Verse 6

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 6:

चुतुर्बाहु-भूषं गजेन्द्राधि-रूढं तदङ्के नवीनार्क-तुल्य-प्रकाशः ।
शिशुः सृष्टिकारी लसद्वेद-बाहुः मुखांभोजलक्ष्मिश्-चतुर्भागभेदः ॥ ६ ॥

cuturbāhu-bhūṣaṃ gajendrādhi-rūḍhaṃ tadaṅke navīnārka-tulya-prakāśaḥ |
śiśuḥ sṛṣṭikārī lasadveda-bāhuḥ mukhāṃbhojalakṣmiś-caturbhāgabhedaḥ || 6 ||

Ornamented with four arms^[1] and mounted on the King of Elephants,^[2] He carries on His lap^[3] the child Creator, resplendent like the young Sun, who has four lustrous arms, and the wealth of whose lotus-face is fourfold.^[4]

Commentary by Śrī-Kālīcaraṇa:

This is the Dhyāna of the Dharā-Bīja. The Bīja of Dharā or Pṛthivī is identical with that of Indra.

“On his lap” (Tad-aṅke)—in the lap of Dharā-Bīja. The sense of this verse is that the Creator Brahmā dwells in the lap of Dharā-Bīja. By “aṅka” (lap) is to be understood the space within the Bindu or Dharā-Bīja. Cf. “In the Mūlādhāra is the Dharā-Bīja, and in its Bindu dwells Brahmā, the image of a Child, and King of the Immortals,^[5] is mounted on an Elephant.”

The above quoted passage, it is urged, means “the King of the Immortals is in the lap of Dharā-Bīja.” But according to our view, as the Dharā-Bīja and the Indra-Bīja are the same, their identity is here spoken of; for it is also said, “the letters of the Mantra are the Devatā; the Devatā is in the form of Mantra (Mantra-rūpiṇī).

Also Cf. Nirvāṇa-Tantra: “O beautiful one, the Indra Bīja is below the genitals. The very perfect and beautiful dwelling of Brahmā is above Nāda, and there dwells Brahmā the Creator,^[6] the Lord of creatures^[7].”

By “above Nāda” in this passage, we must understand that the abode of Brahmā is within the Bindu which is above Nāda. Some read “left of the genitals, and thus there is a difference of opinion. The Śāradā says that the Ādhāras are various according to different views.

“Four lustrous arms” (Lasad-veda^[8]-bāhu).—Some interpret the Sanskrit compound word to mean “in whose arms shine the four Vedas, Sāma and others,” thus thinking, of Brahmā as being possessed of two arms only. But Brahmā is nowhere described as holding the Vedas in his hands, and that he should be meditated upon as having four arms is clear from the following passage in Bhūta-śuddhi-Tantra.

“Know, O Śivā, that in its lap is the four-armed, red-coloured child^[9] Brahmā, who has four faces and is seated on the back of a swan.”^[10]

“The wealth of whose lotus-face is fourfold” (Mukhāṃbhojalakṣmīh catur-bhāga-bhedaḥ).—By this is to be understood that Brahmā has four faces.

Some read the passage as “Catur-bhāgaveda”; thus read, the meaning practically is the same. If the Sanskrit text is read “Mukhāṃbhoja-lakṣmī-catur-bhāgaveda,” the meaning would be,” the four different Vedas enhance the beauty of his lotus-faces”.^[11]

As opposed to the opinion that Brahmā holds the four Vedas in his arms, the Viśvasāra-Tantra in the Brāhmī-dhyāna says: “Meditate on Brāhmī (Śakti) as red in colour and garbed in the skin of the black antelope, and as holding the staff,^[12] gourd,^[13] the rosary of Rudrākṣa beads,^[14] and making the gesture dispellṃg fear.”^[15] And in the Saptaśatī- Stotra^[16] it has been said that Śiva and Śakti are to be meditated upon as having the same weapons.

Also cf. Yāmala: “The Ādi-Mūrti^[17] should be meditated upon as making the gestures of dispelling fear and granting boons,^[18] as also holding the Kuṇḍikā^[19] and rosary of Rudrākṣa beads, and adorned with fine ornament.”

This is how She should be meditated upon. The rest requires no explanation.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

These two adjectival phrases qualify Dharā-Bīja.

[2]:

Airāvata.

[3]:

That is, the Bindu of the Bīja (Dharā) or “Laṃ”. This is explained, post.

[4]:

Brahmā is represented with four heads.

[5]:

i.e., Indra-Deva.

[6]:

Sṛṣṭi-kartā.

[7]:

Prajā-pati.

[8]:

Veda is used to mean four, there being four Vedas.

[9]:

i.e., Hiraṇya-garbha.

[10]:

Hamsa, or, as some say, goose or flamingo. See Woodroffe’s “Garland of Letters”, p. 155.

[11]:

The allusion is to the belief that the four Vedas came out of the four mouths of Brahmā.

[12]:

Daṇḍa.

[13]:

Kamaṇḍalu.

[14]:

Akṣa-sūtra.

[15]:

That is, the Abhaya-mudrā. The hand is uplifted, the palm being shown to the spectator. The four fingers are close together, and the thumb crosses the palm to the fourth finger.

[16]:

Mārkaṇḍeya-Caṇḍī.

[17]:

Brāhmī-Śakti.

[18]:

That is, the Varada-mudrā, the hand being held in the same position as in note 4 above, but with the palm held horizontally instead of vertically.

[19]:

Kamaṇḍalu: a vessel with a gourd-shaped body, and handle at the top, used for carrying water, generally by ascetics.