Jnana Sankalini Tantra

"I remember again and again the dark primaeval Devi swayed with passion, Her beauteous face heated and moist with the sweat of amorous play, Bearing a necklace of Gunja berries, and clad with leaves " ! Bhuvaneshvari Stotra, quoted in Avalon's Hymns to the Goddess.

Preface Hindu tantras are discourses between "hiva and "hakti, the male and female aspects of divinity whose play creates the entire universe #he $nana "ankalini #antra is a brief work of %&' shlokas (verses) which outlines the dynamics of this interplay *f particular importance in this short work is the emphasis placed on the syllable *m, made up of the three "anskrit letters a+u+m #hese represent "hiva, "hakti and their union and can also be represented by the three gunas or ,ualities well known as rajas, tamas and sattvas *ther important elements of the tantrik cosmology are outlined in the $nana "ankalini #antra, including the correspondence between the macrocosm and the microcosm, the five elements of earth, air, fire, water and space, and the essential similarity between the individual spirit, the -tma, and the universal spirit, the .aramatma #he emphasis here is on $nana, or pure knowledge -lthough the spirit is one and all! pervading, it manifests through a variety of elements (tattvas) #hrough ignorance, an individual soul (jiva), may take each or any of these elements to be himself or herself #he work here translated is, then, a brief summary of the essential elements of the Hindu tantrik tradition #here is no indication in the contents of this book when it was written, but it cannot be very old

Mahadevi questioned Maheshvara, the Deva of all devas, the World Guru, sitting on the peak of Mount Kailasha: Speak to me of knowledge! ( ! Devi said " Deva! what is #reation and how is #reation destro$ed% What is the &rahma 'nana (e$ond #reation and destru#tion% ()! *shvara answered " +reation #omes from that (e$ond words (av$akta! and returns to that (e$ond words at (the time of! destru#tion, &rahma 'nana is the av$akta, (e$ond #reation and destru#tion, (-! .rom the s$lla(le /m #omes ever$thing, the fourteen vid$as, mantra, pu0a, dh$ana, a#tion and non" a#tion, (1! 2he four vedas, the si3 lim(s of veda, mimamsa, n$a$a, dharma shastra and puranas are the fourteen 4id$as, (5! .or as long as these 4id$as are known, (true! knowledge is not, /n knowing &rahma 'nana one is

) strong in all other knowledge, (6! 2he vedas and the puranas are like #ommon whores (ut the Sham(havi 4id$a is #on#ealed like a Kula Shakti, (7! 8ll knowledge is in the (od$, all devatas are in the (od$, all sa#red (athing spots are in the (od$, known through the words of a guru, (9! Self"knowledge is the #ause of happiness and li(eration for a man, not dharma, not karma and not the re#iting of mantra, (:! 'ust as there is potential for fire in wood, as there is s#ent in flower and ne#tar in water, so in the #entre of the human frame is Deva, devoid of good or (ad, ( ;! 2he *da is the Ganges and the <ingala is the =amuna, *n the #entre of the *da and the <ingala is the Sushumna, the Sarasvati, ( ! 2he union of the three is known as the king of (athing pla#es, Whosoever (athes there is released from all (adness, ( )! Devi said"Maheshvara, what is Khe#ari Mudra% What is Sham(havi 4id$a% What is knowledge of the self% 2ell me of that! ( -! *shvara said"8 stead$ mind without e3ternal support, stead$ (reath without restraint, stead$ seeing without looking, that resem(les Khe#ari Mudra, ( 1! >ike a #hild or a fool?s mind drifts in sleep and dream, even without a#tuall$ (eing asleep, so a man who wanders similarl$ without support knows Sham(havi 4id$a ( 5! Devi said"Devadeva, @atha of the +osmos, <arameshvara, tell me the differen#es (etween the different darshanas, ea#h separatel$, ( 6! *shvara said"2he tridandins are devoted to pra#ti#e of the vedas, 2he Shaktas worship <rakriti, the &uddhists follow the void, (Shun$a!, ( 7! 2he +arvakas, although knowing the tattvas, are atheisti# prattlers, den$ing the e3isten#e of the sour#e of all, ( 9! Ama said, >ord! Speak of the #hara#teristi#s of the mi#ro#osm! 2alk of the five elements and the twent$"five qualities, ( :! *shvara said"2he five qualities of earth (<rithvi! a##ording to &rahma 'nana are (one, flesh, nails, skin and hair, ();! Knowers of &rahma 'nana sa$ that semen, (lood, marrow, urine and fae#es are the five gunas of water, () ! 2he knowers of &rahma 'nana sa$ sleep, hunger, thirst, fatigue and idleness are the five qualities of fire, ())! 8##ording to &rahma 'nana, holding, shaking, throwing, e3panding and #ontra#ting are the five qualities of air, ()-! 2he knowers of &rahma 'nana sa$ desire, anger, delusion, shame and greed are the five qualities of spa#e, ()1!

8ir #omes from spa#e, fire #omes from air, water #omes from fire, and earth #omes from water, ()5! Barth dissolves into water, water dissolves in fire, fire dissolves in air and air dissolves in spa#e, ()6! +reation #omes from the five tattvas and is dissolved into them, Greater than the five tattvas is that whi#h is a(ove them, without stain, ()7! 2he organs of tou#h, taste, smell, sight and hearing are the five tattvas of the senses, Mind (manas! is the tattva that gives (irth to them, ()9! 2he entire ma#ro#osm is situated in the #entre of the (od$, 2hat with form is destro$ed while that without form is indestru#ti(le, ():! Whosever?s mind is fi3ed on the formless (e#omes one with the formless, 2herefore, ($ ever$ means, re0e#t that with form, (-;! Devi said"8dinatha, tell me of the seven dhatus, What are the$% What is 8tma% What is the inner 8tma (8ntaratma!% What is the Supreme 8tma (<aramatma!% (- ! *shvara said"Semen, (lood, marrow, fat, flesh, (ones and skin are the seven (dhatus! in the (od$, (-)! 2he (od$ is 8tma, Mind is the 8ntaratma and <aramatma is the Shun$a (void! where the mind dissolves, (--! &lood is the mother dhatu and semen is the father dhatu, 2he Shun$a dhatu produ#ed from vital (reath is the foetus, (-1! Devi said"2ell me of the nature of spee#h, Cow is it produ#ed and how is it dissolved% (-5! *shvara said"4ital (reath #omes from the 8v$akta, mind arises from vital (reath, Spee#h #omes from mind and is dissolved into mind, (-6! Devi said"Where does the sun dwell% Where does the moon dwell% Where does vital (reath dwell% Where does mind dwell% (-7! *shvara said"2he moon is at the root of the palate, 2he sun is at the root of the navel, 4ital (reath is a(ove the sun and mind is (elow the moon, (-9! 2he +it is a(ove the sun and the 0iva is a(ove the moon, Mahadevi, this is to (e learned from the mouth of a guru, (-:! Devi said"Where is Shakti% Where is Shiva% Where is 2ime% What #auses ageing% (1;! *shvara said"Shakti is within (<atala!, Shiva is without, 2ime is in spa#e and #auses ageing, (1 ! Devi said"What wants to eat% What wants to drink% What sta$s awake in waking, dream and deep sleep% (1)! Shiva said"4ital (reath wants food, .ood is #onsumed ($ fire, 4ital (reath is awake during waking, dream and deep sleep, (1-! Devi said"What #auses karma% What #auses (ad deeds, Who does (ad deeds% Cow is one li(erated from (ad deeds% (11! Shiva said"2he mind does (ad deeds, 2he mind is stained ($ (ad deeds, 2hat mind, having (e#ome itself,

1 does neither good nor (ad, (15! Devi said"Cow does an em(odied soul (0iva! (e#ome Shiva% What is #ause and effe#t% Speak to me, of $our gra#e! (16! *shvara said"&ound ($ delusion 0iva, freed from delusion Sadashiva, =ou are #ause and effe#t, Bnlightenment is different from $ou, (17! .olk su(0e#t to tamasa wander to this sa#red pla#e and that sa#red pla#e, thinking that Shiva is here, Shakti is elsewhere, mind is somewhere else and vital (reath is somewhere else again, (19! / &eauteous /ne, the$ do not realise the sa#red pla#e within the (od$, Cow then, #an the$ (e li(erated% (1:! 4eda is not the vedas, the eternal &rahma is veda, Whosoever knows the &rahma 4id$a is a (rahmin, skilled in the vedas,(5;! 8fter #hurning the four 4edas and all the s#riptures, the $ogis have e3tra#ted their essen#e, leaving pandits to drink the (utter milk whi#h remains, (5 ! 8ll the s#riptures are like dirt$ leavings with ever$one speaking of knowledge, 2he &rahma Knowledge (e$ond words is not dirt$ leavings, (5)! 2he path of &rahma is the ultimate tapas and not ordinar$ tapas, Whosoever knows the upper semen, he is a deva, (5-! Meditation is not meditation unless the mind is united with Shun$a, Ce who does so (e#omes happ$ and li(erated, no dou(t, (51! Sa#rifi#e (homa! is not homa unless it is samadhi, in whi#h the vital (reaths are sa#rifi#ed in the fire of &rahma, 2hat is the true sa#rifi#e, (55! Good and evil a#ts give rise to good and evil #onsequen#es, 2herefore, ($ ever$ means, a wise man re0e#ts them, (56! .or as long as ignoran#e prevails, so long does #aste and famil$ matter, 8fter knowing &rahma 'nana, one is free from all distin#tions of #aste, (57! Devi said"Shankara, * do not understand this knowledge $ou have spoken of, Devesha, remove m$ dou(ts! 2ell me how the mind is dissolved, (59! Shankara said"*t is said that &rahma 'nana is like dreamless sleep in whi#h is dissolved mind, spee#h and a#tions, (5:! &rahma 'nana, it is said, is a state of one"pointedness, without an3ieties, pea#eful, free of delusion and (estowing a #hild"like nature, (6;! *n the ne3t line * will de#lare that spoken ($ the knowers of the truth, =oga is the the re0e#tion of all thoughts and #on#erns, (6 ! /ne who rea#hes samadhi for a split se#ond or even half a split se#ond destro$s the evil of a hundred (irths instantl$, (6)! Devi said"Deva, what is Shakti and what is Shiva, 2ell me a(out this! Deveal the nature of 'nana! (6-!

5 Shakti dwells in the moving mind and Siva dwells in the stead$ mind, Ce who is esta(lished in the stead$ mind (e#omes a##omplished while living in the (od$, (61! Devi said"Where are the three Shaktis% Where are the si3 #akras% Where are the twent$ one ma#ro#osms% Where are the seven underworlds% (65! *shvara said"2he upper Shakti is in the throat, the lower Shakti is in the anus, 2he middle Shakti is in the navel and the Shakti a(ove these is without des#ription, (66! 2he adhara #akra is in the anus, the SvadhishEhana is near the penis, * have spoken previousl$ of the distin#tions of the #akras, Cail to that a(ove the #akras! (67! 2he top half of the (od$ is #alled &rahmaloka, (elow that is <atalaloka, 2he (od$ resem(les a tree with the roots at the top and the (ran#hes (elow, (69! Devi said"<arameshvara, Shiva, Shankara, *shana, Speak to me! What are the ten vital (reaths and what the ten doors% (6:! *shvara said"<rana is in the heart, apana is in the anus, samana is in the navel region and udana is situated in the throat, (7;! 4$ana is spread throughout the (od$, @aga moves upward, Kurma is situated in the tirthas, (7 ! Krikara is in #r$ing, Devadatta is in $awning, Dhanan0a$a is in singing and roaring, (7)! 8##ording to the $ogis, these vital (reaths have no support, 2he nine doors are #lear and the tenth door is the mind, it is said, (7-! Devi said"Speak to me of the #hara#teristi#s of the nadis spread throughout the (od$, 2ell me of the ten nadis arising from Kundalini Shakti, (71! *shvara said"*da, <ingala and Sushumna go upwards, Gandhari, Casti0ihva and <rasava move (elow, (75! 8lam(usha and =asha are situated to the right, Kuhu and Shankhini are situated to the left, (76! 4arious nadis, amounting to sevent$ two thousand, arise from these ten and e3ist in the (od$, it is said, (77! /nl$ a $ogi with knowledge of the nadis is a true $ogi, Devi, nadi knowledge gives siddhi for $ogis, (79! Devi said"&hutanatha, Mahadeva, <arameshvara, speak to me! What are the three devas% What are the three (havas% What are the three gunas% (7:! *shvara said"2he Da0o(hava is &rahma, 2he Sattva(hava is Cari, 2he Krodha(hava is Dudra, 2hese three devas are the gunas, (9;! 2hese three devas, &rahma"4ishnu"Maheshvara, are one, Whosoever thinks of them as different in nature is never li(erated, (9 ! &rahma is like semen, Cari is like vital (reath and Dudra is like mind, 2he three devas are the gunas, (9)! &rahma is #ompassionate, Cari is pure and Dudra is fier$, 2he three devas are the gunas, (9-!

6 With one meaning, the$ are the same thing, supreme &rahma, the #osmos, all whi#h moves and does not move, Whosoever thinks of them as different in nature is never li(erated, (91! * am #reation, * am time, * am &rahma, * am Cari, * am Dudra, * am Shun$a, * am ever$where, * am without distin#tion, (95! * am the soul of all, o Devi, * am free from desire, * am spa#e, * am m$ pure own nature, without stain, there is no dou(t of it, (96! Ce who has #ontrolled his senses and #ourageous is a &rahma#ari and a true pandit, speaking truth, devoted, generous, stead$ of mind, (97! 2he path of &rahma is the root of tapas, +ompassion is the root of dut$, 2herefore, ($ ever$ means, rest in the path of #ompassionate dut$, (99! Devi said"=ogeshvara, 'agannatha dear to Ama as life itself, speak of veda, twilight worship, tapas, meditation, and sa#rifi#e, (9:! *svara said"/ne thousand ashvamedha and one hundred va0ape$a sa#rifi#es are not equal to even a si3teenth fra#tion of the greatness of &rahma 'nana, (:;! 2ravelling to the sa#red tirthas and (athing there does not amount to a si3teenth fra#tion of the greatness of &rahma 'nana, (: ! @o friend, no son, no father and no relatives #an ever equal the guru, the revealer of the supreme thing, (:)! >earning, tirthas, and gods and goddesses (devatas! #an never equal the guru, the revealer of the supreme thing, (:-! 8 dis#iple who has re#eived a single s$lla(le (of a mantra! from a guru #an never find an$thing in the world to repa$ that de(t, (:1! 2he &rahma 'nana is se#ret knowledge and should not (e revealed to an$one (ut a devoted soul, (:5! 2he wise should re0e#t mantra, pu0a, tapas, dh$ana, homa, 0apa, animal sa#rifi#e, n$asa, and all a#ts, (:6! 8sso#iating with others has man$ defe#ts, not asso#iating with others has man$ qualities, 2herefore, ($ ever$ effort, the wise should re0e#t the #ompan$ of others, (:7! 2he letter a is sattvik, the letter u is ra0asik and the letter m is tamasik, these three are <rakriti itself, (:9! 2he indestru#ti(le is <rakriti, *shvara is <rakriti and is itsef indestru#ti(le, .rom *shvara #ame <rakriti whi#h is triple in nature, (::! <rakriti is Shakti, the Ma$a, the #ause of #reation and destru#tion, the 8vid$a, the Mohini, whose form is sound, ( ;;! 8 is the Digveda, the letter u is the =a0urveda and the letter m is the Samaveda, ( ; ! 2he /m should (e known as the three nadas, 2he letter a is &huloka, the letter u is &huva and the letter m is Svarloka, it is said, *n these three letters the 8tma manifests, ( ;)" ;-! 2he letter 8 is earth and $ellow in #olour, the letter u is like lightning and spa#e, and the letter m is white and heavenl$, .or sure the single /m pervades ever$thing and is &rahma itself, ( ;1" ;5!

7 2hose seated in a stead$ position, who meditate dail$ and are free of worries and imaginings, are $ogis and not otherwise, Shiva said, ( ;6! Whoever hears this or reads this ever$ da$ (e#omes pure and free of all pro(lems and resides in the Shiva heaven, ( ;7!