Notes on Lopāmudrā and Kādi (Kāmarāja) mantra

[Note: this page is extracted from a footnote at chapter 38]

VV. 3-10 give a gradation of Mantras in importance and decide that Lopāmudrā Mantra i.e. the mantra beginning with Ha and the Kāmarāja Mantra that is the mantra beginning with Ka—arc the most efficacious. Shri-Alawani the local Tāntrika whom I used to consult on such matters, told me that “Ha Sa Ka La Hrīṃ, Ha Sa Ka Ha La Hrīṃ, Sa Ka La Hrīṃ” is Lopāmudrā mantra. And “Ka E Ī La Hrīṃ, Ha Sa Ka Ha La Hrīṃ, Sa Ka La Hrīṃ” is the Kādi or Kāmarāja Mantra. When I inquired about the meaning of these disconnected syllables, he refused to disclose to an uninitiated person like me.

But I found Lakṣmīdhara saying the same about Kādi mantra in his commentary on Saundarya Laharī verse 32, the verse may be translated as follows :

“The letters (or Mantras) indicated by

I. Śiva (Ka), Śakti (E) Kāma and Kṣiti (La).
II. by Ravi (Ha), Candra (Sa), Smara (Ka) Haṁsa (Ha), and Śakra (La).
III. by Parā (Sa), Māra (Ka), Hari (La)

when joined at the end of each Pāda with the particle Hrīṃ, O divine mother. They form the limbs of certain aspects of Thine”.

So the Mantra is deduced as follows :

I. Ka E I La Hrīṃ |
II. Ha Sa Ka Ha La Hrīṃ |
III. Sa Ka La Hrīṃ |

This mantra of 15 syllables is the keystone of this cult. This is the Kādi Vidyā.

Kaivalyāśrama interprets this very verse as Hādi Vidyā as follows :

I. Ha Sa Ka La Hrīṃ
II. Ha Sa Ka Ha La Hrīṃ
III. Sa Ka La Hrīṃ.

The only difference between Kādi and Hādi mantras is only of three syllables viz. Ka, E, I. These are known as ‘Male seeds’ and these are used for the I Pāda in Hādi Vidyā (Saundarya Lahari Verse 33).

The symbols used in vv. 12-14 to express the “seeds” of the Mantra are different than those given in Saundarya Laharī.