In this excerpt from the Light on Tantra of Kashmir Shaivism, Abhinavagupta’s Tantraloka Chapter 2-3 third āhnika verse 69, Swami Lakshmanjoo describes The State of Perfect Embrace of Shiva with Shakti – “the state which is to be got, which is to be achieved, by everybody”. The full text with downloadable audio is available as hard and softcover book and ebook.
And this state of saṁghaṭṭa (this state of clash) of Lord Śiva with Śakti – or perfect embrace – is the state which is to be got, which is to be achieved, by everybody.
This is what he explains in the next śloka:
TĀ 3 Audio 19 (17:35)
परापरात्परं तत्त्वं सैषा देवी निगद्यते ।
तत्सारं तच्च हृदयं स विसर्गः परः प्रभुः ॥६९॥
parāparātparaṁ tattvaṁ saiṣā devī nigadyate /
tatsāraṁ tacca hṛdayaṁ sa visargaḥ paraḥ prabhuḥ // 69 //
(not recited)
Parāparātparaṁ tattvaṁ saiṣā devī nigadyate, this is that deity, this is that energy, which is above the energy of parā and above the energy of aparā. Parā is the transcendental energy, aparā is that energy which has transcended. That energy which is transcended and that energy which is transcendental, supreme, it is above that, this state is above these two states. In some śāstra, it is nominated as sāra, “the essence” of the universe. In some other śāstra, hṛdaya rahasya, it is called the “heart”, and it is called “supreme visarga” (parā visarga).
You were just now speaking of parā visarga, supreme visarga. There are three kinds of creative flows: one is supreme, the other is medium, and the third is inferior.
- The supreme is called parā visarga (‘ā’),
- the medium is called parāparā visarga (‘aḥ’),
- and inferior visarga is called aparā visarga (‘ha’).
Supreme visarga is represented by the letter ‘ā’, and medium visarga is represented by the letter visarga (‘aḥ’), and inferior visarga is represented by the letter ‘ha’ in the end.
JOHN: So, the reason why this state is higher than Śiva or just Śakti is because it is the whole totality.
SWAMIJI: Yes, yes, it’s the whole totality.
Source: The Light on Tantra of Kashmir Shaivism, Abhinavagupta’s Tantraloka Chapter 2-3,
third āhnika verse 69, revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo.
Available as hard and softcover book and ebook.
All rights reserved, Copyright © John Hughes
