This excerpt is a very important lecture on the qualification of Parabhairava, as revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo in the Essence of the Supreme Reality: Abhinavagupta’s Paramarthasara verses 10-13.
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...
“Lord Shiva is the essence of all beings, His existence is nature, everybody’s nature. Lord Shiva is found in the absence of Lord Shiva also.” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
This is a continuation of blog posts on the Bodhapañcadaśikā by Abhinavagupta, who wrote the [15 verses of wisdom] for ‘those dear devotees who are not intellectually inclined”. In this final part Swamiji is explaining the 15th and 16th, which are the ending verses.
इत्थमिच्छाकलाज्ञानशक्तिशूलाम्बुजाश्रितः ।
भैरवः सर्वभावानां स्व...
This is a beautiful devotional excerpt from Chapter 1 of the Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali, revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo, highlighting the need to achieve God in the activity of the universe, not by shunning it.
“So, you should find out the way to achieve God in the activity of the universe, not by shunning it. This is Shaivism. The real way of perceiving You is to perceive You in each and every action of life.” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
शिवो भूत्वा यजेतेति भक्तो भूत्वेति कथ्यते ।
...
Here Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals that bondage and liberation are not separate from the reality of Lord Śiva. And why this theory of Shaivism is misunderstood.
Bondage and Liberation are not separate from the reality of Lord Shiva. ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
एतौ बनधविमोक्षौ च परमेशस्वरूपतः ।
न भिद्येते न भेदो हि तत्त्वतः परमेश्वरे ॥१४
etau bandha-vimokṣau ca parameśa-svarūpataḥ /
na bhidyete na bhedo hi tattvataḥ parameśvare // 14 //
But in fact these two cycles of bondage ...
Swamiji explains to us how and why Lord Shiva disconnects Himself from His energy and yet is never disconnected from it at the same time.
This is from the Bodhapañcadaśikā by Abhinavagupta, who wrote the “15 verses of wisdom” for ‘those dear devotees who are not intellectually inclined”.
This part starts with verses 6 - 8.
एष देवोऽनया देव्या नित्यं क्रीडारसोत्सुकः ।
विचित्रान् सृष्टिसंहारान् विधत्ते युगपद्विभुः ॥६
eṣa devo’nayā devyā nityaṁ krīḍāras-otsukaḥ /
vici...
