Traverses on Less Trodden Path of Indian Philosophy and Religion

Author(s): Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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Traverses on less trodden path...
practice of Srividya.25 The main aim of our present paper is to bring out the finest philosophy and path of Sadhana of this Samaya group of literature.
The word Samaya is interpreted as either, 'He (Supreme Brahman) is' or 'She is' (Goddess) with me. It means that one has to think constantly that he is always one. with the ultimate Reality. He has to identify himself with the Supreme Brahman. Samaya is also commonly explained as offering worship to a cakra in the ether of the 26 heart. This internal worship is considered as the supreme by all the great Yogins. It is a higher kind of worship consisting of inward prayer, deep meditation and solemn contemplation.
In this Tantra, the Sakti is a synonym of Brahman of the Vedantic thought. She may be called Brahman or Mahāśakti or Universal Mother. The same Brahman of the Upanisads is termed as Tripura or Maha Tripura Sundari by these Tantric texts. The word 'Tripura' is pregnant with a significant meaning. The Universal Mother is known as 'Tripura' due to various reasons. In the Nityaṣoḍaśikārṇava it is stated that this supreme power is triple formed viz, creater (Brahma), Sustainer (Vişnu) and destroyer (Rudra). Again she is in the form of will power, power of knowledge and power of action and she creates three worlds, and is therefore called Tripura.27 She is the principle which exists prior to Trinity.28 Again this word 'Tripura' is interpreted as, She who has three angles, as well as three circles and her bhupura is three lined, her Mantra is said to be three syllables thus, since, she is everywhere triple, she is called Tripura,99 Again, philosophically more significant interpretations of this word Tripurā are found in these texts. Tripura means
25. Vāmakeśvara Tantra with setubandha, Rjuvimarsini, Artharatnävali, Tantrarāja, Mätṛkabheda Tantra, Varivasyarahasya, Lalita Trisati with Sankarabhāṣya, Kamakalä viläsa, Tripuram ahimnastotra, Saundaryalahari with Saubhagya vardhani, Lakṣmidhara and Aruṇāmodini; Tripura Tapinyupaniṣat; Tripuropaniṣat; Bhavanopaniṣat, Bahvṛcopanişat, etc.
26. Daharākāśāvakāśe cakram vibhavya tatra pūjādikan samaya iti, Lalita sahasranāma with Saubhagyabhaskara, verse-88, ed: Pansikar Vasudeva Lakṣman Shastri, Pub: Tukaram Javaji, Nirnayasagara press, Bombay, 1914 p-53.
27. Tripura Trividha devi Brahmaviṣṇvisarūpiņi. Jñanasaktiḥkriyāśaktiricchāśaktyātmika priye. Trailokyam samsṛjatyeṣa tripura parikirtita-Nityaṣoḍa'sikärnava-IV-II-12. p. 205-207.
28. Mürtitrayasyapi puratanatvāt tadambikäyästripureti nama-Lalita sahasranama with Saubhagyabhaskara p-133,
29. Trikonam maṇḍalam casya bhūpuram ca trirekhakam Mantro api tryakṣaraḥ proktaḥ tatha rupatrayam punah. Trividhäkuṇḍali śaktiḥ tridevänām ca Sarvam trayam trayam yasmāt tasmattu tripurāmatā. Ibid-verse I-Commentary, p-2.
Sṛṣṭaye.