Verse 261 [Śakti shines as Prakāśa-Ānanda]

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English commentary of verse 261:

निष्कलङ्कमनवेक्षितक्षयं यामिनीदिवसतूलजृम्भणम् ।
स्वप्रकाशविनिमग्नचिज्जडं चन्द्रवर्ष्म यदि चण्डिके समम् ॥ २६१ ॥

niṣkalaṅkamanavekṣitakṣayaṃ yāminīdivasatūlajṛmbhaṇam |
svaprakāśavinimagnacijjaḍaṃ candravarṣma yadi caṇḍike samam || 261 ||

Comparative analysis of commentaries and excerpts in English:

Śakti representing the act of overpowering the husbands by wives

Śakti supports the ocean of nectar ever-present to churn out the Amṛta of the Milky ocean. She being seated on the Lotus, holds within her the sixteen digits (kalās)^[1] of Śiva, who has abandoned the going and coming. He is one among the pañcapretas (Śiva, Sadāśiva, Brahma, Viṣṇu, Rudra). In the embrace of Śiva with the smiling face, she laughs loudly. These indicate the actions opposed to normalcy but denotes Śṛṅgārarasa in couples.

Śakti’s supremacy over Candra in showering bliss

Author compares the pleasure endowed by Śakti and the Candra. Both are sources of joy to the experiencer but Śakti’s supremacy in showering bliss is highlighted. She is addressed as Caṇḍi, the ferocious one in contrast to, author’s intending pretext, of her grace. She chides those, who deserve it and showers her grace on those, who worship her. Candra’s traits are coolness and pleasure. When Śakti’s grace is showered, then it is permanent bliss as compared to Candra’s pleasure giving aspect. This is because Candra waxes and wanes^[2] and his illumination also is subject to shadowed areas in him. Śakti, who eternally shines on her own might, is the illuminator of Sūrya, whose light is reflected by Candra^[3]. She is wholesome brilliance and by her will shine Sūrya, Candra and Agni. Every living and non-living beings shine by her will as she is the Paratattva in Sāktadarśana and Brahmamahiṣi in others.

Śakti shines as Prakāśa-Ānanda with Śiva as her body

Śakti removes the three impurities (Āṇava, Mayīya and Kārmaṇa malas). She resides in the Pūrṇapīṭha called “aham”, which is the resting place of Prakāśa, which is the florescense of Vācya-Vācakā; the blissful state of the entire universal being; the desireless state; a perfect blissful self; Pratyāhāra rule starting from penultimate a-kāra upto ha-kāra, forming aham with Anusvāra bindu. This, again, merges into Śiva, who is a-kāra. Sādhakas, who worship this “aham”-Pūrṇapīṭha, which is the union of Prakāśa^[3] Śiva as Śarīra and Ānanda Śakti as Śarīri, are followers of Kramadarśana.

Notes and Sanskrit references:

[1] ekaikaśaḥ surāḥ somasya pañcadaśa kalāḥ pibanti | tadyathā–

[2] Cf. [Kramaprakāśikā] p 179 [Cidgaganacandrikā] 261.—

prathamāṃ pibate vahnirdvitīyāṃ pibate raviḥ |
viśvedevāstṛtīyaṃाtu caturthī salilādhipaḥ ||
pañcamīṃ tu vaṣaṭkāraḥ ṣaṣṭhīṃ pibati vāsavaḥ |
saptamīmṛṣayo divyā aṣṭamīmaja ekapāt ||
navamīṃ kṛṣṇapakṣasya yamaḥ prāśnāti vai kalām |
daśamīṃ pibate vāyuḥ pibatyekādaśīmumā ||
dvādaśīṃ pitaraḥ sarve samaṃ prāśnanti bhāgaśaḥ |
trayodaśīṃ dhanādhyakṣaḥ kuberaḥ pibate kalām ||
caturdaśīṃ paśupatiḥ pañcadaśīṃ prajāpatiḥ |
raghuvaṃśe - “paryāyapītasya surairhimāṃśoḥ kalākṣayaḥ
ślāghyataro hi vṛddheḥ” (5|16) iti |

[3] Cf. [Kramaprakāśikā] p 179 [Cidgaganacandrikā] 261.—

varāhamahirācāryairapi sūryasiddhānte—“sūryāt prakāśamāsādyacandraḥ prakāśate”ityuktam || -