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Spandanirṇaya (Spanda Nirnaya): Section IV (aphorisms 1 to 2) - Non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir
Normal translation
Introduction
This is the first and only set of 2 aphorisms constituting the fourth and last Section (dealing with the Epilogue). As you know, the entire work is composed of 53 aphorisms of Spandakārikā-s plus their respective commentaries.
Of course, I will also insert the original aphorisms on which Kṣemarāja is commenting. Even though I will not comment on either the original sūtra-s or the Kṣemarāja's commentary, I will write some notes to make a particular point clear when necessary. If you want a detailed explanation, go to "Scriptures (study)|Spandanirṇaya" in Trika section.
Kṣemarāja's Sanskrit will be in dark green color while the original Vasugupta's aphorisms will be shown in dark red color. In turn, within the transliteration, the original aphorisms will be in brown color, while the Kṣemarāja's comments will be shown in black. Also, within the translation, the original aphorisms by Vasugupta, i.e. the Spandakārikā-s, will be in green and black colors, while the commentary by Kṣemarāja will contain words in both black and red colors.
Read Spandanirṇaya and experience Supreme Ānanda or Divine Bliss, 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.
Aphorism 1
ग्रन्थान्ते परमां स्पन्दभूमिं गुरुगिरं च श्लेषोक्त्या स्तौति
अगाधसंशयाम्भोधिसमुत्तरणतारिणीम्।
वन्दे विचित्रार्थपदां चित्रां तां गुरुभारतीम्॥१॥
तामसामान्यां भगवतीं गुरुं शैवी मुखमिहोच्यत इति स्थित्या शिवधामप्राप्तिहेतुत्वादाचार्यरूपाम्। अथच गुरुं पश्यन्त्यादिक्रोडीकरान्महतीं भारतीं परां वाचं तथा गुरोराचार्यस्य सम्बन्धिनीमुपदेष्ट्रीं गिरं चित्रां लोकोत्तरचमत्काररूपां वन्दे सर्वोत्कृष्टत्वेन समाविशामि। अथ च सर्वावस्थासु स्फुरद्रूपत्वादभिवदन्तीमुद्यन्तृताप्रयत्नेनाभिवादये स्वरूपविमर्शनिष्ठां तां समावेष्टुं सम्मुखीकरोमि। कीदृशीमगाधो दुरुत्तरो यः संशयः पूर्णाहन्तानिश्चयाभावात्मा विचित्रः शङ्काकलङ्कः स एव विततत्वेनाम्भोधिस्तस्य सम्यगुत्तरणे या तारिणी नौरिव तामित्युभयत्रापि योज्यम्। तथा विचित्रार्थानि नानाचमत्कारप्रयोजनानि पदानि विश्रान्तयो यस्यां परस्यां वाचि तां विचित्राणि रम्यरचनानुप्रविष्टान्यर्थपदानि वाच्यवाचकानि यस्यां गुरुवाचि ताम्॥१॥
Granthānte paramāṁ spandabhūmiṁ gurugiraṁ ca śleṣoktyā stauti
Agādhasaṁśayāmbhodhisamuttaraṇatāriṇīm|
Vande vicitrārthapadāṁ citrāṁ tāṁ gurubhāratīm||1||
Tāmasāmānyāṁ bhagavatīṁ guruṁ śaivī mukhamihocyata iti sthityā śivadhāmaprāptihetutvādācāryarūpām| Athaca guruṁ paśyantyādikroḍīkarānmahatīṁ bhāratīṁ parāṁ vācaṁ tathā gurorācāryasya sambandhinīmupadeṣṭrīṁ giraṁ citrāṁ lokottaracamatkārarūpāṁ vande sarvotkṛṣṭatvena samāviśāmi| Atha ca sarvāvasthāsu sphuradrūpatvādabhivadantīmudyantṛtāprayatnenābhivādaye svarūpavimarśaniṣṭhāṁ tāṁ samāveṣṭuṁ sammukhīkaromi| Kīdṛśīmagādho duruttaro yaḥ saṁśayaḥ pūrṇāhantāniścayābhāvātmā vicitraḥ śaṅkākalaṅkaḥ sa eva vitatatvenāmbhodhistasya samyaguttaraṇe yā tāriṇī nauriva tāmityubhayatrāpi yojyam| Tathā vicitrārthāni nānācamatkāraprayojanāni padāni viśrāntayo yasyāṁ parasyāṁ vāci tāṁ vicitrāṇi ramyaracanānupraviṣṭānyarthapadāni vācyavācakāni yasyāṁ guruvāci tām||1||
At the end (ante) of the book (grantha), by means of a expression having a double sense (śleṣa-uktyā), (Kallaṭa --the main disciple of Vasugupta and original commentator of the Spandakārikā-s--) praises (stauti) the supreme (paramām) Spanda state (spanda-bhūmim) and (ca) the speech of (his) Guru --Vasugupta-- (guru-giram)1 :
I pay homage (vande) to that (tām) wonderful (citrām) speech (bhāratīm) of the Guru (guru), which (is full of) manifold (vicitra) words --pada-- (padām) (with their respective) meanings (artha), (and) enables (one) (tāriṇīm) to safely cross (samuttaraṇa) the fathomless (agādha) ocean (ambhodhi) of doubt (saṁśaya)||1||
To Her (tām), to uncommon Mistress (asāmānyām bhagavatīm) who, according to the axiom (sthityā), 'She is said to be (ucyate) here --in the revealed scriptures-- (iha) the face (mukham) of Śiva (śaivī... iti)' --Vijñānabhairava 20--, (is the real) Guru (gurum); i.e. to (Her) who appears in the form of the spiritual teacher (ācārya-rūpām) since She is the cause (hetutvāt) of the attainment (prāpti) of the State of Śiva (śiva-dhāma)|
Moreover (athaca), ('gurubhāratīm' means, according to the second sense of the aphorism,) 'to the Guru or Great (gurum mahatīm) Speech (bhāratīm), i.e. to the Supreme Speech --Parāvāk-- (parām vācam) since She embraces (kroḍīkarāt) Paśyantī, etc. (paśyantī-ādi)'. Similarly (tathā), (in the case of the first sense of the aphorism,) 'I pay homage (vande) to the wonderful (citrām) teaching (upadeṣṭrīm) speech (giram) belonging to (sambandhinīm) the Guru or spiritual teacher (guroḥ ācāryasya)', (and in the case of the second sense of the aphorism,) 'I fully enter (samāviśāmi), since She is superior to all (sarva-utkṛṣṭatvena), into (that Parāvāk) which is citrā (citrām), i.e. whose form (rūpām) is the extraordinary --transcendental-- (loka-uttara) delight of I-consciousness (camatkāra)'|
And likewise (atha ca), I, with elevating effort, respectfully salute (udyantṛtā-prayatnena abhivādaye) Her who is greeting (me back) (abhivadantīm) as She throbs and flashes (sphurat-rūpatvāt) in all the states --in all the speech levels-- (sarva-avasthāsu), (and) I make Her, who is dedicated to the awareness of the essential nature, my chief aim (sva-rūpa-vimarśa-niṣṭhāṁ tām... sammukhīkaromi) in order to enter (samāveṣṭum) into Herself (tām)|
Of what nature (is She) (kīdṛśīm)? The doubt (saṁśayaḥ) that (yaḥ) (is) fathomless (agādhaḥ) and (ca) difficult to be crossed (duruttaraḥ) (consists of) various (vicitraḥ) stain(s) of uncertainty (śaṅkā-kalaṅkaḥ) which are (just) absence (abhāva-ātmā) of certainty (niścaya) with respect to the perfect I-consciousness (pūrṇā-ahantā). It --the doubt-- (saḥ eva) (is) an ocean (ambhodhiḥ) due to its expansiveness (vitatatvena). (She --Parāvāk or the speech of the Guru-- is) like a boat (nauḥ iva) which (yā) enables (one) (tāriṇī) to rightly cross (samyak uttaraṇe) that (ocean) (tasya). As regards (the word) 'tām' --to that One, to Her-- (in the aphorism) (tām iti), (this interpretation) is applicable (yojyam) in both cases (ubhayatra api) --i.e. in the cases of She as Parāvāk or as the speech of the Guru--|
Similarly (tathā), with reference to the Speech that is Supreme --to Parāvāk-- (yasyām parasyām vāci), to Her (tām) (which is vicitrārthapadā,) i.e. to the One whose states (padāni) —reposes (viśrāntayaḥ)— (are) 'vicitrārthāni' (vicitra-arthāni) (or) means of attainment (prayojanāni) of multiple (nānā) (kinds of) Bliss of I-consciousness (camatkāra). (Or else,) with reference to the speech of the Guru (yasyām guru-vāci), to Her (tām) (which is vicitrārthapadā,) i.e. to the One who consists of signified and signifier (vācya-vācakāni), (in a nutshell,) to the One who has words (padāni) (and) meanings (artha) ordered (anupraviṣṭāni) in a pleasant (ramya) arrangement (racana)2 ||1||
1 The first aphorism of this fourth section was composed by Kallaṭa, the main disciple of Vasugupta. You can see this aphorism at the end of his Vṛtti or commentary on Spandakārikā-s. According to Kṣemarāja, this aphorism can be translated in two ways. In the first interpretation of the aphorism, it praises the speech of the Guru (Vasugupta), while in the second interpretation, it praises the principle of Spanda (also called Parāvāk or Supreme Speech).
2 The Guru really is no human being but the Grace-bestowing Power of the Supreme Lord. That is why Kṣemarāja affirms that the Goddess is the real Guru. She is the cause of the attainment of the State of Śiva indeed, in his opinion, and the human Guru is nobody else than Herself appearing in that form for the disciples.
The second interpretation of the aphorism is not shown above (in the translation of the aphorism, along with the first interpretation) because it would look confusing to most readers. I only showed the first interpretation (with 'gurubhāratī' meaning 'the speech of the Guru'). Now I will teach you in detail about this second possible interpretation of the aphorism such as indicated by Kṣemarāja in his commentary here:
अगाधसंशयाम्भोधिसमुत्तरणतारिणीम्।
वन्दे विचित्रार्थपदां चित्रां तां गुरुभारतीम्॥१॥
Agādhasaṁśayāmbhodhisamuttaraṇatāriṇīm|
Vande vicitrārthapadāṁ citrāṁ tāṁ gurubhāratīm||1||
I pay homage (vande) to that (tām) wonderful --i.e. whose form is the extraordinary (transcendental) delight of I-consciousness-- (citrām) Great (guru) Speech (bhāratīm) --viz. Parāvāk--, which (is full of) manifold (vicitra) words --pada-- (padām) (with their respective) meanings (artha), (and) enables (one) (tāriṇīm) to safely cross (samuttaraṇa) the fathomless (agādha) ocean (ambhodhi) of doubt (saṁśaya)||1||
OK, now it is clear! Kṣemarāja will give a second interpretation for the term 'vicitrārthapadām' too, which I will explain later on.
And Parāvāk embraces the other three levels of speech: Paśyantī, Madhyamā and Vaikharī. While you can attain the different phases of these three kinds of speech, you cannot attain Parāvāk because the Supreme Speech is all. You cannot attain the All, obviously. And because it is like this, Liberation does not really mean the attainment of Parāvāk, literally speaking. It is no attainment for two reasons: (1) It is impossible to attain Parāvāk because She is all, (2) There is no ego there to attain something. It just happens to you. You could think that She attains you as 'you', as ego, are an object to Her. An object cannot attain the Supreme Subject by any means.
In the first interpretation of the aphorism (the most common interpretation), Kallaṭa is paying homage to the wonderful speech of his Guru, Vasugupta. His statement is based on the teaching that the 'speech of the Guru is more Guru than the Guru himself'. In the second interpretation, Kallaṭa would be paying homage to Parāvāk, who is the real Guru. All in all, whether he was speaking about the speech of his own human Guru (Vasugupta) or about the Supreme Speech (Parāvāk or Śakti, who is the real Guru), he is anyway paying homage to the Guru in the end.
Next, Kṣemarāja continues speaking like Kallaṭa and teaches that he is making Śakti his main aim in order to enter Herself. This is his teaching. Anyway, my teaching is that the main aim must be always Śiva (the Possessor of Śakti) and not Śakti. This is our difference of opinion. In general, Abhinavagupta and Kṣemarāja tend to prefer Śakti over Śiva, according to my experience, but this is not the right way, in my opinion. I never worship Śakti in any form. I only worship Him and Him alone. If I have Him, then I automatically have Her. There is something mysterious in my teaching, because it is not something that came to my mind all of a sudden from my own ego, but it was a revelation I got in deep trance. So, though Śiva and Śakti are one and the same Reality, one should only worship to the Śaktimān, to the Possessor of Śakti. This is Shaivism and not Shaktism.
One person in ignorance is someone who doubts about his own identity. He is not sure that he is Śiva. He hesitates at every step, and due to this hesitation, he falls prey to his own powers which tie him up. Kṣemarāja then explains the description of Kallaṭa —that either the speech of the Guru or Parāvāk enables one to safely cross the fathomless ocean of doubt— by comparing Śakti to a boat which is fit to carry oneself to the other side, to Liberation, which is characterized by absence of uncertainty about one's own Self.
Finally, Kṣemarāja shows two interpretations for 'vicitrārthapadām' in the aphorism. The first interpretation is the one shown in the translation given above, i.e. 'to the one which is full of manifold words with their respective meanings'. But the second interpretation would be: 'to the one whose states or reposes are means of attainment of multiple kinds of Bliss of I-consciousness'. OK, now I will reform the translation of the aphorism even more (the first reform was the interpretation of 'gurubhāratī' as Parāvāk). So, the full second interpretation of the aphorism, with all the changes suggested by Kṣemarāja would look like this:
अगाधसंशयाम्भोधिसमुत्तरणतारिणीम्।
वन्दे विचित्रार्थपदां चित्रां तां गुरुभारतीम्॥१॥
Agādhasaṁśayāmbhodhisamuttaraṇatāriṇīm|
Vande vicitrārthapadāṁ citrāṁ tāṁ gurubhāratīm||1||
I pay homage (vande) to that (tām) wonderful --i.e. whose form is the extraordinary (transcendental) delight of I-consciousness-- (citrām) Great (guru) Speech (bhāratīm) --viz. Parāvāk--, whose states or reposes are means of attainment of multiple kinds of Bliss of I-consciousness (vicitra-artha-padām), (and) enables (one) (tāriṇīm) to safely cross (samuttaraṇa) the fathomless (agādha) ocean (ambhodhi) of doubt (saṁśaya)||1||
Very well, now the second interpretation given by Kṣemarāja can be seen in its full glory!
Aphorism 2
प्रसिद्धप्रभावस्वनामोदीरणात्सम्भावनाप्रत्ययेनार्थिनः प्रवर्तयन् गूहनीयतया महाफलतामस्य शास्त्रस्य निरूपयति शास्त्रकारः
लब्ध्वाप्यलभ्यमेतज्ज्ञानधनं हृद्गुहान्तकृतनिहितेः।
वसुगुप्तवच्छिवाय हि भवति सदा सर्वलोकस्य॥२॥
एतच्छास्त्रोक्तमेतज्ज्ञानमेव पुरुषार्थप्राप्तिहेतुत्वाद्धनमलभ्यमपि दुष्प्रापमपि लब्ध्वा शङ्करस्वप्नोपदेशसारं शिलातलादवाप्य प्रकाशविमर्शात्मकं हृदयमेव विश्वान्तःप्रवेशावकाशप्रदत्वाद्गुहा तस्यामन्तेन निश्चयेन कृता निहितिः स्थापना येनार्थात्तस्यैव ज्ञानधनस्य तस्य स्वामिनः श्रीवसुगुप्ताभिधानस्य गुरोर्यथैव तच्छिवाय जातं तद्वदधिकारिनियमसङ्कोचाभावात्सर्वलोकस्यापि हृद्गुहान्तकृतनिहितेर्यत्नादसामयिकाद्गोपयतो दृढप्रतिपत्त्या च स्वात्मीकुर्वतः सदा शिवाय भवति नित्यशङ्करात्मकस्वस्वभावसमावेशलाभाय सम्पद्यत इति शिवम्॥२॥
Prasiddhaprabhāvasvanāmodīraṇātsambhāvanāpratyayenārthinaḥ pravartayan gūhanīyatayā mahāphalatāmasya śāstrasya nirūpayati śāstrakāraḥ
Labdhvāpyalabhyametajjñānadhanaṁ hṛdguhāntakṛtanihiteḥ|
Vasuguptavacchivāya hi bhavati sadā sarvalokasya||2||
Etacchāstroktametajjñānameva puruṣārthaprāptihetutvāddhanamalabhyamapi duṣprāpamapi labdhvā śaṅkarasvapnopadeśasāraṁ śilātalādavāpya prakāśavimarśātmakaṁ hṛdayameva viśvāntaḥpraveśāvakāśapradatvādguhā tasyāmantena niścayena kṛtā nihitiḥ sthāpanā yenārthāttasyaiva jñānadhanasya tasya svāminaḥ śrīvasuguptābhidhānasya guroryathaiva tacchivāya jātaṁ tadvadadhikāriniyamasaṅkocābhāvātsarvalokasyāpi hṛdguhāntakṛtanihiteryatnādasāmayikādgopayato dṛḍhapratipattyā ca svātmīkurvataḥ sadā śivāya bhavati nityaśaṅkarātmakasvasvabhāvasamāveśalābhāya sampadyata iti śivam||2||
By mentioning (udīraṇāt) his own name (sva-nāma) whose majesty (prabhāva) is well-known (prasiddha) (and) urging (pravartayan) the (spiritual) seekers (arthinaḥ) by (their) firm faith (pratyayena) (full of) respect (for him) (sambhāvanā), (Vasugupta,) the author of the scripture --the author of Spandakārikā-s-- (śāstra-kāraḥ), defines (nirūpayati) the great fruit (mahā-phalatām) of this scripture (asya śāstrasya) when it is kept secret (gūhanīyatayā)1 :
Besides (api), (the act) of having obtained (labdhvā) this (etad) treasure (dhanam) of knowledge (jñāna), which is difficult to attain (alabhyam), (together with the act of) finally preserving (it) (anta-kṛta-nihiteḥ) in the cave (guhā) of the heart (hṛd), is (bhavati) doubtless (hi) always (sadā) for the good (śivāya) of the whole (sarva) world (lokasya), just as (vat) (it was for the good of) Vasugupta (vasugupta)||2||
This knowledge (etad-jñānam) enunciated in this scripture (etad-śāstra-uktam) (is) certainly (eva) a treasure (dhanam) since it is the cause (hetutvāt) of the attainment (prāpti) of the goal of human existence --lit. human goal-- (puruṣa-artha). (And) though (api... api) (it is) 'alabhyam' (alabhyam) (or) difficult to attain (duṣprāpam), 'labdhvā' --see the aphorism-- (labdhvā), i.e. after obtaining (it) (avāpya) from the surface of a stone (śilā-talāt) (in the form of) the essence (sāram) of Śaṅkara's teachings during a dream (śaṅkara-svapna-upadeśa) --viz. after obtaining it from the surface of a stone in the form of the Śivasūtra-s--, he --Vasugupta-- finally preserved --lit. (there is) preservation on his part-- (antena... kṛtā nihitiḥ... yena) that treasure of knowledge (tasya eva jñāna-dhanasya) (in that), that is to say (arthāt), he established --lit. (there is) establishment on his part-- (sthāpanā yena) (that treasure of knowledge) with certainty and conviction (niścayena) in that (tasyām). (What is that? It is) the cave (guhā) —because it provides (pradatvāt) space or room (avakāśa) for entering into (antaḥpraveśa) the Totality --the all-encompassing Reality-- (viśva)— (known as) the Heart (hṛdayam eva), which --the Heart-- consists of (ātmakam) Śiva and Śakti (prakāśa-vimarśa). (Additionally,) just as (yathā eva) that (treasure of knowledge) (tad) turned out to be for the good of (śivāya jātam) that Master and Guru (tasya svāminaḥ... guroḥ) called (abhidhānasya) venerable (śrī) Vasugupta (vasugupta), so also (tadvat), since there is no restriction (saṅkoca-abhāvāt) of rules (niyama) with reference to the spiritual candidate --the disciple who starts treading the spiritual path-- (adhikāri), it is (bhavati) always (sadā) for the good (śivāya) of the whole world indeed (sarva-lokasya api) when they finally and carefully preserve (it) (anta-kṛta-nihiteḥ yatnāt) in the cave (guhā) of the heart (hṛd) and (ca), protecting (it) (gopayataḥ) from the one who does not have the same viewpoint (asāmayikāt), assimilate (it) (sva-ātmī-kurvataḥ) by means of firm perception or realization (dṛḍha-pratipattyā). (By 'it is doubtless always for the good', it is meant that) it produces (sampadyate) the attainment (lābhāya) of a full absorption (samāveśa) in one's own essential nature (sva-sva-bhāva) which is the eternal Śaṅkara (nitya-śaṅkara-ātmaka). May there be welfare for all (iti śivam)!2 ||2||
1 This second aphorism belongs to Vasugupta, according to Kṣemarāja, but it cannot be found in the commentaries on Spandakārikā-s composed by Bhaṭṭotpala, Rāmakaṇṭha and Kallaṭa.
In this aphorism, Vasugupta mentions his own name, which would be a proof, according to Kṣemarāja, that he wrote the Spandakārikā-s and not his disciple Kallaṭa. In Trika system, the act of keeping the teachings secret is always celebrated. Why? In my opinion, because to speak about them with common people is just useless. They will be indifferent or discuss or become violent, etc. It is not their time to receive this knowledge and no way to bypass this requirement. Anyway, having published the translation and explanation of some Trika scriptures and their full commentaries too, I cannot affirm that I am the epitome of 'the act of keeping this knowledge secret', you know.
2 All this Trika knowledge is the greatest treasure because it sets a person free from spiritual ignorance (this constant lack of fullness). What could be more important than your Freedom? Men fight for freedom in the way they interpret it, but nonetheless they still remain in bondage. Bondage I am speaking about is internal and consists of several layers of limitations: Lack of fullness (the primordial ignorance) accompanied by notion of duality, false notion of doership, limited capacity to do, know, etc. It does not matter how free the physical body of that person may be, if he continues under the sway of such limitations due to his ignorance about his own essential nature, then he is in bondage anyway. This internal bondage cannot be removed by moving the body to a different position (a different country, for example) or by some mental exercise. No, it is only removed by His Grace. But His Grace has three ways of appearing in front of a person: (1) Śiva Himself in samādhi, (2) Śiva's scriptures and (3) the human Guru. So, if you can access the present scripture, you are receiving His Grace through this means. Apparently, anybody could access at will this scripture and any other Trika scripture, but this is not so, unfortunately. The Power of Śiva (i.e. Śakti) selects the people who will be able to access. Additionally, She also controls the level of access, i.e. if it will be shallow or deep. All this is not under the control of any ego then. There is an appearance of freedom with reference to accessing Trika scriptures, but it is just that: An appearance and not something real and true.
The Heart being mentioned in the aphorism is Paramaśiva, who is Prakāśavimarśamaya (consisting of Śiva and Śakti). The key to be successful is always to assimilate the sacred Spandakārikā-s' knowledge (and all the Trika knowledge) by means of firm realization of its truth together with the act of protecting it from the contact with the people who have other ideas about the Highest Reality. As I told you before, to share this knowledge with people having a different viewpoint will lead to indifference, discussion or even violence. When someone does so, such knowledge is always for his good, i.e. it generates in him realization of his true identity, i.e. that he is the Great Lord Śiva.
Now the scripture called Spandanirṇaya is completely finished! What is left it is just laudatory stanzas composed by Kṣemarāja.
End of the scripture
यद्यप्यस्मिन् विवृतिगणना विद्यते नैव शास्त्रे लोकश्चायं यदपि मतिमान् भूयसोत्तानवृत्तिः।
जानन्त्येते तदपि कुशलास्तेऽस्मदुक्तेर्विशेषं केचित्सारग्रहणनिपुणाश्चेतनाराजहंसाः॥१॥
अनन्तापरटीकाकृन्मध्ये स्थितिममृष्यता।
विवृतं स्पन्दशास्त्रं नो गुरुणा नो मयास्य तु॥२॥
विशेषलेशः सन्दोहे दर्शितः पूर्वमद्य तु।
रुद्रशक्तिसमावेशशालिनः शिवरूपिणः॥३॥
शूरनाम्नः स्वशिष्यस्य प्रार्थनातिरसेन तत्।
निर्णीतं क्षेमराजेन स्फारान्निजगुरोर्गुरोः॥४॥
येषां नो धिषणोपदेशविशदा सद्दैशिकैर्दर्शिता श्रीमच्छाम्भवशासनोपनिषदा येषां न भग्नो भ्रमः।
ये नास्वादितपूर्विणो मृदुधियः श्रीप्रत्यभिज्ञामृतं ते नात्राधिकृताः परैः पुनरिदं पूर्णाशयैश्चर्व्यताम्॥५॥
शिवादिक्षित्यन्तो विततविततो योऽध्वविभवः स्फुरन्नानासर्गस्थितिलयदशाचित्रिततनुः।
इयद्विश्वं यस्य प्रसरकणिकासौ विजयते परः संवित्स्पन्दो लसदसमसौख्यायतनभूः॥६॥
समाप्तोऽयं श्रीस्पन्दनिर्णयः।
कृतिः श्रीप्रत्यभिज्ञाकारप्रशिष्यस्य महामाहेश्वराचार्यश्रीमदभिनवगुप्तनाथदत्तोपदेशस्य श्रीक्षेमराजस्येति शिवम्॥
Yadyapyasmin vivṛtigaṇanā vidyate naiva śāstre lokaścāyaṁ yadapi matimān bhūyasottānavṛttiḥ|
Jānantyete tadapi kuśalāste'smadukterviśeṣaṁ kecitsāragrahaṇanipuṇāścetanārājahaṁsāḥ||1||
Anantāparaṭīkākṛnmadhye sthitimamṛṣyatā|
Vivṛtaṁ spandaśāstraṁ no guruṇā no mayāsya tu||2||
Viśeṣaleśaḥ sandohe darśitaḥ pūrvamadya tu|
Rudraśaktisamāveśaśālinaḥ śivarūpiṇaḥ||3||
Śūranāmnaḥ svaśiṣyasya prārthanātirasena tat|
Nirṇītaṁ kṣemarājena sphārānnijagurorguroḥ||4||
Yeṣāṁ no dhiṣaṇopadeśaviśadā saddaiśikairdarśitā śrīmacchāmbhavaśāsanopaniṣadā yeṣāṁ na bhagno bhramaḥ|
Ye nāsvāditapūrviṇo mṛdudhiyaḥ śrīpratyabhijñāmṛtaṁ te nātrādhikṛtāḥ paraiḥ punaridaṁ pūrṇāśayaiścarvyatām||5||
Śivādikṣityanto vitatavitato yo'dhvavibhavaḥ sphurannānāsargasthitilayadaśācitritatanuḥ|
Iyadviśvaṁ yasya prasarakaṇikāsau vijayate paraḥ saṁvitspando lasadasamasaukhyāyatanabhūḥ||6||
Samāpto'yaṁ śrīspandanirṇayaḥ|
Kṛtiḥ śrīpratyabhijñākārapraśiṣyasya mahāmāheśvarācāryaśrīmadabhinavaguptanāthadattopadeśasya śrīkṣemarājasyeti śivam||
Though (yadi api) there is no (vidyate na eva) estimated number (gaṇanā) of commentaries (vivṛti) on this scripture (asmin... śāstre) and (ca) though (yad api) (there are) intelligent people (lokaḥ... matimān), they (ayam) (are) mostly (bhūyasā) shallow-minded (uttāna-vṛttiḥ). Nonetheless (tad api), the ones (ete... te... kecid) who are proficient (kuśalāḥ), skillful in perceiving the essence (sāra-grahaṇa-nipuṇāḥ), (and) intelligent swans (cetanā-rājahaṁsāḥ) know (jānanti) the superiority (viśeṣam) of my commentary --lit. of my speech-- (asmad-ukteḥ)1 ||1||
(Since) being (sthitim) in the middle (madhye) of innumerable (ananta) other (apara) commentators (ṭīkā-kṛt) (was) intolerable (to him) (amṛṣyatā), Spandakārikā-s (spandaśāstram) were not (no) explained (vivṛtam) by my Guru --by Abhinavagupta-- (nas guruṇā). Nevertheless (tu), regarding this (scripture) (asya), I have previously shown (mayā... darsitaḥ pūrvam) a little bit (leśaḥ) of my peculiar viewpoint (viśeṣa) in Spandasandoha (sandohe). But (tu) today (adya), due to the fervent prayer (prārthanā-atirasena) of my own disciple (sva-śiṣyasya) whose name is Śūra (śūra-nāmnaḥ), who is Śiva (śiva-rūpiṇaḥ) (and) who is full of an absorption in the Power of Rudra (rudra-śakti-samāveśa-śālinaḥ), it --Spandakārikā-s-- (tad) has been totally investigated (nirṇītam) by (me,) Kṣemarāja (kṣemarājena), by means of the extensive (explanation) (sphārāt) of the Guru (guroḥ) of my own Guru (nija-guroḥ)2 ||2-4||
They are not qualified (na... adhikṛtāḥ) with reference to this --i.e. with reference to the study of Spandanirṇaya-- (atra) whose (yeṣām) intellect (dhiṣaṇā) is not (no) fit (viśadā) for (these) teachings (upadeśa) (such as) it --i.e. the fit intellect-- has been explained (darśitā) by the true spiritual preceptors (sat-daiśikaiḥ), whose (yeṣām) confusion (bhramaḥ) has not been shattered (na bhagnaḥ) by the secret doctrine (upaniṣadā) of venerable (Trika) Shaivism (śrīmat-śāmbhava-śāsana), (and) who (ye... te), being of tender intellect --weak intellect-- (mṛdu-dhiyaḥ), have not previously tasted (na āsvādita-pūrviṇaḥ) the nectar (amṛtam) of sacred Īśvarapratyabhijñā (śrī-pratyabhijñā). However (punar), this --Spandanirṇaya-- (idam) can be enjoyed --lit. can be chewed-- (carvyatām) by other perfect souls (paraiḥ... pūrṇa-āśayaiḥ)3 ||5||
That (asau) Supreme (paraḥ) Vibration of Pure Consciousness (saṁvid-spandaḥ), which is (bhūḥ) the abode (āyatana) of the glittering (lasat) unequaled (asama) Delight (saukhya), (always) triumphs (vijayate), whose majesty of path (yaḥ adhva-vibhavaḥ) is extremely far-spreading (vitata-vitataḥ) from Śiva down to the earth element (śiva-ādi-kṣiti-antaḥ), who flashes into view (yaḥ... sphurat) as variegated manifestations (citrita-tanuḥ) (in the form of) multiple (nānā) states (daśā) of emission --creation--, maintenance and dissolution (sarga-sthiti-laya), of whose extension the vast universe is a small particle (iyad-viśvam yasya prasara-kaṇikā)4 ||6||
This (ayam) venerable Spandanirṇaya (śrī-spandanirṇayaḥ) is finished (samāptaḥ)|
This is the work (kṛtiḥ) of venerable Kṣemarāja (śrī-kṣemarājasya) who received the teachings (datta-upadeśasya) from glorious Abhinavaguptanātha --i.e. Abhinavagupta-- (śrīmat-abhinavagupta-nātha), the Great Master and devotee of the Great Lord (mahā-māheśvara-ācārya), who is (also) the disciple of the disciple (praśiṣyasya) of the celebrated (śrī) author (kāra) of Īśvarapratyabhijñā (pratyabhijñā) --i.e. Utpaladeva, Guru of Lakṣmaṇagupta--. May there be welfare for all (iti śivam)!||
1 The meaning is that, at the time of Kṣemarāja, there were many commentaries on Spandakārikā-s (most of which are now lost) written by some intelligent people, but they were not fully quallified to explain these esoteric topics really. Nonetheless, the people who are capacitated, skillful in apprehend Spanda at any moment, and intelligent swans (i.e. endowed with competence to study Trika scriptures), are conscious of the excellence of Kṣemarāja's commentary.
2 Abhinavagupta, according to Kṣemarāja, did not write any commentary on Spandakārikā-s because he did not want his name to be in the middle of the names of innumerable other commentators.
Anyway, humble Kṣemarāja accepted the challenge and firstly wrote a commentary called Spandasandoha only on the first aphorism in Spandakārikā-s. But next, by request of his liberated disciple going by the name of Śūra, Kṣemarāja composed Spandanirṇaya, in which he commented on the whole Spandakārikā-s. Kṣemarāja did so by means of the extensive explanation of the Guru of his own Guru. Oh well, in my opinion, he is probably referring to Lakṣmaṇagupta (the disciple of Utpaladeva) who taught Abhinavagupta (the Guru of Kṣemarāja) all the schools of Trika except for Kula. Another candidate would be Bhaṭṭendurāja, disciple of Mukula (who was disciple of Kallaṭa himself), but he is said to have taught Abhinavagupta only 'dhvani' (poetry) and 'Bhagavadgītā'.
3 The adhikārī/adhikāriṇī or candidate must be furnished with the right kind of intellect such as defined by the true Guru-s of the tradition. It is an intellect able to reason in the right way about the Highest Reality. Besides, all the confusion in him about his own Self must have been completely destroyed by means of the teachings enunciated in Trika Shaivism. Finally, that person should have firstly studied Utpaladeva's Īśvarapratyabhijñā, the greatest work in the Pratyabhijñā branch of Trika Shaivism. This scripture is famous for teaching a disciple the right way to reason about the spiritual Truth. Hence Kṣemarāja is postulating that the study of Īśvarapratyabhijñā is the third requirement. All in all, practically the entire humankind, with the exception of a few perfect souls, is not qualified for the study of this scripture, and I am not exaggerating even a little bit. So, if you do not meet these requirements and at the same time you constantly feel you cannot understand the teachings postulated here, in Spandanirṇaya, there is nothing incredibly surprising then.
4 Spanda (the Power of Śiva) always triumphs because despite the constant obstacles and defeats, It remains forever as I-consciousness (like 'I AM'). There is no destruction of this Spanda even after the destruction of the body or even after the annihilation of the entire universe. The path of Spanda is extremely far-spreading because it extends from Śiva (tattva or category 1) down to the earth element (tattva or category 36), with all the multiple ramifications included in this process (myriad of states of manifestation, maintenance and dissolution), the entire colossal physical universe being just a small particle situated in a corner of Its --of Spanda-- Being. It is enough!
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