In this excerpt from the Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains Utpaladeva’s wonder about being a “slave” to Lord Shiva without seeing his master.
Chapter 12 (58:58)
भगवन्भवदिच्छयैव दास –
स्तव जातोऽस्मि परस्य नात्र शक्तिः ।
कथमेष तथापि वक्त्रबिम्बं
तव पश्यामि न जातु चित्रमेतत् ॥२६॥
bhagavanbhavadicchayaiva dāsa-
stava jāto’smi parasya nātra śaktiḥ /
kathameṣa tathāpi vaktrabimbaṁ
tava paśyāmi na jātu citrametat //26//
O Lord, by Yo...
In these two excerpts, Swami Lakshmanjoo answers the question of how to know which is the true path. The first excerpt is from the Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva's Shivastotravali, the second is from the Magical Jewel of Devotion, Stavacintamani by Bhaṭṭa Nārāyaṇa, as revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo.
Download and listen to the audio here.
Chapter 2 (1:01:24)
सर्वाशङ्काशनिं सर्वा-
लक्ष्मीकालानलं तथा ।
सर्वामङ्गल्यकल्पान्तं
मार्गं माहेश्वरं नुमः ॥२८॥
sarvāśaṅkāśaniṁ sarvā-
lakṣ...
This is a lecture of Swamiji given in Kashmiri translated into English. You can also listen and read more about the Systems and Schools of Shaivism by visiting this blog excerpt from the book Kashmir Shaivism, The Secret Supreme, Chapter 19, where Swamiji explains the four sub-systems of this philosophy in English.
Long after Sage Durvasa was first initiated into Shaivism by Lord Shiva on Mount Kailash, the Lord felt the need of explaining it in still greater detail in order to make it easily u...
Swami Lakshmanjoo explains the different ways of (sāttvic, rājasic, tāmasic) acting in this universal drama, as revealed in the Shiva Sutras: The Supreme Awakening, by Swami Lakshmanjoo. (The transcript below is different than the book text)
[Intro for sūtra 10.]
Now in his theatrical dress evaṁvidhasya asya jagat nāṭya nartakasya, while he steps in the play of drama, acting, his way of acting is explained in next sūtra, the 3rd chapter, 10th sūtra.
raṅgo ‘ntarātmā // 10 //
Ran...
This is an excerpt from Swami Lakshmanjoo’s publication: Light on Tantra in Kashmir Shaivism – Abhinavagupta’s Tantraloka Volume 2 Chapters Two & Three.
Tantrāloka is the voluminous masterwork of the 10th-century philosopher-saint Abhinavagupta. It is a veritable encyclopedia of non-dual Shaivism, a spiritual treasure trove containing a glorious synthesis of all the schools that make up Kashmir Shaivism.
This second volume includes chapters two and three, dealing with Anupāya, the means (upāya...
This is the continuation of the Bodhapañcadaśikā by Abhinavagupta, who wrote the [15 verses of wisdom] ‘those dear devotees who are not intellectually inclined”. See previous verse 10 here.
यदेतस्यापरिज्ञानं तत्स्वातन्त्र्यं हि वर्णितम् ।
स एव खलु संसारो जडानां यो विभीषकः ॥११
yadetasyā-parijñānaṁ tat-svātantryaṁ hi varṇitam /
sa eva khalu saṁsāro jaḍānāṁ yo vibhīṣakaḥ // 11 //
Yadetasya apari-jñānam, now if we don’t understand like this – that this is only a trick ...
This is the continuation of a previous lecture on the Bodhapañcadaśikā by Abhinavagupta, who wrote the [15 verses of wisdom]. In this part, Swamiji is explaining the 10th verse…
“Time only appears, it does not exist.” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
तेषु वैचित्र्यमत्यन्तमूर्ध्वाधस्तिर्यगेव यत् ।
भुवनानि तदंशाश्च सुखदुःखमतर्भवः ॥१०॥
teṣu vaicitryam-atyantam-ūrdhvādha-stiryageva yat /
bhuvanāni tad-aṁśāśca sukha-duḥkham-atir-bhavaḥ // 10 //
In the previous śloka he has explained that ...
In this excerpt from the Manual for Self Realization: 112 Meditations of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, (verses 14-16) Swami Lakshmanjoo explains why "the state (āvasthā) of fullness, which is Bharitākārā, the qualification of Bhairavī, belongs to Bhairava. This state, which is of Bhairavī, belongs to Bhairava.”
What is the right path? He puts that now.
दिक्कालकलनोन्मुक्ता
देशोद्देशाविशेषिणी ।
व्यपदेष्टुमशक्यासा-
वकथ्या परमार्थतः ॥१४॥
अन्तः स्वानुभवानन्दा
विकल्पोन्मुक्तगोचरा ।
...
In this excerpt, from the Manual for Self Realization: 112 Meditations of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, (verses 16b-19), Swami Lakshmanjoo answers the question of whether there is a difference of supremeness between Lord Śiva and Pārvatī. In order to answer this, he first clarifies who is to be worshiped and who is the worshiper.
एवंविधे परे तत्त्वे
कः पूज्यः कश्च तृप्यति ॥१६॥
evaṁvidhe pare tattve
kaḥ pūjyaḥ kaśca tṛpyati // 16b //
When you put this thing in your view, ...
Which practice leads us to the cessation of suffering? How can we end suffering?
Below is an excerpt from the Online Course - Grace on the Spiritual Path in Kashmir Shaivism in which Swamiji answers the question about why we suffer and when and how it will end.
GRACE - Audio 1 Track 2 (16:27)
स स्वयं कल्पिताकारविकल्पात्मकर्मभिः ।
बध्नात्यात्मानमेवेह स्वातन्त्र्यादिति वर्णितम् ॥१०४॥
sa svayaṁ kalpitākāra-vikalpātmakakarmabhiḥ /
badhnātyātmānameveha svātantryāditi varṇ...
This is verse 9 of the Bodhapañcadaśikā by Abhinavagupta, who wrote the [15 verses of wisdom] for ‘those dear devotees who are not intellectually inclined”. The Bodhapañcadaśikā, Abhinavagupta’s “Fifteen Verses of Wisdom” is available as part of the "Self Realization in Kashmir Shaivism" by Swami Lakshmanjoo.
In this excerpt Swami Lakshmanjoo answers the question “Why our masters have explained to meditate.”
SWAMIJI: No, go on meditating and go in giving training, treatment, to your mind for gaining onepointedness. That is all. You have to gain onepointedness with this treatment. And when once you hav...
