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, “Uddyota�, 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 411 of: Svacchandatantra (history and structure)
411 (of 511)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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The difference between the Bhairava� with form, and the
[Bhairavaḥ] without parts, is produced solely by imagination;
[and] this he states:
He should utter first the sound ‘om,' followed immediately by
‘aghorebhyo;' [then next] having written, 'tha ghorebhyo,'
then he should write another [word],/41/
'ghora,' and [then] he should utter 'ghoratarebhya� sarvata�
śarva;' and [then] another word, ‘sarvebhya�,' [followed by]
'namaste rudra;'/42/
and having written 'rūpebhya�,' [he utters as an] ending the
sound 'nama�;' [36] [this] is called the king of formulæ
(mantrarÄjaá¸�), Aghoraá¸�, worshipped by the gods. /43/
Here for the purpose of safeguarding the form of the words of the
formula, the effect of euphonic combination (samhitÄ) has not
been shown. This is the great formula (mahÄmantraá¸�), taught in
verses, [which has] thirty-two syllables, not counting the om at
the beginning and the sound nama� at the end. [Now] of this
[great formula] this is the secret sense: [0] Rudra, i.e., O
supreme lord, i.e., [in being the] cause of the obstruction [
rodhanam, from Ru- ] of the mind through fusion (samÄveÅ›aá¸�)
with the radiation of supreme consciousness, [and cause] of the
melting away [ dravaṇam from -dra] of all bonds; O Ghora, i.e.,
manifestor of the stages of SadÄÅ›ivaá¸�, IÅ›aá¸�, etc., made up of non-
duality [mixed with] duality; O Sarva, i.e., form of protection
[ śaraṇam from Sar-] [and] concealment ( varaṇam from v� in
-va], in effecting the mere withdrawal of the states of emanation,
maintenance, and reabsorption, [and] through manifesting the
form of MÄyÄ composed of duality; by these three vocatives, used
in harmony with the three forms which will be described, he has
invoked the supreme Bhairava�, the lord, the body of the
universe, [who is] intent on revealing all states [of awareness].
[When] he says you (te), i.e., the [genitive] of you (tava), [then
he means, that the formula is directed to forms] related [to
Bhairavaḥ], i.e., to those consisting of the circle of various rudrÄá¸�
