Verse 33

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 33:

एतत्पद्मान्तराले निवसति च मनः सूक्ष्मरूपं प्रसिद्धं
  योनौ तत्कर्णिकायामितरशिवपदं लिङ्गचिह्णप्रकाशं ।
विद्युन्मालाविलासं परमकुलपदं ब्रह्मसूत्रप्रबोधं
  वेदानामादिबीजं स्थिरतरहृदयश्चिन्तयेत्तत्क्रमेण ॥ ३३ ॥

etatpadmāntarāle nivasati ca manaḥ sūkṣmarūpaṃ prasiddhaṃ
  yonau tatkarṇikāyāmitaraśivapadaṃ liṅgacihṇaprakāśaṃ |
vidyunmālāvilāsaṃ paramakulapadaṃ brahmasūtraprabodhaṃ
  vedānāmādibījaṃ sthiratarahṛdayaścintayettatkrameṇa || 33 ||

Within this Lotus dwells the subtle mind (Manas). It is well-known. Inside the Yoni in the pericarp is the Śiva called Itara,^[1] in His phallic form. He here shines like a chain of lightning flashes. The first Bīja of the Vedas,^[2] which is the abode of the most excellent Śakti and which by its lustre makes visible the Brahma-sūtra,^[3] is also there. The Sādhaka with steady mind should meditate upon these according to the order (prescribed).

Commentary by Śrī-Kālīcaraṇa:

He speaks of the presence of Manas in this Lotus.

“Subtle” (Sūkṣma-rūpa).—The Manas is beyond the scope of the senses; that being so, it may be asked, What is the proof of its existence? The answer is, It is well-known or universally accepted (Prasiddha) and handed down from Anādi-puruṣa, generation after generation as a thing realised, and is hence well-known. The evidence of the Śāstras, also, is that this Manas selects and rejects.^[4] Here is the place of the Manas.

The presence of Manas is above the first Bīja of the Vedas as will appear from what is about to be spoken of.

“Phallic form” (Liṅga-cihṇa-prakāśaṃ).—He next speaks of the presence of the Śivaliṅga^[5] in the Yoni which is within the pericarp. The Itara-Śiva who is there is in His phallic form, and within the Yoni. Within the triangle in the pericarp dwells Itara-Śivapada^[6]—the Śiva known by the name of Itara. This Liṅga is in the phallic form and white. As has been said in the Bhūtaśuddhi-Tantra: “Inside it is the Liṅga Itara, crystalline and with three eyes.” Liṅga resembles continuous streaks of lightning flashes (Vidyun-mālā-vilāsaṃ).

“First Bīja of the Vedas” (Vedānāṃ-ādibījaṃ).—He then speaks of the presence of the Praṇava^[7] in the pericarp of this Lotus. In the pericarp there is also the first Bīja—Praṇava.^[7]

“Which is the abode of the most excellent Śakti” (Paramakulapada).—Kula=Śakti which is here of a triangular form. Parama means most excellent, by reason of its resembling lightning and the like luminous substances; and Pada means place—i.e., the triangular space. Hence this Bīja—namely, the Praṇava—we perceive is within the triangle. This is clearly stated in the following text:

“Within the pericarp, and placed in the triangle, is Ātmā in the form of the Praṇava, and above it, like the flame of a lamp, is the Charming Nāda, and Bindu which is Makāra,^[8] and above it is the abode of Manas.” Now, if the Parama-kulapada^[9] be the container (Ādhāra) of and therefore inseparate from the Praṇava, how is it that it is separately mentioned as one of the sixteen Ādhāras spoken of in the following passage? For it has been said that “the sixteen Ādhāras hard of attainment by the Yogī are Mūlādhāra, Svādhiṣṭhāna, Maṇipūra, Anāhata, Viśuddha, Ājñā-Cakra, Bindu, Kalāpada, Nibhodhikā, Arddhendu, Nāda, Nādānta, Unmanī, Viṣṇu-vaktra, Dhruvamaṇḍala,^[10] and Śiva.”

The answer is that the second Kulapada is not the one in the Ājña- Cakra, but is in the vacant space above Mahānāda which is spoken of later. This will become clear when dealing with the subject of Mahānāda.

“Which makes manifest the Brahma-sūtra” (Brahma-sūtra-prabodha).—Brahma-sūtra==Citriṇī-nāḍī. This Nāḍī is made visible by the lustre of the Praṇava. In v. 3 this Nāḍī has been described as “lustrous with the lustre of the Praṇava”.

The Sādhaka should with a steady mind meditate upon all these—viz., Hākinī, Manas, Itara Liṅga and Praṇava—in the order prescribed. This is different from the order in which they are placed in the text by the author. But the arrangement of words according to their import is to be preferred to their positions in the text. The order as shown here should prevail. Thus, first Hākinī in the pericarp; in the triangle above her Itara-Liṅga; in the triangle above him the Praṇava; and last of all, above the Praṇava itself, Manas should be meditated upon.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Iṃ, Kālaṃ tarati iti Itarāḥ (Viśvanātha). “Itara” is that which, enables one to cross Lāla. Iṃ—that is, the world of wandering.

[2]:

Oṃ.

[3]:

The Nādi-Citriṇī.

[4]:

Saṃkalpa-vikalpātmaka. This is the lower Manas, and not that referred to in the Commentary to v. 40, post. As to the mental faculties, see Introduction.

[5]:

Phallic emblem of Śiva.

[6]:

According to Viśvanātha, this is an Aṃśa (part) of the Nirguṇa Para-Śiva in the Sahasrāra.

[7]:

Oṃ.

[8]:

The letter Ma; that is, it is Makāra-rūpa or Ma before manifestation.

[9]:

Śaṃkara says that Paramakula=Mūladhāra-Padma, and Paramakulapada = He who has his abode in the Mūlādhāra.

[10]:

See Śāradā-Tilaka, Ch. V, 135, Ch. XII, v. 117 et. seq.; Kulārṇava- Tantra, Ch. IV, and Introduction.