Light on Tantra in Kashmir Shaivism: Chapter One of Abhinavagupta's Tantraloka

Śrī Tantrāloka of Abhinavagupta

Chapter (Āhnika) One

INVOCATION TO THE SUPREME CONSCIOUSNESS EMBODIED IN ABHINAVAGUPTA’S MOTHER AND FATHER (1)

Audio 1 - 00:00

vimalakalāśrayābhinavasṛṣṭimahā jananī

bharitatanuśca pañcamukhaguptarucirjanakaḥ /

tadubhayayāmalasphuritabhāvavisargamayaṁ

hṛdayamanuttarāmṛtakulaṁ mama saṁsphuratāt //1//

[Abhinavagupta]: My essence of being, which is filled with the supreme nectar of God consciousness, which has come forth by the union of my mother and father, let that essence of my being vibrate in this whole universe. My mother was named as Vimala because she was residing in the purity of God consciousness, and her only festival was my birth in her life. My father, who was full-bodied because he had no desires at all for sensual pleasures was named Pañcamukhagupta. (Pañcamukhagupta means, Narasiṁhagupta).¹ His [given] name was Narasiṁhagupta and he was my father. [The union of] these two souls has [produced] the existence of Abhinava. And let the heart and the essence of my being vibrate in this whole universe.

INVOCATION TO THE GODDESSES OF THE TRIKA PARĀ – PARĀPARĀ – APARĀ (2-4)

Audio 1 - 02:12

naumi citpratibhāṁ devīṁ parāṁ bhairavayoginīm /

mātṛmānaprameyāṁśaśūlāmbujakṛtāspadām //2//

I bow to that supreme parā energy, which is the light of consciousness and which is one with the supreme Bhairava; that energy which is established in the lotus āsana in the three lotuses, which has three sharp spikes.

You know spikes?

SCHOLAR: Lotuses on the three points.

SWAMIJI: Points. One of subjective consciousness, the other of cognitive consciousness, and the other of objective consciousness.² On these three sharp spikes is seated that Bhairava yoginī, the supreme energy of God consciousness, cit-pratibhā.³ I bow to That.⁴

Now, the third [śloka]:

Audio 1 - 03:31

naumi devīṁ śarīrasthāṁ nṛtyato bhairavākṛte /

prāvṛṇmeghaghanavyomavidyullekhāvilāsinīm //3//

I bow to that devī (goddess), aparā, the inferior energy of Lord Bhairava, who is situated in gross bodies, the gross body of Bhairava–Bhairava, the real dancer–and who is shining just like the lightening from the dense clouds of the rainy season. It is that light which has come out from the objective world; it shines from the objective world in the form of God consciousness. I bow to that devī.

Now, the fourth [śloka]:

Audio 1 - 04:46

dīptajyotiśchaṭāpluṣṭabhedabandhatrayaṁ sphurat /

stājjñānaśūlaṁ satpakṣavipakṣotkartanakṣamam //4//

Let the triśūla (trident), the three sharp-pointed śūla (weapon) of Lord Śiva–although it is filled with will, knowledge, and action,⁵ it has predominance in knowledge only (that is jñāna śūlaṁ)⁶ –let that jñāna śūla remain in such a way that it destroys the opposites [just as in] that supreme state of jagat-ānanda.⁷ And let that jñāna śūla destroy all the three bondages⁸ by its flame of absolute divine God consciousness (dīpta jyoti).

The fifth [śloka]:

INVOCATION TO THE SUPREME ENERGY SVĀTANTRYA ŚAKTI(5)

Audio 1 - 06:20

svātantryaśaktiḥ kramasaṁsisṛkṣā

kramātmatā ceti vibhorvibhūtiḥ /

tadeva devītrayamantarāstām-

anuttaraṁ me prathayatsvarūpam //5//

[not recited]

The energy filled with svātantrya, absolute independence, is first; krama saṁsisṛkṣā, just the will of desiring the world of succession, [is second]; and kramātmatā, the world of succession, [is third]. Svātantrya śakti is first (it is abheda), krama saṁsisṛkṣā, just [the will] to give rise to the successive world (it is bhedābheda), and kramātmatā, the successive world (it is bheda).⁹ These three energies are the glory of my Lord, the glory of Lord Śiva. Let these three energies remain in my heart in such a way so that they reveal to me that supreme nature of God consciousness (anuttaraṁ svarūpam prathaya).

SCHOLAR: "Svātantrya śakti" is not bahuvrīhi.¹⁰

SWAMIJI: From my point of view, it is not bahuvrīhi as it is commentated by Jayaratha. "Svātantrya śakti [Jayaratha] has put as Bhagavān, Lord Śiva, but it is not [in this instance]. [Abhinavagupta] says, Tadeva devī trayam, these are the three energies of Lord Śiva." [Here], svātantrya śakti is an energy [among three], so it is not bahuvrīhi.¹¹ [Jayaratha] has not understood the way of Abhinavagupta.¹² [Jayaratha says], "Svātantrya rūpā śaktiḥ’yasyāsau ananta śaktir bhagavān śivaḥ." That is not it.

DEVOTEE: Svātantrya śakti is parā.¹³

SWAMIJI: Svātantrya śakti is the supreme energy.¹⁴ Now, the sixth śloka:

INVOCATION TO CAKREŚVARA – GANEŚA(6)

Audio 1 - 08:29

taddevatāvibhavabhāvimahāmarīci-

cakreśvarāyitanijasthitireka eva /

devīsuto gaṇapatiḥ sphuradindukāntiḥ

samyaksamucchalayatānmama saṁvidabdhim //6//

Let the offshoot of the supreme energy of parā, Gaṇapati,¹⁵ . . .*

Gaṇapati means, the lord of the masses, the lord of classes (all classes), and that lord of classes is called Gaṇapati. He is an offshoot of devī, parā devī.

*. . . and that lord Gaṇapati, [who] is shining just like the full moon (sphurat indu kāntiḥ), and that Gaṇapati [who] is sthitir, is situated in his own nature, governing as the governor of the śakti cakra¹⁶ of these three energies (parā, parāparā, and aparā)–these three energies¹⁷ have created glory and that glory is parā, parāparā, and aparā–and that glory, triple glory, has created innumerable śakti cakras, and on that śakti cakra governs that Gaṇapati, who is cakreśvara, ¹⁸ . . .*

JOHN: What exactly is a "cakra" in this sense?

SWAMIJI: Cakra means, wheel. [Śakti cakra means], the wheel of energies. And he is Gaṇapati, [who is] nijasthitir, situated in his own nature, and is shining just like the moon.

*. . . let that Gaṇapati vibrate and penetrate my ocean of consciousness in such a way that it pervades the whole universe. That saṁvit abdhiḥ is, in other words, called the Tantrāloka. My saṁvit abdhiḥ (my ocean of consciousness) is filled in the Tantrāloka. Let that Tantrāloka shine everywhere and vibrate in the whole universe (samucchalayatāt).

The seventh [śloka]:

INVOCATION TO THE ANCIENT MASTERS OF TRIKA SHAIVISM (7-16)

Audio 1 - 11:42

rāgāruṇaṁ granthibilāvakīrṇaṁ

yo jālamātānavitānavṛtti /

kalombhitaṁ bāhyapathe cakāra

stānme sa macchandavibhuḥ prasannaḥ //7//

[not recited in full]

Now he bows before all the masters of this school, directly and indirectly. First, he bows [before] the master, Macchandanātha.¹⁹

Let Macchandanātha remain happy with me–prasanna.

SCHOLAR: Favoring. Yes, show me his favor, let him . . .

SWAMIJI: . . . be favorable to me. Let Macchandanātha, the great master of Shaivism, be favorable to me always; Macchandanātha, who discarded this jāla of the universe, this net of the universe, in which net everybody is entangled and bound.

And that net he defines, what kind of net is that net of this universe.

It is rāgāruṇaṁ, it is red by that geru substance²⁰ (rāga means, gairika ādi dravyeṇa,²¹ by that red color).²² It is red because of that color [of geru]–red color. It is red because of that red color of this jāla, this net, the net of the universe in which net everybody is entangled, everybody is caught. And that net is called the māyā net, the net of māyā.²³ It is red because of that color [of geru] and it is red also [because of] creating attachment also (that is rāga). It creates attachment. It creates curiosity to have it. Everybody wants to have that jāla because of the element of rāga (attachment), by rāga tattva, the element of rāga.²⁴ There, you should not explain [i.e., place significance upon] the color. It is the element of rāga (rāga tattva). By the element of rāga tattva, it creates attachment to this jāla. Granthibilāvakīrṇam, and it is filled with those holes of granthi, with knots. The outward jāla is filled with those holes. The māyā jāla is filled with the holes of that sex, where everybody is focused and wants to be attached with those granthi, māyā granthi.²⁵ And this jāla (this net) is ātāna vitāna vṛtti, wide in width and length. It is not only wide in width and length, it is also wide in width and length because of its innumerable variety of existence. And it is kalombhitam; this jāla, this net, is kalombhitam, artistically made.²⁶ Or, another meaning is, it is made from kalā [tattva]²⁷ to earth (pṛthvī). From māyā, the element begins from kalā. So, from kalā to earth it is built.²⁸ And this jāla was discarded by Macchandanātha, outside. He didn’t have it. He didn’t possess it. Let Macchandanātha remain favorable to me always.

SCHOLAR: So, he bows first to the great master of the Kula system . . .

SWAMIJI: Kula system–Macchandanātha.

SCHOLAR: . . . to show precedence of the Kula system over Tantra system.

SWAMIJI: Yes.

Audio 1 - 16:40

traiyambakābhihitasantatitāmraparṇī-

sanmauktikaprakarakāntiviśeṣabhājaḥ /

pūrve jayanti guruvo guruśāstrasindhu-

kallolakelikalanāmalakarṇadhārāḥ //8//

Let those ancient masters be glorified because they were selfless karṇadhārāḥ, selfless . . .

SCHOLAR: Helmsmen.

SWAMIJI: . . . helmsmen (karṇadhārāḥ, those who take you from the other [shore] on the boats). Selfless, amala karṇadhārāḥ, they were selfless, they didn’t charge anything from their disciples, and they were capable of taking them from the deep ocean of the śāstras (scriptures), the deep ocean of all theories, systems, schools, thoughts. Because those thoughts are so deep [that they] cannot be understood easily, but they made them easy to be grasped. So, they put those disciples on the other side of that ocean of śāstra.

SCHOLAR: Kalana, kallolakelikalana.

SWAMIJI: Kelikalana. Kalana means, the racana, the various ways of explanation, the various ways of describing and putting forth all clear things, and removing all doubts of the śāstras. They were capable of that. Let those masters be glorified always, who had obtained the glory of those jewels, those rubies, . . .

SCHOLAR: Mauktikā?

SWAMIJI: Mauktikā

SCHOLAR: Pearl? Is it pearl? A white one?

SWAMIJI: Pearl, yes.

. . . rubies out of the great Tāmraparṇī nadī,²⁹ out of that great stream which was flowing through the line, the succession, of Tryambakanātha.³⁰ So, Tryambakanātha created that Tāmraparṇī nadī. In that Tāmraparṇī river, those jewels, those rubies and pearls, were possessed by those ancient masters who were amala karṇadhārā (amala means selfless karṇadhārā, helmsmen).

Now, the ninth [śloka]:

Audio 1 - 20:21

jayati gurureka eva śrīśrīkaṇṭho bhuvi prathitaḥ / tadaparamūrtirbhagavān maheśvaro bhūtirājaśca //9//

Let that unique master, Śrīkaṇṭhanātha, who appeared in this universe, let him be glorified always.³¹ And another formation of His being who was Maheśvara and Bhūtirāja, let those two masters also be glorified.³²

Now, he bows before–in the tenth and eleventh [ślokas]– before those masters who were ancient masters of logic on Shaivism.³³

Audio 1 - 21:08

śrīsomānandabodhaśrīmadutpalaviniḥsṛtāḥ /

jayanti saṁvidāmodasandarbhā dikprasarpiṇaḥ //10//

tadāsvādabharāveśabṛṁhitāṁ matiṣaṭpadīm /

gurorlakṣmaṇaguptasya nāda saṁmohinīṁ numaḥ //11//

[not recited]

I bow to mati ṣaṭ padī (ṣaṭ padī means, that black bee), the black bee of the intellect, the black bee of the intellect of Lakṣmaṇagupta. I bow to the black bee of the intellect of Lakṣ- maṇagupta. Lakṣmaṇagupta’s intellect was just like a black bee, which was captivating everybody’s heart by its sound (by its sound, parāmarśa). By its sound (parāmarśa), that black bee, the sound of the black bee of the intellect of Lakṣmaṇagupta, which was nāda saṁmohinīm (nāda saṁmohinīm means, captivating the heart of all disciples by that sound, buzzing sound), . . .*

SCHOLAR: And in a second sense, parāmarśa.

SWAMIJI: Parāmarśa, the sound that is parāmarśa.³⁴

*. . . and which was filled with the nectar, with the entry of nectar, spread all over the world and expanded from the knowledge of Somānanda and Utpaladeva.³⁵ Somānanda and Utpaladeva created that fragrance, which spread all around the world, and that fragrance was captivating the black bee of the intellect of Lakṣmaṇagupta³⁶ (the black bee is always fond of that fragrance), and that fragrance was the fragrance of God consciousness. And I bow to that Lakṣmaṇagupta who was the black bee of the intellect, an intellectual black bee. Now he bows before his father:

Audio 1 - 23:54

yaḥ pūrṇānandaviśrāntasarvaśāstrārthapāragaḥ /

sa śrīcukhulako diśyādiṣṭaṁ me gururuttamaḥ //12//

My father also was my master of spirituality because he was resting in complete and universal ānanda (pūrṇa ānanda)³⁷ and he had mastered, and he had the information of, all the śāstras–my father. And his name was Cukhulakanātha. Although his name was Narasiṁhagupta, his other name was Cukhulakanātha. Let that Cukhulakanātha, who was my great master, bestow to me whatever I desire in the spiritual

world.

SCHOLAR: Diśyādiṣṭaṁ.

SWAMIJI: Diśyāt, bestow to me.

SCHOLAR: Aha, diśyād iṣṭaṁ.

SWAMIJI: Iṣṭam, whatever is desired by me (iṣṭam, desired, my desired thing). My desired object, let him bestow to me my desired object. That desired object is Lord Śiva.

Now the thirteenth śloka:

Audio 1 - 25:22

jayatājjagaduddhṛtikṣamo’sau

bhagavatyā saha śaṁbhunātha ekaḥ /

yadudīritaśāsanāṁśubhirme

prakaṭo’yaṁ gahano’pi śāstramārgaḥ //13//

[not recited]

Now his immediate [master], he bows before his immediate master of the Kula system. [His] immediate master of the Kula system was Śambhunātha–[the master] of Abhinavagupta. And [Śambhunātha] had a dūti³⁸ with him. And he was jagat uddhṛtikṣama, he was capable of uplifting the whole universe, not only one or two disciples. He could uplift the whole universe in one minute. Jayatāt, let him be glorified. Let him be glorified because he was the only unique master of mine. Let him be glorified along with his dūti–let his dūti also be glorified–by whose pointing out the important points of śāstras, all śāstras have become clear to me, although this śāstra is very deep (gahano api śāstra mārga ayam prakaṭaḥ na abhavat).

Now, he decides to explain the way of śāstra now.

JOHN: In the fourteenth.

SWAMIJI: In the fourteenth.

Audio 1 - 26:58

santi paddhatayaścitrāḥ srotobhedeṣu bhūyasā /

anuttaraṣaḍardhārdhakrame tvekāpi nekṣyate //14//

Although in these triple flows of the schools of Trika³⁹ there are many ways, many important ways, and many wonderful and important ways,⁴⁰ for attaining the supreme Trika system, for attaining the supreme Trika state, but not even one is existing now. All those ways are lost. Not even one way is existing.

Audio 1 - 27:55

ityahaṁ bahuśaḥ sadbhiḥ śiṣyasabrahmacāribhiḥ /

arthito racaye spaṣṭāṁ pūrṇārthāṁ prakriyāmimām //15

[not recited]

Ityahaṁ, so, it was necessary for me to explain those ways because those ways are all lost. All those ways are existing in the various schools of the Trika system, [but] not even one way is found now existing in this time. For this reason, all my disciples and all my colleagues (sabrahmacāri means, colleagues who have only one master), . . .

Those are called colleagues?

. . . by those colleagues also and by many disciples, I have been requested to make such a śāstra that would explain before the public all the ways, clarify all the ways (arthita). So, I racaye, I compose, spaṣṭām (clearly), this way of Trika in the formation of the Tantrāloka, which is filled with the complete explanation.

Audio 1 - 29:30

śrībhaṭṭanāthacaraṇābjayugāttathā śrī-

bhaṭṭārikāṁghriyugalādgurusantatiryā /

bodhānyapāśaviṣanuttadupāsanottha-

bodhojjvalo’bhinavagupta idaṁ karoti //16//

[not recited]

But this work I do only by the grace of my masters, not with my power. This was not in my power to do it. This power I got from the two feet, the two lotus feet, of Bhaṭṭanātha⁴¹ (Śaṁ- bhunātha)⁴² and the two lotus feet of his dūti⁴³ (his dūti was also so much, extremely, divine, and he himself was also divine).⁴⁴ From their two lotus feet, by the grace of [their] two lotus feet, and guru santatiḥ, all the line of masters, which have come out from those two lotus feet of both,⁴⁵ that santati is really destroying the poison of pāśa,⁴⁶ the poison of becoming entangled in this universe, which is absolutely away from supreme consciousness, supreme God consciousness.⁴⁷ And by that upāsanā, by worshipping that bodha, by worshipping that God consciousness, which has come out from the line of those masters [who] were gracefully graced by these two feet of my Śambhunātha and his dūti, Abhinavagupta has become enlightened by that supreme bodha, and being enlightened in such a way [that] idaṁ karoti, this śāstra is being composed by him.

Abhinavagupta has not said that his [only] master was Śambhunātha and [that] his dūti was his [only] master. [Śambhunātha’s] disciples were also his masters–[Śambhunātha’s] other disciples. Śambhunātha had not only one disciple, Abhinavagupta. So, [Abhinavagupta] collected knowledge from all of [Śambhunātha’s] disciples. Abhinavagupta was unique in that way. It is why he says, "bodhānya pāśa viṣanut tad upāsanottha," all those Kula santatiḥ masters, he got information from them also, those colleagues also.

SCHOLAR: So, when he says, "bhaṭṭārikāṁ-ghri-yugalād guru-santati," it’s guru santatir . . .

SWAMIJI: Gurupāram pariyam.⁴⁸

SCHOLAR: And it arises from the lotus feet.

SWAMIJI: Yes. So, it is cent-per-cent correct that this Tantrāloka is divine [because] it has come from the mouth of all masters!

Now the seventeenth [śloka]:

THE MĀLINĪVIJAYOTTARA TANTRA (17-20)

Audio 1 - 33:20

na tadastīha yanna śrīmālinīvijayottare /

devadevena nirdiṣṭaṁ svaśabdenātha liṅgataḥ //17//

[not recited]

In this Tantrāloka, that object does not exist that does not exist in the Mālinīvijaya [tantra].⁴⁹ Whatever is in the Mālinīvijaya, that you will find in the Tantrāloka, nothing else, because the Mālinīvijaya is explained by the Lord of lords to Devī by His direct words and by His signs.

SCHOLAR: So, there is nothing here which has not been taught by the God of gods, either directly or implicitly . . .

SWAMIJI: Yes.

SCHOLAR: . . . in the Mālinīvijayottara tantra.

SWAMIJI:

Audio 1 - 34:05

daśāṣṭādaśavasvaṣṭabhinnaṁ yacchāsanaṁ vibhoḥ /

tatsāraṁ trikaśāstraṁ hi tatsāraṁ mālinīmatam //18//

[not recited]

This śāstra of Lord Śiva is classified in ninety-two tantras: ten-fold, eighteen-fold, and sixty-four-fold. And all of these ninety-two tantras are explained by Lord Śiva Himself. In ninety-two tantras, ten tantras are said to be explained in a dualistic way, and eighteen tantras are said to be explained in a mono-dualistic way, and sixty-four tantras are explained in the monistic way of Trika.⁵⁰ And the essence of these ninetytwo tantras is the Trika śāstra, the Trika śāsana. And the essence of that Trika śāstra is the Mālinīvijaya. So, there is nothing beyond the Mālinīvijaya tantra.

JOHN: That was the end of the eighteen [śloka].

SWAMIJI: Yes, the end of the eighteen [śloka].

Audio 1 - 35:32

ato’trāntargataṁ sarvaṁ saṁpradāyojjhitairbudhaiḥ /

adṛṣṭaṁ prakaṭīkurmo gurunāthājñayā vayam //19//

So, we will explain clearly what was not understood by those jñānis,⁵¹ by those paṇḍits, who were away from the saṁ- pradāya,⁵² the guru-śiṣya krama,⁵³ of their masters–who were away from that saṁpradāya, tradition. So, atrāntargatam, so, in the ninety-two tantras, whatever is in the body of the ninety-two tantras, whatever is existing, whatever tradition of thought and school and explanation is existing, that object is not found by those masters who were away from the grace of their masters. And that saṁpradāya I will clarify in this Tantrāloka by ājñā, by the command, of my master. My master has commanded me to do this. Because, without . . .

SCHOLAR: Śambhunātha.

SWAMIJI: Śambhunātha.

JOHN: That’s the end [of the] nineteenth [śloka].

SWAMIJI: End nineteenth, yes. Now the twentieth [śloka]:

Audio 1 - 37:20

abhinavaguptasya kṛtiḥ

seyaṁ yasyoditā gurubhirākhyā /

trinayanacaraṇasaroruha-

cintanalabdhaprasiddhiriti //20//

Whatever Abhinavagupta has created, whatever Abhinavagupta has explained or composed (any śāstra, any śloka), for that composition, Abhinavagupta has got, achieved, the title from his masters. His masters have bestowed [upon] him this title that, Abhinavagupta has got this kind of power to create and explain in a clear way because he is given to the contemplation of the feet of Lord Śiva. He is always contemplating on the feet of Lord Śiva, so he has achieved that power to explain things. This title was bestowed to me, Abhinavagupta, by my masters. So, I think this Tantrāloka will be really explained in its real way.

INVOCATION TO ŚAMBHUNĀTHA (21)

Audio 1 - 38:45

śrīśambhunāthabhāskara-

caraṇanipātaprabhāpagatasaṁkocam /

abhinavaguptahṛdambujam-

etadvicinuta maheśapūjanahetoḥ //21//

[not recited]

So, let this–the twenty-first [śloka]–let this lotus, one hundred petal lotus, of the heart of Abhinavagupta–this heart of Abhinavagupta, this Tantrāloka is the heart of Abhinavagupta–let this heart of Abhinavagupta be vicinuta (plucked one-by-one), plucked one-by-one by the readers. Let the readers of the Tantrāloka pluck one-by-one the lotus of this heart of Abhinavagupta, that is, the Tantrāloka. The Tantrāloka is the heart of Abhinavagupta.

SCHOLAR: Why one-by-one? Why do you say one-by-one?

SWAMIJI: Vicinuta. Vicinuta is not to pluck it [as a whole].

SCHOLAR: It means?

SWAMIJI: Just to open it, one-by-one. Because, on some plate, you have to put those [petals] for the worshipping of Lord Śiva.

SCHOLAR: You put the petals . . .

SWAMIJI: Those leaves, petals, one-by-one. One-by-one means, you must go in the depth of this thought of the Tantrāloka, in the depth of all those schools [that are discussed in the] Tantrāloka. This heart of Abhinavagupta, which is a lotus, let this lotus be vicinuta, plucked, plucked one-by-one.

SCHOLAR: To paraphrase it.

SWAMIJI: Analyze it. Analyze it separately just to worship Lord Śiva. Because this lotus of Abhinavagupta, which is the Tantrāloka, is apagata saṁkocam, is opened, has opened, is opened, has bloomed out, in the Tantrāloka by the touch of the sun of Śambhunātha.

SCHOLAR: Caraṇa, rays.

SWAMIJI: Rays, the rays of Śambhunātha (Śambhunātha was his master). Ādi vākyam, this is ādi vākya: "śambhunātha bhāskara caraṇanipāta prabhāpagata saṁkocam." This is the most important vākya⁵⁴ of Abhinavagupta.

JOHN: This śloka?

SWAMIJI: This śloka, because this [śloka] will create enthusiasm, curiosity, in people to read it. Because, by reading it, this will become worship of Lord Śiva–by reading it clearly.

SCHOLAR: So, "ādi vākyam" refers not only to this verse but to all the preceding verses?

SWAMIJI: No, this [verse] is ādi vākya.

SCHOLAR: Just the one?

SWAMIJI: Just the one.

SCHOLAR: Mahāvākyatena.⁵⁵

SWAMIJI: Mahāvākyatena, yes.

SCHOLAR: Ekamevādi vākyam.

SWAMIJI: Ekamevādi vākyam, this is only one ādi vākya.

SCHOLAR: Yes, alright. I’ve seen it.⁵⁶

JOHN: Twenty-two?

SWAMIJI: Twenty-two. From [verse] twenty-two begins the Tantrāloka, the śāstra of the Tantrāloka.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

A) THE NATURE OF IGNORANCE (22-30)

Audio 1 - 42:04

iha tāvatsamasteṣu śāstreṣu parigīyate /

ajñānaṁ saṁsṛterheturjñānaṁ mokṣaikakāraṇam //22//

In this world of spirituality, everywhere, in each and every śāstra, it is sung that ignorance is the cause of repeated births and deaths and knowledge is the cause of liberation from it. This I have not explained from my mind. It is explained by Śiva in tantra.

For this he explains this twenty-third śloka:

Audio 1 - 43:01

malamajñānamicchanti saṁsārāṅkurakāraṇam /

iti proktaṁ tathā ca śrīmālinīvijayottare //23//

[not recited in full]

Mala is ignorance. Mala is not some dirt.⁵⁷ Mala is [literally] dirt, but that dirt is ignorance, and that ignorance becomes the cause of māyīyamala and kārmamala. Malam is called āṇavamala. Āṇavamala is called ajñāna (ignorance) and that ajñāna is the cause of māyīyamala and kārmamala.⁵⁸ This is explained by Lord Śiva in the Mālinīvijayottara [tantra].⁵⁹

Audio 1 - 43:50

viśeṣaṇena buddhisthe saṁsārottarakālike /

saṁbhāvanāṁ nirasyaitadabhāve mokṣamabravīt //24//

Lord Śiva has explained, told, that mokṣa (liberation) will only come into being, into existence, by the depriving of the ajñāna (ignorance) of puruṣa.⁶⁰ [Now], this ajñāna has got two qualifications, this ignorance has got two qualifications: one ignorance is attached to the intellect⁶¹ and another ignorance is attached to puruṣa (being).⁶² But if we would say that that ajñāna, [which is explained] there in Mālinīvijaya, [if it] is explained as that ignorance which is attached to the intellect, [then] that cannot be [said to be the cause of puruṣa’s bondage] because the intellect has come out into existence after the world was created. When the world was created, after the creation of the world, the intellect took place, the intellect was created. How, by removing the intellectual ignorance, can you get liberation? There is still saṁsāra yet.

SCHOLAR: When you say that it is created after saṁsāra . . .

SWAMIJI: It is created after saṁsāra.

SCHOLAR: . . . you don’t mean in the sense of time but in the sense of that āṇavamala, nirvikalpa [thoughtless-ness], precedes ideation always.

SWAMIJI: Yes, after āṇavamala it was created; the intellect was created after saṁsāra. So, how can that intellectual knowledge be the cause of the removal of ignorance? Because [the intellect] is saṁsāra uttara kālike, it has come into existence after saṁsāra was created.⁶³

SCHOLAR: It presupposes saṁsāra.

SWAMIJI: Yes. So, saṁbhāvanāṁ nirasya, this saṁ-

bhāvanā⁶⁴ you should put away, you should cast this saṁbhāvanā aside. Etat abhāve [means], pauruṣa ajñāna abhāve, when pauruṣa ajñāna⁶⁵ is destroyed, mokṣam abravīt, mokṣa⁶⁶ is likely to happen.

JOHN: It is not certain that mokṣa will happen, it’s only likely.

SWAMIJI: No, no, it is certain. Abravīt, He has told that mokṣa will take place, not likely [take place].

Audio 1 - 46:38

ajñānamiti na jñānābhāvaścātiprasaṅgataḥ /

sa hi loṣṭādike’pyasti na ca tasyāsti saṁsṛtiḥ //25//

[not recited in full]

But ignorance is not the complete absence of knowledge. The complete absence of knowledge is not [what is meant by] ignorance here.

SCHOLAR: It is not a merely negative thing.

SWAMIJI: It is not the complete absence of knowledge [because] there is some knowledge. In ignorance, there is some knowledge, but not complete ignorance. Ajñānamiti na jñānābhāva, the complete negation of knowledge is not ignorance here because ati prasaṅgataḥ, if we accept that ignorance is the complete negation of knowledge, there will be ati prasaṅga⁶⁷ . . .

SCHOLAR: Lack of specificity.

SWAMIJI: . . . because sa hi loṣṭādike api asti, that kind of ignorance you would find in rocks also. Na ca tasyāsti saṁsṛtiḥ, but rocks have no saṁsāra, they are not moving in the wheel of repeated births and deaths. The mover who moves in repeated births and deaths is only puruṣa, not these rocks and earth. Earth has no saṁsāra, rocks have no saṁsāra, only being, that individual being, has saṁsāra. And so the individual being has that knowledge which is incomplete knowledge. So, ajñāna (ignorance) is that incomplete knowledge, ajñāna is not the negation of knowledge.

Number twenty-six [śloka]:

Audio 1 - 48:28

ato jñeyasya tattvasya sāmastyenāprathātmakam /

jñānameva tadajñānaṁ śivasūtreṣu bhāṣitam //26//

[not recited]

So, in the Śiva Sūtras also, it is explained that that ignorance is knowledge but [knowledge] in differentiated form. Jñeyasya tattvasya, when the reality of the worth-knowing object . . .

The worth-knowing object is Lord Śiva; jñeyasya tattvasya, worth-knowing, what is to be known, that is Lord Śiva.

SCHOLAR: Not "nīlasukhādi jñeyasya"?⁶⁸

SWAMIJI: Yes, that is also [applicable]. Whatever you find in this universe (nīla sukhādi, all this objective world), that objective world is really the nature of Lord Śiva.

. . . so when this objective world, [when] you don’t feel the nature of Lord Śiva in this objective world (sāmastyena āprathātmakam, when you don’t feel Lord Śiva’s formation in this objective world), that kind of knowledge is called ignorance. And it is said in the Śiva Sūtras.

Audio 1 - 49:44

caitanyamātmā jñānaṁ ca bandha ityatra sūtrayoḥ /

saṁśleṣetarayogābhyāmayamarthaḥ pradarśitaḥ //27//

This very point is explained in the first two sūtras of the Śiva Sūtras: "caitanyamātmā (verse 1.1) and jñānam bandha" (verse 1.2). Caitanyam ātmā, consciousness is the Self. Jñānam bandha, perception is bondage. In these two sūtras, by saṁśleṣa and itara, by combining them together or keeping them separately, these sūtras, they point out the same explanation: consciousness is the Self and perception is bondage. What kind of perception is bondage? That he will explain. And non-perception is bondage, too. If you keep these two sūtras combined, then [it means], consciousness is the Self and non-perception is bondage. If you keep these two sūtras separately, then [it means], consciousness is the Self and perception is bondage (when it will [read] "jñānam bandha). If [they are] combined, then it will be ajñānaṁ bandha."⁶⁹

Now he explains the same in the twenty-eighth, twentyninth, and thirtieth ślokas:

Audio 1 - 51:30

caitanyamiti bhāvāntaḥ śabdaḥ svātantryamātrakam /

anākṣiptaviśeṣaṁ sadāha sūtre purātane //28//

dvitīyena tu sūtreṇa kriyāṁ vā karaṇaṁ ca vā /

bruvatā tasya cinmātrarūpasya dvaitamucyate //29//

[not recited]

Caitanyam,⁷⁰ this [word] caitanyam is bhāvāntaḥ śabda.⁷¹ "Cetanā" is not bhāvān śabda.⁷² Cetanasya bhāvaḥ caitanyam.

SCHOLAR: So it’s an abstract noun.

SWAMIJI: Yes. Because, the existing reality of consciousness is caitanya–the existing reality–that is, bhāvāntaḥ śabda. This bhāvāntaḥ śabda explains to you only svātantrya mātrakam, only svātantrya, only absolute independence, without touching all the other aspects of the Lord, for instance, all-pervading-ness, all-knowledge, etc.⁷³ Anākṣipta viśeṣaṁ, and this is explained in that ancient sūtra.⁷⁴ And the next sūtra also there, "jñānaṁ bandha," explains that cinmātra rūpaḥ⁷⁵ has two aspects of action: one is kriyā and the other is karaṇa. Kriyā means, perception (perception is jñāna) and [that] by which you perceive [i.e., karaṇa], that is [also] jñāna. By which you perceive, that is the objective world. When your perception is adjusted to the objective world, that perception is also bondage. That perception is also bondage and [that] by which you perceive is bondage. So, differentiated knowledge is explained in this way [with respect] to that conscious Being.

Now the thirtieth [śloka]:

Audio 1 - 53:32

dvaitaprathā tadajñānaṁ tucchatvādbandha ucyate /

tata eva samucchedyamityāvṛttyā nirūpitam //30//

[not recited]

And that dvaita prathā, that differentiated perception, is ajñāna (ignorance), and it is tucchatvāt (tucchatvāt means, it is to be discarded).

SCHOLAR: It is worthless.

SWAMIJI: Worthless. So, [differentiated knowledge] is to be discarded, and this is explained by the repetition of these [two] sūtras again, twice repetition.⁷⁶

B) THE NATURE OF LIBERATION – MOKṢA (31-35)

Now the thirty-first [śloka]:

Audio 2 - 0:02

svatantrātmātiriktastu tuccho’tuccho’pi kaścana /

na mokṣo nāma tannāsya pṛthaṅnāmāpi gṛhyate //31//

Now, he explains in this śloka, the thirty-first śloka, what is really liberation (mokṣa). Mokṣa, he explains, mokṣa is only svatantrātma, when your being becomes absolutely independent from all sides. That is mokṣa, that is liberation, then you are liberated. Without that absolute independence, whatever is existing in this world, if it is tuccha or if it is atuccha, if it is empty (worthless) or if it is worthy, . . .

JOHN: Valuable.

SWAMIJI: . . . whatever it is, that is not mokṣa. So, there is nothing separately explained as mokṣa except svatantrātma.

The thirty-second [śloka]:

Audio 2 - 01:23

yattu jñeyasatattvasya pūrṇapūrṇaprathātmakam /

taduttarottaraṁ jñānaṁ tattatsaṁsāraśāntidam //32//

The essence that we have to perceive [of that which is] worth perceiving, that essence [of that] which is to be perceived (that is, Lord Śiva), and that perception, as long as it becomes full by-and-by, in succession, as much as it is full, you are near mokṣa. If it is not full, if it is incomplete, you are away from mokṣa. So, that [incomplete] fullness is differentiated fullness. For some masters of some other schools, they consider that full, but in other systems it is not, it is incomplete. So that complete fullness lies only in Shaivism, although they⁷⁷ are liberated from that saṁsāra of their own (tattat saṁsāra śāntidam⁷⁸).

Now he explains the same in the thirty-third śloka:

Audio 2 - 03:01

rāgādyakaluṣo’smyantaḥśūnyo’haṁ kartṛtojjhitaḥ /

itthaṁ samāsavyāsābhyāṁ jñānaṁ muñcati tāvataḥ //33//

[not recited]

Some masters of [other] schools say that, "rāgādi akuluṣo asmi," the reality of the Self is [realized] when you are absolutely away from the bondage of rāga (attachment), kāma (desire), krodha (wrath), etcetera (rāgādi akaluṣo