Verse 23

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 23:

तन्मध्ये पवनाक्षरं च मधुरं धूमावलीधूसरं
  ध्ययेत्पाणिचतुष्टयेन लसितं कृष्नाधिरूढं परं ।
तन्मध्ये करुणानिधानममलं हंसाभमीशभिधं
  पाणिभ्यामभयं वरं च विदधल्लोकत्रयाणामपि ॥ २३ ॥

tanmadhye pavanākṣaraṃ ca madhuraṃ dhūmāvalīdhūsaraṃ
  dhyayetpāṇicatuṣṭayena lasitaṃ kṛṣnādhirūḍhaṃ paraṃ |
tanmadhye karuṇānidhānamamalaṃ haṃsābhamīśabhidhaṃ
  pāṇibhyāmabhayaṃ varaṃ ca vidadhallokatrayāṇāmapi || 23 ||

Meditate within it on the sweet and excellent Pavana Bīja,^[1] grey as a mass of smoke,^[2] with four arms, and seated on a black antelope. And within it also (meditate) upon the Abode of Mercy,^[3] the Stainless Lord who is lustrous like the Sun,^[4] and whose two hands^[5] make the gestures which grant boons and dispel the fears of the three worlds.

Commentary by Śrī-Kālīcaraṇa:

In this verse the Author speaks of the presence of the Vāyu-Bīja in the Anāhata-Cakra.

“Pavana Bīja” (Pavanākṣara)—i.e., the Bīja Yaṃ.

“Grey as a mass of smoke” (Dhūmāvalī-dhūsara).—It has the greyish colour of smoke by reason of its being surrounded by masses of vapour.

“A black antelope” which is noted for its fleetness, is the Vāhana (carrier) of Vāyu. Vāyu carries his weapon, “Aṅkuśa,”^[6] in the same way that Varuṇa carries his weapon, “Pāśa”.^[7]

He next speaks of the presence of Iśa in the Vāyu-Bīja. Everywhere Śiva is spoken of as having three eyes,^[8] hence Iśa also has three eyes.

Elsewhere it is said: “Meditate upon him as wearing a jewelled necklet and a chain of gems round his neck, and bells on His toes, and also clad in silken raiment.” In the same way of Him it has also been said:. “The beautiful One possessed of the soft radiance of ten million moons, and shining with the radiance of his matted hair.”

Īśa should therefore be thought of as clad in silken raiment, etc.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

i.e., Vāyu, whose Bīja is “Yaṃ”.

[2]:

This smoke, Śaṃkara says, emanates from the Jīvātmā which is in the form of a flame.

[3]:

Śaṃkara reads “ocean of mercy” (Karuṇāvāridhi).

[4]:

Haṃsa, the Sun—a name also of the Supreme. Cf. “Hrīṃ the Supreme Haṃsa dwells in the brilliant heaven.” See the Haṃsavatī Ṛk of Ṛgveda IV—40 quoted in Mahānirvāṇa-Tantra, vv. 196, 197, Ch. V. Haṃsa is from Haṃ=Gati, or motion. It is called Aditya because it is in perpetual motion (Sāyaṇa). Haṃsa is also the form of the Antarātmā, see v. 31, post. This Ṛk also runs in Yajurveda, X, 24, and XII, 14 and in some of the Upaniṣads.

[5]:

This shows that the Bīja has hands and feet (Śaṃkara).

[6]:

Goad.

[7]:

Noose.

[8]:

The third eye, situate in the forehead in the region of the pineal gland, is the Eye of Wisdom (Jñānacakṣu).