Sunday, May 25, 2014

Nandikeśvarakāśikā




śrīgaeśāya nama[1]||
namaḥ śivāya devāya sarvajñaparamātmane[2]|
yasyonmeṣanimeṣābhyāṃ vyaktāvyaktam idaṃ jagat||1||
śrīguruṃ śrīkumārañ ca[3] śaivatattvaviśāradaṃ|
praṇamya nandikeśādiśivabhaktān[4] muhur muhuḥ||2||
kārikām[5] ādisūtrāṇāṃ[6] nandikeśakṛtāṃ śubhām |
lokopakāriṇīṃ divyāṃ vyākaromi yathāmati||3||

Homage to Gaṇeśa!
1.             Homage to Śiva, the God, the omniscient supreme Self by whose expansion and contraction (or opening and closing the eyes) this universe becomes manifest and unmanifest.
2,3. Repeatedly offering obeisances to the holy teacher who is proficient in śaivatattva (Śiva’s true essence), to the holy Kumāras, and to the devotees of Śiva beginning with Nandikeśa, I am writing to the best of my understanding about an auspicious, helpful for the mankind, and wonderful explanation of the original aphorisms (sūtras) composed by Nandikeśa.

nṛttāvasāne[7] naṭarājarāja nanāda ḍhakkāṃ navapañcavāram|
uddharttukāmaḥ sanakādisiddhān etad vimarśe śivasūtrajālam||1||

1.      At the end of the dance, the king Naṭarāja sounded dhakka (or damaru - Śiva’s two-sided drum) nine and five times. While explaining[8] this net of śiva-sūtras, I (Nandikeśvara) wish to elevate[9] Sanaka and the other realised beings (siddhas)[10].


iha sakalalokanāyakaḥ paramaśivaḥ sanaka-sanandana-sanatkumāra-[11]-patañjali-vyāghrapāda-vasiṣṭhādīn  uddharttukāmo ḍhakkāninādavyājena caturdaśasūtratattvam upadideśa| tadanu te munīndravaryāś cirakālam āśritānām asmākaṃ caturdaśasūtrātmakaṃ tattvam upadidikṣuḥ iti|  asya sūtrajālasya tattvārthaṃ nandikeśo jānātīti taṃ praṇamya pṛṣṭavantas teṣāṃ caturdaśakārikārūpeṇa tattvaṃ sūtrāṇām upadeṣṭum icchann idam ācakṣat|| nṛttāvasāne[12] iti | aham iti śeṣaḥ | naṭarājarāja ity anena maṅgalādīni darśitāni | naṭarājarāja iti viśvavilāsavaicitrya[13]-camatkārapravīṇatvāt| svātmatattvaṃ vāgādyagocaram iti jñāpanārthaṃ ḍhakkāninādavyājena sanakādīn uddharttukāmaḥ navapañcavāraṃ caturdaśavāraṃ svāntaragatam ātmatattvaṃ prakaṭayituṃ  ḍhakkāninādaṃ tad-[14] udbhūtavarṇṇātmakaṃ| jālam atirahasyam etat śivasūtrajālaṃ vimarśe sphuṭīkaromīty arthaḥ| tatrādyena sūtreṇa savarṇavaṇānāṃ  samastabhuvanānāñ ca samudbhavaṃ svātmatattvam upadiṣṭam||1|| akāro brahmeti| atra sarvatra sūtreṣu anyavarṇacaturdaśakaṃ dhātvartham|[15] anyavarṇajālaṃ śabda iti| tathoktam indreṇa|| antyavarṇasamudbhūtā dhātavaḥ parikīrttitā iti|

Here, Paramaśiva (the supreme Lord), the ruler of the entire world taught the essence of the fourteen sūtras for elevation of [sages] Sanaka Sanandana Sanatkumāra Patañjali Vyāghrapāda Vasiṣṭha and others by artifice of striking the drum. After that, these chosen ones among great sages [thought]: “Among us who have taken refuge [in Paramaśiva], Nandikeśa wants to teach the truth contained in the fourteen sūtras for a long time [and] he knows the true meaning of his (Śiva’s) net of sūtras,” [so] offering obeisance they asked him [to teach]. Desiring to teach the essence of those sūtras, he explained it in the form of the fourteen verses. nṛttāvasāne (at termination of dance), aham (I) is to be supplied [to complete the sense], [and] naṭarājarāja (the king Naṭarāja) - these are words which show pure auspiciousness and alike. naṭarājarāja is [called so] because of [his] expertise in diverse [creative] pleasures of manifestation of the world. Since the essence of his own nature is an adobe of speech etc., so, in order to bring to light his own internal essential nature, [there came] a sound of the drum consisting of letters produced from that [sound]. The artifice of sounding the drum nine and five times, i.e. fourteen times, served to inform [and] emancipate Sanaka and others. jalam (net) means the most secret [thing], etat (this) indicates the net of śivasūtras, and vimarśe means ‘I give an explanation’. There (in this text), the origin and the essence of nature of homogeneous letters and all worlds are described by the first sūtra. The letter ‘a’ is Brahma. Here in all sūtras, the arrangement of other letters into fourteen [groups] has the purpose [to form] dhātu (grammatical roots). Another net of letters is a word. In this respect, it is said by Indra:[16]dhātus are proclaimed to be produced from other letters”.

akāro brahmarūpaḥ syān nirguṇaḥ sarvavastuṣu||
citkalām iṃ[17] samāśritya jagadrūpaḥ uṇ īśvaraḥ||2||[18]

2.      The letter ‘a’ is a form of Brahma devoid of qualities (nirguṇa) [present] in all things. Resorting to citkalā (an aspect of cit, or consciousness) [denoted by] ‘iṃ’, [he becomes] Īśvara, the Lord in the form of the universe, [denoted by] ‘uṇ’.


aḥ parameśvaraḥ iṃ māyām[19] āśritya uḥ[20] vyāpakaḥ paraḥ āsīt| a-brahma ity atra asad vā idam agra āsīt|[21] sa brahma agra akṣarātmaka āsīt| tato vai sad ajāyata[22] | akṣarāt sakalaguṇam āsīd ity arthaḥ| akṣarāṇām akāro asmīti ca|[23]
akāraḥ sarvavarṇāgryaḥ prakāśaḥ paramaḥ śivaḥ[24]|
ādyam antyena saṃyogād aham ity eva jāyate||[25]
ādir antyena saheteti ādir akāraḥ| antyo hakāraḥ| akārādihakārāntā varṇāḥ samabhavat|
sarvaṃ parātmakaṃ sarvajñasvamātram idaṃ jagat|
jñaptyā garbhāvaśājātmā[26] madhyamā vāk samīritā[27]|| iti[28]
           
‘a’, or Parameśvara, resorting to ‘i’, or Māyā (power of delusion), became then an omnipresent ‘u’. Here, (the expression) ‘a - Brahma’ means that ‘in the beginning of this [creation], there was only asat (non-existence)’. That Brahma, imperishable[29] by nature was in the beginning. Afterwards, sat (existence) emerged. It means that the immanent aspect[30] emerged from the imperishable (or transcendent). So also: “Among letters, I am the letter a”.
The letter a, the first among all other letters, is the light (prakāśa), the supreme Śiva.  So, aham (I) is born from the union of the initial [letter ‘a’] with the last [letter ‘ha’].
[If we apply the rule] ādir antyena sahetā,[31] then the first letter is ‘a’, the last letter is ‘ha’. The letters beginning with ‘a’ and ending with ‘ha’ appeared together.  
This world is nothing but the omniscient self, the supreme self of all. By [the power] of cognition the unborn self free from birth [becomes] an uttered middle [level of] speech (madhyamā vāk).  

sarvavastuṣu parāpaśyantīmadhyamāvaikhary[32]-ādiṣu iṃ citkalām āśrityety atra gāyatrī  īḥ tāṃ padminīm iti| atra sūtre īkāras tu noktaḥ ikārasyaiva prakaṭitam[33]| atra varṇasaṃbhavakāle aiuṛḷ iti varṇapañcakam eva sarveṣāṃ ekonapañcāśadakṣarāṇāṃ bhūtapañcakānāṃ  pañcavargāṇāṃ krameṇa yoniḥ| hrasvadīrghabhedāt dvividhokārasyaiva sarvasvatantratā| tathā ca uktaṃ|
akāraṃ sannidhīkṛtya jagatāṃ kāraṇatvataḥ|
ikāraḥ sarvavarṇānāṃ śaktitvāt kāraṇaṃ matam[34]||
jagat sraṣṭum abhūd vāñchā[35] yadā  hy āsīt tadābhavat|
kāmabījam iti prāhur munayo vedapāragāḥ||[36]
           
 sarvavastuṣu (in all existing things) means ‘at parā, paśyantī, madhyamā, and vaikharī  levels of speech’. [The expression] iṃ citkalām āśritya (resorting to ‘i’ which is an aspect of consciousness) denotes here Gāyatrī [while] ‘īḥ’ [is identified with] her lotus. However, the letter ‘ī’ is not mentioned here in the sūtra. There is only an evidence of the letter ‘i’. Here, when ‘a’, ‘i’, ‘u’, ‘ṛ’, and ‘ḷ’ were brought together, these five letters one by one became a source of five classes of consonants [each consisting] of five elements [in which] the entire alphabet of fifty one letters [is arranged]. There are two kinds of letter ‘u’ because [it is] subdivided into long and short [forms]. This is truly freedom of all [vowels]. And so it was said:   
The letter ‘i’ in its proximity to the letter ‘a’ is understood as the cause of all letters due to its power [and] potentiality to be the cause of the worlds.
When there was a desire to manifest the world, then it happened so. The seers who mastered the Vedas called it ‘the seed of desire’.
   
uktaṃ ca|
svaprakāśaparamātmavastuno dṛśyamānajagaṭaḥ sisṛkṣayā|
kāmataḥ paraśivapraveśanaṃ[37] kāmabījam idam eva niścitam||
bindur[38] bindudvayārūḍhaḥ sārdhayoni[39]-svarūpikā[40]|
mahākāmakalārūpam ātmānaṃ cintayet striye[41]||iti|
uḥ vyāpakatvenāsīd ity atra| ukāro viṣṇur ity āhur vyāpakatvān maheśvarīti||[42]

It is also said:
The seed of desire is the entrance to the supreme Śiva because the desire to create visible worlds comes from the essence of the self-effulgent supreme Self. This indeed is quite certain.
Bindu (dot) developed into a double bindu assumes an image of half yoni (womb). Oh beloved, one should contemplate on the Self appearing as an aspect of the great desire.
Here, ‘uḥ’ appeared by the power of omnipresence. [They] say that the letter ‘u’ is Viṣṇu, [and it is] Maheśvarī due to its omnipresence.  

ṛḷk sarve ḷ[43] māyākhyaṃ vistāritacarācaram|
vṛttim āśritya cidrūpo janayāmāsa ca[44] balaḥ[45]||3||[46]

3.ṛḷk’ is everything. Engaged in the activity called Māyā, or ‘ḷ’, [the Lord who is] consciousness and power by nature produced (or gave birth to) the expanded world of movable and immovable.

nanu sarvavedānteṣu parameśvara eka niścitatvāt māyām āśritya jagadrūpo abhūd ityukter advaitahāni syād ity āśakyāha| ṛḷk sarve[47] iti|  ṛ parameśvara māyākhyā[48] manovṛttim āśritya idaṃ carācaraṃ janayāmāsa| ṛtaṃ satyaṃ paraṃ brahmetyādi[49] ṛt paraṃ satyam ity arthaḥ|
vṛttivṛttimator atra bhedaleśo na vidyate|
candracandrikayor yadvad vāgarthāv iva sundarīti[50]||
mama vṛttimato rūpaṃ ḷkāraḥ parameśvarīti|[51]
atra carācaraṃ janayāmāsety uktam janyajanakabhāvāt| advaitahānir ity āśaṅkyāha||

However, he says in doubt: “Since all Vedānta schools maintain a strong position that Parameśvara is One, then being engaged in Māyā [he] assumed the form of the universe, which means destruction of non-duality”. So, ṛḷk sarve (‘ṛḷk’ is everything). ‘ṛ’ is Parameśvara. Being engaged in the mind activity called Māyā, or ‘ḷ’, [he] became an origin of this world of movable and immovable. “ṛta (settled order) is the truth, supreme Brahma etc.” confirms that ‘ṛt’ is the supreme truth.
There is no difference here between two functions, or activities (vṛttimat). Oh, beautiful lady, like the moon and the moon light so also are the word and its meaning.
The letter is a form of my activity, the supreme Goddess Parameśvarī.
He says in doubt: “Here [in the verse], it is told that [he] produced the world of movable and immovable because there is a relationship of producer and produced (janaya-janaka), [but] this destroys non-duality.”

eoṅ māheśvarāv[52] aikyaṃ vijñānaṃ sarvavastuṣu[53]|
sākṣitvāt sarvabhūtānāṃ sa eka iti niścitam||4||[54]

4. ‘eoṅ’ is known as oneness of Maheśvara and Maheśvarī in all things. It is strongly maintained that he is One because he is the witness of all existing beings.

eoṅ iti| a-akṣaraḥ| i-māyāyuktaḥ san| u-jñānarūpaḥ prajñānātmā| sarvavastūnāṃ ekatvāt advaitāpattiḥ na nānātvaṃ janyajanakatvaṃ ca svayaṃ praviśya tadrūpeṇa varttata ity arthaḥ| vaṭabījanyāyena ceti pūrvasūtradvayajanitavarṇapañcakam eva sakala-[55]           -jagatkāraṇam iti proktaṃ| uttarasūtra[56]-varṇānām api tasmād eva sambhavaḥ| samaṣṭivyaṣṭi-[57]bhedena pūrvavarṇadvitīyasya pūrvavarṇatṛtīyasya ca saṃyogam idaṃ sūtraṃ| saṃbandham api ekatve coktaṃ|

 In regard to [the sūtra] ‘eo: ‘a’ is imperishable, ‘i’ is united with Māyā [and] being so [it becomes] ‘u’ which has the form of knowledge, omniscient by nature. Oneness of all things [and] absence of multiplicity and relationships such as between creator and created lead to non-dualism. He himself having entered [the world] assumed its form. Just as a Banyan tree seed, so also a group of five letters appearing in first two sūtras become the cause [or the seed] of the entire universe [or universe with form], this was declared. The letters in the subsequent sūtras also originate from those [five letters]. This sūtra is an aggregate, or a conjunction (saṃyoga) of the third letter with the first and the second letter with the first through distinct relationship of the whole and a part (= samaṣṭi-vyaṣṭi). The connection (saṃbandha) was also said to exist in oneness.
  
śṛṇu tvaṃ sāvadhānena caturṇām api sāmyatām[58]|
vedānāṃ ca mahāvākyaṃ[59] catuṣkānām ihocyate||
brahmaśabdena yad vastu tat[60] prajñānam[61]  udīritam[62]|[63]
tad brahma sarvasākṣitvān tat tvam asy[64] eva satyataḥ[65]|
           anyatva cāraṇārthāya[66] ayam ātmety atharvaṇa[67]||4|| iti[68]

Listen attentively about equality of all four Vedas. The great sayings [of Upaniśads] consisting of four [statements] are spoken here in this world. Whatever is expressed by the word Brahma[69], it is said to be omniscience (or wisdom, or intelligence). tat (that) refers to Brahma because [he is] the witness of all, so tat tvam asi (you are that) is the only truth. The difference [of sayings] is for the purpose of distinction between Vedic schools. [The saying] ‘ayam ātma...’ (this Self...) belongs to the Atharva Veda.  


aiauc brahhma[70]-rūpaḥ sajagat[71] svāntargataṃ tataḥ|
icchayā vistaraṃ kartum āvir āsīt kṛpānidhiḥ[72]||5||

5. ‘ai-auc’ has the nature of Brahma who has the universe concealed within himself. Then, [he], an ocean of compassion, became manifest by [the power of] his own will to expand the world.  

svātmabhūtasya parameśvarasya jagatkāraṇatvaṃ katham ity āśaṅkyāha| aiauc iti| tataḥ svāntargataṃ jagad visphāritum icchuḥ ai jñānaśaktiyuta iti ataḥ pūrvasūtragata akāra-ikāradīrghayogasyaiva ekāratvaṃ| atra saḥ  prajñānasvarūpaparameśvaro yaḥ pūrvasūtrāntaragatabhāvaḥ| uktaṃ svaravimarśinyām| ukārajñānasaṃyogāt sarvasaṃbhūtir[73] iṣyate|[74] evaṃ tattvasamudāyānāṃ dvādaśavarṇānāṃ śivādiprakṛtyantānām udbhavaḥ| prakṛtipuruṣavivekam uttaratra kapaysūtre upasaṃhāratvena paṭhyate| atra hrasvadīrghaprabhedāt caturdaśasvarāṇām eva kīrttanaṃ| caturdaśabhuvanacaturdaśacakracaturdaśaprakārāṇām iti niṣkarṣaḥ|

How can Parameśvara being within his own Self become a cause of the universe? - He says in doubt. [The reply is] ‘aiauc’. Then, desirous to shine forth (or manifest) the world concealed within himself (or unmanifest), [he becomes]) ‘ai’, a combination of knowledge and power. Therefore, the characteristics of sound ‘e’ are concealed in the first sūtra, [i.e. the sound ‘e’] is a combination of long sounds ‘ā’ and ‘ī’. Here, in the state of being within the first sūtra, he is the supreme Lord, consciousness by nature. It is said in the Svaravimarśiniī:  “The manifestation of everything is said to derive from the combination of the letter ‘u’ with knowledge.” In this way the assemblage of primary elements (tattvas), [or] twelve letters, beginning with Śiva and ending with prakṛti came into being. The distinction between puruṣa and prakṛti is taught later in the sūtrakapay’ by the ulterior statement. The number of the fourteen vowels only is [given] here due to division into short and long [forms]. This is the essence of the fourteen worlds, fourteen cakras, and fourteen classes.  

atra śivagaurīsaṃvāde
tava mantre[75] maheśāni mama rūpaṃ[76] tvam eva hi|
caturdaśātmakaṃ cakraṃ tava cakram itīritam||
trayodaśātmakaṃ turyaṃ  āvayor mantram ambike|
tac chūnyakāle[77] bindvātmā tasmād akṣarasambhavaḥ||
bindusphuṭana[78]-mātreṇa varṇānāṃ ca samudbhavaḥ|
tasmād ākāśamukhyāni bhūtāni samajāyata||
binduḥ srīcakrarājasya parabrahmātmakas[79] tv iti|
caturdaśātmakaṃ[80]  paścāc cakrākāreṇa saṃbhavaḥ[81] ||5||[82] iti

Here is the dialogue between Śiva and Gaurī:
In your mantra, oh Maheśānī, you are indeed my form. The cakra, consisting of fourteen [parts] is proclaimed to be your carka.
Oh Ambikā, our mantra is the fourth state (turya) consisting of thirteen parts. At the time of dissolution, that [mantra] has the nature of bindu from which all the letters originate. 
             Also, the letters come into being by mere expansion of the bindu from which the primary elements such as space etc originated.
            Bindu has the nature of the supreme Brahma (or the Absolute) of the royal śrīcakra.  Afterwards, the fourteen [vowels] were originated from the letter ‘a’ in the cakra.  

bhūtapañcakam etasmāt hayavaraṭ maheśvarāt||
vyomavāyvambuvahnyākhyabhūtāny āsīt sa eva hi||6||[83]

6. A group of five elements which are ‘ha-ya-va-ra originated from that Maheśvara. He indeed became the elements called space, wind, water, and fire.

tata ātmanaḥ sakāśād ākāśādibhūtasaṃbhavam[84] āha| bhūtapañcakam iti| sa eva parameśvaraḥ|
 hakārād vyomasaṃbhūtir[85] yakārād vāyur ucyate|
 rakārād vahnis[86] toyaṃ tu vakārād iti śaivavāk||[87]
tasmād ātmanaḥ ākāśaḥ saṃbhūta iti| tasmāt parameśvarād bhūtapañcakātmakaṃ ākāśādikaṃ prapañcakāraṇam āsīt|  atrāsmin sūtre bhūtapañcakam āsīd iti uktam|6|| ākāśāḍi bhūtacatuṣṭayam evoktam| na pṛthvīty ākāṅkṣāyām| yadādhārasvarūpaṃ samastakāraṇam iti sūtrāntareṇāvocat|

Thereafter, he says that the elements beginning with space originated from the presence of Self. In regard to bhūtapañcakam (a group of five elements): sa eva (only he) means Parameśvara.
According to śaivas’ speech (vāk), the manifestation of the space element (vyoma) comes from the letter ‘ha’, from ‘ya’, wind is said to derive, fire derives from ‘ra’, water derives from ‘va’.
Space (ākāśa) originated from that Self. The cause of further expansion comprised of five elements beginning with space [comes] from that Parameśvara. In this sutra, it is said that he became a group of five elements. (6) [However,] only a group of four elements beginning with space was mentioned. There is no earth element to complete the sense. He told in the sūtra, that the cause of everything is [something] which has the nature of support.    

ādhārabhūtaṃ bhūtānām annādīnāṃ ca kāraṇam||
ānnād retas tato jīvaḥ kāraṇatvāl laṇīritam||7||[88]

7. [‘laṅ’] is the element of support, the cause of food etc., and living beings. Semen derives from food. From that [semen], a living being [is born]. ‘laṇ’ was proclaimed due to its causative force.

ādhārabhūtam iti| bhūtānāṃ prāṇijātānāṃ[89] udbhijjādīnāṃ[90] pradhānādhārabhūtatvāt pṛthvī punaś cānnapānādīnāṃ kāraṇatvāt|| pratyekatvena laṇityādīritam ity arthaḥ||7||

ādhārabhūtam (the element of support) is used in the sense of earth because [this is] a primary element of support of what exists (bhūtānām), or living beings born from seeds etc., and also, because [the earth is] the cause of food, drinks etc.. This is the reason to deal with ‘laṇ’ and so forth singly. (7)

śabdasparśau rūparasagandhāś ca ñamaṅaṇanam|
vyomādīnāṃ guṇādīni[91] jānīyāt sarvavastuṣu||8||[92]

8. Sound and touch, form, taste, and smell are ‘ña-ma-a-a-nam’.
   One should know peculiar qualities of [elements] beginning with air etc. in all things.

tataḥ pṛthivyādīnāṃ kāraṇatve sthitānāṃ tanmātrāṇāṃ samutpattikramam āha| śabdasparśāv iti tantroktenoddhāṭitam| anyatra bījanirṇayabhedā bahavaḥ santi| pañcavargeṣv antimārṇā śabdasparśādayo guṇā iti vākyānīti||8||

Thereafter, he says about a succession of manifestation of established subtle elements (tanmātras) as the cause of earth etc. [The word] śabdasparśāv (sound and touch) [is explained] according to a selected [passage] from the tantras. There are many divergences of opinions regarding bīja (seed) elsewhere. There are statements that the qualities beginning with sound and touch are the final letters of five series (vargas) of consonants. 

jha-bhañ asau virāḍrūpacidātmanaḥ sarvajantuṣu vijñeyam[93]|
sthāvarādau na vākyāni vargāṇāṃ turyavarṇayoḥ||9||[94]
9. ‘jha-bhañ’ should be recognised in all living beings as [him who] has the nature of consciousness in the form of the supreme intellect (virāja). There are no [such] statements in regard to inanimate [objects] and so on. 

jhabhañ iti| virāḍrūpaśivasya prāṇijātasya jhakārabhakārau[95] sthāvarādiṣu vinā vijñeyāv ity arthaḥ||9|| atha kramaprāptapādādikam āha|

The meaning of ‘jha-bhañ’ is that the letters ‘jha’ and ‘bha’ should be recognised as belonging to Śiva in the form of the supreme intellect of living beings, excluding inanimate objects. (9) Now he says in successive order about [action faculties] beginning with the foot.

ghaḍhadhaṣ sarvabhūtānāṃ pādapāyū upasthakaḥ|
karmendriyagaṇā hy ete jātā hi paramātmanaḥ||10||[96]

10. ‘gha-ḍha-dhaṣ’ are the organ of locomotion, the excretory organ, and the organ of reproduction of all the creatures. These groups of action faculties are brought into existence by the supreme Self.  

ghaḍhadhaṣ iti| paramātmanaḥ śivasakāśāt ime karmendriyagaṇāḥ pādapāyūpasthā ghaḍhadhavarṇā jātā ity arthaḥ||10||[97]

The meaning of ‘gha-ḍha-dhaṣ’ is that these groups of action faculties [such as] organs of locomotion, the excretory organs, and the organs of reproduction are letters ‘gha-ḍha-dhaṣ’ brought into existence by the supreme Self, or derive from Śiva. (10)

śrotratvaṅnayanaghrāṇajihvādhīndriyapañcakam|
sarveśām api jantūnām īritaṃ jabagaḍadaś ||11||[98] iti

11. ‘ja-ba-ga-ḍa-daś’, also proclaimed to belong to all living beings, are five senses: ear, skin, eye, nose, and tongue.

śrotratvag iti| varṇānāṃ ca madhyavargesthā jñānendriyajanakam iti vijñeyam ity arthaḥ||11|| tataḥ prāṇādipañcakamanobuddhyahaṅkārāḥ samunmīlyante||

śrotratvag (ear, skin) also means that among the letters, [the syllables  ja-ba-ga-ḍa-da] occupy the middle position in [their respective] series of consonants [and they] should be known as generating cognitive faculties. (11) Thereafter, mind, intellect, limited egoity, and a group of five beginning with the vital air (prāṇa) are disclosed.  

prāṇādipañcakaṃ caiva mano buddhir ahaṃkṛtiḥ|
babhūvuḥ[99] kāraṇatvena khaphachaṭhathacaṭatav||12||[100]

12. ‘kha-pha-cha-ṭha-tha-ca-ṭa-tav’ became by the force of causality a group of five [elements] beginning with the vital air (prāṇa) as well as mind, intellect, and limited egoity.

prāṇādipañcakam iti|
vargadvitīyavarṇotthaḥ prāṇādyāḥ pañcavāyavaḥ|
ādya[101]-vargātrayāj jātā antaḥkaraṇavṛttaya||[102] iti
anyadvayasamudbhūtau puruṣaprakṛtiguṇeti ca|
etair aṣtāvarṇaiḥ prāṇādipañcakaṃ manobuddhyahaṅkārāś ca jagatāṃ kāraṇatve saṃbhūtā ity arthaḥ||12||

The meaning of prāṇādipañcakam (a group of five beginning with the vital air) is [as follows]:
 The letters in the second position in the series of consonants are five winds beginning with prāṇa. The activities of the inner instruments (antaḥkaraṇa) emerge from the initial [letters] of three series of consonants. Moreover, the qualities of puruṣa and prakṛti originated from the other two [series of consonants].
It means that a group of five vital airs beginning with prāṇa plus mind, intellect, and limited egoity came into existence through these eight letters being the cause of the worlds. (12)

prakṛtiṃ puruṣañ caiva sarveṣām eva sammatam|
saṃbhūtam iti vijñeyaṃ kapay syād ity ahoditam[103]||13||

13. Surely he says that ‘ka-pay’ is to be known as a combination [of procreative principles which] are truly regarded by everyone just as prakṛti (nature) and puruṣa (primordial being).

tataḥ sarvaprāṇikāraṇatve ādyantavarga[104]-dvayādyakṣaragrahatve sampuṭībhāvaḥ prakṛtipuruṣābhyāṃ prakāśayati|| prakṛtim iti| kakārapakārajātau prakṛtipuruṣāv ity arthaḥ||13|| tato’vasthātrayaṃ nirūpayati sattvaṃ rajas tama iti|| 

Thereafter, the existing space between two hemispheres [made of] puruṣa and prakṛti illuminates being the cause of all living beings when initial letters of the first and the last series of consonants are taken together. [The verse beginning with] prakṛtim means that both classes of the letters ‘ka’ and ‘pa’ are prakṛti and puruṣa. (13) Thereafter, he describes three states which are sattva, rajas, and tamas.    

sattvaṃ rajas tama iti guṇānāṃ tritayaṃ purā||
samāśritya mahādevaḥ śaṣasar krīḍati prabhuḥ||14||[105]

14. The great God (Mahādeva) assuming in the beginning a triad of qualities (guṇas) sattva (purity), rajas (activity), and tamas (inertia) ‘śa-ṣa-sar’ the mighty one plays.

purā sṛṣṭeḥ prāk śaṣasavarṇasaṃbhūtasattvarajastamoguṇān āśritya paramaśivaḥ sarvabhūteṣu krīḍatīty arthaḥ|  
śakārād rajasotpannaḥ[106] ṣakārāt tāmasodbhavaḥ|
sakārāt sattvasaṃbhūtir iti triguṇasaṃbhavaḥ||[107]
 sarvatattvajanakaḥ tattvātītajñāpanārthaṃ sūtram etac cakāra iti||14||

This means that purā (in the beginning), or before the emanation, the supreme Śiva (Paramaśiva) assuming qualities of sattva, rajas, and tamas produced from ‘śa-ṣa-sa’ plays in all living beings.
rajas arises from the letter ‘śa’, the quality of tāmas derives from the letter ‘ṣa’, sattva is produced from the letter ‘sa’. Thus, three qualities came into existence.
The progenitor of all constituent categories made this sūtra with the purpose of making known the supreme category.

tattvātītaḥ paraḥ sākṣī sarvānugrahavigrahaḥ|
aham ātmā paro hal syād iti śambhus tirodadhe||15||[108]
iti śrīmat sarvalokopakārinandikeśaracitā kāśikā samāptāḥ||16||

15. “I am Self, a supreme witness beyond the categories of existence, the form of complete grace, the final (or supreme) hal” - saying thus Śambhu disappeared.  
16. Thus ends the commentary composed by Nandikeśa, a saviour of the whole world.

sarvānugrahavigrahaḥ sākṣī tattvātītaḥ hal syād iti ḍhakkāninādavyājena sarveṣāṃ munijanānāṃ tattvam upadiśan tirodadhe[109] ity arthaḥ||15|| ity ādinandikeśvarakṛta sūtravimarśinī samāptā||
kaśikāyāḥ ṭīkāsamāptāḥ || śubham|| śivadattena likhitaṃ svārthaṃ|| śubham astu||[110]   

The meaning is that having taught the truth - ‘hal’ is the form of compete grace, a witness beyond the categories of existence - to all the saints by the artifice of sounding the drum, he disappeared. (15) Deliberations on the sūtras composed by Nandikeśvara are completed. The notes on the commentary are finished. [Be] auspicious! Written by Śivadatta [to express] the original meaning. Be auspicious!



[1] A: śrīdugdhavināyakāya namaḥ ||
[2] V: sarvajñāya mahātmane                                                                                                                       
[3] V: guruṃ śivaṃ kumārañ ca
[4] V: nandikeśādīn śivabhaktān
[5] V: kāśikām
[6] B: ādisūtrasya
[7] V: nṛtyāvasāne
[8] vimarśe (in the locative case, singular, masculine adverbial noun from mṛś 6P) literally means ‘within discussion, examination, explanation’. The translation here is based on the gloss in the commentary “vimarśe sphuṭīkaromi” - vimarśe means ‘I explain’. Also, the commentator explains that vimarśe here is for metrical purposes: vimarśe iti chāndasaṃ bodhyam.
[9] uddharttukāma is considered to be of obscure origin. It is a bhahuvrīhi samāsa = ud-hartum kāmaḥ yasya saḥ (he, whose desire is to elevate) where ‘m’ of tumun affix in hartum is deleted according to Kāśikāvṛtti 6.1.144: samastate vikalpena makāralopo vidhīyate| lumped avaśyamaḥ kṛtye tuṃkāmamanasor api|
[10] The four realised beings are four Kumāras, sons of Brahma born out of his mind - Sanaka, Sanātana, Sanandana and Sanatkumāra.
[11] V: includes nandikeśa in the list.
[12] A,B: nttāvasāna
[13] A,B: -vaicitya-
[14] B: tatad-
[15] This line resembles a part of verse 2 in V:  अत्र सर्वत्र सूत्रेषु अन्त्यवर्णचतुर्दशम्।
                                                 धात्वर्थं समुपादिष्टं पाणिन्यादीष्टसिद्धये॥२॥  
Translation: Here in all the sūtras, the fourteen final letters are taught to achieve desired efficiency of Pāṇini’s etc. [grammar] in [conveying] the meaning of dhātus (verbal roots).                 
[16] Indra is possibly a grammarian mentioned in Pāṇini’s Aṣṭṣdhyāyī.
[17] B:  citkalābhiḥ; V: citkamām iṃ
[18] Verse 3 in V.
[19] emend. V: māyām; A,B: moghām. moghām (useless, false) is an adjective which has no noun to qualify in the sentence. It is possible that māyām was corrupted into moghām because is often confused in the manuscripts with and मो differs from मा by one stroke only.
[20] emend. A,B: u
[21] Taittiriya Upaniśad 2.7.1
[22] emend. A,B: sadājayatā
[23] Bhagavad Gīta 10.33
[24] V: parameśvaraḥ.
[25] Verse 4 in V.  pādas ab occur in Sanketapaddhati.
[26] emend. garbhāvaśājātmā; V: virbhāvam āsādya; B: garbhāvam āśa[tm/?]ā; A: garbhāva[s/t]ājātmā 
[27] A: tam īritā
[28] These lines resemble pādas ab and d in verse 5 and pādas cd in verse 6 of Nandikeśvara in V:
सर्वं परात्मकं पूर्वं ज्ञप्तिमात्रमिदं जगत्।
ज्ञप्तेर्बभूव पश्यन्ती मध्यमा वाक् ततः स्मृता॥५॥
वक्त्रे विशुद्धचक्राख्ये वैखरी सा मता ततः ।
सृष्ट्याविर्भावमासाद्य मध्यमा वाक् समा मता ॥६॥
Translation:
5. In the very beginning, this entire world was pure cognition consisting entirely of the parā (the highest) [level of speech]. The paśyantī (i.e. seeing speech) [level of speech] emerged from cognition [and] then became known as madhyamā (the middle) [level of] speech.
6. Then in the mouth, in viśuddha cakra, it (speech) is considered as vaikharī. Having come close to the state of manifestation, it is thought of as madhyamā [level of] speech.
[29] The words agra and akṣara refer to both Brahma and the letter ‘a’. Brahma is the first, or eldest (agra), among gods and he is an imperishable (akṣara) spirit. The letter ’a’, in its turn, comes first (agra) among the letters and it can be called akṣara as well as any other letter of the alphabet (for example, the alphabet is called akṣrasamāmnāya in the Mahabhāśya). Since these alphabets came out of ‘Śiva himself, who is immortal, these varnas are known as akṣaras (deathless). The jaal (net) that the Supreme God knitted is called akṣaramala 
[30] From that akṣara, imperishable Brahma or ‘a’ comes sakalaguṇam. It seems that sakalaguṇam can also be interpreted as referring to both, Brahma and the letter ’a’: as qualities of the material, immanent world divided into parts or as phonetic characteristics of the Sanskrit vowels.
[31]ṇini, Aṣṭādyāyī 1.1.71. The rule says that the initial item (ādiḥ) together with (saha) the last (antyena) marker (iṭā) denotes itself and all the items before ‘iṭ’, thus, constituting a siglum (pratyahāra). Here in case of aham, strictly speaking, the rule cannot be applied because ‘ha’ is not a marker, ‘iṭ’, or anubandha. aham is only a kind contraction of the entire alphabet in a manner similar to pratyahāras.
[32] emend. A,B: vaikhayādiṣu
[33] emend. A,B: prakaṭītam
[34] V: gatam  
[35] V: icchā
[36] These are verses 7 and 8 in V.
[37] V: paraśivaprakāśita
[38] V: bījam
[39] emend. A,B: sodvayeni-
[40] V: -svarūpakam
[41] V: priye
[42] Verse 9 in V: अकारो ज्ञप्तिमात्रं स्यादिकारश्चित्कला मता।
                 उकारो विष्णुरित्याहुर्व्यापकत्वान्महेश्वरः ॥९॥
Translation: The letter ‘a’ is pure cognition. The letter ‘i’ is known as an aspect of consciousness (cit).  They say that the letter ‘uis Viṣṇu (and it is) Maheśvara due to its omnipresence (or pervasiveness).  
[43] A: ṛḷk sarvai[sa/śa][ḷ/?]
[44] A,B: [va/ca/ba]. In the Mss A,B ‘va’ stands for both, ‘va’ and ‘ba’.
[45] A,B:[va/ca/ba]laḥ
[46] Verse 10 in V: ऋऌक् सर्वेश्वरो मायां मनोवृत्तिमदर्शयत् ।
                 तामेव वृत्तिमाश्रित्य जगद्रूपमजीजनत् ॥१०॥
Translation: A group of letters ‘ṛ ḷ’ is Sarveśvara (the Lord of Everything, the Infinite Being) [who] showed Māyā, the activity of the mind. Assuming only that activity he brought into being the form of the universe.
[47] emend. A,B: sarva
[48] emend. A,B: mākhyāṃ
[49] A quotation from Narāyaa suktam.
[50] In V, this is verse 11 where pāda d reads: yathā vāgarthayor api. Then the translation of the last two pādas would be: just as the moon and the moon light so also are the word and its meaning.
Verse 12 is not found in this recension: स्वेच्छया स्वस्य चिच्छक्त्या विश्वमुन्मीलयत्यसौ।
                                    वर्णानां मध्यमं क्लीबमृऌवर्णद्वयं विदुः॥
Translation: He reveals the universe by the will [which is] his own power of consciousness. Among the letters these two letters are known as androgynous, placed in the middle.
[51] In V, there is a quotation from Śrītantra: matto hyabhūn manorūpaḥ ḷkāraḥ parameśvarī
[52] V: māyeśvarātmy. It means that the aphorism ‘eoṅ’ has the nature of Māya and Maheśvara united together.
[53] emend. A,B: sarvavapha.
[54] Verse 13 in V.
[55] B: sakale-
[56] emend. A,B: uttaratra
[57] emend. A samīṣṭavyaṣṭi-; B samīṣṭamaṣṭi-
[58] V: sāmyatā
[59] V: mahābhāga
[60] V: tattva-
[61] V: jñānam
[62] V: itīritam
[63] The pādas cd in V: prajñānaṃ brahma yasmād dhi tasmād brahmāsmyahaṃ tataḥ||
[64] emend.A,B: nāssy  
[65] V: tattvata
[66] V: vāraṇatvāya
[67] V: etyapi varṇyate
[68] According to V, the verses are cited from Sanakadakśiṇāmūrti saṃvādamahāvākyavivaraṇa.
[69] The word Brahma occurs three times in four Upaniṣads’ great sayings: prajñānam brahma (Aitareya Upaniṣad 3.3 of the Ṛgveda), aham brahmāsmi (Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.4.10 of the Yajurveda), tat tvam asi (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.8.7 of the Samaveda), ayam ātmā brahma (Mandukya Upaniṣad 1.2 of the Atharvaveda).
[70] emend. A,B: brahmaṇa. The verse is unmetrical in A,B.
[71] V: san jagat
[72] V: mahāmuniḥ. This is verse 14 in V.
[73] B: sarvabhūtir
[74]The commentary in V contains a quotation from Iśvaravimarśinī: akārekārokārāṇāṃ hrasvadīrghāṇāṃ saṃyogāt sarvasaṃbhūtir iṣyata iti
[75] V: mantram
[76] emend. A,B: rūpa
[77] V: ucchūnakāle
[78] V: bindusphoṭana-
[79] emend. A,B: parabrahmātmakam
[80] V: caturdaśātmakaḥ
[81] emend. A,B: saṃbhava
[82] This is a quotation from Śivagaurīsaṃvāda Mahāmantratattvaprakāśinī.
[83] This is verse 15 in V.
[84] B: sakāśādibhūte saṃbhavam
[85] V: vyomasaṃjñaṃ ca
[86] emend. A,B: vahni
[87] V: saiva vāk. This is verse 16 in V.
[88] This is verse 17 in V.
[89] A: prāṇijātīnāṃ
[90] emend. A: udbhijjādīnī; B: udbhijādīni
[91] V: guṇā hyete
[92] Verse 18 in V.
[93] A: vijñayam
[94] The verse seems to be corrupted because the first line is unmetrical and the verse does not mention any tattvas corresponding to the letters. The whole verse resembles verse 19 in V: 
                                वाक्पाणी च झभञासीद्विराड्रूपचिदात्मनः।
                      सर्वजन्तुषु विज्ञेयं स्थावरादौ न विद्यते
                     वर्गाणां तुर्यवर्णा ये कर्मेन्द्रियमया हि ते॥१९॥
Translation: Also, ‘jha-bhañ’ are speech and hand of [him who] has nature of consciousness in the form of      the supreme intellect (virāja). He should be known in all living beings except immovable (or inanimate things) etc. The forth syllables in the series of consonants are composed of faculties of action.
[95] emend. A,B: jakārabakārau
[96] Verse 20 in V.
[97] A,B: kramaprāptapādādikam āha| The expression in the Mss seems to be a scribal error. It is out of place and the same phrase occurs just before verse 10. 
[98] Verse 21 in V.
[99] V: babhuva
[100] Verse 22 in V.
[101] V: madhya-
[102] Verse 23 in V.  
[103] V: niścitam. This verse is 24 in V.
[104] emend. A,B: ādyantavarṇa-
[105] Verse 25 in V.
[106] emend. V: rajasobhūtiḥ; A: raja utpanna; B: rūja utpannaḥ.
[107] Verse 26 in V.
[108] Verse 27 in V.
[109] emend. A,B: stirodadhe.
[110] This line is not found in B.

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