{"collection":"tantra","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/tantra/htk/htk21.htm","path":"tantra/htk/htk21.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/tantra/htk/htk21.htm","text":"Hymn to Kali, by Arthur Avalon (Sir John George Woodroffe), [1922]\nTHE devotee 1 who, having placed before himself, 2 and meditated and again meditated 3 upon, the abode, 4 strewn with flowers, 5 of the Deva with the bow of flowers, 6 recites 7 Thy Mantra, Ah! 8 he becomes on earth the Lord of Gandharvas, 9 and the ocean of the nectar of the flow of poesy, 10 and is after death in Thy supreme abode. 11\nCOMMENTARY\n'Devotee' (Bhaktah)\nThe S\u0101dhaka who is a Yogi on the Divya path.\n'The Abode' (Kusu\u1e41adhanusho mandiram)\nThe triangular Yoni Mandala in the M\u016bl\u0101dh\u0101ra. Nirv\u0101\u1e47a-Tantra says, 'In the triangle, the abode of K\u0101ma, the Li\u1e45ga is Mahe\u015bvara.'\n'With its own flowers'\nAdorned with the Svaya\u1e41bhu-li\u1e45ga which is compared to a flower. Gorak\u1e63a-Samhit\u0101 says, 'He is truly wise who knows the supreme Tejas in the Yoni called Svaya\u1e41bhu-li\u1e45ga. Others are but beasts of burden.'\n'Lord of Gandharvas' (Gandharva-\u015bre\u1e47\u012bpatih)\nA great singer. It is said 'there is nothing better than a song,'\n'Poesy' (Kavitv\u0101m\u1e5bta-nadi-nadinah)\nHe becomes like the great poet K\u0101lid\u0101sa.\n'Is great' (Prabhavati)\nHe attains Nirv\u0101\u1e47a on being united with Thee who are Saccid\u0101nandar\u016bp\u0101. K\u016brma-Pur\u0101\u1e47a says, Brahmav\u0101d\u012bs have learnt in all Vedas and Ved\u0101ntas the one, omnipresent, subtle (K\u016btastha), immovable, absolute, endless, undecaying Brahman, the sole supreme Ni\u1e63kala-Tattva higher than the highest, eternal, auspicious, wondrous.' Dev\u012bg\u012bt\u0101 says 'Oh Mountain, he in whom Parabhakti is thus generated becomes merged in Pure Consciousness.'\n83:1 Bhaktah: here the Vira S\u0101dhaka (V).\n83:2 Purah: that is with the Mandala of K\u0101ma before him (V).\n83:3 That is, with intensity. Dhy\u0101yan dhy\u0101yan, repeatedly meditating (V).\n83:4 Kusuma-dhanu\u1e63o mandira\u1e41. The Deva with the bow of flowers is Kama whose abode is the Madan\u0101g\u0101ra. Tantrakalpadruma says, 'He who recites the Mantra ten thousand times meditating on the flower-covered Yoni (Svapu\u1e63pair\u0101k\u012br\u1e47am) of \u015aakti, of a certainty charms all with his poesy.' Svapu\u1e63pa is called Svaya\u1e41bhukusuma in Tantra-\u015b\u0101stra, M\u0101t\u1e5bk\u0101bheda-Tantra says, 'Oh Lady of Mahe\u015ba Svapu\u1e63pa, which charms all is the \u1e5atu which first appears in a married girl (V).\n83:5 Svapu\u1e63pair\u0101k\u012br\u1e47am. The word svapu\u1e63pa = svayambhupu\u1e63pa\u2014mentioned in the Tantras. The word pu\u1e63pa has here, and in ordinary parlance, a figurative sense, as in English. For puspa\u015babdena atra \u1e5btur ucyate, m\u0101t\u1e5bk\u0101bheda-tantra-pram\u0101\u1e47\u0101nus\u0101re\u1e47a an\u016b\u1e0dh\u0101y\u0101h kany\u0101y\u0101h prathama eva \u1e5btur atra ucyate. Tantr\u0101ntare tu viv\u0101hit\u0101y\u0101 eva b\u0101l\u0101y\u0101 \u1e5btur atra vivak\u1e63itah. The \u015ay\u0101m\u0101rahasya reads 'supu\u1e63pa,' which literally means pleasing fragrant flower, but which is possibly a misprint for svapushpa. The meaning of the passage is as follows: S\u0101dhakah svasya purobh\u0101ge \u015bakti\u1e41 sa\u1e41sth\u0101pya tasy\u0101 \u1e5bturudhirasikt\u0101\u1e41 yoni\u1e41 avalokayan san devmantra\u1e41 japati.\n83:6 That is, K\u0101ma, the Deva of Desire, whose bow and arrows are made of flowers.\n83:7 Japati. Recites ten thousand times (V).\n83:8 Aho. 'Ah' an exclamation of wonder (V).\n83:9 Celestial spirits (devayoni), who play and sing at the banquets of the Devas. According to the Vi\u1e63\u1e47u-Pur\u0101\u1e47a, sons of Brahm\u0101 'born imbibing melody.' The S\u0101dhaka thus becomes a master of dance, music and song, p. 85 Gandarva-\u015bre\u1e47\u012bpatih. He becomes a great singer and a master of melody. The S\u0101has\u0101nka says, 'H\u0101h\u0101 is called a Gandharva and singing also makes a Gandharva' (V).\n83:10 He becomes a Pandita in all literature. The K\u0101l\u012b-Tantra, quoted in the K\u0101l\u012bkalpalat\u0101, says that in strength he becomes like the wind, in wealth of gifts like Indra, and in the musical art like Tumburu (K.B.)\u2014a \u1e5a\u1e63i, master of music and inventor of the t\u0101mbur.\n83:11 Paramapadalinah prabhavati, that is, he attains nirv\u0101\u1e47a (K.B.).\nPrabhavati: becomes capable of creating and so forth on being merged with Thy Supreme Feet (V). The word literally means 'Excels.'","title":"Hymn to Kali: Text: Verse 17","type":"page"}