Jugando un Hoyo

Sadariva and the answerer is Siva.

11. Antarala sambandha is th a t in which the questioner is A nanta- b h a |ta ra k a an d the answerer is Sadasiva.

Ex p o s i t i o n

T h ere are four im portant points in the long com m entary o f A.G. on this verse, viz. (1) W hat does the dialogue between the Devi an d Bhairava actually m ean ? (2) T he connotation of Anuttara,

(3) W h at is kaulika-siddhi ?, (4) T he concept of khecari-samatd. W e m ay take up these points one by one.

1. W hat does the dialogue between the Devi an d B hairava mean? ‘Devi uvaca9 means, ‘T he Devi said’ i.e. p u t a question, and Bhairava uvaca means ‘B hairava answered*. Does this refer to some rem ote past in which there was a dialogue between the Devi and Bhairava? W hat does the past tense connote? W ho is th e Devi? W ho is Bhairava?

A.G. says, “ Paraiva ca sarjivit ‘Devi* ityutyatc”. T h e Devi is none other th a n the Suprem e Divine Consciousness which is not an abstract idea but living, throbbing Conscious Power, or Energy (P arasakti), the Suprem e V erbum (P aravak), constantly pulsat­ ing as ‘I* (aharp, vimarfa). A nd the question is nothing but Self­ reflection. As A.G. puts it, “Tatpaiyanti-madhyamalmikd svdtmdnam eva vastutah parasarjividatmakarji vim tfati” T he Devi while app ear­ ing as paJyanti and madhyamd knows Herself to be the Suprem e Consciousness.

W ho is the questioner? A.G. reveals the following an sw er: “ Aham evasdparavagdevi-rupaivasarva-vdcyavdcakavibhaktatayd evam uvdca.” “ I myself as the same Suprem e Divine Speech-power undifferentiat­ ed from all words (vdcaka) and their referents (vd<ya) spoke thus.”

48 Para.- Trtiikd- Vivarana A.G. says: Zspam paramdrthamayatvat parameivarasya cittattvasya, yadeva avibhdgena antawastu sphuritarji, tadeva paiyantibhuvi vama- pada-vdkya-vibhajayisaya paramrstarji, madhyamdpade ca bhedena sthitaTfi oastupUrvakarfi sampannarp. yavat vaikharyantarji lanuttaram kalhaijC ityadi bhinm-mdyiya-varna-pada-vdkya-racandntarji.

“ So, the inner content i.e. question-answer which appears in the consciousness of the highest Lord in an undifferentiated way because o f its being the highest truth, is thought of, in the pafyanti stage, with a desire to p ut it in the apportionm ent of letter, word and sentence, is posited, with a sense of separateness in the madhyamd stage, an d is finally expressed, in oaikhari stage, in mdyiya form i.e. in gross speech consisting of letter, word an d sentence.”

At the pard or highest stage, there is neither question nor answer. T here is simply T ru th . I t is only when it is to be revealed th at it assumes the form of question and answer and is expressed in words.

Finally, A.G. sums up the issue in the following words: Etava- deva abra tdtparyam— svatmd sarvabhavasvabhdvah svayarjiprakdfamdnah svdtmdnam eva svdtmdvibhinnena praJnaprativacanena prastf-pratioaktr- svdtmamayena ahantayd camatkurvan oimrfati.

“ This is all w hat is m eant to be said here. Self who is the n atu ral state of all existents, who is self-luminous, am using H im ­ self with question-answer which is not different from Himself, and in which both the questioner (as Devi) and the answerer

(as Bhairava) are only Himself, enjoys self-reflection.”

So the divine dialogue is, in the ultim ate analysis, a spiritual monologue, a sort o f self-reflection, self-recollection.

This also solves the enigm a of the past tense. At the pard or supreme level, there is the eternal T ru th which is timeless. So there is neither question nor answer, neither past nor present, nor future. I t is only Reality shining in its own light. Reality, not static, b u t dynam ic, pouring itself out (prasara, visarga) in m ani­ festation, throbbing w ith self-expression. I t is only when the T ru th of the pard level is to be described or revealed th a t it descends to the paiyanti level, embodies itself in the form of the Devi, and the divine dialogue starts. So ‘uvdca5 or reference to the past is logical, not chronological.

A.G. has explained the concept o f anuttara in sixteen ways from different points of view. In his Laghuvrtti, A.G. gives the gist o f the connotation o f anuttara which covers all points o f view. “Uttar am utkfftam uparivarti, tacca jatfdpekfayd grdhakardpam. Tasya tu ciddtmanah svaprakdtasya na grdhakdntaram astlti anuttaratvam. Tena anuttararji sarjividrupam sadd sarvatrdvabhdsitarji pUrvdparadeia- kdlaoihinam anapahnvaniyam” (L.V., pp. 1-2).

“ Uttaram m eans higher, superior. In comparison to the insen­ tient, it is the subject or experient. H ence uttaram means higher, superior. Since, o f the self-luminous Consciousness, there is no other experient, since it is the universal Experient, therefore, is it anuttara. Therefore, anuttara is the supreme Consciousness, eternal, om nipresent, beyond time an d space, undeniable R eality.”

3. Kaulika-siddhi:

A.G. interprets kaulika-siddhi from two points o f view, th e extroversive an d the introversive.

From the extroversive point o f view, kaulika-siddhi means ‘kuldt dgatd siddhih\ i.e. achievem ent of definite experience o f objects like ja r, a piece o f cloth, etc., derived from kula. ‘Aw/a’ means 'prdnadchddiK prdna, body etc. So *kaulikasiddhidarji* means prdnadehddeh dgatd siddhih bhedaprdndndrji nilasukhddindrji nUcayarupd tdrji daddti iti, i.e. th a t which brings about definite an d certain objective experience like blue an d subjective experience like pleasure, through prdna, manas9 body etc. (to the em pirical experient). Does the m ind-body complex bring ab o u t this experience by itself? No, the m ind-body complex is only the m edium . I t is anuttara9 the unsurpassable R eality th a t brings it about through the m edium o f m ind-body. “ Sarirddayo hi jhagiti anuttara-dhruva-visarga-virydvetena akdlakalitena prdnddimadhyamo- sopdndrohenaiva bhdvdndrji tathdtvanticaya-rupdiji siddhirji vidadhate.” Indeed it is the body, m ind, etc. which through the penetration in them of the energy of Siva and Sakti, the energy th a t is beyond th e sphere of time, th at m ounts the interm ediate stair o f prdna etc., th at brings about the success in the form of the definite perception of the existing entities.”

So kaulika-siddhi is definite perception through the m edium o f kula or m ind-body complex, brought abo ut by anuttara.

From the introversive point of view i.e. from the point of view

50 Parâ-TrUikà-Viuarana of the return m ovement, kaulika-siddhi means the following: *kula* m eans the totality of gross, subtle, and subtlest manifestation. This is only congealment of the Suprem e Consciousness. 4Kule bhava kauliki siddhih’ i.e. it is th t siddhi pertaining to the total com­ plex of gross, subtle manifestation. Siddhi here means 44tathdlva- dârdhyarp, p aridity a ànandarûparji-hrdayasvabhàva-parasaTjiüidàtmaka- fivavimariatâdàtmyarp, târfi siddhirji dadâti.”

44 Siddhi or achievem ent is the acquisition of bliss by turn ing round to have a firm hold on th a t very principle, i.e., the Light o f Universal Consciousness; in other words, identity w ith the perfect I-feeling of Siva who is the highest Consciousness and whose natu re is spanda or the eternal expression o f His delight in m ani­ festation.M It is anuttara which brings about such achievement.

4. T h e concept of khecari-samatd :

T h e m ain objective of Devi’s question is khecari-samatâ. This is the focal point round which the entire dialogue between the Devi an d Bhairava revolves.

This is a com pound word, th e components o f which are ( 1 ) khecari and (2) samatd. W e have, therefore, to understand the connotation o f these two words. Let us, first of all, take up the w ord khecari. <Khen is the locative case of kha which means sky, void, or brahman. In this context, it means 4brahman* (the Absolute) an d cari means th at which moves about. As A.G. puts it, “Khe brahmani abhedarüpe sthitoâ carati iti khecari,” 44khecari is th at which, while stationed in brahman or the Absolute in indistinguish­ able unity, moves ab out.” In other woras, khecari is th e dynam ic divine consciousness. I t is this divine Consciousness-Power th a t in manifestation appears in the form of the em pirical experient, when she is known as vyomacari, in the form of the psychic apparatus, when she is known as gocari, in the form of th e outer senses, when she is known as dikcari, in the form of th e objective existents, when she is known as bhücari.

At the empirical level, every experience, whether it is a m atter o f perception such as sound, form, savour, etc., or a subjective state of m ind, such as kâma (passionate longing) or krodha (w rath) appears as distinct in its own right, having nothing to do w ith th e Universal Consciousness. W hen it is viewed in this light, i.e., as something in its own right, clam ouring imperiously for its

Abhinavagupta 51 gratification then it is khecari-vaifamya i.e. contrary to the actual n atu re of khecari.

W hen, however, all perceptions and subjective states of m ind like kdma and krodha are regarded only as an expression o f khecari or th e Divine Consciousness, when they are viewed subspecie aetemitatis, then even these states throw back the m ind of the aspirant in the sweet em brace o f the D ivine; then they serve only as liaison between the hum an an d divine consciousness.

As A.G. puts it, “Saiva khecari kama-krodhddirQpatayd vaifamyena lakjyate; tasydh samatdsarvatraiva paripurna-bhairavasvabhdvat.”

“ W hen kdma and krodha are viewed only as aberration of the m ind, then they constitute khecari-vaisamya or heterogeneity of khecari. T h e samatd or homogeneousness of khecari consists in viewing every object an d state as the n atu re of integral Bhairava.

Again “ svarupdparijndnamayatadoaijamya-nivrttau maldbhavat krodha- mohadivfttayo hi paripurna-bhagavadbhairaoabhattdrakasaTjividdtmikd eva” “ T h e uaijamya or disparateness of khecari is due to the ignorance of the essential n ature of anuttara or th e Absolute. W hen this ignorance is removed, then all limitations of the empirical con­ sciousness disappear and w ith the disappearance of these limita­ tions, even krodha, moha etc., appear as of the nature of the perfect divine Bhairava-consciousness.,,

By khecari-samata, the aspirant feels divine Presence everywhere, in every object, in every state, even in passion and w rath. I t is an attitu de which has to be constantly m aintained. His whole outlook on life is changed.

In this context, A.G. examines the question of sex. Sex is usually considered to be only a biological phenom enon, only an anim al instinct having nothing to do w ith the Divine, and is looked down upon w ith monkish disdain. A.G. turns his tdntric microscope upon the problem and examines it with shattering candidness. According to him, sex is only a microcosmic aspect o f a macrocosmic divine creative energy. T he thrill of sex is only a pale reproduction of the thrill of this divine creative energy. T he divine creative energy radiates from the union of Siva and Sakti. I t has to be borne in m ind th at Siva and Sakti are not two separate realities, but only aspects, the prakdla and vimaria aspect o f one Reality, and their union is a sort of herm aphroditic or androgynous union.

52 Pará-TrÜikd- Vivar ana In the m am m alian kingdom, energy is stored in the central channel of the spinal column which is the generating, storing as well as the distributing centre. According to A.G. whatever is taken in, whether in the form o f food or perception (e.g. sound, visual awareness of form, savour, contact, etc.) is converted first in the central channel in the form of ojas (vital energy); then this ojas is converted into seminal energy (pitya) which perm eates the whole body. All reproductive and creative func­ tions are performed by this energy, W hether it is the enjoym ent o f good food, beautiful scenery, sweet music, entrancing poem, the em brace of a dear one, everywhere it is this energy th a t is at play. I t is the representative o f the divine energy (khecari) on the physical plane. Even passion, anger, grief, owe their life to th at divine energy. W hen th at energy is used as a distinct form of m ere physical, chemical, biological or psychic energy, then it is khecari-oai§amya, the heterogeneity, the disparateness o f khecari. W hen everything is viewed and used as a form of divine energy, as

A motion and spirit th at impels

All thinking things, all objects of all thoughts A nd rolls through all things

then it is khecari-sdmya; then it is the homogeneousness o f khecari. This khecari-sdmya leads to liberation, liberation from the octopus­ like hold o f the sensuous life.

“ Khecari-sdmyameva moksah. Tat ca anuttara-svarupaparijndnameoa satatoditarfi paramcSvarydh Hvdtmani sarjigha((asamdpattya ubhayauimar- fadnandarudhi.”

“ Homogeneousness of the khecari-Sakti constitutes liberation. This homogeneousness o f the khecari-iakti is due to the awareness of the essential nature of the anuttara which is constantly present and which arises from the bliss of the recognition o f the com ple­ tion of the union of the divine Sakti w ith Siva.” I t is not simply the knowledge of energy qua energy th at brings about liberation, b u t the constant awareness of the energy in close em brace with the Divine th a t brings about the miracle.

“Anumdtramapi avikaldnuttara-svarupdparijndnameva cittavfttindrp vaisamyarp. Sa eoa ca satpsarah.”

Abhinavagupta 53 “ Even an iota o f the ignorance of the n atu re o f th e integral armttara am ounts to a contrary state of th e m ind. I t is this con­ trary state th a t constitutes transm igratory existence.’*

How does khecari-sdmya bring about liberation? T h e answer is “ by transform ation of the m ind .” Khecari-sdmya does not m ean locking oneself up in a room an d m editating for a few minutes. I t m eans awareness of the Divine every m inute in the hum -drum routine of life. W hen the divine Presence is felt constantly w hether one is eating, drinking, sleeping or looking into office files, when the whole life becomes yoga, then is it khecari-samya. T hen the m ind of the aspirant is completely transformed. Khecari-sdmya is th a t wonderful alchemy which transm utes the gross psychic elem ent o f the aspirant into the solid gold of divine consciousness. T here ensues the m iracle o f the dissolution of the hum an con­ sciousness into the divine consciousness. Thenceforth, it is not h e th a t lives, b u t it is his L ord th a t lives in him. In his L.V ., A.G. interprets khecari-samatd as avikalpatmiji, purnatvarji an d deoi- rUpatvam} as consciousness free of thought-construct, integral an d divine.

Te x t

ETA D G U H Y A M MAHAGUHYAIyl KATHAYASVA M AM A PRA BH O

Tr a n s l a t i o n

“ TelJ m e this secret, this greatest secret, O L ord who are m y very Self (mama jn a)” or: “ Tell m e (kathayasva) , O my L ord (mama prabho) this tru th which, though largely unhidden (mahd aguhyarfi), yet remains a secret.”

Co m m e n t a r y

Te x t

From guhyarji aprakafatvdt on p. 18, 1. 5 upto tasya dmantranamdt- mana eva on page 20,1. 19.

Tr a n s l a t i o n

This is a secret mystery, because of its not being evident for though it abides in guhd (cavern) or mdyd in which the essential natu re remains unknown, it is not evident.1 M oreover, it is

54 Pard-TriSikd-Vivarana largely unhidden, for it is known to everyone as the source of delight. (In its ultim ate analysis), it is the goddess iuddhamdyd2 herself who abides undivided in the different states of knower (subject), knowledge, and knowable (object). T he three-corner­ ed one,3 however, becomes in the state o f mdyd, percipient of differentiation which is excessively reflected therein. Mdyd also, being the source o f the em anation of the universe, is actually divine knowledge (iuddhamdyd or iivavidya) itself. Therefore, according to the principle enunciated, this iuddhamdyd or divine knowledge, when not known in this aspect, is called mahdguha4 (the great cavern), because o f her being three-cornered in the form of knower etc. (that appear as different) on account of her exalted state o f nondifferentiation being concealed from view. In the T rika Sastra,6 she alone (viz. iuddhavidya mdyd) is, actually the object o f worship as the three-cornered divinity.

I t has been (rightly) said:

“ She is the three-cornered great spiritual tru th (mahd-vidya) of the three aspects (Siva, Sakti an d nara), the abode of all joy

(whether external or cidananda), the substratum of universal ex­ pansion i.e. both subjective and objective (visargapadarji), T h ere­ fore, she should be worshipped in all the aspects o f pramdtd

(knower), pramdna (knowledge an d means of knowledge) an d prameya (objects of knowledge). Similarly, “ T h e one divine Light who permeates in pramdna, prameya (artha) and pramdtd never sets i.e. is ever present.”

Now in this great cavern o f Mdyd whose heart is full of pure divine wisdom (iuddhamdyd) which is the vast creative movement, the origin o f the emergence o f the entire universe, the return m ovem ent in the form of ma-ha-a th a t occurs by its own inherent dynam ism o f delight is, indeed, a great secret. By means of this secret it is intended to indicate th at there is a return m ovem ent from objective manifestation indicated by ‘ma* (nara) and ‘Aa* (iakti) towards the essential nature (of the Self) which ends in the repose of Self-consciousness which signifies divine Freedom or in other words uninterrupted Bhairava-Consciousness indica­ ted by V . O f manifestation, the delightful form of the energy o f the natural, innate mantra known as pard vdk (the Suprem e divine utterance) is I (aharji). As has been said:

Abhinavagupta 55 to be I-consciousness.” (APS 22) i.e. the real I-feeling is th a t in which in the process of withdraw al, all external objects like ja r, cloths etc., being w ithdraw n from their manifoldness come to rest or final repose in their essential, uninterrupted anuttara aspect. This anuttara aspect is the real I-feeling (aharji-bhdoa).

This is a secret, a great mystery.

In the process of expansion, the changeless, unsurpassable, eternal, reposeful venerable Bhairava, is of the form V which is the natural, prim al sound, the life o f the entire range o f letter- energies (sakalakaldjala-jivanabhdtah) . H e in the process of ex­ pansion assumes the (ha’ form (the symbol o f Sakti), for expansion

(visarga) is of the form of ‘Aa* i.e. K undalinl6 Sakti, and then he expands into a dot symbolizing objective phenom ena (nara rdpena) and indicative of the identity of the entire expansion o f S akti7 (i.e. the entire m anifestation) with Bhairava. (Thus the expansion is in the form of aharji or I. After this A.G. describes th e retu rn movem ent of manifestation in the form o f ma-ha-a): Similarly, the lowest p a rt or the last phase of objective m ani­ festation (iji or nara) with its three powers8 whose life consists of the trident of the pard, pardpard and apard takti, in its return m ovem ent through its union (viflejana) with th a t visarga, viz. ‘ha’ iakti, gets its entree into anuttara, i.e. V which is the funda­ m ental unalterable stage. This will be clarified proximateiy. T hus there is a-ha-m in expansion and ma-ha-a in w ithdraw al or return movement.

(A.G. now sums up the mystery of mahaguhya:)

In the ma-ha (mahe i.e. in the great R eality) w hich is the highest bliss as described earlier, th at which is V according to the previously described principle, th a t ‘a’ is the mysterious secret. This is the great secret, this is the source of the emergence of the universe. Also by the delight em anating from the union o f the two (viz. Siva and S akti), it is clearly manifest (aguhya) inasm uch as it is the delight of all.9

(Now A.G. interprets sva mama prabho:)

‘Sva mama* means ‘m y very self’. ‘Prabho’ is a form of address an d means, by bringing about such wonderful manifoldness, you are indeed capable of appearing in any form. A form of address connotes the face-to-face presence of the addressed one tow ards the addressor or his identity w ith him. So, it has a

56 Pard-Trifikd- Vivar ana greater connotation than an ordinary noun. As has been said,

“ An address has a greater connotation than a m ere nou n.” I have conclusively proved it in my ‘Sri Purvapaflcika*.10

*Etat kathaya’ or ‘tell me this* means th a t though this tru th is undifferentiated in the form of the Prim al Creative Sound (pardvdk), yet kindly p u t it in a series of well-knit sentences in the stage of paJyanti, etc. As has been said earlier,

“ T he Lord Him self assuming the role of teacher as Siva and disciple as SadaSiva etc.”

I t has been decisively shown earlier th a t there is identity bet­ ween venerable pard and paJyanti etc.

T h e word ‘mine* indicates an object (tdaqibhdva) related to an individual subject {pratyagdtma-sambandhitvasya). T he secret th a t is im plicit in this relation is th at ‘m-ha-a* is really speaking