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Cidgaganacandrika (study)

by S. Mahalakshmi | 2017 | 83,507 words

Cidgaganacandrika 1 [Invocation to Lord Ganesha], English comparative study extracted from the two available commentaries—the Divyacakorika and the Kramaprakashika. The Cidgagana-candrika is an important Tantric work belonging to the Krama system of Kashmir Shaivism. Written by Kalidasa (Shrivatsa) in 312 Sanskrit verses, it deals with the knowledge regarding both the Macrocosmic and Microcosmic phenomena

This book contains Sanskrit text which you should never take for granted as transcription mistakes are always possible. Always confer with the final source and/or manuscript.

Verse 1 [Invocation to Lord Ҳṇeś]

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English commentary of verse 1:

क्षीरोदं पौर्णमासीशशधर इव यः प्रस्फुरन्निस्तरङ्गं चिद्व्यो� स्फारनाद� रुचिविसरलसद्बिन्दुवक्रोर्मिमालम् �
आद्यस्पन्दस्वरूप� प्रथयत� सकृदोङ्कारशुण्डः क्रियादृग् दन्त्यास्योऽयं हठाद्य� शमयत� दुरितं शक्तिजन्मा गणेश� � � �

ṣīroda� paurṇamāsīśaśadhara iva ya� prasphurannistaraṅga�
cidvyoma sphāranāda� rucivisaralasadbinduvakrormimālam
|
ādyaspandasvarūpa� prathayati sakṛdoṅkāraśuṇḍa� kriyādṛg
dantyāsyo'ya� haṭhādya� śamayatu durita� śaktijanmā gaṇeśa�
|| 1 ||

Comparative analysis of commentaries and excerpts in English:

[Invocation to Lord Ҳṇeś]

Lord Ҳṇeś is invoked, as the dispeller of the īⲹ or illusion. He is like the full moon shining on the calm milky ocean. He creates all of a sudden, an upheaval of incessant roaring waves, foaming white with spray, at the calm and deep speech centre, Cidvyoma, cave of the heart. He is shining as the prime cause or the first impulse, �prathama 貹Ի岹ū貹�, a sound, that reaches far and wide, resulting in lustrous, sprayful, incessant speech waves. Ҳṇeś�Lord of Ҳṇa, the fifteen channels through which sense group flows out(fifteen- Karmendriyas, ñԱԻⲹ, and ղԳٰ) has his trunk in the form of the sanskrit seed letter ‘ॐ� (personal Ego). He is the result of the three fold power -Knowledge, youthful Desire and Action practical (-Dṛk, Dantāsya:,and Śپ).[1]

īdasa’s concept of ī

Cult īdasa named this work suitably as Cidgagana Candrika (the moonlight in the sky of consciousness) to suggest that the great Śپ who coexisted in the form of light (ʰś-Ś), without showing off her brilliance at the time of deluge, is beaming out at the time of creation. He names the chapters aptly as վś–reflecting aspect of the ʰś principle called Ś.

The Prime creation of Vibration

The full moon, emitting its coolest and pleasant rays on this whole world, is allegorically expressed as rising from the calm milky ocean, so as to add to the effect of fullness of its lustre. Generally, the full moon causes high tides full of lather in the ocean with many waves like numerous garlands. The bubbles in the tides, vying with each other to reflect the moon, form a beautiful diamond necklace. The ocean here is mentioned as Calm, and hence the rising of the moon in its fullness, forms the first cause of tidal activity in the ocean.

ī–the generator of other Śپs

The idea that the Absolute Ś’s () initial vibration Prathama Spanda, is in the form of a desire to start creation, i.e., Śپ, is indicated as ī (վś). She as the lustre of the fullmoon proceeds to create the empirical world by the first tide, in the form of her progeny Ҳṇeś, with a trunk and tusk. Ҳṇeś is the Controller of the organs of activity Karmendriyas as well as the organs of knowledge ñԱԻⲹ. He is empowered with and ñԲ Śپs for effecting the cycle of creation. The trunk of Ҳṇeś represents the prime seed letter k which paves the way for subsequent Ś岹ṛṣṭi (creation of the prime sound). Thus, ī the Śپ, in order to fulfill (Ś) Kāla’s desire, proceeds in creation by enjoining the ñԲ and Kriya Śپs for ٳūṛṣṭi (gross). She then as ʲ屹, forms the Prathama īᲹ “ॐ�, a conjunct form of �a-u-m� from �aŨ�Ś. This forms the expansion as , and ñԲ Śپs which in their wake create the in the form of the lustrous speech waves, from the calm Cidvyoma (the cave of the heart in empirical world).

An esoteric explanation of Śٲṇa

ka� is the first 貹ś letter of the ṇa excluding svaras, �ṣa�, is the last consonant representing Śپ. The ūṣa–�ṣa� is the ūṣm ṛṣṭi denoting her independence and the benedictory verse starts as �ṣ�� with ٲⲹⲹ ī� added to the Śٲṇaṣa�. The function in the way of energy�Śپ, by means of Śٲٲ produces the mantra of Śپṣa� . The verse starts with �maṇa which denotes the auspicious note for a benedictory verse. The poet’s deity of worship is the Ā Śپ-ī, who is capable of creation as �ٲԳٰⲹśپ�. �ka� of ʲś aspect in wakeful state and �ṣa� of ś (Pati) aspect in ճܰī state are by an act of churning in the space of heart cidvyoma by the power of ī, ś, result in creation of the lord of subsequent creative process Ҳṇeś.

Allusion to ward off Illusion

īdāsa salutes ҲԱś the first of creation, ascribed with aspects of ū and ūṣmṛṣṭi, to do away with the illusion caused as difference between the self and the Absolute īⲹ, which posts the very first barrier in the true nature of Absolute in the process of manifestation.

Notes and Sanskrit references:

[1] Cf. [Divyacakorikā] p 8, [侱岵ԲԻ] 1.brahmagraṃthi�

vibhedakamahāpraṇavavāgarthaṣaḍadhvaikaśuṇḍa�,śaktiputra�, mahāgajādhirāja ānana� 󾱰첹 maṅgalamūrtimanubaṃdhacatuṣṭayasūcaṃkasvānubhavadidarśayiṣayā sābhiprāya viśeṣaṇairādau graṃthato nibadhnāti.

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