तन्त्रसार (महामाहेश्वर अभिनवगुप्त - तन्त्रालोक का प्रामाणिक सार-संग्रह सटीक)

xxi
Bhairava, the clear void of consciousness creates the
picture of the universe in Himself. He manifests them and
experiencers that, ‘I am the universe.’ Thus He assumes the
immanent nature. This is His function of creation. Then He
maintains the sixfold adhvās and experiences them as being
reflected in him. Thus He is the manifestor of maintenance.
Then lastly, into the flame of all-consuming Fire the entire
universe is withdrawn and dissolved.
Thus, the person who is able to realise the partless one
as the single unit of conciousness ( akhaṇḍaikarūpatayā ) in
which the above three functious of creation, maintenance
and dissolution have their rise and rest, is absorbed in the
Supreme by means of Śāmthava upāya.
IV
The highest end of human being is to arrive at the very
nature of Paraśiva who is ever free from determinacy
( vikalpa ). One is able to get rid of thought-constructs by
means of pure reasoning, listening to holy texts known as
Āgamas and following the teachings of the spiritual teacher.
The practice of contemplating or viewing everything as Siva,
the essential Reality, is the means by which one is able rise
above impure vikalpas. In Tantrasāra it is stated that one
considers oneself bound on account of vikalpas. The wrong
conception of one’s true nature is the cause of samsāra.
Therefore, when a vikalpa of quite opposite nature is born,
it dispels the wrong one and places one on the right track
and soon it becomes the cause of the highest good.
Though vikalpa is of no avail to reveal the nature of
Paraśiva, the highest Reality, for It is everywhere and in
every way self-luminous, Yet it is the considered opinion of
the author that pure vikalpas remove the sense of duality

xxii
from the self. The sense of duality is not something positive,
but is only ignorance (akhyāti) of one's essential nature.
Therefore the sense of duality is removed by śuddhavikalpa.
Śuddhavidyā leads to sattarka or pure reasoning. It
should be borne in mind that it is distinct from gross form
of reasoning as is dealt in the Nyāya system, for it is said of
sattarka that it arises by itself in a person on whom Śakti has
keenly touched. This tarka leads to the continuity of ideas
similar to śuddhavikalpa as stated in Tantrasāra thus :
That which is unlimited consciousness transcending all
limited expressions of Reality from earth right up to Śiva,
that alone is the highest Reality; that am I.
When finally by continuous practice of tarka regarding
the nature of Reality, it brings about purity of vikalpas.
The highest excellence of tarka terminates into bhāvanā by
which one is able to make manifest even the most indistinct
into distinct.
In some tarka may arise by itself without having his
recourse to any spiritual guide or reading of holy texts.
When it dawns upon the person, he is considered to have
been initiated by the luminous Samviddevīs themselves.
But the person on whom the grace of Lord has fallen in
a less keen degree, should have to be initiated by the spiritu-
al teacher, after which he is able to secure the right of liste-
ning to Āgamas which by their proper understanding, help
him become free from doubts. Afterward the truth that
contains in the Āgama, gives rise to Sattarka in him.
Sattarka is the light of Śuddhavidyā. It is considered
to be the most excellent and direct limb of yoga. It has
been stated in the Tantrasāra that yoga is also a kind of
Vikalpa, but it is characterised by intensive awareness (anu-

xxiii

sandhenātmā ) as regards to the essential Reality. For the
purpose of keeping the essential Reality ever luminous in his
view, the yogin takes resort to this form of Vikalpa for the
maturity of his awareness.
Parameśvara is by nature pure consciousness and is ever
full. His fullness is His Śakti, the Divine I-consciousness.
By the grace of Śuddhavidyā one has to take resort to Cit
Śakti which finally leads the aspirant to Śambhu, the Lord.
V
When vikalpa cannot by itself becomes pure and there-
fore one has to depend on other means for its purification,
in that case the aspirant is decidedly staying in the lower
stage of spiritual development, or in other words, Śaktipāta
has occurred in him in a lesser degree. Therefore, for the
purification of vikalpas, he, being limited himself, takes
resort to such means as are limited. Hence the individual
takes up buddhi, prāṇa or body itself for this purpose.
Among the aspirants who is more advanced, proceeds
on the path of dhyāna. The Tantrasāra has given briefly
how this contemplative meditation is to be performed. Though
it is called dhyāna yet it is quite distinct from dhyānas
as are found mentioned in various holy texts. In short, it
is unlike those in which the aspirant imagines his desired
deity as having a face and limbs.
The Tantrasāra describes dhyāna in the following manner.
The self-luminous essential Reality who abides in all, is to
be meditated upon by the aspirant in the core of the cons-
cious heart. The meditation is to be performed in such a
way that the three, namely, the Subject, the instrument of
knowledge and the object representing the fire, the sun and
the moon respectively, have coalesced together and have
become the unity of a single mass. The meditation is to be

xxiv
continued so long as they do not lose their separate entities
and blaze up as the Fire of the Great Lord. This Fire is
to be meditated upon as surrounded by twelve kālīs. These
kālīs are none but the flames of the wheel of Fire. This
Fire should be thought of as emitting out rays through the
outlets of eyes and others, which take their rest as the object
of external senses. The object is to be thought of as being
nourished by the creative energy of the moon, then it is
maintained and made manifest by the sun and finally it is
dissolved by the energy of fire so that it may be drawn in-
side and be made transcendent ( anuttara ).
When this dhyāna is continuously performed, the aspirant
soon realises that every object and the idea is nothing but pure
consciousness in essence. He further realises that creation
and other functions are essentially the play of the Lord.
✕ ✕ ✕
After dhyāna the text gives the view of uccāra. The
upgoing movement of prāṇa is commonly known as uccāra,
but really speaking, uccāra is of the characteristics of spanda
( vibration ), which is the very soul of it.
Prāṇa is of two kinds : the one is general ( sāmānya ),
and the other is specific ( viśeṣa ). In the former difference
of any sort is totally absent, while in the latter, on account
of distinctive activities the same prāṇa shows itself in five
forms known as as prāṇa, apāna, samāna, udāna and vyāna.
It is quite evident that these five have their base in the
general prāṇa.
On account of the vibrative move of prāṇa inarticulate
sound known as anāhatanāda becomes manifest. It goes on
sounding without any break in the heart of every living being.
This nāda is associated with two bījas, namely, sṛṣṭibīja ( sa )
and samhārabīja ( ha ).

XXV
The activity of Prāṇa goes on functioning without any
conscious effort of the living being. Usually prāṇa moves
along the channels of iḍā and pingalā. The middle path
remains blocked for the ordinary human being. By the
grace of guru when the middle path opens up, the aspirant's
journey towards the Supreme begins from that time.
The movement of prāṇa is then realised by the aspirant
as associated with Śakti. It is She who in the form of
hamsa is moving upward and she is the real mover of prāṇa.
Not only that he realises that she gets the two bījas nourished
in two places of their origin, namely, the heart and dvāda-
śānta, the top of the head. At the realisation of this truth
the Yogin feels thar the prāṇa before its rise takes rest in
the void of the heart. Then by its externalisation as apāna
the external objects not only shine forth but also get nourished
by apāna, the moon. The Yogin then experiences the all-
pervasive nature of prāṇa. On account of specific activitics
of prāṇa in various spots of the body, the Yogin experiences
various kinds of delights in accordance to his aptitude in
getting the prāṇa take rest in these spots. These delights are
named nirānanda and others. They are six in number.
By his experience of delights in different spots he finally
realises that the highest place of rest is somewhere else other
than the body and prāṇa, He realises the highest form of
delight known as jagadānanda in which there is no limitation,
for it shines in all directions and where consciousness alone
remains ever shining. It expresses itself as the knower, the
means of knowledge and the objects known. It expands
by the nectar of divine joy of absolute sovereignity, in which
there is no need for contemplation¹.
1, Tantrāloka 5,51

xxvi
It seems proper to note here that prāṇa and apāṇa are the
two factors which performs the functions of dissolution and
creation, while samāna makes a balance of two pulls of
energy in the inner viṣuvat, that is the void. Then udāna,
the upper current begins to flow along the middle path.
Finally the vital energy becomes vyāna, the all-pervading one
in which all limitations have their end.
The yogin by means of close observation of two bījas
mentioned above, should make vikalpas free from impurities.
Viśrānti in different spots, in accordance with his proficiency
in entering them, he in the beginning experiences delights,
then follows udbhava, kampa, nidrā and ghūrṇi. The spots
where they are experienced are as follows : mūlādhāra,
kanda, hṛdaya, tālu and dvādaśānta, Udbhava and kampa
and others are the characteristic marks of the Yogins, which
appear as a consequence of his practice of uccārayoga,
The final goal of the yogin that he desires to arrive at
by means of uccārayoga, is dvādaśānta which is known by
another name of ūrdhvakundalī where the difference of
Śakti and Śiva ends. It is of the charactrastic of Samvit-
spanda,
× × ×
The inarticulate sound (anāhatanāda) is ever present
but it becomes manifest by the rhythmic movement of prāṇa.
It is called varṇa or syllable. It should be borne in mind
that this nāda should not properly be called varṇa but it
is the cause of syllables. Bījas known as sṛṣṭi and saṁhāra-
bījas (sa and ha) are the two chief syllables in association
with which anāhatanāda becomes manifest. Therefore the
yogin tries to fix his mind in them so that he may get the
touch of nāda. He practises to hear the nāda by uttering
different syllables either ending in a vowel or not ending in.

xxvii
any vowel, for he knows that nāda abides in all the varṇas
latent in an undivided form. Even by calling to memory
the ever sounding nāda he experiences identity with pure
consciousness.
VI
In Chapter sixth the method of realisation of the essential
Reality by external means has been described. Mālinīvijaya
has described Āṇavopāya that it is an absorption into the
divine self through the means of uccāra, karaṇa, dhyāna,
varṇa, sthānaprakalpana etc. In the preceding sections a
little hints have been given as regards uccāra, dhyāna and
varṇa. In the present section it is discussed how a yogin
adopts prāṇavāyu as a means for the desired purpose.
From this chapter onward upto chapter twelve whatever
is deseribed comes under the device of location (sthānapra-
kalpana). The locations are three, namely, the vital energy,
the body and other external objects.
The six adhvās are immense. They have their base in
the general prāṇa, while the adhvā known as kāla (Time)
has its base in the specific prāṇa.
The objects shine in two ways, either with sequence or
without any sequence. The act of confining anything within
limits (kalana) is the function of kāla. Though pure
consciousness is free from all limiting adjuncts, yet the
universe in the form of the knower and the known, is made
manifest by its freedom of will. As a result they shine
forth with their distinctive and limited character. The
agency of the delimiting power of consciousness is known as
kālaśakti. But before the apparent externalisation of ob-
jects sequence and non-sequence remain latent in its pure
nature. Not only that the entire universe remains insepara-

xxviii
bly one with the Light ( prakāśa ), but in order to show
itself as limited, this prakāśa at first negates the universe
from it and experiences that ‘I am transcending the universe’.
Thus the void ( Śunya ) transcending everything is known as
Śūnyapramātā.
The knowing subject of the void, on account of its asso-
ciation with impurity known as āṇavamala becomes externally
inclined with the result that the universe that was previously
rejected or negated is now thought of as the most desirable
object. Then a vibrative upsurge occurs in it which shows
itself as prāṇa.
Prāṇa is the first extension of consciousness. It shows
itself as spanda, the very nature of self-reflection. For this
reason prāṇa is said to be predominantly of the nature of
kriyāśakti. Therefore, though it is inert ( jada ), it is
primarily of the nature of consciousness. For this reason,
taking resort to prāṇa the aspirant is able to attain the
Supreme Reality.
Prāṇa is the very life of every living being. It is always
on move. On account of its activities in different locations
of the body, the universal prāṇa is known as prāṇa, apāna,
samāna, udāna and vyāna. Of the above five prāṇa and
apāna function as the activity of inhaling and exhaling. The
ingoing movement starts from the heart and ends at the
top of the head known as dvādaśānta, while the outgoing
movement starts from dvādaśānta and ends at the heart.
This movement continues and goes on functioning in a
single day for 21600 times.
Prāṇa being the manifest form of śakti, all the six
-adhās, namely, varṇa, mantra and pada on the one hand
and kalā, tattva and bhuvana on the other have their

xxix

respective locations in it. It is to be noted here that adhvās
are generally known as paths which by means of sequence
lead the aspirant to the Supreme, and in the end the one in
whom the right view of non-duality has rightly developed
these adhvās are absorbed in I-consciousness. For this
reason adhvās are not simply path but are something that
is absorbed.
Hence the Yogin makes an effort to realise the Supreme
Reality by taking resort to prāṇa and then puts an end to
the mutations caused by the impelling force of Time.
Prāṇa is vibrative by nature. This vibration arises
spontaneously in the location of kanda below the genitive
organ. The spontaneous movement of prāṇa bestows little
spiritual result in comparison to the movement which is
caused by the conscious effort of the Yogin. Hence by
his deliberate effort in association which jyeṣṭhāśakti the
Yogin tries to move his prāṇa from the centre of the heart
along the path upward so that it may reach dvādaśānta, the
top of the head, and then after getting it to take a little
rest there for a moment it is made to run again toward the
heart. This process of ingoing and outgoing is simply
known as inhaling and exhaling, but to the Yogin it means
something else. In the primary stage the Yogin by his
keen observant look watches each movement of prāṇa rising
in the heart, proceeding upward and coming back in the
heart again. He divides the whole course of prāṇa into
sixteen divisions. Each of these sixteen divisions is known
as tuṭi, representing a day. Similarly, the exhaling is taken
to represent a night. When the Yogin becomes sufficiently
proficient, he then takes each movement of prāṇa and apāna
to represent a month.

xxx
The course along which prāṇa and apāna move, measures
thirty six digits ( anguli ). It is assumed by the Yogin that
the hour, the tithi and other long and short units of time
get their rise in prāṇa. It is to be noted here that kriyāśakti
which operates externally as kālaśakti in prāṇa, is without
any definite form. For this reason whatever shines in prāṇa
as kṣaṇa, lava etc., may shine as a year or more than several
years. Not only that, they shine and rise in it and terminate
in the highest equilibrium.
When prāṇa runs the course of two and one fourth of
a digit the duration is known as tuṭi. Four of such tuṭis
make a prahara. Half of a tuṭi is a sandhyā. The exhaling
and the inhaling represent the day and the night.
In the same way a month consisting of thirty tithis with
the broad divisions of two fortnights, is also assumed by the
Yogin to rise in prāṇa. All the tithis from pratipat to
amāvasyā and then again from pratipat to purṇimā lie along
the course of inhaling and exhaling movemsnt of prāṇa and
apāna. The sixteenth consisting of half a tuṭi at the start
and another half at the final resting place, is considered
to be the sandhyā, the meeting point of the day and the
night. These two halves of tuṭis are free from the influence
of Time, for this reason sandhyās are considered to be very
auspicious. Similarty during the dark fortnight the moon
or the apāna offers its digits ( kalā ) one by one to prāṇa,
the sun and the final one is offered near the dvādaśānta at
the fifteenth tuṭi, after which the moon gets itself dissolved
in the sun. This is known as amāvasyā when the moon
remains latent in the kalā known as amā. The span which
is one half of the tuṭi is occupied by amāvasyā and the
remaining half is the duration for pratipat. When on

xxxi
account of caguhing or other factors the portion of amāvasyā
gets into the portion of pratipat, as a result the duration
of the tithi is cut short and therefore the solar eclipse
occurs. The eclipse then obliteraters the difference of the
knowing subjects, the instrument of knowledge and the
objects known ( pramātā, pramāṇa and prameya ), Therefore,
the occasion is considered to be very auspicious because it
bestows other worldly result.
Similarly a year is supposed to get its rise in a single
movement of prāṇa. For this reason the entire course of
the movement of prāṇa and apāna is supposed to correspond
with uttarāyaṇa ( the progress of the sun to the north ), and
dakṣiṇāyāna ( the progress of the sun to the south ). In that
case the tithis occupy only one fffth of a digit and the sun’s
passage from one rāśi to another, that is. the saṃkrāntis
occur in every six digit.
For the purpose of minimising the influence of time the
Yogin further strives to get twelve years to rise in the single
movement of prāṇa and apāna. He locates sixty tithis in
a digit and the passage of one rāśi to another is supposed
to be the duration of a year. Thus he is able to observe
the duration of twelve years in the single movement of prāṇa
and apāna.
Like prāṇa time is thought to arise in apāna. It arises
in the heart and goes down to mulādhāra. Just as Brahmā
and others are supposed to be the superintending deities
residing along different locations, namely, in the heart and
other places as mentioned above, in the same way, they are
said to have their locations in the heart and other places
down to kanda etc. The Yogin should meditate upon the
deitics as the causal agents of stages, namely by boyhood,

xxxii
youth, old age, death, rebirth and liberation of the embodied
soul. Brahmā to Anāśrita, these six, are considered to be
the cause of different states through which a living being has
to pass. As they give rise to these states, therefore in the
beginning they are accepted by the Yogin but finally rejected
by him, To him the most acceptible object is the Supreme
Goddess, the seventh, called unmanā to which once united it
is possible for him to reach beyond these states.
The movement of apāna ends in dvādaśānta otherwise
known as Yoginīvaktra, If the Yogin is able to find rest
there, only then ūrdhvādhara ḍambara, the distinctions of
the upper and the lower divisions are put to rest forever.
It is to be noted here that this viśrānti or rest is attainable
by means of minute divisions of time into tuṭis in the way
as has been discussed above in connection with the prāṇa.
Similarly in samāna also the above method is followed.
Though samāna arises in the navel and flows along seventy
two thousand nāḍīs of the body, Yet it becomes manifest
in the heart. It flows along ten principal nāḍīs, namely,
iḍā, piṅgalā suṣumnā, gāndhārī, hastijihvā, alambuṣā, puṣā,
kuhu and śaṁkhinī, but of the above ten the first three are
the most important. The heart is like a lotus with eight
petals pointing to eight directions. On account of its
association with eight directions, it imitates the activities of
the Lord of directions and appears as cruel and placid. It
is known as samāna because it remains in the body uni-
formly—( samananāt samānaḥ ).
As viṣuvat occurs in prāṇa, similarly the yogin ascertains
five saṅkrāntis and two viṣuvats during the day. In the same
way they also occur during the night. It is well known that
viṣuvats are the equinox when the duration of the day and

xxxiii
the night becomes equal. Hence the time is considered to
be very auspicious.
The movement of udāna proceeds from the heart.
It goes upto the top of the head called dvādaśānta. The
yogin tries to watch the entire unit of time from tuṭi to
sixty years in the single movement of udāna. It is thought of
having the characteristic of vibration (spandarūpa). Vyāna
is all-pervasive by nature. Therefore it is free from sequence,
still time arises there in the form of subtle vibration
(śūkṣmocchalattārūpa).
The rise of varṇa
The rise of varṇa occurs withont any effort but there
are some which rise with the personal effort. Syllables are
of three kinds, the transcendent, the subtle and the gross.
The transcendent syllables are of two kinds, the one is of
the highest kind (paratama) and and the other is known
as the higher (paratara). The highest form of the syllable is
known as Nāda which is closely associated and inseparably
united with all the syllables. It goes on sounding ceaselessly.
It is unborn and unbeaten, hence it is known as Anāhata.
VII
In the seventh chapter the texts presents deśādhvā.
It consists of multifarious forms of objects. They are made
manifest by the Lord by means of His power of activity.
The body of objects, namely, the house, the courtyard,
the market, the temple, the garden and the forest which are
different from one another, shine only to the limited
subject as mutually distinct from one another and also
from the subject itself. But the Lord who is perfect and
so free from all limitations they shine as His very self.
These forms actually have their substratum in pure consc-
3

xxxiv
iousness and being so shine non-defferently from Him.
Samvit in Her free will veils her pure natare and manifests
before the view of the limited subject like śunya, prāṇa,
buddhi and the embodied soul the pictures of objects
different from the experiencing subject. These adhvās
shine externally as objects but really they are non-different
from the self.
They have their locātions in śunya, prāṇa, in all the
nādi cakras and the body itself. As they proceeded from
and created by samvid, they are to be dissolved in samvid
by involutionary method. As the adhvās are vast it is
practically impossible even for a yogin to do so in an aeon
of ages.
Therefore, one should know first of all the real nature of
these adhvās. They have their real resting place in conscious-
ness and through it (samvit) the entire adhvā consisting of
the void, the intellect, the vital energy and everything whe-
ther it is the body, the image of a deity, or the sacrificial
altar, becomes complete. When the aspirant is able to realise
this he dissolves them in Brahmā, the lord of Brahmāṇḍa,
then the tattvas from Puruśa to kāla to Viṣṇu, the lord or
them. Then Māyā, the knot (granthi) to Rudra, then Māyā
is to be dissolved in Īśvara who is the lord of Māyā. Then
Śuddhavidyā should be dissolved in Sadāśiva and then
Śakti and Siva are to be dissolved in Anāśrita Śiva and fin-
ally all of them are dissolved in Paraśiva, the all-pervading
one.
In Triśira Bhairava, a Tantric text, thinks of pure consci-
ousness as it were a tree consisting of three portions. The
extreme fringe, the root, is known as bodhamūla where 'this-
ness is predominant. It is the gross form of (bodha) conscious-

XXXV
ness. The middle, is not predominantly of dual nature, because
thisness though shines here, yet it has merged in consci-
orsness. While the most perfect bodha is one where there is
no separate existence of this. Though this state is known as
bodhāgra,the highest consciousness, everything has its existence
here without any separate distinction but shine non-diffrently
from pure consciousness.
From this it is evident that all the adhvās consisting of
thirty six tattvas are non-different from Paraśiva, the Supre-
me. One who is able to realise the most delightful adhvās as
non-different from his own consciousness can attain Śiva-na-
lure without delay.
This chapter gives a detailed account or all the tattvas
from the earth onward and the bhavanas contained by each.
VIII
In the previous chapter we have seen that bhuvanas are
the expansion of Śakti which keeps within all the multifari-,
ous forms of subjects and their objects of experience. But
permeating them all the highest genus, known as Parama-
śiva ever remains shining. But the less pervading one which
is present in some but is absent in others is defined as a
tattva, for example, solidity, firmness and grossness. all these
qualities are only found in Brahmāṇḍa alone. Therefore it is
evident that in Brahmāṇḍa consisting of kalāgni to vīrabhadra
solidity and grossness are found, for this reason it is known
us pṛthvī.
The next thing that has been discussed in this ehapter
is the relation of the cause and the effect. According to
this system the relation is of two kinds, namely, the trans-
cendent (pāramārthika) and supposed (kalpita). The trans-
cendent relation is such that out of freedom of will of the

xxxvi
Lord, who is the free agent, everything beginning with
Śiva and ending in the earth, shines non-differently from
Him and rests in Him. But the supposed relation of the
cause and the effect is such that everything follows a
regular sequence. This form of Kāryakāraṇa bhāva has
created by His power of Niyati. According to this system
the rod, the wheel and clay which are considered essential
for effecting a jar, are only expedients, the real cause is
the Lord, for He remains associated with all of them as
the cause and the effect. In order to support the view it is
stated that it is He who brings all the causes together
and sets them apart. The impelling force of the universal
consciousness is considered as the real agent of everything.
When the potter makes a ar he himself is one with that
universal consciousness who is the real doer.
Paraśiva is perfect (pūrṇa) with five śaktis. These
śaktis are inseparably united with Lord and are manifested
in five forms by His free will. These five are cit, ānanda,
icchā, jñāna and kriyā. The five principles, namely, Śiva,
Śakti, Sadāśiva Iśvara and Suddhavidyā are the manifesta-
tions of the śaktis mentioned above. It is to be noted here
that Śakti is one and affluent with all the śaktis, but on
account of dominance of the one than the other distinctions
are also observed among them. In Śivatattva cit is predom-
inant, while ānanda is so, it is called Śaktitattva aud so on.
The Lords of the above five principles are Siva, Śakti,
Sadāśiva, Iśvara and Ananta. The five beginning with Siva
and ending in Ananta have their respective gaṇas, They are
named Śāmbhava, Śākta, Mantreśvara and Mantra. This is
known as pure adhvā.
The impure adhvā is created by the will of the Lord
for the fulfilment of the desire of the limited souls. Aghora

xxxvii
is the creator of the impure adhvā by means of causing
kṣobha in Māyā.
The principle called Māyā is the material cause of the
insentient universe. It should be remembered in this context
that Māyā śakti belonging to the Lord is the manifestor
of Māyā the material cause and it is quite different from
Māyā, the principle or tattva. The entire universe is born
out of Māyā from which kalā is born. It in its turn is
responsible for the rise of limited power of action in the
limited soul. Māyā is the cause to veil pure conscious state
of the self for which it loses its power of dṛk and kriyā.
Kalā, though born of Māyā and being impelled by its
force, becomes attached with the limited soul. These two,
that is, kalā and aṇu, remain firmly attached to each other,
so they cannot be defferentiated easily. Those who remain
under the influence of Māyā, fail to get release so long as they
do not receive grace from Ananta, the Lord of Māyā. Only
then Puruṣas can differentiate themselves from Māyā, with
the result that they become Vjñānākala souls. In the same
way when one realises one's distinction from kalā one can go
beyond kalā. In the same way when he realises his distine-
tion from Prakṛti, he never goes down Prakṛti. When the
residual trace of mala becomes totally absent from the soul
he becomes one with Śiva.
It is to be remembered in this connection that kalā is the
giver of limited activity in the aṇu soul. The impure Vidyā
bestows on the insentient subject limited cognitive power.
Only on account of its presence the limited subject is able
to see the real nature of the intellect and can distinguish
happiness and others faom the mass of objects which are refle-

xxxviii
cted in the mirror of buddhi. ‘I know something’ and ‘I do
something’ are the froms of judgment, aroused by Vidyā
and Kalā respectively.
These rāga, vidyā, kalā, kāla and niyati are of two types,
on account of the grace they are considered pure and there-
fore function as means for the attainment of Śivahood. Kalā
becomes pure when it consists of activities like worshipping,
rāga becomes so when it gives rise to attachment to the Lord.
Vidyā becomes so when it causes discernment regarding
the Lord. Kalā in the same way gives effect to the teaching
regarding the Lord ( tadupadeśādi viṣayameva kalanam ),
while niyati restricts the soul to remain steadfast in His
worship.
The group of kalā and others are different according to
the difference of the indivdual souls, for the activity in them
is seen to rise differently in different limited Subjects,
It is worthy to note here that the agenthood with the cha-
racteristic of limited nature gives rise to the genus Pradhāna,
the equilibrium of the three guṇas, viz, sattva, rajas and
tamas. Not only that, it is from kalā both the individual subject,
the bhoktā, and the bject as bhogya that is to be experie-
nced, are born. The Supreme Subject in the beginning is made
poor by Māyā. When it takes away all His glories, then again
He is bestowed with a little of His glory by means of kalā
etc. Thus He becomes paśu, a limited subject and the Māyā
kāla, rāga Vidyā, niyati, kāla serve him as sheaths.
The author points out that Prakṛti is of two kinds, the
one is the equilibrium of guṇas, the other is guṇatattva itself
which being disturbed by the superintending Lord of the
Tattva causes kṣobha in Prakṛti which in its turn gives rise

xxxix
to the principle of Buddhi. For Prakṛti as the recipient of
kṣobha should be accepted otherwise how it would be possible
for the liberated soul to remain uninvolved again in bondage.
Bnt according to this system the disturbance ( kṣobha ) in
Prakṛti is caused by the Lord Himself.
Ahaṁkāra gets its rise from Buddhi which secs on the
mirror of the light of Puruṣa which hasbecome slightly impure
because of its contact with the objec ts ( buddhi vṛttyātmanī
prakāśe) feels the ego that ‘I know this and’ ‘I do this’ thus
it feels identity with the object and thinks itself as I. Buddhi.
receives the reflection of objects and at the same time
though insentient, manifests the light of Puruṣa. Similarly
ahaṁkāra serves as an instrument and the cause ( karaṇa and
kāraṇa) It is threefold namely sāttvika, rājasika and tāmasa.
From Ahaṁkāra predominatly of sāttvika nature five inner
and external sense organs, from rājasa Ahaṁkāra manas and
from tāmasa nature of Ahaṁkāra five tanmātrās; are born.
Thus the tanmātrās give rise to nabhas, Vāyu, tejas, āpa and
pṛthvī.
In the present chapter discussion is made about all the
thirty six principles which are mutually related with one an-
other. All of them come under the threefold divisions of
Nara-Śakti and Śiva. Śiva pervades all by His characteristic
nature of luminous consciuosness. The principle in which this
characteristic of light is more prominent than the other, it is
considered extensive than the other, for example Śiva is more
extensive than Śakti, while the latter is more so than Nara.
IX
The present chapter chassifies all the tattvas under fif-
teen aspects and others as viewed by seven kinds of Subjects

known as Śiva, Mantrameheśvara, Mantra, Vijñānākala,
Pralayākala and Sakala. They are possessed of Śaktis. Their
number is also seven. Thus counting Śaktis and Śaktimān the
number becomes fourteen. Counting svarūpa, that is, the
object in itself with the fourteen all the tattvas from Pṛthvī
to Prakṛti each have fifteen aspects.
The Lord is possessed of three Śaktis which are known
as Parā, Parāparā and Aparā. The transcendent Śakti func-
tions as the subject ( mātṛrūpa ). She is the Parāśakti who
is inseparably united with the Supreme Subject. The Parā-
parā Śakti is the instrument ( pramāṇa ) and the Aparā
Śakti operates as the object of experience ( meyarūpaḥ ).
The earth and others have their distinctive svarūpa, that
is, they are objects as they are. In other words, it may be
stated that from Prakṛti down to the earth they shine as
objects without having the reflection of any limiting adjuncts
of the subject and its instrument,¹ This is said to be the pure
svarūpa nature of objects. It does not rest in the subject but
on the contrary, it has its rest in itself ( Svātmaniṣṭham ).
It should be noted in this context that the object as such
shines in this distinctive way by the grace of Aparāśakti.
The pure objective aspect of all the tattvas from the earth to
Prakṛti broadly come under the Nara group, the basic con-
cept of Trika as characterised by Nara, Śakti and Śiva. But
when Śaktis related to different subjects become predominant
and the object in its turn rests in them, it is then known to
be its Śākta form. It shines thus by the grace of Parāparā
Śakti. These Śākta forms are seven because the number of
Śaktis related to different subjects are seven. But when the
Subject possessed of Śaktis become predominant and the

१. मातृमानाह्युपाधिभिरसंजातोपरागकम्—तं० आ० १०.१०