The Linga Purana

by J. L. Shastri | 1951 | 265,005 words | ISBN-10: 812080340X | ISBN-13: 9788120803404

This page describes The sacrifice of meditation (dhyanayajna) which is chapter 86 of the English translation of the Linga Purana, traditionally authored by Vyasa in roughly 11,000 Sanskrit verses. It deals with Shaiva pilosophy, the Linga (symbol of Shiva), Cosmology, Yugas, Manvantaras, Creation theories, mythology, Astronomy, Yoga, Geography, Sacred pilgrimage guides (i.e., Tirthas) and Ethics. The Lingapurana is an important text in Shaivism but also contains stories on Vishnu and Brahma.

Chapter 86 - The sacrifice of meditation (dhyānayajña)

The sages said:

1. The brahmins who have destroyed their sins say that the meritorious sacrifice of meditation [dhyānayajña] is better than japa for unattached and enlightened persons.

2. Hence, O Sūta, tell us today about the sacrifice of meditation [dhyānayajña] suited for unattached noble souls in detail and with all effort.

3-4a. On hearing those words of the noble sages who had performed the sacrifice of long duration, Sūta recounted to them what Rudra of universal action[1] mentioned after neutralising the poison Kālakūṭa[2] and entering his cave.[3]

Sūta said:

4b-5. The sages of great discipline bowed down to Śiva who entered the cave and seated himself comfortably along with Bhavānī. All of them, then, eulogised Nīlakaṇṭha, the consort of Umā.

6. “O lord, O bull-bannered lord, the terrible poison Kālakūṭa has been neutralised by you. Hence everything has been stabilised by you.”

7. On hearing their words, lord Nīlalohita, the Ātman of the Universe, smilingly said to those sages, Sanandana and others.

8. “O excellent brahmins, of what consequence is this? I shall mention another more terrible poison. He who nullifies that poison is really efficient. Of what avail is this?

9. What is called Kālakūṭa is not at all poison when compared to worldly existence which is the real poison. Hence, with all efforts one shall try to dispel that terrible poison.

10-13. The mundane existence is two-fold[4] in accordance with one’s rights and duties. In regard to men of deluded minds, the mundane existence is very terrible and burdensome. O sages of good holy rites, creation is caused by ignorance due to the defects of malice and attachment.[5] It is certainly due to these, that virtue and evil befall everyone. O brahmins, even in regard to things not near at hand,[6] the scripture creates desire for them even, in the minds of good men in the world merely by hearing of it. Hence, the perceptible world and the world of Vedic tradition[7] and rituals both should be eschewed[8] with great effort. He then becomes Virakta (unattached person) altogether.

14. That portion of the Vedas which deals with rituals is called scripture, O brahmins. It is the principal essence of the Vedas. The benefit of the rites goes to the sages.[9]

15. Those who do not know these things say:—“Desire is natural[10] in everyone. The opposite is not seen. It is the Veda that makes them work (for fulfilling such desires).

16. The virtue of renunciation from worldly affairs, is intended for efficient persons.[11] Hence, it is said that worldly existence is caused by ignorance of all embodied persons.

17-18a. The Digit is dried up due to Karman[12] or the nature of others (?). Individuals endowed with Kalās (?) are of three types.[13] They are devoid of perfect knowledge due to ignorance. The three types are (a) those destined to fall into hell because they commit sin; (b) those destined to go to heaven because they perform meritorious deeds and they go to heaven due to the weight of their merit and (c) a mixture of these two.

18b-19. The living beings are classified under four heads[14] viz:—Udbhijjas (germinating plants), Svedajas (born, of sweat, i.e. germs and worms), Aṇḍajas (oviparous beings), and Jarāyuja (viviparous). Thus the ignorant embodied being doesnot get relief through Karman (?).

20. Salvation is not attained by good men through their progeny, through actions, or through wealth.[15] Liberation shall occur only through renunciation. He wanders in the world due to the absence of it (renunciation).

21. Thus due to the fault of ignorance and as a result of various Karmans, the individual soul adopts a body produced by six Kośas[16] (vestures).

22. Many miseries are to be faced by the individual in the womb, in the vaginal passage, on the earth, in boyhood, in youth, in old age and in death.

23. O brahmins, if duly pondered over, good men have to face only misery through the contact with women and similar activities. The miserable try to quell one misery only by another misery.

24. Lust is never quelled by means of enjoyment of pleasures. Just as fire blazes all the more by Havis (ghee offering) so also lust is inflamed all the more by indulging into pleasure.[17]

25-27. Hence, on pondering over, it will be seen that there is no happiness unto men even due to coitus. There is misery in earning wealth as also in preserving and spending it. O excellent brahmins, if we ponder over it, there is misery amongst the Piśācas, Rākṣasas, Yakṣas, Gandharvas, in the world of the moon, in the world of mercury, in the world of Prajāpati, in the world of the Brahman, in the world of Prakṛti and Puruṣa also. O sages of good holy rites, there are miseries due to destruction of possessions, due to one’s possession being excelled by another’s, etc. These cause only other miseries.

28-30. One shall eschew those impure fortunes and riches. Hence, O sinless sages of good holy rites, all kinds of pleasures are really miseries to the discriminating person in whatever way you view them, viz., eightfold or sixteen-fold or of twenty-four, thirty-two, forty-eight, fifty-six, or sixty-four types.

31-32. The pleasures of the following types are undoubtedly miseries if pondered over properly even to those yogins who talk of Brahman:—Pārthiva (earthly), Āpya (watery) Taijasa (fiery), Vāyavya (gaseous), Vyauma (of the firmament), Mānasa (mental), Ābhimānika, (bringing pride), Bauddha[18] (intellectual), Prākṛta (pertaining to Prakṛti).

33-37. The attributes (?) of the leaders of the Gaṇas are, on reflection, causes of misery. In all the worlds there is always misery in the beginning, in the middle and in the end. The present ones are miseries, the future ones are miseries. (?) In the lands defiled by faults, there are various kinds af miseries. (?) Those who consider ignorance as knowledge do not consider the past events. (?) Just as the medicine is used to dispel ailments and not for positive pleasure so also the food taken, in is intended for dispelling the sickness of hunger and not for any positive happiness. In the different seasons, the embodied beings undergo miseries through chillness, heat, wind rains, etc. There is no doubt about it; but the ignorant do not consider it that way. O excellent sages, even in the heaven the same thing happens through the destruction, etc. of the merit.[19]

38. Just as the tree whose rootshave been cut falls down to the ground helplessly so also the living being overwhelmed by various kinds of ailments, passion, hatred, fear, etc.[20]

39-41. Similarly the heaven-dwellers fall down to the earth due to the destruction of the tree of merit. Even for heaven-dwellers who desire for things that cause misery and who are richly endowed with pleasures that cause misery, there is terrible misery when they fall from that heaven. There is definitely misery in the hell due to the fact that even religious students resort to it when they do not perform those rites that are laid down, O leading sages.

42. Just as the deer frightened of death and uprooted from his habitation does not obtain sleep so also the noble-souled ascetic engaged in meditation and frightened of the worldly existence does not obtain slumber.

43. Unhappiness is seen even in germs, birds, animals, deer, elephants and horses. Hence there is great happiness unto a man who renounces.

44. O sages of good holy rites, there is misery unto even those officers on duty spread over the whole kalpa who move about in aerial chariots, unto Manu and others who take pride in their respective positions.

45. Devas and Daityas undergo misery due to their desire for mutual conquest..Even kings and Rākṣasas in the three worlds undergo misery.

46-48. In fact the Āśramas bring about only misery or exhaustion (śrama) unto the different castes. People do not attain the Ātman through Āśramas (stages in life), Vedas, yajñas, Sāṃkhyas, (numerical knowledge), vratas (holy rites), severe penances, different kinds of charitable gifts, etc. But people with knowledge obtain it. Hence, with all efforts one shall perform the Pāśupata rite. In the holy rite of Pāśupata, the learned devotee shall perpetually lie on bhasman, besmeared with ashes.

49-50. The learned devotee, richly endowed with the knowledge of the five objects and having great attention towards the principle of Śiva shall adopt the yoga that causes salvation and destroys fate and karman and shall become intelligent and endowed with the yoga of five objects.[21] Thereby he attains the end of misery. The devotees understand the knowable by means of Parā Vidyā[22] and not by Aparā Vidyā.[23]

51-54. Two Vidyās (topics of knowledge) are to be known: Parā and Aparā, O excellent brahmins, Aparā consists of Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma, and Atharva Vedas. Śikṣā, Kalpa, grammar, semantics, prosody and astrology also constitute Aparā Vidyā.

What is imperishable is the Parā. It is imperceptible, incomprehensible. It has no spiritual lineage, no caste, no colour, no eyes, no ears, no hands and no feet. O excellent brahmins, it is not born. It has no past. It is not describable by words.

55-58. It has no touch, no form, no taste, no smell, no change, no support. It is perpetual, omnipresent and all-powerful. It it great and massive. O brahmins, it is unborn and identical with cit (consciousness); it is devoid of Prāṇas (vital airs); it has no mind; it is non-emollient and it is devoid of blood. It is incomprehensible; it is neither stout nor long; it is not excessively clear; it is not short; it is impassable; it is bliss; it is unswerving; not open; without a second; infinite; not perceivable, and not covered; Parā is identical with the Ātman[24] and not otherwise.

59. But these Parā and Aparā are not the real, I alone am identical with the universe; the universe is in me alone.

60-61. Everything originates from me, stays within me and gets dissolved in me; there is nothing different from me. This shall be realised mentally, verbally and physically. The devotee shall with concentration see everything: the ‘sat’ (the existent) and the ‘asat’ (the non-existent), in the Ātman. One seeing everything in the Atman does not allow the mind to stray to other objects.

62. On lowering the vision, one shall see the Atman stationed in Vitasti above the umbilicus in the heart, the abode of the universe.

63-64. In the middle of this heart is stationed the lotus[25] with dharma for its bulbous root and knowledge for its splendid stalk. The eight accomplishments are its eight petals; vairāgya (detachment) is its white pericarp; the quarters are its pores filled with the vital airs.

65-71. It sees mostly and in due order on being united with Prāṇa, etc. O leading sages, each of the veins (Nāḍīs) carries the ten Prāṇas (vital airs). Altogether there are seventy-two thousand Nāḍīs. The Jagrat (waking stage) is stationed in the eyes, the Svapna (dream stage) in the neck; the suṣupta (sleeping stage) in the heart and turīya (the fourth above the three) in the head. The presiding deity in the jāgrat state is brahmā; in Svapna Viṣṇu; Īśvara in Suṣupta and in Turīya Maheśvara. Others say as follows:—when the person is in full possession of his senses and organs it is -called Jāgrat; when only the four organs, mind, intellect, ego and citta function, it is Svapna. O sages of good holy rites, when the organs and senses are merged into the Ātman it is Suṣupta. The fourth (Turīya) is different from the organs and senses. The greatest Śiva who is beyond the fourth is the prime cause.

72-79. The four states Jāgrat (wakefulness), Svapna (dream), Suṣupti (slumber) and Turīya (the fourth) have been mentioned. I shall now describe the Ādhibhautika, Ādhyātmika and Ādhidaivika terms, O leading brahmins. It should be known by the learned that all these are I myself. O great sages, the Ādhyātmika (organic) is said to be fourteen in all, viz., the sense organs (five), the organs of action (five) and the mind, intellect, ego, and will (four).

O excellent sages, the following constitute the Ādhibhautika (the extraneous matter), viz.—what should be seen, what should be heard, what should be smelt, what should be tested, what should be touched, what should be thought of, what should be understood, what should be taken pride in, what should be willed, what should be spoken, what should be grasped, what should be traversed, what should be evacuated and what should be enjoyed.

The following fourteen constitute the Ādhidaivika (the Divine factor), viz.—the sun, quarters, earth, Varuṇa (water), wind, Brahmā, Rudra, Kṣetrajña, Agni, Indra, Viṣṇu, moon, lord Mitra and Prajāpati.

80-81. The following are fourteen Nāḍīs (tubular vessels), viz.—Rājñī, Sudarśanā, Jitā, Saumyā, Moghā, Rudrā, Mṛtā, (Amṛtā), Satyā, Madhyamā, Nāḍīrā, Śiśukā, Asurā, Kṛttikā and Bhāsvatī.

82-87. There are fourteen carrying winds[26] stationed in the middle of Nāḍīs:—They are Prāṇa, Vyāna, Apāna, Udāna, Samāna, Vairambha, the important Antaryāma, Prabhañjana, Kūrmaka, Śyena, Śveta, Kṛṣṇa, Anila and Nāga.

I am the lord present in all these as the great Atman and the devotees shall worship me. I am present, O sages of good holy rites, in the eyes, in what is to be seen, in the sun, in the Nāḍī, in the Prāṇa, (five types) in the Vijñāna, and in ānanda (bliss), in the heart, in the firmament, and within all these, I am the sole Atman, moving within. The lord is ageless, infinite, devoid of sorrow, immortal and stable. He is the sole being moving amidst these fourteen types of objects. O brahmins, all these merge into him as there is nothing else.

88. The omniscient Being is only one. There is only one lord of all. He is the overlord of all. He is the immanent soul of great lustre.

89. On being worshipped, the eternal lord grants happiness. O excellent brahmins, if one does not worship him one does not attain happiness.[27]

90. He is being worshipped by the Vedas and other scriptures. But this omniscient lord does not go unto them for succour.

91. This visible universe is his Anna[28] (food). He does not become the Anna himself (unto anyone else). Nowhere does one devour Anna guarded by one’s own self.

92. I am the food taken in by the living beings everywhere. I am the knot of the living beings and I bring about all great things. I am five-fold Ātman divided into several parts.

93. I am the soul of the living beings identical with Anna. What is taken in is called Anna. I am the soul of the sense-organs identical with Prāṇa (vital breaths). I am the soul of mental conceptions identical with the mind.

94. As Soma I am Kālātman (the soul of Time), identical with Vijñāna (perfect knowledge). As Maheśa Parameśvara I become identical with Ānanda (Bliss).[29]

95. Thus I am the entire universe and everything is stationed in me. I am independent but everything is dependent on me. This can be understood on pondering over the real form of various things.

96. Even the state of being one (i.e. ekatva) is not present there[30] as a distinct attribute. Then, how can there be Dvaita (duality)? So also there is no mortal being. Whence can there be an immortal born of the unborn?

97. The Ātman is neither Antaḥprajña (having intellectual awareness within) nor Bahiḥprajña (having the intellectual awareness without) nor is He in both ways (Ubhayataḥprajña). He is not Prajñānaghana (solid in perfect knowledge) nor Prājña (wise being) nor Ajñānapūrvaka (having ignorance).

98-99. Brahman is not one that is known nor one to be known. In fact it is Nirvāṇa (extinction, Kaivalya, Niḥśreyasa. Anāmaya (devoid of ailments), Amṛta (immortal), Akṣara imperishable, Brahman, Parama Ātman, Parātpara (greater than the greatest), Nirvikalpa (devoid of doubtful alternatives), Nirābhāsa (devoid of fallacious appearances), Jñāna (knowledge); all these are synonyms (for perfect knowledge).

100. When it is pleased and concentrated in a single form it is known as Jñāna (Perfect knowledge). Everything else is Ajñāna (Ignorance). No doubt need be entertained in this regard.

101-104. Perfect clear knowledge certainly originates from contact with the preceptor. It is uncontaminated by lust, hatred, falsehood, anger, passion, covetousness and the like. It should be known as the bestower of salvation. Since the man has the impurity of ignorance he is contaminated. Salvation takes place only when, impurity is dispelled and not otherwise, even if one takes a crore of births. Without perfect knowledge[31] neither merit nor demerit is destroyed. Hence, O most excellent ones among the knowers of the Brahman, practise knowledge alone as the means of liberation. It is only by practice of perfect knowledge that the intellect of men becomes free from impurities.

105-109. Hence, one shall always practise perfect knowledge having that as the foundation and the ultimate goal. O leading brahmins, a yogin who is satiated with knowledge alone and who has eschewed all contacts with worldly objects has no further duty. If he has, he is no longer a knower of reality. Neither in this world nor in the other has he any duty,[32] since he is a liberated soul. Hence, the knower of Brahman is the knower of the reality of perfect knowledge and perpetually engaged in the practice of perfect knowledge. He eschews the practice of all duties. He obtains perfect knowledge alone. O excellent brahmins, if one who takes pride in his position in varṇāśrama (as Brāhmin, kṣatriya, etc.) takes pleasure in other things (other than Brahman) certainly he is deluded and ignorant, even though he might have discarded anger. Ignorance is the cause of worldly existence and adoption of physical bodies means worldly existence.

110-111. Similarly, Jñāna (perfect knowledge) is the cause of salvation. The liberated man abides in his own Atman. O leading brahmins, there is no doubt about this that wrath etc., occur only when there is ignorance. Wrath, delight, covetousness, delusion, arrogance, virtue and evil, all these, O excellent brahmins, cause adoption of physical bodies.

112-114. There is distress and pain only when there is body. Hence, the learned shall eschew Avidyā (ignorance, illusion). Only if the yogin eschews Avidyā by means of Vidyā do anger, virtue, evil etc. perish, O brahmins. If they perish the (Ātman) is not united further with the physical body. He is liberated from mundance existence. He is devoid of the three types of miseries.[33] Thus, O leading brahmins, the meditator cannot meditate without perfect knowledge.

115. Perfect knowledge is obtained by personal contact with the preceptor and not through words in fact. After realising the Caturvyūha[34] thus and after deep thinking, one shall practise meditation.

116. Like fire that burns the dry fuel quickly, the fire of knowledge burns sins whether inborn or extraneous or originating from bones and speech (i.e. physically and verbally).

117. There is nothing greater than perfect knowledge for the destruction of all sins. One shall always practise perfect knowledge after eschewing all attachment to worldly objects.

118. There is no doubt that all the sins of a Jñānin shall perish. Even if he indulges in dalliance he is not affected by sins.

119-120. As is knowledge so is meditation. Hence, one should practise meditation.[35] At the outset meditation is laid down as Saviṣaya (having an object) and then Nirviṣaya (having no object). The leading yogin shall practise meditation in six ways[36] as follows:—for the duration of two, four, six, ten, twelve and sixteen units of time in order. Certainly he shall be liberated.

121-125a. At the outset he meditates on a form as resplendent as pure gold[37] or like the burning coal without smoke, of yellow, red or white colour or having the lustre similar to that of a crore of lightning streaks.

Or[38] the meditator keeps his mind assiduously stationed in the Brahmarandhra (cerebral orifice). He shall remember that it (the object of meditation) is neither white nor black nor yellow. He shall thereby become the knower of Brahman.

He shall be non-violent, truthful in speech, and non-stealer. He shall by all means maintain celibacy and avoid gifts. He shall be stable in observing holy rites, contented richly endowed with cleanliness and always engaged in the study of the Vedas. He shall be devoted to me and practise meditation, of course, as instructed by the preceptor.

125b-127a. O excellent brahmins, after fixing his mind, the meditator does not know anything else. The yogin does not identify himself with anything else. He does not see all round nor smell nor hear anything. He has dissolved himself in his Atman. He does not feel the touch of anything. He is then known as having acquired equal taste in everything.

127b-131a. He shall think in order thus[39] :—Brahmā in the mass of earth; Viṣṇu in the principle of water; Kālarudra in the principle of Fire; Maheśvara in the principle of Vāyu and Śiva in firmament. I am lord Paśupati, stationed in eight forms. In earth I am lord Śarva.[40] In waters lord Bhava; I am Rudra in fire; Ugra in wind; in firmament, I am Bhīma; in the sphere of Sun I am Īśāna and in lunar disc as Mahādeva.

131b-137. Everything firm and solid in body is spoken of as pertaining to the earth; what is liquid in form pertains to water; what is called colour belongs to Agni (fire); what moves about is Vāyu (wind). O excellent brahmins, what appears like a hole is the firmament.

O brahmins, perfect knowledge originating from sound is born of firmament; similarly, the knowledge of what is called “touch” originates from Vāyu; that of Rūpa (colour) from Vahni; O brahmins, what belongs to water is full of taste; and what is called “smell” belongs to the earth.

Again he shall meditate in order:—the sun in the right eye; the moon in the left eye; the lord in the heart; the principle of earth upto the knee; the sphere of water upto the umbilicus; the principle of fire upto the neck; the principle of wind upto the forehead. Beginning with the forehead and ending with the tuft is the principle called firmament; above the firmament and beyond that is the Brahman called Haṃsa. This first entity called Vyoman is stationed in the middle of firmament.

138-139. These principles including the first entity Jiva, Prakṛti, sattva, rajas, tamas, intellect, the ego, the subtle elements, the sense-organs, the elements beginning with ether are not real[41]. Because he stands steady pervading the universe he is called Sthāṇu.

140-142. It is at the behest of Bhava that the frightened sun rises,[42] the wind blows and purifies, the moon shines, the fire blazes, waters flow, the earth holds aloft and the firmament gives room. Hence, O brahmins, one shall think about all these. O excellent brahmins, all these arc presided over by him alone. One shall remember Bhava, thinking that he is identical with all forms in the universe.

143. To those who are scorched by the poison of mundane existence, the only antidote is the nectar-like perfect knowledge and meditation. O excellent brahmins, no other solution has been laid down anywhere.

144. Perfect knowledge originates directly from Dharma (virtue). Vairāgya (detachment) originates from knowledge; from Vairāgya arises the supreme knowledge that illuminates the true meanings of objects.

145. O excellent brahmins, he who is endowed with knowledge and detachment attains Yogic Siddhi. One who abides by sattva guṇa attains liberation through yogic Siddhi and not otherwise.

146. It is surprising that his unchanging region is covered by the words tamas and Avidyā. O brahmins, one should adopt Sattvaśakti (the power of Sattvaguṇa) and worship Śiva.

147-152a. My devotee abides by the sattva guṇa. He is engrossed in my worship. He clings to virtue in every respect. He is enthusiastic always. He is endowed with concentration. He is bold and endures all Dvandvas (mutually clashing pairs). He is engaged in the welfare of all living beings. He is straightforward by nature. He is continuously healthy and normal in his mind. He is always soft-natured. He is not arrogant. He is intelligent and quiescent. O excellent brahmins, he eschews rivalry. He is always desirous of liberation. He is conversant with virtue. He is marked with the characteristics of the supreme soul.[43] He is released from the threefold indebtedness in the previous birth and is meritorious. After becoming an aged brahmin or even otherwise he shall serve his preceptor with sincerity[44] and avoid hypocritical attitudes. O brahmins, he reaches the heavenly world and enjoys pleasures in. the proper order. Then gradually he comes to the sub-continent Bhārata and is born as a knower of Brahman.

152b-157. Thanks to the contact with a Jñānin (a man with perfect knowledge), he shall acquire perfect knowledge and become conversant with yoga. O excellent brahmins, this is the order in which one full of impurities attains perfect knowledge. Hence, O leading sages, he shall proceed along this path and be steady in his holy rite. Eschewing attachment with worldly objects he is liberated from the poison Kālakūṭa in the form of the worldly existence. Thus, succinctly, I have incidentally recounted to you the greatness of perfect knowledge that is splendid and unswerving,

O leading sages, this Pāśupata yoga mentioned by Īśvara, Śiva should not be given to anyone and everyone. It should be imparted gladly to a yogin who always clings to Bhasman. The man who reads this chapter on suppression of worldly existence or listens to it certainly attains Sāyujya with the Brahma.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Viśvakarman [viśvakarmaṇā]—viśvaṃ karma yasya saḥ viśvakarmā tena, Rudreṇa Śivatoṣiṇī. by Rudra of multifarious activities.

[2]:

The poison Kālakūṭa or halāhala—a product of the churned ocean was swallowed by Śiva. The blue colour of his neck and his extreme ire are the effects of that poison.

[3]:

guha—i.e. Meruguhā, the abode of Śiva.

[4]:

i.e. tāmasa and rājasa.

[5]:

īṣaṇāicchā Śivatoṣiṇī. desire.—rāga [rāgaḥ]—viṣayaprīti [viṣaya-prītiḥ] Śivatoṣiṇī. attachment with the objects of senses.

[6]:

asannikṛṣṭa [asannikṛṣṭe]—that which is beyond the scope of sense-perception.

[7]:

dṛṣṭa [dṛṣṭam]—aihika [aihikam] Śivatoṣiṇī. pertaining to this world.—ānuśravika [ānuśravikam]—pāralaukika [pāralaukikam]—Śivatoṣiṇī. pertaining to the world beyond.

[8]:

Śivatoṣiṇī. disjoins ‘ucyate bhāgam’ as ‘ucyate abhāgam’ and construes with ‘karmasu’, i.e. [karmasu abhāgam]—non-participation in activities. Śivatoṣiṇī. interprets: here metaphysics (ādhyātma-śāstra) is considered to be superior to the Vedas.

[9]:

ṛṣīṇāṃ karmaṇaḥ phalam: here karmaṇaḥ—niṣkāma-karmaṇaḥ Śivatoṣiṇī. participation in activities without the expectation of their fruits.

[10]:

svabhāva [svabhāvaḥ]—participation in activities is natural. The Vedas enjoin activities such as the performance of agniṣomīya. Cf. “agniṣomīyam paśum ālabheta svargakāmaḥ”.

[11]:

samartha [samarthānāṃ]—virakt [viraktānām] Śivatoṣiṇī.

[12]:

For those who are unattached activities are not unavoidable. Cf. “pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānām nivṛttistu mahābalā”—Manu; Or activities have no fixed goal. Cf. Bhaga.—[vedoktam eva kurvāṇo nissaṅgārpitamīśvare / naiṣkarmyaṃ labhate siddhiṃ rocanārthā phalaśrutiḥ //]—karmaṇā—niṣkāma-karmaṇā Śivatoṣiṇī. by aimless activities. Life-seed (kalā=jīvanakalā Śivatoṣiṇī.) becomes unproductive (śoṣam āyāti)—a fact that leads one to emancipation.

[13]:

trividhaḥ jīvaḥ—the invidividual soul is threefold (See V-18 below).

[14]:

caturdhā—in four ways. Cf. V-19 below.

[15]:

Cf. Supra 1.8.27.

[16]:

ṣaṭkauśika [ṣaṭ-kauśikam]—snāyvādi-ṣaṭkośa-yuktam Śivatoṣiṇī. consisting of six coverings Cf.—[pitṛbhyāmaśitādannāt ṣaṭkośa jāyate vayuḥ | snāyavo'sthīni majjā ca jāyante pitṛtastathā || tvaṅmāṃsaṃ śoṇitamiti mātṛtaśca bhavanti hi]

[17]:

Repeated I.8.25; 67, 16.

[18]:

bauddham prākṛtam eva ca; the intellectual enjoyment is also material.

[19]:

The activities enjoined for the attainment of heaven are not without impurities. For instance, the agniṣomīya sacrifice leads to heaven, but it is attended by violence (hiṃsā)—the slaughter of the animal (Cf. agniṣomīyam paśum ālabheta) for which the performer of sacrifice suffers pain (Cf. Īśvarakṛṣṇa—dṛṣṭavadānuśravikaḥ sa hy aviśuddhi-kṣayātiśaya-yuktaḥSāṅkhya Kārikā of Īśvarakṛṣṇa.); secondly, heaven is not a permanent abode (Cf. V. 88 below).

[20]:

As soon as he has exhausted merit the heaven-dweller falls from heaven. Cf.—[kṣīṇe puṇye martyalokaṃ viśanti |]

[21]:

pañcārtha-yoga-sampanna [sampannaḥ]—It can be interpreted as ‘accompanied by knowledge derived from the practice of the five-syllabled mantranamaḥ śivaya’.

[22]:

parā vidyā—knowledge of Brahma as taught in the Upaniṣads.

[23]:

aparā vidyā—knowledge of the ritual as taught in the Śrauta and Gṛhya Sūtras.

[24]:

parā vidyā anyathā na—anya-prakāreṇa varṇitum aśakyā Śivatoṣiṇī. Cf. “yato vāco nivartante.”—The realization of Brahma cannot be described in words.

[25]:

puṇḍarīka [puṇḍarīkam]—hṛtkamala [hṛtkamalam] Śivatoṣiṇī. the lotus-heart which is the abiding place of the mind.

[26]:

vāyavaśca caturdaśa—the fourteen vital airs stationed in the arteries.

[27]:

The lord stationed in the subtle body is the source of pleasure for others but he has no source of pleasure for himself.

[28]:

The lord is the source of food for others but he has no source of food for himself. Cf. Bhagavadgita:—[ahaṃ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṃ dehamāśritaḥ | prāṇāpānasamāyuktaḥ pacāmyannaṃ caturvidham ||]

[29]:

pañcakośa or pañcakañcuka of Śaiva philosophy constitutes the five sheaths of the self-luminous lord. They are the products of āvaraṇa-śakti (power of concealment) of Māyā (lord’s power of projection).

[30]:

ekatvam api nāsti—The terms ekatva (singleness), etc., are relative and hence, they shall be avoided in regard to the exposition of Brahman.

[31]:

Cf. “jñānād eva hi kaivalyam”—cited in Śivatoṣiṇī.; also “ṛte jñānān na muktiḥ”.

[32]:

ātmānaṃ ced vijānīyād ahamasmīti pūruṣaḥ | kim japan kasya kāmāya śarīram anu saṃ jvaret—Pañcadaśī VII.1.

[33]:

duḥkha-traya: threefold misery: (i) ādhyātmika, (ii) ādhibhautika, (iii) ādhidaivika; for detail, see Vācaspati’s gloss on Īśvarakṛṣṇa’s Sāṅkhya-kārikā, karikā I.

[34]:

Caturvyūha—four categories of the supreme soul: Taijasa, Viśva, Prājña and Turīya.

[35]:

In Śaiva system of thought, emphasis is laid upon knowledge and meditation. For detail, see Śivarahasya, section X.

[36]:

For detail about the varieties of meditation, ibid, section X.

[37]:

śuddha-jāmbūnada. The verse describes the form of the lord in the savikalpaka samādhi. Cf. [munīnāṃ jñānadātrī ca sadaivopaniṣac chrutā kaivalya-śruti-bodhyā śrī mūrtir mama maheśvari]—Śivarahasya cited in Śivatoṣiṇī.

[38]:

The verse describes the state of the mind in the stage of nirvikalpaka samādhi.

[39]:

The verse describes the method of pañcatattva-devatā-dhyāna in the savikalpaka samādhi.

[40]:

This refers to the aṣṭa-mūrti-devatādhyāna.

[41]:

na jīvaḥ—In fact, meditation, its varieties and ancillaries are all due to māyā—the lord’s power of projection. Actually, meditation, meditator and the object meditated upon are all unreal, vide Pañcadaśī vi. 35.

[42]:

udeti—Cf. [bhīṣāsmād vātaḥ pavate] TA. 8.8.1; TU. 2.8.1; Nṛp. U. 2.4

[43]:

ṛṇatraya [ṛṇa-trayam]—a man owes three debts, viz.—(i) brahmacarya ‘or study of the Vedas,’ to the ṛṣis; (ii) sacrifice and worship, to the gods; (iii) procreation of the son, to the manes.

[44]:

śraddhayā—with faithful devotion. Cf.—[santaḥ sarvātmanā sevyā yadyapyupadiśanti na | yāstu svairakathāsteṣāmupadeśā bhavanti te]—cited in Śivatoṣiṇī.

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