Verse 273-278 [Śakti as the Supreme principle]

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English commentary of verse 273-278:

न त्वमम्ब पुरुषश्च नाङ्गना चित्स्वरूपिणि न षण्ढतापि ते ।
नापि भर्तुरपि ते त्रिरूपता त्वां विना तदपि न स्फुरेत् त्रयम् ॥ २७३ ॥
ईश्वरो जननि चिन्तितप्रदः कोऽप्यनादिनिघनो महामनाः ।
त्वत्प्रथा त्वमसि विश्वघस्मरी त्वां ततः क इह भेत्तुमर्हति ॥ २७४ ॥
रक्तशुक्लतनुहंसभेदिनी त्वं पतिश्च तव तत्कृताकृतिः ।
भानुशाङ्करविभेदतस्तव स्त्री च काप्यसि पुमानिव स्वयम् ॥ २७५ ॥
रूपमम्ब तव भास्वरं पुरो वर्णपञ्चकविभेदितं पुनः ।
त्वद्विमिश्रणमपि ह्यसुस्थितं चित्रसंज्ञितमतश्चतुर्विधम् ॥ २७६ ॥
भासनावरणशक्त्यधिष्ठितो ज्योतिरञ्जनमथो द्विधा तव ।
विग्रहाभरणबिन्दुशर्वरीसंज्ञ उद्भवभवः स्फुटोदयः ॥ २७७ ॥
अञ्जनेन रुचिमिश्रणे समे रक्तमुल्लसति तावकं वषुः ।
श्यामनीलतनुताऽञ्जनेऽघिके पीतशुक्लतनुता च ते रुचौ ॥ २७८ ॥

na tvamamba puruṣaśca nāṅganā citsvarūpiṇi na ṣaṇḍhatāpi te |
nāpi bharturapi te trirūpatā tvāṃ vinā tadapi na sphuret trayam || 273 ||
īśvaro janani cintitapradaḥ ko'pyanādinighano mahāmanāḥ |
tvatprathā tvamasi viśvaghasmarī tvāṃ tataḥ ka iha bhettumarhati || 274 ||
raktaśuklatanuhaṃsabhedinī tvaṃ patiśca tava tatkṛtākṛtiḥ |
bhānuśāṅkaravibhedatastava strī ca kāpyasi pumāniva svayam || 275 ||
rūpamamba tava bhāsvaraṃ puro varṇapañcakavibheditaṃ punaḥ |
tvadvimiśraṇamapi hyasusthitaṃ citrasaṃjñitamataścaturvidham || 276 ||
bhāsanāvaraṇaśaktyadhiṣṭhito jyotirañjanamatho dvidhā tava |
vigrahābharaṇabinduśarvarīsaṃjña udbhavabhavaḥ sphuṭodayaḥ || 277 ||
añjanena rucimiśraṇe same raktamullasati tāvakaṃ vaṣuḥ |
śyāmanīlatanutā'ñjane'ghike pītaśuklatanutā ca te rucau || 278 ||

Comparative analysis of commentaries and excerpts in English:

Śakti shines as all three genders

Śakti is neither masculine nor feminine. She is not neuter gender also. Her spouse Śiva is also beyond the three genders. In manifestation all beings coming under these catagories, get their gender effect from power of Śakti only. Thus Śakti quivers (sphurattā) and is cause of manifestation.

Śakti as the Supreme principle

Īśvara is endowed with the qualities of Supremacy, Granting wishes, Eternal, Praiseworthiness, Great spirit and Highest intelligence by Kāli. These shine due to her power and they are drawn into her at deluge. Thus her existence as supreme principle is impossible of denial.^[1]

Immmutable Śakti causes all varieties in creation

Śakti can not be breached, but she can cause divisions Haṃsa-haṃsī, i.e. Male and female (Rakta-Śukla) aspects. Even her spouse falls into this category, when he adorns a form. She is an unique female who acts like male. Being the male aspect actually, she is interposed with feminity. Śiva is the Prakāśa aspect only, like Sūrya. Vimarśa Śakti is the prime cause of all variations. Exhibition of Śakti’s sovereignity in four ways Parāśakti’s absoluteness principle is discussed in this work as four aspects. First is the shine of Śakti flooding the entire manifestation. Second is the confirmity of Varṇa-Pada-Artha and the Paramārtha. As forms of Bhūta pañcakas differ, their formations also are various. Third is Śakti’s presence in the form of prāṇās in Jīvas. The pictorial representation of all these three aspects is the fourth one. Here the existence of Jagat as different from Absolute is explained from Tāntrik point of view of Bhoga and Mokṣa as against the theory of Jaganmithya vāda.

Dual play of Śakti

Śākta duality is highlighted by author in the following aspects. Light and Darkness, where light is knowledge and darkness is ignorance. Śarvari is Śakti’s form in Night, causing the living beings sleep and thus protect their bodies. The administration of the entire activities of the universe, is done when the day breaks. Day is associated with Śiva (Light) in tantras. Adorning of these two forms of Prakṛti and Puruṣa, Day and night etc., is the play of Śakti only.

Reason for Kāli’s colours—Red, Black and Yellow

Śakti attains redness at the time of her free-play of transformation into various forms. Red colour is obtained by mixing of black and white in equal quantity. Kāli’s dark complexion^[2] is obtained by combination of excess Black with little white colour. Gauri’s light yellow colour^[3] is owing to the mixture of excess of white and a little black. As per Tantra Śāstra the deity with cited colour is meditated upon to get their wishes fulfilled.

Notes and Sanskrit references:

[1] [Kramaprakāśikā] p180 [Cidgaganacandrikā] 274.—

yasya svasattāmabhirakṣitaṃ nānyāpekṣā tatsattāmapalapiṃtuko'nyaḥ prabhavet | etattulyabhāvātmakena padyena bhaktistotre'vadhūtasiddhenoktam- satyaṃ na vedmi kimahaṃ yadagocaro'si vācaspaterapi girāṃ kimutāsmadādeḥ | bhaktistathāpi bhavato guṇakīrtaneṣu yanmāṃ niyojayati kiṃ tadahaṃ karomi ||

[2] Cf. [Kramaprakāśikā] p 188 [Cidgaganacandrikā] 274.—

idānīṃ devyā raktṛkaṣṇagaurarūpasya kāraṇamāha

[3] Cf. [Kramaprakāśikā] p190 [Cidgaganacandrikā] 278.—

pītasya gauratvena parigrahaṇaṃ kośāt | “pīto gauro haridrābhaḥ” ityamaraḥ | “ृkaṣṇe nīlāsitaśyāmakālaśyāmalamecakāḥ” ityamaraḥ | |