The Essence of the Tantra · Chapter 20

The Essence of the Tantra — Chapter 20

तन्त्रसार

Tantrasāra


Chapter 20 65 verses

Begin reading Verse 1
  1. 1 tatra yā dīkṣā saṃskārasiddhyai jñānayogyān prati yā ca … There, regarding the initiation that is for accomplishing the sacrament — toward those…
  2. 2 tatra nityaṃ naimittikaṃ kāmyam iti trividhaṃ śeṣavartanam antyaṃ … There, the post-initiatory conduct is threefold: the obligatory, the occasional, and the…
  3. 3 tatra niyatabhavaṃ nityaṃ tanmayībhāva eva naimittikaṃ tadupayogi sandhyopāsanaṃ … There, that which arises at fixed times is the obligatory rite, which is precisely the…
  4. 4 tad api nityaṃ svakālanaiyatyāt iti kecit That too is obligatory, because of the fixity of its own appointed time — so say some.
  5. 5 naimittikaṃ tu tacchāsanasthānām api aniyatam tadyathā gurutadvargāgamanaṃ tatparvadinaṃ … But the occasional rite, even for those abiding in that dispensation, is not fixed in…
  6. 6 tatra niyatapūjā sandhyopāsā gurupūjā parvapūjā pavitrakam iti avaśyambhāvi There, the fixed worship — worship at the junctures of the day, worship of the guru,…
  7. 7 naimittikam jñānalābhaḥ śāstralābho gurutadvargagṛhāgamanaṃ tadīyajanmasaṃskāraprāyaṇadināni laukikotsavaḥ śāstravyākhyā ādimadhyāntā … The occasional (occasions are): the attainment of knowledge, the obtaining of a…
  8. 8 tatra kṛtadīkṣākasya śiṣyasya pradhānaṃ mantraṃ savīryakaṃ saṃvittisphuraṇasāram alikhitaṃ … There, to the disciple who has received initiation, he should impart the principal…
  9. 9 tatra hṛdye sthaṇḍile vimalamakuravad dhyāte svam eva rūpaṃ … There, when the altar-ground that is the heart is visualized like a spotless mirror,…
  10. 10 ādarśe hi svamukham aviratam avalokayataḥ tatsvarūpaniścitiḥ acireṇaiva bhavet … For one who gazes ceaselessly at his own face in a mirror, certainty as to its true form…
  11. 11 paramantratanmayībhāvāviṣṭasya nivṛttapaśuvāsanākalaṅkasya bhaktirasānuvedhavidrutasamastapāśajālasya yat adhivasati hṛdayaṃ tad eva … For one absorbed into identity with the supreme mantra, in whom the stain of the…
  12. 12 adhiśayya pāramārthikaḥ bhāvaprasaraṃ prakāśam ullasati yā Resting upon the outflow of being, the ultimately real light that surges forth —
  13. 13 paramāmṛtadṛktvaṃ tayārcayante rahasyavidaḥ — by her the knowers of the secret worship the state of vision of the supreme nectar.
  14. 14 kṛtvādhāradharāṃ camatkṛtirasaprokṣākṣaṇakṣālitām āttair mānasataḥ svabhāvakusumaiḥ svāmodasandohibhiḥ Having made (consciousness) the supporting earth, cleansed in an instant by the…
  15. 15 ānandāmṛtanirbharasvahṛdayānarghārghapātrakramāt tvāṃ devyā saha dehadevasadane devārcaye 'harniśam — with the offering, vessel, and priceless argha-water that is my own heart brimming with…
  16. 16 iti ślokadvayoktam artham antar bhāvayan devatācakraṃ bhāvayet Contemplating inwardly the meaning stated in these two verses, he should contemplate the…
  17. 17 tato mudrāpradarśanaṃ japaḥ tannivedanam Then, the displaying of the mudrā, recitation, and the offering-up of that recitation.
  18. 18 bodhyaikātmyena visarjanam The dismissal (is effected) through oneness with that which is to be cognized.
  19. 19 mukhyaṃ naivedyaṃ svayam aśnīyāt sarvaṃ vā jale kṣipet … He should himself eat the principal food-offering, or cast it all into water;
  20. 20 mārjāramūṣakaśvādibhakṣaṇe tu śaṅkā janitā nirayāya iti jñānī api … But when (the offering) is eaten by a cat, mouse, dog, or the like, the doubt thereby…
  21. 21 atha liṅge tatra na rahasyamantraiḥ liṅgaṃ pratiṣṭhāpayet viśeṣāt … Now, regarding (worship) upon the liṅga: there, he should not consecrate a liṅga with the…
  22. 22 tatra gurudehaṃ svadehaṃ śaktidehaṃ rahasyaśāstrapustakaṃ vīrapātram akṣasūtraṃ prāharaṇaṃ … There he may worship, as a liṅga, the body of the guru, his own body, the body of the…
  23. 23 tatra ca ādhārabalād eva adhikādhikamantrasiddhiḥ bhavati iti pūrvaṃ … And there, precisely by the strength of the support comes an ever-greater accomplishment…
  24. 24 sarvatra parameśvarābhedābhimāna eva paramaḥ saṃskāraḥ In every case, the firm sense of non-difference from the Supreme Lord alone is the…
  25. 25 atha parvavidhiḥ Now, the procedure for the festival days.
  26. 26 tatra sāmānyaṃ sāmānyasāmānyaṃ sāmānyaviśeṣo viśeṣasāmānyaṃ viśeṣo viśeṣaviśeṣaś ca … There, the festival day is sixfold: the general, the general-general, the…
  27. 27 pūraṇāt vidheḥ (It is called parva) from its fulfilling of the prescribed rite.
  28. 28 tatra māsi māsi prathamaṃ pañcamaṃ dinaṃ sāmānyam caturthāṣṭamanavamacaturdaśapañcadaśāni … There, month by month, the first and fifth day is the general (parva);
  29. 29 citrācandrau maghājīvau tiṣyacandrau pūrvaphālgunībudhau śravaṇabudhau śatabhiṣakcandrau dityau rohiṇīśukrau … (The befitting conjunctions, month by month, are:) Citrā with the Moon, Maghā with…
  30. 30 yadi mārgaśīrṣādikrameṇa yathāsaṅkhyaṃ bhavati āśvayujaṃ varjayitvā tadā viśeṣaviśeṣaḥ If, in the order beginning with Mārgaśīrṣa, (the conjunction) occurs respectively —…
  31. 31 anyaviśeṣaś cet anyaparvaṇi tadā tat anuparva ity āhuḥ If there is a different distinguishing feature on another sacred day, then they call that…
  32. 32 bhagrahayoge ca na velā pradhānam And in the conjunction of an asterism and a planet, the hour is not the principal…
  33. 33 tither eva viśeṣalābhāt anuyāgakālānuvṛttis tu parvadine mukhyā anuyāgaprādhānyāt … Since the distinguishing feature is obtained from the lunar day alone, the continuance of…
  34. 34 tatra guruḥ tadvargyaḥ sasantānaḥ tattvavit kanyā antyā veśyā … Therein the guru, one of his lineage endowed with the initiatory succession and a knower…
  35. 35 tatra madhye guruḥ tadāvaraṇakrameṇa gurvādisamayyantaṃ vīraḥ śaktiḥ iti … There, in the center is the guru, and by the sequence of his enclosures — from the guru…
  36. 36 tatra ādhāre viśvamayaṃ pātraṃ sthāpayitvā devatācakraṃ tarpayitvā svātmānaṃ … Having set the vessel that is the universe upon the base and satiated the circle of…
  37. 37 tato 'nte dakṣiṇātāmbūlavastrādibhiḥ tarpayet iti pradhānatamo 'yaṃ mūrtiyāgaḥ Then, at the end, one should gratify (them) with the sacrificial fee, betel, garments,…
  38. 38 adṛṣṭamaṇḍalo 'pi mūrtiyāgena parvadināni pūjayan varṣād eva putrakoktaṃ … Even one who has not seen the maṇḍala, worshipping on the festival days by the rite of…
  39. 39 atha pavitrakavidhiḥ Now the procedure of the pavitraka (sacred thread-offering).
  40. 40 sa ca śrīratnamālātriśiromataśrīsiddhāmatādau vidhipūrvakaḥ pārameśvarājñāpūrakaś ca uktaṃ caitat … And that (procedure) is enjoined according to the prescribed rule in the venerable…
  41. 41 tatra āṣāḍhaśuklāt kulapūrṇimādināntaṃ kāryaṃ pavitrakam tatra kārttikakṛṣṇapañcadaśī kulacakraṃ … In this matter, the pavitraka is to be performed from the bright fortnight of Āṣāḍha up…
  42. 42 māghaśuklapañcadaśī iti śrībhairavakulormividaḥ The full moon of the bright fortnight of Māgha — so say the knowers of the venerable…
  43. 43 dakṣiṇāyanāntapañcadaśī iti śrītantrasadbhāvavidaḥ The fifteenth lunar day at the close of the sun's southern course — so say the knowers of…
  44. 44 tatra vibhavena devaṃ pūjayitvā āhutyā tarpayitvā pavitrakaṃ dadyāt … On that occasion, having worshipped the deity according to one's means and gratified him…
  45. 45 tac ca tattvasaṅkhyagranthikaṃ padakalābhuvanavarṇamantrasaṅkhyagranthi ca jānvantam ekaṃ nābhyantam … And that pavitraka is knotted to the number of the tattvas, and knotted to the number of…
  46. 46 tato mahotsavaḥ kāryaḥ cāturmāsyaṃ saptadinaṃ tridinaṃ ca iti … After that a great festival is to be performed — lasting four months, seven days, or…
  47. 47 yadā prāpyāpi vijñānaṃ dūṣitaṃ parameśaśāsanaṃ tadā prāyaścittī When, even after attaining the gnosis, the teaching of the Supreme Lord is corrupted,…
  48. 48 iti vacanāt — so the scriptural statement runs.
  49. 49 ity eṣa pavitrakavidhiḥ Such is the procedure of the pavitraka rite.
  50. 50 jñānalābhādau laukikotsavānte 'pi sarvatra saṃvidullāsādhikyaṃ devatācakrasannidhiḥ viśeṣato bhavati … On the attainment of knowledge and on like occasions, and even at the conclusion of…
  51. 51 atha vyākhyāvidhiḥ Now, the procedure of scriptural exposition.
  52. 52 sarvaśāstrasampūrṇaṃ guruṃ vyākhyārtham abhyarthayeta so 'pi svaśiṣyāya paraśiṣyāyāpi … One should petition, for the purpose of exposition, a guru who is accomplished in all the…
  53. 53 tatra nimnāsanasthitebhyaḥ tatparebhyo niyamitavāṅmanaḥkāyebhyo vyākhyā kriyamāṇā phalavatī bhavati … There, the exposition, when given to those who are seated on a lower seat, wholly intent…
  54. 54 tataḥ sāmānyārghapātrayogena cakraṃ tarpayet tato vyācakṣīta sūtravākyapaṭalagrantham pūrvāparāviruddhaṃ … Then, by means of the general argha-vessel, he should gratify the wheel of deities.
  55. 55 tato 'pi pūjayitvā vidyāpīṭhaṃ visarjya upalipya agādhe tat … After that too, having worshipped, he should dismiss the deities from the seat of…
  56. 56 iti vyākhyāvidhiḥ Such is the procedure of exposition.
  57. 57 atha samayaniṣkṛtiḥ Now, the discharge for a breach of the observances.
  58. 58 yady api tattvajñānaniṣṭhasya prāyaścittādi na kiñcit tathāpi caryāmātrād … Although for one established in the knowledge of reality there is no expiation or the…
  59. 59 atattvajñānī tu caryaikāyattabhogamokṣaḥ samayollaṅghane kṛte prāyaścittam akurvan varṣaśataṃ … But for one who lacks the knowledge of reality, whose enjoyment and liberation depend…
  60. 60 iti samayaniṣkṛtividhiḥ Such is the procedure for the discharge of a breach of observance.
  61. 61 atha gurupūjāvidhiḥ Now, the procedure for the worship of the guru.
  62. 62 sarvayāgānteṣu upasaṃhṛte yāge aparedyuḥ gurupūjāṃ kuryāt pūrvaṃ hi … At the conclusion of all the worships, once the worship has been wound up, on the…
  63. 63 iti tāṃ sarvathā caret Therefore he should by all means carry out that worship of the guru.
  64. 64 tatra svāstikaṃ maṇḍalaṃ kṛtvā tatra sauvarṇaṃ pīṭhaṃ dattvā … There, having made a svastika diagram, having set a golden seat upon it, having…
  65. 65 ita gurupūjāvidhiḥ Such is the procedure for the worship of the guru.