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 339 of: Svacchandatantra (history and structure)
339 (of 511)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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332
following verses characterize his own nature as untouched by time
(k膩lavarjita岣�), inarticulable (na kalya岣�), the lord devoid of
articulations (ni峁ala岣�), where time is not found. 1 The text then
declares that when as universal agent (sarvakart膩) 艢iva岣�
emanates and reabsorbs the universe, he does so without desire
(ak膩m膩t) and without any change in his own nature.
Dialogue then has the goddess explicitly place the question,
which K峁mar膩ja岣� saw answered in the beginning verses of the
book. 2 As interpreted by K峁mar膩ja岣�, she asks: since all actions
(kriy膩) by an agent are preceded by a desire or intention
(sankalpa岣�), then how can 艢iva岣�, perfect and without desire, and
therefore without action, emanate the universe. 3 The text responds
in its perferred manner of teaching, not with a formal argument,
but rather with a pair of similes. The first compares Siva岣� to the
sun, and his power (艣akti岣�) to the sun-stone; just as the sun
produces fire from the sun-stone, without any intention as a
consequence of their innate nature, so 艢iva岣� moves his power to
manifest the universe. The second compares 艢iva岣� to time and his
power to a tree; just as a tree, through the passing of time,
brings forth its sprout, so 艢iva岣� induces his power to manifest the
universe. As K峁mar膩ja岣� recognizes, however, these similes are
1 V. p. 167, vss.310b-312: 'sa cadha岣� kalayetsarvam
vy膩piny膩dim dharavadhim // tuty膩dibhi岣� kalabhi艣ca devyadhv膩nam
car膩caram/奴rdhvamunmanaso yacca tatra k膩lo na vidyate // na
kalya岣� kalyate ka艣cinniskala岣� k膩lavarjita岣� / ya岣�
艣膩nkaryunman膩tita岣� sa nityo vy膩pako 鈥榲yaya岣�."
2 Cf. K峁mar膩ja's commentary on vss.3b-4a of this book (p.4),
which also state that Siva岣� acts without desire (ak膩m膩t).
3 V. p. 170, vs.396, and commentary: 鈥渁k膩masya kriy膩 n膩sti
ni峁riya艣ca s峁沯etkatham/etam pra艣navaram guhyam kathaya sva
pras膩data岣�' sarv膩 gamanapacan膩dikriy膩 sankalpap奴rv膩 sankalpa艣ca
cid膩nandaghane bhagavati ne峁ａ弓a岣� tatkathamakriyasya sra峁ａ弓峁泃vam
athaca citprak膩艣膩tmakaparamesvarasvar奴pavyatiriktasya anyasya
sattvameva na ghatate kimanga kart峁泃vam."
