Tantraloka, Vol. 1 with Jayaratha's Commentary

११

Verse 1 | First Daily Lesson | 11

The Supreme Subject original: 'parah pramātā', through the "mouths"—which are the gateways in the form of the activities of the senses like the eyes—of the "five" powers of conveyance Line 1: Manuscript 'Kh' reads "powers of conveyance" (vāhanaśakti) instead of "powers of Vāmeśī." led by the Goddess Vāmeśī vāmēśī|The 'Goddess of the Left' or the 'Emitting Goddess' who governs the flow of sensory experience and the wheel of powers, acts according to the following principle:

"By whichever sensory path a particular object shines forth, the yogi, by the power of his own self-support, should reach that object and become one with it."

Following this logic, his "Radiance" original: 'ruciḥ'—meaning his inner light—is "Protected" original: 'guptā' or preserved by the power of his self-support through the seizing of various objects. The meaning is that his state as the Supreme Subject is fully ignited because he is the "swallower" of all objective states of being. For this very reason, he is "Replete of body" original: 'bharitatnuḥ'. This means he is "full" because he rests in his own Self alone; this fullness arises from a state of total desirelessness produced by the "shrinking" the withdrawal of external diversity back into the unity of the self of all those various objective states.

Thus, it should be said that here the author has contemplated the Supreme Divine Consciousness original: 'pāramēśvarī saṃvit'. She is known as the "Unnameable" original: 'anākhyā'. Even as she manifests the appearance of the three-fold sequence of creation, sustenance, and dissolution kramatraya|The three-fold process of the universe; here, the author suggests a fourth state that transcends and includes them, she shines by transcending them. Her nature is both the sequence and the non-sequential. As has been said by my great-grand-teacher original: 'parameṣṭhiguru'; Manuscript 'Ka' reads "by our teacher.":

"I place in my heart that Goddess, the Supreme Consciousness, who shines intensely; she who constantly crosses the three sequences by the very act of resting upon them. She radiates as one whose form is the sequence itself, yet whose essential nature is non-sequence."

Line 1: Manuscript 'Kh' reads "of the powers of conveyance of Vāmeśī."
Line 13: Manuscript 'Ka' reads "by our teacher."