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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[AUGUST, 1925
The Tattva Prakasa has been translated into English by the Rev. E. P. Janvier, M. A., of Fatehgarh, and is here published in the hope that it may help in the study of the teaching and the history of both schools.-J.N.F.
Chapter I.
1. May He, whose essence is intellect, the one, the eternal, the pervasive, the ever-risen, the Lord, the tranquil, the world's primal cause, the all-favouring,-may He be supreme!
2. The glory of Siva, which neither rises nor sets, nor is destroyed, gives final release, and which is by nature both knower and doer,-may that glory be supreme!
3. To her, by whom this Siva is energized to give experience and release to his circle of animate beings,-to her, the one who is, in essence, thought, the first, with all my soul I make obeisence.
4. For the sake of benefiting the world, we have, with a heart full of pity, succinctly composed this "Illumination of the Principles."
5. In the Saivagamas the most important thing is the series of three, namely the Master, the animate being, and the fetter, i.e., pati, pasu, pása. In this series the Master is called Siva, Animate Beings atoms, the Fetter the five objects.
6. Those whose souls are freed are themselves Sivas, but they are freed by His favour. He, it should be borne in mind, is the eternally freed, the one, having a body consisting of the five mantras.
7. The following five-fold action is predicated of the ever-risen one: creation, preservation, destruction, embodiment, and likewise the work of grace.
8. Souls are to be known as of three kinds : molecules of discernment, molecules of destruction, and whole molecules. Of these the first are under the influence of corruption, and the second under that of corruption and action.
9. The whole molecules are under the influence of corruption, matter and action. Of these the first is of two kinds: first, those whose impurity is destroyed, and, second, those whose impurity is not destroyed.
10. Showing favour to the first eight, Siva gives to them the rank of Lords of Knowledge. The others he makes Mantras. These are said to be seventy million.
11, 12, 13. Among the molecules of destruction, whose corruption and action are done away, showing favour to some, the Highest grants them the rank of King of the Worlds. Others he, of his own will, makes Lords of the Mantras. Of these there are one hundred and eighteen. At the time of the opening of the day the whole molecules exist as a residuum because of their connection with art and the rest. These others, being united by the force of previous action to the eight-doored bodies, enter all wombs. The eight-doored consists of the internal organ and the instruments of the action of intellect.
14. Eight of these are called "Mandalins," and an equal number are Krodh, etc., Vires and Srikantha and the hundred Rudras. These together are one hundred and eighteen.
15. In order by an act of power to deliver those whose corruption is matured, He, assuming the form of a teacher, unites them by initiation to the highest principle.
16. All the souls that are bound He appoints to the experience of sense-objects, according to their previous actions. This is the reason that they are called "beasts."
17. The fetters of the soul are of four kinds : the first two are called "corruption " and "action," and the other two arise from the material and obscuring energy of Śiva.
18. Corruption is to be regarded as single, but showing many powers; and, as the husk covers the rice, or the stain of the copper covers the gold, so corruption covers the knowledge and action of souls.
19. Action is said to be beginningless, good and bad, and various. Matter, being in the form of substance, is the root of the universe, and it is eternal.
