Tantraloka, Vol. 1 with Jayaratha's Commentary (1918) - Page 14

The Venerable Tantrāloka

The word "My" original: 'mama' refers to the Self. The "Heart" original: 'hṛdayam' is the true reality, which is also called Universal Bliss jagadānanda|The seventh and highest state of spiritual rapture where the entire universe is perceived as the vibration of one's own consciousness. This heart should "flash forth" original: 'sphuratāt'—meaning it should expand or blossom—as something that is not limited by the three divisions of time (past, present, and future). This occurs through the radiance of the state of Immersive Absorption samāveśa|A profound state of mystical union where the practitioner's individual identity dissolves into the Divine, which is preceded by the casting aside of the habitual tendencies of the limited perceiver, such as identifying with the physical body or the vital breath.

What is the nature of this "Heart"? It is described as "both of them" original: 'tadubhaya'. "That" refers to what will be explained in the first half of the verse, and "both" refers to the Twin-Union yāmala|The dyadic, inseparable state of the Absolute as both masculine and feminine. As it will be stated later in this work:

"That union of the two is known as the Creative Encounter saṃghaṭṭa|The dynamic 'rubbing together' or meeting of Shiva and Shakti that generates the universe."

From that encounter comes the "flashing state of being," which possesses a reality that shines forth by its own power, independent of anything else. It is this very state that is described:

"For this very reason, this Creative Emission visarga|The 'outpouring' or 'discharge' of divine energy that manifests as the world is of the nature of the unmanifested 'Ha' sound The 'Ha' sound represents the Shakti/Power that completes the alphabet and initiates creation."

Notes

Footnotes from the original text

1. Universal Bliss original: Jagadānanda is the single, constant witness of the six levels of bliss The six lower blisses are: Nijānanda, Nirānanda, Parānanda, Brahmānanda, Mahānanda, and Cidānanda. It is free from rising or setting (beginning or ending) and its ultimate purpose is the state of resting within the Self. The author himself will state later in this text:

Where there is no division of any kind, which flashes forth from all sides;

Which is nourished by the supreme nectar of 'unstruck' awareness;

Where practices such as meditation have no primary relevance;

That is the Universal Bliss which Lord Shiva described to us.

Line 6: In the Ga-manuscript, the reading is "of the nature of the identity of taste" original: sāmarasya-rūpaḥ instead of "the identity of the Twin-Union."