Chapter 10.3: The Worlds in the Top Half of the Egg of Brahma

[Full title: Svacchandatantra, chapter 10 (Summary) part 3: The Worlds in the Top Half of the Egg of Brahma]

After this long interlude to discuss ritual, the text resumes its cosmological discussion. Dialogue marks (p. 180) the end of the section on the sphere of the earth, and the beginning of the section (pp. 180-208) on the atmospheric world (bhuvarlokah). Ten separate wind paths (vayupathah) compose this world, whose (vayupathah) description will begin, the introductory dialogue indicates (p. 181), with an enumeration of the clouds located in the first path. The section that follows (pp. 181-197), however, enumerates not only clouds, but also levels of subordinate, as it were, winds, bearing clouds and inhabitants having specific properties and names. In addition, the text associates no specific clouds with the first two winds described, Rtarddhih and Pracetasah, and lists only one level, Sattvavahah, where clouds apparently reside without an associated wind.¹ Thus it appears that redactors have added the 1 However Ksemaraja's commentary by implication, in using the singular Sattvahah, might be taken as indicating a wind here.

235 introductory dialogue, which indicates that clouds will be discussed, in order to cover the evident conflation of two separate sets of winds. In addition, within this first list of winds, viz. the subordinate winds in the first path of the wind, the description of the inhabitants (pp. 188-193), starting from the fourth wind, Oghah, through the tenth wind, Visavartah, appears as part of a separate re-enumeration. From the eleventh wind, Durjayah, onwards, the text describes the inhabitant and clouds simultaneously. This discrepancy suggests that the description of the fourth to tenth winds has combined material drawn from two separate sources. Abhinavagupta's treatment of this material in Tantraloka appears to be a simple paraphrase of Svacchandatantram. Jayaratha, in his commentary on Tantraloka, not only cites the appropriate source verse from Svacchandatantram, but also offers alternative readings for those which he judges defective and attributable to Kshemaraja. 1 His corrections, however, apparently have no textual basis, either in manuscripts of Svacchandatantram or parallel passages of other scriptures, and represent emendations intended to order the text more logically. Regardless of their value, however, his remarks give further evidence that this section of Svacchandatantram had been produced by compiling various sources without thoroughgoing redaction to produce a more coherent description. In describing the second through ninth path of the winds, moreover, the text does not include any subordinate winds. Except for the extended celebration (pp. 200-205) of the celestial Ganga in Abhinavagupta, however, appears to indicate only clouds at this level; v. M.K. Shastri, ed., Tantraloka 8, vs. 124, p. 93. 1 V. M.K. Shastri, ed., Tantraloka 8, pp.102 ff. Note how he describes (p.102) his emendations as logical remedies, "asmattarkitah.

236 the seventh path, the description of each of these paths does not exceed that given for each subordinate wind of the first path. Thus, this parallelism further corroborates assuming that the discussion of the atmospheric world developed through compilation of at least two different sources. Next, at the limit of the atmospheric world, the text describes (pp. 208-210) the celestial chariot of the sun. Kshemaraja expands on the text's succinct restatement of the traditional allegorical equivalents of this chariot's parts. The sun, whose course, function, and dimensions the text next states (pp. 210- 212), marks the beginning of the world of heaven (Svarlokah). In this world (pp. 210-219), reside in upward sequence, the moon, the lunar asterisms, the planets, the constellation of the seven sages, the polestar and its accompanying fourteen stars. Once again, here when the text appears to be simply and often inaccurately recharting well known cosmological material without intrinsic religious significance, Kshemaraja intervenes to emphasize not only the authority of the text in these matters, but also the interior, esoteric import of this material. 1 Closing this section, the text indicates (pp. 218-219) that in each of the seven orbits of the heavenly worlds move winds, whose names Kshemaraja supplies from Puranic sources. 2 After noting the Vedic sacrificers who merit the heavenly world, the text briefly discusses (pp. 220-221) the next world, Maharlokah, the abode of various sages. Noting that the declaration of Svacchandatantram on the dimensions of these worlds differs from those of other scripture, Kshemaraja, notably, I.2.4. 1 V. his commentary, pp.216-217, quoted supra in section 2 These winds, explained neither by Ksernarajah nor the text, and which in contrast to the previous atmospheric winds should be understood as forces, cause the heavenly bodies to rotate around the polestar; v. Agrawala, Matysa Purana, p.209.

237 resolves the potential conflict of revelation by attributing the discrepancy to the intrusion of human textual compilers. 1 Above follow Janalokah (p. 222), the abode of sages such as Ekapadah, and Tapolokah, the abode of the sons of Brahma, Sanakah, and so forth. 2 A parenthetical verse (p. 223, vs. 523), taken by Kshemaraja as a reference to the Brhattantrah, i.e., presumably, the original larger version of this and other tantras, then tallies up the number of worlds from Bhurlokah, the earth, to the next world, Satyalokah. In Satyalokah (pp. 223-228), at the summit of the traditional brahmanical cosmos, resides Brahma, surrounded by the magnificent and embodied archetypes of the Vedic texts (pp. 224- 277). As befitting a sovereign, the text describes (pp. 227-228) him seated on his throne, and surrounded by his retinue, at a suitable distance above Satyalokah. At this point, after the standard seven worlds, sectarian cosmologies have added on their own additional worlds. This addition reflects the overall process of inclusion, adaptation, and extension that characterizes the evolution of sectarian Hinduism. Accordingly, as a Saiva work, the text next describes, only briefly, the world of Visnuh, where his devotees accede, and then extensively, the world of Rudrah lying beyond it. The text glowingly depicts (pp. 232-240) the rivers, flowers, and at length, especially the lovely women to be enjoyed in this world. There follows (pp. 240-248) a similar glorifying depiction of the palace and then (pp. 248-253) of the enthroned Rudrah himself and his consort. At one time, presumably, when this form of Rudrah was the supreme lord, these graphic verses celebrated, as 1 V. his commentary, p.221, quoted supra in section 1.2.4. 2 In sorne Puranas, by contrast, the sons of Brahma reside in Janalokah, and the Vairajah gods in Tapolokah; v. Kirfel, Die Kosmographie, p.142, and H.H. Wilson, The Vishnu Purana, p.175.

238 a form of sectarian propaganda, as it were, the attractions of life in his paradise, accessible to his faithful devotees. Here in the later Saiva system, this form of Rudrah represents only a lower aspect of the supreme lord, and the ideal of pleasure itself has given way to that of liberation. 1 Redactors have therefore, at the end of this section, added verses, qualifying this paradise as a reward attained by linga worshippers, who must still, however, be graced or initiated by Srikanthah in order to attain liberation in the supreme Shiva. 2 Throughout this section, in as much as sharing this view, Kshemaraja largely restricts his commentary to the glossing of details. Above the world of Rudrah, comes (pp. 253-256) the realm of Dandapanih. Named for his function, he holds, as the text explains, a stick (dandah) in his hand (panih) with which he cracks open the shell of Brahma to open the road to liberation for those who have worshipped Brahma correctly. Presenting the interior significance of this figure, Kshemaraja interprets the stick as the breath rendered subtle in meditation that removes the ignorance covering the awareness centered in the heart. Furthermore, he rejects the esoteric interpretation which equates the top of the egg of Brahma with the aperture of Brahma, although the accepted parallelism of micro- and macrocosm would seemingly support it. Since the egg of Brahma represents only the plane (tattvam) of the element earth, he argues, this interpretation would place the other planes of water, and so forth 1 As an example of this change in the highest form of Shiva, Kshemaraja, for example, (p.248) rationalizes, through the notion of aspectual manifestion, that the text here describes this lower rudrah as having the same kind of lion throne as bhairava in bk.2 (pp. 38- 39): purvoktabhairavasanavacchivasaktiparamartha eva simhah. ☑ 2 V. p. 252, vss.608 b-609: "diksajnanavihina ye lingaradhanatatparah // te prayanti harasthanam

239 outside of the body. And breaking the shell of the egg of Brahma would not lead to liberation from all planes, but only from the plane of the earth. Historically, therefore, it would appear that the amalgamation of the Samkhya-Saiva planes with the traditional cosmology disrupted an earlier schema of micro-macro parallelism where the egg of Brahma represented the limit of both the interior and exterior cosmos. After Dandapanih the text lists (pp. 256-257) seven rudrah who are overlords in seven worlds. Kshemaraja explains that they do not rule over seven worlds at this level, but rather serve as regent rudrah in the seven worlds from Bhur- to Satya-lokah, just as Kalagnih, Kusmandah, and so forth, in the lower worlds. His interpretation, moreover, evidently reflects the intention of the text, which then enumerates the regents of the worlds beyond Satyalokah, for example, Visnuh in his paradise. 1 In order to purify the worlds in initations, Kshemaraja continues, their regents must be known. Having relegated the seven rudrah to superintending these lower worlds, Kshemaraja adds that though not named by the text, Pasupatih is the deity who actually resides as overlord in the world at this level. 2 Coming to the end of the egg of Brahma, the text summarizes (pp. 257-259) its dimensions and characterizes its shell, as golden, spherical, and harder than diamond. Then in an aside (p. 260) returning to the ritual and microcosmic significance 1 To harmonize this interpretation with the preceding description, however, Brahma, who traditionally resides in Satyalokah (p. 223, vs. 524 a) must then be displaced to a higher region. Thus Kshemaraja explains (p.256): "satyalokante brahma." Bhullakah (pp. 257-258) had apparently correlated the seven rudrah beginning from the world of Anantah, to the end of the egg of Brahma by lumping several worlds together for one regent. 2 This is also the interpretaton of Jayaratha; v. M.K. Shastri, ed., Tantraloka 8, p.117.

240 of the cosmology, a final verse asserts that the master can pierce this resistant shell with the hum phat formula.