गान्धर्व तन्त्र (शैव-शाक्त आगम - मन्त्र-रहस्य, यन्त्र एवं देवतोपासना सटीक)

44
There should not be a pause of even one day in the
period of Puraścharana. At the end of Japa the offering
should be made to the extent of its 10th part in the puri-
fying fire. Tarpaṇa, Mārjana and the feeding of the Bramins
should be done respectively to the extent of the 10th part
of the Homa, 10th part of the Tarpaṇa and the 10th part
of the Mārjana. The five acts of a sacred bath, purging
of the sins, offering water to the Sun, sipping of water
and Prāṇāyāma come after the above. The large scale
worship is to be conducted at the end to complete the
Puraścharana. There is yet another way of performing the
same. According to this the practitioner is to keep a fast
previous to the day on which a Solar or Lunar eclipse
falls and stand in the river navel-deep and mutter the
mantra during the time of the eclipse, and after having
done so perform Homa etc.
29th CHAPTER
In the above the practitioner is instructed to mutter
the mantra of Devi with his wife at the time of midnight,
because anything done of religious merit at this time has
got far greater significance than if done at others. Perfor-
mance of Japa nine-hundred-thousand times of Devi is
calculated to qualify the practitioner for approach to her.
This is to be done in the following manner:-

Three-hundred-thousand times when the practitioner
has to concentrate his mind upon Kundalinī in the Mūlādhāra
centre coiling herself round a phallic mass of light called
Svayambhu. Again three hundred thousand times in the heart
with the mind fixed on Kundalinī with the Liṅga as above
called Bāna. Lastly the same number of times in the head
with attention fixed on Kundalinī with the Liṅga called Itara.
Mind loses its separate entity and becomes one with
the object of meditation when Japa is performed a crore
times. The serpent power lying dormant is to be awakened
and raised from centre to centre in the body of the
practitioner and these centres number nine and are located
in the Mūlādhāra, Liṅga, navel, heart, throat, middle of the
eyebrows and so on. The practitioner is advised further to
see that the mantra when muttered is not subjected to
the impurity, attendant on birth and death. Each breath
before its beginning and termination is said to have this
pollution. Immunity from such impurity is obtained by that
practitioner who knows the meaning of the mantra, the life
of the mantra and the Yonimudrā.
The meaning of the mantra of Devī Tripurasundarī is said
to be sixfold, i. e., literal meaning, traditional meaning, inner
meaning, Kaulika meaning, occult meaning and real meaning.
According to the literal meaning, the mantra is to be
understood as implying the union of Śiva and Śakti because

44
There should not be a pause of even one day in the
period of Puraścharaṇa At the end of Japa the offering
should be made to the extent of its 10th part in the puri-
fying fire Tarpana, Mārjana and the feeding of the Bramins
should be done respectively to the extent of the 10th part
of the Homa, 10th part of the Tarpana and the 10th part
of the Mārjana The five acts of a sacred bath, purging
of the sins, offering water to the Sun, sipping of water
and Prāṇāyāma come after the above The large scale
worship is to be conducted at the end to complete the
Puraścharaṇa There is yet another way of performing the
same According to this the practitioner is to keep a fast
previous to the day on which a Solar or Lunar eclipse
falls and stand in the river navel-deep and mutter the
mantra during the time of the eclipse, and after having
done so perform Homa etc
29th CHAPTER
In the above the practitioner is instructed to mutter
the mantra of Devī with his wife at the time of midnight,
because anything done of religious merit at this time has
got far greater significance than if done at others. Perfor
mance of Japa nine-hundred-thousand times of Devī is
calculated to qualify the practitioner for approach to her.
This is to be done in the following manner:-

Three-hundred-thousand times when the practitioner
has to concentrate his mind upon Kundalinī in the Mūlādhāra
centre coiling herself round a phallic mass of light called
Svayambhu. Again three hundred thousand times in the heart
with the mind fixed on Kundalinī with the Liṅga as above
called Bāṇa. Lastly the same number of times in the head
with attention fixed on Kundalinī with the Liṅga called Itara.
Mind loses its separate entity and becomes one with
the object of meditation when Japa is performed a crore
times. The serpent power lying dormant is to be awakened
and raised from centre to centre in the body of the
practitioner and these centres number nine and are located
in the Mūlādhāra, Liṅga, navel, heart, throat, middle of the
eyebrows and so on. The practitioner is advised further to
see that the mantra when muttered is not subjected to
the impurity, attendant on birth and death. Each breath
before its beginning and termination is said to have this
pollution. Immunity from such impurity is obtained by that
practitioner who knows the meaning of the mantra, the life
of the mantra and the Yonimudrā.
The meaning of the mantra of Devī Tripurasundarī is said
to be sixfold, i.e., literal meaning, traditional meaning, inner
meaning, Kaulika meaning, occult meaning and real meaning.
According to the literal meaning, the mantra is to be
understood as implying the union of Śiva and Śakti because

the constituent syllables of the same represent either Śiva
or Śakti Hence the first part of the mantra called Vāg-
bhava, i. e., हसकलह्री represents Vāmā Śakti, Brahmā Goddess
of wisdom, volition and Pūrvāmnāya, the second called
Kāmarāja, i, e , हमकहहलह्री Jyeṣṭhā Śakti, Viṣṇu, Goddess of
earth, cognition and Dakshiṇāmnāya and the third called
Śaktı, i. e., सकलह्री Raudrī Śaktı, Rudra, action and Paśchimā-
mnāya The syallable at the end of all these parts represents
Ambikā Śaktı, Śambhu, Śāntā, all the three aspects volition
etc and Uttarāmnāya
All these parts are further viewed as represen-
tatives of the three acts of creation, sustenance and
destruction In this way in the Vāgbhava with reference
to the creation as beginning, ह denotes Brahmā, स Goddess
of wisdom with reference to the same as continuing
(considered as sustenance) क denotes Viṣṇu, ल Goddess of
earth, with reference again to the same as ending, ह denotes
Rudrāṇī and र Rudra and the syllable ई denotes Śiva Sakti
and their combination (Anākhya) In the Kāmarāja ह & स
represent continuity as beginning, क & ल continuity as
continuous ह continuity as ending and ई as Anākhya. Addition
of ह in this part indicates that it refers to the stage of
continuity In the Śaktı स as abbreviation of हस denotes
destruction as beginning, कल destruction as continuity, ह
destruction as ending and ई the same as before

According to the Sampradayartha ह denotes sky क are
र fire स water and ल earth, giving birth respectivly to sky
etc The goddess of the mantra is to be meditated upon
as identical with the whole universe The fifteen syllables
of the mantra respectively represent also the 15 qualities
of the elements i e, 1 of the sky, 2 of the air, 3 of the
fire and 4 of the water and 5 of the earth The mantra
when analyzed into its constituents including both vowels
and consonants resolves itself into the 37 parts as 5 vowels
(4 अs + 1 ई) and 6 consonants हसकलहर in the first part,
as 6 vowels (5 अs + 1 ई) and 7 consonants हसकहलहर in the
2nd part, as 4 vowels (3 अs + 1 ई) and 5 consonants सकलहर
in the 3rd part, as 3 Bindus at the end of these parts and
as a whole. These 37 constituents represent the 36 categories
both individually and collectively The 6 हs in the mantra
represent the sound as effect (fivefold) and as cause. The
3 ईs and the Bindu at their end stand for the 4 forms
of touch, 3 रs represent 3 aspects of form, 2 सs represent
2 kinds of water gross and subtle and the 3rd स stands for
the connection between water and nectar. 3 लs represent
the earth as existing in the 3 worlds 3 कs also represent 3
classes of cognisers— Aśuddha, Suddha and Miśra, 12 अs
represent Jivā as such, Jīva as breath, Jīva as spirit, 3 Bindus,
purusha, Rāga, Vdyā, Kalā Nīyatī, Kāla, Māyā, Śuddhavidyā,
Ishvara and Sadāshiva and 3 Nādas, Sānti, Śakti and Śambhu

According to the inner meaning, the mantra reminds
of the identity between Śiva, the teacher and the disciple.
According to the Kaulika meaning it reminds of the
identity between the mantra, the diagram, the deity, the
teacher and the disciple. Identity between the mantra and
the diagram is thus established—
3 लs = 3 rectangles, 3 सs = 3 circles enclosing the
two lotuses, thrice three parts of ह्रीं i. e. हर्ड = 9 triangles,
3 हs = one 14 sided figure and 2 decagons, 3 कs = the centre.
Identity. between the diagram and the deity is shown
as below -
One hundred and eleven deities that are worshipped
in the different parts of the diagram attend upon the Devi
and hence she is the main deity of the chakra. She is also
manifest in the form of the planets counting nine as she
constitutes the essence of the moon, the sun and the fire,
volition cogination and action, Sattva Rajas and Tamas.
She appears in the form of constellations representing
sense organs (5) active organs (5) sense and action objects
(10) mind, wisdom, ego, chitta, matter, qualities, and spirit.
The six Yoginis Dākinī to Hākinī as presiding deities
of the six constituents of the body skin, etc. and the eight
mothers Brāhmī etc. as presiding over vowels, gutturals,
palatals, linguals, dentals, labials, semi vowels and aspirates
are mere representations of the Devi. As one with the ten
vital currents, limited soul and supreme soul she appears

as twelve signs of zodiac.
The above forms of Gaṇeśa are also traceable from
the mantra. The three parts of the mantra respectively
represent Vaikharī, Madhyamā and Paśyantī as presiding
over the three groups of sixteen letters each (थ to स, क to त
थ to स.). Hence Devī the deity of the mantra stands as
the mistress of all the forms of speech.
As the mantra has three parts, three Bindus and
three Nadas, it reminds of her planetary form. Again as it
possesses three parts having 5 letters (ह र ई Bindu and Nāda)
at the end of each in addition to the remaining letters
numbering 12 she is to be considered as one with constel-
lations. As the 6 letters suggestive of Śakti, i. e., 3 ह्रीँs and
3 लs, represent Yoginīs she assumes their form. Similarly
all the letters of the mantra excepting the 3 ending ह्रीँs
counting twelve stand for the 12 signs of zodiac and hence
she appears in the form of Rāshis also.
The identity between the teacher and the taught
This can be acquired and realized just as that between
the deity and her body either as mantra or as chakra, which
has been described above.
According to the occult meaning the mantra reminds
the practitioner again and again to be attentive to the idea
of identity between his self and Kuṇḍalinī which wakes
up in the Mūlādhāra and rises from there to the lunar seat
in the head.

According to the real meaning the practitioner has to
merge himself in the Transcendental Self.
30th CHAPTER
The three parts of the incantation of Devī known by
the terms Vāgbhava, Kāmarāja and Śakti together with the
Hamsa-mantra are described in this chapter. ह and स of हंस are
said to be representative of the vital breath and the soul,
existence and intelligence, Śiva and Śakti. This mantra is called
Ajapā because it is not to be muttered but to be meditated upon
so much so that the practitioner is to realize his unity with
the Transcendental Self. Of the Mātṛkā of the Sanskrit
alphabet, vowels constitute the breath, and Bindu and
Visarga consciousness. Every incantation becomes lifeless
as it were, if not possessing Bindu, Visarga, ह, स and ई श्रीं ह्रीं.
हंस ऐँ क्लीं सौः ह्रीँश्रीँ is supposed to vitalise every mantra as
do Bodhinī and Dīpinī. Meditation on Kuṇḍalinī in the form
of a flame, if accompanied by the 3 Kūṭas above referred
to, leads the practitioner to acquire respectively extraordinary
wisdom, power of charming and immunity from the effect
of poison.
The meaning of Kāmakalā and what it stands for
and other details regarding the same are given at the end
of the chapter.

31st CHAPTER
This chapter gives the details regarding the Homa
or sacrifice These are offerings to be made, formation
of the Kunda and the diagram, sacrificial pots, the incan-
tations meant to invoke the fire etc Particular objects
obtainable from making particular offerings are also fully
mentioned together with the measure and weight of the
latter at the end of the chapter
32nd CHAPTER
How a particular ring is to be prepared and how
the same is to be worn by a worshipper of Devi are
mentioned in this chapter The ring like the letters of the
Sanskrit alphabet is to be considered as identical with the
Sun, Moon and Fire. Hence the same is to be made up
of gold, silver and copper as representing Sun, Moon and
Fire The metals named above are to be in the ratio of 12,
16 and 10. The ring is to be washed with the five products
of cow and five Amritas on a bright Tuesday. The alpha-
bet should be written in the form of a lotus and the
9 pots full of perfume, water and jewels should occupy
the place of the 8 leaves and the centre of the lotus.
In the central pot should be placed the ring the three
parts whereof should be worshipped as Moon, Sun and Fire
with the three Bijas of Devi and with the three groups

of letters 16 vowels, 24 consonants क to भ , and ten other
consonants य to क्ष
Nayāsa of Sammohini and Mātṛkā comes after this
The goddess of the latter is to be meditated upon as
three-eyed, moon-white and wearing the emblems rosary, goad,
arrows, noose, two lotuses, bow and book After offering
the worship with flowers, lamps etc , together with that of
attendant deities and muttering the mantra thousand times,
the ring should be put in hand The Sampāta Homa also should
be done after this The disciple who is to wear the ring
should be bathed with the water of the 9 pots above referred
to when placed on the lotus of the Mātṛkā. When thus
qualified, he is to wear the same on the index finger. It
may be made of 9 jewels which are sacred to the 9
planets which represent the 9 classes into which the Sans-
krit alphabet is divided.
33rd CHAPTER.
This chapter deals with the invocation of the presence
of Devi It is said to be possible in three ways in the diagram,
in the image and in the disciple The disciple should make
an image either of a jewel or of gold or of silver and have Devi
invoked in it. The image should be taken out every month
and worship conducted through it with the 64 articles of the
same The diagram should be washed with the five products

of a cow placed in an altar on a conch After this he
should do other items of worship and having washed the
same diagram with different juices and waters and put the
same on a golden seat Then Devi is to be invoked and the
diagram retouched and electrified with the mantra श्रां ह्री etc
Then is the worship to be done with the necessary `articles
Recitation of the hymns completes the worship.
34th CHAPTER .
In this the reader finds the details given about the
worship of Devi as done by the follower of Kulāchāra
Among many other things, he has to observe that he does
not keep fasts, does not see a naked lady or one with
visible breasts, that he avoids anything painful to women,
that he eats modestly so as to keep healthy, that when
sacrificing an animal he gets it beheaded by someone else
while reciting the mantra उद्बुध्यस्व etc. He is further directed
not to be too much given to hunting, nor to indulge in
gambling but to strictly watch the conduct of women at
home. He alone is to make use of the liquor, who is not
adversely affected by it but who on the other hand is
uniform in treatment to all beings, is equally affected by
honour or dishonour, by friend or foe, by stone or gold and
who speaks smilingly and with steady eyes The best sign
of success in worship is afforded by detachment, thurst

for release, renunciation, control over everything, the practising
of the eight-limbed Yoga, avoidance of enjoyment, mercy
towards all beings, acquisition of omniscience etc.
35th CHAPTER
The worship of Devī through the medium of a lady
forms the subject-matter of this chapter. This is strictly to
be done in privacy and at night. In laying stress on the
use of the necessary material for this sort of worship
instances are quoted of Vishnu, Indra, Pushpadanta, Datt-
ātreya and Balarāma. Various powers are said to be obtain-
able from this worship. But the worshipper is to do ever
function with the help of his wife.
36th CHAPTER.
In this chapter the follower of Kulāchāra is instructed
to have his wife initiated like himself by his own teacher
who is to treat her as his own daughter. The Kula worship
is to be celebrated on the 8th and 14th day of each half
of the month through a diagram drawn on an earthen pot
with red lead. The diagram is to consist of a hexagon in-
side a lotus. The image of Devī is to be drawn with the
same material in the middle of the hexagon. The name of
the person to be hypnotized is to occupy the cheeks of
the image. The Mantra of Devī ऐं क्लीं सौः comes before
and after. The Kāmabīja, i. e, क्लीं should be prominent in

the other parts of the image The muttering of the Vasanta-
sundari mantra क्लीं ह्रीं ऐं नीलसुभगे ह्विलि ह्विलि विच्चे स्वाहा comes
after this Then he has to electrify the image with the
spiritual power and after having done the same perform
the actual worship. The spiritual counterpart of the above
is also detailed in this The practitioner has to place him-
self in an even seat in a pure solitary place with the
nervous system fully purified. He has to purify the latter
with the Prāṇāyāmic exercises and be in the Sundarī-mudrā in
which eyes are fixed on the nose-tip or the inner soul,
or the middle of the eye-brows and the teeth, lips and
tongue are to be closed with the serpent force drawn up
from the Mulādhāra He has to melt the nectar in the
thousand-petalled lotus in the head and with the nectar
shower so obtained he is to worship Devi in the heart lotus.
Invocation of Devi is to be done through inhalation and
retention of the breath The same nectar is to be offered,
for the washing of the feet, Arghya and sipping Thirtysix
component principles of the world are to serve the purpose
of perfume The flowers to be offered are non violence,
abstention from theft, commiseration, forgetfulness, sense-
control, presence of mind, absence of envy, hatred and
attachment and truthfulness Air serves the purpose of
incense, light of lamp, Sun of mirror, Moon of umbrella,
happiness of ornaments sky of chāmara and heart-throbbing of

bell. The nectar above referred to is the drink but not
the liquor. By the Sundarī or the matchless beauty is meant
the subtle flame which occupies the central place of the
Nāda which ultimately is the essence of the fire, the air,
the sky, the water and the earth. The practitioner of
the worship has to merge the products of the five different
elements in the elements themselves, lights in the light and
the mind in the Brahman. In the pit of Kundalinī he is to enkindle
the spiritual fire and make into it the offering of all desires,
whether definite or indefinite, merit and demerit, with the
incantation given in the book at pages 320—21.
37th CHAPTER
This chapter relates how the things which have been
rejected by the followers of the Vedas can be used by a
Tāntrik worshipper in a particular manner so as to gain
success in worship. It is said that there is absolutely
nothing pure and nothing impure. It is the way of using
it that causes its purity or impurity. What is really needed
is the fixing of mind on the Brahman. It is variously
described as Prakriti by Sānkhyas, as Avidyā by Vedāntins,
as Mahāvidyā by Śaivās and as Mahāmāyā by Tāntriks.
Brahmā, Vishnu and Maheśvara adore Mahāmāyā. Brahmā
by worshipping her obtained Sāvitrī representative of the
will-power as his consort and Vishnu Lakshmī representing the
cognitive power. She is said to have two forms gross and

subtle The gross form is visible in females and the subtle
in the Kundalinī It is, therefore, commanded that the fe-
males should not be subjected to any cold treatment such
as beating etc. Worship of the subtle form is conducted
through the Kundalinī Yoga.
38th CHAPTER.
In this Śiva says that the Devī feels satisfied not so
much with the mental worship as with the physical · In
accounting for the same it is said how she was once
praised by Brahma and how she being pleased conferred
on the Trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Śiva, their respective
powers - creation, sustainment and destruction and how she
was born first as Satī and then as Pārvatī and how she
advised Śiva to marry her as a Vīra and how he praised
her expressnig that all his eight forms were really her
own manifestations and at the end how she appeared before
Śiva in the form of the Universe
The reader is here to see for himself how much
the Tantra has borrowed from the Durgā - saptaśatī and the
Bhagavadgītā
39th CHAPTER
This chapter sets forth that spirit and matter are the
two eternal principles The former is represented by the

male sex, and the latter by the female. The latter, therefore,
is endowed with the Guṇās (qualities) From this view-point
the question of purity and impurity attaching to the things
of the world is said to be conventional for taking it for
granted that the world consists of the five elements,
we have to see how the same earth can be consi-
dered to give rise to the cast distinction such as
Brahmin etc, or to the distinction either as divine or as
human etc He is held to be a Brahmin who feels really
that the soul is different from the body and is one with
the Brahman as supreme bliss.
The Vedāntic description of the Brahman and of
the bodies of the soul, gross, subtle and causal is put in
the mouth of the Devī

40th CHAPTER

In this Śiva and Pārvatī change positions Śiva
becomes the questioner and Pārvatī the replier The latter
states how the world consists of the two elements Śiva
and Śakti and how their simultaneous existence is essential
and how she is to be worshipped through incantation,
image etc When physical worship is to be conducted
the Liṅga is advised to be worshipped alongside The
way of worship associated with the Kulāchāra is fully
detailed towards the end

41st CHAPTER
In the above explanation of the Anuttara or the
Transcendental Self comes first. It is defined as the unifica-
tion between Sat and Chit, Prakāśa and Vimarsha, Śiva
and Śakti (being and knowing). The Bīja of the Devī given
here points to the same thing so far as its connotation is
concerned. All the incantations are said to lead when
practised to the same stage in the long run, though at
first they may be helpful to the practitioner's approach
to Śiva or the Devī. The practitioner has to bear in mind
that the objective world is in nature one with the sub-
jective. The Transcendental Self manifests itself trebly,
first as Bindu, then as Nāda and lastly as Bīja. The
Saivāistic doctrine regarding the cosmic evolution and that
of the Sanskrit alphabet is described in elucidation of
the Annuttara much in the same way as Abhinava Gupta
and Kshemarāja have done.
The verse frequently quoted by the writers on Saivism
comes at the end and means an individual soul out on
gaining oneness with the supreme reality as supreme bliss
energises to merge the objectivity in the subjectivity.
42nd CHAPTER.
This closes the book and deals with the description
of the physiological, psychological and spiritual phenomena

as known to the experts in the Tantric lore It is given
in the form of questions and replies. Devi asks the following
questions.-
1 Whence does the speech originate and wherein does
it disappear? 2 Who feels appetite and thirst and who
sleeps and wakes up? 3 Who sins and is bound and who
emancipated? 4 How is the etheric side of the soul to be
accounted for in the body? 5 How does the soul assume
the physical body? 6 Who is the soul? 7 How does the
soul see? 8. How does it become Sakala (bound) and how
Nishkala (released)? 9 How does it get sustenance and
what accounts for its physical appearance and disappearance?
Śiva replies:-
1 Speech comes from and merges in the mind through
the instrumentality of Avyakta and the vital breath. 2 Vital
breath feels desire for food and drink and the bodily fire
enjoys them Wind ( Vital breath) causes sleep and waking
3 Mind is responsible for sins and bondage When the
soul being under control ceases to function, it becomes
free 4 The soul has three sides, aerial, astral and etheric
as breathing, digesting and speaking, 5 The Soul appears
in the physical form under the influence of matter as
Sattva, Rajas and Tamas and it is centered in the tip of
the nose, navel and heart It lives as embodied so long
as the heart and the head continue to function. 6 The

supreme reality is the soul. 7. It sees through the body
8. It becomes Sakala when it comes under the influence
of Prakriti and Nishkala when it realizes its unity with
the Transcendental Self 9 It gets sustenance through its
actions and appears and disappears through the presence
or otherwise of limitations caused by actions It rises and falls
like a ball in the scale of life
In explaining the above replies Siva makes a refer-
ence to the doctrine of the Upanishads as revealed to Sanat-
kumāra the son of Vishnu
The last lines of the chapter like those of the
Upanishads describe the merit of reciting the Tantra
Srinagar M. S. KAUL
Dated the 23rd. August 1944