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 385 of: Svacchandatantra (history and structure)
385 (of 511)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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according to the [following] derivation[s]: fearlessness (abhayam)
for the terrified (bhir奴峁嚹乵), i.e., he bestows fearlessness to those
transmigrating; fear (bhayam) is fright (bhi岣�), i.e., the terror of
transmigration, through which there is produced a roar (rava岣�),
i.e., a lamentation, i.e., a shout of fright (bhirava岣�); [and] from
that one [i.e., Bhairava岣 it is then produced, i.e., vibrated
forth, for those having lamentation, i.e., this one is the producer,
through the descent of [his] power, of this very shout of fear
which is the reflection upon the fear of transmigration. [And]
those shining [bh膩ni, from Bha-], i.e., the asterisms (nak峁tr膩峁噄),
he impels [irayati from -ira-] [and thus since] time (bhera岣�), is
that which the bherav膩岣� desiccate [v膩yanti from -va], i.e., the
exercitants (yogina岣�) who savor the meditation which devours
time, [as] their inner essence this one [is called Bhairava岣. [4]
For fear (bhiye), i.e., for terrifying the bonded beings, [there is]
the shout (rava岣�), i.e., the reflection upon the energies A, etc.,
arising from the [original] sound mass, of those bhirav膩岣�, who are
the goddesses of consciousness, having the form of the khe-, go-,
dik-, and bh奴-c膩ri circles, [as] the master of whom, this one [is
called therefore, Bhairava岣. [And finally,] similarly, Bhairava岣� is
the terrifier (bhisanah), i.e., [he who] is intent upon the
destruction of transmigation. [The name Bhairava岣� is to be
derived] in this way, on account of being [so] etymologized in the
scriptures, and on account of [its] nature being [so] explained, in
agreement with [its] meaning, in the Sivatanu-[艣盲stram], by the
honorable blessed B峁沨aspati岣�.
For that very reason this one is delighted, i.e., he, who is joined
to the power autonomy that is sheer eternal beatitude, has the
name Bhairava岣� only, not, in contrast, the form of Brahm膩,
Vi峁ａ箛u岣�, I艣a岣�, Sad膩艣iva岣�, [or] 艢iva岣�, either by virtue of the non-
existence of the nature of this one for them, according to what is
described in the eleventh book, or by virtue of their being
manifested and obscured by this one. For that very reason he is
the great lord, i.e., the master of all these.
