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[Full title: Svacchandatantra, chapter 4 (Summary) part 2: The Rites of Joining]

Transitional dialogue (p.141) now announces that the procedure for joining (yojanika), prescribed previously, will be described here. The dialogue continues (pp. 142-143) with a listing of the parts of this joining ritual. This list represents virtually another complete anukramanika, which outlines the parts of this ritual which will take up much (pp.141-258) of the remaining fourth book. Each of the components of the joining ritual appears to constitute, in itself, a complete procedure bestowing liberation. Evidently, redactors have collected these rites here and integrated them, with devices like the anukramanika, as parts of the ritual 1 V. infra, pp. 244 ff, where the same set of three realities appears again in another appendixed rite, and bk.5, p.8, where the purification of these three planes forms an alternate form of initiation.

154 of joining. In the same way, they have attempted to integrate the joining ritual, as a component of the main initiation via one of the paths. Later theological and sectarian concerns likely motivated this integration. A competitively sectarian community with a structured dogma and an organized religious hierarchy would, naturally, prefer to offer a closed set of controlled rituals, as the sole vehicle of initiation. The less liturgical and more heterogeneous meditation procedures, subsumed under these larger initiation rituals, evidently reflect the practices of circles of earlier Saiva ascetics. In a less institutional and more fluid setting, marked by active master disciple relationships and oral tradition, they, undoubtedly, transmitted and cultivated various esoteric techniques yielding liberation and supernormal attainments. For the sectarian Saivas the initiate has no active role. In the ritual of joining, for example, the master, representing Shiva, extracts and manipulates the self of a completely passive initiate. The theology of an omnipotent Shiva and his institutionalized grace dictates this causal relationship. For ascetic circles, in contrast, disciples likely learned meditative practices from masters, and actively applied them to attain liberation, just as the adept, in the Saiva schools, conducts his own service to attain powers and enjoyments. Accordingly, the text presents the following components of the ritual of joining as parenthetical instruction, needed by masters when initiating disciples. Following the model of the mutual pervasion of the six paths, redactors have rationalized these disparate and redundant practices as overlapping and substitutable aspects of the same process. Under the surface of redactorial integration, however, they still retain traces of their

155 original context and character, as independent meditative procedures. 1 The text first discusses (pp. 145-150) the subtle course traversed in these meditations. After first enumerating the segments of this microcosmic ascent, and second designating the levels of awareness in the confluent breaths, it records (pp. 149- 150) a brief panegryic coda, celebrating the liberation achieved at the end of this course. Such verses, as noted elsewhere, likely echo the practice's original and independent context. A dialogue verse (p. 150) then announces the third topic of the anukramanika: how the breath course contains the sixfold path. Redactors likely added this dialogue transition, which marks their work in coordinating the microcosmic ascent with the cosmology underlying the larger initiation rituals. Notably, the redactors' attempt to make this ascent parallel the cosmology underlying the initiation includes the six paths, but does not include the triple bonds, thread, and the rest of the initiation liturgy. This omission, therefore, corroborates the evidence suggesting that compilers integrated the later metaphysic of the six paths with the earlier metaphysic of the three bonds. The text proceeds (pp. 160-167) with the fourth topic stated by the anukramanika: the uttering of the hamsah formula throughout the course of breath up to Shiva. 2 The fifth topic describes (pp. 167-170) the "casting off" of the regents (karanatyagah) of the microcosmic-macrocosmic levels, or their progressive superseding due to the application of portions of the Pranavah formula that ascend into successively higher regions of 1 V. supra section 1.1.5 on the redactional history of the text. Cf. bk.5, pp.57 ff, where a much simpler joining practice is presented. 2 V. supra section 1.1.3. As noted previously, indicating its former independent status, this practice recurs as part of the adept's practice in bk.6, pp.103 ff.

156 the microcosm. As noted by Kshemaraja, an additional description of related supercedings intervenes here (pp. 171-185), before the next topic indicated by the anukramanika. The first of these (pp. 171-179) progresses through a sequence of relative levels of gross and subtle existents. This non-standard set of existents, comprising elements such as the void, contact, and light, has no obvious connection, aside from that provided by Kshemaraja, with the cosmological schemas of the larger initiation rituals. The text specifically correlates attaining these levels of non-standard existents with acquiring various powers, and uses terms to describe the practitioner such as best of exercitants (yogindrah). 1 This terminology and language, therefore, strongly argue for these rites' originating in circles not strictly demarcating rituals for liberation from rituals for power, nor yet recognizing the exclusive preeminence of the standard liberation ritual of the spiritual son. Finally, the evidence provided by this rite strengthens similar hypotheses concerning the rest of the rites collected in this book, as part of the ritual of joining. The related topics continue (pp. 179-185) with the casting off of time. Running in sequence through the seventeen divisions of time, the exercitant finally identifies with the permanent reality beyond time. Then, as noted by Kshemaraja, the text begins (pp. 185-191) to discuss the void (sunyam) and rejoins the fifth topic enumerated by the anukramanika. The exercitant now progresses through a hierarchy of voids and finally dissolves in the seventh and last. The closing dialogue, affirming the success of this rite, once again, echoes its earlier context as an independent and complete meditation. The section concludes by discussing the relative meanings of the terms void, existence (bhavah), and nonexistence (abhavah). These concepts and terms, also employed in 1 V. p. 170, vs. 268: # nanasiddhiphalapradaih."

157 the immediately preceding rites, signal, once again, a provenance differing from the standard Saiva initiation ritual. essences or savors, " The sixth topic (pp. 191-200) enumerates a series of "like- (samarasyam) or fusions. In contrast to the preceding rites, here the text describes the master as actively liberating the self of the disciple, and thus contains an overt connection to the surrounding ritual of liberation. Presumably, ritual officiants could perform this rite when the text calls elsewhere for a rite of joining. The category of fusion or unification actually appears to cover two interconnected procedures: one, effected by the master for a disciple, and operating via a series of unifications of breaths, channels, and formula; and another, effected by a practitioner, evidently for himself, who unites with progressively higher levels up to the last and universal unification. This section, like the preceding, concludes (pp. 197-200) with a brief conceptual declaration, emphasizing the trans-conceptual nature of the supreme level and of its meditative attainment. The text next discusses the equilibrium (visuvat), a related topic, not listed, as Kshemaraja notes, in the anukramanika. 1 The interpolation of this section here illustrates the straightforward working of redactors, who often simply added related material without thoroughgoing editorial integration that would eliminate discontinuity and redundancy. After briefly listing (pp. 200-201) the seven equilibria, the text in more detail describes (pp. 201- 209) the components of each. A clearly parenthetical instruction (p. 205) to perform initiation also reinforces the parallelism with the preceding section. 2 The rhetorical question concluding the rite, - 1 Kshemaraja (p.201) explains it as another form of identifying: "visum samyarupam vyaptimarhatiti visuvat." 2 V. vs. 325: "...diksa karya tu daisikaih."

158 however, likely more accurately reflects its earlier independent context.1 The text then announces the next topics: the splitting of the categories (padarthabhedanam); casting off (tyagah); joining (yojanam); and experience (anubhavah). These categories do not exactly correspond to those in the anukramanika that apparently has, at this point, a corrupt reading. 2 In addition, though not listed here, the phrase, "to be known" (jneyam), that precedes these topics in the anukramanika and has there an ambiguous meaning and syntax, now appears as a distinct but connected topic. 3 Since the "needle of knowledge" splits or pierces the categories, the discussion of the "to be known" topic has logically been placed here. A kind of miscellany, this section of five topics (pp. 211-215) first compares the activity of knowing with a lamp, then proceeds. to a discussion of the meaning of definition, the relationship of attribute and category, the means of knowledge, and finally the nature of scripture. Equating scripture with the hamsa formula, the text then begins a lengthy excursus recapitulating (pp. 215- 225) the exercise of this formula. Differentiating this hamsa 1 V. p.209, vs. 333: "... visuvadevamvidham jnatva ko na mucyeta bandhanat. " 2 The number is the same but the order and names are different. Thus vss. 232 b-233 a (p.142) reads "... tyagam samyogamudbhavam // bhedanam ca padarthanam; vs. 334 (p.209), in contrast, reads ". padarthabhedanam srnu / tyagam canubhavam caiva yojanam ca pare pade." 3 This is the construction of Kshemaraja (p.144); he also construes (pp. 144-145) the following bhavaprapti- with the anubhavam, and the triple pervasion of Atma, Vidya, and Shiva, with the final jnatva The complete verses (pp. 142-143, vss.232 b- 233) read: ... sunyam samarasam jneyam tyagam samyogamudbhavam // bhedanam ca padarthanam bhavapraptivasatpunahatmavidyasivavyaptimevam jnatva tu yojayet. "

159 formula procedure from the preceding ascension by means of the Pranavah, the text states that it will describe the meditative progression of the formula not in syllables but more. 1 A restating of the levels of the microcosm and their respective regents (pp. 216-220) precedes the correlation (pp. 220-225) of the mora of the hamsa formula to each level. Along with the number of mora, the text includes here as a topic (p.220) the joining, which evidently reconnects back to sequence in the anukramanika. This section on the "to be known" closes with a verse stating (p.225) that once the practitioner knows the procedure using mora, he can then pierce the categories with the needle of the formula. Though repeating here the topics mentioned earlier in the section, including the pramanam or charting of the microcosmic course taken by the formula, the verse does not mention the expected casting off. 2 Understanding the casting off (tyagah), once again, as the casting off of regents (karanatyagah), however, enables this topic to be reasonably included in the topic of the pramanam that contains a discussion of regents. 3 This verse, therefore, provides the transition back to the stated sequence of topics. After a brief theological preface (pp. 226-227) explaining the tripartite powers underlying the use of the formula, the text proceeds to describe (pp. 227-232) the psycho-physical techniques used in its correct manipulation. These include, notably, the divine figuration (divyam karanam) featured in the yogic practices of 1 Referring to p. 162 vs. 258 which describes the utterance as "varnoccarah" vs. 341 (p.215), an apparent redactorial harmonization, states in contrast: "hamsayogah purakhyatah matrasamkhya tvathocyate. 2 The pramanam is first mentioned on p.216, vs. 341. 3 V. p.142, vs. 232, which mentions both casting off (tyagah) and casting off of regents (karanatyagah).

160 many traditions. 1 Its inclusion, here, corroborates assuming for these rites an earlier function in individual and direct praxis, rather than in collective and stylized liturgy. Emphasis on the interior aspect of practice continues in the next (pp. 232-244) section describing the sonic experiences accompanying the piercing of the various categories by knowledge. A statement in the middle of this section (p. 234) interrupts the description of these experiences to subsume the first three under the topic of experience (anubhavah) mentioned by the anukramanika. Similarly, a statement on the next page (p. 235), apparently equates the remaing sonic experiences with the expected topic of bhavaprapti- or acquisition of existence. Confirming the interconnection, also affirmed by Kshemaraja, of these topics, a later verse characterizes the sound experienced at the level of Vyapini as an experience (anubhavah). 2 This section concludes (pp. 243-244) with a description of the final state attained by the piercing of the categories, the isolation of the purified soul (jivah). The composition of the text, at this point, mirrors the history of sectarian Saiva doctrine. Saiva circles evidently borrowed the preceding practices from Samkhya-Yogah groups, 1 The text here describes the practice frequently called the khecarimudra, in which the adept, his body upright and his gaze level, moves his tongue upwards to the palate. V. bk.6, p.135, where the adept employs the same pose, and bk.7, p.232, where Kshemaraja describes, according to the Trikasarah, the way in which this pose collects the effusions and secretions of the body: "... sakterminavanmukhapucchacchotanena talubilakramanattadgatarasasvadanatah sadhakasamvidah "For other traditions, cf., for example, Swami Digambar ji and M.L. Gharote, eds., Gheranda Samhita (Lonavla: Kaivalyadharma S.M.Y.M. Samiti, 1978), 3, vss. 21 ff; George Weston Briggs, Gorakhnath and the Kanphata Yogis (1938. Reprint. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1982), pp.338-340.) 2 V. p.235, vs.374 b: "tattadrupam bhavettasya sthanabhavanurupatah. J

161 where the isolation of the purified soul represented the final stage of liberation. Like the Pasupatah, the Saivas rejected this view of liberation. They then added their categories above those of the Samkhya-Yogah. Thus in order to provide a transition to their own superadded and properly Saiva categories, they qualified this preceding inherited description of the isolated soul. 1 They equated the soul with the self (atma), and reinterpreted the previous rite as a mere preliminary part of the ritual of initiation via the three levels of Atma, Vidya, and Shiva. These three, accordingly, constitute the last three topics listed in the subsidiary anukramanika. As noted, the redactors' efforts at integration and harmonization, however, have introduced redundancy and discontinuity into the text, which also describes this ritual more appropriately as a separate initiation in the fifth book that contains the rest of the initiations via planes (tattvam).2 As if simultaneously acknowledging this dependency on the Samkhya-Yogah, and therefore needing to reassert once again the superiority of the Saiva doctrine, the following section on the self (pp. 243-248) polemicizes explicitly against these "self-worshippers" (atmopasakah) for whom the self is the highest stage of liberation. 3 After establishing the necessity for superseding the self, the text briefly discusses (pp. 248-251) Vidya and Shiva. The following definition of Vidya as Unmana reconnects the text to the normal sequence of levels broken off at Samana (p. 243) by the excursus on the soul and self. Definitions and metaphors of fire illustrating the self's dissolution in Shiva conclude this section 1 Cf. section II.12 for the summary of bk. 12, pp. 30 ff, which records the same process. 2 V. bk.5, p.8. 3 V. p. 247, vss.391 b-392 a: "aviditva param tattvam sivatvam kalpitam tu yaih // ta atmopasakah saive na gacchanti param sivam. 鈽�

162 (pp. 252-255). Capsule instructions found here, directing the master to execute this rite for a initiate, also reintegrate this rite into the surrounding ritual of initiation. 1 This directive to reintegrate or join corresponds with the final member of the anukramanika.² Accordingly, redactors have then placed summary verses marking the end of this long excursus treating topics listed by the anukramanika. Starting with the three levels, these verses now recapitulate the topics in reverse order. 3 They conclude by repeating the final instructions to the master. In his commentary, Kshemaraja recognizes that by discussing here an initiation via planes, the text reduplicates material treated earlier in this book and later in the following fifth book. Though nominally appended to the expiatory rites closing the initiation via energies, these rites, he notes, actually constitute a separate initiation. 4 Confirming this separate status, the text proceeds (pp. 256-258) to discuss another related initiation via a single plane. Because redactors did not list this procedure in the subsidiary 1 V. vs. 401, p.254: "tadvatyojayate pare. A " 2 V. vs. 233, p.143: ... evam jnatva tu yojayet. " 3 V. vss.403-404 a, p.255: "tattvatrayam param khyatamaparam cadhvamadhyagam/bhedanam tu padarthanam tyaganubhavayojanam // purvoktam ca idam sarvam jnatva tattve niyojayet. "These summary verses appear to recapitulate the material covered only by the subsidiary anukramanika of. vs. 334 (p.209). 4 V. his commentary on pp.255-256. Following redactors who have here qualified the rite concerning the three planes as inferior (aparam), he considers (p.256) the primary form of this rite, although used earlier in the purificatory ceremony, to be that in the following book which constitutes an initiation proper: "atmavidyasivakhyam tattvatrayam purvam prayascittasuddhavapi nirnitametat tritattvadiksayam pradhanarupam 鈽�

163 anukramanika, it stands out more clearly as an independent ritual.1

1 Kshemaraja also introduces this rite as such: "... bhavicaturbhedatattvadiksamadhye asamgrhitamapi ekatattvadiksam prasangena sucayitumaha."