The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
6 Tatash cha nāda-vindu-nibodhikā arkendu-vahni-rupāh. Jnāna is Fire, because it burns up all action. When the result of action is realised, action ceases (see note to v. 45). Ichchhā is the Moon, because Ichchhā is the precursor of creation and is eternal. The Moon contains the Amā-kalā, which knows neither increase nor decay. Kriyā is the Sun, because like the Sun it makes everything visible. Unless there is striving there cannot be realisation and manifestation. Cf. “As one Sun makes manifest all the Lokas” (Gītā).
The Text will be made clearer if an arrangement be made in the
following groups: (1) Nāda, Sun, Kriyā; (2) Bindu, Moon, Ichchhā;
(3) Nibobhikā, Fire, Jnāna. But see Introduction.
p. 133
Brahma in the Sahasrāra,” and ends, “Beautified by the three Mandalas within the triangle in the pericarp.” By three Mandalas are meant the Mandalas of Sun, Moon, and Fire. We shall show that the Nirvāna-Shakti is in the form of Para-bindu (Para-bindu-rūpā).
p. 134
Verse 49
Within Her is the everlasting place called the abode of Shiva,¹ which is free from Māyā, attainable only by Yogīs, and known by the name of Nityānanda. It is replete with every form of bliss,² and is Pure Knowledge itself.³ Some call it the Brahman; others call it the Hangsa. Wise men describe it as the abode of Vishnu, and righteous men⁴ speak of it as the ineffable place of knowledge of the Ātmā, or the place of Liberation.
COMMENTARY
He speaks of the Para-Brahma-sthāna (place of Para
Brahma) in the Void within Nirvāna Shakti.
1 Shiva-padam or state of Shiva. This, Vishvanātha says, is the Unmanī state of Shakti where there is neither Kāla nor Kalā, time nor space. It is the body of Shiva (Shivatanu). It is then said Unmanyante Parashivah. The following verse which occurs in Padma Purāna (Uttara Khanda, ch. 78, v. 43) puts the idea in a more popular form. It says:
Shaivāh Saurāsh cha Gāneshāh Vaishnavāh Shaktipūjakāh.
Māmeva prāpnuvanti hi varshāmbhah sāgarang yathā.
“Shaivas, Sauras, Gāneshas, Vaishnavas and Shāktās all verily come to me like rain water the ocean.”
2 Sakalasukhamayam. Vishvanātha reads here Paramakulapadam, which he interprets as Param Akula-padam, or the abode of the Supreme Shiva, who is known as Akula, as Kula is Shakti. It is so called because it is here that the universe finds its rest.
3 Shuddha-bodha-svarūpam.
4 Sukritinah.
“Within Her” (Tasyāh madhyāntarāle)—i.e., within Nirvāna¹ Shakti in Her form of Param Bindu, i.e., the empty space within the Bindu.
“Abode of Shiva” (Shivapadam).—This is the place of the
Brahman.
“Free from Māyā” (Amalam)—i.e., free from the impurity of
Māyā.
“Called”—i.e., called by those who know the Tattva.
“Attainable only by Yogīs” (Yogi-gamyam).—On account of its extreme subtlety, it is beyond the scope of word and mind, is attainable by Yogīs by pure Jnāna² only.
“Some call it”—i.e., the Vedāntists (Vaidāntikas) call it.
“Ineffable” (Kimapi)—i.e., wonder-inspiring.
“Place of the knowledge of the Ātmā” (Ātma-prabodham).—
The place where the Ātmā is seen or realised.
“Liberation” (Moksha)—i.e., where one is liberated from
Māyā by which one is surrounded.
Now be good enough to mark the following: the Parabindu which is Prakriti and Purusha is surrounded³ by Māyā, and is within the triangle in the pericarp of the Lotus of a thousand petals. So it has been said:
“In the Satya-loka is the formless and lustrous One; She has surrounded Herself by Māyā, and is like a grain of gram; devoid of hands, feet, and the like. She is Moon, Sun, and Fire. When casting off (Utsrijya) the covering (Bandhana) of Māyā, She becomes of two-fold aspect (Dvidhā bhitvā) and Unmukhi,⁴ then on the division or separation of Shiva and Shakti arises creative ideation.”⁶
1 Vishvanātha says Samanā.
2 Spiritual knowledge, as it is said: Mokshe dhīr jnānam anyatra vijnānang shilpashāstrayoh. The knowledge which gains Moksha (Liberation) is called Jnāna, other forms of knowledge, such as fine arts, and the Shāstras being Vijnāna.
3 Māyābandhanāchchhādita-prakriti-purushātmaka-para-vinduh.
4 By Unmukhī is meant that She becomes intent on creation.
5 Shiva-Shakti-vibhāgena. By division or separation is not meant that Shiva is really divided or separated from Shakti—for the two are ever one and the same—but that Shakti, who exists latently as one with the Brahman in dissolution, appears to issue from It on creation as the manifested universe.
6 Srishti-kalpanā. That is, the subject knows itself as object.
Plate XIV. MŪLABANDHA IN SIDDHĀSANA
(Vide p. 214)
To face p. 136.
The word “Satya-loka” in the above passage means Sahasrāra.
Also cf. “The attributeless Bindu is without doubt the Cause (of the attainment) of Siddhis. Some say that the Deva who is one, stainless (Niranjana), all embracing (Mahāpūrna) and united with the primordial Shakti as in the form of a grain of gram¹ is Brahmā, and by some, again, He is called Vishnu; by others, again, He is called the Deva Rudra.”
The luminous empty space within the Nirvāna Shakti (i.e., the outer circle of the Parabindu), which is more minute than the ten-millionth part of the end of a hair, is, according to the author, the abode of Brahman (Brahmapada). Cf. “Within it² is Parabindu, whose nature it is to create, maintain, and destroy. The space within is Shiva Himself and Bindu³ is Parama-kundalī.”
Also: “The circumference (Vritta) is the Kundalinī-Shakti,
and She possesses the three Gunas. The space within, O Beloved
Maheshāni, is both Shiva and Shakti.”⁴
This Bindu is, according to some, Īshvara, the Cause of All.
Some Paurānikas call Him Mahā-Vishnu; others call Him Brahma
Purusha.
Cf. “There was neither day nor night, neither the firmament nor the earth, neither darkness nor any other light; there was That the Brahma-Male,⁵ imperceptible to hearing, and the other sources of knowledge united with Pradhāna.”⁶
The Shāradā⁷ says: “The eternal Shiva should be known both as Nirguna (attributeless) and Saguna (possessed of attributes). He is Nirguna when (considered as) disassociated from the workings of Prakriti, but when Sakala (i.e., so associated with Prakriti) He is Saguna.”⁸
1 Chanaka, which under its outward sheath contains two undivided halves.
2 Apparently Nirvāna-Kalā.
3 That is, the circumference as opposed to the inner space.
6 Tatash cha nāda-vindu-nibodhikā arkendu-vahni-rupāh. Jnāna is Fire, because it burns up all action. When the result of action is realised, action ceases (see note to v. 45). Ichchhā is the Moon, because Ichchhā is the precursor of creation and is eternal. The Moon contains the Amā-kalā, which knows neither increase nor decay. Kriyā is the Sun, because like the Sun it makes everything visible. Unless there is striving there cannot be realisation and manifestation. Cf. “As one Sun makes manifest all the Lokas” (Gītā).
The Text will be made clearer if an arrangement be made in the
following groups: (1) Nāda, Sun, Kriyā; (2) Bindu, Moon, Ichchhā;
(3) Nibobhikā, Fire, Jnāna. But see Introduction.
p. 133
Brahma in the Sahasrāra,” and ends, “Beautified by the three Mandalas within the triangle in the pericarp.” By three Mandalas are meant the Mandalas of Sun, Moon, and Fire. We shall show that the Nirvāna-Shakti is in the form of Para-bindu (Para-bindu-rūpā).
p. 134
Verse 49
Within Her is the everlasting place called the abode of Shiva,¹ which is free from Māyā, attainable only by Yogīs, and known by the name of Nityānanda. It is replete with every form of bliss,² and is Pure Knowledge itself.³ Some call it the Brahman; others call it the Hangsa. Wise men describe it as the abode of Vishnu, and righteous men⁴ speak of it as the ineffable place of knowledge of the Ātmā, or the place of Liberation.
COMMENTARY
He speaks of the Para-Brahma-sthāna (place of Para
Brahma) in the Void within Nirvāna Shakti.
1 Shiva-padam or state of Shiva. This, Vishvanātha says, is the Unmanī state of Shakti where there is neither Kāla nor Kalā, time nor space. It is the body of Shiva (Shivatanu). It is then said Unmanyante Parashivah. The following verse which occurs in Padma Purāna (Uttara Khanda, ch. 78, v. 43) puts the idea in a more popular form. It says:
Shaivāh Saurāsh cha Gāneshāh Vaishnavāh Shaktipūjakāh.
Māmeva prāpnuvanti hi varshāmbhah sāgarang yathā.
“Shaivas, Sauras, Gāneshas, Vaishnavas and Shāktās all verily come to me like rain water the ocean.”
2 Sakalasukhamayam. Vishvanātha reads here Paramakulapadam, which he interprets as Param Akula-padam, or the abode of the Supreme Shiva, who is known as Akula, as Kula is Shakti. It is so called because it is here that the universe finds its rest.
3 Shuddha-bodha-svarūpam.
4 Sukritinah.
“Within Her” (Tasyāh madhyāntarāle)—i.e., within Nirvāna¹ Shakti in Her form of Param Bindu, i.e., the empty space within the Bindu.
“Abode of Shiva” (Shivapadam).—This is the place of the
Brahman.
“Free from Māyā” (Amalam)—i.e., free from the impurity of
Māyā.
“Called”—i.e., called by those who know the Tattva.
“Attainable only by Yogīs” (Yogi-gamyam).—On account of its extreme subtlety, it is beyond the scope of word and mind, is attainable by Yogīs by pure Jnāna² only.
“Some call it”—i.e., the Vedāntists (Vaidāntikas) call it.
“Ineffable” (Kimapi)—i.e., wonder-inspiring.
“Place of the knowledge of the Ātmā” (Ātma-prabodham).—
The place where the Ātmā is seen or realised.
“Liberation” (Moksha)—i.e., where one is liberated from
Māyā by which one is surrounded.
Now be good enough to mark the following: the Parabindu which is Prakriti and Purusha is surrounded³ by Māyā, and is within the triangle in the pericarp of the Lotus of a thousand petals. So it has been said:
“In the Satya-loka is the formless and lustrous One; She has surrounded Herself by Māyā, and is like a grain of gram; devoid of hands, feet, and the like. She is Moon, Sun, and Fire. When casting off (Utsrijya) the covering (Bandhana) of Māyā, She becomes of two-fold aspect (Dvidhā bhitvā) and Unmukhi,⁴ then on the division or separation of Shiva and Shakti arises creative ideation.”⁶
1 Vishvanātha says Samanā.
2 Spiritual knowledge, as it is said: Mokshe dhīr jnānam anyatra vijnānang shilpashāstrayoh. The knowledge which gains Moksha (Liberation) is called Jnāna, other forms of knowledge, such as fine arts, and the Shāstras being Vijnāna.
3 Māyābandhanāchchhādita-prakriti-purushātmaka-para-vinduh.
4 By Unmukhī is meant that She becomes intent on creation.
5 Shiva-Shakti-vibhāgena. By division or separation is not meant that Shiva is really divided or separated from Shakti—for the two are ever one and the same—but that Shakti, who exists latently as one with the Brahman in dissolution, appears to issue from It on creation as the manifested universe.
6 Srishti-kalpanā. That is, the subject knows itself as object.
Plate XIV. MŪLABANDHA IN SIDDHĀSANA
(Vide p. 214)
To face p. 136.
The word “Satya-loka” in the above passage means Sahasrāra.
Also cf. “The attributeless Bindu is without doubt the Cause (of the attainment) of Siddhis. Some say that the Deva who is one, stainless (Niranjana), all embracing (Mahāpūrna) and united with the primordial Shakti as in the form of a grain of gram¹ is Brahmā, and by some, again, He is called Vishnu; by others, again, He is called the Deva Rudra.”
The luminous empty space within the Nirvāna Shakti (i.e., the outer circle of the Parabindu), which is more minute than the ten-millionth part of the end of a hair, is, according to the author, the abode of Brahman (Brahmapada). Cf. “Within it² is Parabindu, whose nature it is to create, maintain, and destroy. The space within is Shiva Himself and Bindu³ is Parama-kundalī.”
Also: “The circumference (Vritta) is the Kundalinī-Shakti,
and She possesses the three Gunas. The space within, O Beloved
Maheshāni, is both Shiva and Shakti.”⁴
This Bindu is, according to some, Īshvara, the Cause of All.
Some Paurānikas call Him Mahā-Vishnu; others call Him Brahma
Purusha.
Cf. “There was neither day nor night, neither the firmament nor the earth, neither darkness nor any other light; there was That the Brahma-Male,⁵ imperceptible to hearing, and the other sources of knowledge united with Pradhāna.”⁶
The Shāradā⁷ says: “The eternal Shiva should be known both as Nirguna (attributeless) and Saguna (possessed of attributes). He is Nirguna when (considered as) disassociated from the workings of Prakriti, but when Sakala (i.e., so associated with Prakriti) He is Saguna.”⁸
1 Chanaka, which under its outward sheath contains two undivided halves.
2 Apparently Nirvāna-Kalā.
3 That is, the circumference as opposed to the inner space.
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