The Stanzas on Vibration

437 Pages·2009·3.06 MB·English

The Stanzas on Vibration
The SpandaKarika with Four Commentaries:
The SpandaSamdoha by Ksemaraja
The SpandaVrtti by Kallatabhatta
The SpandaVivrti by Rajanaka Rama
The SpandaPradipika by Bhagavadutpala
Translated with Introduction, Notes, and Exposition
by Mark S. G. Dyczkowski
"This is a wonderful continuation of his previous work,
The Doctrine of Vibration. Through this book, general readers can go
to the original sources." - Rajmani Tigunait
In his Doctrine of Vibration, the author presents a synthesis of Kashmir
Shaivism - an overview with Spanda as the central theme. Spanda is the
vibratory dynamism of the absolute consciousness. In this book the author
focuses on the school of Kashmir Shaivism that presents this doctrine as its
cardinal principle and whose literature consists essentially of the works
translated here.
In his Introduction and in his exposition of the four commentaries, the
author shows both how the Spanda tradition contributes to the other
schools of Kashmir Shaivism and how it is different from them. He presents
for the first time a detailed treatment of this tradition and an analysis of its
development. The aim is to offer a method that affords access by the general
reader to the wonderful world of the Spanda Yogi through which she travels
to the liberating realization of her authentic identity vibrant with the vitality
of the universal pulse of Shiva.
MARK S. G. DYCZKOWSKI took his first degree at Banaras Hindu University
and then his doctorate at Oxford. He is presently associated with Sampur-
nananda Sanskrit University in Varanasi. He is the author of The Doctrine of
Vibration: An Analysis of the Doctrine and Practices of Kashmir Shaivism; The
Canon of the Saivagama and the Kubjika: Tantras of the Western Kaula
Tradition; and The Aphorisms of Shiva: The Shiva Sutra with a Commentary
by Bhaskara, all published by SUNY Press.
A volume in the SUNY series
in the Shaiva Traditions of Kashmir
Harvey P. Alper, editor
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS
The Stanzas on Vibration
The SUNY Series in the Shaiva Traditions of Kashmir - Harvey P. Alper, Editor
Editorial Board - Edward Dimock, Wilhelm Halbfass, Gerald J. Larson, Wendy Doniger, Andre Padoux,
Navjivan Rastogi, Ludo Rocher, Alexis Sanderson
The Stanzas on Vibration
THE SPANDAKARIKA WITH FOUR COMMENTARIES
THE SPANDASAMDOHA BY KSEMARAJA
THE SPANDAVRTTI BY KALLATABHATTA
THE SPANDAVIVRTI BY RAJANAKA RAMA
THE SPANDAPRADIPIKA BY BHAGAVADUTPALA
Translated with an Introduction and Exposition
by MARK S. G. DYCZKOWSKI
Published by
State University of New York Press, Albany
©1992 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced
in any manner whatsoever without written permission
except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical articles and reviews.
For information, address State University of New York
Press, State University Plaza, Albany, NY 12246
Production by Leslie Frank-Hass
Marketing by Dana Yanulavich
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Vasugupta.
[Spandasutra. English]
The Stanzas of vibration : the Spandakarika with four commentaries
: the spandasamdoha by Ksemaraja, the Spandavrtti by Kallatabhatta,
the Spandavivrti by Rajanaka Rama, the Spandapradipika by
Bhagavadutpala / translated with introduction and exposition by Mark
S. G. Dyczkowski.
p. cm.- (SUNY series in Shaiva traditions of Kashmir)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN0-7914-1261-X ( alk. paper). - ISBN 0-7914-1262-8 (pbk. :
alk. paper)
1. Vasugupta. Sivasutra. 2. Vasugupta. Spandasutra. 3. Kashmir
Saivism - Doctrines. I. Dyczkowski, Mark S. G. II. Title.
III. Series.
BL1281.1592.V38A27613 1992
294.5'95 - dc20
91-36928
CIP
10 9 8 76 5 4 3 21
This book is dedicated to my parents, wife, and children.
Although we are often far distant from one another in space,
we are always united by the love in our hearts,
the deepest seat of consciousness.
P r e f a c e
The present book is part of a trilogy, the first The Spandakarika is, along with the Sivasutra,
volume of which was published by SUNY Press one of the earliest Kashmiri Saiva texts. The
in 1987 and called the Doctrine of Vibration. commentaries on it were written at different
There I outlined the basic principles of times throughout the course of the rapid devel
Kashmir Saivism from the perspective of the opment of Kashmiri Saivism from the middle of
Spanda school. This book, and the Aphorisms of the ninth century of the Christian era into the
Siva which has also been published by SUNY eleventh. The attentive textual archeologist can
Press, contain the translations of all the works thus discern the various layers in these texts and
associated with the Spanda school of Kashmiri their commentaries that mark, not only the
Saivism never previously translated into influence of varying perspectives, but also their
English. After this book went to the press I development through time. Accordingly, I have
discovered that Lilian Silbum had published a attempted to make my exposition of these
French translation of these commentaries. It is diverse hermeneutical perspectives diachronic as
unfortunate that I did not know about this well as systematic. It seems to me that this
publication, nonetheless the interested reader approach has born fruit in the form of a number
may now compare two versions. of insights concerning the development of Kash
Although this is a book of translations, I have miri Saivism. To my mind the most important
taken the liberty of supplementing them with of these is the discovery that the distinctly Kash
much additional material. The introduction cov miri Saiva concept of ultimate reality was for
ers virtually everything known about the authors mulated completely for the first time only by
of these texts. I have tried to tie up as many loose Utpaladeva, the author of the Isvarapratyabhi-
ends as possible left by previous scholars while jnakarika in which he expounds the basic tenets
recapitulating what they have said in order to of the Kashmir Saiva Pratyabhijna school. He
bring the material together in a single place. The belonged to the second generation after the
introduction also discusses the influences at author of the Spandakarika and gave Kashmiri
work in the various commentators' presenta Saivism the concept of the absolute as universal
tions of the Spandakarika. I have shown how the "I" consciousness. This fact emerges by observ
differences between them are largely due to the ing that the concept, which is both one of the
varying degrees in which other schools of Kash most central and distinctive concepts in Kash
miri Saivism and, in Bhagavadutpala's case, miri Saivism, is absent in the Spandakarika and
Vaisnavism, have been incorporated into the its earliest commentary by Kallatabhatta.
commentator's treatment of the text.
In making my translation I have avoided
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Preface
including Sanskrit terms wherever possible in of the expositions lengthy. It is hoped that they
the running text. But, in deference to the fact are, nonetheless, interesting and useful.
that the terminology in these works is highly
distinctive and each term carries a wealth of
meaning that no single word, or even phrase, in
English could capture entirely, I have supplied
the original term in brackets. The reader who is
not interested can simply ignore them. Like all
languages, Sanskrit has its own peculiar forms
of syntax and turns of phrase that translated lit
erally do not make good reading in English.
Moreover, not infrequently, one can express in
a few words of Sanskrit what would require a
long sentence in English. Inevitably, therefore,
any translator must make additions and alter
ations to the literal meaning of the Sanskrit in
order to present it in reasonably good English.
These additions may, at times, become interpre
tations, which is also virtually inevitable. My
own way out of this dilemma is to place these
additions in brackets. The reader should not be
distracted by these brackets but should read the
text as if they were not there. Those who are
interested can see what I have done to make the
original more idiomatic in English, and those
who are not need not bother.
This is also the case with the page references
embedded in the running text of chapters nine,
ten, and eleven. These page numbers refer to
the page of the original text which is being
translated. This is done for ease of comparison
to the original, but can be skipped over easily.
I have traced all the references to the verses of
the Spandakarika (the Stanzas on Vibration)
found in the Sanskrit works of Kashmiri Saiva
authors. The context in which the verses and,
frequently, additional comments, appear pro
vide useful information concerning their inter
pretation by authors who did not write com
mentaries on the Stanzas. For example, Abhin-
avagupta, certainly the most distinguished of
these authors, quotes more than half the verses
in his works and supplies many interesting com
ments on them. Accordingly, I have presented
these interpretations in my exposition of the
Stanzas. The expositions also present the teach
ing of the text and its interpretation by the vari
ous commentators in a historical and compara
tive perspective. This triple aim has made some
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Acknowledgments
This book of translations has been in the making and subsequent years he spared a lot of his valu
for many years, during which time other projects able time discussing Kashmiri Saivism and Saiva
have: been kept under way and completed. In Tantra with me. His vast knowledge and deep
this time many people have helped me in various understanding of this field inspired me perhaps
ways. In my early years at Benares prior to 1975 more than anything else to dedicate myself to its
Pandit Hemen Chakravarti introduced me to study. His many insights guided much of my
Kashmiri Saivism and helped me to read and subsequent research and so, even though I never
understand the texts that he suggested I study. studied the Spandakarika with him directly, he
He continues to be an invaluable source of sug contributed much to my understanding of such
gestions and encouragement. Back in 1976 I was texts. I could never be sufficiently grateful to
fortunate enough to have had several months of him.
close contact with Swami Lakshmanjoo who It is also a pleasure to acknowledge the help I
lived near Nishad gardens just outside of Srina- have received from Professor Raniero Gnoli and
gar in Kashmir. He was an immense inspiration his colleague at the University of Rome, Raffaele
to me as a living example of Kashmiri Saivism in Torella. Professor Gnoli was kind enough to
practice. Moreover, I had the benefit of listening give me a photocopy of a manuscript of the
to his lectures and, with his kind permission and Samvitprakasa by Vamanadatta. As I recall, he
the assistance of his American disciple, John also allowed me to make an edition of the same
Hughes, I was able to make extensive notes of which I have done for my own private use.
the lectures he had delivered during the previous Torella was good enough to give me a copy of a
five years. Among these lectures were a short thesis which he and Professor Gnoli jointly
series on the Spandakarika and (in Hindi) on the supervised for the Instituto Orientate at the
Sivasutra that helped me to understand these University of Rome in 1976. Written by Ilari
texts in the living context of practice. Nazareno, it consists of a translation of the
Certainly one of the people who has helped Spandapradipika from which I learnt of the con
me most in coming to grips with the many diffi nection between the Samvitprakasa and the
culties in the way of understanding Kashmiri Laksmitantra. Although the translation is inac
Saivism and Saiva Tantra as a whole was Alexis curate in a number of places, the emendations
Sanderson who is at present a lecturer in San suggested in it to the Sanskrit text of the Span
skrit at the Oriental Institute of the University dapradipika were of help to me in making my
of Oxford where I studied for my doctoral dis own edition of this text which I then translated
sertation between 1975 and 1979. During these for this book. I should also mention another
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