Cidgaganacandrika (study)
by S. Mahalakshmi | 2017 | 83,507 words
This page relates ‘Seven States of the Seven Perceivers (Pramata or Pramatri)� of the English study of the Cidgaganacandrika: an important Tantric work belonging to the Krama system of Kashmir Shaivism. Written by Kalidasa (Shrivatsa) in 312 Sanskrit verses, the Cidgagana-Candrika deals with the knowledge regarding both the Macrocosmic and Microcosmic phenomena. This study includes renditions from the two available commentaries—the Divyacakorika and the Kramaprakashika
This book contains Sanskrit text which you should never take for granted as transcription mistakes are always possible. Always confer with the final source and/or manuscript.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 16 - Seven States of the Seven Perceivers (ʰ or ʰ�)
[The following are the Seven perceivers]�
[These seven perceivers] adorn the ladder of achieving the path of tracing back to the origin of manifestation. The lowest rung is Sakala ʰ� and the highest is Ś ʰ� on the subjective level[1].
1) Sakala ʰ [ʰṛ]
The first state for the Sakala ʰ� (perceiver) is the state of Prameya, the state of the object of perception. The perception takes place in the objective world and not in the subjective world. This state is realized by its Sakala ʰ�,where the observer dwells in the field of objectivity and its world. All the three malas, Āṇa, Māyīya, and ṇa mala, are active in him.
2) ʰ첹 ʰ
Second state, ʰ첹 is the state of negation, where the whole world is negated. ʰ첹 ʰ� of this state who resides in this world of negation has no experience of the state of this voidness because this state is actually the state of unawareness. ū, Coma etc., represent this state which is like unnatural and heavy sleep, like deep sleep which is void of dreams. ʰ첹 ʰ�, resides in that void unawareness. Only two malas Āṇa mala and Māyīya mala remain, in this state which are concerned with thought rather than action as against ṇa mala that is concerned with action.
The twin states mentioned above are states of worldly people not spiritualists as they function in the state of individuality not in the state of one’s real nature.
3) Vijñānakala ʰ
Vijñānakala ʰ�, the third state is attained by one pursuing on the path of yoga. At times awareness is experienced by the yogi but the same is not active. At other times his awareness is active but he is not aware of that active awareness. �Āṇa mala is two fold. It is the cause of ignorance of free will and it is also the cause of the loss of free will.Thus it carries one away from their own Real Self.� Sometimes it is full of action (ٲԳٰⲹ -full of absolute independence) without awareness and sometimes it is full of awareness without actions. Being full of awareness is ñԲūṇa, full of knowledge[2]. Only Āṇa mala, remains while the other two malas are removed.
4) Mantra ʰ
The observer of the fourth state, Śܻ, is called Mantra pramāt� in whom all malas are removed. He observes only the state of his own Self, his own Real nature, full of consciousness, full of bliss, full of independent will, full of knowledge, and full of action. This state, though not a stable state, is the real state of Ś. The mantra for this state is �aham aham, idam idam�. The meaning of the first section of this mantra, “aham, aham�, is that in this state he experiences that he is the reality, the Real nature of Self, the Truth of this whole universe. On the other hand the meaning of the second section of this mantra, “idam, idam�, tells us that he also experiences that this universe is false, unreal. He feels that the universe is false, that he is the truth of this reality. Due to instablity of this state, the yogi does not always remain in this state. The experience of this state comes and goes. Sometimes he experiences this state and sometimes he does not experience this state. Sometimes he experiences only �aham aham�. Sometimes, when his consciousness is a little damaged, he experienced only �idam idam�. Therefore, his reality of Self remains unstable and uncertain.
5) ѲԳٰś ʰ
Īś ʰ� is the fifth state and the observer is ѲԳٰś which means the one who has sovereignity on mantra (aham—‘I�). Just like the state of Mantra ʰ� this state is full of consciousness, full of bliss, full of will, full of knowledge, and full of action but this state is a more stable. The mantra for this state is �idam aham�, meaning that the aspirant in this state of Գٰś feels that this whole universe is not false, on the contrary, he feels that this whole universe is the expansion of his own nature. He unites the state of the universe with the state of his own consciousness. This is actually the unification of ī, the individual, with Ś, the universal. In this state of Գٰś he finds the universe in his Self.
6) ѲԳٰś ʰ
岹ś is the sixth state, the observer of which is ѲԳٰś who finds himself to be absolutely one with the Universal Transcendental Being. He experiences this state to be more valid, more solid, and deserving of confidence. Entry into this state ensures no falling from it at all. This is the established state of his Self, his own Real nature. The mantra of this state is �aham idam�. The meaning of this mantra is, I am this universe. Here, he realizes his Self in the universe. In the former state he realized the universe in his Self.
6) Ś ʰ
Ś is the seventh[3] and last state where Ś himself is the observer. In this final state, the state is Ś and the observer is also Ś. There is nothing outside Ś. The mantra in this state is “aham�, universal I. This state is completely full with consciousness, bliss, will, knowledge, and action.
In the former six states, the state is one thing and the observer is something else. However in the final seventh state Thisness is gone, melted in His Iness.
Energies of the seven ʰ [ʰ�]
In these seven states of seven ʰṛs there are seven ʰ� Śپ.
They are the energies of the seven ʰṛs.
Sakala ʰ� Śپ the first energy makes one capable of residing in all the three malas and thereby remaining in the state of Sakala.
ʰ첹 ʰ� Śپ the second energy enables one to be in unawareness, in void (ŚūԲⲹ).
Vijñānakala ʰ� Śپ, the third energy enables one to be seated in the state of ñԲ첹, where only Āṇa mala is active. Mantra ʰ� Śپ, the fourth energy enables one to reside in the state of �aham aham, idam idam� in the state of Mantra ʰ�, which is the state of Śܻ. All three malas have vanished completely[4].
ѲԳٰś ʰ� Śپ, the fifth energy is that energy which carries one in the state of Գٰś and is found in the state of Īś as perception �idam aham�[5].
ѲԳٰś Śپ the sixth energy guides the yogi to the state of ś, the state of mantra ś and it carries the aspirant in the perception of �aham idam� where he finds his I-ness in the universe[6].
The seventh energy is the state of energy of Ś. This energy strengthens His state which is already established in the state of Supreme Iness, the state of the universal and transcendental “I�. This energy is called Ś ʰ� Śپ[7].
ʲñ岹ś (the mode of fifteen-fold thoughts):
In the M V T purpose of these seven states is fully described for the benefit of the aspirant termed ʲñ岹ś, the mode of fifteen-fold thoughts for ascending and descending. The theory of the seven ʰṛs and their seven energies is meant not only for rising but also for descending. The aspirant must be capable of both rising and descending. The one who rises and can not descend is incomplete. It is that aspirant who can rise and also descend simultaneously who is considered to be complete and full[8].
Supremacy of The state of Ś
The state of Ś[9] is actually that state where Ś can rise and descend, and after descending He can again rise. On the other hand the state of individuality is that state where Ś descends from the state of Ś to the state of individuality and then having descended cannot rise again. This is the difference between the reality of Ś and the reality of individual.
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
[侱岵ԲԻ] Verse 25.
[3]:
[侱岵ԲԻ] Verse 53.
[4]:
[侱岵ԲԻ] Verse 59.
[5]:
[侱岵ԲԻ] Verse 58.
[6]:
[侱岵ԲԻ] Verse 57.
[7]:
[侱岵ԲԻ] Verse 5.
[8]:
[侱岵ԲԻ] Verse 23.
[9]:
[侱岵ԲԻ] Verse 56.