8 Shaktis, How Bhagavān Sadashiva sets Māyā Chakra in motion and Absorbs It.
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from Adhikāra-tattva Prakaraṇam, SADASHIVA TATTVA, Matanga Pārameshwara Agama, Vidya pāda by Lord Srikantha
Sadashiva tattva explains and expands on
- 3 states of Lord Sadashiva – Nishkala Shiva, Bhoga Shiva and Adhikara Shiva
- How He is the source and authority of Vidyesvaras and Shaktis and,
- how he manifests Himself through His powers in the māya chakra and liberates the beings through His Guru anugraha.
"Lord Parameshti (Sadashiva) exists and expresses His Divinity over the worlds, being fully powered and established in Yoga [yogena-adhishthitam] by the Supreme Shaktis. These are His own Shaktis who pervade everywhere without being impeded by any limiting forces.
There Shaktis are – Ishāni, Apūranī, Hārdī, Vāmā, Mūrti (Panchāmi). Lord Paramesha (Sadashiva) is always powered by His Shaktis. He downpours various enjoyments in the worlds of all adhvas (paths) by sending forth pure drops from His mouth. He is surrounded by luminous rays emitted by His own Shaktis and by 8 Vidyesvaras who are endowed with qualities of Bhagavān SHIVA, and who are setting the wheel of Māyā, Māyā Chakra in motion giving rise to evolution. These 8 Vidyeshvaras have taken possession of exceeding power and prowess through the grace of Shiva, and they are always fulfilling the command given by the Supreme Lord, Sadashiva.
There are 3 more Shaktis – Hārinī, Jananī, Rodhayitrī. O Mahamuni, Great Sage! These 8 Shaktis are said to be constituting the form of Sadashiva, to be appearing as the body of Sadashiva.
There are 8 aspects of the Great Ishvara, Mahesha and these 8 aspects present themselves in the form of 8 Shaktis (of Sadashiva).
Divine Manifest Form of Sadashiva
The form of Sadashiva designed by the 5 mantras [pancha mantra tanuḥ shivaḥ] is naturally pure (amalam) and auspicious (shuddha). Through the differences seen in His activities, the presence of internal organs, formed of 3 Shaktis, shaktitraya, is observed in His embodied form (sharīram).
| Shakti Traya of Sadashiva | Nature/Aspect | Cosmic Acts in Māyā Field |
|---|---|---|
| Hāraṇi (vr. 33-34) | Haraṇa – She seizes or absorbs the enjoyments given to ‘sakalas’ – the souls bound with the 3 pāśa, bonds (āṇava, māyā, karma) - She is fully submissive to the will of Sadāshiva - Eternal | When Sadashiva is involved in dissolving the worlds, His Shakti who seizes and absorbs (haraṇa) the enjoyments (bhoga) within the inner space (of Shiva) is called Hāraṇi. Patiently awaiting the time of dissolution (laya), Hāriṇi takes hold of the lingam, subtle-body of the sakala souls and dissolves their bhoga, enjoyments very swiftly and is capable of keeping the souls at rest in the field of māyā. - The Shakti takes hold of the initiated who is in constant contemplation and gradually draws him up. Since she functions for Shiva, who is intent in drawing the meditative soul towards Himself, she is Hāriṇi. The soul is dependent on experiencing the enjoyments (in māyā) until Hāriṇi takes away, absorbs such bhogas. |
| Janaṇī (vr. 37-40) | - She is internal instrument of Sadashiva, who is involved in Cosmic Play (krida) of Prabhu. - Just like the working of mother-father is seen in bringing up a child, the working of Janani and Sadashiva, whose body is formed of 5 mantras (pancha mantra tanuḥ shivaḥ) is seen in progress | Strengthened by the vīrya (power of knowing and doing) of Sadashiva, this Shakti does work related to Souls and Actions. Just like rain-water reaches the ground and produces sprouts, even so Jananī descends in the field of māyā (māyā-ātmike) as the birthing mother, producing the enjoyments which were till now in the seed-form of vāsanas, source root patterns and nourishes the |
| of the soul (in the māyā field). - The subtle motherly actions of Jananī are observed in each birth of the soul, where Jananī is the Mother of Souls (ātma) – mātā janmani janmani. | power of souls to cherish and enjoy the bhogas. | |
|---|---|---|
| Rodhayitrī (vr. 41-42) | - The Shakti who stabilizes and obstructs, holds back or covers is known as Rodhayitrī. - Being united with Rodhayitrī, Sadashiva functions as the Prabhu (Lord) of Rodhayitas. | - To the innumerable souls classified into Vijnana-kalas and Pralaya-kalas, this Shakti allots respective places for existence as per their competency. - She obstructs or holds back the sakala-souls to prevent them from leaping towards the multitudes of enjoyment in the worlds. |
Maya Matrix – Wheel of the World Held by Pati-Shakti,
and the Way Out of Māyā through UNMILANI SHAKTI – Love Current of Shiva, Shiva Rāga
“The whole world consisting of non-moving (sthāvaram) and moving (jangamam) things exists, empowered and held by these 3 Pati-Shaktis. Held by these 3 Shaktis, the souls which are entangled in the wheel of worlds are extremely tormented by the heat of confusion (self-doubt), ignorance and delusion.
This wheel of their birth and death is constantly kept in motion, until the Unmilani Shakti, the shakti of Shiva which causes the manifestation of true knowledge, descends on the soul. (The workings of the 3 Shakis is happening simultaneously – creation of bhogas, enjoyments for some souls, withdrawal for some, and holding back for other souls. When the tejasvi-nithya-anugraha, the absolute radiant, eternal, loving grace-yielding Unmilani Shakti descends and showers on the souls, in whom the deep devotion, the love current of Shiva – Shiva Rāga is intensely, strongly rooted, these 3 Shaktis do not keep the wheel (of māyā) in motion for them.”
~ verse 43, 44
The Anugraha of Sadashiva – Guru leads the soul (seeker) out of the Māyā – Paśu, Soul attaining Oneness with Sadashiva, Patitvam
“Due to the descent of liberating grace-yielding Shakti on the initiated soul who was so far in ajñāna, the forgetfulness of knowledge (of true oneness with Sadashiva), and who was desirous [abhilāshi] of worldly enjoyments and who was perceiving the non-self as the Self, discriminative knowledge, viveka suddenly gets awakened in him and he goes beyond attachment and desire. From this space of viveka, intense desire, jijñāsā for knowing the exact nature of his self (paśu), prabhu and world (samsāra) awakens and manifests in him. With the intense desire for complete knowledge comes the attainment of the knowledge of tattvas, God and disciplines.
When the seeker becomes inspired to approaching and connecting with the Guru (Preraka), the indwelling Prabhu Sadashiva directs him to the proper Guru. In the matter of directing, Lord Sadashiva Himself, who shines forth with mantra-kalas, is the source for both the seeker (prerana) and Guru (prerakah). It is only the anugraha, the loving compassion and liberating grace of the Lord that is the cause of both – the disciple serving the Guru, who is to be bestowed the grace, and the Guru who holds the space of compassion (karuṇa) for the disciple. Without the direct anugraha of the Lord (Sadashiva), the union (yoga) between the Guru and a disciple (seeker) is very rare.
If Prabhu Sadāshiva is not pleased and gracious towards both the disciple and Guru, the disciple would not get the proper Guru and the reverential name ‘Guru’ will not be attained. The pure path is laid between the Guru and disciple, by Prabhu. Having attained the Guru, the bound souls, pāśavaḥ, become ‘siddhāḥ’ and ultimately surely attains Patitvam, Oneness with Pati. The compassion of Lord of all Lords, Devādhideva Sadashiva always remains beyond reproach.
- verse, 45-52
“The elevated souls who are with the mighty power, mahābalāḥ, enjoy various kinds of desire-fulfilling joys and pleasures (bhogas) in their respective worlds. Those beings who have been initiated, in such a way as to attain the world of Sadashiva, who are deeply connected and engaged in the constant one-pointed meditation (dhyāna-tat-parāḥ) on Him and whose mind has been surrendered and offered to Sadashiva (Sadashiva-arpita), reach the Sadashiva-bhuvana, ultimately. Just as the blade of grass and clods of earth attain the nature of gold on approaching the side of Mt. Meru, even so all those initiated, who reach the world of Sadashiva attain Sadāshive-Pada, the state of Oneness with Sadashiva. Yet, even on becoming Sadashiva-samāḥ, absorbed in oneness with Sadashiva, they are always dependent, being directly ruled over by Lord Sadashiva.
- verse 53-55
note:
- Sadashiva bhuvana is explained Sadashiva tattva in Raurava Agama, vidya pāda, verse 161-162
- The term ‘Prabhu’ has been defined in the Agamas as “the Absolute Lord who is capable of performing actions in a systematic way, of abstaining himself from such actions and of performing such actions in a different order”.