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Tantrasāra (Tantrasara): Chapter 10
Kalādyadhvaprakāśanam - Explaining the path of Kalā-s, etc.
Introduction
This is the tenth chapter (called Kalādyadhvaprakāśanam).
This work was written by the great Master Abhinavagupta and is a summary of Tantrāloka. 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 Tantrasāra is a summarized 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 Tantrasāra 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.
Chapter 10
तन्त्रसारः
दशममाह्निकम्
उक्तस्तावत्तत्त्वाध्वा। कलाद्यध्वा तु निरूप्यते तत्र यथा भुवनेष्वनुगामि किञ्चिद्रूपं तत्त्वमित्युक्तं तथा तत्त्वेषु वर्गशो यद् अनुगामि रूपं तत् कला - एकरूपकलनासहिष्णुत्वात्। तद्यथा पृथिव्यां निवृत्तिः - निवर्तते यतस्तत्त्वसर्ग इति। जलादिप्रधानान्ते वर्गे प्रतिष्ठा - कारणतयाप्यायनपूरणकारित्वात्। पुमादिमायान्ते विद्या - वेद्यतिरोभावे संविदाधिक्यात्। शुद्धविद्यादिशक्त्यन्ते शान्ता - कञ्चुकतरङ्गोपशमात्। एतदेवाण्डचतुष्टयं - पार्थिवप्राकृतमायीयशाक्ताभिधम्। पृथिव्यादिशक्तीनामत्रावस्थानेन शक्तितत्त्वे यावत्परस्पर्शो विद्यते स्पर्शस्य च सप्रतिघत्वमिति तावति युक्तमण्डत्वम्। शिवतत्त्वे शान्तातीता तस्योपदेशभावनार्चादौ कल्यमानत्वात्। स्वतन्त्रं तु परं तत्त्वं तत्रापि यद् अप्रमेयं तत् कलातीतम्। एवं पञ्चैव कलाः षट्त्रिंशत्तत्त्वानि। तथाहि - प्रमेयत्वं द्विधा - स्थूलसूक्ष्मत्वेनेति दश। करणत्वं द्विधा - शुद्धं कर्तृतास्पर्शि चेति दश। करणतोपसर्जनकर्तृभावस्फुटत्वात्पञ्च शुद्धकर्तृभावात्पञ्च विगलितविभागतया विकासोन्मुखत्वे पञ्च सर्वावच्छेदशून्यं शिवतत्त्वं षट्त्रिंशम्। तद्यदोपदिश्यते भाव्यते वा यत् तत्प्रतिष्ठापदं तत् सप्तत्रिंशं तस्मिन्नपि भाव्यमानेऽष्टात्रिंशं न चानवस्था - तस्य भाव्यमानस्यानवच्छिन्नस्वातन्त्र्ययोगिनो वेद्यीकरणे सप्तत्रिंश एव पर्यवसानात्षट्त्रिंशं तु सर्वतत्त्वोत्तीर्णतया सम्भाव्यावच्छेदमिति पञ्चकलाविधिः। विज्ञानाकलपर्यन्तमात्मकलेशान्तं विद्याकला शिष्टं शिवकलेति त्रितत्त्वविधिः। एवं नवतत्त्वाद्यप्यूहयेदिति। मेयांशगामी स्थूलसूक्ष्मपररूपत्वात्त्रिविधो भुवनतत्त्वकलात्माध्वभेदो मातृविश्रान्त्या तथैव त्रिविधस्तत्र प्रमाणतायां पदाध्वा प्रमाणस्यैव क्षोभतरङ्गशाम्यत्तायां मन्त्राध्वा तत्प्रशमे पूर्णप्रमातृतायां वर्णाध्वा स एव चासौ तावति विश्रान्त्या लब्धस्वरूपो भवतीत्येकस्यैव षड्विधत्वं युक्तम्।
पदमन्त्रवर्णमेकं पुरषोडशकं धरेति च निवृत्तिः।
तत्त्वार्णमग्निनयनं रसशरपुरमस्त्रमन्त्रपदमन्या॥१॥
मुनितत्त्वार्णं द्विकपदमन्त्रं वस्वक्षिभुवनमपरकला।
अग्न्यर्णतत्त्वमेककपदमन्त्रं सैन्यभुवनमिति तुर्या॥२॥
षोडश वर्णाः पदमन्त्रतत्त्वमेकं च शान्त्यतीतेयम्।
अभिनवगुप्तेनार्यात्रयमुक्तं सङ्ग्रहाय शिष्येभ्यः॥३॥
Tantrasāraḥ
Daśamamāhnikam
Uktastāvattattvādhvā| Kalādyadhvā tu nirūpyate tatra yathā bhuvaneṣvanugāmi kiñcidrūpaṁ tattvamityuktaṁ tathā tattveṣu vargaśo yad anugāmi rūpaṁ tat kalā - Ekarūpakalanāsahiṣṇutvāt| Tadyathā pṛthivyāṁ nivṛttiḥ - Nivartate yatastattvasarga iti| Jalādipradhānānte varge pratiṣṭhā - Kāraṇatayāpyāyanapūraṇakāritvāt| Pumādimāyānte vidyā - Vedyatirobhāve saṁvidādhikyāt| Śuddhavidyādiśaktyante śāntā - Kañcukataraṅgopaśamāt| Etadevāṇḍacatuṣṭayaṁ - Pārthivaprākṛtamāyīyaśāktābhidham| Pṛthivyādiśaktīnāmatrāvasthānena śaktitattve yāvatparasparśo vidyate sparśasya ca sapratighatvamiti tāvati yuktamaṇḍatvam| Śivatattve śāntātītā tasyopadeśabhāvanārcādau kalyamānatvāt| Svatantraṁ tu paraṁ tattvaṁ tatrāpi yad aprameyaṁ tat kalātītam| Evaṁ pañcaiva kalāḥ ṣaṭtriṁśattattvāni| Tathāhi - Prameyatvaṁ dvidhā - Sthūlasūkṣmatveneti daśa| Karaṇatvaṁ dvidhā - Śuddhaṁ kartṛtāsparśi ceti daśa| Karaṇatopasarjanakartṛbhāvasphuṭatvātpañca śuddhakartṛbhāvātpañca vigalitavibhāgatayā vikāsonmukhatve pañca sarvāvacchedaśūnyaṁ śivatattvaṁ ṣaṭtriṁśam| Tadyadopadiśyate bhāvyate vā yat tatpratiṣṭhāpadaṁ tat saptatriṁśaṁ tasminnapi bhāvyamāne'ṣṭātriṁśaṁ na cānavasthā - Tasya bhāvyamānasyānavacchinnasvātantryayogino vedyīkaraṇe saptatriṁśa eva paryavasānātṣaṭtriṁśaṁ tu sarvatattvottīrṇatayā sambhāvyāvacchedamiti pañcakalāvidhiḥ| Vijñānākalaparyantamātmakaleśāntaṁ vidyākalā śiṣṭaṁ śivakaleti tritattvavidhiḥ| Evaṁ navatattvādyapyūhayediti| Meyāṁśagāmī sthūlasūkṣmapararūpatvāttrividho bhuvanatattvakalātmādhvabhedo mātṛviśrāntyā tathaiva trividhastatra pramāṇatāyāṁ padādhvā pramāṇasyaiva kṣobhataraṅgaśāmyattāyāṁ mantrādhvā tatpraśame pūrṇapramātṛtāyāṁ varṇādhvā sa eva cāsau tāvati viśrāntyā labdhasvarūpo bhavatītyekasyaiva ṣaḍvidhatvaṁ yuktam|
Padamantravarṇamekaṁ puraṣoḍaśakaṁ dhareti ca nivṛttiḥ|
Tattvārṇamagninayanaṁ rasaśarapuramastramantrapadamanyā||1||
Munitattvārṇaṁ dvikapadamantraṁ vasvakṣibhuvanamaparakalā|
Agnyarṇatattvamekakapadamantraṁ sainyabhuvanamiti turyā||2||
Ṣoḍaśa varṇāḥ padamantratattvamekaṁ ca śāntyatīteyam|
Abhinavaguptenāryātrayamuktaṁ saṅgrahāya śiṣyebhyaḥ||3|||
Essence of Tantra (tantra-sāraḥ)
Tenth (daśamam) chapter (āhnikam)
(In chapter 9,) the path of the categories (tattva-adhvā) has been described (uktaḥ) indeed (tāvat)!|
But (tu) (now, in chapter 10,) the path of the Kalā-s, etc. (kalā-ādi-adhvā) is being described (nirūpyate). There (tatra), just as (yathā) a Tattva or category (tattvam iti) is said to be (uktam) the form (kiñcid rūpam) which is present (anugāmi) in the bhuvana-s or worlds (bhuvaneṣu), in the same way (tathā), Kalā (kalā) (is) that (tad) form (rūpam) which (yad) is collectively present (vargaśas... anugāmi) in the categories (tattveṣu) — (Why is she called like that?) Because it is able to bear the combination (of many different things) into one form (eka-rūpa-kalanā-sahiṣṇutvāt)|
Namely (tad-yathā), (the Kalā called) Nivṛtti (nivṛttiḥ) (is) in the earth element --category 36-- (pṛthivyām) — (Why?) Because (yatas) the manifestation of categories (tattva-sargaḥ iti) ceases (in her) --i.e. in Nivṛttikalā-- (nivartate)|
(The Kalā called) Pratiṣṭhā (pratiṣṭhā) (is) in the group starting with the water element and ending in Prakṛti --from the category 35 up to the category 13-- (jala-ādi-pradhāna-ante) — (Why is she called like that?) Because, as causality, she nourishes and fills (kāraṇatayā āpyāyana-pūraṇa-kāritvāt)|
(The Kalā called) Vidyā (vidyā) (is) in (the categories) starting with Puruṣa and ending in Māyā --from the category 12 up to the category 6-- (pum-ādi-māyā-ante) — (Why is she called like that?) Because, on the disappearance of the knowables --i.e. objects--, there is preponderance of Consciousness (vedya-tirobhāve saṁvid-ādhikyāt)|
(The Kalā called) Śāntā (śāntā) (is) in (the categories) starting with Śuddhavidyā or Sadvidyā and ending in Śakti --from the category 5 up to the category 2-- (śuddha-vidyā-ādi-śakti-ante) — (Why is she called like that?) Because the moving to and fro of the Kañcuka-s --i.e. the sheaths-- becomes calm (kañcuka-taraṅga-upaśamāt)|
This (etad eva) (is also) the group of four eggs (aṇḍa-catuṣṭayam), whose names are: (Eggs) of Pṛthivī, Prakṛti, Māyā and Śakti (pārthiva-prākṛta-māyīya-śākta-abhidham)|
The powers contained in the earth element --category 36--, etc. reside (pṛthivī-ādi-śaktīnām... avasthānena) here --in such four eggs-- (atra) up to (yāvat) the Śakti category --category 2-- (śakti-tattve). (In the Śakti category,) there is (vidyate) supreme contact (para-sparśaḥ). And (ca) contact has the characteristic of resistance (sparśasya... sa-pratighatvam). Thus (iti), egg-ness (aṇḍatvam) (is) suitable (yuktam) to such (reality) (tāvati)|
(The Kalā called) Śāntātītā (śāntā-atītā) (is) in the Śiva category (śiva-tattve) — (Why is she called like that?) Because He is considered --or He is thought about-- (tasya... kalyamānatvāt) at the time of teaching, contemplating, worshiping, etc. (upadeśa-bhāvanā-arcā-ādau)|
However (tu), the Supreme (param) Principle (tattvam) (is) Free (svatantram). Even (api) there (tatra), That (tad) which (yad) is devoid of objects (a-prameyam) (is called) Kalātīta --beyond Kalā-s-- (kalā-atītam)|
Thus (evam), (there are) five (pañca eva) Kalā-s (kalāḥ) (and) thirty-six categories (ṣaṭ-triṁśat-tattvāni)|
For example (tathāhi): Knowableness --i.e. objectivity-- (prameyatvam) (is) twofold (dvidhā) — According to the conditions of gross and subtle (sthūla-sūkṣmatvena), (the number is) ten --five each-- (iti daśa)|
Instrumentality (karaṇatvam) (is also) twofold (dvidhā): Pure (śuddham) and (ca) in contact with agency (kartṛtā-sparśi) (result in a number of) ten --five each-- (iti daśa)|
Due to a condition where agency --the state of agent-- is clear and instrumentality is subordinate (karaṇatā-upasarjana-kartṛ-bhāva-sphuṭatvāt), (the number is) five (pañca). Because of (the presence of) pure agency (śuddha-kartṛ-bhāvāt), (the number is) five (pañca). (There is also) five (pañca) in which separation is dissolved (vigalita-vibhāgatayā) as there is an orientation to an expansion (vikāsa-unmukhatve). The thirty-sixth one (ṣaṭtriṁśam) (is) the Śiva category (śiva-tattvam) that is free from all limitations (sarva-avaccheda-śūnyam)|
When (yadā) that (thirty-sixth principle) (tad) is taught (upadiśyate) or (vā) meditated on (bhāvyate), that (tad) (is) the thirty-seventh (principle) (sapta-triṁśam) which is an state of establishing in it --in the thirty-sixth one-- (tad-pratiṣṭhā-padam). When there is meditation (bhāvyamāne) also (api) on that --on the thirty-seventh one-- (tasmin), (that is) the thirty-eighth (principle) (aṣṭā-triṁśam). And (ca) there is no (na) regressus ad infinitum --i.e. this succession of principles does not continue forever-- (anavasthā). (Why?) Because (the succession) ends (paryavasānāt) in the thirty-seventh one alone (sapta-triṁśa eva) when that Yogī (full of) uninterrupted Absolute Freedom being meditated on --viz. Śiva-- is taken as the object (tasya bhāvyamānasya anavacchinna-svātantrya-yoginaḥ vedyī-karaṇe). However (tu), the thirty-sixth (principle) (ṣaṭ-triṁśam) is to be regarded (sambhāvya-avacchedam) as transcending all the categories (sarva-tattva-uttīrṇatayā). Thus ends (iti) the method of the five Kalā-s (pañca-kalā-vidhiḥ)|
The Ātmakalā (ātma-kalā) ends in Vijñānākala (vijñāna-akala-paryantam), the Vidyākalā (vidyā-kalā) ends in Īśvara (īśa-antam), (and) the Śivakalā (śiva-kalā) (rules over) the remaining (principles) (śiṣṭam). Thus ends (iti) the method of the three tattva-s or principles (tri-tattva-vidhiḥ)|
One should infer/conceive (ūhayet iti) in this way (evam) even (api) for nine tattva-s or principles, etc. (nava-tattva-ādi)|
The triple (trividhaḥ) division (in the form) of the path or course of Bhuvana --world--, Tattva --category-- and Kalā --primeval power-- (bhuvana-tattva-kalā-ātma-adhva-bhedaḥ), being gross, subtle and supreme (sthūla-sūkṣma-para-rūpatvāt), is related to the objective portion (meya-aṁśa-gāmī). Likewise (tathā eva), (the division is also) threefold (trividhaḥ) when there is a repose in the subject (mātṛ-viśrāntyā) --i.e. this triple division consists of Varṇa (letter), Mantra (word) and Pada (sentence)--. There (tatra), the path or course of Pada (pada-adhvā) has to do with pramāṇa --knowledge and means of knowledge-- (pramāṇatāyām). When the waves of agitation of pramāṇa become calm (pramāṇasya eva kṣobha-taraṅga-śāmyattāyām), (that is) the path or course of Mantra (mantra-adhvā). When that becomes calm --when the Mantra path or course becomes calm-- (tad-praśame), the path or course of Varṇa (varṇa-adhvā) (is that which) has to do with the Full/Perfect Knower (pūrṇa-pramātṛtāyām). (Next), that very (Varṇa) (saḥ eva ca asau) attains Its own essential nature (labdha-sva-rūpaḥ bhavati) by means of a repose (viśrāntyā) in such (a Full/Perfect Knower) (tāvati). Thus (iti), sixfoldness (ṣaḍvidhatvam) is suitable (yuktam) to one (path or course) (ekasya eva)|
"Nivṛttikalā (ca nivṛttiḥ) holds (dharā) one Pada, one Mantra and one Varṇa (pada-mantra-varṇam ekam) (as well as) sixteen Bhuvana-s (pura-ṣoḍaśakam... iti). The other (Kalā --i.e. Pratiṣṭhākalā--) (anyā) (holds) twenty-three Tattva-s and Varṇa-s (tattva-arṇam agni-nayanam) (from the water element, category 35, up to Prakṛti, category 13), fifty-six Bhuvana-s (rasa-śara-puram), five Mantra-s and five Pada-s (astra-mantra-padam)"||1||
"The other Kalā (called Vidyākalā) (apara-kalā) (holds) seven Tattva-s and Varṇa-s --from Puruṣa, category 12, up to Māyā, category 6-- (muni-tattva-arṇam), two Pada-s, two Mantra-s (dvika-pada-mantram) (and) twenty-eight Bhuvana-s (vasu-akṣi-bhuvanam). The fourth (Kalā --i.e. Śāntākalā--) (turyā) (holds) three Varṇa-s, three Tattva-s --from Sadvidyā, category 5, up to Sadāśiva, category 3-- (agni-arṇa-tattvam), one Pada, one Mantra (ekaka-pada-mantram) (and) eighteen Bhuvana-s (sainya-bhuvanam iti)"||2||
"This (iyam) Śāntyatītā --or Śāntātītākalā, the last Kalā-- (śānti-atītā) (holds) sixteen Varṇa-s (ṣoḍaśa varṇāḥ), plus --lit. and-- (ca) one Pada, one Mantra and one Tattva (pada-mantra-tattvam ekam). (This) group of three (stanzas) in Āryā (meter) (āryā-trayam) has been expressed (uktam) by Abhinavagupta (abhinavaguptena) to make a summary (saṅgrahāya) for (his) disciples (śiṣyebhyaḥ)"||3||
TRANSLATION IS COMPLETELY FINISHED BUT NOT POLISHED YET
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