Chapter Twelve दीक्षादिकं वक्तव्यम् इति उक्तम्, दीक्षास्वरूपनिरूपणार्थं प्राक् कर्तव्यं स्नानम् उपदिश्यते । स्नानं च शुद्धता उच्यते, शुद्धता च परमेश्वरस्वरूपसमावेशः
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| कालुष्यागमो हि शुद्धिः, कालुष्यं च तदेकरूपेऽपि अतत्स्वभावरूपान्तर संवलनाभिमानः | तदिह स्वतन्त्रानन्दचिन्मात्रसारे स्वात्मनि विश्वत्रापि वा तदन्यरूपसंवलनाभिमानः अशुद्धिः, सा च महाभैरवसमावेशेन व्यपोह्यते, सोऽपि कस्यचित् झटिति भवेत्, कस्यापि उपायान्तरमुखप्रेक्षी । तत्रापि च एकद्वित्र्यादिभेदेन समस्तव्यस्ततया क्वचित् कस्यचित् कदाचित् च, तथा आश्वासोपलब्धेः विचित्रो भेदः । स च अष्टधा-क्षितिजलपवनहुताशनाकाशस मसूर्यात्मरूपासु अष्टासु मूर्तिषु मन्त्रन्यासमहिमा परमेश्वररूपतया भावितासु तादात्म्येन च देहे परमेश्वरसमाविष्टे शरीरादिविभागवृत्तेः चैतन्यस्यापि परमेश्वरसमावेशप्राप्तिः, कस्यापि . तु स्नानवस्त्रादितुष्टिजनकत्वात् परमेशोपायतामेतीति, उक्तं च श्रीमदानन्दादौ- धृतिः आप्यायो वीर्यं मलदाहो. व्याप्तिः सृष्टिसामर्थ्य स्थितिसामर्थ्यम् अभेदश्च इत्येतानि तेषु मुख्यफलानि - तेषु तेषु उपाहितस्य मन्त्रस्य तत्तद्रूपधारित्वात् । वीरोद्देशेन तु विशेषः, तद्यथा - रणरेणुः वीराम्भः महामरुत् वीरभस्म श्मशाननभः तदुपहितौ चन्द्रार्को आत्मा निर्विकल्पकः | पुनरपि बाह्याभ्यन्तरता द्वित्वम्, बहिरुपास्यमन्त्रतादात्म्येन तन्मयीकृते तत्र तत्र निमज्जनम् इत्युक्तम् । विशेषस्तु आनन्दद्रव्यं वीराधारगतं निरीक्षणेन शिवमयीकृत्य तत्रैव मन्त्रचक्रपूजनम्, ततः तेनैव देहप्राणोभयाश्रित देवताचक्रतर्पणम् इति मुख्यं स्नानम् । आभ्यन्तरं यथा - तत्तद्धरादिरूपधारणया तत्र तत्र पार्थिवादौ चक्रे तन्मयीभावः |
परभैरवसंमज्जन
माहुः स्नानं यथा तु तद्भवति । तदपि बाह्यं स्नानं ___ न मुख्यमुपचारतः किं तु || परमानन्दनिमज्जणु
हुपरमत्थिण हाणु । तर्हि आविदृतरत्ति
दिणु जाणइ पर अप्पाणम् ।। इति श्रीमदाचार्याभिनवगुप्तविरचिते श्रीतन्त्रसारे स्नानप्रकाशनं नाम द्वादशमाह्निकम् ।।१२।।150 TANTRASĀRA
It has been indicated earlier that initiation, rituals, and other related matters should be discussed. Therefore, for the purpose of determining the real character of initiation, the duties preliminary to it will be presented.
Bathing (snāna) is said to be purity, and purity should be understood as absorption into the pure essence of the great Lord (Parameśvara). Removal of impurity is indeed purification. Although identical with the innermost nature, impurity is errone ously regarded as being associated with characteristics extrane ous to it. For example, the conviction that the innermost nature, although present in the Self as well as in the universe, which is in essence perfectly free, blissful, and is consciousness alone, is negated when it is associated with characteristics different from consciousness. This erroneous notion is called impurity, which is removed by means of absorption into the great Bhairava.
In some, this absorption occurs instantaneously, while oth ers require a means (upāya) for attaining it. This division of the means in regard to different people may vary as one, two, three, or they may be taken as a whole, or individually. This absorption can happen to any individual, anywhere and at any time. In this way, the division of the means becomes diversified based on the attain ment of the firm conviction (āśvasa) in the nature of reality on the part of a practitioner.
Furthermore, this absorption is eightfold. By means of medita tion on the very nature of Parameśvara, and by the power of the placement of the mantras (nyāsa) in the eightfold form of śiva, i.e., the earth, water, air, fire, ether, moon, sun, and the self (ātmā), and in one’s own body by gaining identity with it, one becomes firmly absorbed in Parameśvara. In this way, a limited
soul, which functions differently as a body, etc., attains absorp tion in the Lord.
But to some (for those whose conviction is not as firm) bathing and putting on fresh clothing cause satisfaction. Therefore, they are regarded as the means for attaining Parameśvara. It is said in the Srimadānanda Tantra and similar texts that support, nour
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UCLS.
ishment, invigoration, burning of impurities, pervasion, capac ity of creating, the capacity of maintenance, and nonduality are the principal results. The mantra as a unifying element assumes the form of this eightfold division mentioned before. However, in regard to the viras, 18s they assume a specific nature; they are as follows: the dust emerging out of the union (ranarenu), the water of the vīra, the great air, the ashes of the vīra, the sky above the funeral ground, the moon and the sun as connected with the previ ous two, and the self free from thought constructs.
This bathing, with variations of external and internal, is of two types.[^186] The external form is performed by attaining identity with the mantra, and when this is attained, one is to be dissolved, into śiva.187 However, its particular form is carried out by means of looking at the delightful substance (wine) in a vessel used by vīras and having made it of the nature of śiva, one should worship the host of mantras in that very vessel. Then the ‘wheel of deities’ who are abiding in both body and prāṇa should be worshipped by that very substance. This is known as the principal bath. The inner bath is performed by means of concentration of the mind by the respective forms of dhāraṇā in the center of the earth, etc., in order to become identical with that wheel of deities.
Immersion into the very nature of the Lord is called bath. When this is correctly performed, only then does an external bath becomes a ritual bath. The external form of the bath is called a ritual bath only in the sec ondary sense.