Verse 47

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 47:

निर्वाणाख्यकला परा परतरा सास्ते तदन्तर्गता
  केशाग्रस्य सहस्रधा विभजितस्यैकाम्शरूपा सती ।
भुतानामधिदैवतं भगवति नित्यप्रबोधोदया
  चन्द्रार्धाङ्गसमानभङ्गुरवती सर्वार्कतुल्यप्रभा ॥ ४७ ॥

nirvāṇākhyakalā parā paratarā sāste tadantargatā
  keśāgrasya sahasradhā vibhajitasyaikāmśarūpā satī |
bhutānāmadhidaivataṃ bhagavati nityaprabodhodayā
  candrārdhāṅgasamānabhaṅguravatī sarvārkatulyaprabhā || 47 ||

Inside it (Amā-kalā) is Nirvāṇa-kalā, more excellent than the excellent. She is as subtle as the thousandth part of the end of a hair, and of the shape of the crescent moon. She is the ever-existent Bhagavatī, who is the Devatā who pervades all beings. She grants divine knowledge, and is as lustrous as the light of all the suns shining at one and the same time.

Commentary by Śrī-Kālīcaraṇa:

In this verse the Nirvāṇa-kalā is described.

“Inside it” (Tadantargatā)—i.e., placed in the lap^[1] of Amā-kalā. The Kalā has already been described^[2] as the “crescent seventeenth Kalā placed within Amā, and known by the name of Nirvāṇa-kalā.”

“More excellent than the excellent” (Parā-paratarā).—The Amā-kalā is excellent; this is more excellent than Amā. If “Parātparatarā” be accepted for ‘Parā-paratarā,’ then the meaning will be that She is the most excellent.

“She is as subtle... hair” (Keśāgrasya sahasradhā vibhajitasyaikāṃśa-rūpā).—She is equal in dimension to the thousandth part of the end of a hair, so very subtle is She.

“Of the shape of the crescent Moon” (Candrārdhāṅga-samāna-bhaṅguravatī)—like Amā-kalā she is in shape like the crescent.

“That Devatā who pervades all beings” (Bhūtānām adhidaivataṃ).—Adhi-daivataṃ=Hārdda-caitanya [caitanyaṃ],^[3] and this Kalā is Hārdda-caitanyasvarūpā of all beings.

“She grants divine knowledge” (Nitya-prabodhodayā).—She grants Tattva-jñāna, or knowledge of the Brahman.

“And is lustrous” etc. (Sarvārka-tulya-prabhā).—There are twelve suns (Dvādaśāditya). “When all the twelve suns are shining”—such is Her lustre. This adjective also implies that She is red.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

That is, within the curve of Amā-kalā. Viśvanātha says, not within Amā-kalā, but within the Candra-Maṇḍala, of which the Amā-kalā is one of the digits, Nirvāṇa-kalā is, he says, Vyāpinī-tattva.

[2]:

See p. 436, ante.

[3]:

Hārdda-caitanya [caitanyaṃ]. Amara defines Hārdda to mean Prema, Sneha—i.e., affection, love. That is, the Iṣṭadevatā worshipped in the heart; the Śakti who is Herself the heart of the Lord. The word is derived from hṛd=heart. The Devatā also exists as what is called the Hārdda-kalā. See Introduction.