Verse 39

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 39:

लयस्थानं वायोस्तदुपरि च महानादरूपं शिवार्धं सिराकारं शान्तं वरदमभयं शुद्धबुद्धिप्रकाशं ।
यदा योगि पश्येद् गुरुचरणयुगांभाजसेवास्न्शीलस्तदा वाचां सिद्धिः करकमलतले तस्य भूयात् सदैव ॥ ३९ ॥

layasthānaṃ vāyostadupari ca mahānādarūpaṃ śivārdhaṃ sirākāraṃ śāntaṃ varadamabhayaṃ śuddhabuddhiprakāśaṃ |
yadā yogi paśyed gurucaraṇayugāṃbhājasevāsnśīlastadā vācāṃ siddhiḥ karakamalatale tasya bhūyāt sadaiva || 39 ||

When the actions of the Yogī are, through the service of the Lotus feet of his Guru, in all respects good, then he -will see above it (i.e., Ājña-cakra) the form of the Mahānāda, and will ever hold in the Lotus of his hand the Siddhi of Speech.^[1] The Mahānāda, which is the place of dissolution of Vāyu^[2] is the half of Śiva, and like the plough in shape,^[3] is tranquil and grants boons and dispels fear, and makes manifest pure Intelligence (Buddhi).^[4]

Commentary by Śrī-Kālīcaraṇa:

He now wishes to describe the intermediate causal body (Kāraṇāvāntara-śarīra)^[5] situate above Ājñā-Cakra and below Sahasrāra and says: When the actions of the Yogī are, through the service of the Lotus feet of his Guru, in all respects good—that is, when he excels by intense concentration of the mind in Yoga practice—he then sees the image of Mahā-nāda above it (above Ājñā-Cakra), and he becomes accomplished in speech (Vāk-siddha).

“Actions in all respects good” (suśīla).—The good inclination for Yoga practice rendered admirable by strong and undivided application thereto. This result is obtained by serving the Guru.

The author then qualifies Nāda, and says it is the place of dissolution of Vāyu (Vāyor laya-sthānaṃ). The Rule is “things dissolve into what they originate from.” Hence, although in Bhūta-śuddhi and other practices it has been seen that Vāyu dissolves into Sparśa-tattva,^[6] and the latter in Vyoma,”^[7] Vāyu dissolves in Nāda also. We have the authority of Revelation (Śruti) for this:

“Pṛthivī, the possessor of Rasa (Rasa-vatī), originated from Ī-kāra.^[8] From Ka-kāra,^[8] who is Rasa, the waters and Tīrthas^[9] issued; from Repha (Ra-kāra)^[8] originated Vahni-tattva^[10]; from Nāda^[8] came Vāyu^[11] which pervades all life (Sarva-Prāṇamaya). From Bindu^[8] originated the Void^[12] which is empty of all things and is the Sound-container. And from all these^[13] issued the twenty-five Tattvas which are Guṇa-maya. All this. Universe (Viśva), which is the mundane egg of Brahmā, is pervaded by Kālikā.”

We should therefore realize in our mind that at the time the letters of the Kālī-mantra^[14] are merged into that which is subtle, Vāyu is absorbed in Nāda.

“Half of Śiva” (Śivārdha).—By this is meant that here Śiva is in the form of Arddhanārīśvara. Half is Śakti which is Nāda.

“Like a plough” (Sirākāra).—The word Sirā is spelt here with a short i, and in Amara-Kośa it is spelt with a long ī; but it is clearly the same word, as it begins with a dental s.

Cf. “Above it is Mahānāda, in form like a plough, and lustrous” (Īśvara-Kārtikeya-Saṃvāda).^[15]

If the text is read as “Śivākāra instead of Sirākāra,” then the meaning would be that the Nāda is Śiva-Śaktimaya.^[16]

Cf. Prayoga-sāra: “That Śakti which tends towards seat of Liberation^[17] is called male (Puṃrūpā—that is, Bindu) when, quickened by Nāda, She turns towards Śiva^[18] (Śivon-mukhī).” It is therefore that Rāghava- Bhaṭṭa has said that “Nāda and Bindu are the conditions under which She creates”.^[19]

It has elsewhere been said: “She is eternal^[20] existing as Cit (Cinmātrā)^[21]: when being near the Light She is desirous of change. She becomes massive (Ghaṇī-bhūya) and Bindu.”

So in the word of the honoured (Śrīmat) Ācārya:^[22] “Nāda becomes massive and the Bindu.” Now, taking all these into consideration, the conclusion is that Śakti manifests Herself as Nāda-bindu, like gold in ear-rings made of gold.^[23]

Nāda and Bindu again are one—that is the deduction.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

That is, all powers of speecḥ.

[2]:

Vāyoḥ layasthānaṃ. Śaṃkara defines it by saying: Etat sthānaṃ vāyoḥ virāma-bhūtaṃ—this is the place where Vāyu ceases to be.

[3]:

That is, Śiva is Hakāra; and if the upper part of Ha is removed, the.remaining portion of the letter has the form of an Indian plough.

[4]:

Śuddha-buddhi-prakāśa.

[5]:

Kāraṇāvāntara-śarīra, Kāraṇa=cause; Avāntara = secondary or intermediate or inclusive; Śarīra=body. Body is so called because it wastes and fades. It is derived from the root Sri, to wane. Kāraṇāvāntara-śarīra would thuś mean “the intermediate Śarīra of the Cause”. The primary cause is the Great Cause. Its effects are also intermediate causes of that which they themselves produce; they are thus secondary or intermediate causal bodies. Taking the Sakala-Parameśvara to be the first cause, Mahānāda is one of its effects and a Kāraṇāvāntara-śarīra as regards that which it produces and which follows it.

[6]:

The “touch principle,” also called Tvak-tattva. As to Bhūta- śuddhi, see the same described in Author’s “Introduction to Tantra- Śastra”.

[7]:

Ether.

[8]:

The Bīja Krīṃ is here being formed, Kakāra=Kālī; Ra-kāra= Brahmā as fire; Īkāra=Mahāmāyā. Anuśvāra or Candra-bindu (ṃ) is divided into two—viz., Nāda, which is Viśvamātā, or Mother of the Universe; and Bindu, which is Duḥkha-hara, or remover of pain (Bījakośa).

[9]:

Places of pilgrimage where the devotees bathe. It also means sacred waters.

[10]:

Fire.

[11]:

Air.

[12]:

Gagana or Ether.

[13]:

That is, from Krīṃ as composed of Ka+Ra+Ī+ṃ.

[14]:

Krīn.

[15]:

Sammohana-Tantra. Ed., R. M. Chattopādhyāya.

[16]:

That is, its substance is Śiva and Śākti.

[17]:

Nirāmaya-padonmukhī = She who is turned to the place of Liberation: that is Śakti in the supreme state.

[18]:

Tending towards, intent on, or with face uplifted to, Śiva, that is here tending to creation. That is, the first state is Cit. Nāda is the Mithaḥ-samavāya of Śakti or Bindu. The establishment of this relation quickens Her to turn to Śiva for the purpose of creation when She appears as male, or Bindu.

[19]:

Tasyā eva shakter nādabindū sṛṣṭyupayogyarūpau (Upayoga is capacity or fitness for creation).

[20]:

According to another reading this part would mean “She who is the Tattva”.

[21]:

She is there, existing as Cit, with whom she is completely unified. She “measures Cit”—that is, co-exists with and as Cit, and is also formative activity. The above translation is that of the text, but the verse has been quoted elsewhere as if it were Cinmātrajyotiṣah, and not Cinmātrā jyotiṣah, in which case the translation would be: “She who when near Jyotiḥ [jyotis], which is mere consciousness, becomes desirous of change, becomes massive and assumes the form of Bindu.”

[22]:

Śaṃkarācārya.

[23]:

That is, they are both gold in the form of an ear-ring.

Cf. Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6. 1.4.

“Gentle One, by one lump of clay all things made up of clay are known. The variation is in the names given to it when spoken about. The clay alone is real.”