Lakṣmī Tantra Chapter 3—Three Phenomenal Guṇas
Channel: Consciousness Research Centre
Date: 2020-11-06

This series is classified Vivartha-vāda | Rāja-yoga | Suśupti | Viśuddhi-cakra
Goddess Śrī said: “Now, Śakra, listen whilst I describe the impure course of creation. 
I am Nārāyaṇi, possessed of eternal, flawless, infinite and beneficial attributes, verily Viṣṇu’s supreme being. I am regarded as exempt from limitations of space, time or form. Saṁvid (consciousness) alone is the essence of My being (literally, form); whereas aiśvarya and the other divine qualities are My attributes. This distinction is effected by My will alone, without aid or directive, and this polarized state is said to consist of jñāṇa, aiśvarya and śakti. [3.1–3]
“Now I will describe My limited manifestation comprising vijñāna, aiśvarya and śakti. In accordance with My sovereign will—incapable of being subordinated—when I, the inscrutable, become manifest and active, My form voluntarily undergoes a mutation within the essential triad of vijñāna, aiśvarya and śakti. Just as the transparent juice of the sugarcane assumes the form of molasses, so does transparent vijñāna evolve into sattva (goodness), the primordial guṇa. Similarly My aiśvarya develops into rājas (passion) and my śakti develops into tamas (ignorance). [3.4–6]
“Śakra, these three primordial or phenomenal attributes are called the complex of the three guṇas. During the creation this traiguṇya changes into a state where rājas predominates. During sustenance of creation it is dominated by sattva, and at the time of destruction by tamas. Though I am essentially consciousness, primordial and all-pervasive, O Purandara, I adopt as My basis and focus My creative urge upon the phenomenal guṇas to undertake creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe. Although I am attributeless, I alone voluntarily preside over these guṇas and turn the wheel of creation, maintenance and destruction.” [3.7–9]
Śakra: “Why dost Thou manifest Thyself in these two distinct courses of pure and impure creation involving the three pairs of attributes: jñāna, aiśvarya, vīrya, śakti, bala and tejas? I salute Thee, lotus-born Goddess; as I ask this question please answer me.”
Śrī: “My divine power is sovereign, so My will is the sole instigation of creation. This point even the wise fail to grasp. Yet learn from Me, as I explain this truth. I am ever evolving both as lord and subordinate. Nārāyaṇa is the supreme Lord of all, and I am His lordhood. O Puraṅdara, that which is subordinate is known as a combination of consciousness and unconsciousness. [3.10–14]
“Absolute consciousness determines the state of the enjoyer; the nonsentient state covers upakaraṇa (the things enjoyed). That conscious element, cit-śakti, influenced by beginningless avidyā (nescience) which is introduced by Me, becomes the enjoyer, and on account of its own ego-hood, identifies itself with non-sentient objects in terms of the relationship of ‘I and mine’. 
“When through the influence of knowledge that avidyā is eliminated, consciousness, having dropped its ego-concept, recaptures My essential nature. That absolute knowledge present in the pure course of creation is introduced by Me as the supreme Vyūha, when out of compassion I reveal knowledge to the adept. The relationship between the two courses is that of protector and protected. The pure course of creation protects; whereas the impure is protected. This concludes My explanation. What else do you want to hear?” [3.15–20]
Śakra: “Why dost Thou function in two states, as Lord and as subordinate? Deign to tell me how many varieties of subordinates there are, and describe their traits.” 
Śrī: “The distinction between Īśa and īśitavya cannot be related to My or Nārāyaṇa’s essential nature. The eternal God and Myself do not really possess the aspects of Īśa and īśitavya. Subordinates are of two types, distinguished as dentient and insentient. Consciousness is here the enjoyer and assumes the forms of conscious beings. Insentience becomes objects of enjoyment and is of three types. The learned call that non-conscious aspect My third state of expansion. 
“I voluntarily divide Myself into these two śaktis—sentient and insentient—to represent My two everlasting aspects. The conscious śakti is flawless and pure, consisting of consciousness and bliss. Influenced by beginningless nescience it travels unendingly through the bondage of many lives and deaths. Although the non-conscious śakti is insentient, impure, evolving and the embodiment of the three phenomenal guṇas, yet I voluntarily manifest Myself as such. [3.21–27]

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