⚝ Here Unfolds the Splendour of the Self-Willed Supreme ⚝
—Referring to Svacchandabhairava’s Iconic Pañcamukha Form
॥ अथ श्री स्वच्छन्दभैरवस्वरूपवर्णनम् ॥
॥ atha śrī svacchandabhairavasvarūpavarṇanam ॥
—thus begins the description of the form of śrī svacchandabhairava.
sanskṛt transcript:—
त्रिपंचनयनं देवं जटा
मुकुट मण्डितम्।
चन्द्रकोटि प्रतीकाशं
चन्द्रार्ध कृत शेखरम्॥०१॥
transliteration:—
tripaṃcanayanaṃ devaṃ
jaṭā mukuṭa maṇḍitam|
candrakoṭi pratīkāśaṃ
candrārdha kṛta śekharam |01|
translation:— [tri-tin (three), paṃca (five), nayanaṃ (eye) means that each face of the five-faced svachchhanda bhairava has three eyes. the five faces represent consciousness (cit), bliss (ānanda), will (icchā), knowledge (jñāna), and action (kriyā). the three eyes symbolize creation (ṣṛṣṭī), preservation (sṭhiti), and destruction (saṃhāra). the combination of these three actions of creation, preservation, and destruction with the five powers of consciousness, bliss, will, knowledge, and action results in the manifestation of 3 x 5 = 15 eyes.
nayanaṃ means ‘upāya’ or ‘means’ or ‘method’ because of the root ‘ni’ meaning to obtain. thus, these three actions combined with the five powers symbolize fifteen means.
devā means luminous or the protector of the universe. tt is said: ‘devaḥ svatantracid rūpaḥ prakāśātmā maheśvaraḥ’ (the deity is an independent consciousness form, the luminous great lord).
jaṭā mukuṭa maṇḍitam – adorned with matted hair and a crown. alternatively, the crown is in the form of matted hair. the innumerable powers such as wealth and others many located above represent the matted hair. the matted hair symbolizes these innumerable powers.
candrakoṭi pratīkāśaṃ – shining like millions of moons. the white light symbolizes the infinity of the sattva guna tattva (quality of purity). it means pure purity, without any impurity, a dense unity of light and bliss.
candrārdha kṛta śekharam – the crescent moon adorning the head, i.e., the main form bearing the crescent moon. the half-moon is the nectar art that pervades the 118 universes and symbolizes the power of consciousness.](<tri-tin (three), paṃca (five), nayanaṃ (eye) means that each face of the five-faced svachchhanda bhairava has three eyes. the five faces represent consciousness (cit), bliss (ānanda), will (icchā), knowledge (jñāna), and action (kriyā). the three eyes symbolize creation (ṣṛṣṭī), preservation (sṭhiti), and destruction (saṃhāra). the combination of these three actions of creation, preservation, and destruction with the five powers of consciousness, bliss, will, knowledge, and action results in the manifestation of 3 x 5 = 15 eyes.
nayanaṃ means ‘upāya’ or ‘means’ or ‘method’ because of the root ‘ni’ meaning to obtain. thus, these three actions combined with the five powers symbolize fifteen means.
devā — means luminous or the protector of the universe. it is said: ‘devaḥ svatantracid rūpaḥ prakāśātmā maheśvaraḥ’ (the deity is an independent consciousness form, the luminous great lord).
jaṭā mukuṭa maṇḍitam – adorned with matted hair and a crown. alternatively, the crown is in the form of matted hair. the innumerable powers such as wealth and others many located above represent the matted hair. the matted hair symbolizes these innumerable powers.
candrakoṭi pratīkāśaṃ – shining like millions of moons. the white light symbolizes the infinity of the sattva guna tattva (quality of purity). it means pure purity, without any impurity, a dense unity of light and bliss.
candrārdha kṛta śekharam – the crescent moon adorning the head, i.e., the main form bearing the crescent moon. the half-moon is the nectar art that pervades the 118 universes and symbolizes the power of consciousness.>)
sanskṛt transcript:—
पञ्चवक्त्रं विशालाक्षं
सर्पगोनास मण्डितम्।
वृश्चिकैः अग्निवर्णाभैः
हारेण तु विराजितम्॥२॥
transliteration:—
pañcavaktraṃ viśālākṣaṃ
sarpagonāsa maṇḍitam|
vṛścikaiḥ agnivarṇābhaiḥ
hāreṇa tu virājitam|2|
translation:— pañcavaktraṃ - having five faces. these five faces symbolically represent the aspects of śrī bhairava: cit śakti (consciousness power), ānand śakti (bliss power), ìcchā śakti (will power), jñāna śakti (knowledge power), and kriyā śakti (action power).
viśālākṣaṃ – having large eyes – meaning “inward focus, outward vision, devoid of blinking.” this state is implied by viśālākṣaṃ.
sarpagonāsa maṇḍitam – adorned with snakes and venomous creatures called gonas. poisonous snakes symbolize worldly pleasures. gonas symbolize desire. gonas, called viper in english and ‘gonas’ in kashmiri, is a small, thick, highly venomous and fierce snake species. it’s special feature is that even if it is cut into thousands of pieces or uprooted hundreds of times, each part remains pulsating. therefore, ‘gonas’ is considered a symbol of desire. it is said: even when uprooted or cut into hundreds of pieces, the viper’s parts remain alive; similarly, until the grace of śiva arises, desire remains active and pursues the soul through many births. svachchandnāth has worn this poisonous desire and the disease of desire around his neck.
vṛścikaiḥ – adorned with a garland of red scorpions.
agnivarṇābhaiḥ – scorpions of fiery red color are the most dangerous when they sting. svachchandnāth wears a garland of such red scorpions around his neck. the red scorpion symbolizes the power of attachment, pride, jealousy, and disappearance. when stung by any one of these four, the practitioner becomes disturbed.
sanskṛt transcript:—
कपालमालाभरणं
खड्ग खेटक धारिणम्।
पाशाङ्कशधरं देवं
शरहस्तं पिनाकिनम्॥३॥
transliteration:—
kapālamālābharaṇaṃ
khaḍga kheṭaka dhāriṇam|
pāśāṅkaśadharaṃ devaṃ
śarahastaṃ pinākinam|3|
translation:— kapala mala mala ābharaṇaṁ — the garland of skulls is his ornament. from śadāśiva to all the lords of māyā, the skull garland symbolizes the garland of skulls. alternatively, it means the one who protects (kapāli) the dense form of supreme bliss and cosmic happiness, whose nature is unchanging due to his own bliss.
khaḍga — the sword symbolizing the power of knowledge that cuts through the bonds of worldly existence. svachchandanāth holds this sword as a mark of that power.
kheṭaka dhāriṇam — bearer of the leather shield (armor). the purpose of holding this leather shield is to remove the worldly sufferings of practitioners through the power of action.
pāśa — noose and aṅkuśa dhāriṇam—bearer of the goad. the noose symbolizes freedom from worldly bondage, and the goad is considered a tool for attraction of the world. just as a maddened elephant is controlled by placing a goad on its head, similarly, svachchandanāth holds the goad in his hand to bring a person, maddened by sensual pleasures, back to their true nature.
devaṁ — radiant, śarahastaṁ—holding an arrow in the hand, pinākinam—and a bow. the arrows are held to scatter lust and desire. the bow held by svachchandanāth is called ‘pināka,’ which performs the functions of ruling, protecting, restraining, and digesting.