TANTRALOKA THE LIGHT ON AND OF THE TANTRAS - VOLUME TEN: Volume Ten - Chapters Twenty- eight and Twenty-nine, With the Commentary called Viveka by ... Translated with extensive explanatory notes

The Tantrāloka by Abhinavagupta (c. 975-1050) is undoubtably one of the world's great classics. Treating the whole range of early Śaiva Tantras as part of the Trika Śaivism Abhinavagupta systematically and extensively presents, he draws from all of them to enrich his marvelous and uniquely profound exposition. The result of decades of research, Dyczkowski provides along with his translation of the text and its commentary by Jayaratha, extensive explanatory notes drawn from a wide range of Sanskrit and other sources. These volumes are a must for anyone who is studying Tantra in general and, in particular, the Trika Śaivism of Kashmir. Volume ten contains the following two chapters. The previous chapters from fifteen onwards were concerned with obligatory (nitya) rites for those who belong or wish to belong to the Trika Śaiva tradition. The rites that follow from here onwards are occasional (nimittika) in the sense that they only take place at certain times in particular circumstances such as festivals and days of atonement. Accordingly, the first part of chapter twenty-eight (up to verse 59) is concerned with listing these sacred times (parvan) and the rites that are performed then. Foremost amongst them, are those that take place on the occasions when initiates and their teachers assemble to worship together (60cd-111). This is called Aadiyāga – the Foremost Sacrifice, which Abhinava stresses is considered to be the most elevated by the Trika Tantras. Abhinava goes on to outline the manner of crafting and offering of a sacred thread to the deity as a rite of atonement (112-186ab) and other occasional rites (186cd-212) such as the celebrations of the teacher’s birth and death day (213-216). This is followed by a series of rites and yogic practices related to the moment of voluntary death, the spiritual status of the initiate at that time as well as places and occasions for it to take place (217-367). After briefly returning to the rites concerning the assembly of Yoginīs and initiates, the chapter ends with the procedures for the explanation of the scriptures (vyākhyāvidhiḥ) (385cd-407), the expiation of transgressions (408-423ab) and the worship of the teacher (gurupūjāvidhi) (423cd-435). Chapter twenty-nine is notorious for teaching Kaula ritual involving the offering of meat, wine and sexual fluids to the Goddess (kaulikīśakti), alone (ekavīrā) or with her partner in union (yāmalabhāva). The rites presented up to chapter twenty-eight are largely in the Tantric modality (tantraprakriyā), those that follow are predominantly in the Kaula one (kulaprakriyā). Such is the rite of chapter twenty-nine which is essentially an elaboration of the Aadiyāga (also called Aadyayāga) - Foremost Sacrifice - taught in the Mādhavakula section of the Jayadrathayāmala. After an initial exposition of the essential elements of Kaula ritual, he goes on to present the regular, basic Kaula rite. This is drawn from both Trika Kaula and Krama Kaula sources. This begins with the outer rite which is heralded by the worship of the Kulamaṇḍala into which the Gurumaṇḍala is incorporated (24-81) and is followed by the repetition of Mantra (82-95). After that comes the sexual rite performed with a Tantric consort (dautavidhi). Once outlined the qualities she should possesses (97-115ab), Abhinava goes on to expound the inner events that take place within consciousness in the course of union with her according to his personal insight. By the outer ritual consumption of the ejaculate as taught in the Mādhavakula, the rite reaches its conclusion (96-186ab).