Metodología

Ye~am etc. uptD yukta-celasa~. Those, in whom the darkness (ignorance) has totally vanished, and the Self is well secure'd due to the decaying of the good and bad effects of actions - they break off the canopy of their [~astle of the] mighty delusion and realise everything as the Brahman studded (purified) with the rays of the J3hagavat, emerging out of the darkness of Did age and death; and realise 'what governs the Self, the beings, the deities and the sacifices are an My own differen t aspects.' They also experience Me at the time of their journey, on account of their having internal organ permanently immersed in the thought of the Bhagavat39• For, those who remember the Bhagavat even earlier, siJlce their birth - they at the last moment would very well remember the Absolute Lord. [Hence] it is gaod to simply keep silent with regard 1'0 those who opine 'Whatis the use of worshiping since [the time of] .birth?' (28-30)

. MAY THERE BE PROSPERITY:

He.re, is the CatcJt.;.versc..:

VII] translation 151 The distinctly cultivated devotion towards the Bhagavat is the very kalpa (wish-fulfilling) creeper. For, it would fulfilI40

the desire (of the seeker], suitable to the desire of exertion for attainment [of emancipation].

Thus ends the SEVENTH CHAPTER in the Holy GitCirthasangraha written by the revered Riijifnaka Abhinavagupta, the best of the illustrious

great preceptors of the Miibesvaras.

Notes

l. ActiO/f: See Ago's gloss on vijnana. under VI, 8. above. Cf ..

_ 0' • .( •

rq-~Cl'li ~ •.•.•• 1>ankara under

ro.

II, 5.

2. The knowables .•...• action, Kriya seems to denc-te the Spandatattva of the lSvara. According to the Spanda theory all beings in the unive~se are the manifestations of the Lord's kriya and jl1ana iaktis.

Cf. also

Cf~

fu:

~~(fl<rt ~RmT ;:;\'M'<\TWITI

~r.f

f.I;<n"l' ~

Gfrerm :;ftq-;:f

^liCf;q: II - IPK,

I,

i,4.

3. Siddhi is taken to mean 'determined knowiedge', bearing in mind

~ll<i

mrlf

liT (VII, 1). Cf. the expressions <ff4TGrllml1fTl'<IT ~:

and also

~!i~m-I%::

as opposed to ffi6~~:rr<r:.

4. This rendering is made in view of the reading ~S<r;:<n+i,.

See below.

5. The prakfli theory: I.e., the theory of Prakflipari(lama, according to which the universe is the modification of a single basic material called Prakrti. This is the theory upheld by the Slinkhyas. According to this, both Purusa and Prakrti are two different categories; of them the Prakrti modifies itself as' the universe. consisting of the Mahat down to the Barth. This theory is not acceptable to the Kashmir Saivites who uphold the theory of Saiva Absolutism according to which the same Siva manifests (lIbhlisa) both as Puru~a and the Pra-krti, which are therefore not different from one another. Yet, the f~rmer, because it is sentient, is referred to be superior to the other, Ag. reads this theory in these Gitii verses.

It may be noted that Ag. could read the above theory of identity of purusa and Prakrtihere, provided he had a text like

'3l'1t<r-fiHftS"!;:~!ll:or something like that. Abhinavagupta's wording ~ ~qcq'

srrccfl etc., indicates that he had such a reading with him, as against

<l{q~<!fu(l1;(q;:'lf found in the Vulgate and accepted by Ramaka,?!ha and Anandavardhana also. However it is to be noted that the former concludes that the division of Prakrti into superior and inferior ones, and into the sentient and non-sentlent ones is only due to Illusion, (+rl'l!!'f~!fuGq~JCRi:t~'$~ ~

5l~T).

See also our note under VII, 6-7 below.

6. Here Ag. gives the basic principle of the problem of creation according to the Kashmir school of Saivism. According to this theory, the entire universe is the manifestation of the Lord's nature i.e., Prakrti which is not different from Him, and which is His power of producing wonder (camatkara). The Lord is taken to be the creator of the universe, only because He manifests as such, The present passage may better be appreciated if it is read along with Ag. 's following verses, occurring elsewhere;

l\q:Illf~ '1'["l<H:'>!T;r!~~I1If;r I 111m~~Ft~q'!fq~~' '(QOj!'(N '!f 11 fErll~Gl1\H:~\Cf.ih[[;;rn:.f[111~~;;<;[+lf?r\

<l{l'<!t01.l' '!fmflSN f'!11~!~lm '"l<r~GGII -PS,12-13.

"

Also see Yogarajas commentary thereunder.

7. This womb: I.e. the naturo, described in the last stanza as 'by which this world is maintained.' This supports Ag.'s interpretation of the last verse according to which a single tat/va (i.e. ParamaSiva) becomes both the perceivable and the perceiver. Of course Sankara Bhaskara, Rk., etc., take' this' of 'this womb' as denoting both the inferior and superior natures. Yet, though that is also grammati-cally possible, 'this' may more naturally denote 'the superior nature', mentioned just immediately before, or the nature which is not different from the one becoming eight-fold itoJ:llsand which has become the individual Soul. Hence, Ag.'s reading, we have above suggested, may not be an altogether imprObable one.

8. Place them etc.; 1.e•• 'Enjoy them.' According to the Kashmir Saiva system, the enjoyment of object, by practicing the idea of iden-tity between the eojoyer and the enjoyed. is not a hindl'ance, but a means to reaJise the Supreme.

9. Oritmay mean: I.e., by constl'uing. iiRl:lR<i with what follows next.

VIi]

Translation

153

10. Best hymn: Pra,!ava (pra 'the best'; ''!u' 'to praise') means lit. 'the best hymn of praise.'

11. Union and partition: Usually the sound is classified three-fold as:

<3:<IT<r'5i: 'the sound born of the union of two things'; ~"[~:

'the sound born of the partition of two units'; l!!<ii~"': 'the sound born of another previous sound.'

12. Anahota, lit 'unbeaten' denotes that sound which is never beaten i.e"

never perishes and which is not born from beating [such as. of a stick on a drum] etc., I,e, not born of samyogo. This is said to be the basic inarticulated sound that is common to di!felent syllables, Cf.

'f-1it 'f['\R+riI' 'fof: ~1{C{otf<r"Tq"l~I

ffiS'f~firiiliiqc'lT<\"fT~ ~~~ii: \I - TA. VI,217.

This basic sound is usually described in the Pural)as as having been bom in the cave of the Brahrna (personal god), as being heard only by those who have controlled their mind and as being the basis for aU syllabic sounds. Cf.

l:TllTj%:q[cl1<1T~ ~r: ~fW1: I 1?;;;:[1lifl!!f~~o;rr;:'r

1tfuU~[fu:"T~<RI1

Q~S~ l:Tl1rl<1rll'I1~;;;il:'T'lT;r;;;: \I

-The Bhllgavata PUra(la as quoted in the Sabdakalpadruma, s.v. nllda.

13. This incomplete quotation of some unknown source, is general in nature and has nothing in particular regarding the smell in the earth. However it SUPPOlts Ago's contention that the foulness of smell is due to the contamination of the fire-element.

14. The Will etc. Here Ag. gives a dose of the Kashmir Saiva concept of the Sakti. He takes kama in the sense of IceM Sakti, one of the forms of the universal Sakti which manifests in three stages viz ••

para, para para and apara. In the filSt stage, Sakti is said to be in the form of sac-cid·ananda or Being - Consciousness - Bliss, and the Iccha, Jiiana and Kriya Saktis exist in total identity with Cid and Ananda. No experience is possible in the absence of the Para Sakti.

In the second or the para para stage the Iccha-Sakti fully mani-fests, followed by the manifestation of Cit-Sakti (Self-Consciousness) and Xnanda. They are the functions of the Para Sakti and are of the nature of Cit (Self Consciousness), Here they have nothing to do with sensuous pleasure.

From this stage ames the aunmukhya, (the first nicker of the Will) ieading tQ the third or the apara stage where the JOana and Kriya Saktis (powers of knowiedge and action) are fully manifest.

These three stages are believed to exist in between the highest stdle of realisation and tbe state of mundane existence. We in tbe mundane existence are in the third stage and in order to achieve reali-astion we sbould concentrate our mind on tbe second or parCipara stage. This (is what) seems to have been prescribed in the Sivopaniead passage quoted by Abhinavagupta in the sequel.

15. The foIlowlng quotation is the first half of a verse (98) in the well known Salva work caIled Vijnlillabllairava. From Ag.'s remark it appears that the said work bad also the namc Sivopalliead. The second half of the verse reads:

:mc~;g:'lFf~reF:[~~~i'\ii'f~ \

The commentator K~emaraja, Ag.'s pupil, comments on it as :

~8F1t "lfCil113!l<iTll., 3{:q'<IT ~ OlTij

~Rr

~~ ~<r 3{~~ ~ ~llT

~;:if.r~~;

^~1f CRJIT~~<f 11~ •••

. . . ~T~TCRq<rT<rm'lir~I1Tcf.t>.f+J,It

16. Not sprJad olltsideI I.e., berore aunmukhya arises as we have seen earlier.

,17. The group·of·three: I.e. the dhar ma. artlla and kama. Thc commen-tators who are being rediculed by Ag. bere obviously take \;[+!y~:

of the Gmt verse in the sense of 1:HI~~: or 9ifl'l: in the sense of

~'fiT+It.

18. Tbe wording here recalls to our mind tbe Krama branch of the Kashmir Saivism wbere the path of realisation is always kept secret and is trdnsmitted traditionally and oraIly by the teacher to his deserving pupil.

19. Note the sarcasm in this sentence.

20. The Strands, Sattva otc. Probably here Ag. gives US a principle of Pratyabhijfia system. according to which the jiiiina, kriya and mayii of tbe Lord appears respectively as the Strands, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas In the Jiva. Cf.

~~ I1fol~

'1~:flf;f~ "f >.fT \

l'lT>.fT~~

ij

tJ;Cf ,;;):

~;::<i~~:

\I - IPK, I,iv, 3.

VII] transiation 155

21, This krama etc. Here the word Krama suggests that Ag, has in his mind that part of Kramasulra which defines Kramamudra as a stage in whish 'the mind swings alternately between the internal and exter-nal; the internal appears as the Universal ConscioLIsness and the external no longer appears as merely the world, but only as the form orSiva or Universal Consciousness.' - PH, p.155.

Elsewhere Ag. himself quotes the Gita, VII 12th verse, to show that the eutire universe consisting of the knower and things to be known, has come out of the ahamvimark ; There he says

..• ~ ~orr

\15f11'l'ffi 'IT~'f

a{of,f

^>1m 'i1'~Cf ,"IR'l'liT11l'lT \T~,"TI:i{

It ~~ ~fu

^QTf.'l~ •. ~ ..• II' ~

~~~~~q

~<\'li~q' 'if 5f.liTl!T\1<\l1Tcrcrwr<rW1~+rn'n M'I5fl"i, 'a{l[~' ~ ~'l(~'1T1.fT~ ~i\'1Tct >I:e:~fl1!:lT<r •••

IPVV. under I. i, I. (Vol. I, p. 45).

22. Presently; 1.e., in VII, 19.

23. Sakli-pala is defined as Paramesvaranugraha-sakti-pala 'descending of the Grace of the Supreme Lord.' See TA, XlII, 116-117 and commentary thereun der.

24, Karma-samata: According to a school of thought, this Saklipala comes to an aspirant when he attains the stage of equipoise of the unseen results (adrslas) of both the good and bad actions of his.

This equipoise is b~iieved to be effected when both the opposite karmas. througj1 the enjoyment of their respecti ve effects, become equally powerful and stand neutralizing each other.

l1f<r'l'<IT<rlfTl[T(l'lJ'Rl'q;~ El\T!tr ~ Q'fu I

fW!:llii. q;+flJff

~:it'fuw:

'=I'T;:'l'li~:Ul=l; II TA, XIII, 68.

However Ag. does not subscribe to this view in the TA. There, after refuting the above view, he tries to establish that the Lord's Grace comes to a seeker on Its own accord and does not depend on the karma-samal? Cf.

!:l~5<flfC~m~

:u~: crrm~: ~: I

ef

^~CiT(f:

mm:morr:

~'f.tiTI::IT:

'S(~ (f'f!\"~~ ~: II - Ibid, 129.

Here in the Gillfrthasangraha it is of interest to note that Ag. accepts the same theoJ;Ywhich he rejects in the TA. Why this discrepancy f

According to K.C. Pandey, (p. 33 etc.) the Git/!rthasangraha was written by Ag. after T.A. If that is correct then. the discrepancy may show that Ag. changed his mind after be wrote TA.

25. One who plays: Cf. ~~ !tit~~ - Ag. under IPK. I, viii. 11.

26. Though they are not different See above n.20 under VII. 12·13.

27. Being dependent - enjoyer: A particular thing can be an object of enjoyment. provided there is an enjoyer to enjoy it. Cf. the present passage l1f1f{!Q''C!f'm:w'><i l1f1<R;f with Ag:s own statement l1f~q;?flCl1(;fT11T~ 11f«Rrr<rT: under Ch. III. 14-15.

28. Inexplicable: According to the Advaitins too Illusion is anirvacya or inexplicable, but not for thesQ/!lsarins alone.

28A. In the literature of the Saiva Absolutists the

maya

or the Trick-of.

JIlusion is defined as:

~'<l"~<.<ll1r<Rll'~l1T~ >f.\iffu<6T, M-<UT:rr~rl:TT"f.li\r ll'T~fl'lI:TT~: II l:t~c~ij 11reS~(1'l.Trs;l'Tc+rif1~~I

l!I%

^{~"t m:rt} !fT ll'T~~Rnf.f·;;,p:l1~II - IPK. III. i,7-8,

29. Because a sense of duality etc.: In a slightly different way Ag. else-where clarifies his view on verse 16-18 as follows:

•.. ~:liRRT~llf.liRUfQ1f.r~ CfTg~~~~Q1f.r~

qT Q'!i11l.T~Tlf~ l{f ~rm~Ci.\'1'T~, Cf~~:m.m(1'<rT 'tT 'Rit~l.T: ~111T<it ~ I Cfl\T~- ll'Tfufcf['<Il1f!icH q;;r~

mfu~;f] I

amTf

^{nr~~~~ -}

arl2ro8t.r

3I'1'iT~ll'T.r'Rll'Rl'IT.r

~fEr

q:,'if [;fl.T:] , ~ f.ffl:rrfcT11oRt,

WJ~,

;rc'li~~ I ~

l1"liT~jj;M-crT:I ~ ll'S;;r '3'{l'~f Pr~~'ffi: .•••.• f.r~ '<I 111f~T

~'ffi:, if ~ 'llT<uf-RTl.T't(1',~qj't f.r~Tifl1Rr>: ; Cftl1 ~11fu;: , l('Ii;f q~?t"'<l"tl(Cfl1fui: 'M,if ~ mEfT~ q);1r I 1il' ~'l ~

~qi ~l.T q,?t"'<l"l.:mt@l(1'l.TT1il'<reT~~l'i 13:lf[~ '~r;f[

c'l'rWr

^{it. ,.'} fifcr I ll'll' >relfl1~i't~RlRt ~ ~c+rT

<.<ll1Tif:ql.:i't~: ~~~ l1lffi a-'ffi: I if ~ mf.rif: ~ !{fer I - IPVV. under I. i,I (Vol. I, pp. 28.29)

VII] Translation I57 30. All is Vasudeva: See also under VII, 12-13 above for Ago's obser-vation on thisverse, Cf .••• 1Ii ~~lTlcm;f 51~~: Sl'l''!l€ll ~~ ~

«If'~: ~+J," ~ - Sankara.

31. With the aim of becoming lndra etc.: Umpteen instances of perform-ing sacrifices for attainperform-ing to the status of Indra etc. are known from the BrlihmalJa and the PuralJa literature.

32. Thus the sllkara-worship is accepted only to get rid of desire and by that means to get emancipation.

33. If the case is reversed etc. I.e., if one holds to a form of deity for the fulfilment of his desires that itself would result in his further impu-rity and further bondage.

34. Yoga-Illusion: Here Yoga may denote the combination of the Strands viz., the sativa etc, Cf. ~l1fl1'ft l=!11.f)<IT ~~<rr (VII, 14 above).

35, Vedliham etc. Of course Ag. does not comment on the verse, Vedi!ham etc.

36. This doubt arises perhaps due to statement 'If the case is reversed, the result would be a contrary one.'

37. Commences: The answer given in the next verse, is not a direct answer, as we shall see in the sequel. Hence 'commences to answer.' 38. The idea here is this: Because 'first creation' is a contradiction in terms; because at the time of re-creation the personal Soul starts experiencing the mundane life, we have to infer that the mental impressions must have continued to exist, but in the subdued state, during the period between the preceding destruction and the succeed-ing creation. Hence the non-performance of actions cannot itself be regarded as emancipation at the time of the destruction of the world.

The Pratyabhiji\ii school believes in two types of destructions of the world: Ordinary pralaya (partial destruction) and Mahilpralaya (total destruction). Here Ago's question is concerned only with the former one, though the total destruction is cited by way of example.

An schools of Indian theistic philosophies believe that during the Pralaya, karma, karma-samskilra or vasana exist in the individual Souls. and they lead to' the re-creation. There is a long dispute among the thinkers as to whether there could be total destruction, and whether it could be fo1\owed by recreation, For details see K.C. Pandey, op. cit. pp. 353 ff; etc.

Here Ag.'s introduction to, and his commentary on, the present verse are worth comparing with YS. IV, 34, and YB and TV there-under. For the necessary extracts see our note no. 19 under Gila, XII, 15-20 below.

39. For those SeeFppa~lon the concerned passage of the commen-tary.

40. Devotion wouldfulfill etc.: Cf. +rr1(f:ril\'lmT+fl1lI1 ~~'f

m:r<rm

Sankara, Vivekacii411ma~i, verse 32.

The seventh chapter of theora! is traditionally known as Jiillna-vijiiana-yoga 'The Yoga of Knowledge and Action' and it has the support of the internal evidence

~;f

^~S~ ~~;ril{~ 'W1r;<r~(f:

(VII, 2). However Ag. seems to thinK that the main theme of the chapter is bhakti or devotion. May be he is right. Cf.

ll'2ITij'qil'fifT: (VII, 1) ;

+rr~'1' ~

srW5

+rrliTl'tcrt

m ^i:t

(VII, 14) ;

~~ l1f Wlm: (VII, 28) ;

5[liTll!"liT~sfq :ql1f

a

^{~~('I'lr: (VII, 30).}

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