Philosophy and Religion / Arthur Avalon: The Garland of Letters

Arthur Avalon

The Garland of Letters: Foreword

Studies in The Mantra-Sastra by Sir John Woodroffe with a Foreword by Prof. T. M. P. Mahadevan, M.A., PH.D. University of Madras.

SIR JOHN WOODROFFE (Arthur Avalon) was instrumental in removing many of the cobwebs of ignorance that had come to cluster round the Śakta philosophy and practice. The decent Indian mind that had developed a deep-seated prejudice against the Tantras became awake to their excellence after the pioneering work of this great foreigner. By editing the original Sanskrit texts, as also by publishing essays on the different aspects of Śaktism, he showed that this cult had a profound philosophy behind it, and that there was nothing irrational or obscurantist about the technique of worship it recommends.

The philosophy of Śaktism is a kind of non-dualism (advaita), similar to that of Kashmir Śaivism. In both the systems, the highest Reality is styled Śiva-Śakti. Śiva and Śakti are not different; they are one. Śiva is consciousness as stasis (cit); Śakti is consciousness as dynamis (cid-rūpiṇī). Śiva is pure awareness, which is the ground of all existence. Through his Parā Śakti, he effects the manifestation of the universe. He is the sole and whole cause of the world. Only, he becomes the cause, not in his aspect as stasis, but through his dynamic aspect which is spoken of as his feminine part. The main difference between Kashmir Śaivism and Śaktism is that while the former lays relatively greater stress on the Śiva-aspect, the latter emphasizes more the Śakti. Between the Śaiva and Śakta philosophy on the one hand, and Advaita-Vedānta on the other, there is close kinship. Advaita too teaches that the ultimate Reality is non-dual, and that it is of the nature of pure consciousness. But, for it the world­ process is not real. The world, according to Advaita, is māyika, illusory appearance. The theory of world­ appearance is here called vivarta-vāda. The corresponding doctrine of the Śaiva and Śakta schools is known as ābhāsa-vāda. According to this view, the universe consists of appearances which are all real in the sense that they are aspects of the ultimate Reality.

Evolution, we are told, is the result of self-move­ment (spanda) on the part of Śiva-Śakti. It is the movement of God that brings about the distinctions of word (śabda), object (artha), and cognition (pratyaya). These three are, in fact, aspects of God's primal energy. It is the causal impetus of the Divine that makes them emerge out of itself. The world of sounds, things, and thoughts is the self-manifestation of the non-dual Spirit.

The line of evolution is from the subtle to the gross. The Reality in itself - Para Śiva - is transcendent; it is beyond the levels of Matter, Life, and Mind. It is without parts (niṣkala), without activity (niṣkriya), and beyond the reach of word (aśabda), and mind (amanaska). The same Reality as the cause of the world-process is called Parameśvara (the Supreme Lord). From Parameśvara arise at first the five cate­gories of pure (śuddha) creation; and then begins the course of finitization consisting in the emergence of the thirty-one categories composing impure (aśuddha) creation.

The five categories (tattvas) of the pure creation are: (1) Śiva-tattva, (2) Śakti-tattva, (3) Sadāśiva or Sādākhya-tattva, (4) Īśvara-tattva, and (5) Śuddhavidyā-­tattva. The first, Śiva-tattva, is the first in the order of world-evolution. Here the predominant aspect of power is Consciousness (cit). The second, Śakti-tattva, is not a subordinate of the first; it is more properly to be regarded as its co-ordinate, manifesting mainly the aspect of bliss (ānanda). The third, Sadāśiva-tattva, is the stage where the experience of being (sat) begins. Here, it is the power of will (icchā), that is dominant. At the next stage which is Īśvara-tattva, the power of knowledge (jñāna) figures prominently; and at the final stage, śuddhavidyā-tattva, it is the power of action (kriyā) that functions as the dominating influence. Interpreted philosophically, these five stages or cate­gories represent the gradual differentiation in the pure Experience, which subsequently serves as the basis of the evolution of the pluralistic universe. At first there is only the distinctionless experience. Into this the condition of distinction is introduced by Śakti. When we reach the Sadāśiva-tattva, the experience of the form ‘I am this' arises with the emphasis on I. At the next level of Īśvara-tattva, the stress is on the this: `this am I.' In order that the universe of minds and objects may emerge, there should be a balance between this and I. This is what is obtained at the stage of śuddhavidyā. Here in the experience `I am this' the two get equalized. It is in such an experience that there is activity and movement of thought.

Up to Śuddhavidyā what we have is only ideal creation. It is after this, and with Māyā, that there commences actual creation - the creation that is called impure. Māyā, which is the first of the thirty-one categories of impure creation, is the power of obscuration. It obscures the infinite spirit, and makes possible the rise of a plurality of souls and things. The limitless Experience gets limited as regards both the experiences and the experienced, the `I' and the `this'. The next five categories called kañcukas (constrictors) constitute the ways in which the limitation is brought about. Kāla is temporal limitation. Niyati is restriction in regard to space. Rāga is attachment to particular things. Vidyā is limited knowledge. Kalā is limited agency. As enveloped in these kañcukas, the soul (puruṣa) arises. This is the seventh category. The eighth is prakṛti which is the corresponding limitation on the objective side. From this, the rest of the evolution appears, almost as in the Sāṇkhya scheme. Buddhi (intellect), ahaṁkāra (individuation or egoity), and manas, (mind) come into manifestation in sequence. From ahaṁkāra, there are evolved besides manas, the five organs of sense (jñānendriyas) the five organs of action (karmendriyas), and the five essences of elements (tanmātras). Out of the last five emerge the five gross elements which are ether, air, fire, water, and earth.

So far we have been speaking of the evolution of the world of things (artha-prapañca). It should be noted that there is a similar evolution of the world of sounds (śabda-prapañca). In this context Parameśvara is Śabda­Brahman. The entire world is said to be born of Śabda (śabda-prabhava). Here also the line of evolution is from the subtle to the gross. Corresponding to the five categories of pure creation there are five stages of the emanation of sound. The first is Parā which is absolutely supreme and subtle. The second is Paśyantī which is less subtle but still undifferentiated. The third is Madhyamā which is grosser and undifferentiated, though not articulate. Articulate sound is called Vaikharī. This is of two forms: subtle and gross. It is from Vaikharī that all the letters (varṇa), syllables (pada) and sentences (vākya) are manifested.

Parā which resides in the Śiva-tattva represents the first movement of Śabda. This is also called Nāda-tattva. Paśyantī stands for Śakti-tattva which is known as Bindu-­tattva. Nāda and Bindu are the complements of the ultimate potency of creation. From these arise what is known as the Tribindu or Kāmakalā which is the root of all mantras. The three Bindus are the white (sita), red (śoṇa) and mixed (miśra). These are the effect-Bindus in relation to the original Mahā-bindu. They are also referred to as Bindu, Nāda ¹ and Bīja, and represent respectively the Prakāśa (effulgence), Vimarśa (distinction), and Prakāśa-vimarśa (combination of both) aspects of the Lord's Power. In Tāntrika ritual they are designated Caraṇa-tritaya (the three Feet). A host of correspondences are made with the three Bindus: e.g., (1) Moon, Fire and Sun; (2) icchā, jñāna, and kriyā; (3) Vāmā, Jyeṣṭhā, and Raudrī; (4) Brahma, Viṣṇu, and Rudra. The three Bindus constitute symbolically the points of a triangle. It is the icchā (desire), jñāna (knowledge) and kriyā (action) of the universal Being, represented by Moon, Fire and Sun, that are responsible for world-creation. The Sun is technically spoken of as Kāma, and the Moon and Fire together as Kalā. So, the great triangle is Kāmakalā. From Kāma-kalā arise the subtle śabdas called Mātṛkās (the little Mothers); and from them the gross śabdas, viz., letters (varṇa), words (pada), and sentences (vākya).

The three lines constituting the Kāma-kalā triangle are named after Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Rudra. The letters of the Sanskrit alphabet are distributed thus: 16 letters from a to the Brahmā line; 16 letters from ka to the Viṣṇu line; 16 letters from tha, to the Rudra line; and the remaining three letters, ḷa, ha, and kṣa to the three corners.

Śabda is said to be of the nature of varṇa (letters) and dhvani (sounds). The latter may be regarded as the manifester of the former. Each element or category of the universe has its own natural sound which is called its bīja (seed). For example, the sounds of the five elements, ether, air, fire, water, and earth, are haṁ, yaṁ, raṁ, vaṁ, and laṁ, respectively. The typal sounds are said to be eternal, as also the relation between them and their objects. These sounds may themselves constitute mantras, or by mutual combination. A mantra is so called because it saves one who meditates on its significance. Each mantra has its devatā; and each devatā has its mantra. For instance, the mantra of Mother Kālī is krīṁ, and of Māyā or Śakti, hrīṁ. The significance of hrīṁ, e.g., is that it is composed of the letters ha, ra, ī, and ma, representing respectively ākaśa (ether), agni (fire), ardhanārīśvara, and nādabindu. Even the word ahaṁ is a mantra: a = Śiva; ha = Śakti; a + ha (with nādabindu, viz., ṁ) = ahaṁ = I. The breathing process consisting of inspiration and expiration constitutes the mantra, haṁ + sa. The queen of all mantras, and their source as well, is Oṁ composed of the letters, a, u, m. There is a whole literature on the significance of Oṁ, and on the technique of meditation thereon. And, there is the grand conception of the World-Mother wearing the garland of letters.

Mantra-sādhana is an essential part of spiritual discipline. The most potent way of realizing a devatā is with the help of the bīja-mantra. And when an aspirant gets devoted to the highest of all mantras, viz., Oṁ (Praṇava), and meditates thereon, he reaches eventually the goal of life which is mokṣa.

T. M. P. MAHADEVAN
Madras, March 13, 1953

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