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Tantrāloka (Tantraloka): Chapter 12 - stanzas 1 to 25 - Non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir
Adhvopayogaḥ
Introduction
This is the only set of stanzas (from the stanza 1 to the stanza 25) of the twelfth chapter (called Adhvopayogaḥ).
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 11
अथ श्रीतन्त्रालोके द्वादशमाह्निकम्।
Atha śrītantrāloke dvādaśamāhnikam|
Here begins (atha) the twelfth (dvādaśam) chapter (āhnikam) in venerable Tantrāloka (śrī-tantrāloke)|
अथाध्वनोऽस्य प्रकृत उपयोगः प्रकाश्यते॥१॥
Athādhvano'sya prakṛta upayogaḥ prakāśyate||1||
Now (atha), in the topic under discussion (prakṛte), the application (upayogaḥ) of this path (adhvanaḥ asya) is revealed (prakāśyate)||1||
इत्थमध्वा समस्तोऽयं यथा संविदि संस्थितः।
तद्द्वारा शून्यधीप्राणनाडीचक्रतनुष्वथो॥२॥
बहिश्च लिङ्गमूर्त्यग्निस्थण्डिलादिषु सर्वतः।
तथा स्थितः समस्तश्च व्यस्तश्चैष क्रमाक्रमात्॥३॥
Itthamadhvā samasto'yaṁ yathā saṁvidi saṁsthitaḥ|
Taddvārā śūnyadhīprāṇanāḍīcakratanuṣvatho||2||
Bahiśca liṅgamūrtyagnisthaṇḍilādiṣu sarvataḥ|
Tathā sthitaḥ samastaśca vyastaścaiṣa kramākramāt||3||
In this manner (ittham), just as (muestra) all (samastaḥ) this (ayam) path (adhvā) resides (saṁsthitaḥ) in Consciousness (saṁvidi), (and) by means of that (tad-dvārā), likewise (atho) in void, intellect, vital energy, groups of subtle channels --or else "in subtle channels and cakra-s"-- and body (śūnya-dhī-prāṇa-nāḍī-cakra-tanuṣu), and (ca) outside (bahis) in liṅga, idol, fire, altar, etc. (liṅga-mūrti-agni-sthaṇḍila-ādiṣu) completely (sarvatas), so also (tathā) this (path) (eṣaḥ) remains (sthitaḥ) as a whole (samastaḥ) as well as (ca... ca) divided (vyastaḥ), with succession or devoid of it (krama-akramāt)||2-3||
आसंवित्तत्त्वमाबाह्यं योऽयमध्वा व्यवस्थितः।
तत्र तत्रोचितं रूपं स्वं स्वातन्त्र्येण भासयेत्॥४॥
Āsaṁvittattvamābāhyaṁ yo'yamadhvā vyavasthitaḥ|
Tatra tatrocitaṁ rūpaṁ svaṁ svātantryeṇa bhāsayet||4||
(The yogī) should manifest (bhāsayet), by means of Absolute Freedom (svātantryeṇa), his own appropriate form (ucitam rūpam svam) in each portion --lit. there and there-- (tatra tatra) (of) this (ayam) path (adhvā) which (yaḥ) is stationed (vyavasthitaḥ) from the Principle of (Pure) Consciousness (ā-saṁvd-ttattvam) down to the external (universe) (ā-bāhyam)||4||
सर्वं सर्वत्र रूपं च तस्यापि न न भासते।
नह्यवच्छेदितां क्वापि स्वप्नेऽपि विषहामहे॥५॥
Sarvaṁ sarvatra rūpaṁ ca tasyāpi na na bhāsate|
Nahyavaccheditāṁ kvāpi svapne'pi viṣahāmahe||5||
And (ca) its --viz. of the path-- (tasya api) whole (sarvam) form (rūpam) certainly (na na) appears (bhāsate) everywhere (sarvatra). I do not at all bear/tolerate --lit. we do not at all bear/tolerate-- (na hi... viṣahāmahe) limitation (avaccheditām) anywhere (kvāpi), even (api) while dreaming --or "in a dream"-- (svapne)||5||
एवं विश्वाध्वसम्पूर्णं कालव्यापारचित्रितम्।
देशकालमयस्पन्दसद्म देहं विलोकयेत्॥६॥
तथा विलोक्यमानोऽसौ विश्वान्तर्देवतामयः।
ध्येयः पूज्यश्च तर्प्यश्च तदाविष्टो विमुच्यते॥७॥
इत्थं घटं पटं लिङ्गं स्थण्डिलं पुस्तकं जलम्।
यद्वा किञ्चित्क्वचित्पश्येत्तत्र तन्मयतां व्रजेत्॥८॥
तत्रार्पणं हि वस्तूनामभेदेनार्चनं मतम्।
तथा सम्पूर्णरूपत्वानुसन्धिर्ध्यानमुच्यते॥९॥
सम्पूर्णत्वानुसन्धानमकम्पं दार्ढ्यमानयन्।
तथान्तर्जल्पयोगेन विमृशञ्जपभाजनम्॥१०॥
तत्रार्पितानां भावानां स्वकभेदविलापनम्।
कुर्वंस्तद्रश्मिसद्भावं दद्याद्धोमक्रियापरः॥११॥
Evaṁ viśvādhvasampūrṇaṁ kālavyāpāracitritam|
Deśakālamayaspandasadma dehaṁ vilokayet||6||
Tathā vilokyamāno'sau viśvāntardevatāmayaḥ|
Dhyeyaḥ pūjyaśca tarpyaśca tadāviṣṭo vimucyate||7||
Itthaṁ ghaṭaṁ paṭaṁ liṅgaṁ sthaṇḍilaṁ pustakaṁ jalam|
Yadvā kiñcitkvacitpaśyettatra tanmayatāṁ vrajet||8||
Tatrārpaṇaṁ hi vastūnāmabhedenārcanaṁ matam|
Tathā sampūrṇarūpatvānusandhirdhyānamucyate||9||
Sampūrṇatvānusandhānamakampaṁ dārḍhyamānayan|
Tathāntarjalpayogena vimṛśañjapabhājanam||10||
Tatrārpitānāṁ bhāvānāṁ svakabhedavilāpanam|
Kurvaṁstadraśmisadbhāvaṁ dadyāddhomakriyāparaḥ||11||
Thus (evam), (the yogī) should see/behold (vilokayet) the body (deham) as replete with all the paths (viśva-ādhva-sampūrṇam), as variegated by the operation/influence of time (kāla-vyāpāra-citritam) (and) as the abode/seat of the Spanda --Supreme Vibration or Śakti-- consisting of space and time (deśa-kāla-maya-spanda-sadma).
Being seen/beheld (vilokyamānaḥ) so (tathā), it --i.e. the body-- (asau), which consists of (all) the deities (existing) inside the universe (viśva-antar-devatā-mayaḥ), is to be meditated on (dhyeyaḥ), worshiped (pūjyaḥ) and (ca... ca) pleased (tarpyaḥ). He who has entered into it (tad-āviṣṭaḥ) becomes liberated (vimucyate).
(The yogī) should see (paśyet) in that way --i.e. with the same attitude he sees his own body-- (ittham) a pot (ghaṭam), a (piece of) cloth (paṭam), a liṅga (liṅgam), an altar (sthaṇḍilam), a book (pustakam), water (jalam) or (vā) any other thing (yad... kiñcid) in (any) place (kvacid), (and) he should become one with that (tad-mayatām vrajet) (right) there (tatra).
The offering (arpaṇam hi) of things (vastūnām) there --in Consciousness-- (tatra) (is) considered (matam) to be an act of worshiping (arcanam) in unity (with Consciousness) (abhedena). Similarly (tathā), a close inspection (of Consciousness) as having a nature completely full (of all the things) (sampūrṇa-rūpatva-anusandhiḥ) is said to be (ucyate) meditation (dhyānam). Causing (ānayan) a close inspection of Fullness (sampūrṇatva-anusandhānam) to be devoid of trembling (akampam) (and) firm (dārḍhyam) (and) investigating (vimṛśan) (this Reality) in association with the inner speech/talk (antar-jalpa-yogena) in that way (tathā), (there is) the act of participating in japa or muttering of a Mantra (japa-bhājanam). Producing (kurvan) the destruction of the very --lit. svaka means "their own" in this context-- differences (svaka-bheda-vilāpanam) between the entities --i.e. the things-- being offered (arpitānām bhāvānām) there --in Consciousness-- (tatra), he who is devoted to the activity of homa --i.e. the act of offering oblations as well as the oblation itself-- (homa-kriyā-paraḥ) offers (dadyāt) the real self (of all those entities or things) as being the beams of light of That --of Consciousness-- (tad-raśmi-sadbhāvam)||6-11||
Stanzas 12 to 24
तथैवङ्कुर्वतः सर्वं समभावेन पश्यतः।
निष्कम्पता व्रतं शुद्धं साम्यं नन्दिशिखोदितम्॥१२॥
Tathaivaṅkurvataḥ sarvaṁ samabhāvena paśyataḥ|
Niṣkampatā vrataṁ śuddhaṁ sāmyaṁ nandiśikhoditam||12||
The condition devoid of trembling (niṣkampatā) of someone who, doing (kurvataḥ) in that way (tathā evam), sees (paśyataḥ) it all (sarvam) with equanimity (samabhāvena), (is) the pure (śuddham) vow (vratam) of equanimity (sāmyam), such as specified in Nandiśikhā (nandiśikhā-uditam) ||12||
तथार्चनजपध्यानहोमव्रतविधिक्रमात्।
परिपूर्णां स्थितिं प्राहुः समाधिं गुरवः पुरा॥१३॥
Tathārcanajapadhyānahomavratavidhikramāt|
Paripūrṇāṁ sthitiṁ prāhuḥ samādhiṁ guravaḥ purā||13||
In ancient times (purā), the Guru-s (guravaḥ) said (prāhuḥ) that samādhi or absorption (samādhim) (is) the completely full (paripūrṇām) state (sthitam) (which is) so (tathā) (attained) through the succession of (these) methods: Worship, muttering of a Mantra, meditation, homa --viz. the act of offering oblations as well as the oblation itself-- and vow (arcana-japa-dhyāna-homa-vrata-vidhi-kramāt)||13||
अत्र पूजाजपाद्येषु बहिरन्तर्द्वयस्थितौ।
द्रव्यौघे न विधिः कोऽपि न कापि प्रतिषिद्धता॥१४॥
Atra pūjājapādyeṣu bahirantardvayasthitau|
Dravyaughe na vidhiḥ ko'pi na kāpi pratiṣiddhatā||14||
Here --in this doctrine-- (atra), during worship, muttering of a Mantra, etc. (pūjā-japa-ādyeṣu), there is no (na... ko'pi) rule or law --as the meanings of "vidhi" are many, there are many possible translations of this term; the sense is that "there is no imposition"-- (vidhiḥ) (and) there is no (na kāpi) prohibition (pratiṣiddhatā) with reference to the multitude/flood/stream of substances (dravya-oghe or dravya-aughe) which are of two kinds, internal and external (bahis-antar-dvaya-sthitau)||14||
कल्पनाशुद्धिसन्ध्यादेर्नोपयोगोऽत्र कश्चन।
उक्तं श्रीत्रिकसूत्रे च जायते यजनं प्रति॥१५॥
अविधिज्ञो विधिज्ञश्चेत्येवमादि सुविस्तरम्।
यदा यथा येन यत्र स्वा सम्वित्तिः प्रसीदति॥१६॥
तदा तथा तेन तत्र तत्तद्भोग्यं विधिश्च सः।
लौकिकालौकिकं सर्वं तेनात्र विनियोजयेत्॥१७॥
निष्कम्पत्वे सकम्पस्तु कम्पं निर्ह्रासयेद्बलात्।
यथा येनाभ्युपायेन क्रमादक्रमतोऽपि वा॥१८॥
विचिकित्सा गलत्यन्तस्तथासौ यत्नवान्भवेत्।
धीकर्माक्षगता देवीर्निषिद्धैरेव तर्पयेत्॥१९॥
Kalpanāśuddhisandhyādernopayogo'tra kaścana|
Uktaṁ śrītrikasūtre ca jāyate yajanaṁ prati||15||
Avidhijño vidhijñaścetyevamādi suvistaram|
Yadā yathā yena yatra svā samvittiḥ prasīdati||16||
Tadā tathā tena tatra tattadbhogyaṁ vidhiśca saḥ|
Laukikālaukikaṁ sarvaṁ tenātra viniyojayet||17||
Niṣkampatve sakampastu kampaṁ nirhrāsayedbalāt|
Yathā yenābhyupāyena kramādakramato'pi vā||18||
Vicikitsā galatyantastathāsau yatnavānbhavet|
Dhīkarmākṣagatā devīrniṣiddhaireva tarpayet||19||
Here (atra), there is no application (na upayogaḥ... kaścana) of visualization, purificatory rituals, the religious acts performed by brāhmaṇa-s at the three divisions of the day, etc. (kalpanā-śuddhi-sandhyā-ādeḥ). And (ca) (this) has been expressed (uktam) in great detail (suvistaram) in venerable Trikasūtra --i.e. Parātrīśikā, the last portion-- (śrī-trikasūtre) beginning with (this phrase) (evamādi): "With regard to the sacrificial ritual (yajanam prati), someone who does not know the rite (a-vidhi-jñaḥ) becomes (jāyate) someone who knows the rite (vidhi-jñaḥ) indeed (ca iti)".
When (yadā), in (whatever) manner (yathā), by (whatever) means (yena), wherever (yatra) one's own (svā) Consciousness (samvittiḥ) becomes placid/clear/pleased (prasīdati), then (tadā), in that manner (tathā), by that (means) (yena), there (tatra) (Consciousnes becomes) various (tad tad) object(s) of enjoyment (bhogyam). That (saḥ) (is) the rule (vidhiḥ) indeed (ca).
For that reason (tena), here (atra), (the yogī) should use/employ (viniyojayet) all (sarvam), (whether that is) usual or unusual --i.e. related to ordinary life or not-- (laukika-alaukikam), when there is a state in which tremor/tremble is absent (niṣkampatve). But (tu) (if the yogī) trembles (sa-kampaḥ), he should reduce/diminish (nirhrāsayet) (that) tremor/tremble (kampam) by force (balāt).
If (yathā), by whatever means (yena abhyupāyena), by degrees (kramāt) or (vā) even (api) not by degrees --i.e. inmediately-- (akramatas), hesitation (vicikitsā) disappears (galati) inside (antar), then (tathā) he (asau) should become (bhavet) someone who makes efforts (in that direction --in the direction of the full disappearance of hesitation--) (yatnavān) --Sanskrit is far-fetched to say the least here--.
He should satiate/satisfy/please (tarpayet) the goddesses (devīḥ) who reside in Buddhīndriya-s/Jñānendriya-s and Karmendriya-s --viz. Powers of perception and Powers of action, respectively-- (dhī-karma-akṣa-gatā) by means of (things which are) forbidden (niṣiddhaiḥ eva)||15-19||
वीरव्रतं चाभिनन्देदिति भर्गशिखावचः।
तथाहि शङ्का मालिन्यं ग्लानिः सङ्कोच इत्यदः॥२०॥
संसारकारागारान्तः स्थूलस्थूणा घटायते।
मन्त्रा वर्णस्वभावा ये द्रव्यं यत्पाञ्चभौतिकम्॥२१॥
यच्चिदात्म प्राणिजातं तत्र कः सङ्करः कथम्।
सङ्कराभावतः केयं शङ्का तस्यामपि स्फुटम्॥२२॥
न शङ्केत तथा शङ्का विलीयेतावहेलया।
श्रीसर्वाचारवीरालीनिशाचरक्रमादिषु॥२३॥
शास्त्रेषु विततं चैतत्तत्र तत्रोच्यते यतः।
शङ्कया जायते ग्लानिः शङ्कया विघ्नभाजनम्॥२४॥
Vīravrataṁ cābhinandediti bhargaśikhāvacaḥ|
Tathāhi śaṅkā mālinyaṁ glāniḥ saṅkoca ityadaḥ||20||
Saṁsārakārāgārāntaḥ sthūlasthūṇā ghaṭāyate|
Mantrā varṇasvabhāvā ye dravyaṁ yatpāñcabhautikam||21||
Yaccidātma prāṇijātaṁ tatra kaḥ saṅkaraḥ katham|
Saṅkarābhāvataḥ keyaṁ śaṅkā tasyāmapi sphuṭam||22||
Na śaṅketa tathā śaṅkā vilīyetāvahelayā|
Śrīsarvācāravīrālīniśācarakramādiṣu||23||
Śāstreṣu vitataṁ caitattatra tatrocyate yataḥ|
Śaṅkayā jāyate glāniḥ śaṅkayā vighnabhājanam||24||
(These are) the words in Bhargaśikhā (bhargaśikhā-vacaḥ): "And (ca) he should rejoice at (abhinandet) (the observance of) the vow of the Hero (vīra-vratam... iti)".
So (tathā hi), doubt (śaṅkā) (which is) "dirtiness (mālinyam), lassitude --also "depression"-- (glāniḥ) (and) contraction (saṅkocaḥ... iti)" then (adas) produces --expecting 'ghaṭayate'-- (ghaṭāyate) the big and dense pillars (sthūla-sthūṇāḥ) inside the gaol/jail of Saṁsāra --Transmigration full of misery-- (saṁsāra-kārāgāra-antar).
Mantra-s (mantrāḥ) —whose nature are the letters (varṇa-svabhāvāḥ)—, the substance (dravyam) —composed of the five gross elements (pāñca-bhautikam)— (and) the species of animal (prāṇijātam)— which --i.e. all of them, Mantra, substance and species of animal-- (ye... yad... yad) are Consciousness (cit-ātma), (then) what (kaḥ) (is) the intermixture/confusion (saṅkaraḥ) (and) how (katham) (could it take place?).
Due to the absence of intermixture/confusion (saṅkara-abhāvataḥ), (the yogī should contemplate like this:) "What (kā) (is) this (iyam) doubt (śaṅkā)? One should not doubt (a śaṅketa) even (api) about it --i.e. about doubt-- (tasyām), evidently (sphuṭam)". In this way (tathā), doubt (śaṅkā) would quite easily be dissolved (vilīyeta avahelayā).
Because (yatas) this (etad) is extensively mentioned (vitatam ca... ucyate) in various scriptures (śāstreṣu... tatra tatra) (such as) venerable Sarvācāratantra, Vīrālītantra, Niśācāratantra, Krama, etc.(śrī-sarvācāra-vīrālī-niśācara-krama-ādiṣu).
Through doubt (śaṅkayā) lassitude/depression (glāniḥ) is born (jāyate), through doubt (śaṅkayā) (everybody becomes) a receptacle for obstacles (vighnabhājanam)||20-24||
Stanza 25
उवाचोत्पलदेवश्च श्रीमानस्मद्गुरोर्गुरुः।
सर्वाशङ्काशनिं मार्गं नुमो माहेश्वरं त्विति॥२५॥
Uvācotpaladevaśca śrīmānasmadgurorguruḥ|
Sarvāśaṅkāśaniṁ mārgaṁ numo māheśvaraṁ tviti||25||
And (ca) the venerable (śrīmān) Guru (guruḥ) of my Guru --lit. of our Guru-- (asmad-guroḥ) —i.e. Utpaladeva (utpaladevaḥ)— said (uvāca): "We praise/extol (numaḥ) the path (mārgam) of the Great Lord (māheśvaram) which is like the Indra's thunderbold regarding all doubts (sarva-āśaṅkā-aśanim... tu iti)!"||25||
अनुत्तरपदाप्तये तदिदमाणवं दर्शिताभ्युपायमतिविस्तरान्ननु विदाङ्कुरुध्वं बुधाः।
Anuttarapadāptaye tadidamāṇavaṁ darśitābhyupāyamativistarānnanu vidāṅkurudhvaṁ budhāḥ|
This very (tad idam) means of the aṇu --i.e. of the limited being-- for the attainment of the State of Anuttara has been extensively explained (anuttara-pada-āptaye... āṇavam darśita-abhyupāyam ativistarāt). Oh (nanu) wise people (budhāḥ), may you understand (all this) (vidāṅkurudhvam)!|
CHAPTER COMPLETELY FINISHED! SOON I WILL START TRANSLATING CHAPTER 13
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