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Gudrun Buhnemann
Introduction
The Kubrnavatantra (KT), written between the eleventh and
fifteenth centuries a.d.,^ is considered one of the most important
texts of the Kaula school of Saktism. A large number of manuscripts
of this text are known,^ and it is quoted extensively in Tantric
literature,^ although often these quotes cannot be traced in the
printed edition of the text.^ The most popular edition of the KT is
that by Taranatha Vidyaratna, which is based on several manuscripts
and first appeared in 1917. A second, slightly revised edition came
out in 1965 and was reprinted in 1984. Chapters 1 and 2 have been
edited again from a large number of manuscripts and provided with
a Swedish translation by Carlstedt in 1974. In 1983 Rai brought out
a complete but rather free English translation of the text.
This chapter provides an annotated translation of Chapter 15
of the KT, which deals with the 'preliminary ritual' (purascarana) for
making a mantra effective (siddha). The chapter is significant because
it presents in a concise manner important details and beliefs
connected with the recitation of mantras (japa). It was written at
a stage when the technicalities of mantrasSstra had been fully
developed and were generally accepted. The author therefore did
not find it necessary to give detailed explanations. Therefore the
treatments of the sixty defects of mantras (KT 15 . 65- 70) and of
the diagrams used to determine the suitability of a mantra for a
particular person ( 15 . 78- 96) are extremely brief and can be under
stood only with the help of other sources. Among such texts, the
Saradatilaka (ST) by Laksmana Desikendra with RSghavabhatta'^s
PadSrthadarsa (PA) (written in 1494 a . d .) is very helpful, as it
provides many parallel passages; we should mention further the
Tantraraja (TR) with the commentary Manorama by Subhaganandanatha (composed 1603-1604 a . d .) and partly by Prakalanandanatha,
63
T s t l T o f u S b l T a r r a n g e m e n t s of syllables or an unsuitable
number of them (65-70).
diagrams. In the
T re aLfgned to the squares of a
(86), the syUables of the alp ab^t
person's name, one
diagram. Begmnmg w th
f
one arrives
counts the squares an
64
G u d ru n B iihnem ann
65
66
G u d ru n B iihnem ann
samyaksiddhaikamantrasya pahcangopasanena ca /
sarvamantras ca sidhyanti tvatprasadat kulesvari //
12
13
jlrnadevalayodyanagrhavrksatalesu ca /
nadltadagakOpesu bhOchidradisu no vaset II 30
vaipsa^madharanldarutrnapallavanirmitam /
varjayed asanam dhiman daridryavyadhidulikhadam II 32
tOlakambalavastranam sirphavyaghramrgajinam I
kalpayed asanam dhiman saubhagyajhanavrddhidam II 33
trisatyaksarasamyuktamatrkaksarasaipputam /
mandalarp pQjayen mantrli^ matrkavarnam uccaran // 17
padmasvastikaviradisv asanesOpavisya ca /
japarcanadikam kuryad anyatha nisphalaip bhavet II 34
anekakojrimantrani cittakulakarai?i ca /
mantraip gurukrpapraptam ekam syat sarvasiddhidam II
19
mlecchadu?tamrgavyalasankatahkavivarjitah /
ekantapavane nindarahite bhaktisamyute II 27
67
68
hrtkanthagranthibheda^ ca sarvvayavavardhanam /
anandasru ca pulako dehave^ab kule^vari /
gadgadokti^ ca sahasa jayate natra saip^ayab I I 63
69
G u d ru n B u h n em an n
47
48
55
66
57
77
71
C udrun Biihnemann
70
indvagnirudragrahadrgvedSrkadiksadastasu /
sodasamanubanabdhitithitrayodasasv api II 78
likhet o4alakothesu matrkarnan vicakanah /
svanamadyaksarad yavan mantradyak?aradarsanain I I 79
siddhsdln kalpayen mantrl kuryat sadhyadibhih^o punah I
catu^caturvibhagena siddhsdm gaijayet punab I I 80
mantrasiddhopadiste?u
. gg
malamantresu devesi aiddhadin na.va Sodhayet II
nrsimharkavarahapainprasadaprapavasya ca /
"apindak^aramantrapam siddhadin na.va Sodhayet II
i<
malinambarakesadimukhadaurpndhasa^yutah l
yo japet tarp dahaty asu devata'sujugups.ta I I 10
...
usnlfil kahcukl nagno muktakeio ganavrtah /
apavitrottariyai casucir gaccham^ ca no ]ape
iadyam duhkham trnacchedanj vivadam va manoratham /
bahis tu dehavayuin ca japakale vivarjayet I I 1
4antah sucir mitaharo bhQ^ayl bhaktiman vasi /
nirdvL X ab sthiradhlr maunt samyatatma ,apet pnye // 110
72
Gudrun Biihnemann
vi^vasastikyakarunasraddhaniyamani^cayaih /
samto^autsukyadharmadigunair yukto japen narah //
111
sugandhipu?pabharanavastradibhir alaipkrtab /
tasya hastagata siddhir nanyasya japakotitah II 112
tanni^thas tadgatapraiias taccittas tatparayanah /
tatpadarthanusamdhanam kurvan mantram japet priye II
113
115
Translation
Chapter Fifteen.
The venerable Goddess said:
1. O Lord of the kula, I wish to hear about the nature of
the preliminary ritual (purascarana).^^ O highest Lord also
tell me the details of [suitable] places, food items, and
other things [related to this ritual].
The Lord said:
2. Listen, O Goddess, I shall tell you what you ask me
By merely hearing this [speech] the real nature of a
mantra becomes manifest.
^
3. lo this world there is no other sacrifice superior to the
sacrifice of japa;^4 therefore one can attain by japa [the
four goals of human life, viz.] [religious] merit, worldly
prosperity, sensual pleasure, and liberation.
4. Leaving all [other] recitations (vada) aside, one should
practice the recitation of a mantra. From care[ful practice]
comes success, from carelessness an unfavorable result.
5 ]apa is good for a [religious] observance having the
objective of worldly enjoyment and liberation. Therefore,
73
74
Gudrun Biihnemann
75
76
G u d ru n B iihnem ann
77
78
G u d ru n B uhnem ann
79
80
G u d ru n B iihnem ann
^em^UXlf.^'
t^be
all efforts should avoid
the food of others at the time of the "preliminary ritual"
as well as [at the time] of desire-oriented rituals O
mistress.
'
^
a
^
food of Others
r^foT] ^ L d T b" rb
[gifts or remunern tb e i
[Noughts of]
others wives, how can there be attainment of one's goal?
78-80 i The wise man should write the syllables of the
alphabet in sixteen squares [in the following order of the
T
ee'
t'
' of his name ([and
d1
13.T Beginning
with the
first letter
counting] until he sees the first letter of the mantra, the
nower of mantras should assign [the categories:] siddha
and so on, <[to the squares]; again he should form (siddha
on I
' b b ' u
and so
he should count siddha and so on in the
81
82
G u d ru n BCihnemann
83
84
G u d ru n B u h n em an n
85
Notes
I would like to thank the Japan Society for the Promotion of
Science, Tokyo, and Professor M. Tachikawa, Nagoya, for the
support and assistance that enabled me to research this paper.
1. Date according to Carlstedt*1974, p. 66.
2. Cf. the New Caialogus Catalo'gorum, gen. ed. V. Raghavan, vol. 4
(Madras, 1968), pp. 244-245.
3. Cf. the New Catalogus Catalogorum, vol. 4, pp. 245-246.
4. On the several editions of the KT, cf. Goudriaan in Goudriaan
and Gupta 1981, p. 93.
10. Read -vadan with A, fol. 59a.9; B, fol. 90a.6-7; D, fol. 182a.7.
11. Read -vsdam with A, fol. 59a.9; B, fol. 90a.7; D, fol. 182a.7.
12. Read -khyam.
13. Read -galah.
14. Read with v.l. in the text and D, fol. 183b.2, -lipyarnasamputam.
15. Reading suggested by the editor; text reads mantram.
16. Suggested reading -vartayams. The form -varlayan has been
retained by the copyists in analogy to the reading in verse 35a.
17. Text reads dhmWrya-.
18. Read with D, fol. 188a.5, -fah.
19. Text reads -nolle-.
20. Read with ST 2.130 and v.l. in the KT, edited by VidyasSgara,
siddhsdibhih.
21. The editor omits verse 85 in counting. The verses have been
renumbered.
22. Reading follows the v.l. in the footnote; text reads -W.
23. Read with v.l. in the text: mantra uttamah.
24. Read tyajei (cf. v.l. in the text tyajed).
25. Read with B, fol. 95b.l, and C, fol. 64a.6, maitram.
26. Suggested reading (cf. also v.l. in the text), -nayike.
27. Read with A, fol. 6 lb .ll, -daurgandhya-.
28. Read with v.l. in the text, A, fol. 62a.1, and C, fol. 63a.13 (cf.
also the reading in the HYP, quoted note 177), prayasas.
29. Read with D, fol. 189b.4 and v.l. in the text (cf. also the
reading in the HYP quoted in note 177), niyamagraha. ^
86
87
G u d ru n B u h n em an n
30. Read with A, fol. 62a.l, C fol. 63a.l3, and D, fol. 189b.5,
laulyam.
88
59. That is, the meter that expresses the inner rhythm of the
mantra.
60. The ritual immobilization of an enemy and the attraction
ot a desired person or object belong to the acts of black magic
{abhtcSra).
G u d ru n B uhnem arm
89
90
G u d ru n B iihnem ann
91
92
G u d ru n B uhnem ann
c tfa ta R ^ ha oT SA*"^*
t m this context.
aceiana
seven s y l f a b t r '
93
of
k"
,"
94
G u d ru n B iihnem ann
95
96
97
G u d ru n B u h n em an n
V
C
'10
3T:fW
'I'l
3TW ^
'ly
Illustration 1.
'ik
Akalhahacakra.
Illustration 2. Akadamacakra.
Beginning with the square that contains the first letter of the
worshipper's name (see Mantramahodadhi 24.22), one should assign
in a clockwise direction the categories siddha, sadhya, susiddha, and ari
until one arrives at the square that contains the first letter of the
mantra. Thus, if the initial letter of the mantra occurs in squares
98
R itual an d Speculation
k
t
p
y
kh
th
ph
r
g
d
b
1
gh
dh
bh
c
n
m
i
ch
t
/fe tr
I ^
5
^
iv
tr
IP
18
tip
IT
fcr
>
^ ^
&
&
r
h>
C1 r
tP
&
^
IE
,< p tp ^
1P
h>
<E, hr
r9
5^ Hi*'
is
19
P
P
0
&
? ir
tJ
It
Illustration 3. Naksatracakra.
100
* ^
\
5R c|^
rl?5T
101
G u d ru n B iih n em an n
R itual an d Speculation
14
V,
3T3T:
e.
Illustration 4. Kasicakra.
According to this text, the syllables ya, ra, la, va, and ksa are assigned
to Pisces (although the text says that the house of Pisces should
contain only four syllables). Contrary to the statement in PA, p. 99,
3f., where the syllable ksa is considered part of the syllable (see
note 154), ksa occurs separately here. The syllables am, ait, plus
sa. sa, sa, ha, and fa are assigned to Virgo. Counting from one's
(lunar) zodiac sign to the square in which the first letter of the
mantra occurs, one assigns the twelve astrological houses to the
squares and determines their significance for the mantra from the
names of the houses (see vers^W). If the initial letter of the mantra
occurs in houses 6 [= enemy], 8 [= death], or 12 [= loss], the mantra
is to be rejected (see PA, p. 102,16). If one's zodiac sign is not known,
one may start from the zodiac sign in which the first letter of one's
name occurs.
157. For the numbets corresponding to the consonants, cf. PA,
c
3T 37:
3TT
3T
W
cl
T5T
''
\3
&
Illustration 5. Rnidhankakra.
Beginning with the square in which the first letter of the worshipper s
name occurs, one counts in alphabetical order to the square in which
the first letter of the mantra occurs. The numbers assigned to the
squares in the bottom row of the diagram are added, the sum is
multiplied by three, and the product is divided by seven. The number
thus obtained is called sadhakarasi. Then, beginning with the square
in which the first letter of the mantra occurs, one counts (it
102
G u d ru n B u h n em an n
103
iP*i VC
3T
3TT
3T
3?r
n
3T
u
*T
tr
ar
Illustration 6. Kuldkulacakra.
five short vowels: a, i, u, r, /; the long vowels: a, r, u, f. T; the
diphthongs and anusvdra\ e, o, ai, au, am-, six groups of five syllables
each; and sa, ksa, ja, sa, and ha.
167. The commentary Nauka on Mantramahodadhi 24.58d
explains kuta as a mantra consisting of a group of consonants (kulo
vyanjanasamuhah).
168. N, p. 164, 26-30, comments: a mantra given by a distin
guished woman who iS learned and a preceptor.
169. Five and four dmndyas, i.e., "literary traditions," are named
in KT 3.7 and 3.9-10.
170. A mdldmanlra is usually a mantra exceeding twenty syllables
(see the discussion in PA, p. 112, 3-15).
171. Verse 99 occurs also in TS, p. 6, 7-8 (quote from the
SiddhasSrasvata).
172. The prasada-bija is HAfyl173. Are these mantras whose syllables are closely related or
belong to the same group (sapinda)? Or are these mantras whose
syllables contain conjunct consonants (pindaksara)? PA, p. 112, 1,
reads pinda (instead of sapinda), which is explained in TR 35.28a as a
one-syllabled mantra. One-syllabled mantras already have been
104
G u d ru n B u h n em an n
105
N: Hityotsava of UmanandanRlha [Supplement to Para^urama-kalpasQtra], ed. A. Mahadeva Sastri', revised and enlarged by Swami
Trivikrama Tirtha. Baroda, ^1977.
Natyasastra: Hatyaiastra of Bharatamuni with the Commentary Ahhinavabharatl by Ahhinavaguptacnrya, ed. M. Ramakrishna Kavi. Baroda,
vol. 1, 21956; vols. 2-4, 1934-1964.
NP: Narada-Purana. A tha nSradiyamahapuranam prarabhyate. Bombay,
1923.
PA: Padarthadarsa by R a g h a v a b h a tta ; see T.
Padoux, A; 1987. "Contributions a I'etude du mantra^astra III. Le
japa." Bulletin de I'tcole Franfaise d'Extrhne-Orient 77: 117-164.
Paniniya Sika, ed. and trans. M. Ghosh. Panintya
Vedahga Astribed to Panini. Calcutta, 1938.
or the iksa
106
C h a p te r T h re e
B e c o m in g a S iv a , a n d A c tin g a s O n e ,
in S a iv a W o r s h ip
Richard H. Davis
A proper Saiva agama should stand on four feet (pada)-. the feet
of knowledge ijm na), ritual action (kriya), proper conduct (carya),
and disciplinary practice (yoga). The jnampada describes how the
world is; it sets forth, in metaphysical and theological terms, the
fundamental order of the universe as envisioned by Saiva-Siddhanta.
The kriyapada prescribes how one should conduct oneself in that
world, utilizing the most powerful and efficacious forms of action.
(The other two sections, though necessary, clearly are subordinate
to the first two.) And just as the feet of knowledge and ritual action
are equally necjessary to a complete, self-standing Agama, Saiva
texts insist that an aspirant who wishes to advance within the
world of Siva must ,exert himself both to know that world and to
act properly and effectively within it.^
Though sharing this ideal of mutuality, Saiva texts do disagree
over whether knowledge or ritual action is more important for
gaining the highest ends. Some Agamas clearly grant a greater role
in the attainment of liberation to knowledge. "Devotees gain
liberation solely through knowledge," asserts the Ajitagama.2
"As for a ritual like worship, it gives only worldly results such as
divine status." Other treatises, by contrast, stress the necessity of
ritual action. Aghorasiva uses the analogy of a cataract covering
the eye to support this position. Because the cataract is a physical
affliction, recognition alone is not sufficient to remove it; physical
action in the form of medical treatment also is required. So, too,
the fetters that cover the soul are substantive, and one must remove
them through ritual activity, not through knowledge alone.3
Even when such texts advance the primacy of one over the other,
however, they still concede the necessity of the lesser as well. As
Ajitagama continues, "When Siva the Lord of All Gods is worshipped,
he grants knowledge and devotion."^ Ritual actions like worship