Verse 35

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 35:

तदन्तश्चक्रे'स्मिन्निवसति सततं शुद्धबुद्ध्यन्तरात्मा प्रदीपाभज्योतिः प्रणवविरचनारूपवर्णप्रकाशः ।
तदूर्ध्वे चन्द्रार्धस्तदुपरि विलसद्बिन्दुरूपि मकारस्तदूर्ध्वे नादो'सौ बलधवलसुधाधारसंतानहासी॥ ३५ ॥

tadantaścakre'sminnivasati satataṃ śuddhabuddhyantarātmā pradīpābhajyotiḥ praṇavaviracanārūpavarṇaprakāśaḥ |
tadūrdhve candrārdhastadupari vilasadbindurūpi makārastadūrdhve nādo'sau baladhavalasudhādhārasaṃtānahāsī || 35 ||

Within the triangle in this Cakra ever dwells the combination of letters^[1] which form the Praṇava. It is the inner Ātmā as pure mind (Buddhi), and resembles a flame in its radiance. Above it is the half (crescent) moon, and above this, again, is Ma-kāra,^[2] shining in its form of Bindu. Above this is Nāda, whose whiteness equals that of Balarāma³ and diffuses the rays of the Moon.^[3]

Commentary by Śrī-Kālīcaraṇa:

The author desires to speak of the presence of the Praṇava in the Ājñā-Cakra and says that in this Cakra, and within the triangle which has already been spoken of, ever dwells the combination of the letters A and U which by the rules of Sandhi make the thirteenth vowel O. This combination of letters is Śuddha-buddhyantarātmā—i.e., the innermost Spirit manifesting as pure intelligence (Buddhi). The question may be asked if the thirteenth vowel (O) is that. To obviate this the author qualifies it by saying “above it is the half Moon, etc.” It is by adding the half Moon (Nāda) and Bindu to O that the Praṇava is formed.

He next gives its attributes:

“Resembles a flame in its radiance” (Pradīpābha-jyotiḥ).—But how can this thirteenth vowel by itself be Śuddha-buddhyantarātmā? He therefore says:

“Above it is the crescent moon” (Tadūrdhve candrārdhaḥ).

“And above this, again, is Ma-kāra, shining in its form of Bindu” (Tadupari vilasad-bindu-rūpī Ma-Kāraḥ).—It is thus shown that by the placing of the crescent moon and the Bindu^[4] over the thirteenth vowel the Praṇava is completely formed.

“Above this is Nāda” (Tadūrdhve nādo'sau)—i.e., above the Praṇava is the Avāntara (final or second) Nāda, which challenges as it were the whiteness of Baladeva and the Moon (Bala-dhavala-sudhā-dhāra-saṃtāna- hāsī). By this he means to say that it is extremely white, excelling, in whiteness both Baladeva and the rays of the Moon.^[5]

Some read Tadādye nādo’sau (in the place of Tadūrdhve nādo’sau) and interpret it as, “Below Bindu-rūpī Ma-kāra is Nāda”. But that is incorrect. The text says: “Above this, again, is Ma-kāra, shining in its form of Bindu,” and there is Nāda below it; that being so, it is useless to repeat that Nāda is below.

Besides, this Nāda is beyond the Nāda, which forms part of the Praṇava, and is part of the differentiating (Bhidyamāna) Para-bindu placed above the Praṇava. If, however, it be urged that it is necessary to state the details in describing the special Praṇava (Viśiṣṭa-Praṇava), and it is asked, “Why do you say a second Nāda is inappropriate?” then the reading Tadādye nādo’sau may be accepted.

But read, thus it should be interpreted in the manner following: “This Nāda shown below the Bindu-rūpī Ma-kāra is Bala-dhavala-sudhā- dhāra-saṃthāna-hāsī (v. ante), and the Nāda first spoken of is also so described. Such repetition is free from blame on the authority of the maxim that “the great are subject to no limitations.”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

That is, a and u, which by Saṃdhi becomes O, and with anusvāra (m) thus form the Praṇava, or mantra Oṃ.

[2]:

The letter M in its Bindu form in Candra-bindu.

[3]:

Śaṃkara reads it as Jala-dhavala, etc., and explains it by “white like water”. The last portion may also mean “smiling whiteness equals that of the Moon”.

[4]:

That is, Anusvāra.

[5]:

Sudhādhārasaṃtāna, Viśvanātha says, means a multitude of moons.