Tantra-Basics 2: Die 36 Tattvas - die Manifestation universellen Bewusstseins (German Edition)

See also Smith, in JOR , p. For these manifestations see below, p. Bhattacharyya, Foreword to Jayakhya-Samhita, edition, p. Kumarappa, The Hindu conception of the deity, London , p. Or it includes all that is set forth in the purdnas and four philosophical systems Utsavasamgraha, III, p. Ananta, Garada Vibagendra , Visvaksena, Brahma, and Siva, adding that the instruction comprised the four subjects jnana, yoga, kriya, and caryaA 7 Now, the Sanatkumara-Samhita actually consists of five 48 books called ratra each of which is said to have been divulged by an ancient authority of divine rank, viz.

Brahma-, Siva-, Indra-, and Rsiratra, the fifth, which is not found in the manuscripts, being that of Brhaspati. In the edition of the Bharadvaja-Samhita I have not found the passage replacing the name of Brhaspati by Naga which is quoted by Raghavan. According to one interpreter IS. He was followed by Mrs. The plurality of terms used in the texts 57 has not failed to cause confusion, some modem authors 58 being obviously of the opinion that Pancaratra and Bhagavata are completely synonymous names.

Although the origin of the Pancaratra school and its historical relations to the Bhagavatism of the Bhagavadglta are not clear, 59 the assumption seems warranted that the adherents of that denomination—whose monotheistic doctrines, referred to in the Narayaniya section of the Mahabharata, are held to have been revealed by Bhagavan Narayana himself 60 and promulgated by Narada, 61 and who adored 55 One might add that the Brhan- Naradiya-Purana 1, 21 1, 19 mentions a pancaratrivrata to be observed by those who wish to adore Visnu, in five nights beginning with the eleventh of the bright half of mdrgasirsa.

Compare also the Sivaite MalT. De, in Our Heritage 1 Calcutta , p. Gail, Bhakti im Bhagavatapurana, Wiesbaden , p. Lalye, Studies in Devi-Bhagavata, Bombay , p. The traditional belief is put into words by L. For the oral tradition see V. The monotheistic doctrines of this school are sometimes attributed to a reputed Samkhya-Yoga authority, named Pancasikha Kapileya. Vasudeva identified with Brahman. It is difficult to say what kind of ritual observances went with the epical Pancaratra. For Pancasikha and this passage seeE.

Grierson, in IA 37 , p. Banerjea, Pauranic and tantric religion, Calcutta , p. Brahmanenzuchtigung gewaltigen Frevel darstellt und nur durch scheufiliche Hollenstrafen abgebiifit werden kann 5, 26, 16; cf. Their doctrine is the root of the Veda-tree of which the Rgveda etc. The Lord who is known from the Vedanta scriptures. They belong, he emphasizes, to the Ekayanasakha not one of the recognized Vedic sakhas, however of the Vajasaneyins, who themselves represent the White Yajurveda. Singer, Chicago-London , p. On the Ekayana-Veda see also Dasgtjpta, H. On the other hand, a passage such as LT.

Similar arguments are brought forward by Pancaratra authors. The chronology of this literature remains a vexed problem. Inferences have been drawn from the occurrences of names and titles that belong or may belong to the Pancaratra tradition. See also Jaiswal, O. On Utpala see also B. Bhattacharyya, Foreword to JS. There are also internal references— for instance, AhS. These references can furnish us with valuable indications with regard to the mutual chronological relations of these works.

Padma, Sanatkumara, Padmodbhava, Mahendra, and Kanva. It is however not absolutely certain that all such references—especially those to texts that are regarded as the oldest—point to these works in their present form. But even if we take for granted that the great philosopher was bom in and if we would reject the far 94 I6vS. The colophons of chapters dealing with recensions of the same subject-matter do not always give the same titles etc. More or less isolated references of this kind often fail to carry conviction because in many Hindu religious texts there is much community of traditional matter and much mutual borrowing—not always clearly distinguishable from one another.

The interpolated stanzas after JS. It may be recalled that other scholars also are inclined to include the Pauskara, Sattvata, and Jayakhya among the very oldest samhitas. The oldest samhitas are sometimes held to date back to about A. The chronological problem is indeed intricately interlaced with geographical considerations. From—partly negative—internal evidence it appears that the Pancaratra school must have originated and promulgated in the North of India—including Kashmir and Orissa—and subsequently spread to the South.

The supposition that there existed some kind of Pancaratra literature at the time of the final redaction of the Mahabharata and its corollary, that this literature originated in the same region as the Narayaniya cannot be substantiated. That a vast amount of this literature was produced in the later Gupta age and the centuries following it seems very probable. In the Dravidian countries new samhitas were produced. Esnoud, Padma Tantra, in Indologica Taurinensia 3. The Pancaratra tradition also spread to Nepal; see e.

Pratapaditya Pad, Vaisnava iconology in Nepal, Calcutta , p. I refer to Zvedebid, Tamil literature Handbuch , p. Some texts contain clear references to their southern provenance.

Similar authors to follow

That the Sri-Prasna-Samhita was at least redacted in Tamilnad appears from references to the Alvars and to the recitation of their Tamil hymns dravidagatha in temples. The northern origin of other works can be demonstrated or made acceptable by references such as are contained in the Hayasirsa Pancaratra which, while excluding any South Indian script, makes mention of Kashmir and ndgari alphabets. The same work excludes inhabitants of a number of regions with prevailing sakta and saiva systems from officiating in consecrations; as these regions surround central parts of North India, the enumeration suggests a northern origin.

This Samhita has indeed so far been found in Orissa. A similar statement is found in the Agni-Purana, 39, 6f.: According to Schrader the southern class of samhitas is much smaller than the northern one. It is a Central Sanskrit Institute Kendriya Sanskrit Vidyapitha established by the Government of India at the famous temple-centre of Tirupati which in the last decade has undertaken the publication and study of this literature, in the hope of preserving the sacred knowledge, the art and architecture and faith in God—the threefold purpose of the Agamas.

See also 39, 23; 26, 75; 45, 53 and compare Schrader, I. I 22 Schrader, I. CONTENTS Entertaining the up to now unrealized hope that each of the principal topics treated in these works would in the course of time be made the subject of a monograph Schrader 1 distinguished the following ten: For practical reasons this list can give a lead in presenting a general survey of the contents of the samhitas. Visnu is God in all His divine aspects; pre-existent, beginningless and infinite; he is higher in rank than Brahma whom he produces and orders to create the world and the living beings.

He is omniscient and omnipresent, 10 but cannot be perceived by the senses; he can, however, be intuited directly just as the fragrance of flowers JS. He pervades all conscious and unconscious existence just as the sap pervades the plants JS. Philosophically, however, the speculations on the relation between God and the world had already at an early date given rise to a complicated system which can be sketched here only in outline.

For a general survey of Pancaratra philosophy: Bhatt, The philosophy of Pancharatra. An Advaitic approach, Madras Among the other works which give information the Tattvatraya culuka- samgraha deserves mention. It contains many extracts from the Visvaksena-Samhita and has been commented upon by Vara vara. For the significance of the puranic cosmogony and cosmology, the part played by Narayana in the cosmic drama etc. If He is pleased. For his worship ParS. Compare The Pancaratra Samhitas: For the Highest, called Vasudeva, as Brahman: For Sakti in Pancaratra literature: Since her transformations are inscrutable, she is also referred to as Maya see e.

In particulars—such as the order of the events—the texts differ from each other; see e. For the three gunas of the Samkhya system see e. They are omniscience jnana , activity based on independent lordship aisvarya , potency or ability sakti , force bala , unaffectedness, virtue, virility virya and brilliant energy or self-sufficiency tejas. In their totality and by pairs these six gunas are the instruments or material of pure creation, three of them being connected with the bhuti, three with the kriya aspect of Sakti.

The apparition of the pairs means the beginning of a process of emanation which is represented as a chain, each link of which is a flame proceeding from another flame. This vyuha doctrine may be considered another attempt at maintaining the fundamental monotheistic starting-point whilst incorporating some adorable doubles or manifestations of the Highest Being, and at assigning to these positions and functions in a systematic explanation of the universe.

At the same time it is an attempt at conceiving God as the unaffected and changeless One who nevertheless is the cause of all change; an attempt also at harmonizing theology with mythology and some elements of evolutionist philosophy. Some later samhitas make mention of saktis of the vyuhas.

Thus Vasudeva creates from his mind the 22 AhS. For some particulars see also K. Varadachari, in NIA 6 , p.

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Jaiswal, The origin and development of Vaisnavism, Delhi , p. Dasgupta, in IHQ 8, p. Rao, Religion in Andhra, Tripurasundari , p. Fidliozat, in Arts Asiatiques 26 , p. In the course of the creative process the duality of purusa and prakfti — well-known Samkhya concepts—as well as the cosmic egg or eggs make their appearance. From each vyuha descend three sub -vyuhas or vyuhan- taras named after aspects epithets of Visnu. There is, moreover, the antarydmin avatdra, i. Generally speaking, the Pancaratra avatdra doctrine was adapted to the vyuha theory.

For the concept of an egg-formed universe and the puranic term brahmanda see W. Kapila, the founder of Samkhya cf. For various particulars and difference of opinion: In the Gupta period, the Boar incarnation was the most popular manifestation, and next to it, Nrsimha; for particulars: The avataras enumerated here are in this order: Rama , and Sattvata i. Matsya, Kurma, 62 J. In Vaikuntha God resides in his highest para form, 39 adorned with his nine 40 chief ornaments and weapons, which symbolically represent the principles of the universe, viz.

As the Highest, God is sometimes identified with Vasudeva 41 and always accompanied by Sri Laksmi , or by 6ri and BhumI Earth 42 and Nila, 43 the former view being preferred by those who regard Laksmi, the Sakti, as a real philosophical principle. Some samhitds mention eight or twelve SS. Laksmi, Pusti, Kanti, Prabha, Mati etc. For a long exposition two, four, six, eight, twelve etc. There are three categories of living beings, viz. The nature of this creation is mythological: The lower creation or third stage of evolution agrees in the main with the only evolution known to the Classical Samkhya.

According to the Laksmi Tantra however it is the lotus 48 See e. For the term see also NarS. Once at the end of a world period the Bhagavan wished to create and produced primeval matter pradhdna and purusa AhS. For Pancaratra accounts of creation see e. Ill, New Delhi , p. Fratjwaelner, Geschichte der indischen Philosophie, I, Salzburg , p. Mahat evolves into ahamlcara and from this principle onwards 56 the process differs not much from both the Samkhya and Vedanta 57 doctrines of creation.

Thus while primordial matter pra- dhdna is according to Samkhya independent, it is in the Pancaratra system subordinate. For Hari as the twenty-sixth: Although for instance the account of the evolution of various categories in AhS. For Samkhya ideas see e. Bhattacharyya, Foreword to the edition of the Jayakhya-Samhita, p. Also in other respects there are conflicting statements in the sources. Marici is in epic and puranic mythology one of the seven great sages of antiquity and a son of Brahma. One should observe the dharma in order to propitiate God ViS.

In India there has always been manifest a strong tendency to combine what in the West is called philosophy and what is known as religion. Or, rather 61 Compare e. That which leads to the supremely blissful and beneficial hita , the way to it, the performance of religious practices and the spiritual endeavour sadhana is twofold: Knowledge also is twofold, viz.

Whereas the path of Samkhya leads only to indirect knowledge of God, Yoga and Vedanta make a direct intuition of Him possible. With reference to yoga it must be observed that the Pancaratra, like other systems, admitted the possibility of using the supranormal power acquired 70 See e. For jnana and bhakti see e. The term yoga is variously explained, e. For the term hathayoga-. Narayana, 3, 93 ; LT. For mdyd see e. Gonda, The Indian mantra, in Oriens 16 , p. Jhavery, Comparative and critical study of Mantrasastra, Ahme- dabad Renou, Etudes vediques et panineennes, VI, Paris , p. Although scepticism about the meaning of mantras is very ancient in India, there are still Indians who believe that some people can for instance make fire by reciting Vedic mantras.

Often a mantra is appropriate to a definite occasion, or we might say, well- chosen: Of special importance for the believers are of course the special mantras of the community. It is so potent that it enables Brahma and Siva to acquire their functions st. This is one of the so-called sectarian variations cf. Bhatta- charya, in JA , p. The sounds are identified with the thirty-nine avatdras. A sufficient knowledge of these formulas is part of the spiritual equipment of the initiated.

The understanding of definite mantras is said to be a great instrument that grants success, i. Woodroffe, Introduction to Tantra Shastra, Madras , p. It may be recalled that the mystery of speech is an ancient tradition in India and that transcendental and phenomenal forms of speech as well as the association of word form and meaning were often speculated upon. In the agama literature a systematic attempt was made to relate sound to reality. At 18, 33 the Vedic Purusa-sukta RV. The acaryas, in fact the elders of the denomination, constitute the highest class of initiates—qualified to initiate others —, the lower ones being the samayins, putrakas and sadhakas.

Gonda, Change and continuity in Indian religion, The Hague , ch. It is interesting to notice that some of these rites are described in greater detail than others. The collective term for these repetitions of mantras is purascarana. Some random observations must suffice. Many passages on ritual and a devout life find their proper context in theological expositions that are to justify the practical rules and precepts.

The paramount importance, significance, purposes, results and merit of the performance of rites is of course duly emphasized. Avaisnava initiate dikqita is even said to be a jivanmukta, a person liberated before death from all liability to future births NarS. For puja see also F.

The rites produce purification, lead the devotee to the stage of meditation and concentration on God, to bhakti etc. There are rites performed in order to cure diseases AhS. Certain particulars are over and over again impressed upon the reader: Special emphasis is also laid on the necessity to observe the five moments of the day, that is to perform the so-called panca kalas, the five acts of worship the execution of which during a day divided into five parts is regarded as obligatory.

Gonda, Eye and gaze in the Veda, Amsterdam Acad. For some uncertain suggestions see Jaiswal, O. The importance attached to the five panca proper times has no doubt something to do with the name Pan- caratra and its traditional explanations cf. The subject is treated at length in the Vrddha-Harita-Smrti an authority on the Bhagavata religion and the Sandilya-Smrti.

One of its distinctive characteristics—viz. In this Visnuite milieu the technical description is See Gonda, R. For the number sixteen see J. Gonda, Change and continuity in Indian religion, The Hague , p. Eliade, Le yoga, Paris , p. Widengren, II, Leiden , p. Another element of the daily rites discussed in the samhitas is nyasa, which, though tantric in character, was adopted by Sivaites as well as Visnuites. It consists in assigning, by means of special mantras and the simultaneous imposition of fingers, various divine powers to different parts of the body in order to make it a fit receptacle for worship and meditation.

Both may be permanent or provisional. In conformity with the prescripts of the scripture he may also carve an image of the deity in his meditation. He may even propitiate the deity in a pitcher instead of an image made of gold or silver. Ttjcci, The theory and practice of the mandala, London , p. Eliade, Patterns in comparative religion, Cleveland , p. Among the situations demanding expiatory acts are various errors made in the celebration of festivities, mistakes committed in worship, lapses, omissions and carelessness in the liturgies, pollution, profanation etc.

The pertinent practices consist of confession and repentance, but mainly of internal and external purification by means of breath-control and sprinkling water , expiatory austerities, fire-offerings, utterance of formulas, fasting, gifts and a pilgrimage. These rites are sometimes simplified.

Tantra-Basics 2: Die 36 Tattvas - die Manifestation universellen Bewusstseins (German Edition)

Mention is of course made of the arcakas those qualified for temple worship and the rites which are their concern, worship arcana and the images intended to be worshipped area , either individually or in the domestic circle, or also in communal observances. Hence the significance of this consecration rite pratistha. Kramrisch, The Hindu temple, Calcutta ; K. Fischer, Schopfungen indischer Kunst, Koln , p. The daily worship in temples according to the Pancaratra system, p. For piijd see above, p. A study of the significance of icons, holy places etc. Young, The concept of divine place divyadesa in Sri-Vaisnava literature from the 6 th to 13 th cent.

Only after the pratistha by which the spirit of God is infused into the image, is this fit for worship; the power which quickens the icon is moreover supposed to animate the whole temple in which it is erected. Among the particulars of this rite that are of interest for the student of the phenomenology of religion is the statement that the images ensure the stability of the world NarS.

This deficiency is more than counterbalanced by their importance from the ritualist and religious points of view. II, on icono- metry ch. Ill, on pedestals ch. IV, on iconography proper ch. Banerjea, The development of Hindu iconography, Calcutta 2 For the preliminary rites known as adhivdsana see e. Ill, Calcutta , p. Raghavan, Foreword to SPS. Most important are the festivals. Festivals indeed do no less belong to the regular course of life than the daily rites.

Gonda, Utsava, in India Antiqua Vol. Vogel, Leiden , p. Natesa Sastri, Hindu feasts, fasts and ceremonies, Madras ; M. Underhill, The Hindu religious year, Calcutta ; P. Some works pay much attention to festivals; for instance, AnS. Elsewhere the reader is given more comprehensive directions applicable to festivals in general; thus ViS.

At the beginning of the festival he should hoist a flag bearing the image of Garuda and in the eight directions according to rule splendid pennons.

Then the raising of the flag must take place together with the placing of a pitcher, after one has, as aforesaid, made a temporary hall. Attention is in this literature of course also invited For this term as opposed to the little tradition of villages, castes, regions see e. Srinivas, Religion and society among the Coorgs of S. India, Oxford , p. Redfield, Primitive world view and civilization, in The primitive world and its transformations, Cornell Univ. Asia, Seattle , p. Raghavan, Foreword to Srlprasna-Samhita, Tirupati Meyer, Trilogie, I, p. Sircar, Studies in the religious life of ancient and medieval India, Delhi , p.

It must be provided with conch and discus, be small of body, beautiful in features. One should also bring a chariot or an elephant as the vehicle for God for the yatra. The guru should, at an auspicious hour, bring together experts in various musical instruments, numerous servants, umbrellas, flags and canopies. He should bear the image in his right hand, be restrained in speech and, accompanied by the four disciples, go out of the sanctuary of the temple. One of the disciples must carry a water-pot, one an opened umbrella, one the objects required for worship, and the fourth the cooked oblations.

In a collection of them, SanS. Meyer, Trilogie, III, p. Among the symptoms are, according to AhS. Many more or less passing remarks are made on what may be called correct and ceremonious behaviour and familiarity with the usages of the religious community and of good society in general. Passages are devoted to the proper behaviour of the spiritual preceptor dcdrya. When a guest remains in a house all the deities reside continually with the host. When a guest is not worshipped For a long enumeration of omina: Cal and, Een Indogermaansch lustratie-gebruik, Amsterdam Acad.

That man who does not duly worship a guest becomes like one who kills his wife or a brahman, who acts deceitfully, who is sinful, who sells his daughter, who gives false evidence, who steals a brahman's property. Like the Bhagavata-Purana which extended the advantages of bhakti also to the lower members of society the Pancaratra system admits even a sudra as an initiate provided he is dedicated to Visnu. For him tantric mantras are prescribed to consecrate the rites, no Vedic texts. So-called pratiloma sudras those whose mother was of a higher social class than their father were excluded from most religious activities.

Again, the three other social orders, viz. The same remark applies to Sivaite dgamas: Gonda, Ancient Indian kingship, in Numen 3 Leiden , p. Eliade, Techniques duyoga, Paris ; Gonda, R. Did not even the great philosopher Ramanuja, whose name has already been mentioned, follow, in evolving his philosophical ideas, Yamuna, the grandson and spiritual heir of Nathamuni who died in , who was the first of the great Vaisnava teachers to follow the Tamil Alvars? Literary works which are inspired or influenced by bhakti are for them more than literature proper; they are appreciated as living religion, as ideology, as prayers and ritual texts for temple and home.

Mention is for instance made of the recitation in temples of Tamil hymns composed by Alvars. Zvelebil, Tamil literature, in this History, X, p. In 42, the compiler refers to Dravida works beside the Rgveda and other texts. These works impart also useful information on the mutual relations between Visnuism and other religions, especially Sivaism, on their friendly and unfriendly contacts and the opinions the former fostered of the latter.

In this passage we find references, not only to some upanisadic and philosophical teachings but also to the Jainas, three Buddhist schools—the Skandhavadins Sarvastivadins , Vijnanavadins, and Sunya- vadins —and doctrines of other teachers Kakuda Katyayana. As to Sivaism, its main currents were well known: Siva is considered the author of three systems, viz. It may be recalled also that one of the five traditional rdtras is called after Siva, who for instance in the Sanatkumara-Samhita is said to have expounded the second part of the work to Sanatkumara.

There are on the other hand many places attesting to the Visnuite tendency to comprehend also non-Visnuite gods, for instance as part of the sculptures of the temples and in the worship of secondary or attendant deities: Even contemplation of Sadasiva is recommended. For Kubera worshipping Mahalaksmi: Vaikhanasa, Saiva, Pasupata tantras and the Pancaratra mahatantra. For Vaikhanasas see also JS. For the Pancaratra as the best of the Visnutantras see SanS.

These works are often quoted and occupy an authoritative position. The Pauskara-Samhita, 1 held in high esteem in the great centres of Srirangam and Conjeeveram, consists of about stanzas and 43 chapters each dealing with a particular topic. The following chapters are devoted to various images statues, bimba. Worship of Visvaksena 6 and his retinue parivdra ; on the use of 1 Sree Poushkara Samhita sic. Srinivasa Aiyangar and M. This edition, now very rare, is incomplete and bristles with mistakes. Satakopacharya, in the Foreword to the edition, p. Tucci, The theory and practice of the mandala, London ; H.

Chapter 23 is entitled imposition of definite deities on the body in order to acquire their specific potencies: Ritual acts in connexion with the enclosed place for keeping the sacred fire agnikunda ; 10 The Sattvata-Samhita 11 contains 25 chapters pariccheda and stanzas. Like the Pauskara it is not infrequently diffuse. Among the subjects discussed are, 1: For pavitrdropana see n. Anantha Chariar, Conjee- veram the first edition of a vaisnava dgama printed in devandgari script. Each element is in itself efficacious as a mantra. In the manuscripts this work is also known as Jaya-Samhita and Jnanalaksmx.

A survey of the main Samhitas extant 89 patala , comprising Slokas. It is considered an authority by several other samhitas and some tantrasA 9 It is quoted not only by Vedantadesika 20 but also by Utpala Vaisnava 10 th century 21 and must therefore be one of the oldest Pancaratra texts, older than the Ahirbudhnya which mentions it 19, This is not to say that all arguments adduced in favour of a much earlier date—5 tb century A. Visnu, who is to be worshipped with bhakti.

The vaisnava goddesses mentioned—Jaya, Kirti, Maya etc. The following is a survey of its contents: The practice of yoga concentration on mantras is the only way of acquiring that knowledge which is not different from Brahman. The selection of the principal mantra; nydsa 30 on the body in order to derive success from the mantra. The mantras of the assistants. Chapter 8 enumerates a number of mudras and describes their form and making; 9: The preparations for meditation etc. Mantranydsa by which the various parts of the body are assigned to the deities of the mantras. She is elsewhere one of the apsarases see Gonda, Aspects, p.

Bhattacharyya, Foreword to the edition, p. The so-called threefold japa yajna , the muttering of prayers and formulas as a sacrifice which is, in 15, followed by the fire-rite, from the preparation of the kunda the enclosed place for keeping the fire till the sprinkling of the fire and the eatables presented to the deity naivedya into the water.

A detailed discussion of the initiation dlksa. The ceremonies connected with the consecration abhiseka. Chapter 19 deals with the characteristics of an efficacious performance of a rite. The characteristics of a true Vaisnava who is to be known by his behaviour according to the dharma of the Bhagavan. A detailed description of the irdddha rites in honour of the departed spirits of the dead ancestors. The funeral rites samskara of a dead person with a long appendix on how to perform these rites for those who have died beyond the range of sight. Ritual acts to atone for various errors of commission and omission prayascitta.

The so-called mulamantrasadhana, i. Chapter 27 deals with the results that can be obtained by means of the mantras of the Saktis, viz. The results obtained by the so-called angamantras, i. The so-called parikarasddhana, i. The mantras of Vasudeva, Samkarsana, Pradyumna etc. One of the most important works of this class, written in uncomplicated and reasonably correct Sanskrit, is also the Sanatkumara-Samhita ; 37 according to PaS.

Vagisvari is one of the Saktis cf. The Mahasanatkumara-Samhita, mentioned by Schrader, I. For a more detailed survey of the contents and preliminary remarks: Vara- dachari, in ALB 35 , p. A survey of the main Samhitas extant 91 Each ratra is divided into ten chapters, except the first which is in eleven adhyayas. However, one of the ratras, the Brhaspati, is only cited and not available. The colophons call the work a Mahasamhita; the last one adds that the number of its stanzas is What we have is stanzas.

Frank Lerch

The main subject-matter is, of course, Visnu worship according to the Pancaratra traditions; the range of the subjects treated is comparatively large. The following resume may give an idea of the contents: The conventions of this Visnuite community samaya , viz. The behaviour of the social classes varnacdra. On temples prasada , their erection, forms and so on. On worship and propitiation of the divine powers including the use of mantras etc. Gifts, after an enumeration attention is drawn to their results. Mantras of several deities. II Sivaratra , 1: The sacrificial ceremonies for the fifteen lunar days tithi of the bright half of the month, with a detailed account of the preparations, the setting up of the images etc.

A classification and enumeration of mantras: A short chapter on the parivara-devatds, i. The ceremonies relating to the oblations of cooked rice. He added three features: According to what Abhinavagupta wrote at the end of the first chapter, this book is only for 'super' Guru-s. On top of that, Gurujii isn't adding yet the notes of explanation. So, Gurujii's point here is that you should not feel frustrated if after reading you still cannot fully get it. It requires a hight level of scholarship and direct experience.

And the index page was translated too, of course. Trika postulates 36 tattva-s or categories of Creation. The self-invented individual Gabriel, John, Ivan, Man This ego is necessary in order to "play the role" but you always should be conscious of your true identity. If you are conscious, no harm will come from the ego. But, if you are not In Trika the ego is not to be destroyed but recognized as it is: Very useful mask, but simply a mask and not the real "me". So, Trika gives a chance to the poor ego, a chance to become a very useful instrument provided that it is fully understood and recognized as a mere "mask" by us.

The scholarly style of Abhinavagupta is becoming more and more difficult. No surprise in this! He uses special terminology now and and then, which is extremely difficult to translate. Also, his writing style is involved enough as to say that half of the effort with every stanza is exerted to overcome this obstacle. Abhinavagupta has been always the bogeyman in Trika Shaivism and there are serious reasons for him to be labeled like this. Goal of life is Liberation. Man has searched for freedom always in human history, but according to Trika Shaivism that is not real Liberation.

Real Liberation does not mean that your body should be free from some prison and things like that. This constant awareness of unity in all is real Freedom. There is no other attainment greater than this! Only 32 stanzas are left to finish the first chapter then. A little more effort and it will be done.

When it is taught in a non-dualistic manner, God and man are one and the same. There is no difference at all. And finally, when it is taught in a dualistic manner, God and man are different and separated. There is no unity between them. It is within and without everything. It is here and there, and at the same time, It is not here or there. It is impossible to describe it by means of words. The word "tat" means "that", and "tva" something like "ness". Thus, "tattva" would mean "thatness". Think of it as a specific frequency.

According to Trika, there are 36 tattva-s, in short, 36 different frequencies. All the aggregate of tattva-s is well organized.

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