63 - Principles of Pashupata Philosophy

Shaunaka said

1. O good-natured Suta, experts in all scriptures, be long-lived, as, O scholarly one, we have been made to drink the nectar of Krishna’s stories by you. 

2. What did Narada, the favourite of the lord, ask him after listening to the Mokşhadharmas directly from the mouth of Sanandana? 

3. The great sages with Shaunaka as the first, the mind-born sons of Brahma having perfect achievements and busy with uplifting the beings, roam in the worlds. 

4. O blessed one, Narada too is ever devoted to Krişhņa, What auspicious discourse that sanctifies the world took place when they all assembled? 

Suta said: 

5. O highly blessed one, You have asked very aptly, you, who help the common people. I shall recount everything that had been asked by sage Narada. 

6. After listening to the eternal Mokşhadharmas uttered by Sanandana, O excellent one among the scions of the family of Bhrugu, Narada asked those sages again. 

Narada said: 

7. Vishnu, the lord of all gods has been glorified in the Vedas and in the Tantra texts. He alone is to be propitiated by all those who seek anything (in the world). 

8. O leading sages, what are those mantras whereby lord Vishnu is to be propitiated? Who are the different gods to be worshipped by those people who consider Vishnu’s feet as the ultimate resort? 

9. O brahmins, Instruct us on the Tantra (special religious and philosophical doctrines and rituals) of Lord Vishnu which would be useful to the preceptor and the disciples along with the mode of initiation and the daily morning duties. 

10. O bestowers of honour, tell us about those holy monthly rites, oblations (homas) etc. and the japas (mantras worthy of being repeatedly chanted), whereby the great Lord would be pleased. 

Suta said: 

11. On hearing these words of the noble-souled Narada, Sanatkumāra, the holy sage, resplendent like the sun, spoke: 

Sanatkumara said: 

12. Listen, O Narada, I shall tell you the Tantra of the Lord knowing which one may, by means of pure devotion, attain to the unchanging Vishnu free from impurities. 

13. They say that the great Tantra consists of three Padárthas (categories) and four Padas (sections). The Padas are called (1) Bhoga (enjoyment), (2) Moksha (liberation), (3) Kriya (holy rites) and (4) Charyă (ritualistic observance). ¹

1. According to Shaiva Siddhanta the subjects of discussion are three. viz Pašhu, Pati and Pasha. The system comprised of four divisions which are known to be bhoga, moksha, kriya and charya. 

14. The Padārthas are but three: (1) Pashupati, (2) Pašhu and (3) Pāśha.² The individual souls are all called Pashus while Pashupati (Lord of the Pashus) is Shiva alone. 

2. Here Pati means Shiva. His essential nature is chit (sentiency) and kriya (action). Shiva is one, all-pervading, free, eternal. He has been described in the Tatrvaprakaśha of Bhoja in the following manner. Chidghana eco vyapi nityah satatoditah prabhushshantah| jayati jagadekabijam sarvanugrahakaḥ shambhuḥ|| After liberation jiva also becomes Shiva but in order to differentiate both, the liberated soul is termed as Muktashiva. While Pati who is Shiva himself is ever liberated and ever free. He is the sole agent of five functions. 

Pashus are the jivas who are under three kinds of fetters called pashas. As pašhas are three, namely mala, maya and karma, the classes of Pashus are of three kinds. They are known as Vijňákalas Pralayakalas and Sakalas. The first kind of Paśhus is bound by the single påśha called mala while the second kind are bound by two kinds of påśha called mala and māya, while the sakalas are bound by three kinds of pasha, namely mala, maya and karma. 

The Sakalas have bodies and sense organs. They experience different kinds of bhoga due to previous karma (deeds). So long as karma lasts they have to pass through innumerable births. Not only that, they are fettered by three pashas. 

The Pralayakala souls become free from the burden of the body and sense organs during pralaya, great dissolution and remain there as if in deep slumber, but even then these Pashus remain fettered with two pashas namely mala and karma. They are named so because they remain in the state of liberation during Pralaya and are free from kāla in Pralaya. 

The Vijñanakala souls have got the ripening of malas but as this ripening has comparatively grown more in some and less in other they are placed in different positions as regards to their prerogative rights. Though free from malas they have not been given Shivahood because they have the little trace of adhikarimala i.e., they have still the tendency of enjoying the hierarchical rights. The Vijnanakala, whose mala is in a high state of ripening, are placed as vidyeshvaras. They are eight in number. 

15. O Narada, so long as there remains the contact of delusion with the characteristic loss of consciousness regarding their true nature, look to them as it were dualistic. 

16-17. Pashas are fivefold with different characteristics and separate names. The Pashus are of three kinds: Vijnånakala, Pralayakala and Sakala. Of them the first is attached with Mala and the others are attached with mala and Karma. 

18. The third is known to be subjected to Mala, Maya and Karma. But the first is of two kinds. viz., Samapta Kaluşha and Asamăpta Kaluşha (the completion of stains has occurred in the one and in the other the stain is yet to be removed). 

19. The second whose stain is yet to be removed is again known to be Pakvamala and Apakvamala (the impurity has ripened in the one and not ripened in the other). 

20. (a) The two Vijñāna and Pralayakala are located in the pure path; while Sakala being subjected to Kali (impurities) wanders about in different bodies (Bhuvanas) in accordance with its Karmans. 

21-22. (b) The Pashas are of five kinds.¹ The first two are born of mala and Karma. The others are born of Maya, Tirodhånashakti and of Bindu. Although mala is a single entity, it has diverse powers consisting of hiding Drukšhakti (the power of knowledge) and Kriyashakti (the power of action). 

1. Pashas are fetters by which Pashus are enticed. Their number is five, namely those which are born of mala, karma, maya, tirodhana shakti and bindu. They are also known as the group of five objects (arthapanchakam). It is said: 

Malam karma cha maya сha máyårthamakhilam jagat|

Tirodhanakari Shaktirarthapanchakamuchyate ||

Some read “adhvapanchakam” in place of ardhapanchakam. In support of their view, they hold that all the thirty-six categories come under six adhvas, namely varna, mantra, pada, kala, tattva, and bhuvana which in their turn come under five kalås, namely nivruti, pratishtha, vidya, shanti and Shantyatita Hence they say 

Maládijah shadadhvánah) tattvädyåste cha parchadhà |

Nivrutyadivibhāgena taduktam hyadhvapanchakam ||

23. It is like the husk of rice to serve as the cause of bodies of Atmans in the world. Karma is of the nature of merit and demerit and is the giver of diverse forms of results and experiences. 

24. It is abiding in the analogy of sprout and seed permanently in a continuous flow. These are the natures of the former two. O brahmana, listen to the others beginning with Máyiya. 

25. The greatest Atman is eternal with the property of Sat, Chit and Ananda (Being, consciousness and bliss). He is Pati of all, is victorious and all-pervading and is the only seed. 

26. The excellent splendour of Shambhu never disappears nor does it rise. It confers bliss and assumes the form of knowledge (druk) and action (kriyā).² 

2. In Tattvaprakasha the verse reads: 

Nodayati yanna nashyati nirvåti nirvrurtim prayacchati cha | jnánakriyasvabhavam tattejah Shambhavam jayati ||

27. The Shakti, by possessing which, Shiva is able to give enjoyment and liberation to the pashus, is verily described as the first, the single and of the nature of chit. 

28. Being impelled by Shakti bindu comes about, the nature of which is knowledge and action and is known as Shiva, the cause of all categories and is all-pervading and immutable. 

29. The Shaktis beginning with icchå taking their resort here perform their respective functions. Hence, O sage, he is known as all-graceful. 

30. When it (Bindu) is desirous of creating the universe in order to show grace to the sentient and insentient the first stir evolves in the form of nada and the world beginning with Shanti etc. 

31-35. O greatest of brahmanas, that is the Shakti category which has been mentioned along with its limbs. From it the evolute Sadashiva category comes about where the power of knowledge is neither predominant nor the power of action is subordinated. When the power of knowledge has lost dominance and the power of action comes to prominence, the category Ishvara, which is the agent of every object comes about. When Kriya (action) is subordinated and Jnana (knowledge) becomes prominent the Tattva then is Vidya the nature of which is knowledge and enlightening of all. Nada and bindu are called sakala and are located in the sådákhya-tattva, while videśha in the Ishvara tattva and mantra in the Vidyā tattva. These categories are described as shuddha adhvan (pure path). 

36. Here, the direct cause is Isha and the material cause is the lord of bindus. It is certain that as these five are devoid of time, there is no sequential order in them. 

37-39. Because of the functions he is imagined to be such. In fact, there is only a single tattva which is named Shiva possessed of diverse Shaktis. Because of the employment of shaktis the differentiation of them has truly been formulated. For the purpose of showing grace to the sentient and the insentient the Great Lord has assumed forms and confers grace to those sentient beings obstructed by the primordial mala. The all-merciful Shiva gives them enjoyment of fruits and release as well as makes them capable of doing their respective functions to the groups of insentient beings. 

40-42. But release being identity with Shiva and the grace of chit is not possible, because Karmans are without beginning and hence without experiencing them individually, the immutable Lord Shambhu for experiencing them instantly creates bodies, subtle instruments and worlds, for without an agent, from the material and instruments no effect is seen to come about. 

43. Here the instruments are Shaktis, while maya is the material. She is eternal, one and inherently united with Shiva and a being without beginning and end. 

44. She is the common cause of all Puruşhas as well as of the world. She is the mother of delusion by nature and consists of Karmnas of all beings. 

45-48. The Lord of Vidyā by means of shaktis after causing disturbance in this all-pervading subtle maya, the highest, and after having taken consideration of Karmans, creates different bodies and their instruments for the sake of experience of Jivas. Maya which is made of various shaktis, at first creates the category of Kala, which, in its turn, creates the world of the future, past and present. Then this maya gives birth to Shakti with the characteristic of restraint. 

49-50. As she controls everything, she is known as niyati, then, maya, the eternal and the cause of delusion to the universe, gives birth also to Kalātattva which has no beginning and no end. She does this by making a unity of all malas and throwing them as if in one corner of the Jivas manifests the power of agenthood in them. For this reason, she is known as Kala. 

51-54. She does her functions upto bhu (the earth) after being subordinated by Kala and niyati. This very Kala again, in order to show the objects of experience to purusha, gives birth to the category called vidyå which is of the nature of light. She after piercing the vigil of knowledge, shows to the souls the objects of knowledge. Truly, for this reason, she is the instrument. The åtman makes all things object of experience by this excellent means. 

55-60. The manifestation of consciousness regarding its object is said to be the experience of pleasure and pain (bhoga) of the experiencer bhoktå. Briefly, the intellect that assumes the form of object as pleasurable, is the object of experience and is related to the experiencer itself. The instrument is called vidyå. If the intellect were self-manifest like the sun, but this is not possible because it becomes the object, hence it depends on some other instrument (Karana), but for vidyå it is possible for it to present the object before åtman. Because of its relation with the instrument and others, it is possible to make itself intent on having the experience of enjoyment and fruits in accordance of its effort-and hence its agenthood is established. If it is accepted as being devoid of agenthood, the term bhoktru becomes meaningless. Moreover, the behaviour of Pradhana towards åtman, if it had not been accepted as the causal agent of the instrument, would have been useless and the enjoyment of fruit would have been impossible. Hence it is åtman who by means of vidya is the employer of all instruments to be accepted. 

61-64. Then Kala gives birth to raga as the limbs of vidyā for serving the purpose of enjoyment to the Purusha which again is urged to move to work, for this reason it is named as raga. When being limited by all these tattvas during its state of being the enjoyer, the eternal atman obtains its name purusha. This very Kala gives birth to avyakta for the purpose of its (Purusha’s) enjoyment. It is the cause of gunatattva which is the source of seven knots. The gunas in their support do not undergo differentiation like the one in the earthly state. 

65-70. The substratum belonging to them is called avyakta. Possession of three attributes (gunas) is possible because of avyakta. They are sattva, rajas and tamas, with light, movement and obscuration or obstruction as their respective characteristics. From guna emerges intellect which has the nature (adhyavasaya), determination as regards object of knowledge, Qualitatively it is three-formed and also in accordance with their functions it is said to be so. From mahat evolves ahamkāra which has the functions of egoism. On account of differentiation in it daily transactions with objects become possible. It, again, becomes three because of the difference of three gunas like sattva, rajas and tamas which again take the name of taijasa, rajasa and tamasa. From the taijasa our sense organs of knowledge along with mind evolve. As they have contact with light they serve for the purpose of enlightening. The organs of action originate from rajasa, the cause of activity. 

71-73. Tanmatras, (five subtle elements), the source of the physical elements (bhutas), are born of tamasa. The mind has the nature of willing and its function is resolution. The chitta has dual functions-effecting the state of the experiencer (bhoktru) and delivering the object of experience (before it), for it remains ever engaged as an instrument functioning externally in accordance with its suitability, By means of resolution abiding within itself it facilitates the sense organs to function, and then again brings them within. Hence the mind is called internal instrument (antahkarana). 

74-77. These internal sense organs are of three kinds, viz. manas, ahamkāra, buddhi, volition, energy (samrambha) and awareness (bodha) are their modifications respectively. 

The instruments of knowledge are the ears, skin, eyes, tongue and nose. Sound, touch, colour, taste, and smell should be known as their objects of knowledge. The organs of speech, hands, feet, organs of evacuation and generation are the instrument of action. They are engaged in the action of speaking, receiving, moving about, excretion and enjoying. There is no activity without the instruments (Karanas). 

78. After taking hold of the thing to be done by means of ten instruments, activities are performed and exertion is made in it, for he the soul is all-pervading but the instruments are not so. 

79. The five subtle elements are the ether, air, fire, water and earth. Out of them the bhutas that are born are said to possess a single specific quality each. 

80. Hence, in all the five there is sound, and touch is found only in other four, colour in three, taste in two, smell in the earth. 

81-83. The functions of each are giving space, assembling (vyūhana), enripening (paka), collecting (samgrahaņa), holding up (dharana) respectively. The earth and air possess the quality of neither cold nor heat, in the water and there are cold and heat respectively. The colour of the fire is shining but white in the water. The earth possesses white and various other colours. In the three bhutas there is colour. Sweet taste is found in the water only but six kinds of tastes are found in the earth. The smell in the earth is called fragrant and non-fragrant. 

84-85. The elements are endowed with qualities and nourished by tanmatras. The bhutas (elements) have these special qualities but they are devoid of any special quality. 

These five bhutas are placed everywhere. The entire movable and immovable world is made of five elements. 

86. Now it is being reviewed how they are located in the body. The bones, flesh, hair, skin, nails and teeth are earthly ones. 

87. Water is present in urine, blood, phlegm, sweat and semen etc. Fire is present in the heart, in digestion, in eyes and in the bile, because its functional attributes are found there. 

88-89 Kala is the employer, from its beginning to the end of the earth-these are to serve the purpose of the soul (aņu). The entire categories are planned for giving distinctive enjoyment of each individual soul. 

90. Thus the tattvas beginning with kala are distinctly associated with each individual purusha. They wander about in all bodies on account of their past karmans. 

91. The bond (Pasha) called māyiya envelopes the universe. From the earth to Kala, it is known as the impure path (aśhuddha adhvå). 

92. Whatever is there in the sphere of the earth is of movable and immovable character. The immovable are the hills and trees and the movable are of three kinds. 

93. They are svedaja (sweat-born), andaja (egg-born) and jarayuja (womb-born). There are eighty-four thousand hundred of yonis (wombs). 

94. Wandering about in them the jiva once obtains the human body as a result of its previous deeds. This body fulfils all sorts of desired objects. 

95. It is very rare that one is born in the higher families of brahmins due to meritorious deeds of higher order and specially in the region of Bharata. 

96-100. The birth occurs by the union of the male and female and by the mingling of semen and blood. A drop containing both enters the womb. If the blood content is more the child becomes a female. If the semen content is higher the child will be male. When an åtman is encompassed by mala and karman, it is known as Sakala. It remains then in the womb, is nourished by food and drink consumed by its mother. The body goes on increasing by fortnights, months and the period of time. The soul is afflicted with pains and suffering and the body remains enveloped with the embryo. Thus, stationed in the womb it remembers the meritorious and non-meritorious deeds of previous lives. He remains dejected and afflicted. 

101. In course of time the child causing pain to its mother and being afflicted itself descends down-faced from the womb-machine. 

102. It remains still for some moments, then wishes to cry. Then gradually it grows up day after day. 

103. It attains youth after passing through childhood and pauganda stages (a boy, one from his 5th the to 9th year). In this way the body of the embodied soul comes about. 

104. After the attainment of rare human body which is beneficial to all, one who makes no effort to get released is the most sinful of all. 

105. The general characteristics of animal beings are said to be taking of food, sleep, fear and sexual intercourse. 

106. One who is attached to these four is a stupid and the killer of his own soul. The great virtue of man is cutting off his own bond. 

107. The removal of the bond in the form of a pasha (cord) comes about by means of dikşhă (initiation). Hence, for the removal of the bond one should get initiation by means of a mantra. 

108. By means of Shakti as knowledge in the form of initiation one gets the removal of bondage and attains nirvāna known to be the pure ätmatattva. 

109. He sees Shiva with the vision which has the character of Shakti and meditates in that way. He offers oblations with Shivamantra for the good of his own self and for the good of others. 

110. The chit (consciousness) as sight, sees Shiva, Shakti and also his own self freed from veils. The sight has been made capable of seeing them by Shiva, the sun and Shakti as his rays. 

111. The knowledge which is the modulation of the inner organ (antahkarana) is not able to manifest Shiva because this is a bond like fetters. 

112. It is only initiation which is the excellent means of cutting off the bond. Hence according to scriptural method, one should receive initiation with a mantra. 

113. One who has been initiated in the Tantrika form should be devoted to discipline and conduct of one’s caste and should perform obligatory and occasional rites, 

114-115. One should not transgress even by mind the rites enjoined to one’s caste and ashrama. The man who has received his initiation in a particular ashrama should continue to stay in that ashrama and follow the discipline of that. Even the deeds performed shall not be conducive to bondage. 

116-118. The only fruitful rite is the one which originates from the practice of mantras. Whatever enjoyment does the initiated person desire of worldly and other-worldly nature, he enjoys due to the efficacy of propitiation of mantras. Having enjoyed them in a proper way) he attains liberation. After getting initiated, if a man does not perform obligatory and occasional rites, he attains the state of pishacha for some time and attains release. Hence, the initiated person should perform nitya and naimittika rites. 

119-120. It is inferred that the performance of rites is to be observed by those who have received initiation. The man who performs obligatory and occasional rites attains instantaneous release because no deficiency in initiation has occurred in him. Even then, the final destination is attained by the one who is devoted to his guru, teacher, but not otherwise. 

121-124. Shiva, the all-benefactor, is established in the image of the Guru, and he does this by means of initiation. But devotion to Guru is thought to be artificial if it is shown to him only because of his bestowing the temporal good. His devotion to him would be futile and he should have to perform atonement of sins at every step. 

One who is loyally devoted to his guru physically, mentally and verbally need not perform any expitiatory rite. He attains siddhi at every step. Should the teacher impart mantras falsely to the one who is endowed with devotion and who has dedicated his all, to the teacher, the teacher should do atonement of sins.