“The Hierophany of Transcendental Quintessence” [a tāntrik invocation on the wheel of the intrinsic divinities]
— MAHĀMAHEŚVARĀĊĀRYA ABHINAVAGUPTAḤ
असूरसूरवृन्दवन्दितमभिमतवरवितरणे निरतम्।
दर्शनशताग्र्यपूज्यं प्राणतनुं गणपतिं वन्दे॥१॥
asūrasūravṛndavanditamabhimatavaravitaraṇe niratam|
darśanaśatāgryapūjyaṃ prāṇatanuṃ gaṇapatiṃ vande|1|
I offer my respectful obeisances unto Gaṇapati, the Lord of the Gaṇas, who is the very manifestation of the sacred breath of Praṇa, the Supreme Being. He, who gives the highest and the greatest resolution, is equally revered by the gods and the demons. He is the chief of all philosophies, the first to be revered, for he alone paves the way to divine realization.
वरवीरयोगिनीगणसिद्धावलिपूजितांघ्रियुगलम्।
अपहृतविनयिजनार्तिं वटुकमपानाभिधं वन्दे॥२॥
varavīrayoginīgaṇasiddhāvalipūjitāṃghriyugalam|
apahṛtavinayijanārtiṃ vaṭukamapānābhidhaṃ vande|2|
I bow before the divine Vaṭuka, who is the very essence of the breath, whose holy feet are venerated by a sacred lineage of great heroes and accomplished siddha-s, and who is always served by illustrious yoginī-s. The compassionate Lord removes the sufferings of His devotees and takes away all their sorrows by His infinite grace.
आत्मीयविषयभोगैरिन्द्रियदेव्यः सदा हृदम्भोजे।
अभिपूजयन्ति यं तं चिन्मयमानन्दभैरवं वन्दे॥३॥
ātmīyaviṣayabhogairindriyadevyaḥ sadā hṛdambhoje|
abhipūjayanti yaṃ taṃ cinmayamānandabhairavaṃ vande|3|
I praise the divine Ānandabhairava, who is the very manifestation of the Supreme Consciousness and who always shines in the heart lotus. He whom the divine goddesses of the senses worship and offer their devotion to through pure sensory bliss.
यद्धीबलेन विश्वं भक्तानां शिवपथं भाति।
तमहमवधानरूपं सद्गुरुममलं सदा वन्दे॥४॥
yaddhībalena viśvaṃ bhaktānāṃ śivapathaṃ bhāti|
tamahamavadhānarūpaṃ sadgurumamalaṃ sadā vande|4|
I offer my infinite respect to the pure Sadguru, whose very nature is the luminous consciousness of the soul itself. By His grace, this entire universe appears to the devotees as a sacred path to reach Śiva, who is illuminated by the supreme power of knowledge.
उदयावभासचर्वणलीलं विश्वस्य या करोत्यनिशम्।
आनन्दभैरवीं तां विमर्शरूपां अहं वन्दे॥५॥
udayāvabhāsacarvaṇalīlaṃ viśvasya yā karotyaniśam|
ānandabhairavīṃ tāṃ vimarśarūpāṃ ahaṃ vande|5|
I praise Ānandabhairavī, who is the very manifestation of supreme consciousness. In her unceasing divine play she unfolds the epic of creation’s arising, illumination and dissolution—creating, sustaining and ultimately absorbing the entire universe within herself.
अर्चयति भैरवं या निश्चयकुसुमैः सुरेशपत्रस्था।
प्रणमामि बुद्धिरूपां ब्रह्माणीं तामहं सततम्॥६॥
arcayati bhairavaṃ yā niścayakusumaiḥ sureśapatrasthā|
praṇamāmi buddhirūpāṃ brahmāṇīṃ tāmahaṃ satatam|6|
I offer my infinite obeisances unto the divine Brahmāṇī, who is herself the essence of divine wisdom. Seated on the sacred lotus leaf of the Lord of gods, she offers worship to Bhairava with fragrant flowers of unwavering determination.
कुरुते भैरवपूजामनलदलस्थाभिमानकुसुमैर्या।
नित्यमहंकृतिरूपां वन्दे तां शाम्भवीमम्बाम्॥७॥
kurute bhairavapūjāmanaladalasthābhimānakusumairyā|
nityamahaṃkṛtirūpāṃ vande tāṃ śāmbhavīmambām|7|
I constantly offer my prayers to Mother Śāmbhavī, who is the very manifestation of the false ‘I’. In her divine play, she worships Bhairava with the flowers of the ego, which adorn the divine flames of the true, luminous ‘I’.
विदधाति भैरवार्चां दक्षिणदलगा विकल्पकुसुमैर्या।
नित्यं मनः स्वरूपां कौमारीं तामहं वन्दे॥८॥
vidadhāti bhairavārcāṃ dakṣiṇadalagā vikalpakusumairyā|
nityaṃ manaḥ svarūpāṃ kaumārīṃ tāmahaṃ vande|8|
I offer my infinite obeisances unto the Divine Kaumārī, who is herself the form of Mind. Pervading the southern side of the mysterious lotus of Consciousness, she offers sacred worship to Bhairava through the flowers of thought.
नैरृतदलगा भैरवमर्चयेतेशब्दकुसुमैर्या।
प्रणमामि श्रुतिरूपां नित्यं तां वैष्णवीं शक्तिम्॥९॥
nairṛtadalagā bhairavamarcayeteśabdakusumairyā|
praṇamāmi śrutirūpāṃ nityaṃ tāṃ vaiṣṇavīṃ śaktim|9|
I offer my constant obeisances to that radiant Vaiṣṇavī, who is the very manifestation of the divine power of hearing. She occupies the sacred petal of the south-west direction and offers worship to Bhairava with flowers in the form of sound.
पश्चिमदिग्दलसंस्था हृदयहरैः स्पर्शकुसुमैर्या।
तोषयति भैर्वं तां त्वग्रूपधरां नमामि वाराहीम्॥१०॥
paścimadigdalasaṃsthā hṛdayaharaiḥ sparśakusumairyā|
toṣayati bhairvaṃ tāṃ tvagrūpadharāṃ namāmi vārāhīm|10|
I bow to the divine Vārāhī, who is the embodiment of the element of touch. Seated on the sacred western petal, she pleases the fierce Bhairava with an offering of fragrant flowers in the form of touch—an offering that stirs the innermost being of the heart with its enchanting essence.
वरतररूपविशेषैर्मारुतदिग्दलनिषण्णदेहा या।
पूजयति भैरवं तामिन्द्राणीं दृक्तनुं वन्दे॥११॥
varatararūpaviśeṣairmārutadigdalaniṣaṇṇadehā yā|
pūjayati bhairavaṃ tāmindrāṇīṃ dṛktanuṃ vande|11|
I sing the glories of the illustrious Indrāṇī, who is the very manifestation of divine vision. Seated on the sacred north-western petal—where the power of the Maruts abides—She worships Bhairava with the brilliance of innumerable supreme forms, each a divine manifestation of His infinite glory.
धनपत्तिकिसलयनिलया या नित्यं विविधषड्रसाहारैः।
पूजयति भैरवं तां जिह्वाभिख्यां नमामि चामुण्डाम्॥१२॥
dhanapattikisalayanilayā yā nityaṃ vividhaṣaḍrasāhāraiḥ|
pūjayati bhairavaṃ tāṃ jihvābhikhyāṃ namāmi cāmuṇḍām|12|
I worship the supreme Cāmuṇḍā, who is the very manifestation of the sacred tongue. She is always absorbed in the worship of Bhairava and enjoys the varied flavours of the six tastes. Situated in the bud of Kubera, the possessor of divine wealth, she animates the north direction with her divine presence.
ईशदलस्था भैरवमर्चयते परिमलैर्विचित्रैर्या।
प्रणमामि सर्वदा तां घ्राणाभिख्यां महालक्ष्मीम्॥१३॥
īśadalasthā bhairavamarcayate parimalairvicitrairyā|
praṇamāmi sarvadā tāṃ ghrāṇābhikhyāṃ mahālakṣmīm|13|
I offer my infinite obeisances to the luminous Mahālakṣmī, who is the very manifestation of divine fragrance. She resides in the sacred north-eastern petal of the Lord and offers worship to Bhairava through various divine fragrances, each a celestial hymn of devotion and grace.
षड्दर्शनेषु पूज्यं षट्त्रिम्शत्तत्त्वसंवलितम्।
आत्माभिख्यं सततं क्षेत्रपतिं सिद्धिदं वन्दे॥१४॥
ṣaḍdarśaneṣu pūjyaṃ ṣaṭtrimśattattvasaṃvalitam|
ātmābhikhyaṃ satataṃ kṣetrapatiṃ siddhidaṃ vande|14|
I constantly worship the divine Kṣetrapati, who is the self-nature of the soul and the bestower of supreme perfection. Encircled by the thirty-six elements, He is worthy of worship through the six great visions, the same luminous elements that illuminate the path to supreme perfection.
संस्फुरदनुभवसारं सर्वान्तः सततसन्निहितम्।
नौमि सदोदितमित्थं निजदेहगदेवताचक्रम्॥१५॥
saṃsphuradanubhavasāraṃ sarvāntaḥ satatasannihitam|
naumi sadoditamitthaṃ nijadehagadevatācakram|15|
Thus I praise the wheel of those ever-pulsating, ever-ascending, ever-existing deities—the ultimate and transcendent Reality, which exists beyond all finite limits. Naturally pervading the body, it is the very essence of experience itself, shining forth as the root of divine consciousness and the infallible source of the manifestation of the entire creation.
॥इति श्रीदेहस्थदेवताचक्रस्तोत्रं श्रीमदभिनवगुप्तपादविरचितम्॥
|iti śrīdehasthadevatācakrastotraṃ śrīmadabhinavaguptapādaviracitam|
This is the sacred Dehasthadevatācakrastotram—the revered stotra on the chakra located in the body of the sense deities—composed by the most revered Master Abhinavagupta.
Translated by Nagkumar; Inspired from My Guru Īśvarasvarupa Swāmī Lakṣamaṇajū.