The goddess ÅÄrikÄ belongs to a group of Kashmirian lineage deities (kuladevÄ« or vaá¹ÅadevÄ«) who, like BÄlÄ, RÄjñī, and JvÄlÄ, are identified with particular locations.1 ÅÄrikÄ resides on the Pradyumna peak in ÅrÄ«nagar, also known as the âÅÄrikÄ peak,â and is worshipped there in the form of a large stone around which a temple has been constructed. If one wishes to identify the cult practiced there and locate it within the religious landscape of the valley, a visitor might start with the modern inscription shown in figure 14.1, which reads as follows:
bindutrikoá¹avasukoá¹adaÅÄrayugma-manvaÅranÄgadalasaá¹yutaá¹£oá¸aÅÄram |vá¹ttatrayaá¹ ca dharaá¹Ä«sadanatrayaá¹ caÅrÄ«cakrarÄjam uditaá¹ paradevatÄyÄḥ ||
This verse describes the ÅrÄ«cakra, the yantra of the âsupreme deityâ (paradevatÄ) commonly known as TripurÄ, by merely listing in the first three pÄdas the geometrical elements of the yantra, for instance bindu (âdotâ) and trikoá¹a (âtriangleâ). It is quoted often, with variations,2 and attributed to several scriptural sources in Tantric literature.
What we are to understand here, one must suppose, is that in modern times ÅÄrikÄ was understood or presented as a form of TripurÄ, or as belonging to her cultic context.
Unfortunately fieldwork of this kind does not disclose the history of the cult. We know that the first scriptures of the cult of TripurÄ were written not before the eleventh century;3 needless to say, they make no mention of ÅÄrikÄ. On the other hand, the local Kashmirian cult of ÅÄrikÄ is at least as old as the KathÄsaritsÄgara (second half of the twelfth century),4 and it is rather doubtful that the two goddessesâ association is this old.
Figure 14.1
ÅÄrikÄ stone
Photograph by Walter Slaje
For finding out more about the cult of ÅÄrikÄ, including her ritual and possibly doctrinal details, we have a single published source, the DevÄ«rahasya,5 which contains passages on the cult of the Kashmirian lineage deities. In particular, the ritual texts appended to the edition of the DevÄ«rahasya give the mantroddhÄra, sahasranÄma and other typical elements of the worship of these deities. In this text ÅÄrikÄ is clearly identified as having the form of a stone (ÅilÄrÅ«pÄ)6 on the Pradyumna hill. Her worship is said to remove the impurity (mala) stemming from such capital offences as the murder of a Brahmin or drinking alcohol, or eating what is forbidden.7 The details of the mantra are given, as are the á¹á¹£i, etc., a dhyÄnaÅloka, her yantra, and how to employ the mantra for the magic acts of immobilizing (stambhana) and so forth.8 This is followed by a ÅÄrikÄpÅ«jÄpaddhati (pp. 412â419).
Further sources are difficult to trace or remain unpublished. First is a so-called ÅÄrikÄstrotra attributed to the PradyumnÄvatÄra. This text is âa mÄlÄmantra in prose with a dhyÄnaÅloka in the beginning and two verses at the end.â9 Apart from its manuscript in the Bodleian, there are two more in the Lindenmuseum (Stuttgart),10 and one in ÅrÄ«nagar.11 Judging from the excerpts given in the Verzeichnis der orientalischen Handschriften in Deutschland (VOHD) catalogue, there are variations such as insertions of new names and additional phrases that cannot be reduced easily to a single critical text.12 In any case, for our purposes a transcript of the ÅrÄ«nagar manuscript (S) is sufficient:
oá¹ jaya bhagavatyai vindhyavÄsini kailÄsavÄsini ÅmaÅÄnavÄsini huá¹ kÄriá¹i kÄlÄyini kÄtyÄyani himagiritanaye kumÄramÄtaḥ govindabhagini Åitikaá¹á¹ha16bharaá¹e aá¹£á¹ÄdaÅabhuje bhujagavalayamaá¹á¸ite keyÅ«rahÄrÄbharaá¹e jaya-khaá¸gÄ-triÅÅ«la-á¸amaru17-mudgara-paraÅu-caá¹£aka-kalaÅa-ÅaracÄpa-varadÄbhaya-pÄÅa-pustaka-kapÄla-khaá¹vÄá¹ ga-gadÄ-musula-tomaravarahaste ká¹pÄpare prabhÅ«tavividhÄyuddhe ká¹pÄprÄgbhÅ«tavigrahe caá¹á¸ike caá¹á¸aghaá¹á¹e kirÄtaveÅe brahmÄá¹i rudrÄá¹i nÄrÄyaá¹i brahmacÄriá¹i divyatapovidhÄyini vedamÄtaḥ gÄyatri bhÄvitri sarasvati sarvÄdhÄre sarveÅvari viÅvakartÄ (sic) samÄdhiviÅrÄntimaye cinmaye cintÄmaá¹isvarÅ«pe kaivalye kaivalyasvarÅ«pe ÅivasvarÅ«pe Åive nirÄÅraye nirupÄdhimaye nirÄmayapade brahmaviá¹£á¹umaheÅvaranimitte18 mohani tosaá¹i bhayaá¹ karanÄÅini ditisutapramathani kÄle kÄlakiá¹ karabhaá¹£ini kÄlÄgniÅikhe kÄlarÄtri aje nitye siá¹harathe yogarate yogeÅvari19nimite (?) bhaktajanavatsale surapriyakÄriá¹i durge durjaye hiraá¹ye Åaraá¹ye kuru me dayÄá¹ kuru me jayam |
oá¹ pradyumnaÅikharÄsÄ«nÄá¹ mÄtá¹cakropaÅobhitÄm |pÄ«á¹heÅvarÄ«á¹ ÅilÄrÅ«pÄá¹ ÅÄrikÄá¹ praá¹amÄmy aham ||amÄ caiva u kÄmÄ ca cÄrvÄá¹ gÄ« á¹aá¹ kadhÄriá¹Ä« |tÄrÄ ca pÄrvatÄ« caiva yakiá¹Ä« ÅÄrikÄá¹£á¹amÄ« ||
iti ÅrÄ«ÅÄrikÄstotram
From this stotra we can gather something about the iconography of the deity, for instance the attributes held in her eighteen arms,20 her names, the seven goddesses (amÄ etc.) that form her retinue and their symbolism.
The main information on a deity for ritual purposes is of course her mantra. Here one unpublished source21 gives the mantra in a Vedic style by stating its á¹á¹£i, metre, and deity, but augmented with the tantric elements bÄ«ja, Åakti and kÄ«laka,22 and there is of course also a tantric GÄyatrÄ« devoted to ÅÄrikÄ.23
So it seems the cult of ÅÄrikÄ is fairly old, but it has been influenced by the cult of TripurÄ or ÅrÄ«vidyÄ. One such influence must have been the Kashmirian Kauls, a clan that migrated to Kashmir not before the fifteenth century24 and brought their own cults with them, which were then fused with the local Kashmirian cults.25 The most important figure in this group, SÄhib Kaul, is credited with three ritual handbooks and furthermore fused Advaita VedÄntic ideas with the Kashmirian PratyabhijñÄ.26 SÄhib Kaul has also composed a further text on the deity, a ÅÄrikÄstotra27 in eighteen verses which, as he says, gives the derivation of her Mantra.28
1 SÄhib Kaulâs ÅÄrikÄstotra
vande devÄ«á¹ ÅÄrikÄá¹ moká¹£adÄtrÄ«á¹sarvasthÄá¹ tÄá¹ sarvato mohadÄtrÄ«á¹ |mithyÄmá¹tyuprÄptidurbhÄ«tidÄtrÄ«á¹sadbhaktyÄhaá¹ mÅ«rdhni candrÄá¹ÅadhÄtrÄ«m ||1||Mss.: O3 (CSS e.264, ff. 529râ531v) L1 (SOAS 44389, ff.1â5) B1 (Berlin Hs. or. 12509). 1b moha] O3B1Lpc/1; moká¹£a Lac/1 1d mÅ«rdhni] O3 B1; mÅ«rti L1 1d dhÄtrÄ«á¹] L1B1; dÄtrÄ«á¹ O3
With true devotion I worship that divine and omnipresent ÅÄrikÄ, who bears the crescent moon on her head, who grants liberation, destroys delusion everywhere, destroys the bad fear of meeting a wrong death.
Since we have to suppose a Kashmirian pronounciation, which does not properly distinguish aspirated from non-aspirated stops, all four lines are realized as an end rhyme. In this verse the goddess is adored as granting liberation, removing29 confusion etc. One iconographical detail known from the other sources, that she bears the crescent moon on her head, is alluded to as well.
After the introductory stanza the main topic of the stotra, the mantroddhÄra explicitly mentioned in v. 17, commences:
tÄraá¹ bÄ«jaá¹ yo japed amba bhaktyÄsaá¹sÄrÄbdhes tÄrakaá¹ ÅÄrike te |brahmajñÄnaprauá¸hayÄ prajñayÄyaá¹vÄcÄá¹ nÄthasyÄpi kuryÄd vihÄsam ||2||2b Äbdhes] L1; Äbdhaá¹ O3
O mother ÅÄrikÄ, whoever devotedly recites your tÄra-syllable, which carries one across (tÄraka) the ocean of transmigration, may, when his wisdom is ripened through the knowledge of the absolute, even put to shame the Lord of the Word (bá¹haspati).
âYour bÄ«jaâ means the (first) syllable of the mantra of ÅÄrikÄ. SÄhib Kaul uses code words for the syllables that make up the mantra, a common practice which enables a writer toâas it wereâspeak of a mantra without actually pronouncing it. Thus, to those uninitiated and ignorant of the codes, the true form of the mantra must have, at least in theory, remained unknown.
tÄra is a common code word for the syllable oá¹ and poses no problems. The codes that follow are partly difficult to interpret and will be discussed below.
Ä«Åaá¹ sÄbjaá¹ vahnisaá¹sthaá¹ sapadmaá¹bÄ«jaá¹ te ânyad yaḥ smaret taá¹ smaranti |nÄke devyo bhÅ«tale nÄgakanyÄbhÅ«mau nÄryo vihvalÄ mÄrabÄá¹aiḥ ||3||3c kanyÄ] O3; patnyo L1B1
He who remembers your next syllable, which is Ä«Åa with abja, vahni, and padma, is remembered by goddesses in heaven, NÄga maidens in the netherworld, and women on earth confused by the arrows of KÄma.
laká¹£mÄ«bÄ«jaá¹ durlabhaá¹ durjanÄnÄá¹samyagbhaktyÄ yo japec chuddhabuddhiḥ |padmÄ nityaá¹ darÅanaá¹ vÄ«psur asyadvÄre tiá¹£á¹haty ÄdarÄc cañcalÄpi ||4||4d ÄdarÄc] L1 B1; ÄdarÄ O3
One of pure mind who recites with complete devotion the lakṣmī-syllable, which is difficult for bad people to obtain, him the goddess of good fortune will always be eager to see, and although unsteady (by nature) she will remain at his doorstep out of devotion.
Ä«Åaá¹ sÄbjaá¹ vÄmakará¹ordhvasaá¹sthaá¹bÄ«jaá¹ te ânyad yo japet tasya Åatruḥ |sarvair devair apy ajayyaḥ ká¹£aá¹enadá¹á¹£á¹eḥ pÄtÄd yÄmagehÄtithiḥ syÄt ||5||5a kará¹ordhva] L1 B1; kará¹ardhva O3 5d dá¹á¹£á¹eḥ] B1; dá¹á¹£á¹oḥ O3L1 5d Ätithiḥ] L1B1; Ätithi O3
He who recites your next syllable, which is Ä«Åa with abja and the one above the left ear, his enemy, although invincible even for all the gods, will instantly, in the wink of an eye, become a guest in the house of Death.
Ä«Åaá¹ bÄ«jaá¹ vaktravá¹ttena yuktaá¹sÄbjaá¹ yo ânyat saá¹smared vahnisaá¹stham |bhuktir muktiḥ sadvicÄrasya yuktirbhaktiÅ caitaddhastayÄtÄ bhavanti ||6||6b saá¹smared] O3; saá¹japed L1B1 6d bhaktiÅcai] L1; bhakticai O3
He who remembers your next syllable, which is Ä«Åa together with vaktravá¹tta and vahni, will have at his disposal âenjoymentâ30 (bhukti), liberation, the method of real vicÄra,31 and devotion.
sÄbjaá¹ bÄ«jaá¹ vaktravá¹ttaá¹ japed yaḥsamyagbhaktyÄ Åuddhahá¹c chÄrike te |vÄá¹Ä« nÄnÄsadrasair já¹á¹bhitaÅrÄ«rnityaá¹ vaktre tiá¹£á¹hati prauá¸ham asya ||7||7a sÄbjaá¹] O3; Ä«Åaá¹ L1 B1
He who recites your syllable with pure heart and proper devotion, O ÅÄrikÄ, which consists of abja and vaktravá¹tta, in his mouth a fully developed32 voice stays, which has the beauty of unfolding through various good emotions.
sÄbjaá¹ bÄ«jaá¹ vaktravá¹ttena yuktaá¹asthyÄtmÄkhyaá¹ yo japec chÄrike te |jÄ«vanmuktaÅ ceha bhuktvÄtibhogÄllÄ«naḥ paÅcÄt tvatpade syÄd bhavÄni ||8||8c bhuktvÄ] L1 O3; bhuktÄ B1
He who recites your syllable, consisting of abja and vaktravá¹tta, and called asthyÄtmÄ, O ÅÄrikÄ, is liberated in life and, enjoying supreme bhogas,33 will later dissolve in your state, O BhavÄnÄ«.
etadbÄ«japrÄntagÄá¹ ÅÄrikÄyÄityÄkhyÄá¹ te saá¹japed yo namontÄá¹ |tat te dhÄma prÄpyate tena ÅaÅvadgatvÄ bhÅ«yaḥ Åocyate naiva yatra ||9||9b ityÄ] L1 O3 B1; yityÄ O3
He who recites after that syllable your name, ÅÄrikÄ, followed by namaḥ, attains forever to that abode where, when reached, one never suffers again.
saá¹staumi tvÄá¹ tvÄm imÄm ÄÅraye âhaá¹seve devÄ«m eva sarvaikaÅaktim |tvÄm atyuccair gadgadaá¹ saá¹bravÄ«misarvÄá¹ sÄrvÄá¹ sarvato bhÄvayÄmi ||10||10a tvÄá¹ tvÄm imÄm ] L1 B1; tvÄ tvÄmim O3 10b seve] L1 B1; seved O3 10c tvÄm atyuccair ] L1 B1; tvÄá¹ má¹tyuccair O3 10d sarvÄá¹ sÄrvÄá¹] L1; sarvÄá¹ sarvÄá¹ O3 B1
I praise you; it is you in whom I take refuge. I serve the Goddess alone, the one power of all (powers). I utter my noisy stammering to you; I contemplate (you) who are everything, suitable for all (sÄrva), and everywhere.
jÄtaḥ soâ sau satkule tasya dhanyÄmÄtÄ tasmin saá¹ gatÄ ÄÅiá¹£aÅ ca |jñÄtaá¹ sarvaá¹ tena ÅambhupriyÄyÄḥsamyakprajÃ±Ä nirmitÄ yena bhaktyÄ ||11||11a satkule] L1 O3; satkulye B1 11d prajñÄ] O3; prajÄ L1 B1
He is born in a good family, his mother is blessed, and he receives good wishes. He knows everything about [ÅÄrikÄ,] the beloved of Åiva, who has fathomed true knowledge through devotion.
bhaktiḥ puá¹£á¹Äty anvahaá¹ mÄá¹ tvadÄ«yÄnityaá¹ yadvat pÅ«rá¹acandrodayo âbdhim |tvadbhakteḥ satsaá¹padÄ prÄptayÄhaá¹jiá¹£á¹or laká¹£mÄ«á¹ cÄpy upeká¹£e purogÄm ||12||12a puá¹£á¹Ätya] L1 B1; puá¹£á¹Ätyu O3 12b candrodayoâbdhiá¹] L1 B1; candrodayÄbdhiá¹ O3
My devotion to you nourishes me every day, as the rise of the full moon always nourishes the ocean. On account of the true affluence of victorious devotion to you I even ignore the excellent Lakṣmī.
etat sarvaá¹ tvanmayaá¹ devadevitvaá¹ ciddehÄ kevalÄ suprasiddhÄ |nÄsty ajñÄnaá¹ kvÄpi tasmÄt kva dá¹á¹£á¹ovandhyÄputraÅ cÄpam Äropya dhÄvan ||13||13a etat L1 B1; et O3 13c nÄstya L1 B1; nÄsti O3 13d cÄpam Äro L1; apasÄro B1; cÄpimÄro O3
The whole world (etat sarvaá¹) consists of you, Goddess of Gods! Your body is consciousness, you are alone and perfectly established. Nowhere is there ignorance. Thus, where do we see the son of a barren woman run and raise his bow?
ÄÅÄste me devabhÄvaá¹ na cittaá¹sÅ«teḥ kÄle strÄ«va bhogaá¹ kadÄcit |tvatsadbhaktyÄ ná¹tyati prÄptayÄlamgÄyañ chrutvÄ meghanÄdaá¹ ÅikhÄ«va ||14||14a cittaá¹ L1 B1; citta O3
My mind does not strive after the divine state, just as a woman giving birth never craves enjoyment. Having gained perfect (alam) devotion to you it sings like a peacock who has heard the sound of the rain clouds.
sÄ kÄ bhÅ«mir yatra nÄsti sthitis tesÄ kÄ vÄá¹Ä« nocyase vÄ yayÄ tvaá¹ |ko âsau Åabdaḥ ÅrÅ«yase yatra na tvaá¹ko âsau bhÄvo yatra te bhÄsanaá¹ no ||15||15a bhÅ«miḥ] L1; bhÅ«mi O3 B1
There is no place where you do not reside; there is no voice in which you are not expressed. There is no word in which you are not heard; there is no thing in which you do not shine.
tvatsadbhaktyarkodayÄt saá¹praphullaá¹há¹tpadmaá¹ me âtyadbhutÄt sadraseddham |nityaá¹ yasmin sarvadÄ kÄá¹ ká¹£aá¹Ä«yÄsarvais tiá¹£á¹haty ÄdarÄn moká¹£alaká¹£mīḥ ||16||16a tvatsat] conj.; tvatpad L1 B1; unclear in O3 due to damaged folio
When the marvelous sun of true devotion to you rises, the lotus of my heart is inflamed through true emotion (rasa). In it always resides, out of respect, the good fortune of liberation that is coveted by all.
jñÄnasvÄmiprÄptasadbuddhisÄrojñÄtajñeyaḥ sarvataḥ svÄtmabhÄvÄ« |stotraá¹ mantroddhÄry adaḥ ÅÄrikÄyÄḥsÄhibkaulo vaá¹ÅadevyÄÅ cakÄra ||17||17a sÄraḥ] conj.; sÄra L1 O3 B1 17c mantroddhÄry adaḥ] L1 B1; mantrodÄry adaḥ O3 17d devyÄÅ cakÄra O3B1] devÄÅ cakÄra L1
Having attained the strength of true intelligence through JñÄnasvÄmin, I know what there is to know and everywhere contemplate my own self. I, SÄhib Kaula, have composed this hymn to the lineage deity ÅÄrikÄ, which contains the construction of her Mantra.
SÄhib Kaulâs ÅÄrikÄstava deals with some aspects of the worship of this deity; most importantly, as the author states in verse 17, it gives the mantroddhÄra of the ÅÄrikÄmantra. The authorâs teacher JñÄnasvÄmin, according to Madhusudan Kaul,34 was his maternal uncle.
yo vÄpy etaá¹ kÄ«rtayet stotram Äá¸hyaá¹samyagbhaktyÄ Åroá¹£yati ÅrÄvayed vÄ |nirmantro âpi prÄpnuyÄd devadeviniḥsandehaá¹ mantrajaá¹ satphalaá¹ saḥ ||18||18a vÄpyetaá¹] L1; vyÄpyetat O3B1 18a kÄ«rtayet] L1; kÄ«rtaye O3 18a Äá¸hyaá¹] L1; mÄdyaá¹ O3 18b Åroá¹£yati] conj.; ÅroÅyati L1; Åriá¹£yati O3 18b vÄ] L1; vÄvÄ O3
Whoever chants this rich hymn of praise with perfect devotion, hears it or has it recited, even if he be without mantra, he will, O supreme Goddess, without doubt reap the great fruit of this mantra.
This final stanza explains the idea behind this work. A person who is not initiated into the recitation of the mantra of ÅÄrikÄ and may not even know how to decode the mantroddhÄra can still benefit from this type of substitute recitation. In this the work is similar in approach to the SÅ«ryastutirahasya of SÄhib Kaulâs contemporary Ratnakaá¹á¹ha, where the Vedic GÄyatrÄ«-mantra is hidden within a hymn addressed to the sun as an acrostichon.35
The aim in both cases is apparently to enable persons who lack proper adhikÄraâfor Vedic mantras, in the case of Ratnakaá¹á¹ha, or Tantric mantras, in the case of SÄhib Kaulâto gain at least some kind of access to these restricted parts of the religion. This technique of âhidingâ the actual form of the mantras in a stotra meant for religious recitation is not so much a way to conceal it from the outsider, but a method to enable him or her to use it without breaking religious rules, in other words a method to bypass religious and social restrictions. Theologically the matter is of course complicated, because Ratnakaá¹á¹haâs stotra actually contains the sounds that make up the GÄyatrÄ«, so in a sense by reciting the stotra one does recite the GÄyatrÄ«. In the case of the ÅÄrikÄstava, since only code names are given, one does not utter the sounds that make up the mantra of ÅÄrikÄ.
Despite the fact that the stotra contains the mantroddhÄra, it is quite difficult to decipher the mantra from SÄhib Kaulâs stotra alone, for the system of codes is not otherwise known. The most obvious place to search for a solution would be the mantroddhÄra in the DevÄ«rahasya, for this text deals in detail with the Kashmirian lineage goddesses, and according to Aithal,36 the ÅrÄ«vidyÄnityapÅ«jÄpaddhati of SÄhib Kaul as available in the ms. Chandra Shum Shere c. 264 is roughly identical with the ritual manuals printed in the appendix to the DevÄ«rahasya.37 This is the relevant verse:38
tÄraá¹ parÄ-mÄ-taá¹a-sindhurÄrá¹Äḥkhaá¹ Åarma tanmadhyagataá¹ ca nÄma |ante âÅmarÄ« pÄrvati ÅÄrikÄyÄstrayodaÅÄrá¹o manur asti gopyaḥ ||
The code wordsâparÄ for hrÄ«á¹, aÅmarÄ« for namaḥ etc.âare explained in the edition of the DevÄ«rahasya.39 Furthermore, in its second chapter the mantras are given also in plain language (spaá¹£á¹am), as is the mantra of ÅÄrikÄ: oá¹ hrÄ«á¹ ÅrÄ«á¹ hÅ«á¹ phrÄá¹ Äá¹ ÅÄá¹ ÅÄrikÄyai namaḥ.40 We might thus conclude that all is well, and that since the wording of the mantra itself is not (and, theologically speaking, should not) be in doubt, we have a good chance to understand SÄhib Kaulâs mantroddhÄra. Since these sets of codes cannot easily be corrupted in the course of transmission, no banal error should have crept in.41
However, if we look at the definitions in SÄhib Kaulâs ÅÄrikÄstava, we find that not all can be brought into accord with this form of the mantra. Table 14.1 shows the expected bÄ«jas and their definitions in the verses. We may leave out verses 2, 4 and 9, because they do not use complicated codes: tÄra usually means âoá¹,â laká¹£mÄ« stands for âÅrÄ«,â and the conclusion of the mantra (dative of the deity and namaḥ) is as expected.
Table 14.1
The bÄ«jas as defined in the ÅÄrikÄstotra
|
Verse |
bīja |
Explanation |
|---|---|---|
|
2 |
oá¹ |
tÄraá¹ |
|
3 |
hrīṠ|
Ä«Åaá¹ sÄbjaá¹ vahnisaá¹sthaá¹ sapadmaá¹ |
|
4 |
ÅrÄ«á¹ |
lakṣmībijaṠ|
|
5 |
hūṠ|
Ä«Åaá¹ sÄbjaá¹ vÄmakará¹ordhvasaá¹sthaá¹ |
|
6 |
phrÄá¹ |
Ä«Åaá¹ vaktravá¹ttena yuktaá¹ sÄbjaá¹ |
|
7 |
Äá¹ |
sÄbjaá¹ vaktravá¹ttaá¹ |
|
8 |
ÅÄá¹ |
sÄbjaá¹ vaktravá¹ttena yuktaá¹ asthyÄtmÄkhyaá¹ |
|
9 |
etadbÄ«japrÄntagÄá¹ ÅÄrikÄyÄ ityÄkhyÄnte saá¹japed yo namoântÄá¹ |
The problem arises when we try to decode the remainder as follows: (1) the element present in all definitions is abja and there is only one sound common to all five bÄ«jas, that is, á¹. Apart from that nos. 6â8 have only one element in common, so vaktravá¹tta stands for Ä. Taking now elements that occur only once, it follows that in 8 asthy- must signify Å, vÄmakará¹a- in 5 means Å«, and vahni as expected stands for r. Now only Ä«Åa remains, which stands for h in 3 and 5, butâin view of our mantraâshould stand for ph in 6.
Let us now look at another source. The mantra is also given in the Daká¹£iá¹amÅ«rtyuddhÄrakoÅa, where we find the following definition:42
tÄraá¹ mÄyÄá¹ Åriyaá¹ kÅ«rcaá¹ sindhuraá¹ ÅÅ«nyam eva ca |kalyÄá¹aá¹ ÅÄrikÄdevyÄ bÄ«jaá¹ saptÄká¹£araá¹ smá¹tam ||
According to the index of code words in the appendix and the âprakÄÅamâ version (ibid., 16) this translates into the seven bÄ«jas âoá¹ hrÄ«á¹ ÅrÄ«á¹ hÅ«á¹ hrÄá¹ Äá¹ ÅÄá¹.â The manuscripts reported have three other options for hrÄá¹, one being phrÄá¹, our reading from the DevÄ«rahasya.
Now, in the index of the edition of the Daká¹£iá¹amÅ«rtyuddhÄrakoÅa the code word sindhura is given as hrÄá¹, while according to the bÄ«jÄká¹£arapÄribhÄá¹£ikasÅ«cÄ« contained in the DevÄ«rahasya (p. 21) it means phrÄá¹. In other words we find two versions of the mantra in the available sources, unless the editors have misread their manuscripts. What we can say is that the evidence from SÄhib Kaul confirms the version of the Daká¹£iá¹amÅ«rtyuddhÄrakoÅa.
Abbreviations
| conj. |
conjecture |
| em. |
emendation |
| ms(s.) |
manuscript(s) |
| VOHD |
Verzeichnis der orientalischen Handschriften in Deutschland |
See Sanderson 2009, 111.
For instance, Laká¹£mÄ«dhara in his commentary on the SaundaryalaharÄ« reads the third pÄda as vá¹ttatribhÅ«purayutaá¹ paritaÅ caturdvÄḥ and in the fourth ÅrÄ«cakram etad [â¦].
Sanderson 2015, 32.
See 12.6.111: yena pradyumnaÅikharaá¹ ÅÄrikÄkÅ«á¹am ity api [â¦], and 12.6.116: tatra snÄtvÄ vitastÄyÄm arcayitvÄ vinÄyakam saá¹pÅ«jya ÅÄrikÄá¹ devÄ«á¹ digbandhÄdipuraḥsaram.
DevÄ«rahasya, pp. 407â¯ff.
Op. cit., p. 407.
Op. cit., p. 408.
Op. cit., pp. 410â¯ff.
Aithal 1999, 35. Aithal gives a Kashmirian edition (BhaktivivekasÄra, ÅrÄ«nagar/Bombay: 1927), but this work has not made it into a catalogued and accessible library.
Verzeichnis der orientalischen Handschriften in Deutschland 2.2.711 and 712.
Oriental Research Library, University Campus Hazaratbal, Srinagar, National Mission for Mss. DSOÂ 0000/5517.
There are other sources that utilize the same material, but with variations: the Siddhalaká¹£mÄ«pÅ«jÄpaddhatiâI have merely access to the transcription of ms. âKashmir Research Center accession no: 2376â by the Muktabodha Instituteâhas for instance a completely different third pÄda of the starting verse. The AgnikÄryapaddhati also transmits this verse.
saptasapti] em. The ms. reads saptasapta as does the one in the Lindenmuseum, Stuttgart.
paá¹ kaja] em.; paá¹ ka ms.
ÄrtihÄ] S; ÄÅrayÄ VOHD.
Åiti] em.; Åati ms.
á¸amaru] em.; á¸umara ms.
nimitte] em.; nimite ms.
yogeÅvari] em.; yogaÅvari- ms.
We have to count the bow and arrow as one item held in the same hand.
AgnikÄryapaddhati. Manuscript no. 781, Research Library of the Jammu and Kashmir Government, Shrinagar. Transcription of the Muktabodha Indological Research Institute.
asya ÅrÄ«ÅÄrikÄmantrasya | ÅrÄ«mahÄdeva á¹á¹£iḥ | triá¹£á¹upchandaḥ || ÅrÄ«ÅÄrikÄbhagavatÄ« devatÄ || ÅÄá¹ bÄ«jaá¹ || Äá¹ Åaktiḥ hrÄá¹ kÄ«lakam || home viniyogaḥ ||
oá¹ hrÄ«á¹ ÅÄrikÄyai vidmahe | saptÄká¹£aryai dhÄ«mahi || tan naḥ ÅilÄ pracodayÄt ||3||
Sanderson 2003â2004, 362â366.
Sanderson 2009, 124â125.
See Hanneder 2001.
Not to be confused with the ÅÄrikÄstotra given above.
There are further stotras and other minor works of SÄhib Kaul, an edition of which is under preparation by the present author.
In verse 1a the root dÄá¹ dÄne (DhÄtupÄá¹ha 1.977) is used, while in 1b and 1c the root is dÄp lavane (DhÄtupÄá¹ha 2.50).
In context, this may mean the enjoyment of powers (siddhi).
I understand the term in the sense of ÄtmavicÄra as used in the Moká¹£opÄya (5.5.27), a text which SÄhib Kaul occasionally refers to.
prauá¸ham is of course an adverb, but to translate âstays ripelyâ would not really capture the intended sense.
This could again denote the siddhis, but in a less technical register the enjoyment of the pleasures of liberation.
See above.
See Stanislav Jager in Hanneder, Jager and Sanderson, 2012, 23.
Aithal, 1999, 35.
Judging from the excerpts a similar ms. is described in Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office. Part IV. A.VIII Tantra. See Windisch, 1894, 861â862.
Devīrahasya, p. 407.
Op. cit., pp. 19â21.
Op. cit., p. 13.
There is, of course, the counter-evidence of one manuscript of a ÅÄrikÄstavarÄja (VOHD 2.2.116), which gives the mantra with the misspelling or wrong transcription of hrÅ«á¹ for hÅ«á¹.
Daká¹£iá¹ÄmÅ«rtiâs UddhÄrakoÅa, p. 15. The first line up to sindhura is identical with another mantroddhÄra in DevÄ«rahasya, p. 13.
References
Primary Sources
AgnikÄryapaddhati
Manuscript no. 781, Research Library of the Jammu and Kashmir Government, Shrinagar. Transcription of the Muktabodha Indological Research Institute.
UddhÄrakoÅa of Daká¹£iá¹ÄmÅ«rti
Raghu VÄ«ra and Shodo Taki, eds. ÅrÄ«-Daká¹£iá¹ÄmÅ«rti-viracita UddhÄrakoÅaḥ. Reprint, New Delhi: Mushiram Manoharlal, 1978 [1938].
KathÄsaritsÄgara
Pandit DurgÄprasÄd, ed. The KathÄsaritsÄgara of Somadevabhaá¹á¹a. Bombay: TukÄrÄm JÄvajÄ«, 1903.
Devīrahasya
Ramchandra Kak and Harabhatta Shastri, eds. ÅrÄ«devÄ«rahasyam. Vrajajivan Prachyabharati Granthamala, no. 33. Reprint, New Delhi: Chaukhamba Sanskrit Pratishthan 1993 [Srinagar: Vishinath & Sons, 1941].
DhÄtupÄá¹ha
In Otto Böhtlingk, ed. Pâá¹iniâs Grammatik, pp. 61â145 (appendix). Leipzig: H. Haessel 1887.
Moká¹£opÄya
Krause-Stinner und Peter Stephan, eds. Moká¹£opÄya. Das Fünfte Buch. UpaÅÄntiprakaraá¹a. Kritische Edition. Anonymus Casmiriensis: Moká¹£opÄya. Historisch-kritische Gesamtausgabe. Herausgegeben unter der Leitung von Walter Slaje. Textedition. Teil 4. Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, Mainz. Veröffentlichungen der Indologischen Kommission. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2013.
ÅÄrikÄstotra of SÄhib Kaul
(O3) Bodleian Library, Oxford, Chandra Shum Shere e.264, ff. 529râ531v.
(L1) School of Oriental and African Studies, London, No. 44389, ff. 1â5.
(B1) Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Sammlung Janert, Hs. or. 12509.
Siddhalaká¹£mÄ«pÅ«jÄpaddhati
Manuscript, Kashmir Research Center accession no. 2376. Transcription of the Muktabodha Indological Research Institute.
Saundaryalaharī
Anantaká¹á¹£á¹a ÅÄstri, ed. Saundarya-laharÄ« of ÅrÄ« Åaá¹karÄcÄrya with Commentaries, SaubhÄgyavardhanÄ« of KaivalyÄÅrama, Laká¹£mÄ«dharÄ of Laká¹£mÄ«dharÄcÄrya, Aruá¹ÄmodinÄ« of KÄmeÅvarasÅ«rin. Madras: Ganesh, 1957.
Secondary Sources
Aithal, K. Parameswara. 1999. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit and Other Indian Manuscripts of the Chandra Shum Shere Collection in the Bodleian Library. Part 3: Stotras. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Hanneder, Jürgen. 2001. âSÄhib Kaulâs Presentation of PratyabhijÃ±Ä Philosophy in his DevÄ«nÄmavilÄsa,â pp. 414â415. In Le Parole e i Marmi. Studi in onore di Raniero Gnoli nel suo 70 compleanno, edited by R. Torella, 399â418. Serie Orientale Roma, XCII, 1/2. Roma: Istituto italiano per lââ¯Africa e lââ¯Oriente.
Hanneder, Jürgen, Stanislav Jager and Alexis Sanderson. 2012. Ratnakaá¹á¹has Stotras SÅ«ryastutirahasya, SÅ«ryaÅataka und Åambhuká¹pÄmanoharastava. Indologica Marpurgensia, no. 5. München: Kirchheim Verlag.
Sanderson, Alexis. 2003â2004. âThe Åaiva Religion Among the Khmers, Part I.â Bulletin de lââ¯Ecole française dââ¯Extrême-Orient 90â91: 362â366.
Sanderson, Alexis. 2009. âKashmir.â In Brillâs Encyclopedia of Hinduism, vol. I, edited by Knut A. Jacobsen, 99â126. Leiden; Boston: Brill.
Sanderson, Alexis. 2015. âÅaiva Texts.â In: Brillâs Encyclopedia of Hinduism, vol. 6, edited by Knut A. Jacobsen, 10â42. Leiden; Boston: Brill.
Verzeichnis der orientalischen Handschriften in Deutschland.
Windisch, Ernst and Julius Eggeling. 1894. Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office. Part IV. A.VIII Tantra. London: Printed by Gilbert and Rivington by order of the Secretary of State for India in Council.