CONTENTS Introduction Khanda I From Yagamandirapravega to Chakrapaja II Bhitasuddhi etc. III Nyasas IV Patrasadana V_ From Antaryaga to Layangapaja VI Navavarana Pija etc VIL Kamakaladhyana VIII Homa IX From Balidana to Havihpratipatti X = Pijasamarpana and Devatodvasana XI Santistave and Viseshargh yodvasana - Page 1 AL 74 81 99 135 159 217 222 228 240 243ERRATA. Page Line For Read 48 2 upaska upasaka 78 20 jfiana yoga jfiana yaga 112 22 appeareth appearest 136 25 hining shining 164 2 Insert after “a” bija and a 212 27 incapabel incapable 224 18 aeh- the 19 Parahantt Pardhanta ” 231 20 fePaearers — PaPaRePrererewe AVRO Eat AA: | sftaerrorqa’a 7a: | U atrareacatarsat SRIVIDYASAPARYAVASANA INTRODUCTION. Sri Vidya Saparya Vasana or Parapija Vasana Vimaréa is an elucidation of the highest form of wor- ship-(Sri Vidya Upasané—which consists in the constant practice of identifying the individual self with Brahman? Piija (worship), to start with, is of three kinds, (1) Para (highest), (2) Apara (ordinary) and (3) Para. para (intermediate), ser ereraey THT Tea se TTIT | weaSeaATTeT aaTTTTTT | (Yoginihrdaya VIII-2-3) That supreme form of worship where there is no trace of duality (dvaitabhana) of any kind i.e., where every thought, word or deed is worship,2 éxivipy isaPaRyAVASANA is called Para-paja; and that variety, on the other hand, Where there is no trace of non-duality {advaitabhana) and the worshipper adores an external chakra or image as distinct from himself is Aparapijd; but(where the duality that is per- ceived at the outset is gradually made to merge in oneness by constant thought of identity (aikya), it is Paraparapaja.d Prasaarans ca, weeTAaaraATy waz, datearnageral Tae grates 1 erat adratg a rer aftatftar 1 era g aftterarmnasrtaatr goes areret Ramet Asa: wa | sea Prat ager srareaeataea: (The attitude of a Para worshipper towards the daily routine of life consecrating every thought, word and deed as an offering in one unceasing worship, is described by Sri Sankaracharya in the following stanza (No, 27) in Saundaryalahari. wh wee: fed aseafdaafierat aft: srqhqouamaorarerarergeery: | sora: wag: Gaaseaeartrea4r avatralrert wag at freftraz i- INTRODUCTION 3 cThe same idea is clearly brought out in the following stanza also:— arent e@ faifesn aft: aeaa: som: Tht TE gar & fraatadtresar far aarfriee: | war: veal: safer: etter aat fare ¢ 2 oN aaa Sd aaefes wel aareraq td The Yoga Sastra calls it the Rtambhara-prajna state, i.e, where one’s cognitive senses drop the name and form (nama-ripa) from the phe- nomena they cognise and get hold of their real essence-—sat-chit-ananda. Such Para-paja or Paja par excellence being for the most part mental, can obviously be possible only for a few adepts— the Uttamadhikaris. attramtg mag 2 fraareg afeqradi- Taga a, a agredaaETa: | eT BATT arafafe sftra 1 ar gen cerns aeae | Next below in order of merit comes the Para. para-pijé. Here the feeling of the Apara worship- per that he is different from the world outside and the world inside himself is being gradually wiped -out by the discriminating mind. Such a stage of mental development can be possible only for one who has the requisite preliminary qualifications— the Madhyamadhikari. It is the constant thought of4 SRIvIDY ASAPARYAVASANA his oneness with Brahman eliminating all sense of separateness (manana, nididhyasana) that. enables him in due course to reach the state of the Uttamadhikari who does the Para-pija. The Parapara form of worship is aptly described by a suggestive simile comparing the worship to a sacri- fice and the offering of flowers etc., to oblations. of clarified butter. - sartera of FeeTeTaaT THT | ffeoreataarer aera garget: i - The Aparé-pija comes last, It is the purely external worship of an image or chakra and con- sists in bringing together the several articles need- ed for worship and offering them in the prescribed manner with appropriate mantras and the like. It is primarily meant for beginners or the Manda- dhikaris. are g aftieraoraersatare: i Paja is Yajfia or sacrifice. It is Saparya or worship. It is Upasana or continued meditation. The famous(Sri Vidya Upasana>which aime at the realisation of the identity of the individual self with Brahman (Brahmatmaikyachidupasti) is made up of(tbree constituent parts Nangas)—the formula or the mantra, the image or the chakra and the ritual or the pija proper. Just as the meaning ofINTRODUCTION 5 ‘a sentence cannot be understood without a know- ledge of the meaning of the words comprising it, 0 also the meaning of the whole upasana (angi) cannot be learnt without understanding the mean- ing of its constituent parts (angas). It is therefore necessary to enquire into the @hilosophical signifi- cance of the three parts)first, before we can under- stand the upasana asa whole, which is the uninter- rupted contemplation of the Brahman (akhandanu- -sandhana). The hidden philosophical import of each of the. parts is termed its Sanketa.C The three Sanketas—Mantra-Sanketa, Chakra-Sanketa and PajaSanketa—are treated at length in the 6th, 7th and 8th chapters (visramas) of the latter part 4known as Yoginihrdaya) of the Vamakeévara- tantra.) A short account of them is given below, WeaaAsa: | Mantra-Sanketa. “May thou destroy the sense of separateness due to Avidya which has made me feel that I am only a jiva or a limited soul.” %This part of the man- tra, therefore, suggests that the jiva, #@ of the mahavakya inits primary sense (areard), becomes the kiitastha in the secondary sense (aeard) when the super-imposed avidya is dropped. Thus this portion explains the word @ of the mahavakya. wa = Make me attain gi=a sense # (@)=of Brahman €& (@)= which is all-pervasive. “Make me feel that I am Brahman, sat-chit- ananda in essence” by removing the mayopadhi which, when it is super-imposed on Brahman, makes it Ivara. Here the primary sense of the word aq of the mahavakya which is Isévara and the secondary sense which is Brahman are suggested. (a)=(Make me attain) asugi=a feeling of unbroken oneness (akhan- dakara-vrtti), This feeling is of the kind suggested by the mahavakya where the outside world (jagat), the8 SRIVIDY ASAPARYAVASANA individual self (iva) and Brahman are realised as one. The sense of w&, the third word of the ma- havakya, is suggested by this part. This is the esoteric meaning of Pafichadasa- kshari. The mantra has thus the form and the sense of the mahavakya, and hence he who understands its meaning and is able to identify himéelf, with Brahman verily becomes Brahman. So the Srutis and Smrtis declare. wader Far Afrraeaeqaacarra- aonfretesis: caf cat wate 1) Camda: | Chakra-Sanketa. amautraqe: ; Te Tha: WR VT! Chakra is an aggregate of powers (akti- samiha); and Sanketa, as already explained, is an account of their nature etc. In other words, an esoteric knowledge of the Saktis is termed Chakra- Sanketa. Whose are these Saktis? The question is thus answered by Sruti and Smrti. coe afehiata yaa anitet erreticr + at wars are da TaGVeTT TT | aq at Wat ake: @eaar Pprettef | Pa: Tela THe aa Yoginihrdaya. VI. 9, 10.INTRODUCTION 9 Sabie ego Prasease vat afte: Varivasyarahasya. I. 4.: The moment Devi contemplates on her inborn nature to vibrate and expand (sphuratta), the universe (prapaficha or samsara-chakra) consisting of the world, the embodied beings and the Supreme being (jagat, jiva and para) which lay merged in Her emerges into existence, The uni- verse thus created continues to exist till dissolution (pralaya), when it re-merges into the Devi only to emerge again after an interval as before. ae Tea Ta—aaraafeer RET: WET. AAT SAKSATTTAT | . Thus the universe which is an imaginary super-imposition (adhyasa) on the Chit-sakti dis- appears into the background of reality (adhishtha~ nasatta), the Devi, and comes again into existence to give an opportunity for the jivas to work out their karma (dharmadharmaripa adrshtay. The Kaivalya Upanishad refers to the emergence as an awakening (prabodha). gaa searracedarme va sfa: aff sqar This awakening is the rousing of the I-ness or the self-consciousness (Ahanta). Such a self-con- sciousness is only possible when there is the con- sciousness of the co-existence of something outside the self (This-ness or Idanta), Therefore, this10 SRIVIDY ASAPARYAVASANA awakening of self-consciousness is contingent on a state of differences (savikalpaka).C-Hence the cha- kra is of the form of the self and the non-self— SER TATETAET.) By this awakening self-consciousness (atma- sphurana) the Supreme Lord (Paramegvara) creates the world and the bodies and enters into them him- self (anupravigati). The former i.e., the world, pro- vides the objects of enjoyment (bhogyapadarthas), and the latter consisting of the physical, mental and causal bodies (sthila, sukshma and karana dehas) the abode of enjoyment (bhogayatana) for the Jivas according to their karma. - (Thus the Universe which is in the form of a Chakra or symbol of worship is ultimately but an expression of the will or wish (ichchha) of the Su- preme Being. gegrara sat: afe: 19 To put it more definitely, it is a product or projection of the mind (manomaya),> This again can be put under two heads, the world of sound (sabdamaya) and the world of matter (arthamaya). The details of the creation of this twofold chakra are treated at length in the Sri Kamakald vildsa and in the chapter on ChakraSanketa in the Yoginihrdaya.¢ The Bhavanopanishad also gives the esoteric signi- ficance of the Sri Chakra. The Sri Chakra is ‘treated in all these places either as the macrocosm (brahmanda) or as the microcosm (pindanda). This. INTRODUCTION it is however only a superficial representation (sthila bhavana). That the mind itself is the real Sri- Chakra is the most nost_subtle_(atisikshma) and” the “Wost esoteric (pafamarahasya) interpretation. This will be investigated below. According to the Bhavanopanishad the unqua- lified (nirupadhika) Brahman and its Vimarsa- Sakti, Sri Lalita, who is of the essence of sat-chit-dnanda and forms the substratum of the individual soul, are respectively Kameévara and Kameégvari who reside in the Bindu of Sri Chakra. favaradata sat: aqraeeqe: eta IT gan wear i The Kamakala is the outcome of the even (samarasya) undifferentiated (abheda) union (yoga) of these two, who are respectively the Prakasa and Vimarsa. From this arose the Misra-Bindu which is also termed the Apara Bindu, From this Apara-Bindu is formed the Sri Chakra consisting of fret (triangle), seéra (eight-cornered figure), agar (pair of ten-cornered figures), aqgur (fourteen-cornered figure), wezaqy (eight-petalled lotus, deaqaqy (sixteen-petalled lotus), frrsa (three circles) and agzaaa (three squares).) (There are two theories concerning creation. They are srshti-drshtivada and drshti-srshtivada. According to the former, the world with its-12 SRIVIDYASAPARY AVASANA -embodied beings is created by the Jada-Sakti of Igvara, and according to the latter the world as it appears is born only at the moment when the -Jiva senses it like the illusion of the serpent ina rope. Itis this latter theory that is ultimately accepted by Advaita Vedanta and propounded for the benefit of the most advanced candidates. Now according to it, Sri Chakra, whether it repre- ,sents the macrocosm or the microcosm, is but a -creation of the mind. For, only when there is the mind functioning, there is the body as well as the universe, and when there is no mind work- ing there is neither the body nor the universe) The mind functions during the waking and dreaming states; and the world of enjoyment (bhogya), the enjoying body (bhogayatana) and the enjoyer Jiva -(bhokta) who appears asthe Ego have then an existence. But during deep sleep when the mind is not working, none of these three are experienced. ‘As Kameévara is the unalloyed consciousness that is at the background of the Binduand Kameévari ds the Atman itself which is saddnanda (perennial bliss) in its fullness, the Bindu is itself a super- imposition and therefore anatma. It follows that the Bindu and the other figures constituting the Sri Chakra are the mind and its several cognitive mo- -difications (vrttis). This idea is borne out by many texts and by the Vamakesvara-tantrayINTRODUCTION 18- Rorteraeghistat a ager ca saoy agenttrgaeranan Rrerarn: weal ia: | wurtgaameat tft daeeetoity | Pravafigstkg qrtadieat If the universe or the body alone be the esoteric meaning of Sri Chakra, these two would form part of the creation of God (Iévarasrshti) and as such they will never be completely destroyed, as even in pralaya there will not be a total annihi- lation of them but only a temporary disappearance due to sub-mergence (laya). In the case of an: earnest seeker after liberation, the whole universe appears full of misery and even the body is felt disgusting. Such a feeling is due to the mind only and this is the opinion of all gastras. The super- impositions of ‘J’ and ‘mine’ of the ordinary Jivain the body and the world respectively are also due to the mind only. This is Jivasrshti. As long as these super-impositions exist, the Jiva experiences misery. If the misery should come to an end, these super-impositions should disappear. Even their dis. appearance can be only the outcome of a modifica- tion of the mind (manovrtti), aa ua agerot aret araaraat: 1 ‘Mind alone is the cause of freedom and bondage’ is an authoritative saying. Bondage or bandha is caused by the impure mind with a tendency to look outside itself, and freedom orwu SRIVIDYASAPARY AVASANA moksha is brought about by the pure mind that is introspective. “He who is able to see himself as not different from Brahman gets over sarhsira” (fe ainearafaq) says the Upanishad and the earnest seeker should attain that knowledge. For such a knowledge a study of Adhyadtma Sastra is neces- sary. An investigation of the world, the individual soul and the Supreme Being (jagat, jiva, para) con- stitutes Adhyadtma Sastra. He must be able by such study to analyse his bodies, understand the three states and five sheaths and “discover” the self within— aurenaghtg eau ar afegapeaa sari Not only this, he should also be able to see the immanence or continuity of Brahman in all the 84 lakhs of classes of embodied beings from the ant to Brahma, in the five elements (bhitas) and in the sun and the moon— ar mentitittrercagy stra sraniyott arg ao exaag | 7 To make such a study a pure mind (satva- pradhana) introverted (pratyag-drshti) is neces- sary. Sucha mind alone can be what the Sri ‘Chakra truly represents; and the Yoginibrdaya declares Jivanmukti to one who knows the real import of the Sri Chakra as above, &INTRODUCTION 15 ‘aaa Reema: Tare) staegursa Sreauhesrds: (VI-86) This idea is also borne out by two names in the Lalita-Sahasrandma wagaaarien atyewggea | CUMaaT: | Paid -Sahketa>d CThus the Mantra takes the place of mahavakya- Sravana (study) and manana (cogitation), and the Sri Chakra stands for the pure introspective mind, the Avarana Devatas representing the modifica- tions (adhyatma-vrttis) of such a mind. Now Paja stands for Nididhyadsana (constant meditation) and Savikalpa Samadhi (cognitive absorption).5The Yoginthrdaya and the Bhavanopanishad bear out this idea. ‘aa am aat ane ara arscaeat A aa aaa Sara sass AT: A Yoginibrdaya VIII-4 Com, BEraararaygaad seeps | Bhavanopanishad, C Paja or Saparya is a collective word to repre- sent the several acts (kriyas), mental attitudes (bha- vanas) and outward expressions of feelings (upa- charas) that make up the ritual commencing with Dhyana and Avahana (invocation) and ending with Udvasana (adieu). In common parlance, the word16 SRIVIDYASAPARYAVASANA Paja is used for the act of offering flowers etc. in a deferential attitude at an image or yantra into. which a deity has been invoked, uttering the names of the deity with the dative termination followed by the word ‘namah.’ But the higher significance of the pija is really a constant prac- tice in realising the oneness of Jiva and Brahman (Jivabrahmaikyanusandhana).y The word ‘namah’ stands for the tvam-pada or jiva, the name of the deity for the tat-pada or Brahman and the dative termination for the identity of the two or asi-pada, Hence the expressions like— fara ams; ARR Aa; SRT OAH: ; enara va: 5 TTA AM: 5 AT A which are Mahamantras, are virtually Mahavakyas and it is with these that the puja is performed. QSri Sankaracharya gives the inner significance of the entire pija in one of his hymns thus:— How can the Chit-Sakti which is identical with Brahman and pervades all space be invoked and made to reside in a small place (Avahana) ? What can serve as a seat to one in whom the whole world is seated (Asana)? Where is the need for Arghya and Padya for one who is transparent ? Of what help is Achamana fora pure one? For one that is ever clean and never dirty, where is the need fora bath? How can a man clothe onez INTRODUCTION 17 who holds all the worlds in himself? For one that has no support or body, where is the need for a Yajfiopavita? Of what need are flowers for one who is incapable of taking on perfume, or sandal for one who cannot take on an unction? For one that is the embodiment of beauty, where is the need for ornaments? What need for food and pansupari for one who is always satisfied? How cana man go round one who is infinite? How can a man prostrate before him who alone really is, one with- out asecond, or address him in a prayer when the Vedas themselves are not able to describe him? How can one wave lights before him who is self- resplendent, or bid adieu to him when he is in and beyond the whole world? It is this supreme kind of worship that should be carried out at all times and in all states with a one-pointed mind and those who have attained self-realisation carry on this worship. qed e1 ware aeaaT | aoe WAS eT YeaAAA Har | fave ga: ar aa frefteca 71 firrseqaraaté gst Rater = 1 frdce gal nea) earEMTCt ga: | 7 Pramer *rer ange get Prt safgorraerer ware gay ae: | 3 :18 $Rivipy ASAPARYAVASANA aqaretwae ga: ari Aaa 1 erirerrerer Gal Arersra frat aratita qe sagged waq 1 wate TUG aang TAT | weg g 2am frat weed: 2 The Bhavanopanishad also explains this Para- puja with 16 upacharas in detail as follows, 1, aaRenaa ata fear: @ afeere sfBt ATTT | 2. Pragkequrrarernqaaa = WARIS AST atarartsenaaasda aed qaqq | 8. froantqetaerenas 9 aTTETATTAST afrrrtaerernaraset at FEY | : 4. TeTeTT carat srsleret araATT | 6. aa fra arrqearnaaarwaassta | aaa WeaTsEs TATAT | 6. aaarway wea aaARTSTaaeTaa: afiarraarrit 4 Fea | 1. falta — frgaa_-oitea—oaacarga er waft gray vedere 8. eateeenitenma weastaaa Prensa aeeedl Ta |. INTRODUOTION 19 9. srereranat gar areata gue | 10, areeaarTat TAT ATTA TT | LL. Sarearnat sat exter Aas 12. eaeamiaan fares Paqay | 13, Heaetegarewe aa ward AFIS | 14, qooearanferereneqat AeaIe MaUgTaEy- afeate ery | 1. Asay aaa Araat Perens srafn Prenat a ferory | 16. arat feater: gerade RA HTATATT HUTTE | aft stemtraren: | CThis kind of Pajé is known as Mahayaga where the jiva dedicates to the Deity whatever come within the range of his senses as objects of enjoyment and himself remains detached from them.) CIf the sensual enjoyments of sound, touch and the like coming within the cognisance of the five cognitive senses are made to merge in the bliss of the self, the limitations of the soul vanish, thus making jiva an ocean of bliss, This idea is borne out by the following authorities. > ‘sPaaftoragsthfererngsa: 1’ atxartr sari, tat fora, gett farewegerterca- aear:, Sed meartaan: qed aa aaa20 $RIVIDYASAPARYAVASANA Sara BaTTEA Bg: Ast aA: af wo ArcRerat: Tereare ara: eaters eva dias weet: ear ger: weraarqemratraraa acta sarcaay eriiiastarltia sRrameraend tage day Yoginihrdaya VIII-8. com. samibgatwageaguasadad agrees. aaedtect gaya gad: | (Amrtanandanatha) This is Paja-Sanketa, and he who understands it becomes Brahman itself by the direct reali- sation of the oneness of Brahman and Atman. Fe DIKSHATATVA or An enquiry into the truth of initiation. Sri Gaudapadacharya begins his Sri Vidya Mantraratna Sitras as follows :— ay URNA TAT | ‘Afterwards (atha), an investigation (abhiji- jfiasa) of the science (agama) of the Sakta mantras,” After what? is a legitimate question. The Purva- mimarhsa siitras also begin with an ‘ afterwards,’~7 INTRODUOTION 21 and itis interpreted as ‘after the study of the Vedas and Vedangas.’ The Uttaramimamsa sitras likewise commence with an ‘afterwards,’ and it is there taken to mean ‘after the acquisition of the four preliminary qualifications.’ If either of these interpretations were to be accepted here, no useful purpose will be served by the promulga- tion of these Mantraratnasiitras also. A differ. ent interpretation of the word is therefore indi- cated in this context, It suggests the state of mind of an earnest seeker after liberation (mumukshu) who finds that, even after due initiation into Brahmavidya at the hands of a proper Guru, he hhas not succeeded in attaining self—realisation, Obviously his course of nididhyésana is incomplete and there are formidable obstacles in the shape of doubts (sarnSaya) and wrong impressions (viparita- bhadvana) etc.—in his way, and it is to get over them that he is here directed to Sri Vidya A fairly advanced spiritual aspirant of this description is thus the best qualified (mukhy4dhikari) for the upasana of Sri Vidya, which will not only dispel all his doubts and wrong impressions but also ensure his self-realisation, This is the established view of all Srutis and Smrtis, (Sri Vidya of such high repute has, as already stated, ever been a well-guarded secret and has been invariably transmitted only from ‘ear to ear ”22 SRIVIDY ASAPARYAVASANA eulectatita i.e., from Guru to Sishya and in no- other manner e, g., through books etc, > It is thus necessary that the aspirant aforesaid should seek a proper Guru for his initiation, aa afar ataaediaa | (Paragurdma Kalpasiitray The imperative need for a suitable Guru in such matters and the way to approach him are laid down in the Sruti itself, “To realise the truth one should approach the Guru, sacrificial fuel in hand etc." ; afinard a qetafiersertreat: et mente and emphasised in the Smrtis, Puranas and other works, Approaching the Guru he should, after respectful obeisance in proper form, express his object and clearly indicate his firm determination to abide by the Guru’s injunctions with implicit faith: The Guru, satisfied with his sincerity, wilk then accept him and arrange for his initiation. In fact( gs observed by Sri Sankaracharya in his commentary on Lalita Trigati,) the benignant look of the Guru is itself an integral part of the initia- tion, and is calculated to ward off the impediments in the aspirant’s way, the subsequent reciting of the Mantra and constant contemplation thereon set- ting him forward on the path of self-realisation without further difficulty.