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Hinduism: Hymn to Kali
VERSE 11
O SPOUSE of Hara, 1 should (a Sadhaka) daily 2 recite Thy mantra for the
space of a year meditating the while 3 with knowledge of its meaning 4
upon Thee intent 5 upon Thy union 6 with the great Mahakala, above whom
Thou art, 7 then such a knower 8 has every pleasure that he wills upon
the earth, 9 and holds all great powers 10 in the grasp of his
lotus-like hands.
COMMENTARY
'Spouse of Hara' (Haravadhū)
Charmer of Mahakala.
'Mentally recite' (Vicintya japati)
The Kaulavali says that mental (Manasa) Japa is a hundred times more
efficacious than verbal (Vacika) Japa.
According to Durgarama the words may also mean 'recite' keeping in mind
the Artha or meaning and so forth of the Mantra. For it is said that he
who does not know the Artha of Mantra, the Caitanya of Mantra, and Yoni-mudra
is without success (Siddhi) even if he do Japa of the Mantra a million
times.
'Unperturbed mind' (Susthibhūya)
The Kularṇava-Tantra thus enjoins: 'Beloved when doing Japa of a Mantra
one should be calm, pure, sparing in food, reverential, self-controlled,
unaffected by the opposites (Dvandva), steady of mind, silent and
self-disciplined.
'Meditating on Thee' (Vicintyatvam)
The Kaulavali-Tantra says, 'One should meditate upon the Spouse of Siva
before Japa and after meditation should again do
p. 71
[paragraph continues] Japa.' The Sadhaka who does Japa and meditation
together soon attains success.
'Upon Him' (Viparitam)
(The original is 'Viparitah' in the first case and Durgarama therefore
makes it an adjective of the Sadhaka who he says unites with his Sakti
in Viparita Maithuna. Vimalananda however reads it as Viparitam in the
second case making it an adjective of 'Thee' (the Devi) who is the
object of meditation,)
'Great Powers' (Mahasiddhinivahah)
Such as that by which is gained Salokya, Sarūpya, Sayujya and Nirvaṇa
forms of Liberation.
Footnotes
70:1 p. 71 Siva.
70:2 Sada: Means 'always' here 'daily' (K.B.)
70:3 Vicintya, that is, who has mentally thought of the letters of the
Bija and their meaning, which is mental japa (Manasa japa), defined in
Narasiṁha-Puraṇa (cited in the ahnikacara-tattva of Raghunandana) as the
repetition in the mind, letter by letter, syllable by syllable, of the
mantra, meditating at the same time upon its meaning.
70:4 That is upon Varṇa-saṁsthana or placing of the letters and their
meaning and so forth.
70:5 Susthibhūya—that is, whose senses are not directed to any other
object (Commentary, K.B.)
70:6 AtiSayamahakalasuratam.
70:7 Viparitam (see sloka 7, note 5.)
70:8 Vidvan whose sole aim is Mokṣa.
70:9 Literally 'wandering freely on Earth' (Commentary, K.B.)
70:10 Siddhi (see ante, p. 46.)
from Hinduism: Hymn to Kali
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