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 333 of: Svacchandatantra (history and structure)
333 (of 511)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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regent, Vi峁ａ箛u岣�, whose day equals Brahm膩's lifespan. 2 The pattern
of reabsorption repeats itself with the same temporal proportions
for Visnu岣�, who becomes reabsorbed after a hundred of his years.
in the next higher regent Rudra岣�, whose day equals Vi峁u's
lifespan. Each regent, in turn, re-emanates the regent below him
at the end of his own night. Then there follows a short digression
(pp. 141-143) explaining that these processes actually operate
through the conation (iccha) of 艢iva岣� embodied in his undivided
power (艣akti岣�), which divides herself in lower manifestations as
powers such as Vai峁ａ箛avi, in order that the corresponding regents,
such as Vi峁ａ箛u岣�, can exercise their functions of maintenance and
reabsorption.
After this parenthetical 艢aiva theologizing of the cosmic
cycles, the text directly picks up (pp. 144-147) the interrupted
sequence of reabsorption. According to the pattern already
established, Rudra岣� becomes reaborbed in the hundred rudr膩岣�.
When their lifespan ends, then the egg of Brahm膩, celebrated as
the support of multiform existents, itself dissolves into the
surrounding water. At the same time, K膩l膩gnirudra岣� becomes
reabsorbed into the plane of time. The mention of time then leads
2 Describing the end of a mah膩kalpa岣� (p.139, vs. 264a), the
text says simply that Brahm膩 dissolves in the next (pare) level
("mahakalpasya paryante brahma y膩ti pare layam"). This would
appear to indicate, according to the accepted view in which each
successively higher plane pervades and includes the one beneath it,
that Brahma would be reabsorbed in the next higher level of
Visnu岣�. Later on, however, when describing the dissolution of
Rudra岣� (p.144, vs. 274a), the text says that when dissolved he goes
to the highest (param) place and becomes the lord without parts
(niskalah) ("so 'pi y膩ti param sth膩nam yadgatv膩 niskalo bhavet").
Recognizing the text's conflicting use of para-, K峁mar膩ja岣� explains
both senses as possible outcomes of dissolution, dependent upon
whether or not the regent has received divine grace. (V. his
commentary, p.140: "av峁泃tapara艣aktip膩ta岣� pare iti s膩pek峁tay膩
prak峁涐梗te samanantare k膩ra峁噀 liyate v峁泃tapara艣aktip盲tastu
paramasive .*).
