Now, on our journey through the text, we come to the last yogic practice before a long section on spaciousness/emptiness practices. You might say, “Wait, aren’t all the techniques in this text yogic practices?” Not exactly—the scripture includes a number of practices that are found throughout the corpus of Tantrik texts, such as this one and several others recently analyzed on this blog (e.g. verses 36 and 39), which we may call classical Tantrik Yoga practices—and others that are unique to this text, not all of which can be called yogic.
The practice of verse 42 relates to the previous two practices in that it, like them, is about sound dissolving into supreme silence. It also relates to the following section on spaciousness/emptiness practices because śūnya (void) is a key term in this verse as well. To orient you, the verse teaches an advanced form of uccāra practice (the more basic form was covered in verse 39), utilizing what’s known as a piṇḍa-mantra. A piṇḍa is any kind of dense mass, and a piṇḍa-mantra is a kind of seed-syllable that features multiple consonants in a row and so is unpronounceable in any ordinary sense. It is therefore ‘articulated’ internally. Now let’s unpack the verse.
Vijñāna-bhairava-tantra verse 42, Yukti #16 (an āṇava-upāya practice, suitable for the most experienced practitioners)
पिङ्दमन्त्रस्य सर्वस्य स्थूलवर्णक्रमेण तु ।
अर्धेन्दुबिन्दुनादान्तः शून्योच्चाराद् भवेच् छिवः ॥ ४२ ॥
piṇḍa-mantrasya sarvasya sthūla-varṇa-krameṇa tu |
ardhendu-bindu-nādāntaḥ śūnyā-uccārād bhavecchivaḥ || 42 ||
Through internal elevation (uccāra) of an entire piṇḍa-mantra in accordance with the sequence of its articulable phonemes, [followed by] the Crescent Moon, the Point (bindu), the End of Resonance, and the Void, one becomes Shiva.
Word-by-word breakdown: piṇḍa = dense mass, body; sarva = all, whole, entire; sthūla = coarse, perceptible, [here:] audible, articulable; varṇa = letter, phoneme; krama = sequence, succession; ardhendu = crescent moon; bindu = point, drop; nādānta = end of resonance; śūnyā = void, here: the transmental absolute (unmanā); uccāra = enunciation, elevation; bhavet = one will become; śiva = God. (These are the pre-sandhi forms of the words; in the verse you see the post-sandhi forms which accounts for the different spellings.)
My explanation: This is a good example of a verse that it would be impossible to understand without an experienced teacher or scholar. Here we are instructed to perform uccāra in the most advanced manner, tracing the mantric energy past the audible sound of the mantra and through nine successive levels of ever-increasing subtlety. Wait, nine? Only four such levels are mentioned in the verse! As the original commentator explains, though the length of the verse does not permit the enumeration of all nine, one must traverse all nine. (For a complete translation of the extensive Sanskrit commentary on this verse, see the end of this blog post.) Below you can see a chart that maps the nine levels, assuming as default that one is practicing with the seed-syllable AUṂ (or HAUṂ). Even though the latter is not usually considered a piṇḍa-mantra at all, the commentator argues that it is, perhaps to avoid the fault of writing out a real piṇḍa-mantra, since these are closely guarded secrets of the Tantrik tradition. (He gives the first few letters of a real piṇḍa-mantra, that of Navātma-bhairava, which, you may recall, is named by the Goddess as one of seven possible answers to the question “What is the ultimate nature of reality?”—see here.)
Please study the chart (please note this chart is arranged in anatomical order, as it were, with lower rows denoting lower somatic positions—so the chronological order of the practice is from bottom to top, since uccāra practice always moves upward):
So with the bīja AUṂ, there are twelve mantric levels in total, or nine subtle levels beyond the ‘coarse’ phonemes. These same nine apply no matter what the seed-syllable is. Interestingly, two of these subtle levels were mentioned by the Goddess way back in verse 4 as possible answers to the question “What is the ultimate nature of reality?”—namely ardhacandra and nirodhikā a.k.a. nirodhinī. These are explained in detail in that blog post, as well as in the translation of the commentary given at the end of this one.
But perhaps you want to do exactly as the verse suggests and work with an actual piṇḍa-mantra, presuming you know such a mantra. For example, let’s say you are practicing with Kālī’s piṇḍa-mantra, known as the pañca-piṇḍa because it has five letters; in that case, the distribution would be as follows, from the bottom to the top, which is the reverse of the order given in the above chart (not all the letters are given here, because the mantra cannot be given in writing unless it is given orally at the same time):
KH - navel
* - heart
R - throat
E - palate
Ṃ - nasal cavity
followed by the nine subtle levels, bindu etc.
Or, if you were practicing with the pañca-piṇḍa preceded by H and S, as one does in the sādhanā of Goddess Mālinī as Mātṛsadbhāva, the distribution would be as follows, from bottom to top:
H - kanda (midway between the navel and the mons pubis)
S - navel
KH - heart
* - mouth
R - palate
E - lower nasal cavity
Ṃ - upper sinus cavity
followed by the nine subtle levels, bindu etc.
You may object that I am not giving you enough information to actually do the practice. That is correct, for this practice traditionally should not be given in writing; it must be learned live. However, I can mention the general principles for practicing uccāra with a piṇḍa-mantra. One should inhale to the focal point given for the first letter/sound of the mantra and focus the prāṇa there while holding the breath and concentrating intently on the first letter/sound in that location. Then the exhale raises the prāṇa up a short distance to the next focal point (e.g. navel -> heart), and one repeats the exercise there with the next letter/sound in the mantra, and so on until one reaches the vowel of the piṇḍa-mantra, which should be enunciated along with its nasalization (Ṃ) in a prolonged fashion on a single exhale. The termination of that enunciation should be immediately followed by tracing the nine subtle levels of the rise of the mantric energy, from the third eye to the point above the head, without regard for the breath (since at this point you go beyond prāṇa anyway). Ideally, at the highest level, that of unmanā (called śūnyā in the verse), you utterly transcend space and time, at least for a timeless moment.
However, if you have a well-developed kumbhaka practice and can hold the breath for well over a minute without feeling desperate, then you may do the practice all on a single breath. You inhale deeply to the base-point of the specific mantra you’re working with (the more letters the mantra has, the lower down the base-point needs to be) and then hold the breath while concentrating on each letter successively in its appropriate location, shifting upwards at purely intuitive intervals without thought or planning. Then, when you reach the mouth, you audibly enunciate the vowel and its nasalization as above.
For experienced Tantrik practitioners, these instructions should be sufficient.
* * *
Now I present two alternate translations of verse 42 by two of my most dedicated Sanskrit students. First, this excellent translation from Rasikā Sarah Taub, which unlike my ‘literalist’ translation, describes the practice effectively:
Utter an entire mantra that is ‘dense’ with sounds—consonants intoned upward through the body, nasal resonance rising through the cavities of the head, sound fading to silence at the void point above—and so become Śiva.
And from DaleAnn Gray, a literal translation, a flowing translation, and a free poetic rendering (this illustrates three stages in the translation process, the last being optional):
Literal: Due to the upward utterance [of the Resonance in the Central Channel] into the Transcendent Spacious Void (that is) the End of the Resonance, the Singularity and the Halfmoon, indeed by means of a sequence of a heap of letters of a whole piṇḍa-mantra, one becomes Śiva.
Flowing: Chanting an unchantable mantra, a string of consonants, raise the Vibration in the Central Channel Full of Grace through Singularity, Halfmoon, Resonance and its End, into the Transcendent Void and become Śiva!
Poetic rendering:
Rise Up! O Mystery Mantra!
Rise Up!
O Kuṇḍalā
Rise Up through Navel, Heart and Mouth
Rise Up!
Essence Drop, Crescent Moon,
Resonate to the End
Sing the Song beyond Sound!
Rise Up to Śūnya’s Sanctum
A Temple out of Time
To Śiva, the Beloved
Rise Up!
O Goddess Within
Rise Up!
PUBLISHED TRANSLATIONS of the verse:
a) By the uccāra of all piṇḍamantras which are arranged in an order of gross letters and which go on vibrating in subtle forms beginning from bindu, ardhacandra, nādānta, and ending in śūnya or unmanā one verily becomes Śiva. (SINGH)
b) By uttering the Half Moon (ardhachandra), the Point (bindu), Sound (nāda) and the Void of an entire Piṇḍamantra in accord with the sequence of (its) gross letters, (in the end the yogi attains and becomes) Śiva. (DYCZKOWSKI)
c) By uttering all the piṇḍamantras in the order of gross letters, ending in ardhacandra, bindu and nāda, (finally) by the vibration of the void, one becomes Śiva. (BÄUMER)
d) By spelling out the empty (stages of sound) - the half-moon, the dot, the end of resonance - following the order of the gross syllables of any 'group' Mantra, one shall become God. (DUBOIS)
e) By repetition of all the gross letters of the bija mantras successively, including the 'M', (and meditating thus) on the void within each sound, one verily becomes Shiva. (SATSANGI)
f) Chant AUM audibly. Gradually the sound diminishes. By concentrating on the point where the sound ends into the void, one becomes Shiva. (CHAUDHRI)
g) Through the utterance of all the piṇḍa mantras in the same order as they stand in their gross form beginning from ardhendu and ending in voicelessness with bindu coming in-between the two ends and the whole process resulting in the void, the yogin has the possibility of realising his oneness with Śiva. (S.P. SINGH and Sw. MAHESHVARĀNANDA)
h) Mais aussi, à l’aide de la succession ordonnée de phonèmes grossiers d’une formule quelconque d’un seul bloc, sous la poussée du Vide propre (aux phases subtiles d’) ardhendu, bindu et naadaanta, on deviendra Śiva. (SILBURN)
i) Au moyen de l’énonciation de l’ordre grossier des phonèmes de n’importe quel mantra ‹‹en bloc››, on doit devenir Śiva par l’énonciation du vide (présent) à la fin (des étapes subtiles) du Point, de la Demi-lune et de la Résonance. (DUBOIS)
j) Durch das Aussprechen irgendeines (einsilbigen, vokallosen) piṇḍa-mantra, das nach den materiellen Lauten geordnet ist und stufenweise durch ‹‹Halbmond››, bindu und naadaanta (Ende des Lautes) aufsteigt, kraft der Leere (am Ende) wird man zu Śiva. (BÄUMER)
k) Al recitar el vacío de todos los mantras ‹‹densos›› a través de la secuencia de fonemas burdos, al final [de las fases sutiles de] la media luna, el bindu y el sonido primordial, Śiva sobreviene. (FIGUEROA)
l) Visualize a letter, let yourself be filled with its radiance. With open awareness, enter first the sonority of the letter, then a subtler and subtler sensation. When the letter dissolves into space, be free. (ODIER)
m) Intone a sound audibly, then less and less audibly as feeling deepens into this silent harmony. (REPS)
n) “MOREOVER, by means of the SEQUENCE of stages that begins with the outer and external GROSS level pronunciation of the phonemes that compose any of the VARIOUS different EMBODIED MANTRAS,
And then as a result of a process of refining that pronunciation as attention locates and experiences what was once the compact form of the outwardly pronounced mantra, and then locates the more and more refined levels of the interior vibratory sounding of the mantra, levels which receive the technical names such as the resonant BINDU, the ultra-subtle HALF-MOON STAGE, and the supremely subtilized place where the ENDING OF RESONANCE of the Mantra subsumes itself finally and IN THE END into Silence,
Then, by means of this progressive refinement of inner PRONUNCIATION entering into more and more SILENT spaces of dynamically surcharged levels, as a result of the operation of the increasingly intense pulsation of the potency of Consciousness,
Then, slowly, sound melts into Silence, surface melts into Depth, the gross level mantra melts into ultra-refined subtlest Pulsation, and that Pulsation itself leads attention directly to BE and subside into ŚIVA, into the Absolute Consciousness itself.”
(MULLER-ORTEGA; words in caps are those found in the Sanskrit verse itself)
* * *
Śivopādhyāya’s Explication (c. 1700), translated from Sanskrit to French by David Dubois, and from Dubois’ French to English by DaleAnn Gray, and edited by myself with reference to the original Sanskrit:
A “piṇḍa” mantra is, for example, [the Navātman,] HSRKṢ- and so on.[1] The ‘coarse’ (sthūla) order of its phonemes begins with “h” and ends with “ū.”
After (this gross succession of phonemes) of this (Bhairava)-of-the-nine-bodies, there are (the subtle phases) of the Point, then the Crescent Moon, then the Resonance.
At the end (of these subtle phases) of the Point, the Crescent Moon, and the Resonance, when one devotes oneself to the contemplation of one’s own shadow,[3] etc., one becomes the supreme Śiva through this prolonged utterance (of the mantra), (a prolongation) that presents itself as an increasingly profound void.
But others say that the order of ascension through the rungs of the ladder formed by the pure Praṇava is simply the one that goes from the Navel to the “End of the twelve” (12 finger-widths above the fontanelle). (In AUṂ), “a” is (uttered) in the Navel, “u” in the Heart, “m” in the mouth, the Point is uttered between the eyebrows, the Crescent Moon in [the middle of] the forehead, the Obstructress (nirodhinī) above that, the Resonance [above that] in the skull, the End of the Resonance at the Gateway to the Absolute, the Power at the level of the skin (of the fontanelle), the Omnipresent (vyāpinī) at the root of the topknot, the Equal (samanā) within the topknot, and the Non-Mental (unmanā) at the summit of the topknot. Then, having reached the latter, which is the End-of-the-twelve, up to the sixteenth level, then, even beyond this, we must meditate on our Self, the supreme Śiva, at the End-of-the-twelve, as the Seventeenth, transparent & pure (like) an empty sky. Thus is defined the tradition of initiation through the energies of the piṇḍa mantra, as taught (by Śiva).
In this case, one must read bindu before ardhacandra (as opposed to the order given in the verse), for [in our system] the uccāra of the Crescent Moon follows immediately after the Point.
Thus, the body has six cakra focal-points. The mantra that conforms to this is called the Praṇava.
Or, it takes the form of [the mantra] so’ham. In this so’ham, only OṂ remains when sa and ha are contracted according to the Pāninean rule. Since this (mantra) is distributed throughout the body from the Navel to the End-of-the-twelve, OṂ is the mantra “of the body”[10] (of Bhairava). This verse thus suggests that the (so’ham mantra)—which does not need to be (deliberately) recited[11]—is inherently present in the domain of the heart (of all beings). As it is said:
“Oṃ” vibrates spontaneously in the chest,
Resting like an embryo
In all beings endowed with speech.
It resonates intensely in the Heart,
That supreme realm:
We celebrate this great true syllable!
(Om) is present—distributed across the sequence (of cakras) from the Heart, the Throat, the Palate, etc., in its twelve measures from “a” to the Non-Mental, in these different locations, from the navel to the summit of the topknot.
The coarse sequence of its phonemes extends as far as the syllable that can be uttered, for indeed, this utterance remains coarse [i.e., audible] during the three measures of the navel (corresponding to “a”), the heart (corresponding to “u”), and the mouth (corresponding to the nasalized “m”). The duration of the utterance of the coarse phonemes up to the end of the Point [the subtlest nasalized sound] then forms one measure. That which extends from the Point, etc., to the Equal forms a half-measure. Beyond this lies the domain of the supreme Śiva.
Not only the Point, the Crescent Moon, the End of the Resonance, and the Void of the piṇḍa-mantra are to be contemplated, but also the Obstructress, the Resonance, the Power, the Omnipresent, and the Equal must be contemplated, even if they are not mentioned (in the verse). As for the word “Void” (f.), it designates the Non-Mental (unmanī).
Thus, the meaning (of the verse) is as follows: “By meditating on the moments (kāla) of the uccāra in twelve measures, that is, by elevating [the mantra through] the Point, the Crescent Moon, the Obstructress, the Resonance, the End of Resonance, the Power, the Omnipresent, the Equal, and the Non-Mental, one will become Śiva himself.”
Or, by meditating on the voids of the successive measures (of the Praṇava) from “a” to the Equal, that is, by becoming aware of their increasingly subtle emptiness (śūnyatā), one will become the supreme Śiva, who is the Non-Mental, for everything up to the Equal must be abandoned, and complete absorption (samāveśa) into the supreme principle (para-tattva) that is the Non-Mental must be attained.
In the Netra-tantra, (Śiva) sets forth the characteristics by which one recognizes the Non-Mental:
This supreme, subtle Power
Is the Non-Mental—she is Śiva.
The Self is the pure fact of being.
It must be stirred. [16]
When it is, (then) this Power,
Called the Equal, which activates all Paths,[17]
Which embraces everything in her bosom,
Having absorbed all, emits (the universe) anew.
This Great Power
Is figuratively called “the coil,”
(For) she is threefold.[18]
When she manifests as resonance (dhvani),
She is Meaning[19] (undifferentiated),
Invisible, the body of Śiva.
(In its totality,)
She unfolds like a sonic explosion,
Filling the world.
The God of gods, the Ever Benevolent,
Has named it “Resonance” (nāda).[20]
Then, he addresses the End of Resonance:
When resonance enters the (six) Paths
It rests there, without obstructions.
It is called “Obstructress”
When it obstructs all the gods.[21]
[One who is] blocked cannot attain
The majesty of the great sovereignty.
There (above Māyā) are arranged
Innumerable myriads of Mantras.[22]
They can be absorbed into (Śiva, for they emanate from him).
And this very same Obstructress is the energy of the Mantras, (their efficacy):[23]
“It is the Point and the Lord,” it is said.
When the ambrosia of Śiva,
This cause of (all) creation,
Pours forth into the head,
One attains fullness.
That is why it is called “Crescent Moon.”[24]
Footnotes by David DUBOIS (translated from the French by DaleAnn Gray):
[1] This mantra is said to be “of a single block” because it consists of a succession of consonants without vowels, except for [nasalized] ū at the end. It is thus written as hsrkṣmlvryūṃ. This mantra is “Bhairava of the Nine Bodies” (Navātmabhairava, [mentioned in the opening verses of the VBT]). This mantra inspired many others, including the Buddhist Kālacakra (hkṣmlvryum). This mantra consists of nine parts that form the maṇḍala, the divine entourage, of Bhairava. Beyond this, the Powers (śakti) of the God are embodied, in increasingly subtle forms, by nasal resonance marked by Ṃ, until the silence of perfect consciousness. Let it be noted that the mantra is the deity. It is not the mantra of Bhairava (as is often said), but Bhairava himself. It is the encounter with this Presence of unimaginable power that constitutes liberating initiation.
[3] svakīya-chāyā-purușa-darśana: “contemplation of the man (formed by) our own shadow (projected on the ground).” A yogic practice described in the Śiva tantras. One fixes their shadow on the ground, with the sun behind them. This fixation induces photisms (luminous phenomena caused by the contrast created by the shadow), making the shadow resemble a body of light, multicolored and fluid. One can then fix their gaze on the blue sky. The imprint of the shadow then forms a “body of light” in the sky, a kind of ethereal double of the practitioner. The colors and shapes of this body are believed to provide insight into the practitioner’s health and spiritual progress, helping to adjust their practice accordingly. On this topic, see, for example, the Śivasvarodaya. It is clear that these practices, which in the Śaiva context serve to “cheat Death” (kālavañcana), are one of the main sources of inspiration for the visionary practices of Tantric Buddhism (in the Guhyasamāja, the Kālacakra, and later Dzogchen Nyingthig).
[10] A play on the word piṇḍa, which means both “in block” and “body.”
[11] “That it is not necessary to recite” glosses a-japa, meaning “without recitation (aloud),” thus recited mentally or murmured. So’ham, in fact, is the natural sound of breath (see Vijñāna-bhairava 155-156). It is the mantra that all beings spontaneously offer to their Self.
[16] Because it is pure potentiality, sterile as long as it has not been grasped in an act of consciousness. Śiva, without Śakti, is nothing but a lifeless body (śava).
[17] The Six Paths (adhvan) of Śaiva theology: the three paths of the signifier—syllables, words, and phrases—representing Śakti; and the three paths of the signified—division, elements, and worlds—representing Śiva.
[18] The name “coil” (kuṇḍala) is a name for Speech-Consciousness first found in the Ṛgveda. Later, it becomes the Power that is “looped” or “coiled” (kuṇḍalinī) in Śaivism because, starting from the Heart, Speech unfolds in three measures (A, U, and M), in three states (waking, dreaming, and deep sleep).
[19] sphoṭa: literally “bursting (of meaning).” A concept of grammatical origin. It refers to the innate linguistic comprehension that allows a child to learn the conventional relationships between words and things. It is thus the natural intelligence inherent in consciousness (pratibhā), the intuition that enables one to move from external words to inner meaning, the “eureka!” at the heart of all understanding.
[20] nāda: sound, musical sound, note, consciousness as sound at the origin of all others, somewhat like the tānpūrā in Indian music. The pursuit of nāda is the reason for art as well as all speech.
[21] She prevents them from leaving the domain of Māyā and entering the Pure Paths, above Māyā, in the realm where duality is perceived within unity. Only the grace of Śiva grants access to it through initiation, which does not necessarily involve a ceremony. Only Śiva can ‘become’ Śiva. The Mantras, somewhat like angels, are thus instruments of divine grace. Some form His Body, others His “weapons,” etc.
[22] The Mantras are gods and goddesses who occupy, in Śaiva theology, a place analogous to that of gods or angels in Neoplatonism . They are the ones who manifest in the realm of duality perceived in the forgetfulness of unity—Māyā—to liberate beings according to the will of Śiva. They are called “Mantras” because they operate in the form of mantras.
[23] This Obstructress is, in truth, discursive speech and discursive thought. She is ambivalent: for the ignorant, she animates saṃsāra in the form of judgments unrelated to reality (“This is pure, This is impure”); for the one who knows, she animates the recognition of the depth of consciousness, of the source of consciousness, in the form of mantras and pure concepts that reflect reality, the freedom of consciousness.
[24] The moon is indeed believed to be full of ambrosia, hence its luminous whiteness. During initiation, Śiva’s full moon pours into the initiate, who thereby attains the fullness of the full moon, immortality, the state of Śiva. In the Netra in particular—from which these excerpts are taken—a central practice is the visualization of Śiva, Lord of Ambrosia (his mantra is om jum saḥ), white and transparent, above the head, spreading a crystalline liquid throughout the body that heals and purifies. Equivalent practices are found in Tantric Buddhism, notably with the famous purificatory practice of Vajrasattva.
Visual depiction of the nine mantric levels of advanced uccāra practice, from Mark Dyczkowski’s Stanzas on Vibration, p. 253. This drawing could be slightly misleading in some ways (for example, nādānta is not a barrier of any kind, but just the subtlest final expression of nāda), but it might nonetheless be helpful for those who are more visual learners.
