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The Great Liberation Tantra · Chapter 2

The Great Liberation Tantra — Chapter 2

महानिर्वाणतन्त्र

Mahānirvāṇatantra

Chapter 2 54 verses

Begin reading Verse 1
  1. 1 iti devyā vacaḥ śṛtvā śaṅkaro lokaśaṅkaraḥ . kathayāmāsa … Thus having heard the goddess's words, Śaṅkara, benefactor of the world, the ocean of…
  2. 2 śrīsadāśiva uvāca . sādhu pṛṣṭaṃ mahābhāge jagatāṃ hitakāriṇi … The revered Sadāśiva said: Well asked, O greatly blessed one, doer of good to the worlds;
  3. 3 dhanyā'si sukṛtajñā'si hitā'si kalijanmanām . yadyaduktaṃ tvayā bhadre … You are blessed, you know what is rightly done, you are a benefactress of those born in…
  4. 4 sarvajñā tvaṃ trikālajñā dharmajñā parameśvari . bhūtaṃ bhavadbhaviṣyañca … You are omniscient, knower of the three times, knower of dharma, O supreme goddess;
  5. 5 yathātattvaṃ yathānyāyaṃ yathāyogyaṃ na saṃśayaḥ . kalikalmaṣadīnānāṃ dvijādīnāṃ … (You have spoken) in accordance with truth, with right reason, and as is fitting—of this…
  6. 6 medhyāmedhyāvicārāṇāṃ na śuddhiḥ śrautakarmaṇā . na saṃhitādyaiḥ smṛtibhiriṣṭasiddhirnṛṇāṃ … For those who make no distinction between the pure and the impure, there is no…
  7. 7 satyaṃ satyaṃ punaḥ satyaṃ satyaṃ satyaṃ mayocyate . … True, true, again true, true, true I declare it: without the path of the Āgama there is,…
  8. 8 śrutismṛtipurāṇādau mayaivoktaṃ purā śive . āgamoktavidhānena kalau devān … In the Śruti, Smṛti, Purāṇas, and the rest, it was declared by me alone of old, O Śivā:…
  9. 9 kalāvāgamamullaṅghya yo'nyamārge pravartate . na tasya gatirastīti satyaṃ … He who in the Kali age sets aside the Āgama and proceeds on another path—for him there is…
  10. 10 sarvairvedaiḥ purāṇaiśca smṛtibhiḥ saṃhitādibhiḥ . pratipādyo'smi nānyo'sti prabhurjagati … By all the Vedas, the Purāṇas, the Smṛtis, the Saṃhitās and the rest, it is I who am to…
  11. 11 āmananti ca te sarve matpadaṃ lokapāvanam . manmārgavimukhā … And all of them proclaim my state, the purifier of the world.
  12. 12 ato manmatamutsṛjya yo yat karma samācaret . niṣphalaṃ … Therefore, O goddess, whatever rite a person performs having abandoned my teaching would…
  13. 13 mūḍho manmatamutsṛjya yo'nyanmatamupāśrayet . brahmahā pitṛhā strīghnaḥ sa … The deluded man who, having abandoned my teaching, resorts to another doctrine becomes as…
  14. 14 kalau tantroditā mantrāḥ siddhāstūrṇaphalapradāḥ . śastāḥ karmasu sarveṣu … In the Kali age the mantras declared in the Tantra are fully potent, granting swift…
  15. 15 nirvīryāḥ śrautajātīyā viṣahīnoragā iva . satyādau saphalā āsan … The Vedic class of mantras are without potency, like serpents bereft of venom;
  16. 16 pāñcālikā yathā bhittau sarvendriyasamanvitāḥ . amūraśaktāḥ kāryeṣu tathānye … Just as figures painted on a wall, though depicted with all their limbs, are powerless to…
  17. 17 anyamantraiḥ kṛtaṃ karma bandhyāstrīsaṅgamo yathā . na tatra … A rite performed with other mantras is like union with a barren woman: no fruit can be…
  18. 18 kalāvanyoditairmārgaiḥ siddhimicchati yo naraḥ . tṛṣito jāhnavītīre kūpaṃ … The man who in the Kali age desires attainment by paths declared elsewhere is like a fool…
  19. 19 madvaktrāduditaṃ dharmaṃ hitvā'nyaddharmamīhate . amṛtaṃ svagṛhe tyaktvā kṣīramārkaṃ … He who forsakes the dharma issued from my mouth and strives after another dharma is like…
  20. 20 nānyaḥ panthā muktiheturihāmutra sukhāptaye . yathā tantrodito mārgo … There is no other path that is the cause of liberation here and of happiness hereafter…
  21. 21 tantrāṇi bahudhoktāni nānākhyānānvitāni ca . siddhānāṃ sādhakānāñca vidhānāni … The Tantras have been declared in many ways, accompanied by manifold narratives, with…
  22. 22 adhikārivibhedena paśubāhulyataḥ priye . kulācāroditaṃ dharmaṃ guptyarthaṃ kathitaṃ … According to the distinction of those qualified, and because of the abundance of paśus, O…
  23. 23 jīvapravṛttikārīṇi kānicit kathitānyapi . devā nānāvidhāḥ proktā devyo'pi … Some (Tantras) prompting the activity of living beings have also been told;
  24. 24 bhairavāścaiva vetālā vaṭukā nāyikā gaṇāḥ . śāktāḥ śaivā … the Bhairavas, Vetālas, Vaṭukas, Nāyikās, and Gaṇas;
  25. 25 nānāmantrāśca yantrāṇi siddhopāyānyanekaśaḥ . bhūriprayāsasādhyāni yathoktaphaladāni ca .. … and manifold mantras and yantras, efficacious means in many forms, achievable only with…
  26. 26 yathā yathā kṛtāḥ praśnā yena yena yadā yadā … In whatever manner the questions were asked, by whomever and whenever, just so, for that…
  27. 27 sarvalokopakārāya sarvaprāṇihitāya ca . yugadharmānusāreṇa yāthātathyena pārvati .. … for the benefit of all the worlds, for the welfare of all living beings, in accordance…
  28. 28 tvayā yādṛkkṛtāḥ praśnā na kenāpi purā kṛtāḥ . … Such questions as you have asked were never asked by anyone before;
  29. 29 vedānāmāgamānāñca tantrāṇāñca viśeṣataḥ . sāramuddhṛtya deveśi tavāgre kathyate … Having extracted the essence of the Vedas, the Āgamas, and especially the Tantras, O…
  30. 30 yathā nareṣu tantrajñāḥ saritāṃ jānhavī yathā . yathā'haṃ … As the knowers of the Tantra are foremost among men, as the Gaṅgā among rivers, as I am…
  31. 31 kiṃ vedaiḥ kiṃ purāṇaiśca kiṃ śāstrairbahubhiḥ śive . … What use are the Vedas, the Purāṇas, or the many other scriptures, O Śivā?
  32. 32 yato jaganmaṅgalāya tvayā'haṃ viniyojitaḥ . ataste kathayiṣyāmi yadviśvahitakṛdbhavet … Since you have appointed me for the welfare of the world, I shall therefore tell you what…
  33. 33 kṛte viśvahite devi viśveśaḥ parameśvari . prīto bhavati … When the welfare of all is accomplished, O goddess, the lord of all, the Self of all, is…
  34. 34 sa eka eva sadrūpaḥ satyo'dvaitaḥ parātparaḥ . svaprakāśaḥ … He alone is one, whose form is pure being, real, non-dual, higher than the highest,…
  35. 35 nirvikāro nirādhāro nirviśeṣo nirākulaḥ . guṇātītaḥ sarvasākṣī sarvātmā … changeless, without support, without distinction, undisturbed, beyond the guṇas, the…
  36. 36 gūḍhaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu sarvavyāpī sanātanaḥ . sarvendriyaguṇābhāsaḥ sarvendriyavivarjitaḥ … hidden within all beings, all-pervading, eternal;
  37. 37 lokātīto lokaheturavāṅmanasagocaraḥ . sa vetti viśvaṃ sarvajñastaṃ na … beyond the world, the cause of the world, beyond the reach of speech and mind.
  38. 38 tadadhīnaṃ jagat sarvaṃ trailokyaṃ sacarācaram . tadālambanatastiṣṭhedavitarkyamidaṃ jagat … The whole world, the three worlds with their moving and unmoving beings, depends on him;
  39. 39 tatsatyatāmupāśritya sadvadbhāti pṛthak pṛthak . tenaiva hetubhūtena vayaṃ … Taking refuge in his reality, each separate thing appears as if real;
  40. 40 kāraṇaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ sa ekaḥ parameśvaraḥ . lokeṣu sṛṣṭikaraṇāt … He alone is the cause of all beings, the supreme lord.
  41. 41 viṣṇuḥ pālayitā devi saṃhartā'haṃ tadicchayā . indrādayo lokapālāḥ … As protector he is Viṣṇu, O goddess;
  42. 42 sve sve'dhikāre niratāste śāsati tadājñayā . tvaṃ parā … Engaged each in his own charge, they govern by his command.
  43. 43 tenāntaryāmirūpeṇa tattadviṣayayojitāḥ . svasvakarma prakurvanti na svatantrāḥ kadācana … By him, in the form of the inner ruler, joined each to its respective object, (the…
  44. 44 yadbhayādvāti vāto'pi sūryastapati yadbhayāt . varṣanti toyadāḥ kāle … Out of fear of whom the wind itself blows, the sun gives heat;
  45. 45 kālaṃ kālayate kāle mṛtyormṛtyurbhiyo bhayam . vedāntavedyo bhagavān … he, in time, impels Time itself, the death of death, the very fear of fear—the Blessed…
  46. 46 sarve devāśca devyaśca tanmayāḥ suravandite . ābrahmastambaparyantaṃ tanmayaṃ … All the gods and goddesses consist of him, O you adored by the gods;
  47. 47 tasmiṃstuṣṭe jagattuṣṭaṃ prīṇite prīṇitaṃ jagat . tadārādhanato devi … When he is pleased, the world is pleased;
  48. 48 tarormūlābhiṣekeṇa yathā tadbhujapallavāḥ . tṛpyanti tadanuṣṭhānāt tathā sarve'marādayaḥ … Just as by watering the root of a tree its branches and shoots are nourished, so by that…
  49. 49 yathā tavārcanāddhyānāt pūjanājjapanāt priye . bhavanti tuṣṭāḥ sundaryastathā … As by your worship, meditation, ritual offering, and recitation, O beloved, the beautiful…
  50. 50 yathā gacchanti sarito'vaśenāpi saritpatim . tathārcādīni karmāṇi taduddeśyāni … As the rivers, even unwillingly, flow to the lord of rivers, so the rites of worship and…
  51. 51 yo yo yān yān yajeddevān śraddhayā yadyadāptaye . … Whoever worships whichever gods with faith, for whatever attainment, he, the overseer,…
  52. 52 bahunā'tra kimuktena tavā'gre kathyate priye . dhyeyaḥ pūjyaḥ … What need of much saying here?
  53. 53 nā'yāso nopavāsaśca kāyakleśo na vidyate . naivā'cārādiniyamo nopacārāśca … No strenuous effort, no fasting, no mortification of the body is required;
  54. 54 na dikkālavicāro'sti na mudrānyāsasaṃhatiḥ . yatsādhane kuleśāni taṃ … there is no consideration of direction and time, nor the whole array of mudrās and…