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

the Tattvas, with the Mudrā of morsels. Then the initiator acquaints him with the mantras of the Guru and Bālā and the mantra of the candidate's choice or all mantras atonce In doing the latter the initiator keeps his foot on the head of the candidate He also gives him a new name of initiation consisting of two or three syllables with the word आनन्दनाथ coming at the end Having thus brought him up to the same footing with himself in the spritual sphere, the initiator should embrace him and smell him on the head In order to keep his own spritual power intact the teacher should also perform the Japá of the Mulamantra one thousand and eight times The candidate should offer due and costly presents so that his teacher may be satisfied

28th CHAPTER

In this are given the instructions regarding Purash charana which is necessary for obtaining success in the mantra Purashcharna means performance of the Japa of a mantra either one thousand and eight times or fiftythou- sand times This is necessary to remove the obstacles due to lack of faith, scepticism and the demerits of the previous lives This may be done either by the disciple or by the teacher or by some worthy Brahmin in some sacred place either on the 14th or the 8th or the 15th day of the dark half of the month The practitioner is to keep a fast for

the previous day and perform worship to Brahmins or teachers, Gaṇeśa, mother deities ad manes. The Japa is to be done in a suitable place which is to be selected carefully by testing the same with the help of the diagram called Kur- machakra consisting of nine sections in which the alphabet or the Mātṛkā is arranged in a prescribed manner The rosary to be used is to consist of the beads of pearl, crystal etc Beads may number a hundred, fifty or twentyeight One of them which stands for the Meru should be the biggest, the rest being gradually smaller in size and each bead should have a knot The holy articles of food such as curd, milk, Ghee etc should be taken and those of the opposed character should be avoided The practitioner should also observe sleeping on the earth, celibacy, silence, absence of envy, three daily baths, avoidance of mean acts, daily worship, daily charity, praising of the deity, occasional worship, reliance on the teacher and the deity and avoid the company of and eating with women, Sudra, outcast etc, lying, cheating, deceitful talk, hearing the music and seeing a dance etc Japa should not be done when the doer is without a Pavitra in the hand naked, with the head covered, without a seat, asleep, going or standing in the street, dark places or talking It should not be continued on seeing, talking to and hearing an outcast, sneezing, discharging the wind and yawning Everyday such an amount of Japa should be done from the morning till midday as has been fixed per day

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