Essay name: Svacchandatantra (history and structure)
Author: William James Arraj
The essay represents a study and partial English translation of the Svacchandatantra and its commentary, 鈥淯ddyota鈥�, by Kshemaraja. The text, attributed to the deity Svacchanda-bhairava, has various names and demonstrates a complex history of transmission through diverse manuscript traditions in North India, Nepal, and beyond.
Page 155 of: Svacchandatantra (history and structure)
155 (of 511)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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149
describes (pp. 41-47) additional subdivisions of these two types of
initiation. 1 Like the parenthetical discussions of bondage and
causality in the preceding book, this material was likely
interpolated by later redactors drawing on a scriptual 艢aiva
source. The text adds no separate ritual for these additional
initiations, which apparently represent later theological
refinements. Just as the early Saiva opposition between liberation
and enjoyments divided the unitary ritual of initiation
hypothesized for the Bhairava source, so later philosophical
problems have apparently motivated these additional subdivisions.
The lengthy initiation of the spiritual son (pp. 47-141) begins.
with the imposition (pp. 47-50) of the paths on the ritual elements
of the fire, the jug, the diagram, and so forth.. K峁mar膩ja岣�
pauses here to explain (pp. 50-53) the underlying metaphysics of
the ritual. In brief, the manifest universe has six main
interconnected dimensions, or paths. The master liberates the
disciple from the universe, by superimposing these paths on the
ritual microcosm, where they can be manipulated and superseded.
The ritual described here, which conveys liberation, operates on
one of these paths, that of the five kal膩岣� or energies. One path
an absence of desire for enjoyments: "yada sisya岣� svapratyayi tad膩
guru岣� tadv膩san膩nus膩ram muktaye bhuktaye v膩 juhuy膩t / yad膩
gurupratyayi tad膩sau svav膩san膩nus膩ra峁� muktaya eva tasya
bubhuk峁Ｄ乥h膩v膩dityarthalabhyo 鈥榶amatr膩艣aya岣�.
1 The main subdivisons are for the nirv膩峁嘺d墨k峁Ｄ�, that into
with (sabija-) and without seed (nirbija-), and for the consecration
of the adept, that into the law of the world (lokadharmi) or the law
of 艢iva岣� (艣ivadharmi). The first kind of initation retains post-
initiatory obligations, the second, intended for the impaired,
removes them. The first consecration leaves past karma intact so
that the fruits of acquired merit (is峁乸奴rtam) may be enjoyed; the
second removes it leaving scope only for the merit to be acquired by
the adept's particular formula practice. (V. for the initiation
pp. 44ff, and for the consecration, pp.41ff. Cf. Brunner-Lachaux,
Somasambhupaddhati, troisi猫me partie, pp.190ff.)
