Verse 53

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 53:

लाक्षाभं परमामृतं परशिवात्पीत्वा पुनः कुण्डली
  नित्यानन्दमहोदयात् कुलपथान्मूले विशेत्सुन्दरी ।
तद्दिव्यामृतधारया स्थिरमतिः संतर्पयेद्दैवतं
  योगी योगपरंपराविदितया ब्रह्माण्डभाण्डस्थितं ॥ ५३ ॥

lākṣābhaṃ paramāmṛtaṃ paraśivātpītvā punaḥ kuṇḍalī
  nityānandamahodayāt kulapathānmūle viśetsundarī |
taddivyāmṛtadhārayā sthiramatiḥ saṃtarpayeddaivataṃ
  yogī yogaparaṃparāviditayā brahmāṇḍabhāṇḍasthitaṃ || 53 ||

The beautiful Kuṇḍalī drinks the excellent red^[1] nectar issuing from Para-Śiva, and returns from there where shines Eternal and Transcendent Bliss^[2] in all its glory along the path of Kula,^[3] and again enters the Mūlādhāra. The Yogī who has gained steadiness of mind makes offering (Tarpaṇa) to the Iṣṭa-devatā and to the Devatās in the six centres (Cakra), Ḍākinī and others, with that stream of celestial nectar which is in the vessel^[4] of Brahmāṇḍa, the knowledge whereof he has gained through the tradition of the Gurus.

Commentary by Śrī-Kālīcaraṇa:

He now speaks of what should be done after all the different kinds of Yoga described have been understood. The meaning of this verse is that the beautiful Kuṇḍalī drinks the excellent nectar issuing from Para- Śiva, and having emerged from the place of Eternal and Transcendental Bliss, She passes along the path of Kula and re-enters Mūlādhāra. The Yogī, after having understood the different matters mentioned (Tat-tad-dhyānānantaram), should think of the inseparate union^[5] of Śiva and Śakti, and with the excellent nectar produced from the bliss of such union with Para-Śiva make offering (Tarpaṇa) to Kuṇḍalinī.

“Path of Kula” (Kula-patha).—The path of Brahman, the channel in Citriṇī.

Kuṇḍalī drinks the nectar with which Tarpaṇa is made to her. The following authority says: “Having effected their union and having made (Her drink),” etc. It follows, therefore, that She is made to drink. The nectar is red like the colour of lac.

“From there where shines Eternal and Transcendent Bliss” (Nityānanda- mahodayāt)—that is She, returns from the place where eternal and transcendental Bliss is enjoyed—i.e., where the Brahman is clearly realized.

“Again enters Mūlādhāra” (Mūle Viśet),—She has to be brought back in the same way as She was led upward. As She passed through the different Liṅga and Cakras in their order (Cakra-bheda-krameṇa) when going upward, so does She when returning to the Mūlādhāra.

The Revered Great Preceptor says: “Kuṇḍalinī,^[6] Thou sprinklest all things with the stream of Nectar which flows from the tips of Thy two feet; and as Thou returneth to Thy own place Thou vivifiest and makest visible all things that were aforetime invisible, and on reaching Thy abode Thou dost resume Thy snake-like coil and sleep.”^[7]

“As Thou returnest Thou vivifiest and makest visible.” This describes the return of Kuṇḍalī to Her own place. As She returns She infuses Rasa^[8] into the various things She had previously absorbed into Herself when going upward, and by the infusion of Rasa, She makes them all visible and manifest. Her passage was Laya-krama,^[9] and Her return Sṛṣṭi-krama.^[10] Hence it has been said: “Kuṇḍalī, who is Bliss,^[11] the Queen of the Surās,^[12] goes back in the same way to the Ādhāra^[13] Lotus.”

The Bhūta-śuddhi-prakaraṇa has the following: “Let the Tattvas Pṛthivī, etc., in their order, as also Jīva and Kuṇḍalinī, be led back from Paramātmā and each placed in its respective position.” She is then particularly described: “She is lustrous when first She goes, and She is ambrosial^[14] when She returns.”

“Stream of celestial nectar” (Divyāmṛtadhārā).—This is the excellent nectar which, as has already been shown, is produced by the union^[15] of Śiva and Śakti, and runs in a stream from the Brahma-randhra to the Mūlādhāra. It is for this reason that the Author says in v. 3 that “the Brahma-dvāra which shines in Her mouth is the entrance to the place sprinkled by ambrosia.”

“Knowledge whereof he has gained through the tradition of the Gurus” (Yoga-paramparā-viditayā).—This qualifies “Stream of Nectar”. It means that the knowledge is gained from instructions (in Yoga practice) handed down traditionally through the succession of Gurus.

“Which is in the vessel of Brakmāṇḍa” (Brahmāṇḍa-bhāṇḍa-sthita [sthitaṃ]).—This qualifies Amṛta (nectar).^[16] The vessel or support (Bhāṇḍa) on which the Brahmāṇḍa (Universe) rests is Kuṇḍalinī. Kuṇḍalinī is the Bhāṇḍa as She is the Source (Yoni) of all.

By Daivata [daivatam]^[17] is meant the Iṣṭadevatā and Ḍākinī and others in the six Cakras. It has been said: “O Deveśī, with this nectar should offering (Tarpaṇa) be made to the Para-devatā, and then having done Tarpaṇa to the Devatās in the six Cakras,” and so forth.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Śaṃkara says it is so coloured because it is mixed with the menstrual fluid, which is symbolic, like the rest of his erotic imagery. Red is the colour of the Rajo-Guṇa.

[2]:

Brahman is Eternity and Bliss.

[3]:

The Channel in the Citriṇī-nādī.

[4]:

The vessel is Kuṇḍalinī.

[5]:

Sāmarasya.

[6]:

Kuhara is a cavity; Kuhariṇī would then be She whose abode is a cavity—the cavity of the Mūlādhāra.

[7]:

Cited from the celebrated Ānandalahārī-Stotra, Wave of Bliss Hymn, attributed to Śaṃkarācārya. See “Wave of Bliss,” a translation, by A. Avalon.

[8]:

Rasa: sap, sap of life—that is, She re-vitalizes them.

[9]:

See v. 52 and next note.

[10]:

That is, She recreates or revives as She returns to her own abode; just as She “destroys” or absorbs all things on Her upward progress.

[11]:

Mudrā-kārā—that is Ānanda-rūpiṇī; for Mudrā=Ānānda-dāyinī. Mudrā is derived from Mud=ānanda (bliss) + Rāti=dadāti (gives): Mudrā therefore means that which gives bliss.

[12]:

Sura=Deva. Here the different Devas in the Cakras.

[13]:

i.e., Mūlādhāra.

[14]:

Because ambrosia (Amṛta) gives life.

[15]:

Sāmarasya.

[16]:

Viśvanātha reads this as an adjective qualifying Daivata [Daivatam], and this seems more in consonance with the text. The Brahmāṇḍa is compared to a Bhāṇḍa, and the Devatās are in that. The offering is then made with that stream of nectar to the Devatās who are in the Universe. Or, according to Kālīcaraṇa, offering is made to the Devatās of the Amṛtā which Kuṇḍalī has drunk.

[17]:

Daivata [Daivatam] is the collective form of Devatās.