Mahakaal Samhita Foreword - I (Creation)

TANTRA-MAHAKAAL SAMHITA 
                  FOREWORD:

               by M.M.Gopinath Kaviraj ji
                  Originally in Bengali
             

Part I. Creation 

    The whole cosmic creation is based on an ocean of realization, which is called AKUL. The first wave arising in this ocean is known as ANUGRAH (favour, obligation). To proceed on the path of complete realization, this anugrah is extremely important. Due to it, the sleeping chit shakti awakens and a great change starts to happen in the life of the sadhak.

    The whole of creation evident in front of our eyes is seen as something outside us. Actually, it is nothing outside, but located inside only. It is felt due to the awakened state of chit shakti. But due to the effect of maya, things located inside are seen as being outside. Since aeons, the jeev is floating in the ocean of time. Falling down from the realization of his actual Self, he is continuously flowing in the current of Kaal (time).  He doesn’t realize that the whole view seen by him is like a reflection in a mirror.  As a scene in the mirror is limited to the mirror alone and not different from it, the same way the whole of the Bhav Roop Satta, evident in the ocean of realization, is nothing but realization itself.  But due to the effect of kaal, bound by various desires, a jeev thinks this whole scene is located outside, though all of it is happening inside. When anugrah shakti starts flowing, then the awakened chit shakti starts devouring kaal and as a result all the vikalp (alernative) start disappearing. Emancipation of vikalps is nothing other than purification of prameya. Before the flow of anugrah shakti (power), what ever a jeev felt as premeya were actually impure states of it. They are purified, only when vikalps break. At that moment nothing is left which is called ‘outside’. Everything is seen inside. Due to the awakened chit shakti, the purified state of creation is seen inside our atma only. This state was described by Adi Shankaracharya in the following sloka,

          ‘Vishvam Darpandrishyamaan nagri tulyam Nijantargatam’

    Due to the effect of maya, a jeev sees his body, mind and pran as different from atma. But when chit shakti arises, the existence of the body complex disappears and the whole creation is not seen outside but inside.

    The awakened chit shakti acts as a great devourer. It devours the whole outside world and projects it inwards. In the first stage, the whole cosmic creation appeared from visarg ( : ), now with the help of bindu shakti the whole creation gets attracted inwards.

    Withdrawing the whole creation inward with the help of Bindu, completes the actual process of BHOG. What normal people understand as bhog is not the one explained by Kaulik practitioners. A normal person actually doesn’t  know how to perform bhog. A person, who is a natural VEER (the state of a sadhak in tantra) is the only real bhokta. A normal person is bound by the snares of the three states of waking, sleeping, and dreaming, and hence he is called a PASHU (animal). A pashu is established in the above three states only and he acts as bhokta in them differently. As per Turiyanand, he cannot enjoy the bhog in these three states as a one bhokta alone. Due to the awakened chit shakti, when purification of prameyas occurs on this side, at the same time on other side purification of the senses also takes place. At that time, our eyes accept only pure subjects of sight. This bhog, actually is archana of the lord. It happens in all the three states. This is not the play of a weak-hearted person and hence is called VEER-BHAV. Adi Shankaracharya quoted it in a sloka:

     ‘Yat Yat Karomi Tat Akhilam, Shambho Tav Aradhanam’            

    After bhog comes tripti (satiation).  After this, interiorisation (antarmukh dasha) takes place, in which both experiencer and experience disappear. But than the question arises, if both disappear then who gets satiated? It is said, at that time Karneshwari devi, along with the subject experiences satiation. At that time, she embraces Bhairavnath and gets totally inward. Both of them become one. This embrace is known as Shayanabhav. Up til the senses stay in expectant mode, Karneshwari devi cannot embrace and become one with Chidakashnath.

    Until the desires of all the senses get annihilated, the breathing process continues. Various processes taking place in different nerves do not stop. Till this play is on, the movement in antrik and bahiya dwadashant (a group of twelve places) keeps happening. With the help of inner dwadashant, one moves inwards and with the help of outer dwadashant, one moves outward. Both these dwadashants are known as SANGHATSTHAN. When union takes place in these places then Par-paramrit-bhav arises. The union of praman and prameya occurs in these places. Parparamriti devi is parsamvid swaroopa, there is no doubt about it. When this shakti arises or when the state of parsamvid arises then with the help of its power and effulgence it devours mit-paramrit bhav and gets established in its own swroop (form). At that moment, as on one side attrition between pran and apan stops, the same way on the other side attrition between praman and prameya also subsides. We can say that this shakti with its power removes the attrition between pran-apan and praman –prameya. At that moment a kind of nirvikalp state arises. As per the idea of Utpalacharya this state is called spiritual Shivratri.  At this time due to the setting of both Sun and Moon, it is called ratri (night).

    In this very state a special state arises, which is seen in two parts, namely Bahya (outer) and Abhyantareen (inner). In the outer state, our real form is covered, while in the inner state our real form is divulged. This is a very difficult state for the yogis. If one is not able to keep ones movement towards self realization, there are chances that the form of our real self will surely get covered by mahamaya. But if one is able to keep working towards self realization continuously then this path will remain open. This state is called Mahavyom (great sky). In this sky there is no movement of pran-apan, praman-prameya and sun-moon. This is called CHIDAKASH. Even after travelling this far, doubts can arise in the mind of yogis, but they can remove them with the help of their efforts towards self realization. Due to the yogi’s continuous efforts, it starts dawning on him that everything will annihilate the inner state. At that time, atma devours the whole creation and achieves a state of oneness. This state is Parparamriti, there is no doubt about it.  

    One should remember here that evolution as well as devolution of self, both trades are present here. But with the grace of guru, evolution of self gets burnt in the atmic fire and converts into abhedgyan (ultimate knowledge). Due to arriving in the innermost state, one gets established in one’s Self. This state is called Bhav-sanghar. This state comes to light when nirvikalp atma samvedan arises in the unmani (beyond mind) state. In this state, in the fire of the self, the whole play of bhavmaya creation gets annihilated. At that moment, all kinds of prameya of parasamvid devi gets removed. Even the feeling that this is fit or this is unfit, gets removed.

    Though one has reached this far, still it is not the ultimate sought after state. Because of the subtle presence of some sansakars even now, idam still exists. As per the instruction of Kauls, at this point,the thinking of a yogi should be that ‘I have realized this oneness’. Due to the presence of samskar of the annihilation, assault of annihilation is there. Afterwards that sanskaar is also not present. After annihilation of the sanskaar, the yogi realizes that ‘All I am’. Depending on this state, in the form, in which parasamvid spreads atmaprakash. This also is another much subtler state of annihilation alone.

    Earlier bhavsanghar, which we discussed, was annihilation of annihilated prameya. The form of sanghar which appears at this point, is removal of pramaan. This realm is under Sadashiv. In this state, no obstruction arises in the path of the yogis even if some doubts may appear. Here prameya gets completely removed. Here life force is described in the form of twelves senses in a philosophical perspective.

    After this the twelve senses merge into Paramaditya. As per some Agams, this state is called Bharg-shikh. In this state, all the kalas disappear and only Parmakala or Amakala is left. This alone is Shiv kala or Parparamriti kala.

   The aham which arises after paramaditya, though is higher than it but still it is paramrita. Its name is Kaalagniroop. After crossing of this stage, Bhairav state arises. The form of Bhairav which gives effulgence of atma first, is called Mahakaal bhairav. Here Paramsamvid acts like an assisting power. Mahakaal bhairav performs five things here but not in isolation because he is not free. The shakti by whose desire he performs these five acts is Jagdamba. During the state of bhairav, in the womb of the great effulgence, all kinds of egos disappear. In that great fire, where every thing is burnt, only great-ego (poornaham) survives with the cosmos. After achieving this state, the yogi performs five duties like Paramshiv. Many people say that the five duties of Paramshiv are actually shown through Vyapini kala. After this Mahakaal bhairav also disappears. It is a state of Mahabhairav, which is beyond mahakaal. Here everything is at peace and no sanskaar of anything is there. Atmasamvedan, which was increasing step by step earlier gets fully developed here. Mahakaali is ready to enter into its own realm or Akul.  Kaal has nothing to do here. Here the Yogi enters into Samana state. Here the aeons of kaal appear just like a moment.

    After this, what develops is the last state. This state is Paramshiv. Here one comes face to face with Parasamvid devi. She is both poornroopa and krishroopa. When it raises all its assisting powers, develops various realms then it's Poorn (complete). When it devours everything into it and only one Kaalsankarshini chakra is left then it is called Krisha. Here, there is no kram (step by step approach) or yakram. With knowledge of kram, a step by step approach to devi is developed. Prameya etc. are received as forms of atmasamvit. Actually this is the completeness of jeeva.

                                            Om Shantih!