BORN OF THE YOGINI'S HEART: REFLECTIONS ON THE NATURE

M E D I T A T I O N AND RITUAL IN A B H I N A V A G U P T A 'S PTLV

Paul E. M u l l e r - O r t e g a
D e p a r t m e n t of R e l i g i o u s Studies
304 Linton Hall
M i c h i g a n State U n i v e r s i t y
Eas t Lansing, M i c h i g a n 4 8824-1044
TABLE OF CONTENTS:

I. IN TRODUCTION

II. THE HEART OF SIVA

III. THE G O DD ES S IN THE HEART: VISARGA

IV. H R D AY AN GA MI BH UTA: EXPERIENTIAL REPLICATION

V. BORN OF THE YOGINI'S HEART: MEDITATION AND RITUAL

BORN OF THE YOGINI'S HEART: REFLECTIONS ON THE NATURE OF

ME D I T A T I O N AND RITUAL IN A B H I N A V A G U P T A 'S PTLV

I . I n t r o du ct io n

In his ma s s i v e study e n t i t l e d Abhinavagupta: An

H i s t o r i c a l and P h i l o s o p h i c a l Study, K.C. P a ndey recounts

the traditional story which has it that A b h i n a v a g u p t a was

never seen to die, but rather d i s a p p e a r e d along w ith

twelve hundred disciples into a cave in the moun tains.

The p a ss ag e reads as follows:

Un li ke wh at has been w r i t t e n so far, we have no other

authority than that of tradition for w h a t we are going
to w r i t e in the following few lines. We have not so
far been able to trace any w r i t t e n a u t h o r i t y on w hich
this may have been o r i g i n a l l y based. The tradition,
which, as we poin ted out before, is c u r r e n t not only in
the old Pandit families but also in some of the old
Muslim houses in the locality, says that on one day
Abhi n a v a g u p t a , after finishing his work, as he thought,
along with twelve h u ndred d i s c i p l e s w a l k e d into the
Bhairava cave and was never seen again. The cave is
there even now. It is about five mil e s from Magam, a
place m i d w a y between Srinagar and Gulmurg. A village
in its n e i g h b o u r h o o o d and a brook running down below
the hill, wh e r e i n the cave is, both are known by the
name Bhlruva, and so is the cave itself. The writer
visited the locality and went into the cave also...
Down the hill was a c c i d e n t a l l y seen a religious minded
and long be a r d e d Mohammedan, bent d o u b l e with age,
slowly wa l k i n g reclining on his slender stick. He was
ap p r o a c h e d and questioned if he kn ew or had h eard
anything about the cave. The o n l y information, that he
could_ give was: "I heard from m y grand father that
Abn a c a r l went into it along^ wi th twelve hund r e d
d i s c i p l e s but never did return."

This fragment is important to the H i s t o r i a n of Religion

whether it is "historically" acc u r a t e or not. Indeed, we

 4

might a l m o s t be tempted to doubt its his t o r i c a l accuracy

precisely be c a u s e it fits so n e a t l y into the s y m bolic

m atr i x of A b h i n a v a g u p t a 's thought. The n o tion of

disappearing into the cave links the themes of the cave

or abyss (g u h a ) , wi th the t r a di tional s y m b o l i s m of the

2
cave of the Heart (h r d a y a ) . The c l aims made in the

passage co n c e r n i n g A b h i n a v a g u p t a 's sup e r n a t u r a l

transcendence of the hu man co ndition, his apparent

bypassing of the usual passage into death, de n o t e

precisely his perceived status as an accomplished

mahasiddha, a p e r f e c t e d one who has c a p t u r e d the cave of

the Heart, the abode of Bhairava, the sky of c o n s c i o u s n e s s

itself. He is one who has consciously and directly

reentered the p r i m ordial source.

This m y t h - f r a g m e n t , wh ich has sur v i v e d for almo s t a

m i l l e n i u m m a i n t a i n e d by local Kashmiri tradition, points

directly to the central s ymbolic c o mplex a s s o c i a t e d with

A b h i n a v a g u p t a 's tantric form ulations: to enter the heart-

cave is to unite wi th the Goddess; to enter the he a r t -

cave is to ascend to the most e xalted level of

consciousness, to return to the Goddess who is the

c reative power and the existential matrix of that

consciousness. A dense network of sym b o l i c e q u i v a l e n c e s

is to be found here. To return to the cave is to attain

 5

imm ortality. To reenter the secret hea r t of things is to

dr ink of the e n l i v e n i n g and i m m o r t alizing soma which,

since the time of Indra and the slaying of Vrtra, is

3
co n t a i n e d in a huge vat, a cup, a chalice. This

c o n t ainer in turn be c o m e s the cre s c e n t moon, the w o m b of

the Goddess, of the YoginI, exud ing l ife-giving

secretions, all of w h i c h are linked with the cave of

consciousness from whi c h trickles the flow of life-giving

4
waters. A b h i n a v a g u p t a c o n s c i o u s l y reenters the cave with

his disciples, the cave in which, since the time of the

Veda, the cows were h i dden and then released by the

masterful King of the Gods, Indra.^ To reenter the cave

is to a c h i e v e p hysical immortality, to bypass the normal

pr o c e s s of death. To reenter the cave is to j o urney to

the moon (s o m a ) , whi c h is not ma de of cheese, but of a

fiery, nacreous, congealed liquid, the s o m a , cold and

sweet to the taste.^ To reenter the cave is to undertake

a magical flight through the void, to mo ve in the void

(k h e c a r l ) , to reenter the pulsating darkness, to

re i n t e g r a t e consciously with the cre a t i v e m a t r i x of the

universe, and thus experience the ec s t a s y of the

liberated being vibrating in the em i s s i o n a l power

(v i s a r g a - & a k t i ) .^

The d e n s i t y and c o m p l e x i t y of the s y m b o l i s m of the

 6

Heart esc ap es our c a p a c i t y to transc ribe it into language.

We be gi n with an a p p a r e n t l y mi nor and unsubstantiated

myth-fragment, the entry into the B hairava cave. Then,

just as wh en we idly pull at a loose thread in a pi ece of

clot h i n g and wa t c h as pa rt of the garm ent unravels, so,

when we
tug g e n t l y on this m y t h - f r a g m e n t , the en tire
1
fr amework of Saiva tantric s y m b o l i s m threatens to beco me a

pi le of thread at our feet. The d e n s e l y woven tantric

symbolism of A b h i n a v a g u p t a 's thought can be ente red into

by this apparently incons e q u e n t i a l tale. We want to

examine the "garment" of the Heart, but we mu st realize

that these linear explications of the H i s t orian of

Religion, f in al ly do not cap ture the dense w eaving of the

Tan tra itself in which all meanings are juxtaposed

si mul tan eo us ly .

The basi s of this paper is a recent translation and

st ud y of the P a r a t r l S i k a - laghuvrtti (P T l v ) of
g
Ab hi na va gu pt a. In a re c e n t l y c o m p leted stu d y of this text
I
en tit le d The T r i a d i c He ar t of Siva, Kaula T a n t r i c i s m in

A b h i n a v a g u p t a 1s Kas hm ir Shaivism, I explored the conc e p t

of the He ar t (h r d a y a ) as forming the central symbolic

focus for the tant ric s a dh ana pr e s c r i b e d by the great

Kashmiri S ha iv it e ma st e r of the tenth century. As the

pri ma ry textual focus of this study I presented a

 7

translation of Abhinavagupta's ParatrIsika-laqhuvrtti

(P T l v ) , the Sho r t Glo s s on the S u p r e m e , the Que e n of the

Three. The PTlv is a r e l a t i v e l y short tantric manual

c omposed som e t i m e around the b e g i n n i n g of the eleventh

century. It r e p r esents p e r h a p s the most co n c i s e s t atement

on the nature of tantric sldhana by this outstanding

Shaiva master of medieval Kashmir. A b h inavagupta,

considered the pre-eminent exponent of the gr o u p of

tr ad it io ns which has come to be loosely termed Kashmir

Shaivism, presents in this text a s e l f - s u f f i c i e n t path

towards li b e r a t i o n based on a repose (v i S r a n t i ) or

_ I
ab s o r p t i o n (samavefea) into the triple Heart of S i v a , the

u lt i m a t e reality.

In m y st u d y of this text, I argued that the PTl v

gives us d i r e c t access to the t h e oretical and pr a c t i c a l

base s of one of the m o s t obsc ure yet influential lineages

9
in the h i s t o r y of medi e v a l "Hinduism": the Kaulas. This

lineage, which is neither p r o p e r l y a "school," nor a

sep ar at e "t ra dit ion ," c o n t r i b u t e s mo st d i r e c t l y to tantric

f o rm ul at io ns focusing on "transgressive s acrality."

The Kaul a lineage, w i t h i n whi c h this text may be placed,

taught a m e t h o d of s p o n t a n e o u s and i n c r e a s i n g l y effo r t l e s s

I _ _
en tr an ce into the triple Heart, known as the S a m b h a v o p a y a ,
I
the m e t h o d rela tin g to S a m b h u . By mea ns of this advanced
 8

t ant ri c d i s ci pl in e, the sadhaka could replicate the

r e al it y of the Heart in his own c o n s c i o u s n e s s and attain

freedom-in-life (j i v a n m u k t i ) , a state of e m b odied

perfection (k a u l i k i - s i d d h i ) , often known as the c o n d i t i o n

- .
of Bh air ava .
10

In addition, in m y study I a t t e m p t e d to sh ow that

the Kaula em ph a s i s on the dire c t and u n m e d i a t e d e x p e r i e n c e

I
of the r e al it y of Siva as symbolized by the Heart,

p ro v i d e s a key e n t r y - p o i n t into an u n d e r s t a n d i n g of the

ta nt ri c wo rl dvi ew, generally, and the theoretical

formulations of A b h i n a v a g u p t a , specifically. My study and

t r a n s l a t i o n of the PTlv aimed at r e c o n s t r u c t i n g a coherent

understanding of the Kaula lin eage by e x a m i n i n g a key

term: h r d a y a n g a m i b h u t a , literally: "become something that

moves in the Heart," that is to say, conscious r ealization

or, more interpretively, " ex peri en ti al replication."^

This im po rta nt c o ncept was e xplored in r elation to two

other cru ci al ideas pr esented in the P T l v , the v i s arga-

1
¿akti: the em is si onal power of Siva, and the k u l a : the
12
e mb od ie d cosmos.

Abhinavagupta (ca. 950-1014 C.E.) was a Kashmiri

br a h m i n who is still probably be st known for his

contributions to the development of Indian aesthetic

theory, particularly the e x p l o r a t i o n of the c oncepts of

 9

13
rasa and dhvani. However, as a result of the recent

w o r k of several sch olars including Pandey in India, Gnoli

in Italy, and Padoux and Silb urn in France, the extent of

his contributions to the d e v e l o p m e n t of the Hindu tantra

14
are fin al ly eme rging. He is u s u a l l y coun ted as being

the mo st ill ust rious representative of the tradition

called, for wa nt of a better appe llation, simply Kashmir

Shaivism.^-5 This rather imprecise term refers to several

re la te d line age s of N o r t h e r n Shaiva m a s t e r s which include

Vasugupta (ca. 9th cent.), tran s m i t t e r of the foundational

I _
text known as the S i v a - s u t r a -s; his d i s c i p l e Kallata, to

w h o m are u s u a l l y att r i b u t e d the important S p a n d a -k a r i k a -s;

Somananda, also ninth century, author of the influential

I _
text known as the S i v a -d r s t i , and his d i s c i p l e Ut p a l a c a r y a

author of wh at has co me to be r e c o gnized as the

f o undational text for the p h i l o s o p h i c a l e x p l i c a t i o n of the

__ _ _ _ ^g
tradition, the I¿vara-pratyabhijna-karika- s . In

addition to these important intellectual forebears, the

tr adi t i o n whi c h Abhinavagupta inherits, and comes

eventually to synthesize, includes powerful influences

from a number of cel e b r a t e d agam ic ¿ a s t r a - s . Of these, the

Mai ini-vi j a y a - tantra is usually considered the most

17 —
a uthoritative. A b h i n a v a g u p t a stud ied these agamic texts
I _
w i t h his Kaula master, Samb hunath a, and dedic a t e s a large
 10

p o rt io n of his w r i t i n g s to an e x p l i c a t i o n of the then

developing Hi ndu Tantra, including the lineage of the

«•a u l
K i a s . 18

The PTlv may be gr o u p e d w i t h four other texts in

which Abhinavagupta explores this tantric environment.

These are his e n c y c l o p e d i a of tantra ent i t l e d Tantraloka;

a short summ ary of the TA, kn own as the T a n t r a s a r a ; a long

text, the P a r a t r i m & i k a - viv a r a n a w h i c h c omments on the same

agamic verses c o m m e n t e d on in the P T l v , and the Mali n l -

vijaya-vartika. It is in the PTlv, however, that

Abhinavagupta pre s e n t s the m o s t c o n c i s e statement on the

19
nature of the tantric s a d h a n a .
20
In the Tantraloka , Abhinavagupta reserves the
' - 21
hi g h e s t p r aise for his teacher Sambhunatha, a master of

the Kaula lineage who lived in J a l a n d h a r a (in the Panjab).

Ab h i n avagupta, who t raveled from K a shmir to study with

this teacher, tells us that it was the initiation that he

I _
received from Sambhunatha that fina lly led him to
22
enllghtenment.

It is no accident, then, that the Kaula lineage

holds pr ide of pl ace in the tant ric wri t i n g s of

Ab h i n a vagupta. This tradition, who s e name may be

translated as the lineage of the Emb o d i e d Cosmos, teaches

that the ult i m a t e r e ality is the Heart. Accor d i n g to the

 11

traditio n, the Heart is the Su p r e m e (a n u t t a r a ) ; it is the

I
very self of Siva, of Bhairava, and of the Devî, the
' 23
G o d d e s s who is in se parable from Siva. Indeed, the Heart

is the site of their union (y a m a l a ) , of their embrace

(s a m g h a t t a ) . This abode is pure c o n s c i o u s n e s s (c a i t a n y a ) ,

as well as u n l i mi te d bliss (a n a n d a ) .

As co ns ci ousness, the Heart is the u nbounded,

infinite light (p r a k â é a ) , and the f r e e d o m (s v i t a n t r y a ) and

spontaneity (v i m a r è a ) of that light to appear in a

m u l t i t u d e and v a riety of forms. The Hea r t is the sacred

24
fire -p it of Bhaira va.
I__ _
The interesting feature of the S a m b h a v o p a y a lies in

its utter simplicity. It pres e n t s a shortcut to free d o m

w h i c h s i d e steps the enormous c o m p l e x i t y of the meditation

and ritual p r a c t i c e s that had d e v e l o p e d at this time. In

order to follow this path the s a dhaka n e eded only to

obtain initiation into the H e a r t - m a n t r a . This mantra,

25
wh i c h m a y be transcribed as S - A U - H , would lead him to be
— — — 26
"born of the yogini" (y o g i n i j a t a ) . Abhinavagupta

clarifies that "being bo rn of the y o g i n i " m e a n s that the

s adhaka obtains a de s c e n t of the e n e r g y (¿ a k t i p a t a ) w hich

t
abides in the He art united with S i v a , and whi c h will open

his vision to the Self. This is the p o w e r f u l l y liberating

force v a r i o u s l y known as the kauliki feakti, the power that

 12

rules the e mb od ied cosmos, v i s a r g a , the e m i s s i o n a l power,

t 27
or sim pl y Devi, Goddess.

In the bri e f c ompass of this es say I wa nt to

explore a pu z z l i n g feat ure of the teachings p r e s e n t e d in

the PTlv. The re ap p e a r s to be a discrepancy between

I
A b h i n a v a g u p t a 's f o r m u l a t i o n s ab out the Sambhavopaya and

other st a t e m e n t s he makes about the efficacy and

importance of ritual. The stre a m l i n e d path to l i b e r a t i o n

p r e s e n t e d by A b h i n a v a g u p t a in the PTlv c l aims to dispense

entirely with the need for ritual. In order to u n d e r s t a n d

the theo r e t i c a l framework w i t h i n which the clai m s that

A b h i n a v a g u p t a ma k e s in the PT lv b e c o m e m e a n i n g f u l , I will
I
first ex a m i n e the notion of the Heart of Siva in mor e

detail. The central concept of v isarga will then be

considered. Following this, the co m p l e x of ideas

surrounding the notions of e x p e r i e n t i a l replication will

be analyzed. We will then have sufficiently delineated

the co n c e p t u a l framework n e c e s s a r y to understand the

claims made by A b h i n a v a g u p t a in the the PT lv ab out the

r e l a t i o n s h i p be t w e e n ritual and m editation.

 13

I I . THE HEAR T OF SIVA

The He ar t is the Ult i m a t e (a n u t t a r a ) whi c h is both

utterly transcendent to (v i S v o t t i r n a ) and yet tota l l y

imma ne nt in (v i S v a m a y a ) all c reated things. It is the

ultimate es s e n c e (s l r a ) . Thus, the Heart emb o d i e s the

I
paradoxical nat ur e of Siva and is there f o r e a pla c e of

astonishment (c a m a t k a r a ) , sheer w o nder (v i s m a y a ) , and

i n eff a b l e myst ery. The He art is the fullness and

1 _
u n b o u n d e d n e s s of Siva (p u r n a t v a ) , the p l e n u m of being that

overflows continuously into m a n i f e s t a t i o n . At the same

time, it is also an inc o n c e i v a b l e emptiness

(¿unyltifeunya) .^ The Heart is the u n b o u n d e d and u n i versal

Self (p u r n a h a n t a ) .
1
The Heart of Siva is not a static or inert a b s olute

howe ve r. In fact, the Kashmir Shaiva tradi t i o n c o n s i d e r s

it to be in a state of perpe t u a l movement, a state of

2
vibration (s p a n d a ) in wh i c h it is continuously

contracting and ex pan d i n g (s a m k o c a - v i k a s a ) , o pening and

closing (unmesa-nimesa), trembling (ullasita) , quivering

(s p h u r i t a ) , throbbing, waving, and sparkling (u c c h a l a t a ) .

The in te ns it y and speed of this m o v e m e n t is such that

paradoxically it is simultaneously a perfect dyna m i c

s t i l l n e s s .^

The tr ad it io n states that the Heart is the enormous

 14

ocea n (a m b u n i d h i ), the ocean of light, the ocean of

c o n s c i ou sn es s. The waters of c o n s c i o u s n e s s w h i c h in man

are b r o k e n by co un t l e s s p o l a r i z i n g (v i k a l p a ) and divisive

wa v e s (urrni) ma y be e a s i l y b rough t to a state of dyna m i c

s til l n e s s by the process of i mmersion or absorption

4
(samaveèa) in the Heart.

The pe rp e t u a l effe r v e s c e n c e , ebullition, and

I
incandescence at the ce nt e r (m a d h y a ) of Siva 's being

provides the moto r, as it were, that d r ives the entire

p r o c e s s of m a n i f e s t a t i o n ; ^ or, as A b h i n a v a g u p t a terms it,

of em i s s i o n (v i s a r g a ) , of the e n t i r e universe. Equa l l y

important, through the m e d i u m of the e m p o w e r e d m a n t r a the

power (¿ a k t i ) that resi des in the Heart, pro v i d e s the

f

possibility of a return to Siva, which is to say, the

possibility of e n l i g h tenment. Thus, this power in the

Heart, which is the Goddess, is at once centri f u g a l

(p r a v r t t i ), that is, e m i s sional and expansive, as well as

g
centripetal (n i v r t t i ) , that is, a b s o r p t i v e and unitive.

This c e n t r i p e t a l m o t i o n of the Go d d e s s resides in man as

the kundalinl e n e r g y that impels one back to the source

and center of one's be ing in a completely natural and

sp on t a n e o u s (s a h a j a ) way.

Abhinavagupta identifies the Go d d e s s in the Heart

wi th the S up re me Word (p a r a - v i k ) , the transcendent

 15

so un di ng of the motor of being, the pri m o r d i a l roar (n a d a )

7
of the fiery waters. This Supreme Word, whi l e u l t i m a t e l y

beyon d any of the c o m b i n a t i o n s of human speech, may be

tran s c r i b e d on the gross level by one of several m a n t r a - s :

OM, AHAM, SAUH. Th e s e and other m a n t r a -s, when p r o p e r l y

em p o w e r e d (m a n t r a v l r y a ) by the awak e n e d life - f o r c e

— 8
(p r a n a ) and the c o n s c i o u s n e s s of the g u r u , and properly

e m p l o y e d by the re ce p t i v e disciple, engage the c e n t r i p e t a l

m o t i o n of the Heart. The fragmented and restless m i n d is

thus calmed, awa kened, and intensified by the mantra

which, tending a u t o m a t i c a l l y to move to its own source,

9
di s c o v e r s the fullness and u n b o u n d e d n e s s of the Heart.

Ther e the di sc i p l e will hear the Supr eme Word as the

unstruck (a n a h a t a ) sound of the Heart which is the

10
universal life force or cosmic bre ath (p r a n a ) .

The mysterious triad of sun (s u r y a ) , moon (s o m a ) ,

and fire (a g n i ) are said to abide in the He art in a state

of pe r f e c t e q u i l i b r i u m . ^ On one level, these repr esent

the interior cosmos of the process of knowing, the object

of kn ow led ge, and the know ing subject. However, a more

com pl ex h o m o l o g y is at work here. Just as the mo on waxes

I
and wanes, so the He a r t of Siva, the G oddess as moon,

exp an ds and co nt rac ts through the fifteen days (t i t h i ) of

12
the lunar fortnight. Continuing the linguistic
 16

ananlogy, each day or station is assigned one of the

vowels of the San sk rit a l p h a b e t . “^ The sixteenth vowel--

v i s a r g a — , e m i s si on al a s p i r a t i o n — H, is said to inhere

generically in the prece d i n g fifteen. Because of the

d ou b l e meaning of the word soma as mo on and as the

am br os ia l nectar, this si xte e n t h vowel links the emiss i o n

I I
of the union of Siva and Sakti with the water of

i m m or ta li ty whi ch s l o w l y drips and trickles form the moon,

14
from the Heart.

This spring of nect ar st r e a m s in the Heart whi c h is

the sec re t cave (g u h a ) , the e n dless abyss or chasm, the

mysterious open ing (y o n i ) in the bo dy of the Godd e s s

w hi c h gives birth to the ent ire u n i v e r s e . ^ This c r e a t i v e

m a tr ix or void is also, by a d o u b l e me a n i n g of the word

kha: cavity, hollow; space, air; the sky (c i d a m b a r a ) , the

ether (a k l & a ) of co ns c i o u s n e s s . Thus, the high e s t

sp ir it ua l at t a i n m e n t possible to man is termed khecari,

that is, mo vi n g freely in the sky of c o n s c i o u s n e s s . ^

W h a t is the m e an in g of the a s s e rtion that the linga

is the very Hea rt of the y o g i n l , the y o g i n l h r d a y a ? This

rather mysterious st at e m e n t links the mo st common emb l e m

I _
of Siva, the linga or ph a l l i c mark, with the Heart. It

refers to the union of the 1 i n g a , the p ha ll ic pillar of

light, with the g u h a , the vaginal abyss of darkness, a

 17

unio n wh i c h occurs in the Heart.

The noti on of the linga in the Hea r t may be read in

at least three ways. On the cosm ic level, the linga is

I
the massed and pow er ful c o n s c i o u s n e s s of Siva as he is
17
about to release the u n i v e r s e into manifestation. We
I
re c o g n i z e here the emissional power of Siva which,

continuously e x p a nding and contra c t i n g , releases into

be i n g the s e e d - c o g n i t i o n s it h a r b o r s w i t h i n itself. On

another level, that of the yo g i c practice, the 1 inga in

the Hea rt all ud es to the p r a c t i c e of m e d i t a t i v e a b s o r p t i o n

into the cave (g u h a ) . Thus, we m i g h t initially read this

pr o c e s s as g u h a - s a m â v e è a — a b s o r p t i o n into the cave, where

that p h rase yields a dual meaning. On the inner level of

tantric practice, it may be i n t erp reted as alluding to the

yo g i c immersion in the cave of c o n s c i ousness. On the

external level of tantric ritual, it may be seen as

de s c r i b i n g the r i t u a l i s t i c p e n e t r a t i o n of the phal lus into

the vaginal cave. This s u p e r i m p o s i t i o n of meanings, it

need hard l y be said, is not accidental. Thus the y o g i n l ,

« V
the Goddess, is p e n e t r a t e d by Siva, has Siva as her very
I
Heart, has Siva in her very core. B h a i r a v a is the self of

the Goddess, he is i n s eparable from her, he is p e r p e t u a l l y

18
united to her. Just as the He a r t is said to harbor in

its dept hs the uns t r u c k sound, so the linga procl a i m s the

 18

w i t h h e l d and un em itted semen of Siva, of the yogin, the

transmuted semen that perm its the a c t i v a t i o n of the the

Go d d e s s in the form of the kundalinl,

•• and the emi s s i o n of
19
the soma w i t h i n the Heart.

The mut ua l sexual k n o w l e d g e of the God and Go ddess

in the He ar t is productive, on the hum a n level, of

sp ir i t u a l kno wle dge . A common the me whi c h introduces many

t a nt ri c wo r k s is the plea for k n o w l e d g e m a d e by the Devi

1
to Siva. The God, after c a u t i o n i n g the Go d d e s s not to

re ve al the secre t teaching he is about to impart to any

but the m o s t w o rthy disciples, proceeds to e x plain his

true nat ur e to the Goddess. In addition, he reveals the

20
method or mea ns to be used to atta i n Him. It is not

surprising that the Heart, whi c h is the abode and source

of all, islauded as the source of this t r a n scendental

I
wisdom as well. Siva as the gre a t Yogin stands in the

He a r t as the su pr eme teacher. Abhinavagupta often extols

Maheivara in the Heart as the teacher from w h o m he learned

the p a r t i c u l a r yogic and tantric m e t h o d s whi c h he ex plains

21
in his texts. In this same vein, the a u t h o n a t i v e and

re ve a l e d scriptures, the a g a m a -s are said to be the mere

22
th ro bb in g of the Heart.

An ot her impo rtant theme ass o c i a t e s the Hea r t and

the lotus flower (p a d m a , ambhoja) . Bhai r a v a is said to

 19

reside in the lotus of the Hea r t in the form of bliss and

cons c i o u s n e s s , wh i l e the s e n s e - g o d d e s s e s (i n d r i y a -d e v i -s)

perpetually worship him by off e r i n g up the e n j o y m e n t s of

the sense objects. The H e a r t - l o t u s is said to have e i g h t

p e ta ls each facing one of the c ardinal poin t s of the

compass. Im po rt an t e v i d e n c e that the Heart as it is her e

c o n c e i v e d does not refer to the fourth or a nahata c a k r a of

the e s o t e r i c yo gi c p h y s i o l o g y is the fact that this latter

ca k r a is usually described as having twelve petals.

In ter es ti ng ly , the names of the s e n s e - g o d d e s s e s bear a

curious resemblance to traditional lists of the Seven

Mothers (s a p t a -m a t r k a - s ) . However , A b h i n a v a g u p t a has h e r e

expanded the list from seven to eight: Brahmani, E;

*— — — ______ _
Sambhavi, SE; Kumari, S; Vaisnavl,
•• SW; Varahi, W; Indrani,
•
NW; Camunda, N; MahalaksmI, NE. We kn ow that the number
I
eig h t is d o u b l y sacred to Siva as it e n u m a e r a t e s the e i g h t
I
faces of Siva (asta m u r t i ) , and is also the sume of five

and three, both of whi c h n umbers ha ve m a n y a s s o c i a t i o n s to

'
Siva and Shaivism.
23

The number three b r ings us to the last and perhaps

most important theme a s s o c i a t e d with the Heart, the H e a r t

as triangle (t r i k o n a ) .
24
This
. .
initially puzzling

association links one of the names for the tradition,

Trika or triple, with its mo st important symbol, the

 20

Heart. In fact, one of the impor t a n t texts quoted by

- 25
Abhinavagupta in his TA is e n t i t l e d the Trika-hrdaya.

Th e r e is a deeper me a n i n g lurking here, however. We have

alluded to the i d e n t i fication of the Hea r t with the cave

or abyss (g u h a ) . We have also seen the link made between

the cave, the Heart, and the fema l e sexual organ. It

1 __ _
happens that in the Sarada script, in w h i c h almo st all of

the manuscripts of Kashmir we re written, the vowel "E"

looks ve ry much like an isoceles tria n g l e w i t h its apex

26
pointing dow nwards. This e m b l e m a t i c a s s o c i a t i o n with

the female sexual organ causes the vowel "E" to become

kn o w n as the tr ik o n a - b i j a triangle-vowel, or yoni-bija

vagina-vowel. The Heart, the triangle, the y o n i , and the

vowel "E " , are all linked wi th the Goddess, with the

¿akti, wi th the female power of sexual ity, fertility, and

27
reproduction.
 21

III. THE GOD DE SS IN THE HEART: VISARGA

In this section I wo uld like to e x a m i n e a single,

though crucial, asp ect of this Kaula method: the conc e p t

of v i s a r g a ,^ wh i c h is most commonly encountered in

Sanskrit phonology as naming the pure, voi c e l e s s

2
aspiration. The n o tion of the visarga is deeply

connected with the theoretical bases of the Shaiva T a n t r a .

Abhinavagupta de v o t e s a large p o r t i o n of the PTlv to an

extended discourse on the nature of visarga. The

following are two cruc ial passages from that text

detailing the natu re of the v i s a r g a .

The power (¿ a k t i ) which resi des in the He a r t of

consciousness is f r eedom itself. The p u r p o s e of its

cr e a t i v e activity is the emb o d i e d cosmos (k u l a ) , the

entire range of p e r c e i v i n g subject, perceived object,

and pr o c e s s of pe rception. Thus She is called K a u l i n i .

She is the No ble Lady, the M i s t r e s s (N a y i k a ) of that

Embodied Cosmos, She rules over it. By knowing it,

She causes its m a n i f e s t a t i o n , as well as reab s o r b i n g it

3
in Herself.

Now, it is well known that p e r c e p t i o n here is just the

i l l u m i n a t i o n of the objec t i v e world, which, by nature,

is divided up into two groups, namely the knowing

s u b j e c t s and the k n o w a b l e objects. The know ing subject

 22

has as its es s e n c e the s u p r e m e l y subtle vibra t i o n of

the Self. It is c h a r a c t e r i z e d by k n o w l e d g e and action,

and its n a ture is one of c o n t r a c t i o n and expansion,

that is, o pening and closing. It is not like a pot,

and so on, w h i c h is inert, limited and stationary. The

more this combination of e x p a n s i o n and contraction

be c o m e s e v ident in the v i b r a t i o n of the Heart, of the

triangle etc., the m o r e does the s u b j e c t i v i t y be c o m e

elevated, until it reaches the consciousness of

Bhairava. Co nversely, the more the expansion and

contraction diminish, the m o r e does the subjectivity

fall until it beco mes inert like a stone etc. This

expansion and c o n t r a c t i o n is the c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of the

visarga, w h o s e e s sence is freedom, that is, the very

Power of the Lord, of the Ultimate (a n u t t a r a ) .

Ther ef or e, the p honeme " H " , the visarga, is termed the

Rudra-yamala, the Rudra- D y a d , because it consists of

I
both the Su p r e m e Siva and ¿ a k t i , of the rest and

activity which constitute the union of Bhairava with

4
his Beloved.

In A b h i n a v a g u p t a 's teachings about the Kaula

method, the term v i sarga has a wide signification. Here,

it comes to name that power (¿ a k t i ) (known alternatively

as the kauliki^akti, the Devi, the nada) which is

 23

responsible for em i t t i n g the u niverse in all its g l o rious

variety. Equally important, it names the power which

m u s t be h a r n e s s e d by the tantric yogin to c o n t i n u e the arc

of manifestation as it doubles back on the journey of

I
return to Siva. This power may be t h ought of as an

im pel l i n g force (i c c h a - è a k t i ), that at one and the same

time continuously pushes ev e r y t h i n g out into being, and

I
c o n t i n u o u s l y a b so rb s it all back into Siva. Thus, this

power in the Heart, which is the Goddess, and whi c h is

named the v i s a r g a , is at once c e n t r i f u g a l (p r a v r t t i ) , that

is, emissional and expansive, as well as centripetal

( n i v r t t i ) , that is, a b s o rptive and un i t i v e . ^

This expansion and contraction (s a m k o c a - v i k a s a )

forms a kind of "alternating current" of spiritual power

wh i c h m a y be tapped by the yo gin in v a rious ways. The

"exp an si ve " mode may be emp l o y e d for the further

manifestation of de s i r e s in the external or subtle worlds

(b h o g a , phala) , or, duri ng the farther reaches of the

sadhana, for the e s t a b l i s h m e n t of the e x p e r i e n c e of n o n ­

d u a l i t y even in out ward perceptions. The " c o n tractive"

mode con n e c t s the yogin to the inw a r d l y ascen d i n g force

that e f f o r t l e s s l y propels the yog i n to rest in a b s o r p t i o n

(s a m a v e è a - v i è r a n t i ) in his own unbounded, original

co nsc i o u s n e s s . Here, the in f i n i t e l y fast vibration

 24

(s p a n d a ) of c o n s c i o u s n e s s allo ws the r e - e m e r g e n c e of the

sta te of Bhai rav a, the state of li b e r a t i o n in this v ery

life. In the d i a l e c t i c of reversal c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of the

visarqa the "e xp ans ive " m o d e m e n t i o n e d above may, from

a n ot he r pe rs pe c t i v e , be termed "co n t r a c t i v e " and v i c e -

ve rs a .

A b h i n a v a g u p t a calls the visa rga the R u d r a - d y a d . On

one level, the d o u b l e nature of the vi s a r g a clearly

I_ _
r ef l e c t s its g r a p h i c representation in the Sarada script:

two dots pl ac e d v e r t i c a l l y one above the other, sometimes

accompanied by a s tr ai gh t vertical line just to the left

of the two dots. The sing le dot, bindu, wh ich is the

phoneme that just p r e c e d e s the v i sarga in the enumeration

of the vowels, is said to re pr e s e n t the finite, knowing

subject (v e d a k a ) .^ The visarga, which is made up of two

bindu- s , r e p r es en ts the in h e r e n t l y self-referential

capacity of c o n s c i o u s n e s s . ^ It is in this sense that the

visarga re p r e s e n t s the free dom of c o n s c iousness, the

vimar£a, wh i c h is the mo st important characteristic of

c o n s c i ou sn es s. Consciousness is not like a rock c r y s t a l

which passively r ef le cts all that a p pears befo r e it.

Rather, the f re ed om and spontaneity pres ent in

c o n s c io us ne ss , al l o w for a c o n t i n u o u s p r o c e s s of self-

consciousness (s v a s a m v e d a n a ) as well. The vi sarga

 25

represents the ba s i c c o m p o n e n t of the s a dhana in w h i c h the

fini te c o n s c i o u s n e s s is d o u b l e d ba ck on itself. At first,

as this proc ess pro ceeds, consciousness s i m p l y enco u n t e r s

m o r e and m o r e of its own contents. Finally, there occurs

the pow e r f u l m o m e n t of r e c o g n i t i o n (p r a t y a b h i j n a ) , whe n

the b e a m of c o n s c i o u s n e s s be c o m e s c o n s c i o u s of itself and

nothing else. This is termed the entr a n c e into the

"Fourth", turlya, and here the condition of simple

n i r v i k a l p a ensues.

The v i s a r g a , w h i c h is t e n t a t i v e l y t r a n slated as the

"e m is si on al powe r," brin gs together all the various

levels of the ta nt ric cosmos: the d i v i n e level of ou tward

cosmic manifestation, the hum a n level of inward spiritual

ab sorptio n, and the ritual level on which the human

becomes divine. In terms of language, the vi sarga

fu nctions both as a phoneme, the outwardly e x plosive

aspiration of breath, and as a c o m p o n e n t of numerous

m a n t r a -s, wh e r e its function is rather to ca use the inward

ce s s a t i o n of the vital breath. On the level of ritual,

it resonates wi th the k u l a -y a g a , the secret ritual taught

in veiled terms by A b h i n a v a g u p t a , wh e r e it may signify the

org a s m i c e x p u l s i o n of the life force; or, on the level of

inner, tantric yoga wh i c h is part of the same ritual, it

c o i n c i d e s with the b lissful inward force, the kundalini.

 26

In each of these env ironments, the polar, dyadic nature

of the vis ar ga is c l e a r l y at work.

The sophistication of the tantric treatises,

especially the tantric wo rks of A b h i n a v a g u p t a , is such

that they e xhibit a great deal of s e l f - c o n s c i o u s n e s s about

the nature of language and the use of language as a

re lig i o u s tool. On the technical level, the mo st potent

t antric instrument for li b e r a t i o n is a small unit of

language, a mantra♦ As we have seen, the specific man t r a

taught by Abhinavagupta in the P T l v is SAUH, and it

contains the visa rga as its final and p e rhaps most potent
g
element. A b h i n a v a g u p t a exp l a i n s the m e c h a n i s m by w hich

the mantra accomplishes the task of e n l i g h t e n m e n t in the

fo llowing way. The individual soul (a n u ) , is caught

midway between the total inertia of a rock and the

o m n i s c i e n c e of Bhairava. According to the P T l v , the four

s heaths or k a n c u k a -s are the forces that suspend the anu

9
in the middle, like the m y t h o l o g i c a l character Triianku.

The PTlv states:

The Heart is the seed of the Uni v e r s e devoid of

beginning and end, devo i d of coming into being and

destruction; and b e c a u s e it is a seed, it expands into

the form of All, it mo ves incessantly to expansion.

This Heart whi c h mo ves in the m i d s t of the Lunar

 27

St at io ns made up of tim e — of the A l l — is present in

everything in the form of an undifferentiated self-

referential co ns c i o u s n e s s . He should continually

m e d i t a t e on this seed of the Heart as havi ng p e n e t r a t e d

into his own Heart, into his c onsciousness, whi c h is in

the form of a lotus flower b ecause it plays at

expanding and contracting; he should m e d i t a t e on this

seed w h i c h h a v i n g e ntered into his c o n s c i o u s n e s s ca u s e s

it to exp an d by b r i n g i n g abut the removal of the form

of c o nt ra ct io n. In this way there occurs the

10
a t t a i n m e n t of B h a i r a v a in all its fullness.

This continuous m o v e m e n t of e x p a n s i o n pr e s e n t in

the very core of re al ity is the v i s a r g a . Naturally, the

expansion is a c c o m p a n i e d by a c o u n t e r b a l a n c i n g m o v e m e n t of

cont ra c t i o n . The visarga is alw ays conceived in polar,

rhyt h m i c terms. This dual nature accounts for its being

term ed the Rudra-dyad, (the Rudra-yamala) . The PTl v

continues:

The in it ia te d one knows this supreme knowl e d g e whose

characteristic is the Heart, and which is given by the

divinities of Bhairava, who are w i thin the Heart, and

who bri ng an e s cape from the v i b r a t i o n of m a n i f e s t a t i o n

which leads to the obscu r i n g of the Self, and are

rather directed towards the supr eme vibration which

 28

consists of an opening up of the Self. These same

divinities destroy the chief bond whi c h is the state of

c o n t r a c t i o n .^

The v i b r a t i o n that leads to m a n i f e s t a t i o n , is, in

terms of co ns ci ousness, the c o n t r a c t i v e a s p e c t of the

v i s a r g a , and the sup reme v i b r a t i o n that d i s c l o s e s the self

is the e x p a n s i v e aspect of the visarga. Abhinavagupta

tells us that the p u r p o s e of the m a n t r a is to c ause

12
consciousness to vibr ate more quickly. Thus, in terms

of the m a n t r a , the p r ocess involves h a r n e s s i n g the very

po wer that resides in consc i o u s n e s s , and allowing the

finite mi nd to v ibrate mo re quickly, to expand, and to

rea ch the in finitely fast v i b r a t i o n that c h a r a c t e r i z e s the

st a t e of Bhairava. The a t t a i n m e n t of this state is

synonymous with the c o n d i t i o n of j i v a n m u k t a . It is in

this way that Abhinavagupta explains the theoretical

I _ __
underpinnings of the Sambhavopaya. The method that
I I I _
relates to Siva or to Sambhu (S a m b h a v a ) , em p l o y s nothing

else but the v i s a r g a , whi c h can here be u n d e r s t o o d as an

impulse or power with i n the Heart. This power b e gins to

operate to lead the sadhaka towards the Ultimate once

consciousness has be en s u c c e s s f u l l y doubled back upon

itself. Once the sadh aka has r e ached this stage, he has

become a v i r a , a spiritual hero, who is able to unite with

 29

the Goddess. He is one who is able to surrender

grac ef ull y, com pletely, and effortlessly to that

c e n t r i p e t a l m o t i o n of the Heart, the g r a v i t a t i o n a l pull of

consciousness on itself, w h i c h p l u n g e s h i m back into the

de pt hs of the ocea n of c o n s c i ousne ss. The vira may, at

this point, if he so desires, consolidate this u n i f i c a t i o n

with the inner G o d d e s s in the co n t e x t of the secret ritual

_ <3
known as the k u l a - y a g a .
 30

IV. HRDAYANGAMIBHUTA: EXPERIENTIAL REPLICATION

We now turn to a single p a s s a g e of the PTlv which

addresses the c o ncept of " e xperiential rep l i c a t i o n . " This

passage occurs in the c o m m e n t to the first two verses of

the agam ic "base-text." In these first two verses the

Goddess implores Bhai r a v a to reveal to her the great

se cret of the power that abides in the Heart. In his

commentary Abhinavagupta first p r e s e n t s the view of the

purvapaksin who questions the n e c e s s i t y for any ki nd of

re velation. The objector ba ses his a r g u m e n t on the ground

that if it is agre ed that the Self is a l r e a d y shining in

the Hear t of all beings, then there is no need for

Bhairava to revea l it. A b h i n a v a g u p t a r esponds to this

o b j e c t i o n by saying:

True, but ev en though it shines there, it has not truly

become a conscious apprehe n s i o n . Without con s c i o u s

ap p r e h e n s i o n , even if a thing exists, it is as if it

did not exist, just like the leaves and grass and other

things wh en riding in a chariot. The q u e s t i o n is thus

appropriate because contentment is not pos s i b l e w i t h o u t

a conscious rea lization. Contentment (t r p t i ) is of

two kinds. The first is eff e c t e d by mea n s of

absorption (s a m a v e i a ) and con s i s t s of m a gical powers.

The second is a ttained by r eaching a condi t i o n of

 31

c o n s c i o u s h e a r t - f e l t realization, and it is the state

of be in g l i b e r a t e d whi l e still alive.'*'

The operative phrase in this passage is "con scious

apprehension" or "c onscious realiz a t i o n " whi c h tran slates

the Sanskrit hrdayangamibhuta. This comp o u n d l i terally

means "has b e c o m e somet h i n g that mo ves in the Heart." It

has also been r endered as "a c o n d i t i o n of c o n s c i o u s h e a r t ­

felt rea l i z a t i o n . " The argu m e n t that A b h i n a v a g u p t a puts

forward seems to be that even if we agree that in their

in ner m o s t rece s s e s all b e ings are e s s e n t i a l l y c o n s t ituted

I
by, and identical with, Siva, there rema ins a crucial

difference between unconsciously bei n g s o m e thing and

consciously taking p o s s e s s i o n of one's true status. In

the one case, the finite self, ignorant of its identity

I
w i t h Siva, s u ffers b o n d a g e and limitation. In the other

case, conscious r e a l i z a t i o n of the true status of the

perceiver (g r i h a k a ) generates a transformative and

em p o w e r i n g effect.

By using the term h r d a y a n g a m i b h u t a Abhinavagupta

underscores certain important c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of the Kaula

n o tions ab out liberation. The Kaula mok s a operates a

fun damental transformation of the experience of the

sâdhaka, that is to say there is a primacy of the

e x p e r i e n t i a l d i m e nsion. However, the a t t a i n m e n t of moksa

 32

as an e p i s t e m o l o g i c a l rather than o n t o l o g i c a l event, and

once it is a tt ai ne d it r e p r esents an active rather than a

passive con dit io n. In terms of the finite self, the

l i b e ra ti on aimed at by the Kaulas r e p r esents a proc ess of

expansion rather than a p r ocess of c o ntraction. Finally,

in terms of the finite world, the Kaula mok s a operates an

in te g r a t i v e and transformative effect rather than a

s e p a r a t i v e and d e s t r u c t i v e one.

We will c on sider these st a t e m e n t s one by one. It

is imp ort ant to e m p h a s i z e that the "conscious realization"

refe rr ed to is not simply a process of a s senting

intellectually to or affir m i n g b e lief in a religious

do ct ri ne . No doubt, comprehension and faith may

constitute im po rta nt first steps in the p rocess of ga ining

li ber ati on. Nev er theless, it should be clear that to

"become so me th ing that moves in the Heart" cann o t be

reduced to "having an idea in the mind."

The p r oc ess of reco g n i t i o n of one's identity w ith

I _
Siva (pratyabhijfia) is s i mply the e x p e r i e n t i a l a w akening

to a pre-existing condition. Consequ e n t l y , from an

onto l o g i c a l per spective, wh en freedom is gained nothing

has real ly changed. Wh at has always been continues to be.

Yet, epistemologically, the awakening to a conscious

r e a li za ti on of the true situation is powe r f u l l y

 33

libe rat ing . Ev e r y t h i n g changes. Indeed, it is as a

re sult of this h e a r t - f e l t r e a l i z a t i o n that the state of

j ivanmukti is said to arise. It should be noted that

perhaps these philosophical categories

imported from
I
Western thou ght are s u btly d i s t o r t i v e here. Siva's b eing

(p r a k a S a ) is e s s e n t i a l l y c o n s t i t u t e d of a consciousness

that is c o n t i n u o u s l y s e l f - r e f e r e n t i a l (v i m a r S a ) . Thus,

wh i l e it rema ins true that a w a k e n i n g to e n l i g h t e n m e n t is

e s s e n t i a l l y an exp e r i e n t i a l , e p i s t e m o l o g i c a l event, w h i c h
I I
does not in any way alter Siva's being qua Siva, it is

equally true that this ev ent is p o w e r f u l l y t r a n s f o r m a t i v e

of the "being" of the s a d h a k a . The siddha "is" no longer

the same, and this new status will refl ect itself not onl y

in terms of a t r a n s f o r m e d vision of the self and of the

phenomenal un iv ers e, but also in the a t t a i n m e n t of a

divinized condition of phys i c a l embodiment.

The powe r w h i c h mov e s in the He a r t is the visarga-

¿ a k t i — the e m i s s i o n a l power, the s p a n d a — vibration. The

pr o c e s s of c o n s c i o u s realization involves the a w a k e n i n g to

and grasping of this innate power of the Ultimate. It is

this power whi c h

i n c r e a s i n g l y o v e r w h e l m s the finite self
I 1
w i t h the infinity of Siva. The p r o c e s s of attaining Siva

may r igh tl y be d e s c r i b e d as p assive in the sense that it

involves, according to the Kaula method of the

 34

Sambhavopaya/ a p r o g r e s s i v e l y and i n c r e a s i n g l y effor t l e s s

imm er si on (n i m a j j a n a ) , or re po s i n g (v i S r a n t i ) in the abyss

of the Heart, a term f u n c t i o n a l l y e q u i v a l e n t with the

' 2
imm an en t Siva-who-is-consciousness. When the experience

of re al i z a t i o n matures sufficiently the sadh aka may

I
rightly utter the startling as sertion, "I am Siva"
1
(S i v o 1h a m ) . However, this assertion claims for the

awakened siddh a not just an intrinsic and pa ssive

1
"oneness" wi th the es s e n c e of Siva, but an active

attainment of the five functions or powers (p a n c a k r t y a )

1 3
of Siva as well. This active appropriation of the
I
condition of Siva is allu ded to in the above quoted

passage Abhinavagupta merely a lludes to it wh en he

describes the condition obtained as a result of the

transmission of knowledge as a state of contentment

(t r p t i ) wh i c h is said to be of two kinds. The first

occur s as a result of a b s o r p t i o n (s a m a v e i a ) and results in

the at t a i n m e n t of m agical powers (v i b h u t i ). The second

kind of c o n t e n t m e n t is b r o u g h t ab out by the a c h i e v e m e n t of

the condi t i o n of conscious heart-felt real i z a t i o n and

results in the a t t a i n m e n t of l i fe- in-freedom.

The a t t a i n m e n t of the Heart c o r r e s p o n d s to the

I
attainment of the li be rating power of Siva whi c h grants

fr eedo m and u n veil s the u l t i m a t e reality. The first

 35

m o m e n t of this r e a l i z a t i o n occurs in an implosive e n s t a t i c

I
re c o g n i t i o n of an inner identity w i t h Siva. Abhinavagupta

describes the astounding unity-in-difference that

4
characterizes l i f e -in-freedom. The finite self attains

liberation and e x p e r i e n c e s itself as indissolubly united

with the totality. The indivi dual self expands to

experience itself as the perfectly fulfi l l e d egoity

(p u r n a h a n t a ) , and in so doing comes to the e x p e r i e n c e of

astonishment (c a m a t k a r a ) inherent in this amazing

"transformation" into the u n i v ersal self. Abhinavagupta

of ten pl ays with the op p o s i t i o n between expansion and

contraction (s a m k o c a - v i k a s a ) . The " e x pansion" that leads

to the m a n i f e s t a t i o n of the world occurs as a result of

1
the "co n t r a c t i o n " of Siva into finiteness, into the finite

selve s (a n u ) . The m e d i t a t i v e l y achi e v e d "expansion" of

the finite self results in the "contra c t i o n " of the finite

world's "e xp an sio n", and the d e - c o n t r a c t i o n of the finite

' . 5
self back into Siva.

Thus, "to m o v e in the Heart" refers, to be g i n with,

to an inner g r a s p i n g of the ¿akti w h i c h opens the sa dhaka

I
to ide nt it y w i t h Siva. By u n iting w i t h the Goddess, the

s ad ha ka is said to be "born of the Y o g i n l ' s Heart", that

1 6
is, to be reb or n as Siva. For the Kaula lineage this

refe rs to the attainment of ce r t a i n macranthropic

 36

e x p er ie nc es . The sadh aka truly comes to embody the

cosmos. The ca pa c i t y to e x p e r i e n c e finite o b jects is not

lost; instead, obje cts are now seen as "luminous with the

play that b es to ws the fragrance of the Self."^ The

astonishment of the e x p e r i e n c e involves not just the

1
d i s c o v e r y that Siva, the u n i v ersal Self, is the true inner

identity, but also the b e w i l d e r i n g p e r c e p t i o n that this

non-differentiated Self is s i m u l t a n e o u s l y l i g h t l y at play

as a lu m i n o s i t y inherent in all e x t e r n a l objects. In this

way, the j l v a nm uk ta "moves in the Heart", in the sense

that he no w e x p e r i e n c e s the fact that he has his life and

being within the o m n i p r e s e n t r e a l i t y of the Heart, of

I I
Siva. He comes to rea lize that he is s u r r o u n d e d by Siva

on all sides, and that wh at he f o r m e r l y "p erceived" as

sepa rat e, finite obj ec ts have now rev e a l e d their true

f
s t at us as s i mp ly Siva himself. This is one of the

m e a n i n g s of the tantric formulation, pr e s e n t in the P T l v ,

which int egr ate s the u s u a l l y o pposed conc e p t s of

"en jo ym en t" and li be ra ti on (b h u k t i - m u k t i ) . The highest

meaning of "enjoyme nt" is in fact the living of the

bl i s s f u l state of li be ra ti on itself. Thus we may c o n t r a s t

the Kaula mo k s a to the s e p a rative k a i v a l y a of the Samkhya

and Yoga systems, or wh at may be c h a r a c t e r i z e d as the

" d e s t r uc ti ve " end of maya in the mo k s a of Advaitic

 37

formul ati ons . In distinct contrast to moksa-s w hich

oper at e an isolative, absorptive, sublative, or pe rhaps

even destructive e f fect on

•
samsara, the Kaula moksa
•
transforms the finit e wor l d just as it integrates it to
i
the real ity of Siva.

The re is a final sense to the notion of m o ving in

the Heart. It is in order to u n d e r s c o r e this particular

connotation that the re nde r i n g "e x p e r i e n t i a l replication"

was chosen. The noti on of " re plication" refers to a

cruc ia l as pe c t of the r e l a t i o n s h i p b e tween the Kaula guru

and the s a d h a k a . Essentially, there occurs a "movement"

within the U l t i m a t e as the e x p e r i e n c e of enlightenment

di s p l a c e s the c o n d i t i o n of ignorance. According to the

Kau l a tradi t i o n the awakening from ignorance to

e n l i g h t e n m e n t may be seen bo th as a movement in the Heart

occuring w i t h i n an individual,
but also as a m o v e m e n t of
Q
reality from the Kaula guru to the disciple. The
I I
ab so l u t e real ity of Siva spreads out, as it were. Siva,
I
who has come to a p p r e h e n d h i m s e l f as Siva within the

e xper i e n t i a l framework of the life of the g u r u , repl icates

H i mself in the e x p e r i e n c e of the disciple. For the Kaula

tradition, this c o n t i n u o u s flux of e n l i g h t e n m e n t from the

center to the p e r i p h e r y is known as the d e s c e n t of the

. _ 9
¿akti (s a k t i p a t a ) . It is this ¿ a k t i , the Goddess, who is
 38

said to be c o n t i n u o u s l y e s t a b l i s h e d and moving in the

Heart. Thus, by the u n c e a s i n g m o v e m e n t of real ity wi t h i n

itself, finite beings first ig n o r a n t l y a p p rehend

t h e m s e l v e s as finite, and then come to kn ow themselves as

infinite. In this fashion the experience of

I
enlightenment, of Siva, re p l i c a t e s itself u n c e a s i n g l y as a

fu nc t i o n of the a c t i v i t y of the Goddess.

 39

V. B O R N OF THE YOG IN I'S HEART; M E D I T A T I O N AND RITUAL

Th e method o utlined by A b h i n a v a g u p t a in the PTlv

emphasizes the p r i m a c y of the d i r e c t e x p e r i e n c e of the

Hea rt t h ro ug h the m a n t r a . M e d i t a t i o n on the m a n t r a will

bri ng the p r a c t i t i o n e r to a state of d i r e c t k n o w l e d g e of

the ultimate reality'*', as well as bringing him the

capacity to have deta i l e d k n o w l e d g e of all finite things,

2
pa st and future. The direct, meditative absorption in
3
the He a r t is said to fulfill the p u r p o s e of any ritual.

Indeed, the ent r a n c e into the Heart constitutes

initiation , even if the actual ritual of in itiation has

4
not been pe rf or med. Moreover, as a result of the d i r e c t

knowledge of the ultimate reality of the Heart, the

p r a c t i t i o n e r gains essential k n o w l e d g e ab out all rituals,

even if he does not k n o w the s pecific rules for the

5
v ar io us rituals. Most importantly, all of the rituals

surrounding the en t r u s t i n g and t r a n s m i s s i o n of the mantra

g
are said to be "of no use w h a t s o e v e r " . The p r a c t i t i o n e r

who has be en "born of the y o g i n l " a u t o m a t i c a l l y b e comes an

e x pe rt in the rituals of all schools, not necessarily

b e c a u s e he has come to k n o w the ritual regu l a t i o n s of each

of the sch oo ls in detail, but rather b e c a u s e he comes to

know the so -c a l l e d "Method of the Ultimate" (a n u ttara-

7
vidhi) . Says A b h i n a vagupta, "with resp ect to the
 40

Ultimate, which is on ly consciousness, all other things

g
are e x t r a ne ou s. "

It is in the light of these rather strong

st a t e m e n t s in favor of the p r i m a c y of direct meditative

k n o w l e d g e of the Heart that it b e comes u r gent to a t t e m p t a

co n c e p t u a l reconciliation of the relationship between

meditation and ritual as

conceived by Abhinavagupta.
I_
Despite the tea ch ing of the S a m b h a v o p a y a , a gr eat v a r i e t y

of rituals c o n t i n u e to be practiced. We may p r o p e r l y ask

ou rse l v e s wh y it is that m a n y of A b h i n a v a g u p t a 1s other

texts, e s p e c i a l l y the T a n t r a l o k a , are full of d e s c r i p t i o n s

9
of elabo r a t e tantnc rituals. Even more p u z z l i n g is the

fact that in the PTlv itself an e n tire s e ction of the

commentary is de v o t e d to a d e s c r i p t i o n of v a rious ritual

procedures (v i d h i ) , including sac rifice (y a g a , yajana) ,

adoration
-
(p u j a ) ,
.
and o blation (h o m a ) .
10
How are we to

understand the inclusion of this d e s c r i p t i o n of ritual in

a text de v o t e d alm ost e x c l u s i v e l y to m e d i t a t i o n prac tices,

especially wh en the cla i m is made that these meditation

practices sur pa ss and obvi ate all ritu al? To put the

m a tter in m o r e g e neral terms, what light can this text

shed on the r e l a t i o n s h i p b etween the "inner" pract i c e s of

the tantra and the "outer" p r a c t i c e s ?

The method I will follow in this last section will

 41

be to p r e s e n t three ap p r o a c h e s to the inte r a c t i o n between

ritual p r o c e d u r e s and m e d i t a t i v e a b s orption. It is hoped

that by me a n s of these ap p r o a c h e s the a p p a r e n t d i s c r e p a n c y

ou t l i n e d abo ve will come to be u n d e r s t o o d in terms of

A b h i n a v a g u p t a 's int ricate i n terweaving of these two

dimensions of re li gio us practice. In a sense, as we will

see meditation and ritual are finally not to be

distinguished. They r e p r es ent two differentiable but

finally i n d i v i s i b l e asp ects of the same tant ric sadhana.

I now pr o c e e d to present these three approaches as

p o s s i b l e a ve nu es for further exploration.

1) Rit ua l as p r e p a r a t i o n for m e d i t a t i v e a b s o r p t i o n ;

In a longer c o m m e n t a r y on the same agamic verses e x p l a i n e d

in the PTlv, Abhinavagupta states that the ritual of

adoration (p u j a , p u j a - v i d h i ) pr e p a r e s those who have not

yet r ec ei ve d the full and total descent of energy

(¿ a k t i p l t a ) to use the m a n t r a s u c c e s s f u l l y . ^ Due to the

"p ec uli ar ef fi c a c y " (m a h a t m y a ) of this p a r t i c u l a r ritual,

says Ab hi n a v a g u p t a , the sadhaka is able to p r a c t i c e fully

the te ch n i q u e of "r em em ber ing " the m a n t r a , and in this w a y

at ta ins the c o n d i t i o n of the Heart, the u l t i m a t e reality.

Thus, in this context, ritual functions to faci l i t a t e

meditative absorption (samaveSa, viferanti, n i m llana

samadhi). It is this
 42

absorption which then d i s c l o s e s the inner d i m e n s i o n of the

Heart in its fullness. In addition, absorption brings the

practitioner into c o n t a c t with the e m i s sional pow e r of

consciousness (v i s a r g a ) , the p r i m a r y force whi c h guides

the u n f o l d i n g tant ric sâdhana.

2) M e d i t a t i v e a b s o r p t i o n as p r e p a r a t i o n for r i t u a l :

The aga mi c "b as e- tex t" c o m m e n t e d upon by A b h i n a v a g u p t a in

the PT lv describes a ritual of "imposition" (n y a s a ) ,

giv ing a few de t a i l s as follows: One m a k e s "impos ition"

on vari ous par ts of the body: head, face, heart, genitals,

and w h a t e v e r image is to be adored. One then mu t t e r s the

m a nt ra twenty-seven times, s i m u l t a n e o u s l y b inding up the

top-knot. Th e ten r egions of space are then bo und up,

beginning by m a ki ng three loud hand-claps to remove

obstacles. Sa n c t i f i e d wat e r is then sprin k l e d over the

top-knot, the flowers and other ritual implements, the

linga, and the ent ir e sacrificial surface. In his

c o mm en t on this, pas sa ge A b h i n a v a g u p t a c o n c e n t r a t e s almost

12
exclusively on the not io n of a p p r o p r i a t i o n (svlkarana).

For him, the significance of the ritual is that it

involves a pr o c e s s of reducing the external constituents

of the ritual to a state of identity with the u l t imate

reality of the Heart. The su cce ssful p e r f o r m a n c e of the

ritual of im po si ti on is the p r e r e q u i s i t e for the true

 43

p r a c t i c e of the ritual of adoration. In order to p e r f o r m

the p r oc es s of appropriation central to the rite of

i m p o si ti on (as op p o s e d to merely si m u l a t i n g it, or

i ma gi nin g i t ) , the tantric "hero" (v l r a ) m u s t have a l r e a d y

r ec ei ve d the ¿a kt i p a t a that " d e c o n tracts" his

c o n s c i ou sn es s. Only wh en the c o n t r a c t i o n of the finite

self (a n u ) has ceas ed is the vlra fully qualified to

perfo rm , in its truest sense, the ritual of impo sition

w h i c h pr ep a r e s the n e c e s s a r y p r e c o n d i t i o n s that p e r m i t the

true p r a c t i c e of ad ora tion.

Thus, the rituals of imposi tion and a d o r a t i o n serve

the vlra as a stag e upon wh ich to exte nd his inner vision

I
of the un i t y of all things within Siva - w h o - i s -

consciousness. It is p r e c i s e l y by "appropriating" all

thing s to the Hea rt that the vision of inner uni t y is

extended outwards. In these rituals the vlra finds an

ar en a for s o l i d i f y i n g the u n itive vision acqu i r e d during

meditative a b s o rp ti on. The rituals serve to exte nd and

ex pa n d this inner visi on of unity to incl ude all the

e xt e r n a l constituents of the ritual. Th ey serve as a

co n t e x t w i t h i n whi ch the vira will e v e n t u a l l y attain the

ad va nc ed form of m e d i t a t i v e realization kn own as the

13
extrovertive samadhi (u nmilana samadhi) .

3)The C o n v e r g e n c e of ritual and m e d i t a t i o n :

 44

In the first case c o n s i d e r e d above, ritual "opens the

door " of m e d i t a t i v e a b s orption. In the second case, a

rather ad va n c e d degree of meditative r e a l ization is

necessary for the true p e r f o r m a n c e of the ritual. In this

second case ritu als have been tran s f o r m e d from merely

"ext ern al" performances into e x t e n s i o n s and c o n t i n u a t i o n s

of the stat e of m e d i t a t i v e realization itself. As a

result, in the tan tric s a dhana d e s c r i b e d by A b h i n a v a g u p t a ,

the r e l a t i o n s h i p of m e d i t a t i o n and ritual seems to be one

of a l mo st c o m p l e t e i n t e rdependence. It mig h t almo st be

described as bei ng symbiotic in nature. The true

performance of one requires a h i g h d e gree of proficiency

in the other. The s u c c essful p r a c t i c e of one deep ens and

e nh a n c e s the p e r f o r m a n c e of the other. Synergistically

"fe eding" one upon the other, the two "wings" of external

and internal tant ric p r a c t i c e a d v a n c e the vira along the

path of s a d h a n a . In so doing, ritual and m e d i t a t i o n have

a t en de nc y to con verge, to m e r g e one w i t h the other, until

the b o u n d a r y or d i s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n these two categ o r i e s

blur s and fades. To p r e s e n t this p rocess of conver g e n c e

in deta il wo ul d require m o r e space than we have available.

We ma y m e n t i o n as an example, however, a ritual desc ribed

by A b h i n a v a g u p t a in the T a n t r a l o k a for the e m p o w e r m e n t of

14
a new teacher. If our i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of this passage is
 45

correct, it seem s that in this very important ritual,

there do not occur any "e xternal" acti ons on the part of

the teacher or d i s c i p l e w h a t s o e v e r . Rather, ritual has

h ere become a co n t e x t for "sacred action" in wh i c h the

re al it y that has be en intuitively apprehended in the

s i le nc e of meditative absorption is now silently

manipulated in order to be t r a n s m i t t e d to the disciple.

Once again, the d i s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n "outer" practices and

"inner" a t t a i n m e n t s has b e c o m e blurred. N e vertheless, the

convergence of ritual and meditation is qui t e in

accordance wi th the avow e d aim of the t a ntric sa dhana

which is d e s c r i b e d as a c o n d i t i o n in w h i c h all things are

"of one taste" (e k a r a s a ) .^

In the Tantraloka) , Abhinavagupta describes a

m e d i t a t i o n using terms and images dr a w n from a fire-ritual;

the two fire-sticks are rubbed together in order to

16
inflame the sacred fir e- pit of Bha irava. This m e d i t a t i o n

essentially c on si st s in v i s u a l i z i n g the e n tire universe

reduced to the whee l of pure consc i o u s n e s s , and then,

r e h e ar si ng the p r ocess by which the entire uni v e r s e once

agai n emerges. The sidd h a is said to have be c o m e

ide ntified with Bhairava when he actually comes to

experience the c o n t i n u o u s e m a n a t i o n and reabs o r p t i o n of

the u niv er se from his consc i o u s n e s s . In order to achieve

 46

this c o n d i t i o n of Bh a i r a v a the siddha e m ploys r itualized

meditations and meditative rituals which serve as arenas

for m a n i f e s t i n g his ident i f i c a t i o n with Bhairava. T hese

pr a c t i c e s b e co me the c ontext w i thin which the siddha

exercises and tests his at t a i n m e n t of the p o wers of

manifestation, maintenance, and reabsorption of the

universe. As the mutually enhan c i n g pract i c e s of

m e d i t a t i o n and ritu al deepen, they p r ovide a c o ntext for

"sacred act io n" w h i c h tests the a u t h e n t i c i t y and intensity

of religious attainment and whi c h is both deeply

m e d i t a t i v e and h i g h l y ri tualized in nature.

The pr e c i s e ba l a n c e b e t w e e n m e d i t a t i o n and ritual

in Abhinavagupta descriptions of sadhana seems to depend

on at least three factors:

1) The pa r t i c u l a r method (u p a y a ) that the sadhaka is

employ ing: The method, in turn, will depend on the

te ach e r ' s a s c e r t a i n m e n t of the d e g r e e of ¿aktipata that

the sa d h a k a has received. Thus, only the m o s t highly

qualified d i s c i p l e s wou l d be able to e m p l o y successfully

I_ _
the S a m b h a v o p a y a d e s c r i b e d in the P T l v . For them, and

them alone, the gr eat m a j o r i t y of ritual pract i c e s seem to

have be co m e useless. N e vertheless, it is for these hi g h l y

a dv an ce d disciples that the tradition teaches the

eroticized s e cr et ritual known as the kula-yaga. For

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other, less favored, pract i t i o n e r s , the rituals will serve

to e n ha nc e and d e v e l o p w h a t e v e r m e d i t a t i v e skills they may

» 17
have.

2) The goal of the s a d h a k a : Sadh ana may be un d e r t a k e n for

the a t t a i n m e n t of m o k s a , for the at t a i n m e n t of part icular

de s i r e s (b h o g a ) , or for a c o m b i n a t i o n of the two. For

those practitioners undertaking sadhana only for the

at t a i n m e n t of moksa, the p r e c i s i o n of the regulations

established for the p e r f o r m a n c e of ritual lose their

importance. The on ly important e lement in this case is

that ev ery a s pect of ritual be such that it causes joy in

the Heart. Those who aim at the fruition of specific

desires, on the other hand, m u s t attend c l o s e l y to the

precise de t a i l s for the p e r f o r m a n c e of each specific

i 18
ritual.

3) Is the sadh aka pursuing the at t a i n m e n t of the

introv e r t i v e (n i m i l a n a ) or the extrovertive (u n m l l a n a )

samadhi? : The i n trovertive samadhi is attained by an

e mphasis on meditative absorption. The extr o v e r t i v e

samadhi is achi e v e d by meditatively performed ritual.

These s a m a d h i -s are p u r s u e d p r e c i s e l y in order that the

p olarity between inner and outer be overcome. The

alternation b e twee n a contraction of the manif e s t e d

uni v e r s e into the silent w i t n e s s i n g consciousness, and the

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ex pa n s i o n of that u n i v e r s e again out of consciou sness,

cons t i t u t e s the essential structure of the tantric

sadhana. Thus, it is in the d i a l e c t i c a l relationship

be t w e e n m e d i t a t i o n and ritual, in the repeated a l t e r n a t i o n

between the inner and outer practices, that the sa dhana

ad van ce s towa rds its u n i f y i n g goal.