Summary of the Contents of the Volume IVof Abhinavaguptas Sri Tantraloka and Other Minor Works First Time

e English translation with Sanskrit texts By Professor Satya Prakash Singh and Swami Maheshvarananda ISBN 978-81-87471-80-6 (Vol. IV) ISBN 978-81-87471-86-8 (Set) Published by Mohindra K. Vashistha for STANDARD PUBLISHERS (INDIA) 205, Kiran Mansion, 2nd Floor, 4834/24 Main Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi-110 002 (India) Tel. No. 91-011-23240594, 23240593 91-9871009093 (M) Tele FAX - 011-23272338 E-mail: standardpublishersindia@gmail.com mkvsr9@gmail.com Website: http://www.indianbooksworldwide.com

This Volume has four Chapters, namely, 10, 11, 12 and 13. CHAPTER 10: 1. This Chapter is devoted to the analysis and enumeration of the basic essences of the system known as the path of tattvas, tattvdhvan. 2. 3. 4. 5. iva has been determined here as praka ghana, sheer consciousness and hence luminous. Necessity of combination of the viewpoints of Kumrila and Prabhkar in regard to knowability of the object. Knowability and existence as correlated with each other. Definition of sakala and jnkala, etc.

6. Concept of mantra, mantrevara and mantra-mahevara as forces of iva of the nature of will, knowledge and action. 7. Limitations of Vaiava aspirants.

8. The earth is iva owing to being pervaded by the light of iva. 9. Definition of pralayakevala.

10. Pudgala as sakala. 11. Elimination of breath-moments, tutis, in increasing the clarity of consciousness. 12. Attainment of proximity to consciousness through introversion.

13. There is no space for graduality in consciousness. 14. Idea of sarvato-bhadra yogin. 15. Features of the four states of consciousness. 16. Possibility of the individual getting redeemed through the understanding of iva as transcendent to worldliness, autonomous and self-reliant. CHAPTER 11: 1. 2. This Chapter deals with the position of time in the state of iva being all-in-all. The number of basic essences of the system are thirty-eight including iva Himself.

3. Consciousness is the creatrix of the creation. It is self-luminous. It, indeed, is the space of consciousness, cid vyoma. It lies in transcendence of all the qualities of perceptibility, including smell, taste, heat, touch and sound. 4. 5. 6. Elements of approach adhavan, to the Reality are nine, namely, prakti, purua, yati, kla, my, vidy, a, Sadiva and iva. The number of constituents of the system excluding iva and akti correspond to the number of sounds in the alphabet including consonants along with vowels. The alpbhabet is treated as the companion of consciousness.

7. The world is seen in the space of consciousness of iva as snake, rosary or wave in the physical space. 8. 9. Towns, oceans, mountains, etc. are the follow-up of the will of Lord iva being in themselves neither real nor unreal, neither cause nor effect. There is no scope for time and space in the expanse of consciousness since it is eternal.

10. The world is a matter of sakalpa, ideation and determination of the individual. It has no base behind it. CHAPTER 12: 1. 2. This Chapter deals with the problem of transformation or rather restoration of the atomised individual into or to iva. The way to this end is the offering of every event and object to iva by way of devotion to Him culminating in his oneness with Him with all His boundlessness, eternity, purity of consciousness and the creative will, understanding and forcefulness.

CHAPTER 13: 1. This Chapter is devoted to the idea of descent of the Force of Consciousness. 2. Ignorance is not total absence of knowledge. It is rather travesty of knowledge.

3. 4.

Descent of Force is the state when the inhibitive force of ignorance gets eliminated by the ingression of the rays of knowledge of iva. It is the homogeneous nature of action which on the will of iva forms the ground for the descent of the Force of consciousness.

5. Virtues like renunciation, etc. have little to do in this respect. 6. 7. 8. 9. It is due to the desire of self-concealment of iva that there is malady in the world. Devotion to iva without any ulterior motive is the way to get the Force of consciousness descend on the aspirant. There are several categories of descent of the Force of consciousness, namely, intensive, middling and low. Descent of the Force of consciousness through intuition is redemptive.

10. Descent of the Force of consciousness as beneficial in developing the power of discretion. 11. Discretion is supramental and independent of intellection. 12. Provision of the pra-har initiation for one close to the point of death. 13. Viu and other deities prove beneficial to their devotees by virtue of having been empowered by iva. 14. Instead of remaining contented with one teacher, the real aspirant of knowledge and understanding needs to move from teacher to teacher like the black bee flying from flower to flower for getting the smell of its choice. This practice is very much true of Abhinavagupta himself as is obvious from his references to many a teacher in his quest for the kind of knowledge he has brought to bear in his magnum opus.