TANTRA 112
The 112 transformative practices of the Vijñāna-bhairava-tantra, translated by Christopher Wallis.The full English translation of the 9th-centry yogic practice manual is offered as our gift to yogis and tantrikas around the world. For guided practices, step-by-step instructions, and an audiobook and e-book on the text, we invite you to download the Tantra 112 app, and to join us for a free 7-day immersion into the VBT.This is a fully revised and improved version over the unofficial 2018 PDF version of this text.
śrī devy uvāca ।The blessed Goddess said:
1śrutaṃ deva mayā sarvaṃ rudrayāmalasambhavam ।
trikabhedam aśeṣeṇa sārāt sāravibhāgaśaḥ ॥
O Lord, I have heard the entire teaching of the Trika that has arisen from our union, in scriptures of ever greater essentiality,
2adyāpi na nivṛtto me saṃśayaḥ parameśvara ।
kiṃ rūpaṃ tattvato deva śabdarāśikalāmayam ॥
but even now my doubts have not yet dissolved, Parameśvara. What is the true nature of Reality, O Lord? Does it consist of the powers that inhere in the mass of phonemes?
3kiṃ vā navātmabhedena bhairave bhairavākṛtau ।
triśirobhedabhinnaṃ vā kiṃ vā śaktitrayātmakam ॥
Or, amongst the awesome forms of Bhairava, is it Navātman? Or is it the trinity of śaktis (Parā, Parāparā, and Aparā) that [also] constitute the three ‘heads’ of Triśirobhairava?
4nādabindumayaṃ vāpi kiṃ candrārdhanirodhikāḥ ।
cakrārūḍham anackaṃ vā kiṃ vā śaktisvarūpakam ॥
Or does it consist of the Resonance and the Point? Or the Half-moon and the Impeder? Or the vowelless mantra-phoneme installed in the Circle? Or is it [simply] Śakti [herself]?
5parāparāyāḥ sakalam aparāyāś ca vā punaḥ ।
parāyā yadi tadvat syāt paratvaṃ tad virudhyate ॥
And another point: if the Supreme Goddess (Parā Devī) is [to be visualized] with attributes, [that is, anthropomorphically,] like Parāparā and Aparā, then her supremacy would be contradicted.
6na hi varṇavibhedena dehabhedena vā bhavet ।
paratvaṃ niṣkalatvena sakalatve na tad bhavet ॥
Nor [could she be supreme if she must be visualized] as having this color as opposed to that, or this form as opposed to that; supremacy is [properly associated] with formlessness, not with a specific form.
7aprasādaṃ kuru me nātha niḥśeṣaṃ cinddhi saṃśayam ।O Lord & husband, be gracious to me & make me clear: cut away my doubts completely!
7bsādhu sādhu tvayā pṛṣṭaṃ tantrasāram idam priye ॥
Bravo! Bravo, my dear one. You have asked about the very essence of the Tantra(s).
8gūhanīyatamam bhadre tathāpi kathayāmi te ।
yatkiṃcit sakalaṃ rūpaṃ bhairavasya prakīrtitam ॥
I shall relate this most hidden of teachings to you, virtuous one. Know that the embodied forms of Bhairava I have taught in the scriptures
9tad asāratayā devi vijñeyaṃ śakrajālavat ।
māyāsvapnopamaṃ caiva gandharvanagarabhramam ॥
are not the real essence, O Goddess. They are like a magic trick, like dreams or illusions or castles in the sky,
10dhyānārtham bhrāntabuddhīnāṃ kriyāḍambaravartinām ।
kevalaṃ varṇitam puṃsāṃ vikalpanihatātmanām ॥
taught only to help focus the meditation of those who are debilitated by dualistic thought, their minds confused, entangled in the details of ritual action.
11tattvato na navātmāsau śabdarāśir na bhairavaḥ ।
na cāsau triśirā devo na ca śaktitrayātmakaḥ ॥
In reality, [the true nature of] Bhairava is not Navātman, nor the mystic alphabet, nor the trinity of śaktis, nor the three-headed one,
12nādabindumayo vāpi na candrārdhanirodhikāḥ ।
na cakrakramasambhinno na ca śaktisvarūpakaḥ ॥
nor does it consist of the Resonance and the Point, nor the Half-moon and the Impeder, nor that which is combined with the sequence of the Circle, nor [simply] Śakti [herself].
13aprabuddhamatīnāṃ hi etā balavibhīṣikāḥ ।
mātṛmodakavat sarvaṃ pravṛttyarthaṃ udāhṛtam ॥
These were taught to help unawakened people make progress [on the path], like a mother uses sweets and threats to influence her children’s behavior.
14–16dikkālakalanonmuktā deśoddeśāviśeṣinī ।
vyapadeṣṭum aśakyāsāv akathyā paramārthataḥ ॥
antaḥsvānubhavānandā vikalponmuktagocarā ।
yāvasthā bharitākārā bhairavī bhairavātmanaḥ ॥
tad vapus tattvato jñeyaṃ vimalaṃ viśvapūraṇam ।
evaṃvidhe pare tattve kaḥ pūjyaḥ kaś ca tṛpyati ॥
Know that in reality, the one pure universe-filling essence of Bhairava is that absolutely full state of being called ‘Goddess Bhairavī’. It is beyond reckoning in space or time, without direction or locality, impossible to represent, ultimately indescribable, a field free of mental constructs, blissful with the experience of that which is innermost. It is that essence which is ultimately real and fundamental. It is that which ought to be known and experienced. It is that which is inherently pure, and it is that which pervades everything. When this is the ultimate reality, who is to be worshiped and who gratified?
17evaṃvidhā bhairavasya yāvasthā parigīyate ।
sā parā pararūpeṇa parā devī prakīrtitā ॥
This state of Bhairava [called Bhairavī] is taught as supreme; it is proclaimed to be Parā Devī in her ultimate nature.
18śaktiśaktimator yadvad abhedaḥ sarvadā sthitaḥ ।
atas taddharmadharmitvāt parā śaktiḥ parātmanaḥ ॥
There is never the slightest separation between Śakti and her Host (i.e., Śiva); thus, because there can be no separation between a quality and that in which it inheres, the Power of the Supreme Being is itself Supreme.
19na vahner dāhikā śaktir vyatiriktā vibhāvyate ।
kevalaṃ jñānasattāyām prārambho ’yam praveśane ॥
The power of fire to burn cannot be considered as distinct from the fire itself. Śakti is only considered separately [as a teaching tool] in the beginning, when [just] entering into the state of insight.
20śaktyavasthāpraviṣṭasya nirvibhāgena bhāvanā ।
tadāsau śivarūpī syāt śaivī mukham ihocyate ॥
In our way, Śiva’s śakti is said to be the entryway [into Śiva]. The meditative contemplation of one who enters into the śakti-state becomes nondual. When one’s experience of being becomes undivided in this way, one is Śiva himself.
21yathālokena dīpasya kiraṇair bhāskarasya ca ।
jñāyate digvibhāgādi tadvac chaktyā śivaḥ priyeJust as different directions of any given space are known through the light of a lamp or the rays of the sun, in the same way Śiva is known through Śakti, O beloved.
śrī devy uvāca ।The blessed Goddess said:
22–23devadeva triśūlāṅka kapālakṛtabhūṣaṇa ।
digdeśakālaśūnyā ca vyapadeśavivarjitā ॥
yāvasthā bharitākārā bhairavasyopalabhyate ।
kair upāyair mukhaṃ tasya parā devi katham bhavet ।
yathā samyagahaṃ vedmi tathā me brūhi bhairava, ॥
O God of gods whose symbol is the trident and whose ornaments are made from human skulls: this state of fullness of the Divine—free of time, space, or locality, and impossible to represent conceptually—by what means is it attained? And how does the Supreme Goddess become the gateway into That? Answer me this in such a way that I can completely understand it, O Bhairava!
śrībhairava uvāca ।Bhairava replied:
24ūrdhve prāṇo hyadho jīvo visargātmā paroccaret ।
utpatti-dvitaya-sthāne bharaṇād bharitā sthitiḥ ॥
The Supreme Goddess constantly articulates as the life-giving flow of breath: prāṇa (exhale) rising up, and jīva (inhale)—the movement into embodiment—descending. By pausing at the two places where the flows of breath arise, and filling those points [with silent awareness], one abides in the state of inner fullness.
25maruto ’ntar bahir vāpi viyadyugmānivartanāt ।
bhairavyā bhairavasyetthaṃ bhairavi vyajyate vapuḥ ॥
O Bhairavī! By not turning back [too soon] from the pair of spaces, inner and outer, where the breath pauses, the form of Bhairava is manifested thus through Bhairavī (as in: the still space of awareness underlying the movement of prāṇa is revealed).
26na vrajen na viśec chaktir marudrūpā vikāsite ।
nirvikalpatayā madhye tayā bhairava-rūpatā ॥
When the prāṇa-śakti does not move out nor enters in, the Center [suddenly] expands and thoughts melt away. By virtue of that, one is endowed with the Bhairava-state.
27kumbhitā recitā vāpi pūritā vā yadā bhavet ।
tadante śāntanāmāsau śaktyā śāntaḥ prakāśate ॥
When that [breath-power] called ‘quiescent’ is retained after inhale or even after exhale, at the end of that [moment of stillness], the Tranquil One manifests through that power.
28ā mūlātkiraṇābhāsāṃ sūkṣmāt sūkṣmatarātmikām ।
cintayettāṃ dviṣaṭkānte śāmyantīṃ bhairavodayaḥ ॥
Imagine the subtlest possible form [of prāṇa-śakti] as rays of light shining upward from the root [of the central channel] and peacefully dissolving in the highest center above the crown; then Bhairava (intensified awareness) arises.
29udgacchantīṃ taḍidrūpāṃ praticakraṃ kramātkramam ।
urddhvaṃ muṣṭitrayaṃ yāvat tāvadante mahodayaḥ ॥
Imagine the śakti rising like a streak of lightning from one subtle center to the next in succession. When She reaches the upper[most] center, three fists above the crown, there comes the Great Dawn of liberation [and prosperity].
30kramadvādaśakaṃ samyag dvādaśākṣarabheditam ।
sthūlasūkṣmaparasthityā muktvā muktvāntataḥ śivaḥ ॥
There are twelve [such centers] in sequence; properly associated with twelve vowels. By fixing awareness on each one, in successively coarse, subtle, and supreme forms, and then abandoning each, in the end, [one knows] God.
31tayāpūryāśu mūrdhāntaṃ bhaṅktvā bhrūkṣepasetunā ।
nirvikalpaṃ manaḥ kṛtvā sarvordhve sarvagodgamaḥ ॥
Having quickly filled [the central channel] up to the head with that energy, and having [temporarily] blocked [the flow of energy] with the ‘dike’ of knitted brows, and [thus] having made the mind thought-free, one ascends to the all-pervasive state in the [place] above all.
32śikhipakṣaiś citrarūpair maṇḍalaiḥ śūnyapañcakam ।
dhyāyato’nuttare śūnye praveśo hṛdaye bhavet ॥
Meditating on the Five Spaces as the colorful circles of the peacock’s feathers, one enters the Heart, the Supreme Space.
33īdṛśena krameṇaiva yatra kutrāpi cintanā ।
śūnye kuḍye pare pātre svayaṃ līnā varapradā ॥
By the very same process, in whichever [substrate] one’s thinking-mind spontaneously dissolves—whether an [inner] space, a [blank] wall, or a perfectly shaped vessel—such dissolution bestows the boon [of the Bhairava-state].
34kapālāntar mano nyasya tiṣṭhan mīlita-locanaḥ ।
krameṇa manaso dārḍhyāt lakṣayel lakṣyam uttamam ॥
Remaining with eyes closed, fix your attention inside the cranium; by means of gradually increasing steadiness of mind, you will perceive that which is most worthy of being perceived.
35madhya-nāḍī madhya-saṃsthā bisasūtrābharūpayā ।
dhyātāntarvyomayā devyā tayā devaḥ prakāśate ॥
The central channel is situated in the core [of one’s being]. Meditate on it as having a form like a slender lotus fiber, [and] as being the Goddess in the form of the innermost Space; through Her, [the experience of] God will manifest.
36kara-ruddha-dṛg-astreṇa bhrūbhedād dvārarodhanāt ।
dṛṣṭe bindau kramāl līne tanmadhye paramā sthitiḥ ॥
If the yogī] closes the doors [of the senses] with the ‘weapon’ by which [external] perception is blocked with the [assistance of the] hands, [and] pierces the eyebrow-center, he will [eventually] perceive the Bindu. When it dissolves, [one will experience the state of] Supreme Stasis in one’s Center.
37dhāmāntaḥ-kṣobha-saṃbhūta-sūkṣmāgni-tilakākṛtim ।
binduṃ śikhānte hṛdaye layānte dhyāyato layaḥ ॥
Meditate on the Bindu as a tilak of subtle fire produced by the inner stimulation of the Radiant Abode, visualizing it in the heart or above the head; when it dissolves, there is dissolution [into pure Presence].
38anāhate pātrakarṇe ’bhagnaśabde sariddrute ।
śabdabrahmaṇi niṣṇātaḥ paraṃ brahmādhigacchati ॥
One who is steeped in the Brahman-that-is-sound, in the uninterrupted Unstruck [Sound], [like] a rushing river in the vessel of the ear, attains supreme Brahman.
39praṇavādisamuccārāt plutānte śūnyabhāvanāt ।
śūnyayā parayā śaktyā śūnyatām eti bhairavi ॥
O Goddess, by performing complete uccāra of the praṇava and meditating on the void at the end of its protracted/saturated sound, one enters into the Spacious Openness by means of the void which is the Supreme Power.
40yasya kasyāpi varṇasya pūrvāntāv anubhāvayet ।
śūnyayā śūnya-bhūto’sau śūnyākāraḥ pumān bhavet ॥
A person who fosters the [subtle] experience/perception of the very beginning and ending of any syllable, sound, or musical note, becomes, by means of the feminine void, empty, open, & spacious, his very form [nothing but] that spaciousness.
41tantryādivādyaśabdeṣu dīrgheṣu krama-saṃsthiteḥ ।
ananyacetāḥ pratyante paravyomavapur bhavet ॥
If one’s heart-mind is completely focused on the prolonged sounds of a musical instrument such as a tantrī (a stringed instrument like a tanpūra), through the duration of the phases [of their resonance], at the limit [of the perceptible sound] one’s beautiful form may become that of the [formless] supreme Void.
42piṇḍamantrasya sarvasya sthūlavarṇakrameṇa tu ।
ardhendubindunādāntaḥ śūnyoccārādbhavecchivaḥ ॥
Through internal enunciation of an entire piṇḍa-mantra in accordance with the sequence of its articulable letters, [followed by] the Half-moon, the Point, the Resonance, the End of Resonance, and the Void, one becomes Śiva.
43nijadehe sarvadikkaṃ yugapadbhāvayedviyat ।
nirvikalpamanāstasya viyatsarvaṃ pravartate ॥
One may contemplate Space/Sky in all directions within one’s own body simultaneously. [Through this meditation,] the mind becomes free of dichotomizing beliefs and everything becomes spacious.
44pṛṣṭhaśūnyaṃ mūlaśūnyaṃ yugapadbhāvayecca yaḥ ।
śarīranirapekṣiṇyā śaktyā śūnyamanā bhavet ॥
One should meditate upon the space above (at the crown of the head) and the space in the root [of the body] simultaneously. Through the Power that is independent of the body, one’s mind will become empty & spacious.
45pṛṣṭhaśūnyaṃ mūlaśūnyaṃ hṛcchūnyaṃ bhāvayetsthiram ।
yugapan nirvikalpatvān nirvikalpodayas tataḥ ॥
One should steadily contemplate the space above, the space in the root, and the space in the heart simultaneously. [In this process,] one becomes free of dichotomizing beliefs, due to which the unconstructed state arises.
46tanūdeśe śūnyataiva kṣaṇa-mātraṃ vibhāvayet ।
nirvikalpaṃ nirvikalpo nirvikalpa-svarūpa-bhāk ॥
In any given moment, one may consider/contemplate any part of the body as if it were pure Emptiness/Spaciousness, without thinking about it. One who becomes free of dichotomizing beliefs [in this way] directly senses & participates in their unconstructed essence-nature.
47sarvaṃ dehagataṃ dravyaṃ viyad vyāptaṃ mṛgekṣaṇe ।
vibhāvayet tatas tasya bhāvanā sā sthirā bhavet ॥
O doe-eyed woman, one may imagine that all the tissues of the body are pervaded by Space; through this [practice], one’s meditation will become stable & steady.
48dehāntare tvag-vibhāgaṃ bhitti-bhūtaṃ vicintayet ।
na kiñcid antare tasya dhyāyann adhyeyabhāg bhavet ॥
One may imagine that the ‘dividing wall’ of skin is [merely] a screen, within which there is nothing; meditating [in this way], one directly senses that which can never be an object of meditation.
49hṛdyākāśe nilīnākṣaḥ padma-saṃpuṭa-madhya-gaḥ ।
ananya-cetāḥ subhage paraṃ saubhāgyam āpnuyāt ॥
With one’s sense-faculties dissolved in the space of the Heart—in the innermost recess of the Lotus—with one’s attention on nothing else: O blessed Lady, one will obtain supreme blessedness.
50sarvataḥ svaśarīrasya dvādaśānte manolayāt ।
dṛḍhabuddher dṛḍhībhūtaṃ tattvalakṣyaṃ pravartate ॥
Completely dissolve the mind in the upper limit of one’s [subtle] body [above the head]; through this practice, one of steady mind firmly realises the goal of Reality.
51yathā tathā yatra tatra dvādaśānte manaḥ kṣipet ।
pratikṣaṇaṃ kṣīṇavṛtter vailakṣaṇyaṃ dinair bhavet ॥
Wherever you may be, whatever you may be doing, you may cast your attention to the dvādaśānta in any given moment. As mental agitation dies away, something indescribable may occur within days.
52kālāgninā kāla-padād utthitena svakaṃ puram ।
pluṣṭaṃ vicintayed ante śāntābhāsas tadā bhavet ॥
One may imagine that one’s own body is incinerated by the Fire of Time rising from the feet; at the end [of this process] there is the radiant shining of pure tranquillity; one becomes that peaceful shining.
53evameva jagatsarvaṃ dagdhaṃ dhyātvā vikalpataḥ ।
ananyacetasaḥ puṃsaḥ puṃbhāvaḥ paramo bhavet ॥
In the same way, imagining the whole world incinerated [by fire], a person of disciplined mind experiences the supreme state of the soul.
54svadehe jagato vāpi sūkṣmasūkṣmatarāṇi ca ।
tattvāni yāni nilayaṃ dhyātvānte vyajyate parā ॥
Meditating on the Principles of Reality dissolving, each more subtle than the last, in one’s own body or in the world, the Supreme Goddess manifests in the end.
55pīnāṃ ca durbalāṃ śaktiṃ dhyātvā dvādaśagocare ।
praviśya hṛdaye dhyāyan muktaḥ svātantryam āpnuyāt ॥
Meditating on the śakti [of the breath] as thick in the heart and gentle in the area of the dvādaśānta, [and then] entering [fully] into that śakti and meditating [on it], one attains freedom in one’s dreams.
56bhuvanādhvādi-rūpeṇa cintayet kramaśo ’khilam ।
sthūla-sūkṣma-parasthityā yāvad ante manolayaḥ ॥
One may contemplate the Path of Worlds or [any of the other Paths] completely in proper sequence: through stabilizing [this contemplation] in coarse, subtle, and supreme forms, in the end the mind dissolves [into the Absolute].
57asya sarvasya viśvasya paryanteṣu samantataḥ ।
adhvaprakriyayā tattvaṃ śaivaṃ dhyātvā mahodayaḥ ॥
Thoroughly meditating on the adhva-prakriyā, up to the limits of this entire universe, then on the Śaiva Tattva, there comes the Great Dawn of liberation.
58viśvam etan mahādevi śūnyabhūtaṃ vicintayet ।
tatraiva ca mano līnaṃ tatas tallayabhājanam ॥
O great Goddess, one may consider this universe as Empty Void; the mind dissolves in that very [Emptiness], then one shares in its dissolution.
59ghaṭādibhājane dṛṣṭiṃ bhittīs tyaktvā vinikṣipet ।
tallayaṃ tatkṣaṇād gatvā tallayāt tanmayo bhavet ॥
One may cast one’s gaze into a well-formed vessel, such as a bowl, [and] leaving aside its walls, [become absorbed in the space it encloses]. At the very moment [the mind] dissolves into that [space], one becomes that simple open spaciousness.
60nirvṛkṣagiribhittyādideśe dṛṣṭiṃ vinikṣipet ।
vilīne mānase bhāve vṛttikṣīṇaḥ prajāyate ॥
One may cast one’s gaze on an area free of trees, mountains, walls, and so on; when the mental state dissolves into [that open field], then arises the state of being in which mental-emotional churning/activity is feeble or absent.
61ubhayor bhāvayor jñāne dhyātvā madhyaṃ samāśrayet ।
yugapac ca dvayaṃ tyaktvā madhye tattvaṃ prakāśate ॥
Contemplating the cognition of any two objects, or any two states of mind, take refuge in the center [between them] & rest in the center. Releasing both simultaneously, Reality shines forth in the Center.
62bhāve tyakte niruddhā cin naiva bhāvāntaraṃ vrajet ।
tadā tanmadhyabhāvena vikasaty atibhāvanā ॥
When any mental-emotional state or mood has dissolved, let awareness be checked: do not move on to another bhāva [right away]. Then, through the felt-sense of one’s Center, a deeper contemplation [of one’s essence-nature] expands & blossoms.
63sarvaṃ dehaṃ cinmayaṃ hi jagad vā paribhāvayet ।
yugapannirvikalpena manasā paramodayaḥ ॥
One may contemplate [the Truth] that one’s entire body, or indeed the whole world, consists of [nothing but] Consciousness. Through the nonconceptual mind [directly seeing this truth] all at once, there comes the Supreme Dawning [of liberation].
64vāyudvayasya saṃghaṭṭād antar vā bahir antataḥ ।
yogī samatvavijñānasamudgamanabhājanam ॥
Due to the fusion of the prāṇa-vāyus at the external or internal terminus, the yogī becomes a ‘worthy vessel’ for the arising of equality-consciousness.
65sarvaṃ jagat svadehaṃ vā svānandabharitaṃ smaret ।
yugapat svāmṛtenaiva parānandamayo bhavet ॥
Meditate on your own body, or the whole world, or both simultaneously, as filled with your innate joy. Through that inner ‘nectar’, you become made of sublime bliss.
66kuhanena prayogena sadya eva mṛgekṣaṇe ।
samudeti mahānando yena tattvaṃ prakāśate ॥
O doe-eyed woman, through the ‘trick-method’, great joy suddenly arises, through which reality is revealed.
67sarva-sroto-nibandhena prāṇaśaktyordhvayā śanaiḥ ।
pipīla-sparśa-velāyāṃ prathate paramaṃ sukham ॥
The practitioner who stops all the streams of prāṇa-śakti [from flowing out through the senses and orifices] will experience it [enter the central channel and] slowly rise upward. In time he will experience a sensation [like the crawling] of ants [on his skin]; then supreme happiness manifests.
68vahner viṣasya madhye tu cittaṃ sukha-mayaṃ kṣipet ।
kevalaṃ vāyu-pūrṇaṃ vā smarānandena yujyate ॥
One may cast one’s heart-mind, full of pleasure, into the center [point] between the ‘fire’ [at the root] and the ‘poison’ [at the tip] with either kevala-kumbhaka or pūraka-kumbhaka; thus one is connected to the bliss of passionate love.
69śaktisaṃgamasaṃkṣubdhaśaktyāveśāvasānikam ।
yatsukhaṃ brahmatattvasya tatsukhaṃ svākyam ucyate ॥
The stimulation caused by union with the consecrated female partner gives rise to a pleasure which culminates in immersion into [pure] Energy; that is the joy of the Principle of the Absolute [itself]; [and] that is said to be the pleasure innate [to all humans].
70lehanāmanthanākoṭaiḥ strī-sukhasya bharāt smṛteḥ ।
śaktyabhāve ’pi deveśi bhaved ānanda-saṃplavaḥ ॥
Let the whole body remember the pleasure of licking, writhing, and grinding with a woman; even without the consort’s presence, O Queen of the Gods, there may be a flood of bliss.
71ānande mahati prāpte dṛṣṭe vā bāndhave cirāt ।
ānandam udgataṃ dhyātvā tallayas tanmanā bhavet ॥
When you feel great joy, as when seeing a loved one after a long time, meditate on it. Let the mind dissolve into it; become one with it.
72jagdhi-pāna-kṛtollāsa-rasānanda-vijṛmbhaṇāt ।
bhāvayed bharitāvasthāṃ mahānandas tato bhavet ॥
One should meditate on the state of [innate] fullness that expands due to the delight of savoring the warm glow of good food and drink; and that joy will become sublime.
73gītādi-viṣayāsvādāsama-saukhyaikatātmanaḥ ।
yoginas tanmayatvena manorūḍhes tadātmatā ॥
The yogin who relishes music and song to the extent that s/he merges with it becomes filled with unparalleled happiness, attains heightened awareness, and experiences oneness with the Divine.
74yatra yatra manas tuṣṭir manas tatraiva dhārayet ।
tatra tatra parānanda-svarūpaṃ saṃpravartate ॥
Wherever the mind delights, let your attention linger there [in the felt-sense of that rapture]. In any such experience, the true nature of supreme bliss may shine forth.
75anāgatāyāṃ nidrāyāṃ praṇaṣṭe bāhyagocare ।
sāvasthā manasā gamyā parā devī prakāśate ॥
When the external sensory field has disappeared but sleep has not yet come, that [liminal] mental state is attainable in which the Supreme Goddess manifests.
76tejasā sūryadīpāderākāśe śavalīkṛte ।
dṛṣṭirniveśyā tatraiva svātmarūpaṃ prakāśate ॥
Let the gaze come to rest on a space that is dappled with the light of the sun or a lamp or suchlike; in that very [experience], the nature of one’s innate being may manifest.
77karaṅkiṇyā krodhanayā bhairavyā lelihānayā ।
khecaryā dṛṣṭikāle ca parāvāptiḥ prakāśate ॥
At the time of perception, the supreme attainment manifests through karaṅkiṇī, krodhanā, bhairavī, lelihānā and/or khecarī mudrās.
78mṛdvāsane sphijaikena hastapādau nirāśrayam ।
nidhāya tatprasaṅgena parā pūrṇā matir bhavet ॥
Situating oneself on a soft seat, with only the buttocks touching it and the hands and feet suspended in the air, after remaining there [for some time], one’s resolution & determination become completely fulfilled.
79upaviśyāsane samyak bāhū kṛtvārdhakuñcitau ।
kakṣavyomni manaḥ kurvan śamam āyāti tal-layāt ॥
Settling oneself on a seat properly and half-bending the arms, focus the mind in the space of the armpits. When the mind merges into that space, one attains tranquillity.
80sthūlarūpasya bhāvasya stabdhāṃ dṛṣṭiṃ nipātya ca ।
acireṇa nirādhāraṃ manaḥ kṛtvā śivaṃ vrajet ॥
Casting an unmoving gaze upon an object or being with a physical form and making the mind free of thoughts & projections [about that being or object], one attains Śiva.
81madhyajihve sphāritāsye madhye nikṣipya cetanām ।
hoccāraṃ manasā kurvaṃs tataḥ śānte pralīyate ॥
Let the jaw go slack and the mouth open, with the tongue in the middle [pointing up] and cast awareness into the center. Doing uccāra of HA mentally, one will then dissolve into stillness.
82āsane śayane sthitvā nirādhāraṃ vibhāvayan sva-dehaṃ manasi kṣīṇe kṣaṇāt kṣīṇāśayo bhavet ॥
Situating oneself on a seat or a couch[, sitting or lying], imagine your body is without support (i.e., it is floating in space): when the mind dissolves, you may suddenly become free of any substrate or support.
83calāsane sthitasyātha śanair vā deha-cālanāt ।
praśānte mānase bhāve devi divyaugham āpnuyāt ॥
Situated on a swing or moving seat, or through the body slowly being rocked [by oneself or by a friend], one’s mental-emotional state becomes soothed & still, O Goddess, and one attains the Divine Flood [of Bliss].
84ākāśaṃ vimalaṃ paśyan kṛtvā dṛṣṭiṃ nirantarām ।
stabdhātmā tatkṣaṇād devi bhairavaṃ vapurāpnuyāt ॥
Looking at the clear blue sky, with uninterrupted gaze, remaining completely still: all at once, O Goddess, one attains the ‘form’ of Bhairava.
85līnaṃ mūrdhni viyat sarvaṃ bhairavatvena bhāvayet ।
tatsarvaṃ bhairavākāra-tejas-tattvaṃ samāviśet ॥
Imagine the entire sky as Bhairava, and that it is dissolved in your head [so your head is continuous with and has the same nature as the sky]. You will become completely permeated with the reality of the radiant energy that is Bhairava’s nature.
86kiṃcij-jñātaṃ dvaita-dāyi bāhyālokas tamaḥ punaḥ ।
viśvādi bhairavaṃ rūpaṃ jñātvānanta-prakāśa-bhṛt ॥
Having known the [three] states of ‘universe’ and so on—consisting of limited knowledge producing duality, illumination of the external, and darkness respectively—as the very form of Bhairava, he becomes one who carries within the infinite Light of Consciousness.
87evameva durniśāyāṃ kṛṣṇapakṣāgame ciram ।
taimiraṃ bhāvayan rūpaṃ bhairavaṃ rūpam eṣyati ॥
Similarly, on a dark & overcast moonless night, meditate on the formless ‘form’ of the darkness, and you will long for [and attain] Bhairava ’s formless form.
88evameva nimīlyādau netre kṛṣṇābham agrataḥ ।
prasārya bhairavaṃ rūpaṃ bhāvayaṃs tanmayo bhavet ॥
In just the same way [that is, on a dark night], first close your eyes [and behold] what looks like blackness in front of you; then opening them [and perceiving that same blackness in front of you], contemplate it as the very form of Bhairava, and you will attain His nature.
89yasya kasyendriyasyāpi vyāghātācca nirodhataḥ ।
praviṣṭasyādvaye śūnye tatraivātmā prakāśate ॥
Whoever blocks or obstructs one [or more] of the sense-organs may enter into the nondual Void—exactly there [the true nature of] the Self manifests.
90abindum avisargaṃ ca akāraṃ japato mahān ।
udeti devi sahasā jñānaughaḥ parameśvaraḥ ॥
O Goddess, one who repeats the phoneme ‘a’ without anusvāra or visarga [may experience] the sudden & powerful arising of the flood of insight that is identical with the Highest Divinity.
91varṇasya savisargasya visargāntaṃ citiṃ kuru ।
nirādhāreṇa cittena spṛśed brahma sanātanam ॥
Focus awareness on the end of the visarga sound of a [mantric] syllable that has a visarga; when the mind has become ‘supportless’, one may touch the eternal Absolute.
92vyomākāraṃ svam ātmānaṃ dhyāyed digbhir anāvṛtam ।
nirāśrayā citiḥ śaktiḥ svarūpaṃ darśayet tadā ॥
Meditate on oneself as having the nature of the sky, unbounded in all directions. Then the unconditioned Power of Awareness reveals its/one’s true nature.
93kiñcid aṅgaṃ vibhidyādau tīkṣṇa-sūcyādinā tataḥ ।
tatraiva cetanāṃ yuktvā bhairave nirmalā gatiḥ ॥
Pierce any part of the body with a sharp needle or the like, [and] keep awareness focused on that very place: [then] the pure state in Bhairava [is revealed].
94cittādyantaḥkṛtir nāsti mamāntar bhāvayed iti ।
vikalpānām abhāvena vikalpair ujjhito bhavet ॥
Contemplate thus: “There is no ‘mental apparatus’ within me, consisting of the mind, ego, etc.”—through the absence of mental constructs [of selfhood based on ephemeral mental operations], one becomes free of mental constructs [altogether].
96jhagitīcchāṃ samutpannām avalokya śamaṃ nayet ।
yata eva samudbhūtā tatastatraiva līyate ॥
Observing a desire suddenly arising, one should lead it to quiescence. It will dissolve into the very ‘place’ from which it arose.
97yadā mamecchā notpannā jñānaṃ vā kastadāsmi vai ।
tattvato’haṃ tathā bhūtas tallīnas tanmanā bhavet ॥
“When neither desire nor thought arise, who am I? Truly, I am just as I actually am.” Having realized oneself in this way, one’s mind becomes one with That [essence-nature] and merges into That.
98icchāyām athavā jñāne jāte cittaṃ niveśayet ।
ātma-buddhyānanya-cetāstu tatas tattvārtha-darśanam ॥
Or, when desire or thought do arise, one should settle the mind with the discernment that this is [simply a vibration of] the Self. Let awareness be unwavering; then there will be insight into the true nature of reality.
99nirnimittaṃ bhavej jñānaṃ nirādhāraṃ bhramātmakam ।
tattvataḥ kasyacin naitad evaṃ bhāvī śivaḥ priye ॥
Cognitions arise without cause and without objective basis, their nature being [merely] an eddy [of mental energy]. In reality, these [cognitions] belong to no one. One who directly senses the truth of this is Śiva [himself], O beloved.
100cid-dharmā sarva-deheṣu viśeṣo nāsti kutracit ।
ataś ca tan-mayaṃ sarvaṃ bhāvayan bhava-jij janaḥ ॥
The One who has awareness as his fundamental attribute exists in all bodies, without any distinction anywhere (i.e., in this vs. that being). Thus, a person who contemplates everything as having that [same] nature overcomes [the false appearances of] mundane existence.
101kāma-krodha-lobha-moha-mada-mātsarya-gocare ।
buddhiṃ nistimitāṃ kṛtvā tat-tattvam avaśiṣyate ॥
When [one finds oneself] in the field of craving, lust, anger, greed, confusion, intoxicated excitement, or jealousy, make the mind still & soft [right in the middle of the emotion]: reality is that which remains [when the feeling has passed through].
102indra-jāla-mayaṃ viśvaṃ vyastaṃ vā citra-karmavat ।
bhramad vā dhyāyataḥ sarvaṃ paśyataś ca sukhodgamaḥ ॥
Contemplating the diverse universe as being similar to a wondrous painting, or a magic show, or as [constantly] in flux—seeing everything [in this way], the arising of [true] happiness occurs.
103na cittaṃ nikṣiped duḥkhe na sukhe vā parikṣipet ।
bhairavi jñāyatāṃ madhye kiṃ tattvam avaśiṣyate ॥
Do not abandon the heart-mind to either suffering or happiness, O Goddess! In the Center is that reality which remains: let it be known.
104vihāya nija-dehāsthāṃ sarvatrāsmīti bhāvayan ।
dṛḍhena manasā dṛṣṭyā nānyekṣiṇyā sukhī bhavet ॥
Letting go of body-consciousness, and contemplating “I am everywhere” with firm mind and unwavering viewpoint, one becomes happy.
105ghaṭādau yac ca vijñānam icchādyaṃ vā mamāntare ।
naiva sarvagataṃ jātaṃ bhāvayann iti sarvagaḥ ॥
“Consciousness, Will, and so on are not only in me, but are in everything, including inanimate objects.” Contemplating in this way that everything manifest is manifest everywhere, one [experiences oneself] as all-pervasive.
106grāhya-grāhaka-saṃvittiḥ sāmānyā sarva-dehinām ।
yogināṃ tu viśeṣo’sti saṃbandhe sāvadhānatā ॥
The awareness of knower and known is common to all embodied beings, but for yogīs there is this difference: they pay careful attention to their connection.
107svavad anya-śarīre’pi saṃvittim anubhāvayet ।
apekṣāṃ sva-śarīrasya tyaktvā vyāpī dinair bhavet ॥
Cultivate the sense that the consciousness in another’s body is the same as one’s own. Releasing concern with one’s own body, one experiences all-pervasiveness within days.
108nirādhāraṃ manaḥ kṛtvā vikalpān na vikalpayet ।
tad-ātma-paramātmatve bhairavo mṛga-locane ॥
Making the mind supportless, one should not assemble mental constructs. O doe-eyed goddess, [the state called] Bhairava is that of [experiencing] the supreme Self in oneself.
109sarvajñaḥ sarvakartā ca vyāpakaḥ parameśvaraḥ ।
sa evāhaṃ śaiva-dharmā iti dārḍhyād bhavec chivaḥ ॥
“The Highest Divinity is omniscient, omnipotent, and all-pervading; and I am he who possesses Śiva’s qualities.” Stabilizing this conviction, one becomes Śiva.
110jalasyevormayo vahner jvālā-bhaṅgyaḥ prabhā raveḥ ।
mamaiva bhairavasyaitā viśva-bhaṅgyo vibheditāḥ ॥
“Just as waves [arise] from water, undulating flames from fire, and light-rays from the sun, the various kinds of ‘waves’ of the universe arise from me, Bhairava.”
111bhrāntvā bhrāntvā śarīreṇa tvaritaṃ bhuvi pātanāt ।
kṣobha-śakti-virāmeṇa parā saṃjāyate daśā ॥
Whirling quickly around and around and then falling to the ground, or roaming on foot for hours and finally collapsing, the Supreme State arises by the cessation of the energy of excitation.
112ādhāreṣv athavāśaktyājñānāc cittalayena vā ।
jāta-śakti-samāveśa-kṣobhānte bhairavaṃ vapuḥ ॥
Through incapacity regarding the focal points, or through the dissolution of the mind due to not knowing or inability to cognize, [then,] at the end of the excitation occasioned by absorption in the energy produced [by trying to figure it out], beautiful Bhairava-nature [is revealed].
113saṃpradāyam imaṃ devi śṛṇu samyag vadāmyaham ।
kaivalyaṃ jāyate sadyo netrayoḥ stabdha-mātrayoḥ ॥
O Goddess, listen to this traditional teaching: I will speak it accurately. For one whose eyes are merely ‘paralyzed’, radical freedom can suddenly arise.
114saṃkocaṃ karṇayoḥ kṛtvā hyadhodvāre tathaiva ca ।
anackam ahalaṃ dhyāyan viśed brahma sanātanam ॥
Closing the ears and likewise the ‘lower gate’, meditating on [the sound] without vowel or consonant, one may enter the portal to the eternal Absolute in an instant.
115kūpādike mahāgarte sthitvopari nirīkṣaṇāt ।
avikalpa-mateḥ samyak sadyaś citta-layaḥ sphuṭam ॥
Standing above a deep well, chasm, or the like and gazing into it, one’s mind becomes completely free of thought, and suddenly dissolves into clarity.
116yatra yatra mano yāti bāhye vābhyantare’pi vā ।
tatra tatra śivāvasthā vyāpakatvāt kva yāsyati ॥
Wherever the mind goes, internally or even externally, it [discovers] nothing but the state of God. Since [that state] is all-pervasive, where else could the mind go?
117yatra yatrākṣa-mārgeṇa caitanyaṃ vyajyate vibhoḥ ।
tasya tanmātradharmitvāc cillayād bharitātmatā ॥
Wherever [and whenever] the Consciousness of the all-pervasive Lord is manifested through the pathway of the eyes [or other senses], then, because it is that [very Consciousness] which [actually] possesses the qualities of the [apparently objective] perceptible (such as sound, sensation, color etc.), it dissolves into [pure] Awareness; then the state of the fulfilled self [arises].
118kṣutādyante bhaye śoke gahvare vā raṇād drute ।
kutūhale kṣudh-ādyante brahma-sattā-mayī daśā ॥
Just before or after a sneeze, at the onset or cessation of anger, in fear, in deep sorrow, when fleeing from conflict (or from joy), in curiosity or wonder, at the onset and cessation of hunger: [in all these states and more], the state replete with the Being of the Absolute [is available].
119vastuṣu smaryamāṇeṣu dṛṣṭe deśe manas tyajet ।
svaśarīraṃ nirādhāraṃ kṛtvā prasarati prabhuḥ ॥
When seeing a place [one has been before], let go of things that arise in the memory (lit., set aside the faculty of attention in relation to remembered objects), and make your body ‘supportless’: [then] the Lord appears.
120kvacid vastuni vinyasya śanair dṛṣṭiṃ nivartayet ।
taj jñānaṃ cittasahitaṃ devi śūnyālayo bhavet ॥
Fix the gaze on some object, then slowly withdraw it, then the thought of it, then the heart-mind [itself]: O Goddess, one [who practices this] becomes an abode of spaciousness.
121bhaktyudrekād viraktasya yādṛśī jāyate matiḥ ।
sā śaktiḥ śāṃkarī nityaṃ bhāvayet tāṃ tataḥ śivaḥ ॥
The kind of understanding that arises in one who is unattached by virtue of his or her intense devotion is itself Śiva’s śakti. Contemplate & meditate on it constantly: then, Śiva [manifests in one’s direct experience].
122vastvantare vedyamāne śanair vastuṣu śūnyatā ।
tām eva manasā dhyātvā vidito’pi praśāmyati ॥
When another object is being perceived, the emptiness in all things [may be perceived]. Meditating on that emptiness alone with one’s [full] attention, though [the object] is still perceived, one settles down & becomes peaceful.
123kiṃcijjñair yā smṛtā śuddhiḥ sāśuddhiḥ śambhudarśane ।
na śucir hy aśucis tasmān nirvikalpaḥ sukhī bhavet ॥
That which people of paltry understanding consider ‘purity’ is [a cognitive] impurity in the teachings of Śiva. [In truth,] there is neither purity nor impurity. Therefore, be free of such mental constructs, and be happy.
124sarvatra bhairavo bhāvaḥ sāmānyeṣv api gocaraḥ ।
na ca tadvyatirekteṇa paro ’stīty advayā gatiḥ ॥
The being/state called Bhairava is everywhere; [thus,] it is available to common folk as well. There is nothing apart from That. There is no other. One who comprehends this is in the nondual mode.
125samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca samo mānāvamānayoḥ ।
brahmaṇaḥ paripūrṇatvāt iti jñātvā sukhī bhavet ॥
[Internally] equal towards foe and friend, and equanimous in both honor and dishonor, because the plenitude of the Absolute [is the same in all beings]: knowing this, one becomes [truly] happy.
126na dveṣaṃ bhāvayetkvāpi na rāgaṃ bhāvayetkvacit ।
rāgadveṣavinirmuktau madhye brahma prasarpati ॥
One should contemplate neither hatred nor craving in any circumstance whatsoever. In the Center, radically free from attachment and aversion, the Absolute unfolds.
127yadavedyaṃ yadagrāhyaṃ yacchūnyaṃ yadabhāvagam ।
tatsarvaṃ bhairavaṃ bhāvyaṃ tadante bodhasaṃbhavaḥ ॥
That which cannot be known [in the ordinary manner], that which cannot be grasped [by the mind], which is Void and abides in Nonbeing—all that should be contemplated as Bhairava, as everything. At the culmination [of that contemplative process] comes the arising of awakened awareness.
128nitye nirāśraye śūnye vyāpake kalanojjhite ।
bāhyākāśe manaḥ kṛtvā nirākāśaṃ samāviśet ॥
Absorbing the mind in external space—which is eternal, needs no support, void, all-pervasive, and free of limitations—one becomes completely immersed in empty fullness.
129yatra yatra mano yāti tat tat tenaiva tatkṣaṇam ।
parityajyānavasthityā nistaraṅgastato bhavet ॥
Wherever the mind goes, in that very instant let it abandon whatever [it has alighted upon]. Due to having nothing to hang on to, it then becomes ‘waveless’.
130bhayā sarvaṃ ravayati sarvado vyāpako’khile ।
iti bhairava-śabdasya saṃtatoccāraṇāc chivaḥ ॥
One who constantly utters the word ‘Bhairava’, understanding that it means “With His radiant Light, He makes the whole universe resound [with awareness], and He pervades the whole completely”, becomes Śiva.
131ahaṃ mamedamityādipratipattiprasaṅgataḥ ।
nirādhāre mano yāti taddhyānapreraṇācchamī ॥
In everyday life, when one hears oneself saying phrases like ‘I am…’ or ‘this is mine’, seize the opportunity to inquire [into what these words (‘I’ or ‘my’) refer to]. The mind tries to find a referent, but it cannot. Impelled [toward the truth] by this meditative contemplation, one becomes peaceful.
132nityo vibhurnirādhāro vyāpakaścākhilādhipaḥ ।
śabdān pratikṣaṇaṃ dhyāyan kṛtārtho’rthānurūpataḥ ॥
“Eternal, majestic, requiring no external support, all-pervasive, lord over all”—meditating on these words [as applying equally to God and to oneself] in every possible moment, one attains the goal in accordance with their meaning.
133atattvamindrajālābhamidaṃ sarvamavasthitam ।
kiṃ tattvamindrajālasya iti dārḍhyācchamaṃ vrajet ॥
“It is established that this entire [world] is as unreal as a magic show. How much reality is there in a magic show?” Due to being firm [in cultivating this conviction], one attains peace.
134ātmano nirvikārasya kva jñānaṃ kva ca vā kriyā ।
jñānāyattā bahirbhāvā ataḥ śūnyamidaṃ jagat ॥
How can the unchanging Self be the locus of cognition or action? [Yet all] external states depend on cognition. Hence, this world is empty.
135na me bandho na mokṣo me bhītasyaitā vibhīṣikāḥ ।
pratibimbam idaṃ buddher jaleṣviva vivasvataḥ ॥
“For me there is no bondage; nor is there any [need for] liberation. These are merely [concepts] with which people frighten themselves. This [phenomenal reality] is [merely] a reflection in the mind, like suns in pools of water.”
136indriyadvārakaṃ sarvaṃ sukhaduḥkhādisaṃgamam ।
itīndriyāṇi saṃtyajya svasthaḥ svātmani vartate ॥
Union with pleasure, pain, and so on always occurs through the doors of perception. With this in mind, let go [of attachment to] the senses and be at ease in the natural state, abiding in oneself.
137jñānaprakāśakaṃ sarvaṃ sarveṇātmā prakāśakaḥ ।
ekam ekasvabhāvatvāt jñānaṃ jñeyaṃ vibhāvyate ॥
Everything is revealed by cognition, and the Self is revealed by everything. Due to there being only one essential nature, knowables are [to be] contemplated as [consisting of] One Consciousness.
138mānasaṃ cetanā śaktir ātmā ceti catuṣṭayam ।
yadā priye parikṣīṇaṃ tadā tad bhairavaṃ vapuḥ ॥
O dear one, when these four—mental [states], vital energy, individuated consciousness, and the self[-concept]—have dissolved, that is Bhairava-nature!
139nistaraṅgopadeśānāṃ śatam uktaṃ samāsataḥ ।
dvādaśābhyadhikaṃ devi yajjñātvā jñānavijjanaḥ ॥
O Goddess, I have taught 112 concise teachings on how to become ‘waveless’. One who can understand them attains [true] wisdom.
140atra caikatame yukto jāyate bhairavaḥ svayam ।
vācā karoti karmāṇi śāpānugrahakārakaḥ ॥
A practitioner who is [fully] connected to even one [of these methods] becomes Bhairava himself. S/he performs actions by the [power of his] word, effecting both curses and blessings.
141–142aajarāmaratāmeti so’ ṇimādiguṇānvitaḥ ।
yoginīnāṃ priyo devi sarvamelāpakādhipaḥ ॥
jīvann api vimukto’sau kurvannapi ca ceṣṭitam ।He enters the state free from [fear of] old age and death, and is endowed with the qualities of ‘atomism’ and the rest. He is beloved of the yoginīs and presides over all the melāpas. Though still in the body, he is fully liberated even as he goes about his daily life.
śrīdevī uvāca ।The blessed Goddess said:
142b–144aidaṃ yadi vapur deva parāyāś ca maheśvara ॥
evam ukta vyavasthāyāṃ japyate ko japaśca kaḥ ।
dhyāyate ko mahānātha pūjyate kaśca tṛpyati ॥
hūyate kasya vā homo yāgaḥ kasya ca kiṃ katham ।If, O Lord, this is the true form of Parā, how can there be mantra or its repetition in this teaching you have given? What would be visualized, who worshiped and who gratified? And who is there to receive fire-offerings? Whose is the worship, and how [could it be done?]
śrībhairava uvāca ।Bhairava replied:
144b–145eṣātra prakriyā bāhyā sthūleṣv eva mṛgekṣaṇe ॥
bhūyo bhūyaḥ pare bhāve bhāvanā bhāvyate hi yā ।
japaḥ so ’tra svayaṃ nādo mantrātmā japya īdṛśaḥ ॥
In this [higher way], O doe-eyed woman, external procedures are considered coarse & superficial. Here ‘japa’ is ever greater meditative absorption into the supreme state; and similarly, here the ‘mantra’ to be repeated is the spontaneous resonance [of self-awareness], which is the soul of all mantras.
146dhyānaṃ hi niścalā buddhir nirākārā nirāśrayā ।
na tu dhyānaṃ śarīrākṣi-mukha-hastādi-kalpanā ॥
As for ‘meditative visualization’, it is a mind that has become motionless, free of forms, and supportless, not imagining a deity with a body, eyes, face and so on.
147pūjā nāma na puṣpādyair yā matiḥ kriyate dṛḍhā ।
nirvikalpe pare vyomni sā pūjā hyādarāl layaḥ ॥
Pūjā is likewise not the offering of flowers and so on. A mind made firm, that through careful attention dissolves into the thought-free ultimate void [of pure awareness]: that is pūjā.
148atraikatamayuktisthe yotpadyeta dinād dinam ।
bharitākāratā sātra tṛptir atyanta-pūrṇatā ॥
When one is connected to [even] one of the practices given here, the aspect of Bhairava called ‘nourished fullness’ will arise and develop day by day: it is absolute wholeness, it is contentment.
149mahāśūnyālaye vahnau bhūtākṣaviṣayādikam ।
hūyate manasā sārdhaṃ sa homaś cetanā-srucā ॥
Offering the elements, the senses, and their objects, together with the mind, into the ‘fire’ that constitutes total dissolution into the Great Void, with individuated consciousness as the ladle: that is [the real] homa.
150–151yāgo ’tra parameśāni tuṣṭir ānanda-lakṣaṇā ।
kṣapaṇāt sarva-pāpānāṃ trāṇāt sarvasya pārvati ॥
rudra-śakti-samāveśas tat-kṣetraṃ bhāvanā parā ।
anyathā tasya tattvasya kā pūjā kaśca tṛpyati ॥
Worship is here the gratification characterized by innate joy, O Queen of the gods. O Pārvatī, the state of Immersion in Divine Power is the highest meditation, the [true] holy place of pilgrimage, because it destroys negative karma and saves all beings. Otherwise, [that is, without this Immersion], what worship could there be of that Reality, and whom would it gratify?
152svatantrānanda-cin-mātra-sāraḥ svātmā hi sarvataḥ ।
āveśanaṃ tat-svarūpe svātmanaḥ snānam īritam ॥
The essence of one’s real being is simply awareness of the joy of freedom. Thorough immersion into one’s true nature, [as awareness, joy and freedom], is here proclaimed as the true ‘purificatory bath.’
153yair eva pūjyate dravyais tarpyate vā parāparaḥ ।
yaścaiva pūjakaḥ sarvaḥ sa evaikaḥ kva pūjanam ॥
The transcendent-yet-immanent [Divinity] who is worshiped and gratified with the various substances, those substances themselves, and the worshiper—all this is One. How, then, [can we use the term] ‘worship’?
154vrajet prāṇo viśej jīva icchayā kuṭilākṛtiḥ ।
dīrghātmā sā mahādevī para-kṣetraṃ parāparā ॥
The prāṇa moves forth and the inhale enters, forming into a coil [of energy] by [the power of] the Will. The prāṇa extends and lengthens [up the central channel]—that is the Great Goddess, both transcendent and immanent, the ultimate place of pilgrimage.
155asyām anucaran tiṣṭhan mahānandamaye ’dhvare ।
tayā devyā samāviṣṭaḥ paraṃ bhairavam āpnuyāt ॥
Attending on Her and abiding within Her in the rite consisting of supreme delight, one who is penetrated & permeated by that Goddess attains supreme Bhairava.
156–Asa-kareṇa bahir yāti ha-kareṇa viset punaḥ ।
haṃsa-haṃsety amuṃ mantraṃ jīvo japati nityasaḥ ॥
With the sound sa it goes forth; with the sound ha it enters in again. A living being always repeats this mantra—haṃsa, haṃsa—[in the form of the breath].
156–Bṣaṭ śatāni divā rātrau sahasrāṇyekaviṃśatiḥ ।
japo devyāḥ samuddiṣṭaḥ prāṇasyānte sudurlabhaḥ ॥
The [natural] japa of the Goddess goes on 21,600 times in each day and night, it is taught. This practice is easily mastered by some, but difficult to attain for those who are dense.
157–158aity etat kathitaṃ devi paramāmṛtam uttamam ।
etac ca naiva kasyāpi prakāśyam tu kadācana ॥
paraśiṣye khale krūre abhakte gurupādayoḥ ।Thus, O Goddess, I have related to you the ultimate supreme nectar [of the Tantrik teachings]. It should never be given to someone who is a disciple of another (i.e., non-Tantrik) tradition, or who is cruel or mean-spirited, or who is not devoted to his or her teachers.
158b–159anirvikalpamatīnāṃ tu vīrāṇāmunnatātmanām ॥
bhaktānāṃ guruvargasya dātavyaṃ nirviśaṅkayā ।But it should be given without hesitation to those ‘heroes’ (i.e. Kaula practitioners) of elevated nature, whose minds are [relatively] free of projections & dualistic views, and who are devoted to all their teachers.
159b–160agrāmo rājyaṃ puraṃ deśaḥ putradārakuṭumbakam ॥
sarvam etat parityajya grāhyam etan mṛgekṣaṇe ।Village, kingdom, city, country, household of wife and children—relinquishing [attachment] to all these, this [teaching] is to be taken up, O doe-eyed woman.
160b–161akimebhirasthirair devi sthiraṃ paramidaṃ dhanam ॥
prāṇā api pradā tavyā na deyaṃ paramāmṛtam ।O goddess, what is the point of impermanent things? [Only] this supreme wealth is permanent. One should sooner give up one’s own life than give this Supreme Nectar [to one not ready to comprehend it].
śrīdevī uvāca ।The blessed Goddess said:
161b–163adevadeva mahādeva paritṛptāsmi śaṃkara ।
rudra-yāmala-tantrasya sāram adyāvadhāritam ।
sarva-śakti-prabhedānāṃ hṛdayaṃ jñātam adya ca ॥
ity uktvānanditā devī kaṇṭhe lagnā śivasya tu ॥
O God of gods! O great Lord! I am completely satisfied, O Śankara. Now I have learned the essence of the system [of practice] arising from our union; now I understand the very heart of all the various kinds of energy.” Having spoken thus, delighted, the Goddess flung her arms around Śiva’s neck.
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