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T NTRæLOK

Light on the Tantras

Abhinavagupta

Translated from the French

La Lumière sur les Tantras

Chapters 1 through 5

! "#$ %&'()

Includes footnotes based on the commentary by Jayaratha



Tantr;loka – Chapter 1 (winter 2008-2009) p 2

Dedication

This translation effort is dedicated first to the memory and enduring

inspiration, empowerment and teachings of my first teacher and ‘shaktipat’ guru, Swami Muktananda Paramaha>sa. With love and the eternal awe and

imprint of his magnificent and radiant state of consciousness.

Muktananda became immersed Kashmir Shaivism mostly in the last twelve

years of his life. It was a sort of 're-discovery', and he indicated that it was

the spiritual and philosophical framework that corresponded mostcompletely to his own sadhana and experience after the intense grace

received from his guru, Bhagawan Nityananda. Kashmir Shaivism irrigated

Muktananda's radiance, informed his discourses and bathed us, his

disciples, in the same ocean conveyed to us here by Abhinavagupta. I have

never been the same since, and have, over the years, continuously returnedto the shores of Shaivism to find clarity, inspiration and validation of my

experience of life, meditation and light.

I also wish to acknowledge the push and inspiration of Parvathi Nanda

Nath, a Kashmiri yogini who skillfully straddles East and West, and brings

the depths and mysteries of ancient oral Tantra into a harmonious

symphony with elevated Shaivism – she has rekindled my searching, my

finding, my focus and effort. Infinite thanks to her love, freedom,

spontaneity and insight.

May this effort be beneficial to all adepts and seekers interested in the

paths forged by the masters of Kashmir Shaivism. The Trika tradition

continues today, even if it is a universe of practitioners that is somewhatsmall relative to those of other traditions, and it is hoped this small

contribution will in some way help to keep the fires burning brightly.



Foreward to this translation

The Tantrãloka is one of the most important texts written byAbhinavagupta, frequently quoted and referenced in the work ofmany scholars and practitioners, but as of yet unavailable inEnglish in its entirety. This work can be considered to be almost a'textbook' or compendium written by Abhinavagupta, presumably

primarily for the use of his current disciples and future adepts.

Abhinavagupta's text is not introductory, and it presupposes

considerable familiarity with the framework of Kashmir Shaïvism,as revealed by Vasugupta in the Shiva Sutras, and thesubsequent commentaries and works by Ksemaraja, Utpaladevaand many others.

This translation effort is intended primarily to providepractitioners in the tradition of Kashmir Shaïvism with a

relatively easily readable version of the first five chapters of thistext. In these first five chapters, Abhinavagupta presents a large

and comprehensive overview of Kashmir Shaïvite philosophy,metaphysics and practice. These chapters cover the essence ofthe four 'upayas' of mainstream Kashmir Shaïvism, which can beconsidered as paths, approaches or phases for the practice ofdeveloping knowledge of ultimate reality through contemplation

and meditation.

The remaining chapters of the Tantrãloka, 6 through 37, go intoconsiderable detail about specific external practices, rituals and

initiations. At this time, only Chapter 29 is available in Englishtranslation from the remainder of the text. A very brief synopsis ofthe other chapters is included by Abhinavagupta at the end ofChapter 1.

Abhinavagupta’s text is dense and the Sanskrit is often difficult,

even for Sanskrit scholars, such as André Padoux and LilianSilburn, who executed the French translation from which this is

derived. The late Ms. Silburn and Mr. Padoux have been Sanskritscholars their whole professional lives and their Frenchtranslation is exceptional in its precision and clarity. Their work

is based on a lifelong pursuit of thorough understanding andextensive study of the Kashmir Shaïvite traditions, and they hada personal relationship with the shaïvite teacher and masterLakshman Joo. They combine deep scholarly expertise honed over

decades with an obvious passion and interest in the content ofthe material, which produces a vivid and lively French translation

that is precised and complex but not dry and obtuse.




This translation into English should not be viewed as a 'scholarly'effort based on research of the original Sanskrit. It is more of aprecise and careful rendition into English intended to be readableand understandable. However, it remains very close to theoriginal Sanskrit as well as the writing style of Abhinvagupta, andis not in any way a vulgarization or a 'reductionist' interpretationof the original, excessively digested.

While translating I have brought to bear my readings of manytexts of the Kashmir Shaïvite tradition as produced by a number

of scholars, my deep familiarity with its key concepts andprinciples, and especially my long-term study of this philosophyand practice of the processes described herein for over thirty years. This practice was first developed under the guidance ofSwami Muktananda with whom I lived continuously for eight years, then later with the Kashmiri yogini Parvathi Nanda Nath.My emphasis over these years has been much more that of a

practitioner than a scholar, and inevitably, as in all translationwork, this may introduce nuances linked to my personal

experiences and viewpoints. Practitioners focus on directexperience, process and techniques rather than the precision ofdata favored by scholars looking for historical sequencing andreferences with other works.

Scholarly research in these areas is extremely valuable, and hascontributed to the frequent discovery of new manuscripts and

translations of previously unavailable texts. Many scholars alsofocus on fine nuances of meaning of the Sanskrit, which is

difficult since many Sanskrit words have multiple meanings.Sanskrit was used as the language of education and spiritualteaching over a period of multiple centuries, if not millenia, andcertainly evolved over that timeframe.

I have chosen to minimize this scholarly effort in my focus on

rendering the material in one of Abhinavagupta's most importantworks relatively more easily accessible to the advanced

practitioner. Readers who would like more scholarly footnotes andcross-references are referred to excellent works on Shaïvismproduced by many well-known scholars.

This text contains complex sentence structures with lots ofconcatenated elements. I have rendered the translation asfaithfully as possible, often inserting key Sanskrit terms in

parentheses to help the reader familiar with Sanskrit roots.




The pincipal commentator of the Tantrãloka is Rãjãnatha Jayaratha. Jayaratha‘s main life's work was a very extensivecommentary of this Tantrãloka, and he was an ardent student ofShaïvism in the 12th century. This is about two hundred yearsafter Abhinavagupta. While Jayaratha's commentary is veryuseful at times, it can also be repetitive and often simplyparaphrasing Abhinavagupta.

In wanting to assist the practitioner, I have frequently included Jayaratha's commentary in an abridged or paraphrased form

within extensive footnotes to explain complex passages where itwas needed most. His commentary is very lengthy, possibly tentimes the length of Abhinavagupta's original text. It has thereforealready been excerpted and digested by the French scholars,Padoux and Silburn, before my own selecting and abstractingprocess – the commentary is therefore indeed a 'digest'. Wheneverthe reference 'Jayaratha:' begins in a footnote, the reader should

know that, unless explicitly quoted, it is not a direct quote fromhis text but a very concise paraphrasing of his most important

points.

The commentary, even abridged, may also include some of Jayaratha's own biases due to culture, religious beliefs andspiritual practices and influences in his time period. This should

be kept in mind when reading the excerpts from the commentary.

The hope is that the result is a delicate balance betweenreadability in English, and a structure and tone that attempts to

precisely carry through Abhinavagupta’s style and thoughtprocesses.

It is important for the 21st century reader to keep some sense ofhistorical timeframe as background. Abhinavagupta lived inKashmir approximately during the years 960 -1040 CE, during

the several centuries between the peak of the Buddhist influence(up to 9th century) and the Muslim Islamic rulers of the 13th and

14th centuries. The Kashmiri social environment at the time was,from what we know, reasonably stable and relatively prosperousfor the period, much more culturally homogeneous and more

religious in its worldview than ours. It was also obviously morelimited in its access to means of communication andtransportation.

Abhinavagupta is truly an exceptional 'aggregator' of lineages andteachings, and this is an important component of his stature

within the Shaïvite lineages and within the history of spiritualmovements in India.




He studied with many teachers (possibly fifteen different ones)and was born to a family with strong spiritual values. He lived along stable and materially unencumbered life that gave himplenty of time and opportunities for extensive study and writing.

He also lived within a peak period of the written spiritual text: afew centuries after the first texts were transcribed from previously

oral traditions (5-6th centuries AD), and before the Musliminvasions of the 13th and 14th centuries caused a lot of disruptionand result in the loss of many ancient treatises.

Abhinavagupta combines and references teachings from the Trika, Pratyabhijna, Spanda and Krama schools within KashmirShaïvism as well as being heavily influenced by the teachings ofthe Kaula and yogini lineages active in Kashmir at that time thatwere still largely transmitted orally. Due to this, Abhinavagupta istruly an encyclopedic master of the currents and teachings within

the whole Shaïvite universe, and the Tantrãloka is, in many ways,his effort at summarizing these many traditions.

This can cause some confusion for the reader, since the textcontains a lot of quotations and references to other texts, andalso spans a number of different approaches and teachingsbelonging to the Shaïvite tradition. Abhinavagupta presents the

numerous teachings and traditions in the context of one or theother principal paths of Shaïvism (upaya ) and these are heavily

influenced by these other sources.

Also, not to state the obvious, but Abhinavagupta did not haveaccess to science, a scientific approach or several centuries ofscientific discovery and research in the same manner as we dotoday, so his teachings were presented in a cultural context witha very religious and ritualistic worldview, rather than a scientificand secular worldview were he writing in our timeframe and

geography.

Abhinavagupta's teachings and worldview are obviously based onpersonal experience, instruction received from his numerousteachers and gurus, as well as prior teachings and treatises.

Fairly frequently, he is defining the Trika framework by 'contrast'to the much more religious, ritualistic, and often dualistictraditions prevalent at his time. Kashmir Shaïvism emphasizesdirect experience, intuitive reason and discrimination – this was

probably unusual in the spiritual/religious context of the time,and he may have been perceived as ‘avant-garde’ and ‘modern’ for

his time period. Of course, he does take great pains to respectexisting and prior beliefs and traditions, and this becomes evidentin some of the lengthy passages where he is arguing the potency

and validity of Trika Shaïvism relative to other traditions.




Being part of a fairly traditional, ritualistic and religiouslyconservative society, Abhinavagupta often seems to be ‘pushingup against’ these traditions in advocating the power and ‘rational’approach of Trika. Yet he uses a lot of the symbolism, languageand references of these traditions in his presentation.

To readers in the 21st century, the text can therefore seem to

make extensive use of religious language (Shiva as god of gods,etc.), even though the references to supreme consciousness andthe nature of awareness and the supreme self are concepts that

are less laden with religious imagery and more ‘modern’. IfAbhinavagupta were writing today, he would probably be takingan opposite tack, and defining the Trika system in contrast to thelimitations of our prevalent secular and scientific worldview.

Due to the importance of this context, it is my belief that hisconceptual framework and his exposition should not be

understood to be more complex than they are – his teachings arethe product of intense spiritual practice, self-inquiry and deep

personal experiences of the various modalities of subjectiveawareness. They are accessible to spiritual practitioners in the21st century without the need of extensive expertise in the totalityof the literature, background and various currents of Hindu Tantric literature in that period.

As frequently stated by Abhinavagupta, focusing exclusively on

intellectual understanding of Shaïvism is not sufficient – it is thediscipline of practice, the study under appropriate guides and

honest self-inquiry that will lead to the direct experience of theunderlying principles of Shaïvism as presented here.

Please note that Abhinavagupta writes in the form of versescomposed of two halves of two lines each, often referred to inscholarly works as lines 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd'. Many of his sentences

however, carry across verses, so that the last two lines of oneverse are connected to the first two lines of the next verse.

Sometimes he uses even more complex sequencing. Rather thanfocus on staying completely faithful to the original structure, Ihave chosen to work more loosely with the verse structure and

make each verse in English the carrier of a single sentence or asingle idea. Thus the exact correspondance with the original versenumbers may be off from the original Sanskrit by 1 or in somecases, 2 numbers. It is only important when referring to other

texts and studies that quote specific verses in these first fivechapters of the Tantrãloka.




This text makes use of many important concepts andformulations inherent in the Shaïvite tradition. The material takestime to digest and it is primarily through one's own practice thatthe concepts, words and teachings presented can become clearer,fully understandable and reach the full potential of their impact.May your practice bear fruit, may you be liberated fromunconscious bonds to external objects, may the luminosity inside

shine brightly and may we all continue to rediscover the deepinsights and experiences described by Abhinavagupta.




bhinavagupta – T NTRæLOKLight on Tantra

Chapter 1General Overview

Translator’s Notes (Roger-Orphé Jeanty – December 2008):

This chapter provides a general overview of the Trika system and thecontents of this work. As such, it is a broad survey and does not provide a

lot of detail about each topic.

Abhinavagupta focuses here on arguing the strengths and differences of

the Trika system relative to other philosophical systems that were prevalent in his time period. Due to this, there are a substantial number ofreferences to other preceding texts, tantras in particular.

There is also deliberate rebuttal of arguments coming from other

viewpoints, and a fairly extensive use of examples, which are not alwayscompletely clear without the historical context.

While this chapter is a helpful introduction to the various topics covered

quite broadly and quickly, it does leave the reader wanting to know morespecifics, as are presented in further chapters.

A detailed table of contents of the whole work is included by

Abhinavagupta towards the end of this chapter.




INVOCATION AND WORSHIP

1. To the immortal family of supreme rank, made of the emission whose essenceemanates in constant pulsation, produced by the union of the couple formed bythe father with the body of fullness and five faces that radiate splendor, and the

mother who gleams in a constantly renewed radiance born in the pure creativepower of %akti (power, energy), may the kernel of my heart (h&daya) flash forthcompletely`

2. I salute the Goddess Par;, creative power of Consciousness (citpratibh; ),associated with Bhairava, she whose seats are the lotuses placed on the tips ofthe trident formed by the knowing subject, the knowledge and the knowable.

3. I salute the goddess (Apar;), residing in the body of Bhairava, the dancer whoplays and flashes like lightning in a sky covered with thick clouds.

4. Honor finally to (Par;par;), the radiating trident of gnosis ( j@;na%~la) thatdestroys the triple enslavement of humans and can annihilate all obstacles onthe path to truth.

5. The %akti (power) of freedom (sv;tantrya%akti ), the desire to create temporalsuccession (krama) and the fact itself of the flow of time (kramatva) aremanifestations of the power of the Omnipresent (vibhu ). May these threegoddesses reveal to me internally the Without-Equal (anuttara).

6.

O Ganapati, unique son of the goddess, You whose nature makes divineomnipotence appear and who reigns on the large wheel of the rays of thesenses, You, beautiful like the radiant moon and ocean of my consciousness inyour gushing expansion, please come to my assistance `

7. May Macchanda, the Omnipresent, be favorable to me, he who repulsed thevast and multi-form glowing net (of M;y;), its assembly of knots and holesspread out everywhere `

8. Glory to the first masters shining like precious pearls in the river of spiritualtradition to which Tryambaka gave his name, unfailing pilots who guide us inthe moving waves of the ocean of masterful treatises `

9. Glory to the master without equal celebrated on earth under the nameÿr$ka[!ha, and glory to the Blessed Mahe%vara and to Bh~tir;ja, other formstaken on by him `




10. Glory to the work performed by the great Utpaladeva from the teachings of theglorious Som;nanda, who emanates from supreme Consciousness like aperfume spreading everywhere `

11. I salute the master Lak^ma[agupta, similar to the bee who, invigorated by theenjoyment of the nectar of the flowers she gathers pollen from, becomes

enchanted by her own subtle buzzing `

12. Everything I could desire was taught to me by the venerable Cukhulaka,eminent master, resting in complete bliss, versed in the meaning of all theTexts `

13. Glory to ÿambhun;tha, unique being who, accompanied by his beloved, was soaccomplished in escaping the world ` As impenetrable as is the way of ShaiviteScriptures, the rays of his teachings nevertheless illuminated the path for me.

14. Numerous and diverse are the manuals in use in different doctrinal schools. Forthe unequaled doctrine of the Trika, however, there is not even one.

15. Therefore, upon the request of virtuous disciples and students, I have composedthis clear and complete work.

16. Abhinavagupta is teaching this doctrine, he who radiates the knowledge bornfrom worship – destroying the poison enveloping the bonds of unconsciousness

– he offers it to the succession of masters, and to start, at the lotus feet ofBha!!;n;tha and those of his consort Bha!!;rik;.

17. One will not find here anything that has not been clearly expressed orsuggested by the god of gods in the distinguished M;lin$vijayottara(tantra).

18. This teaching of the omnipresent Lord Shiva divided into eight, eighteen andsixty-four has as its essence the doctrine of Trika whose essence is itself in theM;lin$vijayottara.

19. Therefore, in obedience to our masters, we make manifest here everything thatis contained in those treatises that have not been seen by sages who are foreign

to this tradition.

20. Such is the work of Abhinavagupta, he who obtained perfection by meditatingon the lotus feet of the God with three eyes.

21. To worship Lord Shiva, study this lotus of the heart of Abhinavagupta thatbloomed in the splendor emanating from the luminous feet of Lord ÿambhu.




GENERAL INTRODUCTION

22. Ignorance is the inciting cause (hetu ) of the universal outflow (sa>s&ti ),knowledge is the unique cause (ekak;ra[am ) of liberation. All the treatisesproclaim this:

23. “Ignorance, it is said, is the fundamental impurity (;[avamala), cause of thesprout that gives birth to the flow of becoming.” This is declared in theM;lin$vijayottaraâtantra, 1.23ä1.

24. This precision removes the possibility that this ignorance is that which residesin the intellect and is subsequent to sa>s;ra. He (Shiva) says that liberationtakes place in the absence of this ignorance.

25. The word ‘ignorance’ does not mean ‘absence of knowledge’, which wouldlead to the error of an excessively wide definition (atiprasa[ga). Cannot one seethat a clod of earth and other objects (inanimate and therefore ignorant) do nottransmigrate nevertheless?

26. This is explained in the ÿivas~tras where ignorance is none other thanknowledge that doesn’t reveal knowable reality in its totality.

27. “The Self is consciousness” (caitanyam ;tm; ), “knowledge is the bond” ( j@;na> bandha+ ). These two initial aphorisms (of the ÿivas~tras), whether onetakes them together or separately, confirm our concept that ignorance is limitedknowledge.

28. In the first s~tra, the word caitanya, consciousness, whose suffix (-ya) impliesabstraction, expresses pure definitive freedom, beyond all distinctions(an;kîptavi%eâ).

29. The second s~tra, to the contrary, concerns an action or an instrument of action(kara[a), which implies duality in the essence of the pure consciousness.

30. Ignorance is simply the deployment of duality which, being void of reality

(tucchatv;t ), is bindingé it must therefore be slicedé this is what is said in adifferent manner.

31. What is called liberation (mokâ) is not some sort of reality, conscious orunconscious, separate from the Self that is freedom. This term must not beunderstood as designating a particular entity.

1 In the M;lin$vijayottaraâtantra, 1.23ä: “malam aj@;nam icchanti sa>s;r;]kurak;ra[am ”.




32. Gradually, as the knowledge of the levels of the knowable unfolds, perfectedmore and more, higher and higher, it progressively puts an end to thecorresponding aspects of the flow of becoming.

33. “I’m not tainted by attraction (r;ga), etc.” say the Yog;c;ras, “I am emptiness” think the adepts of S;>khya. These understandings, united or separated, only

give liberation from one aspect of sa>s;ra.

34. This is why freeing oneself of one limitation is not really liberation, since otherlimitations remain. The truly liberated is exempt from all limitations.

35. Understanding the levels of the knowable, in its totality and without limits,allows no ignorance of any aspect of the knowable, and it is this that conferstrue deliverance.

36. Knowledge and ignorance present themselves, according to the teaching of

ÿiva, in two distinct forms: one is spiritual ( pauru^a), the other is intellectual(bauddha).

37. Spiritual ignorance is what is named impurity (mala). Relevant to the mind, itis the veil that hides our own shaivite nature which is activity andconsciousness in their fullness.

38. This ignorance arises out of activity and consciousness that is contracted. Itbelongs to the enslaved being and is not relevant to the domain ofdifferentiation, nor of the intellect, since it does not have the function of

determination (adhyavas;ya), etc.

39. “That, I know it to be so”: when such a determined notion arises, caused by thereflection (of the light) in the individual encumbered by the six ‘cloaks’2, onesays that this knowledge is “(intellectual) ignorance”.

40. Spiritual and intellectual ignorance reinforce each other.

41. When the unconscious tendencies (sa>sk;ra) of the enslaved individual wearthemselves out and he/she obtains the supreme state, then the spiritual

knowledge (vij@;na>pauru^a> ) that blooms is a knowledge withoutdifferentiation, (that can erase alternatives and duality).

2 K;la – limitation of time and eternity, niyati – limitation of omnipresence, space and cause, r;ga – limitation offulfillment, therefore attachment, vidy; - limited omniscience and knowledge, kal; - limited omnipotence and agency,maya – limited consciousness




42. Then, when the vikalpa deployed in harmony with the undifferentiatedknowledge of the Self is fully manifest, it becomes intellectual knowledge(bauddhavij@;na). Just like ignorance, the two types of knowledge reinforceeach other.

43. If spiritual ignorance is destroyed through initiation (d$k^a), the knowledge that

corresponds to it, is only revealed clearly when the body is dissolved.

44. But if, thanks to intellectual knowledge, intellectual ignorance ceases to bedeployed, liberation in this lifetime is there, in the palm of the hand.

45. Initiation is truly liberating only if it is preceded by intellectual knowledge.What is predominant therefore, in this case, is again intellectual knowledge.

46. This double aspect of knowledge and ignorance has been expounded by manyvenerable masters, first among whom is Khe!;p;la (Sadyojyoti), and in their

works (on the ægamas) Raurava, Sv;yambhuva, Mata]ga, etc.

47. In regards to the acquisition of intellectual knowledge (bauddha vij@;na) toachieve certainty, what is most valuable is the study of texts that indicate thetrue nature of the knowable ( j@eyatattva).

48. If, through the means of initiation, the internal ignorance, spiritual in nature,disappears, but the intellectual ignorance that remains continues to operate, oneremains subject to vikalpa.

49. In fact, even after initiation, the nature of the Self may be linked to the intellectas long as the body survives, but not after death. After death, there is thenliberation, spiritual ignorance having already disappeared.

50. When intellectual ignorance ceases to be active, the vikalpas are extracteddown to their roots and one acquires liberation immediately. As (the Creator)says in the venerable Ni%;!ana:

51. “He/she whose consciousness remains tied to the vikalpas attains ÿiva afterdeath of the body”. “The other (he/she who is without vikalpas ) attains him

now in this life”. What dominate here are naturally the teachings of the shaivitetexts.

CONSCIOUSNESS

52. The supreme reality ( para> tattvam ) of the knowable is ÿiva, pure consciouslight ( prak;%a), because that which is not conscious light cannot becomeillumined nor have any real existence.




53. Even the non-existence of things (avastut; ) carries in itself the unique domain(ekagocara) of astonishment (camatk;ra): â‘Wow, this pot is not here `’ä. Thenotion ‘this does not exist’ is different from the totally unconscious stateintrinsic to an inanimate object, such as a wall.

54. That which we call light illumines all locations. As it escapes from all negation(anapahnavan$yatv;t ), what can logical constructions (m;nakalpan; ) do toexplain it?

55. These logical criteria themselves, that give significance to that which exists, inthe final analysis, it is the supreme Lord and only Him that gives them life(meaning).

56. Even that individual who delights in negating everything must admit that thenegation of knowledge, the knower and the known can only be possible to theextent that these are manifest to him/her, a conscious/aware subject.

57. This reality of consciousness being both primordial in the affirmative or in thenegative, what role can logical criteria play to prove its existence.

58. The K;mik;gama thus declares that this reality, the supreme subject, does59. not depend on logical constructs (hetuv;da): “The God of gods does not depend

on anything é on the contrary, it is they (logical criteria, pram;[a) that dependon him.

60. He is therefore autonomous, independent, universal Lord, free of temporal

61. succession, of space, of modality, since everything depends on Him. Therefore,He is omnipresent, eternal, in all forms, beneficial (%iva).”

62. Omnipresent, He fills the entire universe é eternal, He has neither beginningnor end é of all forms, He is revealed in all conscious and unconscious things.This is why (the ægamas) such as the D$k^ottara declare that He has multipleaspects:

63. ÿiva is said to be of six forms (r~pa). He has the nature of the worlds(bhuvana), of the bodies (vigraha), of light ( jyotis ), of ether (kha), of sound

(%abda) and of mantra linked to bindu , n;da, etc.

64. Into whichever of these modalities (bh;va) the yogi is absorbed and attainsthrough knowledge, such as ether, sound, etc. he will reach supremedeliverance: without a doubt.




65. These are only secondary aspect of the God who nature is universal é when allthe limitations of his forms are eliminated, one reaches the state that has nolimits (anavacchinnat; ).

66. Indeed, it is said in the K;mik;gama: “The God takes on all the forms (;k&t$ ),but has none, as it is with water or the mirror. All things, mobile or immobile

are integrally interpenetrated with Him (vy;pta)”.

67. In Him, the attributes of omnipresence, omniscience, etc. are not distinct onefrom another, because in fact, He possesses a single attribute that contains all ofthem.

68. One is therefore correct in admitting that He is indissolubly united to the %akti (power) of freedom (sv;tantrya%akti) . Concerning his other multiple energies,their existence is due solely to the fact that they are united to this single %akti (power).

ÿIVA AND SHAKTI (POWER)

69. That which is named %akti (power, energy), is the actual nature (svar~pa) ofsomething (bh;va) that conscious subjects imagine in different ways. That iswhy, even conceived of as the owner of %akti (power), ÿiva is without duality.3

70. In reality, what difference is there in the various forms of divinity that areimagined by conscious subjects? Fire is the same, whether it is cooking or

burning.

71. This difference is nevertheless not “nothing” from the viewpoint of ultimateReality, since everything which appears to consciousness does exist. Thedifference between %akti (power) and its owner is therefore also a reality.

72. When, as a result of something, an overabundance of %akti (power) arises, thisthing, having that same nature, is Shakti (energy) itself. It is the Goddess who,while manifesting in this manner, remains in essence different from hermanifestation.

73. In the same manner, due to his complete freedom, ÿiva manifests, without anyloss of his glorious power, as created in the mirror of the inherentconsciousness of the subject, whether it is during contemplation (bh;van; ) or insome other fashion.

3 Conscious subjects imagine all different kinds of forms for shakti (power), but Shiva is not affected by the multiplicity ofthese conceptualizations.




74. This is why, in whichever way (mukha) He manifests, ÿiva, who is withoutdivision (ana>%a), that is where Shakti (power) is. It is also clear that thepassage (krama) from Him to his %akti (energy) (%aktitadvatkrama+) is also areality (vastu ).

75. This has been explained in the Kira[;gama in the form of questions and

answers: “Experience, it is said therein, arises out of vikalpa, it is of a mental(m;nasa) nature, and that which is such cannot attain ÿiva. So, if one cannotattain ÿiva, how can initiation be performed?”.

76. This treatise answers: “No, this is not the way it is. The immediate experienceof hunger, of thirst, even though they are perceived mentally, they do not ariseout of vikalpa.

77. As one can know a tree simply by form or by color, without needing to taste it,in the same way one can know ÿiva through n;da, bindu , etc., without the help

of vikalpa.”

78. The energies of ÿiva, as we have said, are multiple. The deployment of the79. sextuple cosmic division of the kal; , tattva, and bhuvana, of the phonemes,

mantras and pada, also of emanation, maintenance, concealment, resorption (ofthe cosmos), of divine grace and of the Fourth ( turya)4, are nothing other thanthe full unfolding ( j&mbha[a) of divine omnipotence.

80. In the same way, the waking, dream, and deep sleep states and others thattranscend them are just the overabundance of the waves of freedom of the

Lord. Mantras, mantre%varas and mah;mantre%varas have ÿiva as their master5.

81. Like them, conscious subjects, whether or not they are subject to limitation(kal; ), are only manifestations of ÿiva.

82. The fundamental indestructible nature (dharma) of all the totality of all levelsof manifestation (tattvagr;ma) is, according to the Tri%iromata6, the self that isthe foundation of their true nature (;tmaiva hi svabh;v;tm; ).

83. “This very subtle synthesis of the tattvas, (says this text), is present in the heart,

in all the bodies and in the essence of all beings – this is what is meant by thetotality ( gr;ma).”

4 According to the commentator Jayaratha, this is different than the fourth state ( turiya). It is the fullness present in the threeacts of emanation, maintenance and resorption.5 In Trika, it is considered that there is a hierarchy of seven conscious subjects ( pram;t& ), starting with the highest, ÿiva.There are the Great Lords of the mantras (mah;mantre%vara), the Lords of the mantras (mantre%vara), and mantras. Thencome the vij@;n;kala and the parlay;kala , who are not subject to kal; , the first tattva after m;ya.6 This text is only known through numerous references in Tantr;loka, especially in Chap 29. The text is also calledTri%irobhairava or Tri%ira+%;stra, etc.




84. It is, as we have said, the Self, the fundamental nature of which is flooded withthe ambrosia of ÿiva.

85. The knowledge that one may have of this rests on the light (of consciousness)in the interval between existing and non-existing or between (two existings)(bh;v;bh;v;dimadhyata+ ). Remaining thus in its own location, this knowledge

is similar to a vision that nothing obstructs.

86. He who purifies pure knowledge which is that of the only and unique reality(viviktavastu ), he, who one says, can hold himself immovable in the uniquesubstratum of the totality of all levels of manifestation, this individual cansucceed in everything. Having abandoned the breaths that ascend or descend,he penetrates in the center and settles in joy (r;mastha).

87. The Tri%irobhairava continues: “Whether he is walking or stopped, whether88. he is awake or dreaming, in the awakening or resting of consciousness

(unme^a[anime^a[e ), running or jumping, making efforts or perceivingenergies, whether in the attributes of intellect, in things, in names, in types ofactivity, in all of this, the joy (bliss) is ÿiva, penetrating everything (vy;paka),supreme cause.”

89. “He who, having freed his thoughts of any impurities just by suppressing his90. memory, is meditating on the supreme object of Meditation, whether he is

mobile or immobile, also attains the Supreme ÿiva, named Bhairava, by meansof the recitation ( japa) of a mantra. Emancipated from existence as well as non-existence, this japa has, it is said, ÿiva as essence.7

91. Here, therefore, the diversity (of the means of liberation), whether they areclose or distant, is the work of this divine liberty, since it depends on the purefreedom of consciousness.

92. Therefore, how could the supreme Lord, who accomplishes the most difficultthings in the fullness of his freedom, not appear in any form whatsoever?

93. He appears without veilsé He appears while concealing himselfé He appearsboth concealed and revealed, because the variety of his aspects are

overabundant.

94. The three energies of the Lord that the masters call the %akti (power) of will(iccha), knowledge ( j@;na) and activity (kriya) are in reality just different termsto designate His freedom.

7 Jayaratha comments using verses 145 and 146 of the Vij@;nabhairava on the topics of japa and dhy;na.




NAMES OF THE DIVINE

95. The texts give to this deity several names corresponding to his nature: God(deva), Great Bhairava (mah;bhairava), Lord ( pati ), Supreme ÿiva( parama%iva).

96. This deity carries the universe and, nourishing and sustaining it, He is carriedby it (bibharti-bhr$yate ). He is the roar of the universe, accompanied byconsciousnessé he protects those that are fearful of the flow of becoming.8

97. He is born in the heart where arises the awareness of the cry (rava) that isprovoked by the fear of becoming. Through Him is produced, by means of hisgrace (%aktip;tata+ ), the awareness of the fearfulness of existence.

98. He is what shines in those whose thought (manas ) is attached to concentrationon what is called the engulfing of time (k;lagr;sa), thereby drying out the

substance (tattva) of time that animates the constellations.

99. Master of the goddesses of the sense organs (svakara[adev$ ), whose cry(rava[a) frightens those beings that are chained and focused on themselves, andmaster of the group ( ga[a) of the four internal or external energies khecar$ , etc.,He puts an end to the vortex of sa>s;ra.

100. He is thus the ‘Very Frightening’ (mah;bh$ma+ ). These are the meanings of thename Bhairava that conform to his nature as described by the sages in the texts.

101. He is god, deva, because He plays without concern with what is to be attainedor rejected. His play is an outpouring of his own bliss as an undifferentiatedmass. He is god because his desire (icch; ) dominates all that exists and becausehe is total freedom (svatantratvam ).

102. He is god because, though he is not affected by the affairs of the world(vyavahara[a), a murmur towards that which is differentiated (sa>jalpa) isproduced within Himé because, manifesting all that exists, He illuminates all(dyotanam ).

103.

He is also worship (stuti ) since all beings lean towards Him, enjoying all thatHe does. Lastly, being awakening (bodha), being composed of the totality ofactions, having as qualities knowledge and activity, He is movement ( gati ),source of all manifestation. These are the interpretations of the word deva (god)given by the masters in the ÿivatanu%;stra.

8 The name Bhairava is tied to the root BHö (to carry, sustain), the root RU (sound, noise, roar, etc.), the root BHÆ (to fear)and the root AV (to protect).




104. Since He teaches, defends, encloses, comes to the aid of and makes the fruit ofactions (karma) ripen, He gives his assistance to all beings. This is why he iscalled Master ( pati ). His nature being auspicious, He is called the Beneficial(%iva): in Him, in fact, there is nothing that is not beneficial.

105. All these traits exist to some extent in Rudra, in Indra or other divine shaivite

forms. This is why here, we have qualified ÿiva as supremely great( paramamahat ), in order to exclude these other limited aspects.

106. In this way, obeying the orders of ÿiva, I will show that which must truly beknown ( j@eyasatattva), according to one’s own immediate awareness of it(svasa>vit ), according to intuitive reason (sattarka), and according to thetreatises of the Lord, the Trika and the Krama.

A FEW FUNDAMENTAL NOTIONS

107. The three energies of ÿiva – the Supreme, the Intermediate, the Lower, radiateforth during cosmic emanation, maintenance, resorption, and in the Fourthcondition, thereby producing twelve9.

108. Such is ÿiva, the supreme, in the fullness of his own true nature. Those whoworship the wheel (cakra) of these twelve energies are in perfect union withHim ( parini^!hita).

109. The texts declare that these energies are differentiated, their number increasing

or decreasing according to the autonomy of divine freedom.

110. In this manner, Bhairava appears in the form of the solitary Hero (ekav$ra), as acouple ( y;mala)10, he manifests with three or four %akti , he has a quintupleaspect, or shows himself adorned with six, seven, eight, nine and ten %akti (kal; ) 11.

111. He also appears accompanied by eleven female artisans12, or also as the masterof the great twelve-spoked Wheel (cakra) of energies.

9 This subject is expanded in Chapter 4, verses 122 onwards. The fourth condition seems to refer to the pure Consciousness ofcit%akti – luminous awareness, according to what is described in Chapter 4. Four conditions times three energies producesthis mandala of 12, which is described in detail in that section. Jayaratha indicates these twelve K;l$ shaktis were firstdescribed in the Krama Shaivite system, and form the wheel (or mandala) of the shaktis of Consciousness. 10 Jayaratha’s commentary refers back to the Netratantra, where the solitary hero is call M&tyujit , conqueror of death, and tothe Yamalatantra.11 Per Jayaratha: the three are Par;, Par;par; and Apar; - the four are: Jay;, Vijay;, Jayant$ and Aparajit; - the five are the‘faces’ of Shiva: Sadyoj;ta, V;madeva, Aghora, Tatpuru^a and Æ%;na – the six are: Vi%v;, Æ%ik;, Raudr$, V$raka, Tryambik;and Gurv$ - the seven are the seven mothers (saptam;t&k; ): Br;hm$, M;he%var$, Kaum;r$, Vais[av$, V;r;h$, Indr;[$,C;mu[#; - these become eight by adding Aghor; (a^!;m;tara+ ) and nine with Nav;tm;. The ten are: Um;, Durg;,Bhadrak;li, etc. Eleven are the eleven interstices of the cakra (kha[#acakrokt;+ ). The twelve are obviously the K;l$.12 This could be understood as dakinis or yoginis .




112. Lastly, as all-powerful Master ( prabhu ), Lord possessing all %akti (energy), Heunfolds in the form of a thousand rays, even as an infinite number of rays in theuniversal chakra (vi%vacakra).

113. These chakras or mandalas of energies are distinguished by characteristics

unique to each of their categories (varga), described in various portions oftexts.

114. The Tri%irobhairavatantra indicates that ÿiva, by the diversity of his aspects,rules over six chakras of 4, 6, 8, 12, 16 and 24 %akti .

115. According to this text, the names of the goddesses in the chakras derives fromthe ideas that one makes concerning their nature, which is linked to meditation(dhy;na) on their aspects (;k&ti ), which vary according to whether the activitiesof these goddesses are peaceful or fearsome (saumyaraudra).13

116. The internal creative power (;ntar$ pratibh; ), essential manifestation (tanu ) ofthe unique Lord, Consciousness itself, is thus worshipped in the limited form ofone particular wave of Consciousness, a chakra with peaceful or other energies(sa>vid~rmicakram ).

117. Through the means of an invocation such as: “May he prosper`”, throughmeditation associated with an internal murmur, through also external ritualactions, the Goddess-Consciousness, having been evoked, manifests externallyand appears to the adept as bearer of the desirable fruit.

118. The rite of pu^!i consists in filling with liquid (saras$ ) that which is dried up:meditation acts in the manner of the pure water in the ritual by highlighting thisprocess (filling with liquid, in this case with divine %akti ).

119. The phonemes which, by their nature, produce sweetness (rasa), in particular120. the dental and labio-dental ones when they are associated with other phonemes

and become seeds, b$jamantras , manifest this mode of consciousness.14

121. Thus, why would the murmuring vocalization (sa>jalpa) of an expression such

as “Create prosperity` Fill with rasa`”, the nature of which is vikalpa, also notfill this consciousness?

13 Jayaratha quotes this text from the Tri%irobhairavatantra: “Whichever is the form that the sadhaka wishes to evoke, ÿiva,like the magical jewel (cint;mani ), takes it on immediately”.14 Commentary suggests Abhinavagupta is talking about dental SA and labio-dental VA as in sv;h;. VA is associated withVaruna, god of rain, which is vital to prosperity. Sv;h; is the final confirmation accompanying any offering.




122. This action is performed when one says: “This nectar, this milk, this ghee,sources of strength, may I, thanks to them, fructify this seed that will bring thisbeing into existence”.15

123. In this manner, whether beings desire sensory experiences (bhoga) or liberation(mok^a), they worship the Lord of the universe, Bhairava, who is Awakening,in a form that is either limited or unlimited.

124. The divine teacher ( guru ) has indeed taught that “those that are faithful to otherdeities, it is in fact, Me that they are worshipping”16. Those that judge aparticular deity, distinct from consciousness, worthy of an offering, if theywere to examine that which they consider as such, would realize that in reality,this deity is not different than Consciousness.

125. Because Consciousness is an expansion of absolute subjectivity(ahant;prath;tmana+ ), created by a global awareness without limits(avicchinnat;mar%ar~p; ), it unfolds of its own accord and does not need aworship preceded by an invocation (vidhi ).

126. Such an invocation is a creation (s&^!y;tm; ) that must precede the worship ofdeities, because these, belonging to the domain of the knowable, are creationsarising under the effect of %akti (power). On the other hand, Consciousness, inthe form of the absolute ‘I’ (aha>r~p; ), is eternal and has the inherent natureof self-unfoldment (svaprathan;tmik; ).17

127. An invocation is a commandment (niyoga) and a creative impulse, or thepower to bring on absorption (bh;van; ). This power is triple and it incites toaction (codana).

128. The gods Indra, etc can only be attained through an invocation, but this is notthe case for Consciousness, the absolute ‘I’ (aha>bodha).

129. Those who make offerings to these deities only see appearances that are withinthe domain of the knowable. Even though they know Consciousness, they donot really know it.

130. This is said in the Bhagavadg$t;: “As they do not know Me in my true reality,they move away from Me”18, and this separation is the descent into the essenceof the limited.

15 Jayaratha specifies that here it is referring to the embryo that will create a human being.16 Bhagavad Gita – Ch. 9.2317 Jayaratha comments that Consciousness is always present, manifesting spontaneously (sak&dvibh;to ’ yam ;tm; ).18 Bhagavad Gita – Ch. 9.24




131. This is why it has been said: “Those that worship deities go to these deities”,etc. but those that immerse the known (of which these deities are part) into thatwhich is beyond them, discover in them the unlimited, the permanenceinherent in Consciousness: “these devotees come to Me”.19

132. Everywhere here, the word ‘I’ (aham ) uniquely means (ekav;caka)‘Consciousness’ (bodha). This is also meant by the terms “Beneficiary” and“Lord”, if one is thinking about who is making the offering and to whom it isaddressed.

133. Consciousness alone, it is proclaimed, not some other divine form, is both thesupplicant and the offering. It is not a deity.

134. It is not concerned by the invocation, nor the mantras, nor the texts on whichthis invocation rests. This consciousness, concealing itself, reaches all the wayto the level of inert objects ( ja#apada).

135. Concealed or revealed, consciousness becomes all that exists, from deities toplants, its two aspects, sentient and non-sentient, being also infinitely diverse.

136. Consciousness is absolutely free. Who could not perceive it? As it is said in theTri%irobhairavatantra, he who knows consciousness is perfectly awake. Themodality of the knowable is in reality an attribute of Consciousness, thereforethe shadow projected by that which is manifest cannot obscure its presence.

137. That which is called person ( pudgala), individual (a[u ) etc. which form thesentient part of it (consciousness), rests in numerous and varied aspects in itsnon-concealed manifestation (an;vara[abh;g;>%e ).

138. Even though there is no real division in immutable Consciousness, the gradualdisappearance of its concealing veils is a significant characteristic.

139. We shall present a detailed exposition of all this while discussing the descent ofenergy (%aktipat )20, when we examine more gross (coarse) manifestation, afterwe have described the supreme stage.

THE MEANS (PATHS) FOR LIBERATION

140. Whereas the Omnipresent manifests to certain conscious subjects its inherentessence in complete fullness, to others its reveals it progressively.

19 Bhagavad Gita – Ch. 9.25.20 This is mostly in Chapter 13 of the Tantr;loka, not translated here.




141. For limited beings, the supreme knowledge is the manifestation of the essenceof consciousness which is the immanent reality in all things. All other forms ofknowledge are inferior and have multiple aspects.

142. This knowledge manifests in accordance with a direct means (s;k^;t ) or with

indirectly derived means that present a variety of differences.21

143. Each of these various means subdivides further, whether, relative to itself orothers, it is conditioning (being learned) or conditioned (already assimilated),whether it presents itself totally or in part, whether it operates immediately orover time.22

144. The path of knowledge is not considered here as ignorance23, but as subtleknowledge. The supreme means, the path of ÿiva, is composed of subtle will(icch; ).

145. The modalities that are ‘path’ and ‘goal’ (up;yopeyabh;v;+ ), are due to anerror belonging to the gross knowledge inherent to the energy of activity,which causes bondage and liberation.24

146. That which flashes forth immediately in the pure consciousness of self,completely apparent at the dawn of knowledge (;dy; ) in the uniqueundifferentiated realm, is that which is called will (icch; ).

147. In the same way as an object appears clearly to someone whose eyes are open,

without needing to focus, so is the nature of ÿiva revealed to certainexceptional beings.

148. But if, by means of a progressive search pursued repeatedly based on acertainty originating in vikalpa (dualistic thinking), one can reach a globalawareness of consciousness ( par;mar%a), this means is known as the path ofknowledge ( j@;nop;ya).

149. However, the means operating with external objective reality and produced byconstructive imagination is the path traditionally considered as the path of

activity. Nevertheless, the differences between these paths has no implicationsregarding their common objective: liberation (apavarga).

21 Jayaratha comments that the paths form a continuity, and that there is no disconnection between these means. One leads tothe other.22 According to Jayaratha’s commentary, the three principal paths therefore divide each into two (ü6), then two again (ü12)and lastly two again, thereby creating 24 variations.23 Abhinavagupta is referring to his comments about limited knowledge as ignorance in verses 26 and 27 of this chapter.24 In the realm of limited knowledge, ‘path’ and ‘goal’ appear as a dichotomy. In reality, ÿiva, supreme conscious light isboth the path and the goal.




150. Indeed, as it is said in the venerable G;ma%astra, “activity does not really differfrom knowledge which, when it is deployed, culminates in yoga (union). Yogais not other than knowledge, nor is activity other than yoga.

151. This meaning of the word ‘activity’ designates dynamic intuition in action(mati ), that has reached the summits of the levels of reality, occurring when theimpressions (v;san; ) of our own empirical consciousness (citta) have been fullyappeased.”

152. The impressions imprinted in our own consciousness are due to the impuritiesof illusion and action. Intuition (mati ), which has the nature of consciousness, isthe cause of their disappearance.

153. Intuition rests (adhi%;yin$ ) in all the levels of reality, starting with the body. It,along with activity and yoga, consists in dissolving these levels intoConsciousness.

154. Truthfully, even in ordinary activity, the idea of movement is first internal,then becomes an action when it penetrates the body, into space and into theorgans of locomotion.

155. What one calls activity is therefore none other than knowledge. Therefore, wehave been correct in indicating (verse 22) that only knowledge is able to conferliberation.

156. Liberation (mok^a) is none other, in reality, than the unfolding of our own

essence, this being none other than the consciousness of the Self.

157. The %akti of activity, knowledge and will are not added to consciousness, since,logically, nothing exists that is without consciousness (asa>vit ). Also, onecannot postulate or defend the existence of a subject (other than consciousness)who would be a carrier of properties (dharmin ) (i.e. a carrier of these %akti ).

158. According to the teachings of the Supreme Lord – contrary to what is said inthe Ka[;da system25 - there is in fact no subject that is carrying the propertiesthat are characteristic of the %akti (dharmar~p;[;m ;%raya+ ).26

159. If the three energies, will, knowledge and activity, were different than ÿiva(holder of the power), then our affirmation according to which ‘there is onlyone unique ÿiva’ would be without reality.

25 Ka[;da is the mythical founder of Vai%e^ika system. In this system, substances, their properties and their actions arerealities – the ;tman , the Self is one of these substances.26 In the Trika system, there is no difference between dharmin (that which supports) and dharma (that which is supported), inother words, between ÿiva and his attributes or shaktis (energies).




160. As a result, that which is consciousness is complete freedom, and, to the extentthat it diversifies, it deploys into multiple %akti (energies).

161. Liberation is the unfoldment of the Self (;tmaprath; ). It is therefore impossibleto say that one who has knowledge can remain not liberated, under the pretextthat a cause cannot always produce an effect27.

162. Knowledge and liberation do not seem to us to be linked by a mandatoryrelationship of cause and effect, therefore this argument must be rejected.

163. Activity is, in its essence, knowledge. But since it carries in itself all that is‘coarse’, one perceives in it the diversity of objects.

164. The means associated with the path of activity (kriyop;ya) are divided intomeans that are perceptible and means that are external ( gr;hyab;hya), which,dividing and sub-dividing, are innumerable.28

165. Thus, we are refuting the argument of those who indicate that different meansand paths lead to different types of liberation.

166. Liberation remains identical despite the diversity of possible causes – destruction, disappearance, decay - that put an end to impurities and the energythat enlivens themé the manner in which a pot or other object is broken is notimportant, the end result is the same.

SAMæVEÿA, INTERPENETRATION29

167. The Lord teaches this division into three paths in the Ancient Treatise30, whereinterpenetrations are described:

168. “The penetration (;ve%a) that is produced through an intense awakening( pratibodha), for whom is without thought (aki>cit cintaka), is said to beinherent to ÿiva (ÿambhu).

27 This is affirmed by the Buddhist logician Dharmak$rti.28

Jayaratha explains how perceptible means include mantra-related practices (the body plays a role but the means is not

visible). External means include offerings, mandalas (yantras), that are externally visible. This produces many means

described in the chapters beyond Chapter 5.29 In verses 167 to 232, Abhinavagupta explains interpenetration (sam;ve%a) and penetration (;ve%a), which are totalabsorption into the deity, for each of the three main paths. These two terms are used interchangeably. Interpenetration couldbe understood a mutual merging or mutual penetration.30

The M;lin$vijayottaratantra, ancient Trika text frequently referred to.




169. “The interpenetration obtained by meditating solely through the heart on anobject (vastu ), without any recitation of mantra through breath (ucc;ra) iscalled here ‘of the %akti ’ (%akta).

170. “The interpenetration obtained through recitation associated with breath, bydisciplining the organs, by meditation, through the means of the phonemes orby fixation on a point of support (in the body or external), this is called‘interpenetration of the individual (;[ava).”

171. “For whom is without thought”31, which means for whom in which vikalpa (discursive thought) is not operating, there occurs spontaneous and suddenmerging ( jhatiti sam;patti ) into that which must be known.

172. How does this occur? Through a very strong awakening, says ÿiva, orientedtowards that which must be known and which attains immediately its completeunfoldment.

173. The awakening described in verse 168 above can also be produced by a master( guru[; ). Penetration (;ve%a), that is identification with Supreme ÿiva, consistsin merging one’s own individual nature that is not free, into the primordial(;dya) ÿambhu, inseparable from his %akti s.

174. Verse 168 means in fact, that everything that is worthy of knowing is revealedspontaneously, suddenly, with a certainty (nic%caya) beyond intellectualconviction. This overwhelms the limited conscious subject reflected in themirror of the intellect.

175. Dwelling thus in the eminently pure heart, that which is worthy of beingknown is gradually revealed there in all its glory.

176. That which can be known has two forms: the inert and pure consciousness. Thefirst is imaginary (kalpita), the other is true. Such is this division into two.

177. The interpenetration into the inert part has the specific form of a reflectioné theinterpenetration into absolute consciousness (caitanya) is pure identity.

178. This is why the interpenetration proper to ÿambhu (%;mbhavasam;ve%a) is anundifferentiated consciousness, independent of any meditation etc., where oneattains identity with ÿiva (%ivat;d;tmyam ).

179. Through this mode of interpenetration, the intellectual certainties that arisesubsequently can support the identity with ÿiva, but cannot in themselves bemeans to access Supreme identity.

31 In the following verses, 171-186, Abhinavagupta is describing the characteristics of %ambhavop;ya.




180. To those who contend that one can prove undifferentiated knowledge(nirvikalpa) through the means of vikalpa (discursive thought), we reply thatthe latter can only confirm that which is already self-evident (siddha).32

181. To say ‘this is perceived’ comes from the manifest development of an

intellectual certainty, but to say ‘I perceive’ results from the power ofidentification with the undifferentiated.

182. The flashing forth of this perception in undifferentiated consciousness, that isthe evidence. This is not the result of differentiating thought, because it isdevoid of objective reference.

183. That Consciousness be or not be concerned by differentiative thinking is dueentirely to the fact that Consciousness appears in a variable form, pure orimpure.

184. An expert in gemstones can notice the particularities of a large number ofstones, even if these are presented to him at night, during a flash of lightning.

185. Such a purity of consciousness is due to the practices of past lives or due towish of the Lord I%vara who is limited by nothing.

186. This will be explained further.

187. This Ancient Treatise (M;lin$vijayottaratantra) describes fifty forms of this

interpenetration resulting from the differences between some of the thirty-sixtattvas.33

188. Three of these, the individual ( pum ), science (vidya) and energy (%akti )34 aredivided respectively into four, ten and three, and ‘penetrate’ (vy;paka) all theothers.

189. This is why these are counted separately from the others, that are not‘penetrating’. In addition, these are distinguished among themselves by beingrespectively: impure, both pure and impure, and pure.35

32 This is reviewed further by Abhinavagupta in verses 228-229.33 In the following verses, 187-209, Abhinavagupta is describing the characteristics of %aktop;ya.34 These 3 terms are from the ancient M;lin$vijayottaratantra text. Jayaratha indicates that their equivalents would be the 3tattvas: puru^a, %uddhavidy; and %akti . They penetrate and are subtly present in the other 33 tattvas. Abhinavagupta indicatesthese 3 are ‘superior in quality’ ( gu[otk&^!; ) and form a level of cosmic manifestation superior to the others.35 Jayaratha’s commentary continues: there are 4 divisions of puru^a into 4 types of conscious subjects ( pram;t& ): sakala,ordinary limited conscious subjects – pralay;kala, subjects who escape limitation only during cosmic dissolution – vij@;n;kala, subjects who escape limitation through knowledge and - %uddhapram;t& , the pure conscious knowing subject.

The tattva of pure Science (%uddhavidya) is considered to have ten divisions corresponding to the ten kal; (phoneticenergies) that go from the mantra OM followed by bindu , ardhacandra, etc. to the supreme energy that transcends thought,unman; . (footer continued on next page).




190. The gross (coarse) elements (bh~ta) are directly perceptible. They are thereforecounted apart from the other tattvas , whose existence is deduced by going fromthe effect to the cause.36

191. To exist (bh~tam ), is in fact, to be perceived by all as truly existing (sadbh;va),

a condition that is recognized37 through these four elements plus space (;k;%a).

192. “But shouldn’t one discuss instead the interpenetration into the energies ofÿiva, which are quintuple? Why is it necessary here to mention the absorptioninto the elements (bhaut;ve%a), etc.?”

193. “We could not justify this course of action by saying we only touched on thistopic incidentally. People who have no spirit and have changeable ideas are notamong us`”38

194. We will answer this by saying that when dualistic treatises affirm dualitybetween the supreme ÿiva and the elements, etc., we exclude such a duality.

195. Indeed, these thirty-six tattvas, just like anything else, are in reality just theSupreme Goddess herself, the totally free energy of Rudra.

196. This is why the second chapter of this ancient text (M;lin$vijayottaratantra)described the presence in all forms (vi%var~patvam ) of the elements earth, etc.due to their subdivision into fifteen, etc.39

197. This is similar to the situation when an object is in front of oneself and isapprehended in its totality (nira>%abh;vasa>bodha) through the partialperception of its qualities, each absorbed separately.

198. Thus, those who purify themselves from the flow of dualistic thoughts(vikalpa) through the study of revealed texts, worship the supreme ÿivathrough his attributes (dharma) – non-differentiation, permanence, majesty, etc.

199. Since these attributes are aspects of his own energy (%aktir~patv;t ), whetherthey worship all or a subset of them, they find themselves merged into him.

ÿakti has thee manifestations: activity (kriya), knowledge ( j@;na) and will (icch; ).Thus, to the 33 other tattvas, one must add these 4 divisions of puru^a, 10 of %uddhavidy; , 3 of %akti , which makes a total of

50 cosmic divisions to which correspond each of 50 types of interpenetration (sam;ve%a).36 In the process of emanation, the gross elements arise out of the tattvas that precede them. However, here, it is by startingfrom the perceptible gross elements that one can logically infer the existence of the preceding tattvas that are their causation.37 Jayaratha comments: the 5 gross elements are ‘recognized’ by all whether they are ignorant or have knowledge ofcausation.38 These two verses 192-193 are quotations from the M;lin$vijayottaratantra.39 Complex subdivisions in the M;lin$vijayottaratantra (Chapter 2 v. 1-7) that are not relevant here.




200. Due to the force ( p;!av;t ) of these attributes, those who remain in the diversityof their own discursive thoughts (svavikalp;nt;+ ), still attain, outside ofduality, the fullness of the flow of these attributes and of He who carries them.

201. This is why the eminent Vidy;pati40 has said: “If the knowledge born ofexperience could not perceive your undifferentiated Essence within mental

constructions (kalpana), the diversity of perceptions (sa>vida+ ) that are formeddeep within us could not be distinctly manifested and experienced.”

202. As indicated in the Mata]gatantra: “The dwelling place of the SupremeMaster” - (this was the manner of speaking of those who could discern) – “iscomposed of the rays of his %akti (energies).

203. “This power shines forth, luminous, pure, immobile, immutable. It is the204. supreme summit, subtle, omnipresent, made of ambrosia, without any veil,

peaceful, entirely in love with the only Reality, without beginning or end,

beneficialé using a metaphor, she is said to be m~rti , manifest aspect of thesupreme deity.”

205. The purpose and objective of this metaphor is to show that the self-evidentexperience of the manifestations of these energies is to immediately identifywith the carrier (dharmin ) of these attributes.

206. Called %akti (energies), these attributes are worshipped under one or anotherappropriate aspect, enabling identification with Him who possesses them.

207. Whether one is more or less distant from Consciousness, one will be able toembrace either a limited number or an infinity of these %akti (energies). This issimilar to when one uses the specific properties of certain types of plants, suchas dhava, or whether one is only concerned with their existence (sattva).41

208. Thus, full nature itself, conscious light ( prak;%atva), pure awareness (cit ), theessential nature of Bhairava (bhairavatvam ), these all contain the universalomnipenetrating %akti (energies).

209. However, Sad;%iva, Æ%vara, etc. do not penetrate (vy;pti ) the levels of reality

that are superior to them, but only the energies that are inferior. When oneworships Sad;%iva, etc., the fruit of the worship varies depending on howdistant these deities are from full Consciousness.

40 Ancient shaivite author of an undiscovered text, the Pram;[astotra, frequently quoted by Abhinavagupta.41 Dhava is an Indian plant (anoheissus latifolia). The point Abhinavagupta is making here, according to Jayaratha, is thatthere is only one Consciousness with which one should merge, but that Shiva’s energies are present in all manifestation. Onemay focus on the specific characteristics of one plant, or dwell on the fact of existence, which includes all things.




210. What we have just discussed relates to the path of energy (%aktopaya) and restson the deployment of differentiated thought (vaikalpikapathakrama). We havepresented this here precisely because the path of ÿiva, which is that of theundifferentiated, is its opposite.

211. He/she who rises on the path of the undifferentiated (avikalpapatha), whatever

the journey taken from the earth up to Sad;%iva, it is through that route thatidentification with ÿiva will be attained.

212. A very pure heart, whose conscious light illumines the primordial resplendentdomain (bh~mi ) will identify with ÿiva, with Consciousness, through themeans of this light.

213. This is the true path associated with the supreme energy of will, called theinterpenetration with ÿambhu, exposed by ÿambhun;tha42, the disciple ofSumati.

214. We will now present the interpenetration related to the %akti (energy) where theheart (cetas ) is clearly revealed in the form of intelligence (dh$ ), of thought(manas ) and of sense of self (aha>k&ti ). Viewed as vikalpa, it appears ascomposed of illusion (m;y; ), but it is in reality will, knowledge and activity.

215. Though the path of energy relates to the functions of affirmation(adhyavas;ya), imagination (sa>kalpa), presumption (abhim;na) and that inthis respect it also relates to illusion, nevertheless it ends in undifferentiatedknowledge.43

216. The undifferentiated domain (bh~ ) belonging to ÿambhu, which is notdeployed in fullness in the limited being due to the imperfections of thisknowing subject, unfolds fully when these imperfections disappear.

217. In a similar fashion, within the path of energy exists a state of differentiation(vikalpa) where knowledge and activity are manifest (sphu!; ), even thoughthere remains a certain contraction (sa>koca), as we have described earlier.

218. For the adept who strives with ardor to eliminate all these contractions, the

energy that throbs forth makes everything he wishes manifest internally,especially identification with the Supreme conscious subject.

42 The non-dual shaivite tradition called Ardhatryambaka, which is that of Kula presented here by Abhinavagupta, wasfounded by Macchandaâvibhuä. He had several disciples whose names are forgotten, after which came Sumati, whosedisciple Somadeva had ÿambhun;tha as disciple, who in turn was the Kula master of Abhinavagupta.43 Jayaratha - abhim;na: overestimating oneself, a function of aha>kara – sa>kalpa: intention, a function of manas – adhyavas;ya: determination, comprehension, a function of buddhi . In %aktop;ya, these ‘egocentric’ tendencies, that arerelated to illusion, are empowered by divine energy and lead the adept into interpenetration with the absolute.




219. But isn’t differentiated thinking (vikalpa) therefore absent from the path of theindividual (;[avop;ya)? No, it is also present there, but it uses differentmethods, such as the recitation of mantras, to which the path of energy does notresort.

220. The expression ‘recitation of mantras’ (ucc;ra) must be understood in theplural, as in a variety of methods that use the body and which are absent in thepath of energy. The state of energy (%aktita) is both with and without divisions(bhed;bheda).44

221. One calls individual (anu ), in truth, that which clearly relates to division(bheda) - the path that corresponds to this is individual (;[ava). Even thoughthe certainties that one can develop within it are of the nature of vikalpa, it isalso, in the final analysis, into undifferentiated consciousness that it culminates.

222. But can one say “that intelligence, thought, sense of self, individual all

penetrate (vy;pnuyu+ ) ÿiva? No, they penetrate only the reality that is belowthem.” How can one support such a statement?45

223. For us, who are not dualists, it is only ÿiva who takes on all these forms,principles or limitations (that;vidha+ ). Having concealed his essence, He shinesforth again through all of them with his own luminosity.

224. But even dualistic treatises, such as the Mata]ga and the others, say it clearly:225. the conscious light ( prak;%a) of ÿiva, which fills all levels of reality down to the

lowest, resides everywhere, thanks to which the supreme domain ( padam )

shines forth also at the level of intelligence and thought.

226. These interpenetrations are both directed towards the ocean of undifferentiatedconsciousness, because without access to it, nothing can exist whatsoever.46

227. This is why ÿiva has declared that one must not imagine any differences in thefruits obtained in the attainment of consciousness. This statement suggestsindirectly the prime tendency toward the fabrications of imagination (kalpan; ).

228. Even for those who think that the validity ( pr;m;[at; ) of undifferentiated

consciousness depends on vikalpa, for them, undifferentiated consciousnessrests on the succession of vikalpas.

44 Jayaratha indicates that there is non-division because mantras are not explicitly recited, but that there is also division,

because discursive thoughts (vikalpas) are still present.45 There is slight sarcasm in Abhinavagupta’s style – he is presenting statements from dualistic thinking in order to better

contrast the Trika approach.46 This repeats (verses 180-181) the dependence that Abhinavagupta has explained between vikalpa and nirvikalpa. The twointerpenetrations referred to in this verse are those of %aktop;ya and ;[avop;ya.




229. In a similar manner, an inexperienced jeweler doesn’t fully know the value ofgemstones in the beginning, but after many experiences and repeated research,he obtains finally undifferentiated knowledge (avikalpa) that does not need anymethods. He is then declared an expert jeweler.

230. The path of ÿiva (%ambhavop;ya) is pure indivision (unity)é the path of energy

(%aktop;ya) is both with and without division (unity and differentiation)é thepath of the individual (;[avop;ya) is just division (differentiation).

231. All the details of the ritual actions that we will clearly present further, relate infact, exclusively to this last form of knowledge (vij@;na), and its path.

232. Action, in fact, in nothing other than knowledge linked to temporality(kram;tmat;m ) in order to serve as means or path (up;yava%ata+ ). It is thisknowledge that is then called activity.47

THE SPIRITUAL MASTER AND HIS/HER DISCIPLES

233. The principal cause of liberation is perfected knowledge, whether it resides inoneself or in another. In fact, the manifestations (vibh~ti ) of self and other (inother words, of teacher and disciple) are simply imaginary constructs.48

234. Whomever are the individuals who are in union with the teacher who radiatesforth while they are still are under the influence of concept-constructingimagination (k;lpanik; ), they are one with him/her. One can then declare the

teacher accomplished and liberated (siddho mukta%ca).49

235. Whatever the longevity of his/her lineage (sa>t;na), the teacher is then up tothe measure and is composed of perfect knowledge (samyagj@;na). From thenon, by liberating others, he/she are liberated themselves.

47 Since Abhinavagupta does not subscribe to the dualistic notion that the impurity (mala) is a substance, but indeedignorance, here, in preparation of the lengthy presentation of ;[avop;ya (chapters 6-37 in this Tantr;loka), he is clarifying

that ritual action is in reality, knowledge submitted to the limitations of temporality.48 Jayaratha emphasizes: “Alone, absolute Consciousness (sa>vit ) throbs forth and produces self, the other and all things(svapar;dy;bh;satay; ).” 49 Jayaratha explains that “when the master radiates forth (which means that he/she is immersed in the vibrating light ofConsciousness), whether it is within himself/herself, within disciples with whom he/she is in union, or in any plane of realitywith which he/she is in union, when no division exists in the manifestation of him/herself and others, then the grasp ofawareness of consciousness that he/she has is composed of a compact and impenetrable mass of consciousness(ekaghanasa>vidr~pa ).” Since, in this state, he/she has no other consciousness that that of the throbbing of this union, (aikyasphura[;vadhi+ ), the selfbeing one (eka ;tm; ), one can say that he/she is fully accomplished (siddha), liberated, and enjoys the state of supreme ÿiva( p;ramai%varya). Being conscious of the unity of his/her own consciousness, he/she attains unity with the supreme consciousLight.”




236. When it is said that the j@;nin liberates his/her lineage (svasa>t;na), this isperfectly confirmed by reason as well as by Scriptures. The mystical teacher(muni ), in fact, is in union with his/her lineage.

237. Therefore, we radically refute those who say: “If liberation is due to

knowledge, how do actions, such as rituals, initiation, etc., lead to liberation?”

238. If one realizes that these actions have in reality knowledge as their true nature,then they can liberate those who possess this knowledge. But it would be falseto think that they can liberate those who do not have this knowledge.

239. As to those who declare that the impurity (mala) is a material substance(dravya) – as is, for example, the cataract that renders the retina opaque – asubstance that is removed by the action of initiation (d$k^; ) acting like acollyrium or other remedy, we refute this doctrine.

240. This is condemned by both reason and by the sacred Texts and we teach andestablish the true nature of the triple link that is formed by impurity, illusionand actions.50

THE FOUR TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE

241. Such is the triple nature of the paths, with ;[avop;ya, based on the lowest formof knowledge, %;ktop;ya based on the middle form of knowledge, and

%;mbhavop;ya based on the highest form knowledge.

242. To this can be added supreme knowledge beyond all paths(up;y;divivarjitam ), resting in the %akti of bliss (;nanda%akti ), and which isnamed the Without-Equal or Incomparable (anuttara).51

243. This knowledge shines of its own radianceé even the vidya, vidye%vara andother superior knowing subjects have trouble attaining it.

244. It is presented in the Siddhatantra52 and clearly described in the 18th chapter of

the M;lin$vijayottaratantra, where it is declared: “This must not be revealed ifÿankara (ÿiva) does not favor it.”

50 Abhinavagupta is refuting the doctrine of dualistic shaivite agamas for whom the atman of limited beings is “soiled” fromthe beginning of cosmic manifestation by the triple bond ( p;%atraya) formed by the essential impurity of limited being(;[avamala), the consequences of actions (karman ) and the material realities produced by m;y; . This triple impurity isconsidered by the dualists to be a substance, that can only be removed by an action, in particular that of initiation.For Abhinavagupta, ritual action is simply a certain form of knowledge manifested within temporality (see verse 232).51 Jayaratha comments that in supreme knowledge, path and goal are united. In this knowledge, the energy of bliss rests is itsown nature, whereas the energies of will, knowledge, activity, etc. as elevated as they may be are still externally directed.52 Also called the Siddhayoge%var$mata, which is summarized in the M;lin$vijayottaratantra.




245. This topic of the four types of knowledge, that bring about powers as well asliberation, is treated in this work called “Tantr;loka”.

246. Everything that is perceived either externally or internally is first manifested inan undefined or general form.53

247. Doubt, in this respect, is the initial knowledge of an object that, since it cannotbe clearly described, appears in a generally undefined manner – this perceptionbeing made by a subject who is mostly well-defined (otherwise, the perceptionwould not be possible).54

248. In the expression “what is that?” (etat kim ), principal aspect of doubt, the ‘that’ is well-defined. Doubt comes when qualities belonging to the object andenabling its recognition, including existence or non-existence, are not well-defined.

249. The formula “what is?” (kim) is applicable to an undefined object. The

question has an imprecise form, since the object has yet to be defined.

250. “Is that a human being or a tree trunk?” This question is a secondary type ofdoubt (sa>%aya) because it presupposes that a considerable number of qualitiesor particular characteristics have already been determined (ni%caya).55

251. In addition, doubt, which arises when one cannot determine the characteristicsbelonging to one or another of two objects, must nevertheless include the

question about the existence itself of the object – otherwise it is simply anoption or alternative (vikalpa) and not a doubt.

252. The question posed about this object is definitely a doubt, since it deals withthe beginning of its manifestation ( prathana) before it has been determined.

253. Such is the attitude taken by consciousness itself when it is presented with anobject whose specific traits have yet to be determined. It questions and findsitself in the position of the disciple in front of the teacher.

53 In verses 246 to 277, Abhinavagupta uses arguments based on the traditional Indian system of logic called Ny;ya, whichhas 3 movements: enunciation (udde%a) – the mentioning or naming of an objecté definition (lak^ana) – describing an objectby its unique characteristicsé verification ( par$k^a) – investigating whether a definition is applicable or not to the object.In this section, Abhinavagupta is linking perception of external physical objects with the movement of divine consciousnessthat manifests the universe. He traces the same movement within logical reasoning, in the levels of speech, in the energies ofÿiva, and in the relationship between teacher and disciple. It is the constant unfoldment of the undifferentiated into thedifferentiated, with the underlying stratum of indivisible Consciousness always present and permeating the universe.54 Jayaratha: “It is indeed a conscious subject that has the capability of wondering about the world he/she is perceiving”.55 Here there has been progression in the knowledge of an object, since it is mostly a matter of choice between variousinterpretations of what is being perceived and what is beginning to be defined.




254. Thus, when the prior awareness based on intellectual certainty is occulted,Consciousness, even though it participates in the preceding resorption andmanifestation, becomes questioning.

255. In this questioning mode, it remains non-developed or concealed (anunm$lita)relative to the external flow of objectivity.

256. It is therefore Consciousness itself that is both question and answer. At thislevel of teacher and disciple, the difference between the bodies is not important(at;ttvika).

257. Awakened consciousness (bodha), manifests suddenly (;bh;sayati ) the in-numerable forms it contains within itself, in either a general or specific manner.

258. Doubt relates to general emanation that has to be subsequently completed bythe manifestation of particular characteristics.56

259. It is only after the end of the emanation of these specific characteristics that thecertainty of determination will appear that can satisfy the knowing subject( pram;t& ).

260. The unfolding of objectivity produced in this manner, which results in theconfirmation of the efficiency of the subject itself (sv;tmav$ry;krama[a-

p;!av;t ), is the process of definition (lakâ[a), response (uttara) anddetermination or certainty (nir[aya).

261. As for verification ( par$kâ[a), it is composed of repeated statements anddefinitions that support the specific traits that have been already determined.

262. This triple process of statement, definition and verification is constantly presentin all living beings in the forms of knowledge such as direct perception,inference, analogy, authoritative speech, etc.

56 External objects are perceived in two ways. One way is generic – two objects have the same common (s;m;nya)characteristic, as is the case of height between a human being and the trunk of a tree. The other way is specific – it rests onthe differences between the objects, a distinctive trait (vi%eâ)é e.g. the trunk is hollow and not the human being, therefore thecertainty ‘it’s a trunk’ arises.




263 - 276 Summary 57

277. It is Consciousness, this Goddess, who through her own volition and eternally,animates the triple process of perception (statement), definition andverification, and who takes on the form of all Scriptures58.

278 – 329 Table of Contents

These five verses describe the content of the book that is translated here:

Chapter 1 - The different forms of knowledge (vij@anabheda): a general introduction to the natureof knowledge ( j@;na) and ignorance, and to the nature of consciousness. Presentationof the means or paths (up;ya) towards realizing the absolute through absorption orinterpenetration (;ve%a, sam;ve%a), following the teachings of theM;lin$vijayottaratantra. An introduction to the whole work of the Tantr;loka. 334verses.

Chapter 2 - The “non-means” (anup;ya), also called gatop;ya: where all means disappear. 50verses.

Chapter 3 - The supreme means ( parop;ya), or means of ÿambhu (%sambhavop;ya)é also calledicchop;ya, the means of the pre-discursive impulse (icch; ) to cognition. This is wherethe var[apar;mar%a, the phonematic emanation of the cosmos, is described. 293 verses.

Chapter 4 - The means of power (%aktop;ya) or way of cognition ( j@;nop;ya). 278 verses.

Chapter 5 - The way of the limited soul (;[avop;ya), or of the ordinary human being (narop;ya).This is also called kriyop;ya: the means of ritual action. 159 verses.

57 Verses 263 to 276 have not been translated, because they have lengthy examples, but the gist of Jayaratha’s commentary isas follows:

Abhinavagupta details what is meant by perception, definition and verification. He says that the first, direct perception (orstatement) is nirvikalpa, undifferentiated. Then definition is vikalpa, since it involves dualistic conceptual thinking. Thethird, verification, is a series of vikalpas , concept-testing, that relate to the preceding perceptions.

He then expands the explanation of perception. Perception is an emanation (s&^!i ) of an object, which other emanationscomposed of vikalpa will subsequently make more precise. These other elements are perceived by the knowing subject asbeing linked to temporality. This is in fact, the movement of consciousness creating the world.

Definition is a form of consciousness where the emanation of that which must appear to define an object coincides with the

dissolution (sa>h;ra) of that which we previously emanated. In other words, it’s a mental process where the undefinedgeneral aspect through which the object is initially perceived is dissolved, whilst appears all that describes it and defines itsnature.

Lastly, verification consists in a movement which allows comparison and testing of the preceding emanations anddissolutions according to the needs of the knowing subject until certainty is reached.

Then Abhinavagupta indicates how the three movements of consciousness correspond to the three levels of speech: pa%yanti ,madhyam; , and vaikhar$ . It is within them that the characteristics of cosmic manifestation are made precise, and formankind, the specifics of language and discursive (dualistic) thought constructs. These also correspond to the three goddessesof Trika: Par;, Par;par; and Apar;, and also to the three shaktis of will, knowledge and activity.

58 The Scriptures that are referred to and explained in this work.




These verses give the content of the rest of book, summarized as follows:

Chapter 6 - The means of time (k;lop;ya) deals with human and cosmic time (k;la) and itsdivisions. Also the linkage between time and the cycle of breathing. Thereby, how todissolve the flow of time and escape the flow of becoming (sa>s;ra) through yogiccontrol of the breath (also associated with Sanskrit phonemes). 251 verses.

Chapter 7 - The arising of the wheels of power or chakras (cakrodaya): the chakras of the %akti (energies), their role and their use in conjunction with mantras and breaths ( pr;[a) inthe search for liberation. 71 verses.

Chapter 8 - The path of space (de%;dhvam ): cosmology, the “worlds” (loka) and the deities thatanimate them. The cosmic context in which the shaivite adept pursues his seeking. 432verses.

Chapters 9 and 10 -The path and the division of the tattvas (tattv;dhvan and tattvabhedanam ): presentationof the system of the universe resulting from the appearance of the tattvas , thecategories of manifestation. These two chapters also discuss karman , the consequences

of actions, and mala, the impurity inherent in human nature, the four modalities ofconsciousness (waking, dream, etc.), the properties of things, as well as mental andphysical means to achieve liberated consciousness. 314 verses in Chapter 9 and 309verses in Chapter 10.

Chapter 11 - The path of the kal; (kal;dhvan ): the kal; are both fragmenting and limiting energiesas well as divisions of the cosmos produced by divine power. These kal; are described,as well their associated mantras and phonemes. 118 verses.

Chapter 12 - Adhvaprayoga: the implementation of liberation through the path of kal; usingpsycho-somatic practices. 26 verses.

Chapter 13 - The descent of energy (%aktip;ta), or divine grace, whose role is fundamental not onlyin the means to liberation, but also for initiation, d$k^; , which is presented

subsequently. This chapter also details the obstructions to grace due to mala, or due tovarious powers of concealment (tirodh;na). In this section Abhinavagupta highlightsthe superiority of the shaivite path such as described in the Tantraloka over the classicIndian philosophical systems (S;>khya, etc.), due to its submission to and illuminationby divine grace. 361 verses.

Chapters 14 through 26 deal with d$k^; and the various forms of shaivite initiation.

Chapter 14 - Introduction to initiation (d$k^opakrama): divine will is at the root of concealment(tirobh;va) that enslaves beings as well as the knowledge that liberates them, notablythrough the means of initiation. It is useless to try and escape sa>s;ra through suicidebecause only knowledge and divine grace can give liberation at death or during this

life. 46 verses.Chapter 15 - Samayad$k^; : “regular” initiation, or initiation according to the rules (samaya). This is

the first level of initiation, through which one enters the shaivite family as a regularadept (samayin ), permitted to study its Scriptures, to assist in ceremonies but not toexecute rituals. The rituals of samayad$k^; are numerous (dream analysis, ritual baths,imposition of mantras, purifications, pujas, oblations, etc.) and are performed in asacrificial pavilion. These aim to purify the adept to be initiated, and instill in him/hernew energies, pure and liberating. Tantraloka describes this initiation in detail, similarto that prescribed by the ;gamas. The importance of this is reflected in the length ofthis chapter, the longest in the Tantr;loka. 611 verses.




Chapter 16 - Putrakad$k^; : the initiation of “spiritual offspring” ( putraka), also called vi%eâd$k^; , aspecial initiation, or also nirv;[ad$k%; , liberating initiation. It is given to the samayin and makes her/him into a putraka, a true initiate, free of the impurity (mala) andauthorized to accomplish rituals. This chapter describes the ma[#ala used in theinitiation, animal sacrifices, various purifications, variations on the rituals, the use andnature of mantras, etc. 311 verses.

Chapter 17 - Rituals to be accomplished by the putraka to achieve identification with Bhairava.How to make sacred cords, purification of the tattvas (tattva%uddhi ), burning ofbondage ( p;%adaha), etc. 122 verses.

Chapter 18 - The abbreviated initiation (sa>kîptad$k^; ), a simplified initiation ritual that, accordingto Abhinavagupta, can nevertheless give the state of ÿiva (%ivat;pattid; ) to the adeptwho receives it. The efficiency of this ritual is noted, also described in the ;gamas. 11verses.

Chapter 19 - The initiation of immediate liberation (sadyonirv;[ad;d$k^; ). It enables the recipientwho has received sufficient grace, whether infirm or aged, and about to leave the body,to be united with ÿiva at the moment of death. It is also called ÿa]kara initiation(%;]karad$k^; ). 56 verses.

Chapter 20 - The initiation that relieves the recipient from the burden of past actions(tul;%uddhid$k^; ): it serves to diminish the effect of karman by destroying their seeds.This chapter does not give a lot of details but refers to other tantras. It indicateshowever, that if this initiation is done with a lot of force (sud$pt; ), it can even giveliberation to plants: this may be hyperbola, but highlights its efficaciousness. 16 verses.

Chapter 21 - The initiation of someone who is absent ( parokâd$k^; ), whether they are alive or dead.This initiation, of which there are several types of various degrees of efficiency, isdone with the help of a ritual net ( jala) which is meant to capture those that are beinginitiated, as well as the nav;tman mantra. 61 verses.

Chapter 22 - The removal of marks (li]goddh;ra): a ritual that is complementary to initiation whichremoves from the the initiated samayin the “marks” remaining from prior life,

especially those resulting from prior rituals or observances that may have beenfollowed. The li]goddh;ra purifies from sins and destroys doubt (%a]kaccheda). 48verses.

Chapter 23 - Consecration (abhiêka or abhiêcana): this is ;c;ryad$k^; , the initiation conferred to a putraka thereby making him/her a spiritual master, an ;c;rya or guru . Abhinavaguptadescribes the ritual itself only briefly (it is similar to a royal anointing). He insistshowever, on the science and the intellectual and spiritual qualities that master mustpossess. He describes the vow or observances (vrata) that the master must follow afterthe ritual and what he/she must know in order to destroy the ignorance of his/herdisciples and instruct them in the shaivite path. These prescriptions, he adds, are notrelevant for “gnostic" masters ( j@;nin ), which are those who have received the aptitude

to teach directly from ÿiva and not through a ritual.The last two verses of this chapter compare the initiation of the adept (s;dhakad$k^; ors;dhak;bhiêka) and the ;c;ry;bhiêka, and indicate their similarities, except that thes;dhaka must in addition receive instructions related to mantra, which he must masterthrough appropriate practice in his/her search for liberation and/or enjoyment (bhoga).103 verses.

Chapter 24 - antye^!i : the “final offering”, or funerary rites. This is also considered an initiation, theritual being that of parokâd$k^; described in chapter 21. This funerary initiation hasthe effect of purifying the subtle body ( purya^!aka) of the deceased and therefore ofensuring a favorable posthumous destiny. 24 verses.




Chapter 25 - %r;ddha: the ceremonies that follow a funeral, that are meant to act as an initiationdestroying the effects of ignorance and assisting in obtaining ecstatic states as well asliberation (bhogamok^ad; ). 29 verses.

Chapter 26 - Other actions to accomplish (%e^av&tti ): rules to follow and regular practices to beperformed in a sacred purified space (sta[#ila) by the initiate. 76 verses.

Chapter 27 - The worship of the linga (li]gap~j; or li]g;rc; ): a daily worship of the shaivite adept.

Several types of li]ga are described, which are physical supports for the practices(sculpted or painted image, a three-dimensional %ivali]ga itself , or the most favored,which is a skull with an incision). Also described are the rules for daily worship,different types of rosaries (malas), as well as variations of pujas, all of which shouldtend towards union with divinity. 59 verses.

Chapter 28 - Occasional rituals (naimittika): the special days and circumstances under which theseshould be practiced. Why and how to practice them. These are the worship of variousdeities, rituals for propiating favorable outcomes, expiating impurities or honoring themaster ( gurup~j; ). 434 verses.

Chapter 29 - This chapter describes a secret ritual, the kulay;ga, an esoteric sacrificial rite of theKula, or mah;y;ga, “great sacrifice”, that can only be accomplished by masters or the

most qualified disciples. It is a tantric ritual including sexual union with an initiatedpartner. 291 verses.

Chapter 30 - Listing of the principal mantras used in the traditions of Trika, Kula and Krama.Abhinavagupta reminds us that their essential nature (svar~pa) is that of self-awareness(vimar%a), which is the freedom and conscious level of speech of divine Consciousness.123 verses.

Chapter 31 - The ma[#ala: description of the way to trace the ma[#ala of the tridents and lotuses(tri%~l;bjama[#ala) according to five shaivite tantras: Trikasadbh;va, M;lin$vijayottara,Devy;y;mala, Tri%irobhairava and Siddhayoge%var$mata. 163 verses.

Chapter 32 - The mudr; : for Abhinavagupta, these are reflected images of deities ( pratibimba),

which they represent figuratively by identifying to themselves the adept that performsthe mudras, and through this process, they bring the presence of these deities to theadept. This chapter describes several variations of the principal mudr; of Trika, thekhecar$mudr; , a complex pose as well as a mystical attitude that allows the adept toidentify with the deity that it represents. “But,” says Abhinavagupta in conclusion, “forthe perfected being, whatever attitude he/she takes on, that is a mudr; : the rest issimply gesticulation”. 67 verses.

Chapter 33 - The conjunction (ek$k;ra) of the wheels (chakras) and energies (%akti ) in worship andspiritual seeking, where all these forces must merge into one. 32 verses.

Chapter 34 - How the adept enters into his own true essential nature (svasvar~paprave%a). 3 verses.Verse 1 - “The individual who, in attaining the state of ÿiva, penetrates always further

into the path of the limited being (;[avop;ya), presented in the preceding chapters invarious ways, will rest very closely to his true being.” Verse 2 – “Then, leaving this limited plane, he/she attains the level of energy (power)i.e. %aktop;ya. Then gradually, bit by bit, he/she attains the level of the nature ofÿambhu (%ambhavop;ya).” Verse 3 – “Thus, he/she who partakes of the true nature of Bhairava, who is irrigtatedand fertilized by the powerful rays of divine Consciousness, gradually will come to restin the true Self, thereby transcending the paths to liberation, but keeping withinhim/herself all the diversity of the world. This is how the supreme Lord describes theentry of the adept into his own Self.”




Chapter 35 - The collection of Scriptures (%astramelana): all Scriptures are valid and useful in theirdomain and at their own level, the highest being however the non-dual shaivitetreatises whose essence is found in the texts of Trika – and whose knowledge wasgiven to Abhinavagupta by his master ÿambhun;tha. 44 verses.

Chapter 36 - The transmission of the Scriptures (%astr;vas;ra), from their revelation by Bhairava upto the masters of Trika, whose teachings are described in this Tantr;loka. 15 verses.

Chapter 37 - The texts that should be read: these are the scriptures from the Bhairava tradition(bhairav;gama), whose essence is found in the M;lin$vijayottaratantra and whosemetaphysical teaching has been presented by Abhinavagupta in hisM;lin$vijayav;rttika. It is therefore this latter work and the present Tantr;loka thatshould be read to obtain all the fruits one could desire, as well as liberation in this life( j$vanmukti ).In the final verses of this chapter (33 to 85), Abhinavagupta describes how his familycame to settle in Kashmir, and how beautiful this region isé he speaks about his parentsand his teachers and describes the circumstances surrounding the writing of thisTantr;loka. 85 verses.




FINAL VERSES

330. The Self is indivisible luminous consciousness: it coexists with and has thesame extent as the totality of %akti . Concealing its innate greatness, it appears as

captive (baddha). Its liberation results from the manifestation of its inherentessential nature (svabh;va): the luminous erupting emanation of the Self.Having several modalities, this liberation takes on a variety of forms: thepurpose of this chapter was to briefly present them.

331. Erroneous knowledge, which is darkness, gives birth to these imperfectionswhich are the defects which obscure true vision. Due to its presence (erroneousknowledge), true knowledge, though pure in its essence, appears as havingstainsé however, when these defects in vision disappear, the obscuring of visiondissipates completely. Then, how could the slightest hint of impurity remain?

332. O totality of everything (bh;vavr;ta)` By force, You take over the hearts ofhumankind and You play, like an actor, by hiding the heart of the Self(;tmah&dayam ) under multiple detours. He who says You are inert ( ja#a) ishimself insensitive, pretending in error to have a heart (sah&dayam ). Andnevertheless, even in this insensitivity, it seems there is worship, because he ispretending to be like You`59

333. With any impurity vanished, knowing the Supreme as well as the inferior,made of the same nature as ÿiva, these are the masters qualified for mystical

research. Of what use is it then to ask them to remove far away the irritation ofaversion?60

334. Thus ends this chapter of the Tantr;loka, composed by Abhinavagupta, wherethe nature of discriminating knowledge (vij@;nasatt; ) is presented, and thevarieties of its manifestation.

59 Jayaratha comments: Divine consciousness manifests the universe, therefore it is the totality of everything. Therefore, evensomething insensitive or inert is part of Consciousness. Everything that exists is none other than an aspect of consciousness(bh;v;n;m hi vastuta%caitanyam eva r~pam ). If something is not part of Consciousness, it does not exist. In addition, in atantric perspective, objects, through their innate beauty, can contribute to the unfolding of a being, and thereby help theadept to open up to divinity, such as is the case with the beauty of rituals and the elements used in worship. See alsoVijnanbhairava, dharana 117.60 Jayaratha comments: It is not necessary to ask favors of qualified spiritual masters: filled with the grace of ÿiva, he/she willact on his own, without error, on behalf of the well-being of all creatures.




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End of the first chapter

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Abhinavagupta – TANTRALOKA



Published by Lilian Silburn and André Padoux

Collège de France

Institut de Civilisation Indienne, Fascicule 66 (1998)Editions De Boccard

Translator into English: Roger-Orphé Jeanty

Reviewer: Parvathi Nanda Nath

©2008 – 2010

! "#$ %&'()



Abhinavagupta – TANTRæLOKA

Light on TantraChapterAnup;ya

Translator’s Notes (Roger-Orphé Jeanty – Spring 2009):

This chapter is short and describes the ‘non-path’ anup;ya. It is both theimmediate revelation of consciousness received by the very few and the

culmination of all the other paths. It could also be translated as ‘beyondpath’.




1. I now begin this second chapter with the purpose of stating clearly what is theoriginal domain ( pada), the incomparable certainty of knowledge ( j@apti ) thatnever ends.

2. What is the purpose of trying to teach that which is not a path? Revelation is

given here once and forever, after which there is no more path. 1

3. In the absence of any means of access, how can one know that this Reality isbeyond any means? And for those for whom it shines forth spontaneously,what else is there for us to say?

4. The quadruple means mentioned previously2 (the three paths and the non-path),that are embodied in the ultimate Knowledge (vij@;na), are none other than theinherent nature (svabh;va) of the Omnipresent (vibhu ), and this Omnipresent isarising forth eternally.

5. Since He radiates forth in innumerable modalities (svabh;va), some seekerspenetrate into Him gradually, others in the pulsation of the first encounter.

6. This penetration can therefore take place with a path or without a path, and theabsence of path does not exclude the existence of a variety of means.

7. The mode of access (vidhi ) presented here is that of immaculate beings entirelydedicated (up;s$na) to their own Bhairava consciousness, without adhering toany particular path.3

8. Ritual actions and yoga practice cannot serve as a path in this instance, becauseConsciousness does not arise from activity. It is the opposite, activity is bornfrom Consciousness.

9. If we presume there is a path that leads to knowledge, it would be knowledgeitself. Indeed, how could luminosity ( prak;%atva) that dwells within what isinherently light itself come from somewhere else?

10. The reality of Consciousness (sa>vittattvam ) shines of its own radiance(svaprak;%a). From there on, to what purpose serve logical procedures thatenable it to become known? If it didn’t shine forth in this manner, the universe,devoid of light, would not reveal itself since it would be unconscious.4

1 Jayaratha: an-up;ya means non-path, or it can be interpreted as a very reduced path (alpop;ya), access without anymodality. It is revealed once and there is no need for repeated experiences as in the other paths.2 In chapter 1, verses 140 and following.3 Jayaratha: these individuals are not subject to the stain of vikalpa and receive the most intense form of grace (%aktipat ).4 Jayaratha: if Consciousness did not shine of its own inherent nature, nothing would be illumined.




11. All paths, whether they are internal or external, depend on this Consciousness.How else could they serve to reveal the access to it?

12. “Leave your concentration (avadh;na) right there. In fact, on what are youconcentrating? Examine this yourself. To concentrate on complete fullness isobviously not possibleé to concentrate on that which is not fullness does not

allow you to reach its inherent nature (satyabh;va).”5

13. From this, how could a realization (bh;van; ) that derives its strength ( pr;[a)from concentration offer a direct access to the supreme path to Bhairava?

14. And those who seek to perceive this Essence using this means of concentrationas if it were an immediate path, they are similar to ignorant people who wouldtake a firefly to look at the sun.

15. All these means which are external, and which one thinks can produce an

internal path, are nothing else than the conscious light itself, the magnificentinherent inner essence of ÿiva.6

16. Blue, yellow, happiness, etc. are all only conscious light, ÿiva. What ‘other’ 17. could reside in this supreme non-duality composed of pure light? The

relationship between path and goal is itself light, and only light.

18. “It’s duality”, some say, “it’s differentiation”, “it’s non-differentiation”: thusParame%vara reveals himself, He whose essence is conscious light.

19. At this level 7, happiness, pain, bondage, liberation, awareness and non-awareness are just synonyms designating a single unified Reality, just likepitcher and jug signify the same object.8

20. In fact, how could there be, within conscious light ( praka%a), a portion of it21. devoid of light? Either this portion shines forth therein and the duality

light/non-light has no reason to exist, or it doesn’t shine there – then how can itbe real? One can therefore not establish logically any distinctions relating toconscious light.

5 Here, Abhinavagupta is quoting verse 117 of the second chapter of the M;lin$vijayav;rttika.6 Jayaratha: “Everything that one may consider here as forming a path, isn’t it all luminous? If it’s not luminous, it doesn’texist and cannot be a path. If it is luminous, it then resides itself in ÿiva, luminosity in his essence, because nothing existsoutside of him – but then, in what way is it a path?” 7 This at the level of supreme non-duality, where “only ÿiva is knowing”.8 Jayaratha quotes the ÿivad&^!i, where Som;nanda articulates expressively the unique light where subject and object exist:“The pot’s knowing is identical to me, and my knowing is identical to the pot’s”. According to Som;nanda, whether it is apot or a high level of the eternal ÿiva (Sada%iva), in the knowledge that I have of them, I am identical to them and they are tome: “Sada%iva’s knowing is mine, and mine is his. Only ÿiva exists who knows himself through the multiplicity ofobjects”(ÿD 5.107).




22. To admit the theory of the unity of conscious light, well-established here, is topush far away all the partisans of distinct knowledge.

23. Only light exists: the term “unity” does not have a numerical meaning thatwould imply division within consciousnessé the only thing that is denied here,is non-light within Consciousness.

24. This light, inaccessible, is not energy, the great Goddess, since it has nosupport, and since it doesn’t serve as support, it is also not the god ÿiva, holderof the energy.

25. Since there is no meditator, this light is not that which is meditated on, andsince there is nothing that is meditated on, this light is not the meditator.Without a worshipper, no worshipped, and without a worshipped, noworshipper.

26. The light is neither mantra, nor deity whose mantra one recites (mantrya), normantra narrator. The light is neither initiation, initiator, nor initiated: it isMahe%vara.

27. Within this light, no agent, no activity, no object of action, no representation ofdeity, no sacred space (sth;na), no throne, no restraint (nirodha)9, no aspersion,no actualization of the presence of the deity (sa>dh;na)10, no other rituals orpractices that end with the dismissal of the deity.

28. “This light is neither being, nor non-being, nor both at the same time, nor their

negation. In truth, this state is difficult to recognize due to its incomparable(anuttara) and indescribable nature.”11

29. In ordinary knowledge, one uses the word “be” with something that manifestsas “this”, a pot for example, but this is not the case for Bhairava.

30. Non-being, that which is not conscious light (aprak;%a), has no efficiencytowards anything whatsoever. Bhairava, however, is Reality, life of the entireuniverse, He is identical to the conscious Light.

31. For this double reason, He is not composed of these two parts (being and non-being), but neither is he devoid of them. He radiates as universal Self. Underwhich form, then, could one express Him?

9 No ritual, invocation or effort is present to retain or restrain a divine presence, or the presence of a deity10 A ritual that fixates the deity in the image used for worship, where it is “retained” until dismissed (visarjana).11 Quote from a tantra called ‘Flame of illumination’ (bharga%ikh; ) describing the inaccessible Supreme Reality (anup;ya).




32. The Tri%irobhairavatantra proclaims: “The supreme domain ( param padam ) isthe receptacle ( garbha) of energy, and thanks to the energy that rests within it,it has as essence supreme knowledge ( paraj@ana).”

33. This supreme domain includes neither existence nor non-existence, neitherduality nor non-duality, because it is beyond the reach of language. It is rooted(v$r~#ha) on the path of the inexpressible. It is held (sth; ) within energy, it isexempt from energy.

34. In this manner, beings purified by the supreme Reality of consciousness inwhich they are seated, are not constrained to any means: they have firmly setfoot on the incomparable path.12

35. The dance of things, while remaining present to them, dissolves entirely intothe Bhairava fire of Consciousness.13

36. For them, happiness, pain, fear, anxiety, dualistic thinking (vikalpan; ) are lostcompletely in supreme undifferentiated (nirvikalpa) interpenetration( par;ve%a).

37. For them, there is mantra, no dhy;na, no worship nor imaginary constructions(kalpan; ), nor any of the illusionary appearances that go progressively from theinitiation of the disciple (samaya) to the consecration of the master (;c;rya).

38. Holding the ax that cuts into pieces the weaving of restrictions presented in thetreatises, their only task left to accomplish is to bestow grace.

39. The worldly person accomplishes his task with effort, motivated by his ownwell-being and not engaged in any activity favorable to others. To the contrary,it is only for the benefit of humanity that unfolds the activity of one who isfilled by the Reality of Bhairava and whose impurities related to the process ofbecoming have been destroyed.14

12 Jayaratha: according to the masters, those who become identified with the ultimate Reality of Consciousness are purifiedfrom the impurities of differentiation. They are no longer dependent on internal or external means, become content andpeaceful on the incomparable path. This path is beyond everything with respect to its indivisible mass of wonderment, itscomplete fullness of delight. This path unfolds in consciousness that has completely blossomed. “Abandoning the multiplemodalities of becoming, immersed in unfolding Consciousness, whatever position you find yourself in, stay there, do not goto the outside or the inside, rest in the energy of bliss”, Jayaratha exhorts.13 In anup;ya everything becomes anup;ya. “In the same way as wood, leaves, stones and all objects that fall into a salt minebecome salt, all things that fall into Consciousness become that”.14 The individual immersed in anup;ya acts spontaneously and freely, without the notion of acquiring, achieving or attaininganything, like a flower that blooms.




40. Those whose consciousness is very pure and contemplate this Reality in aprogressive series of identifications, become identical to it. Such is the nature ofthe grace of those who are identified with this supreme Reality.15

41. In the Siddhayoge%var$mata, the Omnipresent says that the end-point of ritualsthat go from worship and sacrifice to initiation, is indeed the perfected

knowledge ( parij@;na) of this Reality.

42. “Superior to the purified ritual area is the article of worship made from a skull,superior to this is the article made of cloth, then in order of superiority comesmeditation, the object meditated upon, then concentration (dh;ra[a), and thatwhich results from yoga, lastly superior to all is knowledge.”16

43. “In truth, one who attains the state of complete accomplishment (mah;siddha)through knowledge is called a ‘king among yogis’.”

44. If one who dwells in anup;ya wishes to bestow grace on those whoseconsciousness is not completely purified through the power (dh;man ) of hisfreedom (and not through sacred texts), he can use the modalities that we willdescribe further.

45. These modalities vary depending on the subjects to which he bestows grace,and can be differentiated in means that are superior, inferior or that which iscomposed of their mixed flows (sa>k$r[atva).

46. In this regard, the being who is identical to the Lord Shiva must also respect

oral tradition and the study of texts, which are in themselves means.

47. This being’s freedom in anup;ya is in no way limited by thisé however,individuals whose consciousness is not purified cannot receive grace unlessthey follow a path.

48. This is explained in the exposition of the true treatise ôrmi, which rests in thelineage of siddhas , as well as by masters such as Som;nanda.17

15 Jayaratha: beings who benefit from the most intense descent of grace perceive easily that they enjoy interpenetrationwithout any meansé simply through supreme contemplation ( paradar%ana), after multiple immersions into consciousness, theyidentify with the supreme Reality (or with the master), just like ‘one lamps lights another’ without any separation. Themaster shares grace by his/her presence. The identification with the master is the result of the disciple’s unwaveringconviction. The master does nothing except dwell within grace, which has as its essence, pure contemplation.16 Verses 42 and 43 are quoted from the Siddhayoge%var$mata.17 Jayaratha indicates how this reference to the ôrmikaula being within the lineage of siddhas , highlights the value of thistext. He quotes several verses which describe the characteristics of ÿiva, who transcends all opposites: emptiness (%~nya) andnon-emptiness (a%~nya), pure and without form or qualities.




49. Through the words of the master, through the purification resulting from theapplication of reason and faith in the treatises, through all of those together orseparately, all the clouds of doubt evaporate in a manner similar to how the sundissipates darkness, and the feet of the All-Powerful are touched, their splendorradiating in the sky of the heart.

50. The exposition of this chapter describing the disappearance of any path has justbeen made to allow beings to discern the inexpressible domain that is withoutequal.

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End of the second chapter

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Abhinavagupta – TANTRALOKALight on Tantra



Published by Lilian Silburn and André Padoux

Collège de France

Institut de Civilisation Indienne, Fascicule 66 (1998)

Editions De Boccard

Translator into English: Roger-Orphé Jeanty

Reviewer: Parvathi Nanda Nath

© 2008 – 2010

! "#$ %&'()

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