Verse 30

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 30:

सुधासिन्धोः शुद्धा निवसति कमले साकिनी पीतवस्त्रा
  शरं चापं पाशं सृणिमपि दधति हस्तपद्मईश्चतुर्भिः ।
सुधांशोः संपूर्णं शशपरिरहितं मण्डलं कर्णिकायां
  महामोक्षद्वारं श्रियमभिमतशीलष्य शुद्धेन्द्रियस्य ॥ ३० ॥

sudhāsindhoḥ śuddhā nivasati kamale sākinī pītavastrā
  śaraṃ cāpaṃ pāśaṃ sṛṇimapi dadhati hastapadmaīścaturbhiḥ |
sudhāṃśoḥ saṃpūrṇaṃ śaśaparirahitaṃ maṇḍalaṃ karṇikāyāṃ
  mahāmokṣadvāraṃ śriyamabhimataśīlaṣya śuddhendriyasya || 30 ||

Purer than the Ocean of Nectar is the Śakti Sākinī who dwells in this Lotus. Her raiment is yellow, and in Her four lotus-hands She carries the bow, the arrow, the noose, and the goad. The whole region of the Moon without the mark of the hare^[1] is in the pericarp of this Lotus. This (region) is the gateway of great Liberation for him who desires the wealth of Yoga and whose senses are pure and controlled.

Commentary by Śrī-Kālīcaraṇa:

Here the Author speaks of the presence of Śākinī in the pericarp of the Viśuddha Lotus.

“Purer than the Ocean of Nectar” (Sudhā-sindhoḥ^[2] Śuddhā).—The Ocean of Nectar is white and cool and makes immortal. Sākinī, who is the form of light itself (Jyotiḥ-svarūpā) is white and heatless.

In the following Dhyāna of Sākinī She is described in detail: “Let the excellent Sādhaka meditate in the throat lotus on the Devī Sākinī. She is light itself (Jyotiḥ-svarūpā): each of Her five beautiful faces is shining with three eyes. In Her lotus hands She carries the noose, the goad, the sign of the book, and makes the Jñāna-mudrā.^[3] She maddens (or distracts) all the mass of Paśus,^[4] and She has her abode in the bone.^[5] She is fond of milk food, and elated with the nectar which She has drunk.”

By the expression “She is light itself” in the above Dhyāna, it is meant that She is white, whiteness being characteristic of light. The two Dhyānas differ as regards the weapons the Devī has in her hands. This is due to differences in the nature of the Sādhaka’s aim.^[6]

The Devī is in the lunar region (Candra-maṇḍala) within the pericarp, The Prema-yoga-Taraṅgiṇī says: “Here dwells the Śakti Sākinī in the auspicious region of the Moon.”

“In this Lotus” (Kamale)—i.e., in the pericarp of the Viśuddha- Cakra.

“In this pericarp is the spotless region of the Moon, without the mark of a hare” (Śaśa-pari-rahita), conveys the same meaning. The spots on the moon are called “the sign of the hare,” “the stain on the moon”. She is likened to the Stainless Moon.

“The gateway of great liberation” (Mahā-mokṣa-dvāra).—This is attributive of Maṇḍala, the lunar region, and is used in praise of the Maṇḍala. It is the gateway of Liberation, of Nirvāṇa-mukti, for those who have purified and conquered their senses, among other practices; by meditating on this in the path of Yoga they attain liberation (Mukti).

“Who desires the wealth of Yoga” (Śriyamabhimata-śīlasya)—By Śrī is meant “the wealth of Yoga”. For him who by his very nature desires the wealth of Yoga, that is the gateway of Liberation. This clearly explains the meaning of Śuddhendriya, whose senses are pure and controlled.

In the pericarp of this Lotus is the Nabho-maṇḍala (ethereal region): inside the latter is the triangle (Trikoṇa); inside the triangle is the Candra- maṇḍala; and inside it is the Nabho-bīja^[7]; and so forth. Cf, “Think of the full moon in the triangle within the pericarp; there think of the snowy Ākāśa seated on an elephant, and whose raiment is white. There is the Deva Sadā-Śiva.” “Whose raiment is white” qualifies Ākāśa.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The “Man in the Moon”.

[2]:

Sudhāsindhu, says Śaṃkara, is Candra (Moon). She is purer and whiter than the nectar in the moon. The translation here given is according to the construction of Śaṃkara and Viśvanātha, who read Sudhā- sindhoḥ in the ablative. Kālīcaraṇa, however, reading it in the possessive case, gives the meaning “pure like the ocean of Nectar,” which is the innermost ocean of the seven oceans, which surrounds the jeweled island (Maṇi-dvīpa).

[3]:

Made by touching the thumb with the first finger of the right hand and placed over the heart.

[4]:

See Introduction io Tantra-Śāstra.

[5]:

i.e., She is the Devata of the Asthi-Dhātu.

[6]:

The nature of the Dhyāna (meditation) varies with the aim which a Sādhaka wishes by his worship. See Tantrarāja. Tāntrik Texts, Vols. VIII and XII.

[7]:

The Bīja of Ether—Haṃ.