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TRANSCRIPT
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Chapter Twenty-four
Shakti as Mantra (Mantramayi Shakti)
This is in every way both a most important, as well as a
most difficult, subject in the Tantra Shastra; so difficultthat it is not understood, and on this account has been
ridiculed. Mantra, in the words of a distinguished
Indian, has been called "meaningless jabber". hen we
find Indians thus tal!ing of their Shastra, it is not
surprising that uropeans should ta!e it to be of no
account. They naturally, though erroneously, suppose
that the Indian always understands his own beliefs, and
if he says they are absurd it is ta!en that they are so.
ven, however, amongst Indians, who have lost
themselves through an nglish ducation, the Science
of Mantra is largely un!nown. There are not manystudents of the Mimamsa now#a#days. The nglish#
educated have in this, as in other matters, generally
ta!en the cue from their estern $urus, and passed
upon Mantravidya a borrowed condemnation. There are
those among them %particularly in this part of India&,
those who have in the past thought little of their oldculture, and have been only too willing to sell their old
lamps for new ones. 'ecause they are new they will not
always be found to give better light. (et us hope this
will change, as indeed it will. 'efore the Indian
condemns his cultural inheritance let him at least first
study and understand it. It is true that Mantra is
meaningless ## to those who do not know its
meaning;but to those who do, it is not ")abber"; though
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of course li!e everything else it may become, and
indeed has become, the subject of ignorance and
superstitious use. * telegram written in code in a
merchant+s office will seem the merest gibberish to
those who do not !now that code. Those who do may
spell thereout a transaction bringing la!hs of "real"
upees for those who have sent it. Mantravidya,
whether it be true or not, is a profoundly conceived
science, and, as interpreted by the Sha!ta *gama, is a
practical application of -edantic doctrine.
The tetual source of Mantras is to be found in the
-edas %see in particular the Mantra portion of the
*tharvaveda so associated with the Tantra Shastra&, the
/uranas and Tantras. The latter Scripture is essentially
the Mantra#Shastra. In fact it is so called generally bySadha!as and not Tantra Shastra. *nd so it is said of all
the Shastras, symboli0ed as a body, that Tantra Shastra
which consists of Mantra is the /aramatma, the -edas
are the )ivatma, 1arshanas or systems of philosophy are
the senses, /uranas are the body and the Smritis are the
limbs. Tantra Shastra is thus the Sha!ti of2onsciousness consisting of Mantra. 3or, as
the Vishvasara Tantra %2h. 4& says, the /arabrahman in
Its form as the Sound 'rahman %Shabda#'rahman or
Saguna#'rahman&, whose substance is all Mantra,
eists in the body of the )ivatma.. 5undalini Sha!ti is a
form of the Shabda#'rahman in individual
bodies (Sharada-Tilaka, 2h. 6&. It is from this Shabda#
'rahman that the whole universe proceeds in the form
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of sound %Shabda& and the objects %*rtha& which sounds
or words denote. *nd this is the meaning of the
statement that the 1evi and the 7niverse are composed
of letters, that is, the signs for the sounds which denote
all that is.
*t any point in the flow of phenomena, we can enter
the stream, and reali0e therein the changeless eal. The
latter is everywhere and is in all things, and hidden in,
and manifested by, sound as by all else. *ny form %and
all which is not the 3ormless is that& can be pierced by
the mind, and union may be had therein with the 1evata
who is at its core. It matters not what that form may be.
*nd why8 hat I have said concerning Sha!ti gives the
answer. *ll is Sha!ti. *ll is 2onsciousness. e desire to
thin! and spea!. This is Iccha Sha!ti. e ma!e aneffort towards reali0ation. This is 5riya Sha!ti. e
thin! and !now. This is )9ana Sha!ti. Through
/ranavayu, another form of Sha!ti, we spea!; and the
word we utter is Sha!ti Mantramayi. 3or what is a letter
%-arna& which is made into syllable %/ada& and
sentences %-a!ya& +8 It may be heard in speech, thusaffecting the sense of hearing. It may be seen as a form
in writing. It may be tactually sensed by the blind
through the perforated dots of 'raille type. The same
thing thus affecting the various senses. 'ut what is the
thing which does so8 The senses are Sha!ti, and so is
the objective form which evo!es the sensation. 'oth are
in themselves Sha!ti as 2it Sha!ti and Maya Sha!ti,
and the Svarupa of these is 2it or 3eeling#
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2onsciousness. hen, therefore, a Mantra is reali0ed,
when there is what is called in the Shastra Mantra#
2aitanya, what happens is the union of the
consciousness of the Sadha!a with that 2onsciousness
which manifests in the form of the Mantra. It is this
union which ma!es the Mantra "wor!".
The subject is of such importance in the Tantras that
their other name is Mantra Shastra. 'ut what is a
Mantra8 2ommonly :rientalists and others describe
Mantra as "/rayer," "3ormulae of worship," "Mystic
syllables" and so forth. These are but the superficialities
of those who do not !now their subject. herever we
find the word "Mystic," we may be on our guard; for it
is a word which covers much ignorance. Thus Mantra is
said to be a "mystic" word, antra a "mystic" diagram,and Mudra a "mystic" gesture. 'ut have these
definitions taught us anything8
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of understanding. 3or there is nothing necessarily holy
or prayerful alone in Mantras as some thin!. Some
combinations of letters constitute prayers and are called
Mantras, as for instance the most celebrated $ayatri
Mantra.
* Mantra is not the same thing as prayer or self#
dedication %*tma#nivedana&. /rayer is conveyed in the
words the Sadha!a chooses. *ny set of words or letters
is not a Mantra. :nly that Mantra in which the 1evata
has revealed >is or >er particular aspects can reveal
that aspect, and is therefore the Mantra of that one of
>is or >er particular aspects. The relations of the letters
%-arna&, whether vowel or consonant,
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5ula!undalini %see 2hapter on the same& which is a
name for the Shabda#'rahman or Saguna#'rahman in
individual bodies. /roduced Shabda is an aspect of the
)iva+s vital Sha!ti. 5undalini is the Sha!ti who gives
life to the )iva. She it is who in the Muladhara 2a!ra
%or basal bodily center& is the cause of the sweet,
indistinct and murmuring 1hvani which is compared to
the humming of a blac! bee. Thence Shabda originates
and, being first /ara, gradually manifests upwards as
/ashyanti, Madhyama, -ai!hari %seepost). )ust as inouter space, waves of sound are produced by
movements of air %-ayu&, so in the space within the
)iva+s body, waves of sound are said to be produced
according to the movements of the vital air %/ranavayu&
and the process of in and out breathing. *s the Svarupa
of 5undali, in whom are all sounds, is /aramatma, sothe substance of all Mantra, >er manifestation, is
2onsciousness %2it& manifesting as letters and words. In
fact, the letters of the *lphabet which are called
*!shara are nothing but the antra of the *!shara or
Imperishable 'rahman. This is however only reali0ed
by the Sadha!a, when his Sha!ti generated by Sadhana
is united with Mantra#Sha!ti. 5undalini, who is
etremely subtle, manifests in gross %Sthula& form in
differing aspects as different 1evatas. It is this gross
form which is the /residing 1eity %*dishthatri 1evata&
of a Mantra, though it is the subtle %Su!shma& form atwhich all Sadha!as aim. Mantra and 1evata are thus
one and particular forms of 'rahman as Shiva#Sha!ti.
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Therefore the Shastra says that they go to >ell who
thin! that the Image %or "Idol" as it is commonly called&
is but a stone and the Mantra merely letters of the
alphabet. It is therefore also ignorance of Shastric
principle which supposes that Mantra is merely the
name for the words in which one epresses what one
has to say to the 1ivinity. If it were, the Sadha!a might
choose his own language without recourse to the eternal
and determined sounds of Shastra. %See generally as to
the above the 2hapter on Mantra#tattva inPrinciples ofTantra, d. *. *valon.& The particular Mantra of a
1evata is that 1evata. * Mantra, on the contrary,
consists of certain letters arranged in definite se?uence
of sounds of which the letters are the representative
signs. To produce the designed effect, the Mantra must
be intoned in the proper way, according to both sound%-arna& and rhythm %Svara&. 3or these reasons, a
Mantra when translated ceases to be such, and becomes
a mere word or sentence.
'y Mantra, the sought#for %Sadhya& 1evata appears,
and by Siddhi therein is had vision of the three worlds.*s the Mantra is in fact 1evata, by practice thereof this
is !nown.
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Shrin! devi pravaksh"ami #i$anam
deva-r!patam
%antrochcharanamatrena deva-
r!pam pra$a"ate.
Mantrasiddhi is the ability to ma!e a Mantra efficacious
and to gather its fruit in which case the Sadha!a is
Mantra#siddha. *s the /ranatoshini %@6A& says,
"hatever the Sadha!a desires that he surely obtains."
hilst therefore prayer may end in merely physical
sound, Mantra is ever, when rightly said, a potent
compelling force, a word of power effective both to
produce material gain and accomplish worldly desires,
as also to promote the fourth aim of sentient being
%2aturvarga&, *dvaitic !nowledge, and liberation. *nd
thus it is said that Siddhi %success& is the certain resultof )apa or recitation of Mantra.
Some Mantras constitute also what the uropean would
call "prayers," as for instance the celebrated $ayatri.
'ut neither this nor any other Mantra is simply a prayer.
The $ayatri runs &m %The thought is directed tothe three-fold 'nerg" of the &ne as represented by the
three letters of which &m is composed, namely, * or
'rahma, the Sha!ti which creates; 7 or -ishnu, the
Sha!ti which maintains; and M or udra, the Sha!ti
which "destroys," that is, withdraws the world&=
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contemplate !pon the *dora#le Spirit of the +ivine
reator who is in the form of the S!n %*ditya#
1evata&.%ap e direct o!r minds, towards attainment
of the fo!r-fold aims %1harma, *rtha, 5ama,
Mo!sha& of all sentient #eings. &m. This great Mantra
bears a meaning on its face, though the 2ommentaries
eplain and amplify it. The Self of all which eists in
the three regions appears in the form of the Sun#god
with >is body of fire. The 'rahman is the cause of all,
and as the visible 1evata is the ye of the orld andthe Ma!er of the day who vivifies, ripens and reveals
all beings and things. The Sun#god is to the sun what
the Spirit %*tma& is to the body. >e is the Supreme in
the form of the great (uminary. >is body is the (ight of
the world, and >e >imself is the (ight of the lives of all
beings. >e is everywhere. >e is in the outer ether as thesun, and in the inner ethereal region of the heart. >e is
the ondrous (ight which is the smo!eless 3ire. >e it
is who is in constant play with creation %Srishti&,
maintenance %Sthiti& and "destruction" %/ralaya&; and by
>is radiance pleases both eye and mind. (et us adore
>im that we may escape the misery of birth and death.
May >e ever direct our minds %'uddhivritti& upon the
path of the world %Trivarga& and liberation %Mo!sha&.
:nly the twice#born castes and men may utter this
$ayatri. To the Shudra, whether man or woman, and to
women of all castes, it is forbidden. 'ut the TantraShastra has not the eclusiveness of the -aidi! system.
Thus the%ahanirvanaprovides %I-. 6BA#666& a
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'rahma#gayatri for all= "May we !now the Supreme
(ord. (et us contemplate the Supreme ssence. *nd
may the 'rahman direct us." *ll will readily understand
such Mantras as the $ayatri, though some comment,
which is thought amusing, has been made on the
"meaningless" &m. I have already stated what it means,
namely, %shortly spea!ing& the nergy %
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particular 1evata aspects of that which is presented as a
whole in m. *s a Mantra#Shastra, the Tantras have
greatly elaborated the 'ijas, and thus incurred the
charge of "gibberish," for such the 'ijas sound to those
who do not !now what they mean. Though a Mantra
such as a 'ija#mantra may not convey its meaning on
its face, the initiate !nows that its meaning is the own
form %Svarupa& of the particular 1evata whose Mantra
it is, and that the essence of the 'ija is that which
ma!es letters sound, and eists in all which we say orhear. very Mantra is thus a particular sound form
%upa& of the 'rahman. There are a very large number
of these short unetymological vocables or 'ijas such as
>rim, Shrim, 5rim, >um, >um, /hat called by various
names. Thus the first is called the Maya 'ija, the
second (a!shmi 'ija, the third 5ali 'ija, the fourth5urca 'ija, the fifth -arma 'ija, the sith *stra 'ija.
am is *gni 'ija, m is oni 'ija, 5lim is 5ama 'ija,
Shrim is 'adhu 'ija, *im Sarasvati 'ija and so forth.
ach 1evata has >is or >er 'ija. Thus >rim is the
Maya 'ija, 5rim the 5ali 'ija. The 'ija is used in the
worship of the 1evata whose Mantra it is. *ll these
'ijas mentioned are in common use. There are a large
number of others, some of which are formed with the
first letters of the name of the 1evata for whom they
stand, such as $am for $anesha, 1um for 1urga.
(et us then shortly see by eamples what the meaning
of such a 'ija is. %3or a fuller account see my arland
of etters.) In the first place, the reader will observe the
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common ending "m" which represents the Sans!rit
breathings !nown as rim D > E E I E
M. > D Shiva. D Sha!ti /ra!riti. I D Mahamaya. "M"
is as above eplained, but is here stated in the form thater Turiya or
transcendent state is
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worshipping the 1evi with >rim, by that 'ija calls to
mind the transcendent Sha!ti who is the causal body of
the subtle and gross bodies of all eisting things. Shrim,
%see 'arada Tantra& is used in the worship of (a!shmi
1evi. Sh D *lahala!smi, D ealth %1hanartham&
which as well as I D %satisfaction or Tushtyartham& She
gives. 5rim is used in the worship of 5ali. 5 D 5ali
%Sha!ti worshipped for relief from the world and its
sorrows&. D 'rahma %Shiva with whom She is ever
associated&. I D Mahamaya %>er aspect in which Sheovercomes for the Sadha!a the Maya in which as
2reatri She has involved him&. "*im" is used in the
worship of Sarasvati and is -agbhava 'ija. 1um is used
in the worship of 1urga. 1 D 1urga. 7 D protection.
er aspect as Mother of the 7niverse, and
'indu is its (ord. The Sadha!a as!s 1urga as Mother#(ord to protect him, and loo!s on >er in her protecting
aspect as upholder of the universe %)agaddhatri&. In
"Strim." S D saving from difficulty. T D deliverer. D
%here& liberation %Mu!tyartho repha u!to+tra&. I D
Mahamaya. 'indu D 1ispeller of grief. um and
>um the former of which is called -arma %armor& 'ija
and the latter 5urca, > denoting Shiva and "u", >is'hairava or formidable aspect %see generally -ol. I,
Tantri! Tets. Tantrabhidhana&. >e is an armor to the
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Sadha!a by >is destruction of evil. /hat is the weapon
or guarding Mantra used with >um, just as Svaha %the
Sha!ti of 3ire&, is used with -ashat, in ma!ing
offerings. The primary Mantra of a 1evata is called
Mula#Mantra. Mantras are solar %Saura& and masculine,
and lunar %Saumya& and feminine, as also neuter. If it be
as!ed why things of mind are given se, the answer is
for the sa!e of the re?uirements of the worshipper. The
masculine and neuter forms are called specifically
Mantra and the feminine -idya, though the first termmay be used for both.
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sentient being as happiness in the world and eternal
bliss in (iberation. Mantra is thus Thought#movement
vehicled by, and epressed in, speech. Its Svarupa is,
li!e all else, consciousness %2it& which is the Shabda#
'rahman. * Mantra is not merely sound or letters. This
is a form in which Sha!ti manifests >erself. The mere
utterance of a Mantra without !nowing its meaning,
without reali0ation of the consciousness which Mantra
manifests is a mere movement of the lips and nothing
else. e are then in the outer hus! of consciousness;just as we are when we identify ourselves with any
other form of gross matter which is, as it were, the
"crust" %as a friend of mine has aptly called it& of those
subtler forces which emerge from the oni or 2ause of
all, who is, in >erself 2onsciousness %2idrupini&. hen
the Sadha!a !nows the meaning of the Mantra hema!es an advance. 'ut this is not enough. >e must,
through his consciousness, reali0e that 2onsciousness
which appears in the form of the Mantra, and thus attain
Mantra#2aitanya. *t this point, thought is vitali0ed by
contact with the center of all thin!ing. *t this point
again thought becomes truly vital and creative. Then an
effect is created by the reali0ation thus induced.
The creative power of thought is now receiving
increasing acceptance in the est, which is in some
cases ta!ing over, and in others, discovering anew, for
itself, what was thought by the ancients in India.
'ecause they have discovered it anew, they call it "
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7panishads which said, "what you thin! that you
become". *ll recogni0e this principle in the limited
form that a man who thin!s good becomes good, and he
who is ever harboring bad thought becomes bad. 'ut
the Indian and "
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wor! in, and manifest as, the universe. This is the basal
doctrine of all magic, of all powers %Siddhi& including
the greatest Siddhi which is (iberation itself. >e who
!nows 'rahman, becomes 'rahman to the etent of his
"!nowing". Thought#reading, thought#transference,
hypnotic suggestion, magical projections %Mo!shana&
and shields %$rahana& are becoming !nown and
practiced in the est, not always with good results. 3or
this reason some doctrines and practices are !ept
concealed. /rojection %Mo!shana& the occultist willunderstand. 'ut $rahana, I may here eplain, is not so
much a "fence" in the estern sense, to which use a
5avaca is put, but the !nowledge of how to "catch" a
Mantra thus projected. * stone thrown at one may be
warded off or caught and, if the person so wishes,
thrown bac! at him who threw it. So may a Mantra. It isnot necessary, however, to do so. Those who are
sheltered by their own pure strength, automatically
throw bac! all evil influences, which, coming bac! to
the ill#wisher, harm or destroy him. Those familiar with
the estern presentment of similar matters will more
readily understand than others who, li!e the :rientalist
and Missionary, as a rule !now nothing of occultism
and regard it as superstition. 3or this reason their
presentment of Indian teaching is so often ignorant and
absurd. The occultist, however, will understand the
Indian doctrine which regards thought li!e mind, ofwhich it is the operation, as a /ower or Sha!ti;
something therefore, very real and creative by which
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man can accomplish things for himself and others. 5ind
thoughts, without a word, will do good to all who
surround us, and may travel round the world to distant
friends. So we may suffer from the ill#wishes of those
who surround us, even if such wishes do not materiali0e
into deeds. Telepathy is the transference of thought
from a distance without the use of the ordinary sense
organs. So, in initiation, the thought of a true $uru may
pass to his disciple all his powers. Mantra is thus a
Sha!ti %Mantra Sha!ti& which lends itself impartially toany use. Man can identify himself with any of nature+s
forces and for any end. Thus, to deal with the physical
effects of Mantra, it may be used to injure, !ill or do
good; by Mantra again a !ind of union with the physical
Sha!ti is, by some, said to be effected. So the Vishn!-
P!rana spea!s of generation by will power, as someesterners believe will be the case when man passes
beyond the domination of his gross sheath and its
physical instruments. 2hildren will then again be
"mind#born". 'y Mantra, the >oma fire may, it is said,
be lit. 'y Mantra, again, in the Tantri! initiation called
-edha#di!sha there is, it is said, such a transference of
power from the $uru to his disciple that the latter
swoons under the impulse of the thought#power which
pierces him. 'ut Mantra is also that by which man
identifies himself with That which is the $round of all.
In short, Mantra is a power %Sha!ti& in the form of ideaclothed with sound. hat, however, is not yet
understood in the est is the particular Thought#
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science which is Mantravidya, or its basis. Much of the
"
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nor Sha!ti alone suffices for creation. Shivarupa here D
Svarupa. *ham ityevama!aram, that is, the form %or
eperience& which consists in the notion of "I". Sha!ti
is the pure mirror for the manifestation of Shiva+s
eperience as "I" %*ham&. *ham ityevam rupam
j9anam tasya pra!a#shane nirmaladarshah; as the
commentator ere I
only summari0e conclusions.
Shabda literally means and is usually translated"sound," the word coming from the root Sha#d "to
sound". It must not, however, be wholly identified with
sound in the sense of that which is heard by the ear, or
sound as effect of cosmic stress. Sound in this sense is
the effect produced through ecitation of the ear and
brain, by vibrations of the atmosphere between certain
limits. Sound so understood eists only with the sense
organs of hearing. *nd even then it may be perceived
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by some and not by others, due to !eenness or
otherwise of natural hearing. 3urther the best ears will
miss what the microphone gives. 2onsidering Shabda
from its primary or causal aspect, independent of the
effect which it may or may not produce on the sense
organs, it is vibration %Spandana& of any !ind or
motion, which is not merely physical motion, which
may become sound for human ears, given the eistence
of ear and brain and the fulfillment of other physical
conditions. Thus, Shabda is the possibility of sound,and may not be actual sound for this individual or that.
There is thus Shabda wherever there is motion or
vibration of any !ind. It is now said, that the electrons
revolve in a sphere of positive electrification at an
enormous rate of motion. If the arrangement be stable,
we have an atom of matter. If some of the electrons arepitched off from the atomic system, what is called
radio#activity is observed. 'oth these rotating and
shooting electrons are forms of vibration as Shabda,
though it is no sound for mortal ears. To a 1ivine ar
all such movements would constitute the "music of the
spheres". ere the human ear subtle enough, a living
tree would present itself to it in the form of a particular
sound which is the natural word for that tree. It is said
of ether %*!asha& that its $una or ?uality is sound
%Shabda&; that is, ether is the possibility of Spandana or
vibration of any !ind. It is that state of the primordial"material" substance %/ra!riti& which ma!es motion or
vibration of any !ind possible %Shabdaguna a!ashah&.
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The 'rahman Svarupa or 2it is motionless. It is also
!nown as 2ida!asha. 'ut this *!asha is not created.
2ida!asha is the 'rahman in which stress of any !ind
manifests itself, a condition from which the whole
creation proceeds. This 2ida!asha is !nown as the
Shabda#'rahman through its Maya#sha!ti, which is the
cause of all vibrations manifesting themselves as sound
to the ear, as touch to the tactile sense, as color and
form to the eye, as taste to the tongue and as odor to the
nose. *ll mental functioning again is a form ofvibration %Spandana&. Thought is a vibration of mental
substance just as the epression of thought in the form
of the spo!en word is a vibration affecting the ear. *ll
Spandana presupposes heterogeneity %-aishamya&.
Movement of any !ind implies ine?uality of tensions.
lectric current flows between two points because thereis a difference of potential between them. 3luid flows
from one point to another because there is difference of
pressure. >eat travels because there is difference of
temperature. In creation %Srishti& this condition of
heterogeneity appears and renders motion possible.
*!asha is the possibility of Spandana of any !ind.
>ence its precedence in the order of creation. *!asha
means 'rahman with Maya, which Mayasha!ti or %to
use the words of /rofessor /.
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the periodic law which is a fundamental postulate of
Indian cosmogony& returns to homogeneity when in
conse?uence *!asha disappears. This disappearance
means that Sha!ti is e?uilibrated, and that therefore
there is no further possibility of motion of any !ind. *s
the Tantras say, the 1ivine Mother becomes one with
/aramashiva.
The Sharada says ## 3rom the Sa!ala /arameshvara
who is Sacchidananda issued Sha!ti; from Sha!ti came
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*rddhacandra which develops into 'indu. 'oth of these
are in Ishvara Tattva. This Mahabindu is threefold as
the 5ama!ala. The undifferentiated Shabda#'rahman or
'rahman as the immediate cause of the manifested
Shabda and *rtha is a unity of consciousness %2aitanya&
which then epresses itself in three#fold function as the
three Sha!tis, Iccha, )9ana, 5riya; the three $unas,
Sattva, ajas, Tamas; the three 'indus %5aryya& which
are Sun, Moon and 3ire; the three 1evatas, udra,
-ishnu, 'rahma and so forth. These are the product ofthe union of /ra!asha and -imarsha Sha!ti. This
Triangle of 1ivine 1esire is the 5ama!ala, or 2reative
ill and its first subtle manifestation, the 2ause of the
7niverse which is personified as the $reat 1evi
Tripurasundari, the 5ameshvara and 5ameshvari, the
object of worship in the *gamas. 5ama!alavilasa, aseplained in the wor! of that name, is the manifestation
of the union of Shiva and Sha!ti, the great "I" %*ham&
which develops through the inherent power of its
thought#activity %-imarsha#Sha!ti& into the universe,
un!nowing as )iva its true nature and the secret of its
growth through *vidya Sha!ti. >ere then there appears
the duality of subject and object; of mind and matter, of
the word %Shabda& and its meaning %*rtha&. The one is
not the cause of the other, but each is inseparable from,
and concomitant with, the other as a bifurcation of the
undifferentiated unity of Shabda#'rahman whence theyproceed. The one cosmic movement produces at the
same time the mind and the object which it cogni0es;
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names %
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/ashyanti Shabda or Sha!ti of general movements
%Samanya Spanda& located in the tract from the
Muladhara to the Manipura associated with Manas. It
then in the tract upwards to the *nahata becomes
Madhyama or >iranyagarbha sound with particulari0ed
movement %-ishesha Spanda& associated with 'uddhi#
Tattva. -ayu proceeding upwards to the throat
epresses itself in spo!en speech which is -ai!hari or
-irat Shabda.
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of letters, are one. In short, Mantras are made of letters
%-arna&. (etters are Matri!a. Matri!a is Sha!ti and
Sha!ti is Shiva. Through Sha!ti %one with Shiva&
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which is the lettered Shabda. This manifests it. The
lettered sound is produced by the formation of the vocal
organs in contact with air; which formation is in
response to the mental movement or idea which by the
will thus see!s outward epression in audible sound. It
is this perception which is transitory, for the 1hvani
which manifests ideas in language is such. 'ut lettered
sound as it is in itself, that is, as the 2onsciousness
manifesting Idea epressed in speech is eternal. It was
not produced at the moment it was perceived. It wasonly manifested by the 1hvani. It eisted before, as it
eists after, such manifestation, just as a jar in a dar!
room which is revealed by a flash of lightning is not
then produced, nor does it cease to eist on its ceasing
to be perceived through the disappearance of its
manifester, the lightning. The air in contact with thevoice organs reveals sound in the form of the letters of
the alphabet, and their combinations in words and
sentences. The letters are produced for hearing by the
person desiring to spea!, and become audible to the ear
of others through the operation of unlettered sound or
1hvani. The latter being a maifester only, lettered
Shabda is something other than its manifester.
'efore describing the nature of Shabda in its different
form of development, it is necessary to understand the
Indian psychology of perception. *t each moment, the
)iva is subject to innumerable influences which from all
?uarters of the 7niverse pour upon him. :nly those
reach his 2onsciousness which attract his attention and
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are thus selected by his Manas. The latter attends to one
or other of these sense#impressions and conveys it to
the 'uddhi. hen an object %*rtha& is presented to the
mind, and perceived, the latter is formed into the shape
of the object perceived. This is called a mental -ritti
%modification& which it is the object of oga to
suppress. The mind as a -ritti is thus a representation of
the outer subject. 'ut, in so far as it is such
representation, the mind is as much an object as the
outer one. The latter, that is, the physical object, iscalled the gross object %Sthula artha&, and the former or
mental impression is called the subtle object %Su!shma
artha&. 'ut, besides the object, there is the mind which
perceives it. It follows that the mind has two aspects, in
one of which it is the perceiver, and in the other the
perceived in the form of the mental formation %-ritti&,which in creation precedes its outer projection, and
after the creation follows as the impression produced in
the mind by the sensing of a gross physical object. The
mental impression and the physical object eactly
correspond, for the physical object is in fact but a
projection of the cosmic imagination, though it has the
same reality as the mind has; no more and no less. The
mind is thus both cogni0er %$raha!a& and cogni0ed
$rahya&, revealer %/ra!asha!a& and revealed
%/ra!ashya&, denoter %-aca!a& and denoted %-acya&.
hen the mind perceives an object, it is transformedinto the shape of that object. So the mind which thin!s
of the 1ivinity which it worships %Ishtadevata& is, at
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length, through continued devotion, transformed into
the li!eness of that 1evata. 'y allowing the 1evata thus
to occupy the mind for long, it becomes as pure as the
1evata. This is a fundamental principle of Tantri!
Sadhana or religious practice. The object perceived is
called *rtha, a term which comes from the root "i,"
which means to get, to !now, to enjoy. *rtha is that
which is !nown and which, therefore, is an object of
enjoyment. The mind as *rtha, that is in the form of the
mental impression, is an eact reflection of the outerobject or gross *rtha. *s the outer object is *rtha, so is
the interior subtle mental form which corresponds to it.
That aspect of the mind which cogni0es is called
Shabda or
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Mahabindu before actual manifestation. This is
motionless, causal Shabda in 5undalini, in the
Muladhara center of the body. That aspect of it in which
it commences to move with a general, that is, non#
particulari0ed, motion %Samanya Spanda& is /ashyanti
whose place is from the Muladhara to the Manipura
2a!ra, the net center. It is here associated with Manas.
These represent the motionless and first moving Ishvara
aspect of Shabda. Madhyama Shabda is associated with
'uddhi. It is >iranyagarbha sound %>iranyagarbharupa&etending from /ashyanti to the heart. 'oth Madhyama
sound which is the inner "naming" by the cognitive
aspect of mental movement, as also its *rtha or subtle
%Su!shma& object %*rtha& belong to the mental or subtle
body %Su!shma or (inga Sharira&. /erception is
dependent on distinguishing and identification. In theperception of an object that part of the mind which
identifies and distinguishes and thus "names" or the
cogni0ing part is, from the Shabda aspect, subtle
Shabda= and that part of it which ta!es the shape of, and
thus constitutes, the object %a shape which corresponds
with the outer thing& is subtle *rtha. The perception of
an object is thus conse?uent on the simultaneous
functioning of the mind in its two#fold aspect as Shabda
and *rtha, which are in indissoluble relation with one
another as cogni0er %$raha!a& and cogni0ed $rahya&.
'oth belong to the subtle body. In creation Madhyamasound first appeared. *t that movement there was no
outer *rtha. Then the 2osmic Mind projected this inner
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Madhyama *rtha into the world of sensual eperience
and named it in spo!en speech %-ai!hari Shabda&. The
last or -ai!hari Shabda is uttered speech, developed in
the throat, issuing from the mouth. This is -irat Shabda.
-ai!hari Shabda is therefore language or gross lettered
sound. Its corresponding *rtha is the physical or gross
object which language denotes. This belongs to the
gross body %Sthula Sharira&. Madhyama Shabda is
mental movement or ideation in its cognitive aspect and
Madhyama *rtha is the mental impression of the grossobject. The inner thought#movement in its aspect as
%-aca!a& and denoted %-acya&. hen the mind
perceives an object, it is transformed into the shape of
that object. So the mind which thin!s of the 1ivinity
which it worships %Ishtadevata& is, at length, through
continued devotion, transformed into the li!eness ofthat 1evata. 'y allowing the 1evata thus to occupy the
mind for long, it becomes as pure as the 1evata. This is
a fundamental principle of Tantri! Sadhana or religious
practice. The object perceived is called *rtha, a term
which comes from the root "i," which means to get, to
!now, to enjoy. *rtha is that which is !nown and which,
therefore, is an object of enjoyment. The mind as *rtha,
that is in the form of the mental impression, is an eact
reflection of the outer object or gross *rtha. *s the
outer object is *rtha, so is the interior subtle mental
form which corresponds to it. That aspect of the mindwhich cogni0es is called Shabda or
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called *rtha or upa %form&. The outer physical object,
of which the latter is in the individual an impression, is
also *rtha or upa, and spo!en speech is the outer
Shabda. The mind is thus, from the Mantra aspect,
Shabda and *rtha, terms corresponding to the -edantic
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dreamless state %Sushupti& which is destruction
%/ralaya&. hat is it which arouses this Sams!ara8 *s
an effect %5riya& it must have a cause %5arana&. This
5arana is the Shabda or
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7ttered speech is a manifestation of the inner naming or
thought. This thought#movement is similar in men of all
races. hen an nglishman or an Indian thin!s of an
object, the image is to both the same, whether evo!ed
by the object itself or by the utterance of its name. 3or
this reason possibly if thought#reading be accepted, a
thought#reader whose cerebral center is en rapport with
that of another, may read the hidden "speech," that is
thought, of one whose spo!en speech he cannot
understand. Thus, whilst the thought#movement issimilar in all men, the epression of it as -ai!hari
Shabda differs. *ccording to tradition there was once a
universal language. *ccording to the 'iblical account,
this was so, before the confusion of tongues at the
Tower of 'abel. Similarly there is, %a friend tells me
though he has forgotten to send me the reference&, inthe igveda, a mysterious passage which spea!s of the
"Three 3athers and three Mothers," by whose action
li!e that of the lohim "all#comprehending speech" was
made into that which was not so.
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particular language, the uttered name of any object is
the gross epression of his inner thought#movement. It
evo!es the idea and the idea is consciousness as mental
operation. That operation can be so intensified as to be
itself creative. This is Mantra#2aitanya.
It is said in the Tantra Shastras that the fifty letters of
the alphabet are in the si bodily 2a!ras called
Muladhara, Svadhisthana, Manipura, *nahata,
-ishuddha and *j9a. These HB letters multiplied by 4B
are in the thousand#pealed (otus or Sahasrara.
3rom the above account, it will be understood that,
when it is said that the "(etters" are in the si bodily
2a!ras, it is not to be supposed that it is intended to
absurdly affirm that the letters as written shapes, or as
the uttered sounds which are heard by the ear are there.The letters in this sense, that is, as gross things, are
manifested only in speech and writing. This much is
clear. 'ut the precise significance of this statement is a
matter of some difficulty. There is in fact no subject
which presents more difficulties than Mantravidya,whether considered generally or in relation to the
particular matters in hand. I do not pretend to have
elucidated all its difficulties.
hat proceeds from the body is in it in subtle or causal
form. hy, however, it may be as!ed are particularletters assigned to particular 2a!ras. I have heard
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%Murddha&, dentals %1anta& and labials %:shtha&. hen
so articulated, each letter, it is said, "touches" the 2a!ra
in which it is, and in which on this account it has been
placed. In uttering them certain 2a!ras are affected; that
is, brought into play. This, it is alleged, will be found to
be so, if the letter is carefully pronounced and attention
is paid to the accompanying bodily movement. Thus, in
uttering >a, the head %*j9a& is touched, and in uttering
the deep#seated -a, the basal 2a!ra or Muladhara. In
ma!ing the first sound the forehead is felt to beaffected, and in ma!ing the last the lower part of the
body around the root#lotus. This is the theory put forth
as accounting for the position of the letters in the
2a!ras.
* Mantra is, li!e everything else, Sha!ti. 'ut the mereutterance of a Mantra without more is a mere
movement of the lips. The Mantra must be awa!ened
%/rabuddha& just li!e any other Sha!ti if effect is to be
had therefrom. This is the union of sound and idea
through a !nowledge of the Mantra and its meaning.
The recitation of a Mantra without !nowing its meaningis practically fruitless. I say "practically" because
devotion, even though it be ignorant, is never wholly
void of fruit. 'ut !nowledge of the meaning is not
enough; for it is possible by reading a boo! or receiving
oral instructions to get to !now the meaning of a
Mantra, without anything further following. ach
Mantra is the embodiment of a particular form of
2onsciousness or Sha!ti. This is the Mantra#Sha!ti.
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2onsciousness or Sha!ti also eists in the form of the
Sadha!a. The object then is to unite these two, when
thought is not only in the outer hus!, but is vitali0ed by
will, !nowledge, and action through its conscious
center in union with that of the Mantra. The latter is
1evata or a particular manifestation of Sha!ti= and the
Sadha!a who identifies himself therewith, identifies
himself with that Sha!ti. *ccording to oga when the
mind is concentrated on any object it is unified with it.
hen man is so identified with a -arna or Tattva, thenthe power of objects to bind ceases, and he becomes the
controller. Thus, in 5undalini#oga, the static bodily
Sha!ti pierces the 2a!ras, to meet Shiva#Sha!ti in the
Sahasrara. *s the Sadha!a is, through the power of the
rising Sha!ti, identified with each of the 2enters,
Tattvas and Matri!a Sha!tis they cease to bind, untilpassing through all he attains Samadhi. *s the -arnas
are Shiva#Sha!ti, concentration on them draws the mind
towards, and then unifies it with, the 1evata which is
one with the Mantra. The 1evata of the Mantra is only
the creative Sha!ti assuming that particular form. *s
already stated, 1evata may be reali0ed in any object,
not merely in Mantras, antras, $hatas, /ratimas or
other ritual objects of worship. The same power which
manifests to the ear in the Mantra is represented in the
lines and curves of the antra which, the1a!lavali
Tantra says, is the body of the 1evata=
2antram mantrama"am proktam
mantratma devataiva hi
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+ehatmanor "atha #hedo "antra-devata
"oshtatha.
The antra is thus the graphic symbol of the Sha!ti,
indicated by the Mantra with which identification ta!esplace. The /ratima or image is a grosser visual form of
the 1evata. 'ut the Mantras are particular forms of
1ivine Sha!ti, the reali0ation of which is efficacious to
produce particular results. *s in 5undalini# oga, so
also here the identification of the Sadha!a with
different Mantras gives rise to various -ibhutis or
powers= for each grouping of the letters represents a
new combination of the Matri!a Sha!tis. It is the
eternal Sha!ti who is the life of the Mantra. Therefore,
Siddhi in Mantra Sadhana is the union of the Sadha!a+s
Sha!ti with the Mantra Sha!ti; the identification of theSadha!a with the Mantra is the identification of the
!nower %-eda!a&, !nowing %-idya& and !nown %-edya&
or the Sadha!a, Mantra and 1evata. Then the Mantra
wor!s. The mind must feed, and is always feeding,
something. It sei0es the Mantra and wor!s its way to itsheart. hen there, it is the 2itta or mind of the Sadha!a
unified with the Sha!ti of the Mantra which wor!s.
Then subject and object, in its Mantra form, meet as
one. 'y meditation the Sadha!a gains unity with the
1evata behind, as it were, the Mantra and hose form
the Mantra is. The union of the Sadha!a of the Mantraand the 1evata of the Mantra is the result of the effort
to reali0e permanently the incipient desire for such
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union. The will towards 1ivinity is a dynamic force
which pierces everything and finds there 1ivinity itself.
It is because esterners and some esterni0ed >indus
do not understand the principles of Mantra; principles
which lie at the center of Indian religious theory and
practice, that they see nothing in it where they do not
regard it as gross superstition. It must be admitted that
Mantra Sadhana is often done ignorantly. 3aith is
placed in eternals and the inner meaning is often lost.
'ut even such ignorant worship is better than none atall. "It is better to bow to
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as it were, the son of the Sadha!a. It is not the supreme
1evata who appears %for It is actionless&, but in all
cases an emanation produced by the Sadha!a+s worship
for his benefit only. In the case of worshippers of the
Shiva#Mantra, a 'oy#Shiva %'ala#Shiva& appears who
is then made strong by the nurture which the Sadha!a
gives him. The occultist will understand all such
symbolism to mean that the 1evata is a form of the
2onsciousness which becomes the 'oy#Shiva, and
which, when strengthened is the full#grown 1ivine/ower Itself. *ll Mantras are forms of consciousness
%-ij9anarupa&, and when the Mantra is fully practiced it
enlivens the Sams!ara, and the *rtha appears to the
mind. Mantras used in worship are thus a form of the
Sams!aras of )ivas; the *rtha of which manifests to the
consciousness which is pure. The essence of all this is## concentrate and vitali0e thought and will power, that
is Sha!ti.
The Mantra method is Sha!topaya oga wor!ing with
concepts and form, whilst Shambhavopaya oga has
been well said to be a more direct attempt at intuition ofSha!ti, apart from all passing concepts, which, as they
cannot show the eality, only serve to hide it the more
from one+s view and thus maintain bondage. These
oga methods are but eamples of the universal
principle of Sadhana, that the Sadha!a should first wor!
with and through form, and then, so far as may be, by a
meditation which dispenses with it.
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It has been pointed out to me by /rofessor Surendra