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Chapter Twenty-four

Shakti as Mantra (Mantramayi Shakti)

This is in every way both a most important, as well as a

most difficult, subject in the Tantra Shastra; so difficultthat it is not understood, and on this account has been

ridiculed. Mantra, in the words of a distinguished

Indian, has been called "meaningless jabber". hen we

find Indians thus tal!ing of their Shastra, it is not

surprising that uropeans should ta!e it to be of no

account. They naturally, though erroneously, suppose

that the Indian always understands his own beliefs, and

if he says they are absurd it is ta!en that they are so.

ven, however, amongst Indians, who have lost

themselves through an nglish ducation, the Science

of Mantra is largely un!nown. There are not manystudents of the Mimamsa now#a#days. The nglish#

educated have in this, as in other matters, generally

ta!en the cue from their estern $urus, and passed

upon Mantravidya a borrowed condemnation. There are

those among them %particularly in this part of India&,

those who have in the past thought little of their oldculture, and have been only too willing to sell their old

lamps for new ones. 'ecause they are new they will not

always be found to give better light. (et us hope this

will change, as indeed it will. 'efore the Indian

condemns his cultural inheritance let him at least first

study and understand it. It is true that Mantra is

meaningless ## to those who do not know its

meaning;but to those who do, it is not ")abber"; though


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of course li!e everything else it may become, and

indeed has become, the subject of ignorance and

superstitious use. * telegram written in code in a

merchant+s office will seem the merest gibberish to

those who do not !now that code. Those who do may

spell thereout a transaction bringing la!hs of "real"

upees for those who have sent it. Mantravidya,

whether it be true or not, is a profoundly conceived

science, and, as interpreted by the Sha!ta *gama, is a

practical application of -edantic doctrine.

The tetual source of Mantras is to be found in the

-edas %see in particular the Mantra portion of the

*tharvaveda so associated with the Tantra Shastra&, the

/uranas and Tantras. The latter Scripture is essentially

the Mantra#Shastra. In fact it is so called generally bySadha!as and not Tantra Shastra. *nd so it is said of all

the Shastras, symboli0ed as a body, that Tantra Shastra

which consists of Mantra is the /aramatma, the -edas

are the )ivatma, 1arshanas or systems of philosophy are

the senses, /uranas are the body and the Smritis are the

limbs. Tantra Shastra is thus the Sha!ti of2onsciousness consisting of Mantra. 3or, as

the Vishvasara Tantra %2h. 4& says, the /arabrahman in

Its form as the Sound 'rahman %Shabda#'rahman or

Saguna#'rahman&, whose substance is all Mantra,

eists in the body of the )ivatma.. 5undalini Sha!ti is a

form of the Shabda#'rahman in individual

bodies (Sharada-Tilaka, 2h. 6&. It is from this Shabda#

'rahman that the whole universe proceeds in the form


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of sound %Shabda& and the objects %*rtha& which sounds

or words denote. *nd this is the meaning of the

statement that the 1evi and the 7niverse are composed

of letters, that is, the signs for the sounds which denote

all that is.

*t any point in the flow of phenomena, we can enter

the stream, and reali0e therein the changeless eal. The

latter is everywhere and is in all things, and hidden in,

and manifested by, sound as by all else. *ny form %and

all which is not the 3ormless is that& can be pierced by

the mind, and union may be had therein with the 1evata

who is at its core. It matters not what that form may be.

*nd why8 hat I have said concerning Sha!ti gives the

answer. *ll is Sha!ti. *ll is 2onsciousness. e desire to

thin! and spea!. This is Iccha Sha!ti. e ma!e aneffort towards reali0ation. This is 5riya Sha!ti. e

thin! and !now. This is )9ana Sha!ti. Through

/ranavayu, another form of Sha!ti, we spea!; and the

word we utter is Sha!ti Mantramayi. 3or what is a letter

%-arna& which is made into syllable %/ada& and

sentences %-a!ya& +8 It may be heard in speech, thusaffecting the sense of hearing. It may be seen as a form

in writing. It may be tactually sensed by the blind

through the perforated dots of 'raille type. The same

thing thus affecting the various senses. 'ut what is the

thing which does so8 The senses are Sha!ti, and so is

the objective form which evo!es the sensation. 'oth are

in themselves Sha!ti as 2it Sha!ti and Maya Sha!ti,

and the Svarupa of these is 2it or 3eeling#


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2onsciousness. hen, therefore, a Mantra is reali0ed,

when there is what is called in the Shastra Mantra#

2aitanya, what happens is the union of the

consciousness of the Sadha!a with that 2onsciousness

which manifests in the form of the Mantra. It is this

union which ma!es the Mantra "wor!".

The subject is of such importance in the Tantras that

their other name is Mantra Shastra. 'ut what is a

Mantra8 2ommonly :rientalists and others describe

Mantra as "/rayer," "3ormulae of worship," "Mystic

syllables" and so forth. These are but the superficialities

of those who do not !now their subject. herever we

find the word "Mystic," we may be on our guard; for it

is a word which covers much ignorance. Thus Mantra is

said to be a "mystic" word, antra a "mystic" diagram,and Mudra a "mystic" gesture. 'ut have these

definitions taught us anything8


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of understanding. 3or there is nothing necessarily holy

or prayerful alone in Mantras as some thin!. Some

combinations of letters constitute prayers and are called

Mantras, as for instance the most celebrated $ayatri

Mantra.

* Mantra is not the same thing as prayer or self#

dedication %*tma#nivedana&. /rayer is conveyed in the

words the Sadha!a chooses. *ny set of words or letters

is not a Mantra. :nly that Mantra in which the 1evata

has revealed >is or >er particular aspects can reveal

that aspect, and is therefore the Mantra of that one of

>is or >er particular aspects. The relations of the letters

%-arna&, whether vowel or consonant,


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5ula!undalini %see 2hapter on the same& which is a

name for the Shabda#'rahman or Saguna#'rahman in

individual bodies. /roduced Shabda is an aspect of the

)iva+s vital Sha!ti. 5undalini is the Sha!ti who gives

life to the )iva. She it is who in the Muladhara 2a!ra

%or basal bodily center& is the cause of the sweet,

indistinct and murmuring 1hvani which is compared to

the humming of a blac! bee. Thence Shabda originates

and, being first /ara, gradually manifests upwards as

/ashyanti, Madhyama, -ai!hari %seepost). )ust as inouter space, waves of sound are produced by

movements of air %-ayu&, so in the space within the

)iva+s body, waves of sound are said to be produced

according to the movements of the vital air %/ranavayu&

and the process of in and out breathing. *s the Svarupa

of 5undali, in whom are all sounds, is /aramatma, sothe substance of all Mantra, >er manifestation, is

2onsciousness %2it& manifesting as letters and words. In

fact, the letters of the *lphabet which are called

*!shara are nothing but the antra of the *!shara or

Imperishable 'rahman. This is however only reali0ed

by the Sadha!a, when his Sha!ti generated by Sadhana

is united with Mantra#Sha!ti. 5undalini, who is

etremely subtle, manifests in gross %Sthula& form in

differing aspects as different 1evatas. It is this gross

form which is the /residing 1eity %*dishthatri 1evata&

of a Mantra, though it is the subtle %Su!shma& form atwhich all Sadha!as aim. Mantra and 1evata are thus

one and particular forms of 'rahman as Shiva#Sha!ti.


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Therefore the Shastra says that they go to >ell who

thin! that the Image %or "Idol" as it is commonly called&

is but a stone and the Mantra merely letters of the

alphabet. It is therefore also ignorance of Shastric

principle which supposes that Mantra is merely the

name for the words in which one epresses what one

has to say to the 1ivinity. If it were, the Sadha!a might

choose his own language without recourse to the eternal

and determined sounds of Shastra. %See generally as to

the above the 2hapter on Mantra#tattva inPrinciples ofTantra, d. *. *valon.& The particular Mantra of a

1evata is that 1evata. * Mantra, on the contrary,

consists of certain letters arranged in definite se?uence

of sounds of which the letters are the representative

signs. To produce the designed effect, the Mantra must

be intoned in the proper way, according to both sound%-arna& and rhythm %Svara&. 3or these reasons, a

Mantra when translated ceases to be such, and becomes

a mere word or sentence.

'y Mantra, the sought#for %Sadhya& 1evata appears,

and by Siddhi therein is had vision of the three worlds.*s the Mantra is in fact 1evata, by practice thereof this

is !nown.


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Shrin! devi pravaksh"ami #i$anam

deva-r!patam

%antrochcharanamatrena deva-

r!pam pra$a"ate.

Mantrasiddhi is the ability to ma!e a Mantra efficacious

and to gather its fruit in which case the Sadha!a is

Mantra#siddha. *s the /ranatoshini %@6A& says,

"hatever the Sadha!a desires that he surely obtains."

hilst therefore prayer may end in merely physical

sound, Mantra is ever, when rightly said, a potent

compelling force, a word of power effective both to

produce material gain and accomplish worldly desires,

as also to promote the fourth aim of sentient being

%2aturvarga&, *dvaitic !nowledge, and liberation. *nd

thus it is said that Siddhi %success& is the certain resultof )apa or recitation of Mantra.

Some Mantras constitute also what the uropean would

call "prayers," as for instance the celebrated $ayatri.

'ut neither this nor any other Mantra is simply a prayer.

The $ayatri runs &m %The thought is directed tothe three-fold 'nerg" of the &ne as represented by the

three letters of which &m is composed, namely, * or

'rahma, the Sha!ti which creates; 7 or -ishnu, the

Sha!ti which maintains; and M or udra, the Sha!ti

which "destroys," that is, withdraws the world&=


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contemplate !pon the *dora#le Spirit of the +ivine

reator who is in the form of the S!n %*ditya#

1evata&.%ap e direct o!r minds, towards attainment

of the fo!r-fold aims %1harma, *rtha, 5ama,

Mo!sha& of all sentient #eings. &m. This great Mantra

bears a meaning on its face, though the 2ommentaries

eplain and amplify it. The Self of all which eists in

the three regions appears in the form of the Sun#god

with >is body of fire. The 'rahman is the cause of all,

and as the visible 1evata is the ye of the orld andthe Ma!er of the day who vivifies, ripens and reveals

all beings and things. The Sun#god is to the sun what

the Spirit %*tma& is to the body. >e is the Supreme in

the form of the great (uminary. >is body is the (ight of

the world, and >e >imself is the (ight of the lives of all

beings. >e is everywhere. >e is in the outer ether as thesun, and in the inner ethereal region of the heart. >e is

the ondrous (ight which is the smo!eless 3ire. >e it

is who is in constant play with creation %Srishti&,

maintenance %Sthiti& and "destruction" %/ralaya&; and by

>is radiance pleases both eye and mind. (et us adore

>im that we may escape the misery of birth and death.

May >e ever direct our minds %'uddhivritti& upon the

path of the world %Trivarga& and liberation %Mo!sha&.

:nly the twice#born castes and men may utter this

$ayatri. To the Shudra, whether man or woman, and to

women of all castes, it is forbidden. 'ut the TantraShastra has not the eclusiveness of the -aidi! system.

Thus the%ahanirvanaprovides %I-. 6BA#666& a


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'rahma#gayatri for all= "May we !now the Supreme

(ord. (et us contemplate the Supreme ssence. *nd

may the 'rahman direct us." *ll will readily understand

such Mantras as the $ayatri, though some comment,

which is thought amusing, has been made on the

"meaningless" &m. I have already stated what it means,

namely, %shortly spea!ing& the nergy %


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particular 1evata aspects of that which is presented as a

whole in m. *s a Mantra#Shastra, the Tantras have

greatly elaborated the 'ijas, and thus incurred the

charge of "gibberish," for such the 'ijas sound to those

who do not !now what they mean. Though a Mantra

such as a 'ija#mantra may not convey its meaning on

its face, the initiate !nows that its meaning is the own

form %Svarupa& of the particular 1evata whose Mantra

it is, and that the essence of the 'ija is that which

ma!es letters sound, and eists in all which we say orhear. very Mantra is thus a particular sound form

%upa& of the 'rahman. There are a very large number

of these short unetymological vocables or 'ijas such as

>rim, Shrim, 5rim, >um, >um, /hat called by various

names. Thus the first is called the Maya 'ija, the

second (a!shmi 'ija, the third 5ali 'ija, the fourth5urca 'ija, the fifth -arma 'ija, the sith *stra 'ija.

am is *gni 'ija, m is oni 'ija, 5lim is 5ama 'ija,

Shrim is 'adhu 'ija, *im Sarasvati 'ija and so forth.

ach 1evata has >is or >er 'ija. Thus >rim is the

Maya 'ija, 5rim the 5ali 'ija. The 'ija is used in the

worship of the 1evata whose Mantra it is. *ll these

'ijas mentioned are in common use. There are a large

number of others, some of which are formed with the

first letters of the name of the 1evata for whom they

stand, such as $am for $anesha, 1um for 1urga.

(et us then shortly see by eamples what the meaning

of such a 'ija is. %3or a fuller account see my arland

of etters.) In the first place, the reader will observe the


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common ending "m" which represents the Sans!rit

breathings !nown as rim D > E E I E

M. > D Shiva. D Sha!ti /ra!riti. I D Mahamaya. "M"

is as above eplained, but is here stated in the form thater Turiya or

transcendent state is


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worshipping the 1evi with >rim, by that 'ija calls to

mind the transcendent Sha!ti who is the causal body of

the subtle and gross bodies of all eisting things. Shrim,

%see 'arada Tantra& is used in the worship of (a!shmi

1evi. Sh D *lahala!smi, D ealth %1hanartham&

which as well as I D %satisfaction or Tushtyartham& She

gives. 5rim is used in the worship of 5ali. 5 D 5ali

%Sha!ti worshipped for relief from the world and its

sorrows&. D 'rahma %Shiva with whom She is ever

associated&. I D Mahamaya %>er aspect in which Sheovercomes for the Sadha!a the Maya in which as

2reatri She has involved him&. "*im" is used in the

worship of Sarasvati and is -agbhava 'ija. 1um is used

in the worship of 1urga. 1 D 1urga. 7 D protection.

er aspect as Mother of the 7niverse, and

'indu is its (ord. The Sadha!a as!s 1urga as Mother#(ord to protect him, and loo!s on >er in her protecting

aspect as upholder of the universe %)agaddhatri&. In

"Strim." S D saving from difficulty. T D deliverer. D

%here& liberation %Mu!tyartho repha u!to+tra&. I D

Mahamaya. 'indu D 1ispeller of grief. um and

>um the former of which is called -arma %armor& 'ija

and the latter 5urca, > denoting Shiva and "u", >is'hairava or formidable aspect %see generally -ol. I,

Tantri! Tets. Tantrabhidhana&. >e is an armor to the


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Sadha!a by >is destruction of evil. /hat is the weapon

or guarding Mantra used with >um, just as Svaha %the

Sha!ti of 3ire&, is used with -ashat, in ma!ing

offerings. The primary Mantra of a 1evata is called

Mula#Mantra. Mantras are solar %Saura& and masculine,

and lunar %Saumya& and feminine, as also neuter. If it be

as!ed why things of mind are given se, the answer is

for the sa!e of the re?uirements of the worshipper. The

masculine and neuter forms are called specifically

Mantra and the feminine -idya, though the first termmay be used for both.


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sentient being as happiness in the world and eternal

bliss in (iberation. Mantra is thus Thought#movement

vehicled by, and epressed in, speech. Its Svarupa is,

li!e all else, consciousness %2it& which is the Shabda#

'rahman. * Mantra is not merely sound or letters. This

is a form in which Sha!ti manifests >erself. The mere

utterance of a Mantra without !nowing its meaning,

without reali0ation of the consciousness which Mantra

manifests is a mere movement of the lips and nothing

else. e are then in the outer hus! of consciousness;just as we are when we identify ourselves with any

other form of gross matter which is, as it were, the

"crust" %as a friend of mine has aptly called it& of those

subtler forces which emerge from the oni or 2ause of

all, who is, in >erself 2onsciousness %2idrupini&. hen

the Sadha!a !nows the meaning of the Mantra hema!es an advance. 'ut this is not enough. >e must,

through his consciousness, reali0e that 2onsciousness

which appears in the form of the Mantra, and thus attain

Mantra#2aitanya. *t this point, thought is vitali0ed by

contact with the center of all thin!ing. *t this point

again thought becomes truly vital and creative. Then an

effect is created by the reali0ation thus induced.

The creative power of thought is now receiving

increasing acceptance in the est, which is in some

cases ta!ing over, and in others, discovering anew, for

itself, what was thought by the ancients in India.

'ecause they have discovered it anew, they call it "


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7panishads which said, "what you thin! that you

become". *ll recogni0e this principle in the limited

form that a man who thin!s good becomes good, and he

who is ever harboring bad thought becomes bad. 'ut

the Indian and "


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wor! in, and manifest as, the universe. This is the basal

doctrine of all magic, of all powers %Siddhi& including

the greatest Siddhi which is (iberation itself. >e who

!nows 'rahman, becomes 'rahman to the etent of his

"!nowing". Thought#reading, thought#transference,

hypnotic suggestion, magical projections %Mo!shana&

and shields %$rahana& are becoming !nown and

practiced in the est, not always with good results. 3or

this reason some doctrines and practices are !ept

concealed. /rojection %Mo!shana& the occultist willunderstand. 'ut $rahana, I may here eplain, is not so

much a "fence" in the estern sense, to which use a

5avaca is put, but the !nowledge of how to "catch" a

Mantra thus projected. * stone thrown at one may be

warded off or caught and, if the person so wishes,

thrown bac! at him who threw it. So may a Mantra. It isnot necessary, however, to do so. Those who are

sheltered by their own pure strength, automatically

throw bac! all evil influences, which, coming bac! to

the ill#wisher, harm or destroy him. Those familiar with

the estern presentment of similar matters will more

readily understand than others who, li!e the :rientalist

and Missionary, as a rule !now nothing of occultism

and regard it as superstition. 3or this reason their

presentment of Indian teaching is so often ignorant and

absurd. The occultist, however, will understand the

Indian doctrine which regards thought li!e mind, ofwhich it is the operation, as a /ower or Sha!ti;

something therefore, very real and creative by which


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man can accomplish things for himself and others. 5ind

thoughts, without a word, will do good to all who

surround us, and may travel round the world to distant

friends. So we may suffer from the ill#wishes of those

who surround us, even if such wishes do not materiali0e

into deeds. Telepathy is the transference of thought

from a distance without the use of the ordinary sense

organs. So, in initiation, the thought of a true $uru may

pass to his disciple all his powers. Mantra is thus a

Sha!ti %Mantra Sha!ti& which lends itself impartially toany use. Man can identify himself with any of nature+s

forces and for any end. Thus, to deal with the physical

effects of Mantra, it may be used to injure, !ill or do

good; by Mantra again a !ind of union with the physical

Sha!ti is, by some, said to be effected. So the Vishn!-

P!rana spea!s of generation by will power, as someesterners believe will be the case when man passes

beyond the domination of his gross sheath and its

physical instruments. 2hildren will then again be

"mind#born". 'y Mantra, the >oma fire may, it is said,

be lit. 'y Mantra, again, in the Tantri! initiation called

-edha#di!sha there is, it is said, such a transference of

power from the $uru to his disciple that the latter

swoons under the impulse of the thought#power which

pierces him. 'ut Mantra is also that by which man

identifies himself with That which is the $round of all.

In short, Mantra is a power %Sha!ti& in the form of ideaclothed with sound. hat, however, is not yet

understood in the est is the particular Thought#


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science which is Mantravidya, or its basis. Much of the

"


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nor Sha!ti alone suffices for creation. Shivarupa here D

Svarupa. *ham ityevama!aram, that is, the form %or

eperience& which consists in the notion of "I". Sha!ti

is the pure mirror for the manifestation of Shiva+s

eperience as "I" %*ham&. *ham ityevam rupam

j9anam tasya pra!a#shane nirmaladarshah; as the

commentator ere I

only summari0e conclusions.

Shabda literally means and is usually translated"sound," the word coming from the root Sha#d "to

sound". It must not, however, be wholly identified with

sound in the sense of that which is heard by the ear, or

sound as effect of cosmic stress. Sound in this sense is

the effect produced through ecitation of the ear and

brain, by vibrations of the atmosphere between certain

limits. Sound so understood eists only with the sense

organs of hearing. *nd even then it may be perceived


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by some and not by others, due to !eenness or

otherwise of natural hearing. 3urther the best ears will

miss what the microphone gives. 2onsidering Shabda

from its primary or causal aspect, independent of the

effect which it may or may not produce on the sense

organs, it is vibration %Spandana& of any !ind or

motion, which is not merely physical motion, which

may become sound for human ears, given the eistence

of ear and brain and the fulfillment of other physical

conditions. Thus, Shabda is the possibility of sound,and may not be actual sound for this individual or that.

There is thus Shabda wherever there is motion or

vibration of any !ind. It is now said, that the electrons

revolve in a sphere of positive electrification at an

enormous rate of motion. If the arrangement be stable,

we have an atom of matter. If some of the electrons arepitched off from the atomic system, what is called

radio#activity is observed. 'oth these rotating and

shooting electrons are forms of vibration as Shabda,

though it is no sound for mortal ears. To a 1ivine ar

all such movements would constitute the "music of the

spheres". ere the human ear subtle enough, a living

tree would present itself to it in the form of a particular

sound which is the natural word for that tree. It is said

of ether %*!asha& that its $una or ?uality is sound

%Shabda&; that is, ether is the possibility of Spandana or

vibration of any !ind. It is that state of the primordial"material" substance %/ra!riti& which ma!es motion or

vibration of any !ind possible %Shabdaguna a!ashah&.


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The 'rahman Svarupa or 2it is motionless. It is also

!nown as 2ida!asha. 'ut this *!asha is not created.

2ida!asha is the 'rahman in which stress of any !ind

manifests itself, a condition from which the whole

creation proceeds. This 2ida!asha is !nown as the

Shabda#'rahman through its Maya#sha!ti, which is the

cause of all vibrations manifesting themselves as sound

to the ear, as touch to the tactile sense, as color and

form to the eye, as taste to the tongue and as odor to the

nose. *ll mental functioning again is a form ofvibration %Spandana&. Thought is a vibration of mental

substance just as the epression of thought in the form

of the spo!en word is a vibration affecting the ear. *ll

Spandana presupposes heterogeneity %-aishamya&.

Movement of any !ind implies ine?uality of tensions.

lectric current flows between two points because thereis a difference of potential between them. 3luid flows

from one point to another because there is difference of

pressure. >eat travels because there is difference of

temperature. In creation %Srishti& this condition of

heterogeneity appears and renders motion possible.

*!asha is the possibility of Spandana of any !ind.

>ence its precedence in the order of creation. *!asha

means 'rahman with Maya, which Mayasha!ti or %to

use the words of /rofessor /.


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the periodic law which is a fundamental postulate of

Indian cosmogony& returns to homogeneity when in

conse?uence *!asha disappears. This disappearance

means that Sha!ti is e?uilibrated, and that therefore

there is no further possibility of motion of any !ind. *s

the Tantras say, the 1ivine Mother becomes one with

/aramashiva.

The Sharada says ## 3rom the Sa!ala /arameshvara

who is Sacchidananda issued Sha!ti; from Sha!ti came


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*rddhacandra which develops into 'indu. 'oth of these

are in Ishvara Tattva. This Mahabindu is threefold as

the 5ama!ala. The undifferentiated Shabda#'rahman or

'rahman as the immediate cause of the manifested

Shabda and *rtha is a unity of consciousness %2aitanya&

which then epresses itself in three#fold function as the

three Sha!tis, Iccha, )9ana, 5riya; the three $unas,

Sattva, ajas, Tamas; the three 'indus %5aryya& which

are Sun, Moon and 3ire; the three 1evatas, udra,

-ishnu, 'rahma and so forth. These are the product ofthe union of /ra!asha and -imarsha Sha!ti. This

Triangle of 1ivine 1esire is the 5ama!ala, or 2reative

ill and its first subtle manifestation, the 2ause of the

7niverse which is personified as the $reat 1evi

Tripurasundari, the 5ameshvara and 5ameshvari, the

object of worship in the *gamas. 5ama!alavilasa, aseplained in the wor! of that name, is the manifestation

of the union of Shiva and Sha!ti, the great "I" %*ham&

which develops through the inherent power of its

thought#activity %-imarsha#Sha!ti& into the universe,

un!nowing as )iva its true nature and the secret of its

growth through *vidya Sha!ti. >ere then there appears

the duality of subject and object; of mind and matter, of

the word %Shabda& and its meaning %*rtha&. The one is

not the cause of the other, but each is inseparable from,

and concomitant with, the other as a bifurcation of the

undifferentiated unity of Shabda#'rahman whence theyproceed. The one cosmic movement produces at the

same time the mind and the object which it cogni0es;


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names %


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/ashyanti Shabda or Sha!ti of general movements

%Samanya Spanda& located in the tract from the

Muladhara to the Manipura associated with Manas. It

then in the tract upwards to the *nahata becomes

Madhyama or >iranyagarbha sound with particulari0ed

movement %-ishesha Spanda& associated with 'uddhi#

Tattva. -ayu proceeding upwards to the throat

epresses itself in spo!en speech which is -ai!hari or

-irat Shabda.


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of letters, are one. In short, Mantras are made of letters

%-arna&. (etters are Matri!a. Matri!a is Sha!ti and

Sha!ti is Shiva. Through Sha!ti %one with Shiva&


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which is the lettered Shabda. This manifests it. The

lettered sound is produced by the formation of the vocal

organs in contact with air; which formation is in

response to the mental movement or idea which by the

will thus see!s outward epression in audible sound. It

is this perception which is transitory, for the 1hvani

which manifests ideas in language is such. 'ut lettered

sound as it is in itself, that is, as the 2onsciousness

manifesting Idea epressed in speech is eternal. It was

not produced at the moment it was perceived. It wasonly manifested by the 1hvani. It eisted before, as it

eists after, such manifestation, just as a jar in a dar!

room which is revealed by a flash of lightning is not

then produced, nor does it cease to eist on its ceasing

to be perceived through the disappearance of its

manifester, the lightning. The air in contact with thevoice organs reveals sound in the form of the letters of

the alphabet, and their combinations in words and

sentences. The letters are produced for hearing by the

person desiring to spea!, and become audible to the ear

of others through the operation of unlettered sound or

1hvani. The latter being a maifester only, lettered

Shabda is something other than its manifester.

'efore describing the nature of Shabda in its different

form of development, it is necessary to understand the

Indian psychology of perception. *t each moment, the

)iva is subject to innumerable influences which from all

?uarters of the 7niverse pour upon him. :nly those

reach his 2onsciousness which attract his attention and


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are thus selected by his Manas. The latter attends to one

or other of these sense#impressions and conveys it to

the 'uddhi. hen an object %*rtha& is presented to the

mind, and perceived, the latter is formed into the shape

of the object perceived. This is called a mental -ritti

%modification& which it is the object of oga to

suppress. The mind as a -ritti is thus a representation of

the outer subject. 'ut, in so far as it is such

representation, the mind is as much an object as the

outer one. The latter, that is, the physical object, iscalled the gross object %Sthula artha&, and the former or

mental impression is called the subtle object %Su!shma

artha&. 'ut, besides the object, there is the mind which

perceives it. It follows that the mind has two aspects, in

one of which it is the perceiver, and in the other the

perceived in the form of the mental formation %-ritti&,which in creation precedes its outer projection, and

after the creation follows as the impression produced in

the mind by the sensing of a gross physical object. The

mental impression and the physical object eactly

correspond, for the physical object is in fact but a

projection of the cosmic imagination, though it has the

same reality as the mind has; no more and no less. The

mind is thus both cogni0er %$raha!a& and cogni0ed

$rahya&, revealer %/ra!asha!a& and revealed

%/ra!ashya&, denoter %-aca!a& and denoted %-acya&.

hen the mind perceives an object, it is transformedinto the shape of that object. So the mind which thin!s

of the 1ivinity which it worships %Ishtadevata& is, at


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length, through continued devotion, transformed into

the li!eness of that 1evata. 'y allowing the 1evata thus

to occupy the mind for long, it becomes as pure as the

1evata. This is a fundamental principle of Tantri!

Sadhana or religious practice. The object perceived is

called *rtha, a term which comes from the root "i,"

which means to get, to !now, to enjoy. *rtha is that

which is !nown and which, therefore, is an object of

enjoyment. The mind as *rtha, that is in the form of the

mental impression, is an eact reflection of the outerobject or gross *rtha. *s the outer object is *rtha, so is

the interior subtle mental form which corresponds to it.

That aspect of the mind which cogni0es is called

Shabda or


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Mahabindu before actual manifestation. This is

motionless, causal Shabda in 5undalini, in the

Muladhara center of the body. That aspect of it in which

it commences to move with a general, that is, non#

particulari0ed, motion %Samanya Spanda& is /ashyanti

whose place is from the Muladhara to the Manipura

2a!ra, the net center. It is here associated with Manas.

These represent the motionless and first moving Ishvara

aspect of Shabda. Madhyama Shabda is associated with

'uddhi. It is >iranyagarbha sound %>iranyagarbharupa&etending from /ashyanti to the heart. 'oth Madhyama

sound which is the inner "naming" by the cognitive

aspect of mental movement, as also its *rtha or subtle

%Su!shma& object %*rtha& belong to the mental or subtle

body %Su!shma or (inga Sharira&. /erception is

dependent on distinguishing and identification. In theperception of an object that part of the mind which

identifies and distinguishes and thus "names" or the

cogni0ing part is, from the Shabda aspect, subtle

Shabda= and that part of it which ta!es the shape of, and

thus constitutes, the object %a shape which corresponds

with the outer thing& is subtle *rtha. The perception of

an object is thus conse?uent on the simultaneous

functioning of the mind in its two#fold aspect as Shabda

and *rtha, which are in indissoluble relation with one

another as cogni0er %$raha!a& and cogni0ed $rahya&.

'oth belong to the subtle body. In creation Madhyamasound first appeared. *t that movement there was no

outer *rtha. Then the 2osmic Mind projected this inner


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Madhyama *rtha into the world of sensual eperience

and named it in spo!en speech %-ai!hari Shabda&. The

last or -ai!hari Shabda is uttered speech, developed in

the throat, issuing from the mouth. This is -irat Shabda.

-ai!hari Shabda is therefore language or gross lettered

sound. Its corresponding *rtha is the physical or gross

object which language denotes. This belongs to the

gross body %Sthula Sharira&. Madhyama Shabda is

mental movement or ideation in its cognitive aspect and

Madhyama *rtha is the mental impression of the grossobject. The inner thought#movement in its aspect as

%-aca!a& and denoted %-acya&. hen the mind

perceives an object, it is transformed into the shape of

that object. So the mind which thin!s of the 1ivinity

which it worships %Ishtadevata& is, at length, through

continued devotion, transformed into the li!eness ofthat 1evata. 'y allowing the 1evata thus to occupy the

mind for long, it becomes as pure as the 1evata. This is

a fundamental principle of Tantri! Sadhana or religious

practice. The object perceived is called *rtha, a term

which comes from the root "i," which means to get, to

!now, to enjoy. *rtha is that which is !nown and which,

therefore, is an object of enjoyment. The mind as *rtha,

that is in the form of the mental impression, is an eact

reflection of the outer object or gross *rtha. *s the

outer object is *rtha, so is the interior subtle mental

form which corresponds to it. That aspect of the mindwhich cogni0es is called Shabda or


33/43

called *rtha or upa %form&. The outer physical object,

of which the latter is in the individual an impression, is

also *rtha or upa, and spo!en speech is the outer

Shabda. The mind is thus, from the Mantra aspect,

Shabda and *rtha, terms corresponding to the -edantic


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dreamless state %Sushupti& which is destruction

%/ralaya&. hat is it which arouses this Sams!ara8 *s

an effect %5riya& it must have a cause %5arana&. This

5arana is the Shabda or


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7ttered speech is a manifestation of the inner naming or

thought. This thought#movement is similar in men of all

races. hen an nglishman or an Indian thin!s of an

object, the image is to both the same, whether evo!ed

by the object itself or by the utterance of its name. 3or

this reason possibly if thought#reading be accepted, a

thought#reader whose cerebral center is en rapport with

that of another, may read the hidden "speech," that is

thought, of one whose spo!en speech he cannot

understand. Thus, whilst the thought#movement issimilar in all men, the epression of it as -ai!hari

Shabda differs. *ccording to tradition there was once a

universal language. *ccording to the 'iblical account,

this was so, before the confusion of tongues at the

Tower of 'abel. Similarly there is, %a friend tells me

though he has forgotten to send me the reference&, inthe igveda, a mysterious passage which spea!s of the

"Three 3athers and three Mothers," by whose action

li!e that of the lohim "all#comprehending speech" was

made into that which was not so.


36/43

particular language, the uttered name of any object is

the gross epression of his inner thought#movement. It

evo!es the idea and the idea is consciousness as mental

operation. That operation can be so intensified as to be

itself creative. This is Mantra#2aitanya.

It is said in the Tantra Shastras that the fifty letters of

the alphabet are in the si bodily 2a!ras called

Muladhara, Svadhisthana, Manipura, *nahata,

-ishuddha and *j9a. These HB letters multiplied by 4B

are in the thousand#pealed (otus or Sahasrara.

3rom the above account, it will be understood that,

when it is said that the "(etters" are in the si bodily

2a!ras, it is not to be supposed that it is intended to

absurdly affirm that the letters as written shapes, or as

the uttered sounds which are heard by the ear are there.The letters in this sense, that is, as gross things, are

manifested only in speech and writing. This much is

clear. 'ut the precise significance of this statement is a

matter of some difficulty. There is in fact no subject

which presents more difficulties than Mantravidya,whether considered generally or in relation to the

particular matters in hand. I do not pretend to have

elucidated all its difficulties.

hat proceeds from the body is in it in subtle or causal

form. hy, however, it may be as!ed are particularletters assigned to particular 2a!ras. I have heard


37/43


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%Murddha&, dentals %1anta& and labials %:shtha&. hen

so articulated, each letter, it is said, "touches" the 2a!ra

in which it is, and in which on this account it has been

placed. In uttering them certain 2a!ras are affected; that

is, brought into play. This, it is alleged, will be found to

be so, if the letter is carefully pronounced and attention

is paid to the accompanying bodily movement. Thus, in

uttering >a, the head %*j9a& is touched, and in uttering

the deep#seated -a, the basal 2a!ra or Muladhara. In

ma!ing the first sound the forehead is felt to beaffected, and in ma!ing the last the lower part of the

body around the root#lotus. This is the theory put forth

as accounting for the position of the letters in the

2a!ras.

* Mantra is, li!e everything else, Sha!ti. 'ut the mereutterance of a Mantra without more is a mere

movement of the lips. The Mantra must be awa!ened

%/rabuddha& just li!e any other Sha!ti if effect is to be

had therefrom. This is the union of sound and idea

through a !nowledge of the Mantra and its meaning.

The recitation of a Mantra without !nowing its meaningis practically fruitless. I say "practically" because

devotion, even though it be ignorant, is never wholly

void of fruit. 'ut !nowledge of the meaning is not

enough; for it is possible by reading a boo! or receiving

oral instructions to get to !now the meaning of a

Mantra, without anything further following. ach

Mantra is the embodiment of a particular form of

2onsciousness or Sha!ti. This is the Mantra#Sha!ti.


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2onsciousness or Sha!ti also eists in the form of the

Sadha!a. The object then is to unite these two, when

thought is not only in the outer hus!, but is vitali0ed by

will, !nowledge, and action through its conscious

center in union with that of the Mantra. The latter is

1evata or a particular manifestation of Sha!ti= and the

Sadha!a who identifies himself therewith, identifies

himself with that Sha!ti. *ccording to oga when the

mind is concentrated on any object it is unified with it.

hen man is so identified with a -arna or Tattva, thenthe power of objects to bind ceases, and he becomes the

controller. Thus, in 5undalini#oga, the static bodily

Sha!ti pierces the 2a!ras, to meet Shiva#Sha!ti in the

Sahasrara. *s the Sadha!a is, through the power of the

rising Sha!ti, identified with each of the 2enters,

Tattvas and Matri!a Sha!tis they cease to bind, untilpassing through all he attains Samadhi. *s the -arnas

are Shiva#Sha!ti, concentration on them draws the mind

towards, and then unifies it with, the 1evata which is

one with the Mantra. The 1evata of the Mantra is only

the creative Sha!ti assuming that particular form. *s

already stated, 1evata may be reali0ed in any object,

not merely in Mantras, antras, $hatas, /ratimas or

other ritual objects of worship. The same power which

manifests to the ear in the Mantra is represented in the

lines and curves of the antra which, the1a!lavali

Tantra says, is the body of the 1evata=

2antram mantrama"am proktam

mantratma devataiva hi


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+ehatmanor "atha #hedo "antra-devata

"oshtatha.

The antra is thus the graphic symbol of the Sha!ti,

indicated by the Mantra with which identification ta!esplace. The /ratima or image is a grosser visual form of

the 1evata. 'ut the Mantras are particular forms of

1ivine Sha!ti, the reali0ation of which is efficacious to

produce particular results. *s in 5undalini# oga, so

also here the identification of the Sadha!a with

different Mantras gives rise to various -ibhutis or

powers= for each grouping of the letters represents a

new combination of the Matri!a Sha!tis. It is the

eternal Sha!ti who is the life of the Mantra. Therefore,

Siddhi in Mantra Sadhana is the union of the Sadha!a+s

Sha!ti with the Mantra Sha!ti; the identification of theSadha!a with the Mantra is the identification of the

!nower %-eda!a&, !nowing %-idya& and !nown %-edya&

or the Sadha!a, Mantra and 1evata. Then the Mantra

wor!s. The mind must feed, and is always feeding,

something. It sei0es the Mantra and wor!s its way to itsheart. hen there, it is the 2itta or mind of the Sadha!a

unified with the Sha!ti of the Mantra which wor!s.

Then subject and object, in its Mantra form, meet as

one. 'y meditation the Sadha!a gains unity with the

1evata behind, as it were, the Mantra and hose form

the Mantra is. The union of the Sadha!a of the Mantraand the 1evata of the Mantra is the result of the effort

to reali0e permanently the incipient desire for such


41/43

union. The will towards 1ivinity is a dynamic force

which pierces everything and finds there 1ivinity itself.

It is because esterners and some esterni0ed >indus

do not understand the principles of Mantra; principles

which lie at the center of Indian religious theory and

practice, that they see nothing in it where they do not

regard it as gross superstition. It must be admitted that

Mantra Sadhana is often done ignorantly. 3aith is

placed in eternals and the inner meaning is often lost.

'ut even such ignorant worship is better than none atall. "It is better to bow to


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as it were, the son of the Sadha!a. It is not the supreme

1evata who appears %for It is actionless&, but in all

cases an emanation produced by the Sadha!a+s worship

for his benefit only. In the case of worshippers of the

Shiva#Mantra, a 'oy#Shiva %'ala#Shiva& appears who

is then made strong by the nurture which the Sadha!a

gives him. The occultist will understand all such

symbolism to mean that the 1evata is a form of the

2onsciousness which becomes the 'oy#Shiva, and

which, when strengthened is the full#grown 1ivine/ower Itself. *ll Mantras are forms of consciousness

%-ij9anarupa&, and when the Mantra is fully practiced it

enlivens the Sams!ara, and the *rtha appears to the

mind. Mantras used in worship are thus a form of the

Sams!aras of )ivas; the *rtha of which manifests to the

consciousness which is pure. The essence of all this is## concentrate and vitali0e thought and will power, that

is Sha!ti.

The Mantra method is Sha!topaya oga wor!ing with

concepts and form, whilst Shambhavopaya oga has

been well said to be a more direct attempt at intuition ofSha!ti, apart from all passing concepts, which, as they

cannot show the eality, only serve to hide it the more

from one+s view and thus maintain bondage. These

oga methods are but eamples of the universal

principle of Sadhana, that the Sadha!a should first wor!

with and through form, and then, so far as may be, by a

meditation which dispenses with it.


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