭipravistaram||2||
Etaistato guruḥ koṭimātrātpādaṁ vitīrṇavān|
Dakṣādibhya ubhau pādau saṁvartādibhya eva ca||3||
Pādaṁ ca vāmanādibhyaḥ pādārdhaṁ bhārgavāya ca|
Pādapādaṁ tu balaye pādapādastu yo'paraḥ||4||
Siṁhāyārdhaṁ tataḥ śiṣṭāddvau bhāgau vinatābhuve|
Pādaṁ vāsukināgāya khaṇḍāḥ saptadaśa tvamī||5||
Svargādardhaṁ rāvaṇo'tha jahre rāmo'rdhamapyataḥ|
Vibhīṣaṇamukhādāpa guruśiṣyavidhikramāt||6||
Khaṇḍairekānnaviṁśatyā vibhaktaṁ tadabhūttataḥ|
Khaṇḍaṁ khaṇḍaṁ cāṣṭakhaṇḍaṁ proktapādādibhedataḥ||7||
Pādo mūloddhārāvuttarabṛhaduttare tathā kalpaḥ|
Sāṁhitakalpaskandāvanuttaraṁ vyāpakaṁ tridhā tisraḥ||8||
Devyo'tra nirūpyante kramaśo vistāriṇaiva rūpeṇa|
Navame pade tu gaṇanā na kāciduktā vyavacchidāhīne||9||
Rāmācca lakṣmaṇastasmātsiddhāstebhyo'pi dānavāḥ|
Guhyakāśca tatastebhyo yogino nṛvarāstataḥ||10||
Now (atha) the arrival --i.e. the transmission-- (āyātiḥ) of the scripture (śāstrasya) is narrated (kathyate) (since its) occasion has come (avasarāgatā) --Sanskrit is a little far-fetched--.
(This arrival or transmission) has been indicated by the venerable Siddhātantra, etc. (śrī-siddhā-ādi-vinirdiṣṭā) and (ca) described (nirūpit) by the Guru-s --or perhaps, Abhinavagupta is mentioning "Śambhunātha" (his Kulaguru) in plural, as a token of respect-- (gurubhiḥ). (This is the list of those who transmitted the original scripture called Siddhayogīśvarīmata:) (1) Bhairava (bhairavaḥ), (2) the Goddess Bhairavī (bhairavī devī), (3) Svacchanda (svacchandaḥ), (4) Lākula (lākulaḥ), (5) Aṇurāṭ (aṇurāṭ), (6) Gahaneśa (gahaneśaḥ), (7) Abjaja --viz. Brahmā-- (abjajaḥ), (8) Śakra --i.e. Indra-- (śakraḥ), (and) (9) the Guru (of the gods) --viz. Bṛhaspati-- (guruḥ). (The scripture originally) covered 90 million (stanzas) (nava-koṭi-pravistaram), (and was fully studied by Bhairava. Next,) it was progressively studied (kramaśas adhītam) —by decreasing 10 million stanzas --i.e. the Goddess Bhairavī studied 80 million out the 90 million stanzas, Svacchanda 70 million, and so on-- (koṭi-apakarṣatas)— by these nine (navabhiḥ... etaiḥ). After that (tatas), the Guru --viz. Bṛhaspati-- (guruḥ), from the mere 10 million (stanzas he received) (koṭi-mātrāt), gave (vitīrṇavān) (10) one quarter (pādam) to Dakṣa, etc. (dakṣa-ādibhyaḥ), (11) both quarters (ubhau pādau... ca) to Saṁvarta, etc. (saṁvarta-ādibhyaḥ eva), (12) a quarter (pādam) to Vāmana, etc. (vāmana-ādibhyaḥ), (13) half a quarter (pāda-ardham... ca) to Bhārgava (bhārgavāya), (14) a quarter of a quarter (pāda-pādam tu) to Bali (balaye). (Now there is) another (aparaḥ) quarter of a quarter (pāda-pādaḥ tu) which (yaḥ) (remains. Well, Bṛhaspati gave) (15) half (of that) (ardham) to Siṁha (siṁhāya). Afterward (tatas), (16) two portions (dvau bhāgau) from what remained (śiṣṭāt) to Vinatābhū --i.e. to Garuḍa-- (vinatābhuve), (and) (17) one quarter (pādam) to the snake Vāsuki (vāsuki-nāgāya). Those (amī) (are) seventeen (saptadaśa) sections --viz. seventeen stages for the transmission of the original scripture-- (khaṇḍāḥ). Now (atha), (18) Rāvaṇa (rāvaṇaḥ) stole (jahre) half (ardham) from Svarga or Heaven (svargāt). After this (atas), (19) Rāma (rāmaḥ) also (api) got (āpa) half (ardham) from the mouth of Vibhīṣaṇa (vibhīṣaṇa-mukhāt). Therefore (tatas), that (scripture) (tad) was (abhūt) divided (vibhaktam) into nineteen sections (khaṇḍaiḥ ekānnaviṁśatyā) from the succession of vidhi-s or prescribed acts between Guru and disciple --all in all, that scripture was passed from Guru onto disciple in the prescribed way-- (guru-śiṣya-vidhi-kramāt).
And (ca) each of the sections (khaṇḍam khaṇḍam) (is in turn divided) into a group of eight sections (aṣṭa-khaṇḍam) in accordance with the division into quarters, etc. which has been mentioned (in the Siddhayogīśvarīmata) (prokta-pāda-ādi-bhedatas).
(The sections are as follows:) (1) Pāda (pādaḥ), (2-3) mūla and uddhāra (mūla-uddhārau), (4-5) uttara and bṛhaduttara (uttara-bṛhaduttare), as well as (tathā) (6) kalpa (kalpaḥ), (7-8) sāṁhita --or also "saṁhitā"-- and kalpaskanda (sāṁhita-kalpaskandau). Anuttara (anuttaram) is the Pervader (vyāpakam). Three (tisras) Goddesses (devyaḥ), in an extensive form (vistāriṇā eva rūpeṇa), are here progressively described (atra nirūpyante kramaśas) in three ways (tridhā). But (tu) in the ninth stage (navame pade tu), which is without division (vyavacchidā-hīne), there is no (na kācid) enumeration (gaṇanā) being mentioned (uktā).
And (ca) from Rāma (rāmāt), Lakṣmaṇa (got it) (lakṣmaṇaḥ), (and) from him (tasmāt) the Siddha-s (siddhāḥ), (and) from them (tebhyaḥ) the Dānava-s (dānavāḥ) as well (api), and (c) the Guhyaka-s (guhyakāḥ). Next (tatas), from them (tebhyaḥ) the Yogī-s (obtained it) (yoginaḥ). Afterward (tatas), the best of men (nṛ-varāḥ)||1-10||
Stanzas 11 to 15
तेषां क्रमेण यत्प्राप्तं भ्रष्टं कालान्तराद्यदा।
तदा श्रीकण्ठनाथाज्ञावशात्सिद्धा अवातरन्॥११॥
त्र्यम्बकामर्दकाभिख्यश्रीनाथा अद्वये द्वये।
द्वयाद्वये च निपुणाः क्रमेण शिवशासने॥१२॥
आद्यस्य चान्वयो जज्ञे द्वितीयो दुहितृक्रमात्।
स चार्धत्र्यम्बकाभिख्यः सन्तानः सुप्रतिष्ठितः॥१३॥
अतश्चार्धचतस्रोऽत्र मठिकाः सन्ततिक्रमात्।
शिष्यप्रशिष्यैर्विस्तीर्णाः शतशाखं व्यवस्थितैः॥१४॥
Teṣāṁ krameṇa yatprāptaṁ bhraṣṭaṁ kālāntarādyadā|
Tadā śrīkaṇṭhanāthājñāvaśātsiddhā avātaran||11||
Tryambakāmardakābhikhyaśrīnāthā advaye dvaye|
Dvayādvaye ca nipuṇāḥ krameṇa śivaśāsane||12||
Ādyasya cānvayo jajñe dvitīyo duhitṛkramāt|
Sa cārdhatryambakābhikhyaḥ santānaḥ supratiṣṭhitaḥ||13||
Ataścārdhacatasro'tra maṭhikāḥ santatikramāt|
Śiṣyapraśiṣyairvistīrṇāḥ śataśākhaṁ vyavasthitaiḥ||14||
When (yadā) what (yad) they gradually obtained --expecting "taiḥ" instead-- (teṣām krameṇa) was lost (bhraṣṭam) due to the interval of time --i.e. because time passed-- (kāla-antarāt), then (tadā) on account of Śrīkaṇṭhanātha's command (śrīkaṇṭhanātha-ājñā-vaśāt), (three) Siddha-s (siddhāḥ) descended (avātaran). (Those two Siddha-s) called Tryambaka and Amardaka, plus (the third Siddha known as) Śrīnātha (tryambaka-amardaka-abhikhya-śrīnāthāḥ) were respectively skilled (nipuṇāḥ krameṇa) in the non-dualistic, dualistic and dualistic-nondualistic teaching of Śiva (advaye dvaye.. dvaya-advaye ca... śiva-śāsane). And (ca) the second (dvitīyaḥ) lineage (anvayaḥ) of the first one --i.e. Tryambaka-- (ādyasya) was born (jajñe) from the succession of (his) daughter (duhitṛ-kramāt). And (ca) that uninterrupted series --i.e. that lineage-- (saḥ... santānaḥ) called Ardhatryambaka or the half of Tryambaka (ardha-tryambaka-abhikhyaḥ) (became) very well established (su-pratiṣṭhitaḥ). For this reason (atas ca), (there are) here (atra) three and a half --I am following here the Jayaratha's interpretation: "Ardhacatasra ityardhena catasraḥ sārdhāstisra ityarthaḥ" = "'Ardhacatasraḥ', four together with half, i.e. three and a half. This is the meaning"-- (ardha-catasraḥ) maṭhikā-s or orders --lit. a little monastery-- (maṭhikāḥ) from the succession of lineages (santati-kramāt). (Such maṭhikā-s or orders) were spread out (vistīrṇāḥ) into hundreds of branches (śata-śākham) by established disciples and disciples of disciples (śiṣya-praśiṣyaiḥ... vyavasthitaiḥ)||11-14||
अध्युष्टसन्ततिस्रोतःसारभूतरसाहृतिम्।
विधाय तन्त्रालोकोऽयं स्यन्दते सकलान्रसान्॥१५॥
Adhyuṣṭasantatisrotaḥsārabhūtarasāhṛtim|
Vidhāya tantrāloko'yaṁ syandate sakalānrasān||15||
After bringing near the juice which is the essence of the stream of the three and a half lineages (adhyuṣṭa-santati-srotas-sāra-bhūta-rasa-āhṛtim... vidhāya), this (ayam) Tantrāloka (tantra-ālokaḥ) pours forth (syandate) all the saps (sakalān rasān)||15||
उक्तायातिरुपादेयभावो निर्णीयतेऽधुना।
Uktāyātirupādeyabhāvo nirṇīyate'dhunā|
The transmission (of this tradition) has been mentioned --Sanskrit is unnecessarily weird in this colophon-- (ukta-āyātiḥ). Now (adhunā) (its) state as acceptable (upādeya-bhāvaḥ) is investigated/determined (nirṇīyate) --all in all, now, in the next chapter, Abhinavagupta will explain why one should accept this tradition--|
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 35. 1-44 |  |
Continue to read 37. 1-85 |