Cidvilasastava by Amrtananda
by Brian Campbell and Ben Williams | 2023 | 36,420 words
This page relates 鈥榁erse 33: Damanakarpana鈥� of the English translation of the Cidvilasastava by Amrtananda (fl. 1325-1375 C.E.). This work combines the ritualistic worship of Shrividya with the philosophy of non-dualism, influenced by Pratyabhijna Shaivism. More specifically, the Cidvilasa-Stava outlines and provides the non-dual Bhavanas (i.e., creative contemplations that fuse the mind with reality) for several important steps in the ritual worship of Tripurasundari.
Verse 33: Damanak膩rpa峁嘺
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 33:
啶掂啶︵啶ぐ啶距ざ啶苦う啶え啷囙え 啶掂た啶多啶掂い啷� 啶ㄠた啶班啶掂た啶曕げ啷嵿お啶く啶掂ぞ啶膏え啷嬥げ啷嵿が啶｀ぎ啷� 啷�
啶氞た啶む啶むぎ啷� 啶忇さ 啶︵ぎ啶ㄠ 啶多た啶掂 鈥樴ぎ啷佮啶膏啶ぞ啶班啶ぃ啶 啶︵ぎ啶ㄠ啶距ぐ啷嵿お啶｀ 啶ぐ啶 啷� 啷┼ォ 啷�vedyar膩艣idamanena vi艣vato nirvikalpamayav膩sanolba峁嘺m |
cittam eva damana峁� 艣ive 鈥榤ukasy膩rpa峁嘺m 诲补尘补苍补办腻谤辫补峁嘺峁� param || 33 ||Through completely calming (damana) the diverse multitude of objects of awareness, the mind itself, with its layers of mental tendencies free of conceptual distinctions, becomes tranquil in 艢颈惫补. Such a ritual offering of that [mind] is the supreme rite of the damanaka offering [in honor of 碍腻尘补诲别惫补].
Notes:
The damanaka tree is associated with 碍腻尘补诲别惫补 and its flowers are offered in several types of special 辫奴箩腻蝉, used in 膧yurvedic medicine, and are considered to be a potent aphrodisiac. On special occasions, such as 碍腻尘补迟谤补测辞诲补艣颈, and other festival days for 碍腻尘补诲别惫补, he is worshiped with damanaka flowers. The worship of 碍腻尘补诲别惫补 is often performed with the aim to conceive children, repair relations between lovers, and other 办腻尘测补 rituals for the satisfaction of desires. Several texts including the 础驳苍颈辫耻谤腻峁嘺 and 骋腻谤耻岣峚辫耻谤腻峁嘺 speak of special 碍腻尘补诲别惫补 辫奴箩腻蝉 and vows (vrata) undertaken by people who want to win his favor.
In this verse, 础尘峁泃腻苍补苍诲补 contemplates the supreme form of the 诲补尘补苍补办腻谤辫补峁嘺鈥攁 specialized 辫奴箩腻 found within the 艢谤墨惫颈诲测腻 tradition. The key to understanding how damanaka worship is a part of 艢谤墨惫颈诲测腻 is found in the twenty-sixth chapter of the 闯帽腻苍腻谤峁嘺惫补迟补苍迟谤补, which relates a story about a special boon given to Rati after her husband, 碍腻尘补诲别惫补, was burned to ashes by 艢颈惫补. After hearing of her husband's death at the hands of 艢颈惫补, Rati began crying profusely and everywhere her tears fell, a damanaka plant sprouted. The flowers emitted such a sweet scent that 艢颈惫补 decided to give Rati a boon to revive her dead husband. The chapter continues to describe how 诲补尘补苍补办腻谤辫补苍补 is performed with a special set of mantras and a 尘补峁囜笉补濒补 in honor of 碍腻尘补诲别惫补 and that it should be performed to ensure the efficacy of a practitioner's 蝉腻诲丑补苍补 throughout the entire year.
In this verse, 础尘峁泃腻苍补苍诲补 teaches that just as offering a damanaka leaf (born from mental anguish and turmoil) in the special 诲补尘补苍补办腻谤辫补峁嘺 will create abundance and efficacy of one's 蝉腻诲丑补苍补, in a similar way, the calming of the mind (specifically its thought-forms known as vikalpas) will lead to tranquility in pure 艢颈惫补 consciousness.