The Legend of Nilakantha

The Legend

And so it came to pass that once upon a time that both the Gods and their archrivals, the demons, desired amrita, the nectar of immortality. Having learned that the nectar of immortality lay at the bottom of the cosmic ocean, they decided to team up and extract the nectar together. For this purpose, Vishnu took the form of a tortoise (Kurma) and supported the mighty Mount Mandara on His back, which in turn they used a churning stick. As a rope, they tied the king of serpents, Vasuki, around the mountain. Holding on to opposite ends of Vasuki, the Gods and demons churned away at the cosmic ocean.

As they churned the ocean of existence, twelve wondrous gems were extracted from the cosmic ocean and claimed by the Gods. But before the nectar of immortality could be extracted, a thirteenth substance emerged. This was a most dark and deadly poison called halahala-kalakuta. So deadly was the poison that it threatened to engulf the whole of the universe and destroy everything in its path. It even turned Vishnu a dark shade of blue.

Sensing the imminent danger to all of creation, Brahma prayed to Shiva, the Lord of all: "Save us, O Shiva, save us! For there is none other than Thee who can contain this terrible poison which threatens all of creation thus."

Hearing the prayer of Brahma, Shiva, the Benefactor of all existence, emerged there in a magnificent form. Smiling ever so charmingly, He gathered up the deadly poison and consumed it. As an eternal reminder of His munificence, He held the deadly poison in His throat, which caused His throat (kantha) to radiate a shade of deep blue (nila).

Since that day, Shiva, the Savior of Gods and demons and the Lord of the universe is called Nilakantha, blue-throated One.

[Legend adapted from the Vayu Purana]

About the Meaning

The story of Nilakantha is a very ancient one and is found within a larger legend called the Churning of the Ocean. The Churning of the Ocean is arguably one of the most important Indian legends and has been the subject of much artwork, sculpture, literature and grand festivals like the Kumbha Mela. Much has also been written about the meaning of this legend. Here, our focus is only on Shiva as Nilakantha. What is the poison described that arises from the ocean of existence? What does it mean for Shiva to drink the poison and hold it in His throat?

In Shaiva theology, the deadly poison is the poison of worldliness. By poison of worldliness we mean the subjective experience of transience, limitedness, endless desires, and the illusion of separation from the Divine that exists as part of our normal, everyday life. All these feelings exist in everyday experience, according to Shaivism, because of the triad impurities known as anava, karma and maya (see: Triad Impurites), which collectively represent the deadly poison of the legend. When the ocean of the mind is churned to obtain amrita (immortality: release from cycles of samsara), one must first overcome the deadly poison which engulfs all of existence.

At some level, our intellectual mind (known as mahat-buddhi, represented by Brahma in the legend) realizes that we are overcome by the deadly poison, and asks the Lord to intervene on our behalf. It is in this capacity then that the Lord comes to our aid, so to speak. At the appropriate time, the Lord appears to consume the deadly poison -- meaning that His Revealing Grace (Anugraha Shakti) descends upon the aspirant, and the aspirant is able to work through the deadly poison to attain amrita.

All the while, we are never to forget that creation is never separate or separable from the personified Creator. Both the poison of worldly existence and release from it are contained within Him. All of manifest existence is classically described as a fraction of the Lord’s Being, which in truth is indivisible (see: Purusha Sukta). So, all of manifestation is represented here as contained in His throat (kantha) from where it has been vocalized into existence. The color blue (nila) represents manifest reality because of the predominant color of our earth (the blue planet). Theologically speaking, therefore, Nilakanta is One from whom manifest existence has been vocalized into being, in whom it is entirely contained, and in whom it is dissolved. And most certainly it is Nilakantha Maheshvara alone who shall drink the poison of worldliness which binds us so.

namaste astu bhagavan viśveśvarāya mahādevāya tryambakāya
tripurāntakāya trikāgni-kālāya kālāgni rudrāya nīlakāṇṭhāya mṛtyuñjayāya
sarveśvarāya sadāśivāya śrīmanmahādevāya namaḥ ||

Salutations be to Thee, O Lord!
To the Lord of the universe, the great Lord,
The three-eyed One, the Destroyer of the triad cities,
Who is the very Time of the three fires,
Who is Rudra, the Fire of dissolution,
The blue-throated One, the Conqueror of death,
The Lord of All, the ever-auspicious One,
To the celebrated, great God obeisance be.

[Traditional Yajurvedic Prayer]

Aum Nilakanthaya Namah.

Agnideva © 2008. All rights reserved.

Nilakantha Maheshvara

Drink the poison, O Nilakantha! Drink it up.
Drink the poison of the trifold bonds.
The bonds which bind us to this world steeped in duality.
Drink the poison, O Nilakantha! Drink it up.
Drink up the poison of maya, O Nilakantha!
The poison of differentiatedness, of limitedness
Which keeps us feeling separate from You;
Which keeps us engaged in the material world.
Drink the poison, O Nilakantha! Drink it up.
Drink up the poison of karma, O Nilakantha!
The poison of cause and effect, of action and reaction
Which keeps us in a state of flux, unlike You;
Which keeps us engaged in cycles of birth and death.
Drink the poison, O Nilakantha! Drink it up.
Drink up the poison of anava, O Nilakantha!
The poison of individuality, of atomic reality
Which keeps us feeling we have an existence apart from You;
Which keeps us engaged in desire and dejection
Drink the poison, O Nilakantha! Drink it up.
Drink the poison of the trifold bonds.
May we become absorbed in layavastha --
The state of unitary existence within the body of Shiva.

Om Nilakanthaya Namah.

Agnideva © 2008. All rights reserved.

Shiva Alone Is

śivo guruḥ śivo vedaḥ śiva devaḥ śivaḥ prabhuḥ |
śivo'smyahaṁ śivaḥ sarvaṁ śivadanyanna kiṁcana ||

Shiva alone is Guru; Shiva alone is Vedas;
Shiva alone is Lord; Shiva alone is I;
Shiva alone is All. There is none other than Shiva.

~ Varaha Upanishad (IV.32) of the Krsna Yajurveda

Aum Namah Shivaya.

Happy Shivaratri

I wish all the readers of this blog a very happy and blessed Shivaratri. May God Shiva's blessings and grace be you all now and forever!

Shivaratri is on March 5 in Europe and the Americas, and March 6 in Asia and Australia.

Aum Namah Shivaya.

Sage Tandi's Prayer

There are many ancient sages connected with the Tradition of Shiva. Of those, one is Sage Tandi. Almost nothing is known about the historical Sage Tandi. The name Tandi suggests a connection with Tandya branch of the Samaveda, of which he may have been the originator. One of the oldest and most important Vedic upanishads called the Chhandogya (a.k.a. Tandya Rahasya Upanishad; ca. 900 BCE) originates from this branch.

The Mahabharata epic (200 BCE-200 CE) mentions the illustrious Sage Tandi as a great Shiva devotee from remote antiquity, and credits him with authorship of the Thousand Names of Shiva (see Shiva Saharanama). In the Anushasana Parva (Book XIII) of the Mahabharata, Vasudeva (Krsna) teaches a prayer to Yudhishthira as taught to him by Sage Upamanyu. This prayer hymn is said to have been recited originally by Sage Tandi himself upon having a mystical vision of Shiva.

Sage Tandi’s Prayer glorifies Shiva in the most beautiful and exalted terms. It is a prayer based entirely on theological and philosophical principles found in the Vedanta, Yoga and theistic Sankhya systems. Note that unlike later hymns which heavily inject Puranic mythology into philosophy and theology, Tandi’s Prayer is free from Shiva's Puranic exploits (Shiva Charita).

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Sage Tandi's Prayer

The Rishi Tandi, desirous of beholding Him who making Himself endued with life-breaths, resides in what results from it (the jiva), in the form of that effulgence which is called the mind, passed many years in the practice of the severest austerities, and having succeeded in beholding Him as the reward of those penances, he praised the great God (Mahadeva) in the following terms.

Tandi said:

Thou art the holiest of holies and the Refuge of all, O foremost of all beings endued with intelligence.

Thou art the fiercest energy of all kinds of energy.

Thou art the austerest penance of all penances.

Thou, O puissant One, art the liberal Giver of blessings.

Thou art the supreme Truth.

Salutations to Thee, O Thou of a thousand rays, and O Refuge of all felicity.

Thou art the Giver of that Nirvana which, O puissant One, Yatis, standing in fear of birth and death, strive for so hard.

The Grandsire Brahmā, He of a hundred sacrifices (Indra), Vishnu, the Vishvadevas, the great Rishis, are incapable of comprehending Thee and Thy real nature.

How then can persons like us hope to comprehend Thee?

From Thee flows everything.

Upon Thee rests everything.

Thou art called Kāla, Thou art called Purusha, Thou art called Brahma.

Celestial Rishis conversant with the Puranas, say that Thou hast three bodies -- those pertaining to Kalas, those pertaining to Purusha and those pertaining to Brahma or the three forms namely Brahmā, Vishnu and Rudra.

Thou art Adi-Purusha, Thou art Adhyatma, Thou art Adhibhuta, and Adhi-Daivata, Thou art Adi-loka, Adi-Vijnanam and Adi-Yajna.

Men of wisdom, when they succeed in knowing Thee that residest in themselves and that art incapable of being known by the very Gods, become freed from all bonds and enter to a state of existence that transcends all sorrow.

They that do not wish to know Thee, O Thou of great puissance, have to undergo innumerable births and deaths.

Thou art the door of heaven and of Emancipation.

Thou art He that projectest all beings into existence and withdrawest them again into Thyself.

Thou art the great Giver.

Thou art heaven, Thou art emancipation, Thou art desire (the seed of action).

Thou art wrath that inspires creatures.

Thou art Sattva, Thou art Rajas, Thou art Tamas,

Thou art the nether regions, and Thou art the upper regions.

Thou art the Grandsire Brahmā, Thou art Bhava, Thou art Vishnu, Thou art Skanda, Thou art Indra, Thou art Savitri, Thou art Yama, Thou art Varuna, Thou art Soma, Thou art Dhatri, Thou art Manu, Thou art Vidhatri, and Thou art Kuvera, the Lord of treasures.

Thou art Earth, Thou art Wind, Thou art Water, Thou art Agni, Thou art Space, Thou art Speech, Thou art the Understanding, Thou art Steadiness, Thou art Intelligence, Thou art the acts that creatures do, Thou art Truth, Thou art Falsehood, Thou art existent and Thou art non-existent.

Thou art the senses, Thou art that which transcends Prakriti, Thou art immutable. Thou art superior to the universe of existent objects, Thou art superior to the universe of non-existent objects, Thou art capable of being conceived, Thou art incapable of being conceived.

That which is supreme Brahman; that which is the highest entity; that which is the end of both the Sankhyas and the Yogins, is without doubt, identical with Thee.

Verily, rewarded have I been today by Thee in consequence of Thy granting me a sight of Thy form.

I have attained the end which the righteous alone attain to.

I have been rewarded with that end which is solicited by persons whose understandings have been cleansed by knowledge.

Alas, so long I was steeped in ignorance; for this long period I was a senseless fool, since I had no knowledge of Thee that art the Supreme Deity, Thee that art the only eternal Entity as can be only known by all persons endued with wisdom.

In course of innumerable lives have I at last succeeded in acquiring that devotion towards Thee in consequence of which Thou hast shown Thyself to me.

O Thou that art ever inclined to extend Thy grace to those that are devoted to Thee.

He that succeeds in knowing Thee is enabled to enjoy immortality.

Thou art that which is ever a mystery with the Gods, the Asuras, and the ascetics, the Brahman is concealed in the cave of the heart.

The very ascetics are unable to behold or know Him.

Thou art that puissant Deity who is the Doer of everything and whose face is turned towards every direction.

Thou art the Soul of all things, Thou seest all things, Thou pervadest all things, and Thou knowest all things.

Thou makest a body for Thyself, and bearest that body.

Thou art an embodied Being.

Thou enjoyest a body, and Thou art the Refuge of all embodied creatures.

Thou art the Creator of the life-breaths, Thou possessest the life-breaths, Thou art one that is endued with life-breaths, Thou art the Giver of the life-breaths, and Thou art the Refuge of all beings endued with life-breaths.

Thou art that Adhyatma which is the Refuge of all righteous persons that are devoted to Yoga-meditation and conversant with the Soul and that are solicitous of avoiding rebirth.

Verily, Thou art that Supreme Lord who is identical with that Refuge.

Thou art the Giver unto all creatures of whatever ends become theirs, fraught with happiness or misery.

Thou art He that ordains all created beings to birth and death.

Thou art the puissant Lord who grants success to Rishis crowned with success in respect of the fruition of their wishes.

Having created all the worlds beginning with Bhu, together with all the denizens of heaven, that upholdest and cherishest them all, distributing Thyself into Thy well-known forms numbering Eight (Ashtamurtis).

From Thee flows everything.

Upon Thee rests all things.

All things, again, disappear in Thee.

Thou art the sole object that is Eternal.

Thou art that region of Truth which is sought by the righteous and regarded by them as the highest.

Thou art that cessation of individual existence which Yogins seek.

Thou art that Oneness which is sought by persons conversant with the soul.

Brahmā and the Siddhas expounding the mantras have concealed Thee in a cave to prevent the Devas and Asuras and human beings from beholding Thee.

Although Thou residest in the heart, yet Thou art concealed.

Hence, stupefied by Thee, Devas and Asuras and human beings are all unable to understand Thee, O Bhava, truly and in all Thy details.

Unto those persons that succeed in attaining to Thee after having cleansed themselves by devotion, Thou showest Thyself of thy own accord, O Thou that residest in all hearts.

By knowing Thee one can avoid both death and rebirth.

Thou art the highest object of knowledge.

By knowing Thee no higher object remains for one to know.

Thou art the greatest object of acquisition.

The person that is truly wise, by acquiring Thee, thinks that there is no higher object to acquire.

By attaining to Thee that art exceedingly subtle and that art the highest object of acquisition, the man of wisdom becomes immortal and immutable.

The followers of the Sankhya system, well conversant with their own philosophy and possessing a knowledge of the attributes (gunas) and of those called the topics of enquiry, those learned men who transcend the destructible by attaining to a knowledge of the subtle or indestructible, succeed, by knowing Thee, in freeing themselves from all bonds.

Persons conversant with the Vedas regard Thee as the one object of knowledge, which has been expounded in the Vedantas.

These men, devoted to the regulation of the breaths, always meditate on Thee and at last enter into Thee as their highest end.

Riding on the car made of Om, those men enter into Maheshvara.

Of that which is called the Devayana (the path of the Devas), Thou art the door called Aditya.

Thou art again, the door, called Chandramas, of that which is called the Pitriyana (the path of the Pitris).

Thou art Kashtha, Thou art the points of the horizon, Thou art the year, and Thou art the Yugas.

Thine is the sovereignty of the heavens, Thine is the sovereignty of the Earth, Thou art the Northern and the Southern declensions.

The Grandsire Brahmā in days of yore uttered Thy praises, O Thou that art called Nilarohita (blue and red), by reciting diverse hymns and urged Thee to create living creatures.

Brahmanas conversant with Riks praise Thee by uttering Riks, regarding Thee as unattached to all things and as divested of all forms.

Adhyaryus, in sacrifices, pour libations, uttering Yajus the while, in honour of Thee that art the sole object of knowledge, according to the three well-known ways.

Persons of cleansed understandings, that are conversant with Samans, sing Thee with the aid of Samans.

Those regenerate persons, again, that are conversant with the Atharvans, hymn Thee as Rta, as Truth, as the Highest, and as Brahma.

Thou art the highest Cause, whence Sacrifice has flowed.

Thou art the Lord, and Thou art Supreme.

The night and day are Thy sense of hearing and sense of sight.

The fortnights and months are Thy head and arms.

The seasons are Thy energy, penances are Thy patience, and the year is Thy lower end, thighs and feet.

Thou art Mrityu, Thou art Yama, Thou art Hutasana, Thou art Kāla, Thou art endued with speed in respect of destruction, Thou art the original cause of Time, and Thou art eternal Time.

Thou art Chandramas and Aditya with all the stars and planets and the atmosphere that fills space.

Thou art the pole-star, Thou art constellation called the seven Rishis, Thou art the seven regions beginning with Bhu.

Thou art Pradhana and Mahat, Thou art Unmanifest, and Thou art this world.

Thou art the universe beginning with Brahmā and ending with the lowest forms of vegetation.

Thou art the beginning or original cause of all creatures.

Thou art the eight Prakritis.

Thou art, again, above the eight Prakritis.

Everything that exists, represents a portion of thy divine Self.

Thou art that supreme Felicity which is also Eternal.

Thou art the end which is attained to by all things.

Thou art that highest existence which is sought for by the Righteous.

Thou art that state which is freed from every anxiety.

Thou art eternal Brahman!

Thou art that highest state which constitutes the meditation of persons learned in the scriptures and the Vedangas.

Thou art the highest Kashtha, Thou art the highest Kāla.

Thou art the highest Success, and Thou art the highest Refuge.

Thou art the highest Tranquillity.

Thou art the highest cessation of Existence.

By attaining to thee, Yogins think that they attain to the highest success that is open to them.

Thou art Contentment, Thou art Success, Thou art the Sruti, and Thou art the Smriti.

Thou art that Refuge of the Soul after which Yogins strive, and Thou art that indestructible Prapti which men of knowledge pursue.

Thou art, without doubt, that End which those persons have in view that are habituated to sacrifices and that pour sacrificial libations, impelled by specific desires, and that make large presents on such occasions.

Thou art that high End which is sought for by persons that waste and scorch their bodies with severe penances with ceaseless recitations, with those rigid vows and fasts that appertain to their tranquil lives, and with other means of self-affliction.

O Eternal one, Thou art that End which is theirs that are unattached to all things and that have relinquished all acts.

Thou, O Eternal one, art that End which is theirs that are desirous of achieving Emancipation from rebirth, that live in dissociation from all enjoyments, and that desire the annihilation of the Prakriti elements.

Thou art that high End, O illustrious One, which is indescribable, which is stainless, which is the immutable one, and which is theirs that are devoted to knowledge and science.

These are the live Ends that have been declared in the Vedas and the Scriptures and the Puranas.

It is through Thy grace alone that persons attain to those ends, or, if they fail to attain to them, it is through thy grace being denied to them.

It was thus Tandi, who was a vast heap of penances, praised Isana. And he sang also that high Brahman which in ancient days was sung by the Creator Himself (in honour of Mahadeva).

Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva (Book XIII): Chapter XVI: 13-66
Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
(Edited for clarity and capitalization)

Aum Namah Shivaya ~ Shivaya Namah Aum.

The Story of Markandeya

Once upon a time, there lived a sage called Mrikandu with his wife Marudvati. Both were devotees of Shiva. The couple was childless, and so decided to perform austerities so they would be blessed with a child. Then one day, Shiva appeared before them. Shiva asked the couple if they desired an ordinary son who would live a long life, or an exceptional son who would live a short life. The couple asked for the latter.

In due course, Marudvati gave birth to a boy and the child was named Markandeya (literally: son of Mrikandu). Markandeya was an exceptionally gifted child, and became an accomplished sage early in his childhood. He was especially devoted to Shiva, and had mastered the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra. At the age of sixteen, his time on this earth had come to an end, and so Yama, death personified, came to take him away. At the time, Markandeya was in a temple worshipping the icon of Shiva (Shiva Lingam). When he saw Yama, out of fright, Markandeya grabbed a hold of the Shiva Lingam and asked Lord Shiva to protect him. Yama threw his noose around the boy-sage, which encircled the Shiva Lingam too.

Suddenly, the Shiva Lingam burst open with a thundering roar and a majestic, fiery form of Shiva appeared out of the blazing light. Enraged that Yama should have the audacity to encircle the Shiva Lingam with his noose, Shiva struck down Kala (Yama is also called Kala, time, since time brings death to all things) with His trident, and Kala was no more. Markandeya was spared from death. Shiva blessed Markandeya with eternal life and proclaimed that he shall forever remain a sixteen-year-old sage. The assembly of Devas who had witnessed the spectacle begged Shiva to revive Yama, as a world without death would put unnecessary burden on the earth. Shiva then revived Yama, and declared that His devotees were forever to be spared from the noose of Yama.

Since that day, the fiery form of Shiva that appeared to save the boy-sage Markandeya is called Kalasamhara Murti (or Kalari; see: Forms of Shiva or Forms of Shiva II).

Meaning of the story

The story as narrated above comes to us from the Skanda Purana. There are other versions of the story that differ in details, but our concern here is to understand what we are being told in this beautiful tale. What does it mean for Markandeya to be saved by Shiva and for Shiva to destroy Kala?

For Markandeya to be saved by Shiva means that Shiva's Anugraha Shakti had descended upon the boy-sage. Markandeya had at a young age attained enlightenment and become a jivan-mukta. He was no more bound by time (kala) or death. He had broken through the cycle of birth and death. Verily, Markandeya had gained oneness with Lord Mrityunjaya and conquered death itself.

For Shiva to destroy Yama and become angry that Yama should have the audacity to encircle the Lingam indicates that Shiva is beyond death and time. He is the Eternal Lord. He is the Ruler of time (Mahakaleshvara); He is the Originator of time (Mahakala) and Destroyer of time (Kalari or Kalasamhara Murti). Time in the story is represented by Yama since time brings death and dissolution to all things, but Shiva brings death to time itself. So, He is called Mahakalakala or Mahakalabhairava. When all things decay, Shiva alone remains. As He alone is beyond death and time, Shiva is called Maha Mrityunjaya, the great Conquerer of Death.

The moral of the story is that we, like the boy-sage Markandeya, should also pray and meditate on Shiva-Mrityunjaya, for He alone can take us unto the state beyond the cycles of samsara:

aum mṛtyuñjaya mahādeva trāhi māṁ śaraṇāgatam |
janmamṛtyujarāvyādhi pīḍitaṁ karmabandhanaiḥ ||

Aum, O Great Lord Mṛtyuñjaya, I take refuge in You, pray protect me;
And relieve me of the painful experiences of birth, death, old-age and disease.

Aum Kalasamhara-Murtaye Namah.

Agnideva © 2008. All rights reserved.

Sage Shvetashvatara

We know Him who is the Supreme Lord of Lords,
The Supreme Deity of Deities, the Ruler of rulers;
Who is higher than the imperishable Prakriti
And is the self-luminous, adorable Lord of the world.
He is without a body or organs;
None like unto Him is seen, or better than He.
The Vedas speak of His exalted power,
Which is innate and capable of producing diverse effects
And also of His omniscience and might.
He has no master in the world, no ruler,
Nor is there even a sign of Him by which He can be inferred.
He is the Cause, the Lord of the Lord of the organs;
And He is without progenitor or controller.
May the non-dual Lord,
Who, by the power of His Maya, covered Himself,
Like a spider, with threads drawn from primal matter,
Merge us in Brahman!
The non-dual and resplendent Lord is hidden in all beings.
All-pervading, the inmost Self of all creatures,
The Impeller to actions, abiding in all things,
He is the Witness, the Animator and the Absolute, free from gunas.
There is a non-dual Ruler of the actionless many;
He makes the one seed manifold.
Eternal happiness belongs to the wise,
Who perceive Him within themselves and not to others.
He is the Eternal among the eternal,
The Conscious among the conscious
And though non-dual, fulfills the desires of many.
He who has known Him, the luminous Lord, the Great Cause,
To be realised by Knowledge and Yoga, is freed from all fetters.

~Shvetashvatara Upanishad (VI.8-13) of the Krsna Yajurveda.

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Shvetashvatara (Śvetāśvatara) is an ancient sage connected with the Tradition of Shiva. The illustrious sage belonged to a school of the Krsna Yajurveda, and there is a celebrated and important upanishad known as the Shvetashvatara Upanishad that bears his name. This particular upanishad, thought to be compiled circa 5th century BCE, contains the teachings of Sage Shvetashvatara unto his disciples. For Shaivites, this upanishad is of particular importance because it contains overt Vedic Shaivite themes. The Upanishad identifies the Supreme Brahman with Rudra-Shiva in multiple occasions, it mentions the terms Pati-Pashu-Pasha (the Essential Triad), it speaks of Shakti as the Power of the Lord, and it borrows heavily from mantras of the Sri Rudram (Rudra-Adhyaya) of the Yajurveda as well as the Rudra hymns of the Rigveda. Some scholars have gone to the extent of suggesting that the Shvetashvatara Upanishad is the first written evidence of systematic Shaivite thought.

As is true with modern Shaivism guided by the Agamas, the aforementioned upanishad blends beautifully the theistic Sankhya and Yoga schools of thought. The Lord (Rudra-Shiva) is beyond Prakriti and Purusha and rules over them. All has originated through His creative Power (Shakti), through which He, the One, has become manifold. He is the Origin and Overseer of Brahmā, the personified Creator of all things. Yet the Lord indwells all of creation concealed within all beings. He is All. He is the fire, sun, wind, moon, stars, water, man, woman, boy, girl, etc. Only upon descent of His grace does He become revealed through divine knowledge as immanent and transcendent. And, those who gain this knowledge become immortal, i.e. are liberated. To that end, devotion (bhakti) toward God and one's Guru are of utmost importance. All these teachings of Shvetashvatara we find in modern Agamic Shaivism.

With regards to the composition of the Shvetashvatara Upanishad and the sage bearing the same name, we know very little. Many have conjectured that the sage belonged to the Pashupata sect, an early form of Vedic Shaivism, which is also the precursor to all branches of Shaivism we know of today. If it is true that Sage Shvetashvatara belonged to a lineage of Pashupata ascetics, then he must have lived long before the time of Satguru Lakulisha (ca. 100 CE), the famous reformer and codifier of Pashupatism. While, it is tempting for Shaivites to conclude that the Shvetashvatara Upanishad was influenced by Agamic thought, we are as of yet not certain that the Agamas in written form existed at the time of this compilation (5th century BCE). It is not however out of the realm of possibility that an oral tradition of the Agama already existed. For now, we can be happy just reading what the upanishad itself says about the illustrious sage:

Through the power of austerity and through the grace of the Lord, the Sage Śvetāśvatara realised Brahman and proclaimed the highly sacred Knowledge, supremely cherished by the company of seers, to sannyasins of the most advanced stage. (VI.22)

Aum Namah Shivaya.

Agnideva © 2008. All rights reserved.

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The Commandment of Shiva

The term shastra (śāstra) is used in all Hindu traditions to signify any holy book or scripture. The term is derived from the root śās which means to rule, to command or to govern. From a religious perspective, this is a most appropriate term and derivation because it is the holy scriptures that instruct us on correct behavior and guide us onto the right path.

In Shaivism, the term shastra (śāstra) and its derivation take on an additional layer of meaning, especially when applied to the Shaiva Agamas. If one examines the Shaiva Agamas, one finds that almost all of them are in the form of a divine dialog where Shiva is the Guru, who imparts the doctrines unto a shishya (disciple). Many-a-times the shishya is Shakti, but in other cases the shishya may be Kartikeya, Garuda, Vishnu, Rudra, a blessed Rishi or Deva, etc. Though the format of the Agamas is a divine interlocution, it is always made clear that the teaching is meant for us. This is especially apparent because the questions posed by the disciple in earnest are those that are pertinent to us, to foster our understanding, practice and ritual. As every instruction in the Shaiva Agamas is given by Shiva Himself, He is the primal Guru and all the Agama Shastras are His divine teachings. Every ritual, every philosophy, every belief, every doctrine, every practice, every word of the Agama (śāstra) is a command (śās) to us from the Lord.

For Shaivites, therefore, the entire religion of Shiva with all its branches, the whole of Shaiva Agamic canon and theological-philosophical tradition is Shiva-Shasana (Śiva-Śāsana), the Commandment of Shiva. It is for this reason that we honor our Agamas so highly, and consider them on par with the Vedas, and never inferior to the latter. The Vedas are His breaths, the Agamas are His words. Just as in chanting, the words (mantras) ride on the breaths (see: The Unchanted Mantra), so the glorious tradition of the Shaiva Agamas rides on the holy tradition of the Vedas.

Never may we forget the Commandment of Shiva!

Aum Namah Shivaya.

Agnideva © 2008. All rights reserved.

O Gajanana!

O Gajanana! O Inspirer of mankind,
Clear all those paths, O Lord,
Paths which lead to Your Father's divine Realm.
Of bhakti, of karma, of raja yoga and jnana,
The pursuit of which path is possible,
O Vinayaka, without Your blessing, without Your grace?

O Gajanana, O Lord of obstacles,
How many have You impelled over the aeons,
Toward noble goals; toward dharma and moksha?
Not one can ascend Kailasa sans Your aid,
Not one can approach Shakti nor Shiva,
O Child of Shiva-Shakti, without Your express consent.

O Gajanana, O Emperor of Dharma,
The Muladhara chakra is Your bejeweled throne,
From whence You rule, You command the physical world.
How can one even conceive of higher states of being,
Without first falling down at Your holy feet?
O Ganesha, verily all realizations occur by Your guidance alone.

Aum Gam Ganapataye Namah.

Agnideva © 2008. All rights reserved.

My Mother is Parvati

माताच पार्वति देवी पिता देवो महेश्वरः।
बान्धवा शिवभक्ताश्च स्वदेशो भुवनत्रयम्॥

mātāca pārvati devī pitā devo maheśvarah |
bāndhavā śivabhaktāśca svadeśo bhuvanatrayam ||

My Mother is Devi Parvati,
My Father is great Lord Shiva,
All devotees of Shiva are my brethren,
And all three worlds are my own nation.

~ Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada
Sri Annapurnashtakam, verse 12

Aum Namah Shivaya.

That is Siva

He who is known implicitly in the mantras of the Vedas,
He who is known explicitly in the sutras of the Āgamas,
He who is extolled in the verses of various holy hymns,
He who is taught in the teachings of the great Masters,
He who is experienced in the experience of His devotees,
He who is mystified in the mysticism of His Saints,
He who is theorized by the philosophies of His philosophers,
He who is felt deeply in the intuitive feelings of His worshipers,
He who is realized in the deep realizations of His Siddhas,
He who is meditated upon in the meditations of His Sages,
He who is the inspiration of the divinely inspired ones,
He who is the very basis of the variegated, multifaceted universe,
He who is the substratum of every shape, of every form,
He who is the Immanent Divine and the Transcendent Reality,
He who is the Auspicious, the Ever Auspicious, the Supremely Auspicious,
That is Śiva, That Reality is Śiva, That Realization is Śiva, That Lord is Śiva,
That Being is Śiva, That State is Śiva, That Truth is Śiva, That Brahman is Śiva.
All is Śiva, All is Śiva.

Sadāśiv'om.

Agnideva © 2008. All rights reserved.

Shivashtakam

śrī śivāṣṭakam
Hymn of Eight Stanzas on Shiva

prabhuṁ prāṇanāthaṁ vibhuṁ viśvanāthaṁ jagannāthanāthaṁ sadānandabhājām |
bhavadbhavyabhūteśvaraṁ bhūtanāthaṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||1||

O Lord! Lord of life, the all-pervasive One, the Lord of the universe,
O Lord of the Lord of the world, the Possessor of eternal bliss,
O Lord of all entities past and future, Lord of all beings,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

gale ruṇḍamālaṁ tanau sarpajālaṁ mahākālakālaṁ gaṇeśādhipālam |
jaṭājūṭabhaṅgottaraṅgairviśālaṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||2||

O He, whose neck is adorned with a skull-garland and body with serpents,
O Ender of great time itself, who rules over Ganesha and others,
From whose matted locks issues forth the large billows of the Ganga,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

mudāmākaraṁ maṇḍanaṁ maṇḍayantaṁ mahāmaṇḍalaṁ bhasmabhūṣādharaṁtam |
anādihyapāraṁ mahāmohahāraṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||3||

O He, who is ornamented with the very form of happiness,
O He, who is adorned with the ashes of the ornate universe itself,
O beginningless, boundless One, the Remover of the greatest of delusions,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

vaṭādho nivāsaṁ mahāṭṭāṭṭahāsaṁ mahāpāpanāśaṁ sadāsuprakāśam |
girīśaṁ gaṇeśaṁ maheśaṁ sureśaṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||4||

The One who dwells under a banyan tree, He of immense laughter,
O Dissolver of the greatest of sins, the eternally effulgent One,
O Lord of the mountain, Lord of hosts, O great Lord, Lord of all Devas,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

girindrātmajāsaṁgrahītārdhadehaṁ girau saṁsthitaṁ sarvadā sannigeham |
parabrahmabrahmādibhirvandhyamānaṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||5||

O He, who shares half His body with She who is born of the mountain (Shakti),
O He, who is situated in the mountains, the eternal Refuge (for those who seek Him),
O Supreme Brahman, worshiped with honor by Brahmā and others,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

kapālaṁ triśūlaṁ karābhyāṁ dadhānaṁ padāmbhojanamrāya kāmaṁ dadānam |
balīvardayānaṁ surāṇāṁ pradhānaṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||6||

O He, who holds the skull-bowl and trident in His hands,
O He, who fulfills the desires of those who take to His lotus feet,
O Rider of the Bull, the Supreme One amongst the Devas,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

śaraccandragātraṁ guṇānanda pātraṁ trinetraṁ pavitraṁ dhaneśasya mitram |
aparṇākalatraṁ sadā caritraṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||7||

O He, whose body resembles the autumnal moon, the Vessel of blissful qualities,
O three-eyed One, the pure One, Friend of the Lord of wealth,
O Consort of Aparna (Shakti), the eternally wonderful One,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

haraṁ sarpahāraṁ citā bhūvihāraṁ bhavaṁ vedasāraṁ sadā nirvikāram |
śmaśāne vasantaṁ manojaṁ dahantaṁ śivaṁ śaṅkaraṁ śambhumīśānamīḍe ||8||

O Hara, garlanded in serpents, who roams the cremation ground*,
O Bhava, the very essence of the Veda, who is forever free from change,
O Resident of the cremation ground*, who burns all mind-born desires,
O Shiva-Shankara-Shambhu, O Ishana, praises be unto Thee.

stavaṁ yaḥ prabhāte naraḥ śūlapāṇe paṭhet sarvadā bhargabhāvānuraktaḥ |
sa putraṁ dhanaṁ dhānyamitraṁ kalatraṁ vicitraṁ samāsādya mokśaṁ prayāti ||9||

Whosoever reads this hymn every morning with devotion
Pleases the effulgent trident-bearing Lord.
He shall be blessed with children, wealth, friends, grains, spouse,
And after leading a wonderful life, he shall attain moksha.

|| iti śivāṣṭakam ||

Here ends the Hymn of Eight Stanzas on Shiva.

[*cremation ground is an analogy used by ancient Shaivite ascetics to indicate that he who performs penance for Shiva loses all desire for bodily comforts, the physical body is as good as dead to him]

oṁ namaḥ śivāya.

For printable version, click here.

Shuddha-Ashuddha Tattvas

Why are we limited as to what we can do and where we can be? Why is it that if the only reality is that of Shiva and All is Shiva that we must feel insignificant? How can it be, if Shiva is the only reality, that we should feel so distant, so far removed from that Reality?

The answer given in Shaivism to these questions can be summed up in one word: māyā. The term māyā, as used in Shaivism, does NOT indicate that the entire existence is unreal or illusion or false. Rather, in Shaivite teachings, māyā is that power which creates the notion of separation from the Lord, the notion of limitedness and individuality. According to the Shaiva Agamas and the philosophy therein, māyā along with the other impurities (malas; of which there are three – ānava, karma, māyā) are produced by the Shiva’s Tirodhana Shakti (Power of Concealment). Māyā in the Shaivite system, therefore, is not taken to as an unreal or beginningless entity that covers the Ultimate Reality. Rather, māyā is Shiva’s own inherent Power by which Shiva conceals His immanence within existence.

Shaiva Agamic theology teaches that māyā, which can be considered a veil of finiteness and limitedness on the Infinite and the Unlimited, produces five sheaths or coverings (kanchukas). The five coverings are as follows:

1. Kalā (creativity)
2. Vidyā (knowledge)
3. Rāga (desire)
4. Kāla (time)
5. Niyati (destiny)

These five coverings, together known as the progeny of māyā, cover the purusha, the individual entity or soul (or the perception thereof). As a result of these coverings, the individual entity feels himself limited in all these respects.

The covering of kalā limits the individual’s creativity. He is kept from sarvakartrtva, the ability to do everything (omnipotence). The covering of vidyā limits the individual’s knowledge. He is kept from sarvajnatva, the ability to know everything (omniscience). The covering of rāga limits the individual’s fulfillment. He is kept from purnatva, the ability to feel complete (fullness or perfection). The covering of kāla limits the individual within time. He is kept from nityatva, the ability to be timeless (eternity). The covering of niyati limits the individual within space. He is kept from vyāpaktva, the ability to be everywhere (omnipresence). As a result of these five coverings, the individual entity feels entirely restricted and bound, and develops the understanding that he is a separate or separable from Shiva. It is only when he is graced by Shiva’s Anugraha Shakti (Power of Revealment) that he is able to begin understanding the true oneness of it all.

Māyā and her five coverings are then, in the Shaiva Agamic scheme, the six tattvas that lie beyond twenty-five tattvas given by Sānkhya. The last tattva taught by Sānkhya is the purusha or individual entity, but the Shaiva Agamic scheme says that the purusha is actually not a liberated state of being at all, but something akin to an objective ego, himself limited by māyā and her five coverings. According to the Shaiva Agamic scheme, the twenty-four tattvas that constitute prakriti (see Sankhya System and the Tattvas) are referred to as the ashuddha (impure) tattvas as they are material in nature. Above these are the seven shuddha-ashuddha (pure-impure) tattvas consisting of māyā, the five kanchukas (kalā, vidyā, rāga, kāla, niyati), and purusha.

Shuddha-Ashuddha Tattvas

31. Māyā
30. Kalā
29. Vidyā
28. Rāga
27. Kāla
26. Niyati
25. Purusha

Below these are the 24 ashuddha tattvas of prakriti exactly as presented by Sankhya.

Aum Namah Shivāya.

Agnideva © 2008. All rights reserved.

Related post: Sankhya System and the Tattvas

The Unchanted Mantra

The non-dualistic traditions of both Vedanta and Tantra tell us that without even knowing or realizing it, we are silently chanting a mantra 21,600 times daily! Not only is this mantra being silently recited by every living being, but it affirms the most fundamental of truths propounded by the monistic tradition – that you are one with the Ultimate Reality. Multitude of Vedantic and Tantric texts explain this mantra, known as the Ajapa (unchanted) Mantra, Ajapa Gayatri, Hamsa Gayatri, Hamsa Mantra, Soham Mantra, etc.

The essential teaching of the Ajapa Mantra, an extension of the teaching on prana (vital life-force), is that the very process of breathing is a mantra. The sound of inhalation plus the sound of exhalation together form this mantra known as So'haṁ or Haṁsa. Before we proceed further, however, we must understand that there is a fundamental difference between how Vedantic tradition treats the Ajapa Mantra and how the Agamic/Tantric tradition treats it.

Texts of Vedanta uniformly accept and teach that the sound of inhalation is so (or the syllable sa) and the sound of exhalation is haṁ (or the syllable ha). Put together, the two syllables become So'haṁ. This teaching is elaborated in multiple Upanishads, particularly those classified as Yoga Upanishads. In the Vedantic context, So'haṁ indicates saḥ (He) + ahaṁ (I), and means “He I am.” Essentially, it is a silent reaffirmation of the Vedantic great statements (mahavakyas): tat tvaṁ asi (That Thou Art) and ahaṁ brahmāsmi (I am Brahman). In other words, with every breathing cycle (So'haṁ) we affirm the fundamental non-dualistic Vedantic teaching of the oneness of the Atman (ahaṁ) and Brahman (saḥ)

Texts of Tantra, in contrast, accept and teach that the sound of inhalation is haṁ (or the syllable ha) and the sound of exhalation is sa (the syllable sa). Together, the two syllables become Haṁsa. This is dealt with in multiple Shakta Tantras like the Todala Tantra, in Shaiva Tantras like the Vijnanabhairava Tantra, and Vaishnava Tantras like the Lakshmi Tantra. In the Tantric context, Haṁsa indicates a dual affirmation. On the one hand, Haṁsa indicates ahaṁ (I) + saḥ (he) – meaning “I am He”; or ahaṁ (I) + sā (she) – meaning “I am She”. This affirmation is no different than the Vedantic affirmation of the oneness of the individual Atman and the Paramatman (Brahman).

The other affirmation inherent in the Ajapa Mantra, which is characteristically and uniquely Tantric, is that of the oneness of the masculine and feminine principles. The two syllables of the Haṁsa (ha + sa) are taught in the Tantric tradition to represent Shiva (ha) and Shakti (sa). The terms Shiva and Shakti may be replaced in Shaiva-Shakta sources with Sun (ha) and Moon (sa) or Bindu (ha) and Nada (sa). Similarly, in Vaishnava Tantras, ha represents Narayana, and sa represents Sri. In the Tantric tradition, therefore, the very process of breathing (Haṁsa) also affirms the absolute oneness of the Divine, seen as a dual principle of Shiva-Shakti, Bindu-Nada, Sun-Moon, Narayana-Sri, or ha-sa.

Since the Vedantic and Tantric traditions of Hinduism are not mutually exclusive, what we find is that the doctrines of one system intermingle with the other. As a result of this, the terms So'haṁ and Haṁsa are used interchangeably in both traditions to refer to the Ajapa Mantra. Regardless of the term used to refer to the Ajapa Mantra, the phase of breath for which the syllables stand remains unchanged within the given tradition. Nevertheless, both traditions accept the Ajapa Mantra as the base mantra upon which all mantras ride, whether they are chanted out loud, pronounced without vocalizing, or recited mentally. In fact, the Haṁsa (which means swan) is depicted as a vehicle of Gayatri Devi, the personification of supreme mantra of the Rigveda.

Regardless of the tradition, the great yogis of Hinduism have used sound and breath to understand both evolution from the Divine and involution back to the Divine. With regards to the Ajapa mantra, the in-breath reflects involution, a refolding of Shakti back into Shiva, and the out-breath reflects evolution, an unfolding of Shakti from Shiva. One who has understood the meaning of the Haṁsa mantra, mastered the esoteric teachings of Prana therein, and through this vehicle come to full and direct realization, therefore, is given the honorary title Paramahaṁsa (supreme swan) because s/he is now a liberated being.

Aum Namah Shivaya.

Agnideva © 2008. All rights reserved.

Theology of the Shiva Purana II

The present post is a continuation of the previous post entitled Theology of the Shiva Purana examining how the Shiva Purana deals with theology and the philosophical view that forms its basis. When one reads the Shiva Purana, it becomes quite clear that different books were authored by different sets of hands each with a slightly different philosphical worldview. Every book narrates a large body of legends, and at the close of the book the philosophical stance is explained. The below comes to us from closing of the Kotirudra Samhita (Book IV). It is quite clear that the author of this text subscribed to the non-dualistic Vedanta, as the view is quite in line with that philosophy. While Vedanta provides the theoretical theology in the below excerpt, it is clear the ontological basis of Sankhya and the means to the end (liberation) as taught by Yoga are presupposed. Quite notably, the theoretical and practical theology of the Agamas is absent from this teaching. According to the Encyclopaedia of Hinduism, the Kotirudra Samhita, which is found in the standard (northern-southern) version of the Shiva Purana, extracts heavily from the Jnana Samhita, a book found only in the Bengal version of the Shiva Purana (see: Shiva Purana: Sense and Sensibility ). The Jnana Samhita, itself extracted in part from the Linga Purana, is believed to have been authored in northern India (ca. 850 ce) by those who subscribed to a combined Sankhya-Vedanta philosophy. With this background, the theological and philosophical view presented below is not surprising.

-----o-----

Sūta said:

O ye sages, may this be heard. I shall explain the perfect knowledge of Śiva in the manner I have heard. It is a great secret as it is the form of the highest salvation. (1)

In the assembly of Brahmā, Nārada, Kumāra, Vyāsa and Kapila they had discussed this and come to this conclusion. (2)

It shall be known that the entire universe is wholly Śiva. That Śiva is in everything must be known by the learned scholar. (3)

Beginning with Brahmā and ending with a blade of grass whatever is seen as constituting the universe is Śiva Himself. That Deity is called Śiva. (4)

When He wishes, this is created. He alone knows all. No one knows Him. (5)

He Himself creates it and enters it, but stand far off. The Citsvarūpa (Pure Consciousness) Being who is pure does not really enter it. (6)

[Just as] luminary bodies are reflected in water and do not actually enter it, so Śiva too appears [to have] entered it [the created world]. (7)

Really Śiva alone, the Auspicious Being, manifests Himself. The ignorance of the same is a defect of the mind. In fact, there is no second entity. (8)

In all philosophical systems the concept of duality is evident. But the Vedāntins call Him eternal and non-dualistic. (9)

The individual soul, though it is a part of His becomes deluded by avidyā (ignorance). He then thinks that He is different (from Śiva). If He is released from avidyā, He becomes Śiva. (10)

Śiva pervades all creatures. He is the Lord of the sentient and the insentient. He is the Benefactor. (11)

He who cleverly tries means of releasing himself after resorting to the Vedāntic path attains the fruit of his right. (12)

The pervading fire is latent in every block of wood, but only he who churns it sees it manifested [knows this] to be true. (13)

So also, the clever devotee who makes use of the expedients of devotion, etc. certainly reaches Śiva. This is undoubtedly true. (14)

Lord Śiva is everywhere. There is nothing else. Śiva appears in different forms always due to our illusion. (15)

The ocean or the lump of clay or the piece of gold attains different shapes due to delimiting conditions. Śiva too is so. (16)

There is one essential difference between the material cause and its effect. The difference is due to illusory perception. If the one ceases to exist, the other is also quelled. (17)

The shooting sprout from the seed may exhibit multiplicity, but ultimately it becomes the seed and shoot perishes. (18)

The perfectly wise is the seed. Deformity is the sprout. When deformity disappears, he becomes perfectly wise again. There is no doubt in this regard. (19)

Everything is Śiva. Śiva is everything. There is no difference at all. How is this manifoldness seen? How is the unity regained? (20)

Just as the luminary called the sun is seen differently in [different bodies of] water, so also is the case with it [Śiva and the universal manifoldness]. (21)

The all-pervading space is not bound or fettered anywhere. So also the all-pervading Lord is not bound anywhere. (22)

The individual soul is contaminated by the ego. Śiva is free of it. The individual soul is insignificant and it experiences fruit of action. But the great Śiva is uncontaminated. (23)

Gold mixed with silver or other base metals depreciates in value. So also is the individual soul in its association with the ego. (24)

When a gold alloy is purified with chemicals, it regains its original value. Similarly the consecrated soul too attains purity. (25)

The devotee at the outset shall go to a competent preceptor with devout and reverential feelings. He shall worship and serve him considering Him Śiva. (26)

Thanks to this conception, all sins and dirt are removed from the body. When he gains knowledge, his ignorance disappears. (27)

Freed from the ego, the individual soul attains pure intellect. Thanks to Śiva’s grace, he attains the state of Śiva again. (28)

Just as one sees one’s own form in the mirror, so also the pure soul sees the all-pervading Śiva, certainly. (29)

He becomes the living liberated soul (jivanmukta). When the body perishes, he merges into Śiva. The body is begot by the prārabda karma. The perfectly wise is considered different from it. (30)

If a person is not elated on acquiring something good and is not annoyed on acquiring something bad and if he has equanimity, he is said to be perfectly wise. (31)

By the practice of yoga, discrimination between the different principles is generated. Then there is a desire to get released from the body. The aspirant then is blessed with devotion to Śiva. (32-33)

From devotion arises love; from love the desire to hear about the Lord; from this desire association with the good; and from this association a competent preceptor is attained. (34)

If knowledge is attained, he certainly becomes liberated. Hence if one desires to be perfectly wise, one should worship Śiva alone always. (35)

He shall worship Śiva with unflinching and exclusive devotion. Salvation will be the result. There is nothing to be doubtful about this. (36)

There is no other Deity greater than Śiva for the attainment of salvation. After seeking refuge in Him, one withdraws form worldly existence. (37)

O wise ones, these words have been uttered by me after considering the statement of the sages. Ye shall retain these strenuously in your minds. (38)

~ Śrī Śivapurāṇa: Koṭirudra Samhitā [Book IV]: Chapter XLIII: 1-38.
The Śiva Purāṇa (Part III). Trans. and annotated by a board of scholars. New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1996.

Aum Namah Śivāya.

Related posts: Shiva Purana: Sense and Sensibility, Theology of the Shiva Purana

Sankhya System and the Tattvas

The oldest system of organized philosophical thought to arise on Indian soil, many experts opine, is that known as Sankhya. It is believed that the Sankhya system of thought was already well-established before the time of the Buddha and Mahavira, and is traditionally attributed to the ancient sage, Kapila. The most authoritative text expounding the Sankhya known today, however, is a late work known as the Sankhya Karika authored by Ishvara Krishna.

Sankhya, which literally means “of numbers”, is known as such because it authoritatively enumerates all of existence, consisting of mind and matter, neatly into twenty-five categories known as tattvas (“thatnesses”). Within the Sankhyan system, the individual knower (the sentient being, the self) is called Purusha, and that which is known (insentient matter, or more correctly the root of all insentient matter) is called Prakriti, primal nature. The entire philosophical system of Sankhya is built upon the dichotomy between the Purusha and Prakriti.

According to Sankhya, Prakriti in its basal state is a perfect balance of its three modes (gunas) known as sattva (goodness), rajas (passion) and tamas (darkness). At some point, there arises an imbalance in the three modes, and as a result basal Prakriti impinges into differentiation into grosser and grosser elements (tattvas) of which there are twenty-three. The lower twenty-three tattvas of Sankhya are therefore considered expansions of Prakriti (the twenty-fourth tattva), and are to be experienced by the twenty-fifth tattva, which is the sentient being or Purusha.

The twenty-five tattvas of Sankhya

Nature (prakriti) is the state of equipoise of Goodness (sattva) Passion (rajas), and Darkness (tamas): from Nature [proceeds] Mind (mahat); from Mind, Self-consciousness (ahamkara); from Self-consciousness, the five Subtle Elements (tanmatra), and both sets [external and internal] of Organs (indriya); and, from the Subtle Elements, the Gross Elements (sthula-bhuta). [Then there is] Soul (purusha). Such is the class of twenty-five.
~ Sankhya Karika I:61

25. Purusha – the sentient being (consciousness), the experiencer
24. Prakriti – primal nature (root of all insentient matter)

Antahkaranas – internal organs

23. Mahat-Buddhi – intelligence
22. Ahamkara – objective ego
21. Manas – mind

Jnanendriyas – organs of knowledge

20. Stotra – organ of hearing (ears)
19. Tvak – organ of touching (skin)
18. Chakshu – organ of seeing (eyes)
17. Rasana – organ of tasting (palette)
16. Ghrana – organ of smelling (nose)

Karmendriyas – organs of action

15. Vak – organ of speech (tongue)
14. Pani – organ of grasping (hands)
13. Pada – organ of movement (feet)
12. Payu – organ of excretion (anus)
11. Upastha – organ of sex

Tanmatras – subtle elements

10. Shabda – sound
9. Sparsha – feel
8. Rupa – form
7. Rasa – taste
6. Gandha - smell

Mahabhutas – gross elements

5. Akasha – space
4. Vayu – air
3. Tejas – fire
2. Ap – water
1. Prithivi - earth

Per this system, the individual Purushas are bound by Prakriti and its subsequent expansion of twenty-three tattvas, and the Purushas mistakenly identify themselves with the insentient matter which makes up the gross and subtle body. The Purusha is truly the sentient, atomic self experiencing Prakriti and her byproducts from within. Once the Purusha understands himself as such, as truly a liberated being and independent of Prakriti, he becomes dissociated from all the elements and organs, and he is liberated from further embodiment.

Sankhya and Theism

From the pure Sankhya perspective, there is no doctrine on the nature of a Divine Being or Lord, and it is expressly a non-theistic philosophy which argues against the need for any Lord or Governer of the universe. However, from a certain perspective it may be said that the “Divine Being” is nothing more than the sum totality of all liberated Purushas. This type of Sankhya is called nir-ishvara (non-theistic) Sankhya.

It is generally assumed that nir-ishvara Sankhya transformed into sa-ishvara (theistic) Sankhya when the Sankhyan system became associated with the Yoga system of Patanjali, which accepts Sankhyan ontology completely, but infuses it with theism. This assumption, however, may or may not be valid. The “pure” Sankhya system outlined above and in almost all books is that derived from the Sankhya Karika of Ishvara Krishna (ca. 200 ce). It must be remembered that the Sankhya philosophy is much older than the most authoritative text on it. The textbook of Yoga philosophy, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (ca. 200 bce), for example, attaches itself to a theistic version of Sankhya. Similarly, the Bhagavad-Gita (ca. 200 bce) and the Mahabharata epic (200 bce-200 ce) also elaborate a theistic version of Sankhya. More importantly, the Agamas of Shaivism, Vaishnavism, etc., many of which were likely in existence ca. 100 ce, also speak of a theistic framework for Sankhya. To assume that the Sankhya philosophy was non-theistic in the beginning, and then transformed into theistic may not be a valid. It is far more likely that the theistic version of Sankhya was transformed into non-theistic Sankhya under the criticism of other non-theistic systems that arose on Indian soil, and it is that version which we find outlined in the Sankhya Karika.

Regardless of which version came first, it is the theistic version of Sankhya that is now accepted in all schools of Hinduism. The theistic version of Sankhya makes room for a Divine Being (Ishvara) who is the Ruler over Prakriti and the Purushas. The Divine Being in theistic Sankhya is beyond the twenty-five tattvas, yet is equally present within them as the Pervader. Though pervading Prakriti, the Divine Being remains unaffected by its material insentience. From a dualistic stance, the individual Purushas or souls, when liberated, gain union with this Divine Being. From a non-dualistic stance, however, there is really no difference between the Divine Being, the perceived multiplicity of Purushas and the myriad forms of Prakriti – all are aspects of the Divine Being. Individual Purushas only exist as individuals in a matter of speaking, as individuality is experienced only in the context of Prakriti, which itself is a gross aspect of the Supreme. This is the manner in which the schools of Vedanta accept Sankhya and its ontology.

In a future post, we shall examine how the ontology of Sankhya figures into the ontology revealed by the Agamas of Shaivism, and how it is deemed by the Agamas as accurate, yet incomplete to understand fully the nature of Being. Since Sankhyan principles are at the root of Agamic philosophy, a basic understanding of Sankhya is absolutely necessary to grasp Agamic philosophy.

Aum Namah Shivaya.

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Related post: Shuddha-ashuddha Tattvas