Text 15.12 (Commentary)

[Guhyagarbha-Tantra, Text section 15.12]

... and thus all the ten directions of the six world-systems were rocked, further rocked, and absolutely rocked. Sounds were bellowed, further bellowed, and absolutely bellowed. (Instruments) were rattled, further rattled, and absolutely rattled. (Objects) were destroyed, further destroyed, and absolutely destroyed. (Waves) were dispersed, further dispersed, and absolutely dispersed. Among those who abide in all the chiliocosms of the ten directions of the six world-systems, they conquered, further conquered and absolutely conquered those who were most powerful and most resplendent, Maheśvara who was great in strength, and all such beings. [12] ...

[Tibetan]

'jig-rten drug-gi phyogs-bcu thams-cad gYos / rab-tu gYos / kun-tu gYos-so / 'ur-'ur / rab-tu 'ur-'ur / kun-tu 'ur-'ur ro / chem-chem rab-tu chem-chem / kun-tu chem-chem-mo / shig-shig / rab-tu shig-shig / kun-tu shig-shig-go / gtor-gtor / rab-tu gtor-gtor / kun-tu gtor-gtor-ro / / 'jig-rten drug-gi phyogs-bcu'i stong-khams thams-cad-na gnas-pa'i dbang che-ba-dang / gzi-brjid che-ba-dang / mthu che-ba'i dbang-phyug chen-po la-sogs-pa thams-cad / brgyal rab-tu brgyal / [kun-tu brtyal]-bar gyur-to / [12]

Commentary:

[The fourth, concerning the signs of that emanation, (comments on Ch. 15.12):]

Since the cloud of wrathful deities radiated throughout the expanse of space in that way, all the ten directions of the six world-systems ('jig-rten drug-gi phyogs-bcu thams-cad) and all their mountains and continents were to a lesser degree rocked (gYos), to a middling degree they were further rocked (rab-tu gYos), and to a greater degree they were absolutely rocked (kun-tu gYos-so). Sounds of thunder and so forth to a lesser degree were bellowed ('ur-'ur). to a middling degree they were further bellowed (rab-tu 'ur-'ur). and to a greater degree they were absolutely bellowed (kun-tu 'ur-'ur-ro). The assembled instruments of music such as the divine drum^[1] were not merely beaten, but sounding of their own accord they to a lesser degree were rattled (chem-chem), to a middling degree they were further rattled (rab-tu chem-chem), and to a greater degree they were absolutely rattled (kun-tu chem-chem-mo). Gross compounded objects such as mountains and stones were not merely split, but they were to a lesser degree destroyed (shig-shig), to a middling degree they were further destroyed (rab-tu shig-shig), and to a greater degree they were absolutely destroyed (kun-tu shig-shig-go). The waves of the oceans and so forth were to a lesser degree dispersed (gtor-gtor), to a middling degree they were further dispersed (rab-tu gtor-gtor), and to a greater degree they were absolutely dispersed (kun-tu gtor-gtor-ro). These three degrees—lesser, middling, and greater, indicate the regions below, above and upon the earth. There were therefore fifteen great signs when each of these five (actions) assumed the three degrees. This applied to the external objects of the containing-world, and the containing-world was itself overwhelmed.

When (these events) were then applied to internal objects, i.e. the sentient contents (of this containing-world), the three kinds of rocking applied to the past, present and future thoughts of living beings ('gro-ba'i sems-gsum), the three kinds of bellowing to the three media (of body, speech and mind), the three kinds of rattling to object, subject and their interaction, the three degrees of destruction to the three poisons, and the three degrees of dispersal to renunciation, antidote and retention, making fifteen in all.^[2]

When they were applied to the secret objects of pristine cognition, the three kinds of rocking applied to the selfmanifesting appearance of the five lights, the three kinds of bellowing to the radiance of the celestial palace of pristine cognition throughout the ten directions, the three kinds of rattling to the supported maṇḍala of deities, the three kinds of destruction to the array of dissimilar appearances which manifoldly appear, and the three kinds of dispersal to the emanation, absorption, and display of the maṇḍala.^[3]

Again, when these were applied to the unsurpassedly secret objects, the three kinds of rocking applied to apparitional objects which are positive, negative or neutral, the three degrees of bellowing to consciousness which is refuted, proven or neither, the three kinds of rattling to the naturally liberated Samantabhadra who arises as skillful means. discriminative awareness, and their coalescence; the three kinds of destruction to the pristine cognition free from conceptual elaboration which at that time arises as bliss, radiance, and non-conceptualisation; and the three degrees of dispersal to the destruction of renunciation, antidote and retention by natural realisation. Thus, there were fifteen great signs of the liberation of saṃsāra in reality.^[4]

Then as a result of such revelations, among those who abide in all the (thams-cad-na gnas-pa'i) great trichillocosms (stong-khams) of the ten directions of the six world systems ('jig-rten drug-gi phyogs-bcu'i), those who were most powerful (dbang che-ba) as lords in their respective abodes, and (-dang) those who were most resplendent (gzi-brjid che-ba-dang) and lustrous, the god Maheśvara (dbang-phyug chen-po), who was great in (che-ba'i) power, ability and strength (mthu). Brahmā, Indra, and all such beings (la-sogs-pa thams-cad), collapsed.

The wrathful deities conquered (brgyal) them so that their splendour was diminshed, they further conquered (rab-tu brgyal) them so that they could not speak at all, and they absolutely conquered (kun-tu brgyal-bar gyur-to) them so that they were terrified and forgot their show of bravado.

[The Eradication of the Proud Spirit through the Enlightened Activity of Wrath (516.2-530.2):]

The second section (of the detailed exegesis of this subjugation) concerns the eradication of the proud spirit through the enlightened activity of wrath. It has four subdivisions, namely, the array of the foremost maṇḍala of pristine cognition, the actual "liberation" of the proud male spirits, the joyfulness experienced through sexual union with the female spirits, and the emanation of the maṇḍala of the retinue.

[i. The first of these has two sections, of which the former concerning the presence of the central deity Che-mchog (comments on Ch. 15.13):]

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Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The "divine drum" (Iha'i rnga-bo-che) is the drum of Devendra, the sage of the god-realms, which rouses the gods from their complacency and reveals the impermanence of their celestial condition.

[2]:

"subject, object and their interaction" (gzung-dang 'dzin-pa-dang gnyis-bcas); "renunciation, antidote and retention" (spang-gnyen-'dzin-pa-dang bcas-pa).

[3]:

On the self-manifest appearance of five lights or seminal points, which gives rise to the maṇḍala of deities, see above. Ch. 13, pp. 1022-1044.

[4]:

"consciousness which is refuted, proven, or neither" (shes-pa dgag-sgrub bar-ma gsum).