Lakṣmī Tantra Chapter 20—Explanation of the Mātṛkā
Channel: Consciousness Research Centre
Date: 2020-12-28

This series is classified Vivartha-vāda | Rāja-yoga | Suśupti | Viśuddhi-cakra
Śakra: “l salute Thee, O Śakti who createst, sustainest and engulfest all, who art the Selfhood of Hari and ultimate jñāna (knowledge) itself. O Padmā, through Thy grace I have heard the great secret of truth. Now please give me a detailed explanation of the systematic composition of sounds and syllables.” 
Śrī: “O celestial man, hear the primordial disposition of the path of sound, knowledge of which enables the meditating adept to become one in form with Me, sarūpatā. The ultimate Absolute, imperishable Brahman, undifferentiating between the polarization of knowledge and agent, appearing in the form of ever-shining light and identical with the All, is termed aham (I AM).” [20.1–5]
“Ever-shining Śakti is Brahman’s I-hood, appearing as inextinguishable light, devoid of polarization of knowledge and its agent. I am the same Śakti, the essence of light and bliss endowed with perfect equilibrium. When to liberate the jīvas, My own Śakti activates merely a ten-millionth of a hundred-thousand-billionth fraction of Myself, I then automatically evolve out of the great God into śabda-brahman. Consider this unmanifested eternal śabda-brahman as resembling the faint sound produced by harmonic resonance of the strings of a musical instrument. That faint sound is indeed multiplied by numerous other varṇa (sounds) to sustain creation.” [20.6–8]
“As the varṇa (subtle sound), it represents the continuous flow of sound immanent in all sound. For he who, freed from the five paths of creation and the five sheaths, relies on Me alone and perceives Truth by favor of the Supreme Soul, śabda-brahman holds the position of anubhūti: the integral intuitive experience of the Highest. Śabda-brahman is identical with My fourfold form, the catur-vyūha.” [20.9–10]
“During the evolutionary process represented by the letters a to sa, śabda-brahman is characterized by sound; whereas, during the involutionary process represented by the reverse order of sounds from ha to ā, it is characterized by knowledge. That is to say, the process of creation evolving out of śabda-brahman retains its sonic character, hence the sound a represents śabda-brahman as the sonic origin of creation. Whereas in the process of involution or destruction, the ultimate reality remaining after the total dissolution of the creation is represented by the sound ha, and is in the form of Absolute knowledge in which the identity of śabda-brahman is merged and loses its sonic character. During evolution of the Vyūhas, ha represents dvādaśānta; whereas during involution akāra (a) holds that position.” [20.11–12]
“Thus either of these letters may stand at dvādaśānta. In this Vyūha aggregate composed of sound, it should be recognized by virtue of jñāna-samādhi that Vāsudeva and the other deities of the Vyūha form exist in the states of viśrāma (inertia), udaya (primary creative activity), vyāpti (pervasion) and vyakti (manifestation), respectively. At this point the embodiment and personification of each deity should be recognized as linked up with one of these four states.” [20.13–14]
“One should reflect on the eternal God Vāsudeva, the eternal primary God Puṇḍarikākṣa represented by the sound a, as denoting viśrāma (inertia), for when dissolution comes, the principals—Saṅkarṣaṇa etc.—will still be resting in Vāsudeva. Next, one should reflect on illustrious Saṅkarṣaṇa as reflected by the ā and as being the udaya (primary creative activity); for He is the creative principle behind everything created, the deity who spontaneously started creating the All. One should reflect on illustrious Pradyumna who, as being the i, underwent expansion. Identical with trayikarman, the law and order of the universe, He expands and manifests Himself as the variegated universe; and that manifestation in turn should be reflected on as Aniruddha, represented by the sound ī.” [20.15–18]
“At this juncture all the five śaktis—the functions of creating the world, sustenance, destruction, delusion and grace—have become manifest. Thus in structure they resemble a staff. Up to sa My fourfold nature is connected with the four Vyūha states. In reflecting on the process of evolution, the sound ha should be placed last in these twelve groups of sounds. However, during the process of apyaya (involution) ha should be identified with Vāsudeva in viśrāma (state of inertia), sa with Saṅkarṣaṇa in udaya.” [20.19–21]

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