The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
are, like all else, aspects of Shakti, being those states of Her which are the proper conditions for (Upayogāvasthā) and in which She is prone to (Uchchhūnāvasthā) creation. In those Tattvas the germ of action (Kriyā Shakti) sprouts towards its full manifestation.
The Tantras, in so far as they are Mantra Shāstras, are concerned with Shabda or “Sound,” a term later explained. Mantra is manifested Shabda. Nāda, which also literally means “sound,” is the first of the produced intermediate causal bodies of manifested Shabda. Bindu, which has previously been explained, is described as the state of the letter Ma before manifestation, consisting of the Shiva-Shakti Tattva enveloped by Māyā or Parama Kundalī. It implies both the void (Shūnya)—that is, the Brahman state (Brahmapada)—in the empty space within the circle of the Bindu; as also the Gunas which are implicitly contained in it, since it is in indissoluble union with Shakti, in whom the Gunas or factors constituting the material source of all things are contained.¹ The Parabindu is called the Ghanāvasthā state of Shakti. It is Chidghana or massive consciousness—that is, Chit associated with undifferentiated (that is, Chidrūpinī) Shakti, in which lie potentially in a mass (Ghana), though undistinguishable the one from the other, all the worlds and beings to be created. This is Parama Shiva, in whom are all the Devatās. It is this Bindu who is the Lord (Īshvara) whom some Paurānikas call Mahāvishnu and others the Brahmapurusha.² As the Commentator says, it does not matter what He is called. He is the Lord (Īshvara) who is worshipped in secret by all Devas,³ and is pointed to in different
1 See vv. 4, 37-49, S. N., post; Todala Tantra, Ch. IV; and
Kangkālamālinī Tantra, cited in v. 43.
2 S. N., v. 49.
3 Ib., v. 41.
are, like all else, aspects of Shakti, being those states of Her which are the proper conditions for (Upayogāvasthā) and in which She is prone to (Uchchhūnāvasthā) creation. In those Tattvas the germ of action (Kriyā Shakti) sprouts towards its full manifestation.
The Tantras, in so far as they are Mantra Shāstras, are concerned with Shabda or “Sound,” a term later explained. Mantra is manifested Shabda. Nāda, which also literally means “sound,” is the first of the produced intermediate causal bodies of manifested Shabda. Bindu, which has previously been explained, is described as the state of the letter Ma before manifestation, consisting of the Shiva-Shakti Tattva enveloped by Māyā or Parama Kundalī. It implies both the void (Shūnya)—that is, the Brahman state (Brahmapada)—in the empty space within the circle of the Bindu; as also the Gunas which are implicitly contained in it, since it is in indissoluble union with Shakti, in whom the Gunas or factors constituting the material source of all things are contained.¹ The Parabindu is called the Ghanāvasthā state of Shakti. It is Chidghana or massive consciousness—that is, Chit associated with undifferentiated (that is, Chidrūpinī) Shakti, in which lie potentially in a mass (Ghana), though undistinguishable the one from the other, all the worlds and beings to be created. This is Parama Shiva, in whom are all the Devatās. It is this Bindu who is the Lord (Īshvara) whom some Paurānikas call Mahāvishnu and others the Brahmapurusha.² As the Commentator says, it does not matter what He is called. He is the Lord (Īshvara) who is worshipped in secret by all Devas,³ and is pointed to in different
1 See vv. 4, 37-49, S. N., post; Todala Tantra, Ch. IV; and
Kangkālamālinī Tantra, cited in v. 43.
2 S. N., v. 49.
3 Ib., v. 41.
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