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Section 1:
Svaruupaspandah Spanda (or
vibrant potency) as the essential nature of Siva)
The
first verse of this section describes Spanda-Sakti, represented by the Unmesa
(emergence) and Nimesa (submergence) of the Sakti (primal energy) of Siva. As
Kshemaraja puts it, it is the essential nature of Siva and also that of the
empirical individual.
Unmesa and Nimesa are only figuratively spoken of as occurring one after the
other. As a matter of fact, they occur simultaneously.
In activity, there is no depletion of Spanda-Sakti as there is of physical
energy. "This Goddess is always engaged in exercising her energy in
withdrawal and yet always appears as replete.
Commentary on the first Karika: In reality, nothing arises,
and nothing subsides. It is only the divine Spandasakti which, though free of
succession, appears in different aspects as if flashing in view and as if
subsiding." Yet Spanda-Shakti in itself before manifestation exists in
void as potential-to-be, potential-to-contain, potency vibrating
tangentially (it is an omni-directional potency due to the potential
of dimension).
Kshemaraja believes that there is close correlation between the Spanda system
and the Krama system. In his Spandanirnaya commentary, Kshemaraja interprets
the phrase, "sakti-chakra-vibhava-prabhavam" as representing the
Mahaartha or Krama ideal of five-fold functioning through the agency of the
dieties Srsti, Rakta, Kaali, etc. In explaining Vibhava - he uses the
very technical terms of Krama Sastra - udyoga, meaning creative activity
avabhaasana, meaning maintenance, carvanaa (absorption), and Vilaapana,
meaning the assumption of the indefinable state (Anaakhyaa).
2. The
second verse says that the world is contained in the Spanda principle, and
comes out of it. The world being contained in Spanda and coming out of
it does not mean that the world is anything different from Siva as a walnut
is different from the bag in which it is contained. Being “contained
in” and “coming out of” are only limitations of the human language. The
world is Siva as reflections in a mirror are the mirror itself. The
world consists of the subject; object and means of knowledge and as such
cannot really conceal Siva because without the light of Siva they themselves
cannot appear. The world is inherent in Spanda just as a banyan tree
exists as potency in the seed.
3. The third verse maintains that even in the differing states viz.
waking, dream, and deep sleep, the Spanda principle remains the same, viz.,
as the invariable of Experient of all the states.
4. While states of experience like pleasure, pain, etc. differ; the
Experient cannot change; for it is the Experient that connects the differing
states as the experience of the identical Experient.
5. Reality is neither psychological subject nor the psycho-physical
experience, nor is it mere void. Reality or Spanda is the underlying
basis of the psychological subject; it is the eternal Experient that can
never be reduced to an object.
6 & 7. It is from the Spanda principle that the group of senses
acquires it' power of going forth towards the objects, maintaining them in
perception for a while and then withdrawing them towards the center.
8. It is not the will or desire of the empirical individual that moves
the senses towards their objects. He derives this power from the Spanda
principle - the dynamism of Siva.
9. It is on account of Aanava, Maayiiya, and Kaarma Mala- that the
empirical individual is unable to realize the Spanda principle.
10. When the limited ego or Aanava Mala of the individual is
dissolved, he acquires the true characteristic of the Spanda principle, viz.,
innate knowledge and activity.
11. When the Yogi realizes the Spanda principle, he knows that this is
his essential Self, and not his empirical self.
12 & 13. The experience of void does not prove that there is no
Experient, for without the Experient, even the experience of void would not
be possible. This Experient is the Spanda principle.
14, 15, & 16. Spanda or the Divine principle appears in two aspects,
subject and object. It is only the object that changes and disappears, never
the subject. Spanda constitutes the eternal subject.
17. The fully awakened Yogi or Suprabuddha has an integral experience
of the Spanda principle in all three states of waking, dream, and deep sleep,
but the partially awakened individual has an experience of it only in the
beginning and end of the waking, dream, and deep sleep, not in the middle of
these states.
18. To the fully enlightened Yogi, the Spanda principle appears as
knowledge (jnana) and objects of knowledge (jneya) in the middle of the two
states of waking and dream, fully integrated to the I-consciousness just as
they appear to Sadasiva and Isvara. In the deep sleep, since there is
no object, the Spanda principle appears as sheer consciousness (Cinmaya).
19. There are two aspects of Spanda-Saamaanya and Visesa. Saamaanya is
the general principle of consciousness, Visesa is the manifestation of Spanda
in constitutive aspects like Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas or objective
experiences like blue, pleasure, etc. Ordinary people consider the Visesa
Spanda, i.e. the particular manifestations as something entirely different
from consciousness, but the fully enlightened Yogi considers them only as
forms of Spanda.
20. The particular forms of Spanda appear as entirely different from
consciousness to all those who are not awakened to their divine source. So
they are doomed to a life of worldly existence.
21. One should, therefore, have constant awareness of the Spanda principle
even in the common work-a-day world.
22. In intense emotional state or a state of mental impasse, all the
mental activities come to a dead stop. That is the time when one can have an
experience of the Spanda principle if one is properly oriented towards it.
23, 24, & 25. When the Yogi lays his grip firmly on the Spanda
principle, his Praana and Apaana get merged in the Susumnaa; they mount up to
Brahmarandhra and finally get dissolved in the ether of consciousness beyond
it.
Thus by means of twenty-five verses the essential nature of Spanda together
with the means for attaining it has been described from various points of
view.
Section 2: Sahaja Vidyodaya:
The first section describes Spanda principle as Siva' dynamic
aspect, which is identical with the essential Self of each. In the first
section, there is the stress on Nimiilana Samaadhi (introverted meditation)
for the realization of Spanda principle.
The second section describes Spanda not only as identical with the essential
Self but also with the whole universe. In order to realize this aspect of
Spanda (there is the stress on unmiilana Samaadhi (extroverted meditation)).
This is possible by the rise of Sahaja Vidyaa by which one experiences unity
in the midst of diversity.
1 & 2. say that Mantra- whether taken in the sense of Mantra,
Mantresvara, and Mantramahesvara or in the sense of sacred formulae derive
their power from the Spanda principle and are finally dissolved in it.
3 & 4. tell us that the individual through his knowledge of all objects
feels his identity with all. Hence there is no state which is not Siva to
him.
5. tells us that one who has this realization views the entire world
as the play of the Self, identical with Siva.
In verses 6 & 7,
it is said that if one realizes his identity with the deity who is the object
of his meditation, one becomes ultimately identified with Siva and acquires
immortality.
Section 3: Vibhuuti Spanda:
This section describes mostly the supernatural powers gained
by the realization of Spanda.
1 & 2.
tell us that as Siva fulfils the desires of the embodied Yogi in the waking
condition, so also does He reveal his desired objects even in dream by
appearing in Susumnaa.
3. tells us that if the Yogi is not alert, he will have at the same
common experience in waking condition and particular, personal experiences in
dream as other ordinary people of the world have.
4 & 5. say that if the self of the Yogi becomes identified with
the essential nature of Siva, he is endowed with the power of knowing
everything in it' essential form.
6. says that such a Yogi can acquire full control of omniscience.
7. says that he can also acquire the power of omniscience.
8. Depression proceeds from spiritual ignorance. Depression can no
longer remain when ignorance disappears.
9. describes the rise of Unmesa. It occurs at the junction-point of
two thoughts. It is that meta-empirical Self that relates all thoughts and
runs through all as the underlying subject.
10. From the realization of Unmesa one experiences supernormal light
in the middle of the two eyebrows, unstruck spontaneous sound in the
Susumnaa, ruupa i.e., a glow shining even in darkness and supernormal taste
experienced on the tip of the tongue. They are, however, a disturbing factor
in the realization of the Spanda principle.
11. When the Yogi is established in the essential Self, he can
experience all objective reality right from earth upto Siva.
12. One who is identified with the essential Self perceives all
phenomena (either sentient or insentient) as the form of Siva.
13. The
empirical individual is deprived of the real spiritual power of will,
knowledge, and activity and coming under the suzerainty of powers derived
from the multitude of words, he is reduced to the status of pain - a limited,
bound soul.
14. The bound soul loses his independence on account of the rise of
ideas, which have their sphere in sense-objects.
15. The empirical individual becomes bound on account of ideas, and
ideas are due to the power of words. So words have a tremendous influence on
the empirical individual. Yet not only that, each word being composed of
letters, it is obvious that it is not the word itself is the beginning of
influence but that the first letter of any word is the beginning of
influence, as described in the science of matrka. (the science of mantra)
16. The power of ideation and verbalization is derived from Kriyaa
Sakti. When the empirical individual realizes that the Kriyaa Sakti is only
an aspect of Paraasakti or Spanda, he is liberated.
17 & 18. All our motivated desires and ideas remain in the form of
residual traces in the subtle body or Puryastaka consisting of the five
Tanmaatraas, Manas, Buddhhi, and Ahamkaara. The transmigratory existence can
be stopped only by the extermination of the impurities of the Puryastaka.
19. When the empirical individual is firmly rooted in the Spanda
principle, he brings the emergence and dissolution of the Puryastaka under
his control and can become lord of the entire group of Saktis.
Section 4:
In this section there are only two verses. The first one, by
means of double entendre, lauds both the power of the Spanda state and the
power of the word of the Guru.
The
second one only points out the good that would accrue to all who carefully
betake themselves to the Spanda principle, and realize it.
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