Lakṣmī Tantra Chapter 11—Viśākhayūpa and the Vibhava Incarnations
Channel: Consciousness Research Centre
Date: 29/11/2020

This series is classified Vivartha-vāda | Rāja-yoga | Suśupti | Viśuddhi-cakra
Śrī: “Viṣṇu Nārāyaṇa is pure, not governed by anything, flawless, eternal, the possessor of Śrī and of the everlasting supreme soul. He embodies the six divine attributes, is ever-existent, supreme and the most exalted ever-existing Brahman. I am His eternal potency, and I possess all the attributes possessed by Him. You should know that I co-exist with in Viṣṇu in all His states of existence. I am pure and absolute; the omnipotent Śakti belonging to Viṣṇu, the immutable. Expanding My own bhāva (state of existence) consisting of both the pure and the impure, I am continuously producing the Vyūhas of Hari, distinguished by Paravyūha etc.” [11.1–4]
“Whenever required, by aid of the pure sixfold divine attributes, I instantly manifest God’s different forms of bhavat (the absolute existing principle) by appearing in the diverse states of Vyūha etc. in whatever manner is appropriate. Without question I am the vyāpāra (action of God). All that I do is regarded as done by Him. In fact I am considered to be the function of God. 
Thus, Śakra, I have revealed to you the Absolute, as the Vyūha-forms of God. Now hear about His third type of forms known as Vibhavas. The four states I have described—turīya, suṣupti, svapna and jagrat—are pervaded by the Vyūha-forms of God: Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. As already explained to you, in each particular state the relevant fourfold deity appears in His own unmanifest or manifest form.” [11.5–9] 
“When one Vyūha emerges from the previous Vyūha, like one step immediately follows the one that precedes it, all the intermediate space is filled with the brilliant tejas (energy of God). That revered divine entity consisting of amassed brilliance is unmanifested, without embodiment, consists of reality, knowledge etc. and is called Viśakhayūpa. This is a great brilliant column divided into four sections. Each section is allocated to one of the Vyūha deities, but also contains all four of Them, occupying the four points of the compass respectively.” [11.10–12]
“Thus there is uninterrupted continuity of Vyūhas through all four states of consciousness: Vāsudeva’s domain turīya, where there is no polarization; Saṅkarṣaṇa’s domain suṣupti, where the first signs of polarization are faintly discernable; Pradyumna’s domain svapna, where consciousness is subtly polarized; and Aniruddha's domain jagrat, where consciousness is fully polarized and limited. These four deities Vāsudeva etc. being identical with God, each incorporates all four Vyūha deities, and hence in each state all four are present. In each successive state They become more and more distinct, to tally with the distinctive character of the main deity of the section. The entire column thus represents the one and single deity.” [11.12, note]
“O Śakra, in each particular state, the four-branched embodiment of God—Vāsudeva, etc.—is manifested in graduated order. Thus when the Vyūha develops out of the transition from the svapna (dream) state to the waking state, the great taijasa, the deity called Viśakhayūpa is worshipped, filling all the space lying between the end of the dream state and the start of the waking state. Viśakhayūpa extends over the states that follow after the suṣupti state and fills up the intermediary positions between two states as well as the states themselves. Hence He is the unmanifested totality of all Vyūha forms whether manifest or unmanifest, and thus He is called taijasa.” [11.13–14, note] 
“These Vibhava deities are considered to be Padmanābha, Dhruva, Ananta, Śaktīśa, Madhusūdana, Vidyādhideva, Kapila, Viśvarūpa, Vihaṅgama, Kroḍātmā, Vaḍavavaktra, Dharma, Vāgīśvara, Ekārṇavāntaḥśāyin, Kūrma (the tortoise-shaped deity), Varāha, Narasiṁha, Amṛtaharaṇa, divinely shaped Śrīpati, Kāntātman bearing amṛta, Rāhujit, Kālanemighna, Pārijātahara, Lokanātha, Śāntātmā, the great master Dattātreya, Nyagrodhaśāyin, Ekaśṛṅgatanu, the deity in the form of a one-horned the fish, the deity possessing a Vāmana dwarf’s form, the all-pervading Trivikrama, Nara and Nārāyaṇa, Hari, Kṛṣṇa, Paraśurāma with the burning eye, and the other Rāma with the bow, God Kalki, Vedavid (Vyāsadeva) and Pātālaśayana. These thirty-eight deities, are God’s manifestations known as the Vibhava deities.” [11.19–25]

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