Shiva Sutras of Vasugupta

Shiva Sutras are a collection of seventy-seven aphorisms divided into three sections and are attributed to the Kashmir sage Vasugupta of the 9th century. It is said that Vasugupta received these verses in a dream by Shiva who told him to go up to the top of a nearby mountain, and find a rock inscribed with the verses, and entrusting him with the task of spreading the non-dualism.

Shiva Sutras are the heart of the inner yoga practice and philosophy not only of Kashmir Shaivism but also of many other tantrik traditions. Its form, by many considered cryptic, doesn't hide the depth of the revelations.

 

शिवसूत्र

प्रथम उन्मेष

 

- चैतन्यमात्मा

- ज्ञानं बन्धः

- योनिवर्गः कलाशरीरम्

- ज्ञानाधिष्ठानं मातृका

- उद्यमो भैरवः

- शक्तिचक्रसंधाने विश्वसंहारः

- जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुसुप्तभेदे तुर्याभोगसंभवः

- ज्ञानं जाग्रत्

- स्वप्नो विकल्पाः

-१० अविवेका मायासौसुप्तम्

-११ त्रितयभोक्ता वीरेशः

-१२ विस्मयो योगभूमिकाः

-१३ इच्छा शक्तिरुमा कुमारी

-१४ दृश्यं शरीरम्

-१५ हृदये चित्तसंघट्टाद्दृश्यस्वापदर्शनम्

-१६ शुद्धतत्त्वसंधनाद्वाऽपशुशक्तिः

-१७ वितर्क आत्मज्ञानम्

-१८ लोकानन्दः समाधिसुखम्

-१९ शक्तिसंधाने शरीरोत्पत्तिः

-२० भूतसंधानभूतपृथक्त्वविश्वसंघट्टाः

-२१ शुद्धविद्योदयाच्चक्रेशत्वसिद्धिः

-२२ महाह्रदानुसंधानान् मन्त्रवीर्यानुभवः

 

शिवसूत्र

द्वितीय उन्मेष

 

- चित्तं मन्त्रः

- प्रयत्नः साधकः

- विद्याशरीरसत्ता मन्त्ररहस्यम्

- गर्भे चित्तविकासोविशिष्ट्अविद्यास्वप्नः

- विद्यासमुत्थाने स्वाभाविके खेचरी शिवावस्था

- गुरुरुपायः

- मातृकाचक्रसंबोधः

- शरीरं हविः

- ज्ञानमन्नम्

-१० विद्यासंहारे तदुत्थस्वप्नदर्शनम्

 

शिवसूत्र

तृतीय उन्मेष

 

- आत्मा चित्तम्

- ज्ञानं बन्धः

- कलादीनां तत्त्वानामविवेको माया

- शरीरे संहारः कलानाम्

- नाडीसंहारभूतजयभूतकैवल्यभूतपृथक्त्वानि

- मोहावरणात्सिद्धिः

- मोहजयादनन्ताभोगात् सहजविद्याजयः

- जाग्रद् द्वितीयकरः

- नर्तक आत्मा

-१० रङ्गोन्तरात्मा

-११ प्रेक्षकाणीन्द्रियाणि

-१२ धीवशात् सत्त्वसिद्धिः

-१३ सिद्धः स्वतन्त्रभावः

-१४ यथा तत्र तथान्यत्र

-१५ बीजावधानम्

-१६ आसनस्थः सुखं ह्रदे निमज्जति

-१७ स्वमात्रानिर्माणम् आपादयति

-१८ विद्याऽविनाशे जन्मविनाशः

-१९ कवर्गादिषु माहेश्वर्याद्याः पशुमातरः

-२० त्रिषु चतुर्थं तैलवद् आसेच्यम्

-२१ मग्नः स्वचित्तेन प्रविशेत्

-२२ प्राणसमाचारे समदर्शनम्

-२३ मध्ये 'वरप्रसवः

-२४ मात्रास्वप्रत्ययसंधाने नष्टस्य पुनरुत्थानम्

-२५ शिवतुल्यो जायते

-२६ शरीरवृत्तिर्व्रतम्

-२७ कथा जपः

-२८ दानम् आत्मज्ञानम्

-२९ योविपस्थो ज्ञाहेतुश्

-३० स्वशक्तिप्रचयो विश्वम्

-३१ स्थितिलयौ

-३२ तत्प्रवृत्तावप्यनिरासः संवेत्तृभावात्

-३३ सुखासुखयोर्बहिर्मननम्

-३४ तद्विमुक्तस्तु केवली

-३५ मोहप्रतिसंहतस्तु कर्मात्मा

-३६ भेदतिरस्कारे सर्गान्तरकर्मत्वम्

-३७ करणशक्तिः स्वतोनुभवात्

-३८ त्रिपदाद्यनुप्राणनम्

-३९ चित्तस्थितिवच्छरीरकरणबाह्येषु

-४० अभिलाषाद् बहिर्गतिः संवाह्यस्य

-४१ तदारूढप्रमितेस्तत्क्षयाज्जीवसंक्षयः

-४२ भूतकञ्चुकी तदा विमुक्तो भूयः पतिसमः परः

-४३ नैसर्गिकः प्राणसंबन्धः

-४४ नासिकान्तर्मध्यसंयमात्किमत्र सव्यापसव्यसौषुम्नेषु

-४५ भूयः स्यात्प्रतिमीलनम्

 

śivasūtra

prathama unmeṣa

 

1-1 caitanyamātmā

Consciousness is the being.

 

1-2 jñānaṃ bandhaḥ

Knowledge is bondage.

 

1-3 yonivargaḥ kalāśarīram

The yoni divisions are the body of time.

 

1-4 jñānādhiṣṭhānaṃ mātṛkā

The matrikas are the seat of knowledge.

 

1-5 udyamo bhairavaḥ

Endeavour is Bhairava.

 

1-6 śakticakrasaṃdhāne viśvasaṃhāraḥ

In the union of the centers of the Shaktis is the dissolution of the universe.

 

1-7 jāgratsvapnasusuptabhede turyābhogasaṃbhavaḥ

The fourth state (transcending consciousness) can be experienced and is contained in the states of waking, dreaming and deep sleeping.

 

1-8 jñānaṃ jāgrat

Knowledge is the waking state.

 

1-9 svapno vikalpāḥ

False imagining is the dream state.

 

1-10 avivekā māyāsausuptam

Want of awareness is Maya, deep sleep.

 

1-11 tritayabhoktā vīreśaḥ

The one who can experience the three states is the Lord of the senses. 

 

1-12 vismayo yogabhūmikāḥ

Wonderment is the place of yoga.

 

1-13 icchā śaktirumā kumārī

Iccha Shakti (Will power) is Uma, the Virgin.

 

1-14 dṛśyaṃ śarīram

All things the body.

 

1-15 hṛdaye cittasaṃghaṭṭāddṛśyasvāpadarśanam

When the mind is concentrate in the heart, dream vision disappears.

 

1-16 śuddhatattvasaṃdhanādvā ̕paśuśaktiḥ

From being aware of the pure essence comes the shakti of non-duality.

 

1-17 vitarka ātmajñānam

Right discernment is knowledge of the self.

 

1-18 lokānandaḥ samādhisukham

World bliss is the joy of samadhi.

 

1-19 śaktisaṃdhāne śarīrotpattiḥ

In the abode of Shakti is creation of the body.

 

1-20 bhūtasaṃdhānabhūtapṛthaktvaviśvasaṃghaṭṭāḥ

Elements unite, elements separate, and the entire universe is understudied.

 

1-21 śuddhavidyodayāccakreśatvasiddhiḥ

From pure knowledge come the many Shaktis of the Lord of the wheel of energies.

 

1-22 mahāhradānusaṃdhānān mantravīryānubhavaḥ

By concentrating on the transcendent lake of female energy, the power of mantra is obtained.

 

 

śivasūtra

dvitīya unmeṣa

 

2-1 cittaṃ mantraḥ  

The mind becomes mantra.

 

2-2 prayatnaḥ sādhakaḥ

Effort is the method.

 

2-3 vidyāśarīrasattā mantrarahasyam

The secret of mantra is the being of the body of knowledge.

 

2-4 garbhe cittavikāso ̕viśiṣṭavidyāsvapnaḥ

In the womb state of consciousness expansion is the inferior knowledge of the dream state.

 

2-5 vidyāsamutthāne svābhāvike khecarī śivāvasthā

In the arising spontaneous of Vidya (the knowledge) one may move in the void, like Shiva.

 

2-6 gururupāyaḥ

By means of the guru.

 

2-7 mātṛkācakrasaṃbodhaḥ

Awakened knowledge is the circle of the letters of the alphabet (Matrika).

 

2-8 śarīraṃ haviḥ

The body is the sacrifical ladle.

 

2-9 jñānamannam

Knowledge is the food.

 

2-10 vidyāsaṃhāre tadutthasvapnadarśanam

With the extinction of knowledge emerges the vision of the dream state.

 

 

śivasūtra

tṛtīya unmeṣa

 

3-1 ātmā cittam

The being is consciousness.

 

3-2 jñānaṃ bandhaḥ

Knowledge is the fetters.

 

3-3 kalādīnāṃ tattvānāmaviveko māyā

From the Kalas (principles of transformation), the thing called non-discrimination, Maya.

 

3-4 śarīre saṃhāraḥ kalānām

In the body is the dissolution of the Kalas.

 

3-5 nāḍīsaṃhārabhūtajayabhūtakaivalyabhūtapṛthaktvāni

The nadi (the vital channels) dissolution is the victory over the elements, freedom from the elements, and separation of the elements.

 

3-6 mohāvaraṇātsiddhiḥ

Attaining perfection from the veil of delusion.

 

3-7 mohajayādanantābhogāt sahajavidyājayaḥ

The victory over delusion is the victory of spontaneous knowledge, which is of endless extent.

 

3-8 jāgrad dvitīyakaraḥ

Waking state is the second ray of consciousness.

 

3-9 nartaka ātmā

The Self is the dancer.

 

3-10 raṅgo ̕ntarātmā

The inner Self is the theatre stage.

 

3-11 prekṣakāṇīndriyāṇi

The sense organs are the audience.

 

3-12 dhīvaśāt sattvasiddhiḥ

The pure state is achieved by the power of the intellect.

 

3-13 siddhaḥ svatantrabhāvaḥ

Accomplishment means transformation into independence.

 

3-14 yathā tatra tathānyatra

As there, so elsewhere.

 

3-15 bījāvadhānam

Attention is the Bija (seed).

 

3-16 āsanasthaḥ sukhaṃ hrade nimajjati

Asana is the happiness of immersion in Shakti.

 

3-17 svamātrānirmāṇam āpādayati

One's own measure is the measure suitable for measuring, giving guidance.

 

3-18 vidyā ̕vināśe janmavināśaḥ

Imperishable knowledge means destruction of births.

 

3-19 kavargādiṣu māheśvaryādyāḥ paśumātaraḥ

In the Ka-series of letters reside Maheshvari and so forth, the mothers of beasts.

 

3-20 triṣu caturthaṃ tailavad āsecyam

Pour the fourth (state of consciousness - Turiya) in the three like sesame oil diffusing in water.

 

3-21 magnaḥ svacittena praviśet

One should enter, completely immersed, by one's own consciousness.

 

3-22 prāṇasamācāre samadarśanam

Equally the practice of breath produces a similar sight.

 

3-23 madhye 'varaprasavaḥ

In the center, emanating the lower.

 

3-24 mātrāsvapratyayasaṃdhāne naṣṭasya punarutthānam

What was destroyed rises again by the joining of perceptions with the objects of experience.

 

3-25 śivatulyo jāyate

One knows equality with Shiva.

 

3-26 śarīravṛttirvratam

The existence of the body becomes a religious vow.

 

3-27 kathā japaḥ

Conversation is mantra recitation. 

 

3-28 dānam ātmajñānam

The act of offering is Self-knowledge.

 

3-29 yo ̕vipastho jñāhetuś ca

Whosoever is in this state is the means of knowledge.

 

3-30 svaśaktipracayo viśvam

The universe becomes an aggregate of his powers.

 

3-31 sthitilayau

Both maintenance and dissolution.

 

3-32 tatpravṛttāvapyanirāsaḥ saṃvettṛbhāvāt

Though subject to the cyclic law (maintenance and dissolution), one is not excluded from self-experience 

 

3-33 sukhāsukhayorbahirmananam

Happiness and sadness become external.

 

3-34 tadvimuktastu kevalī

Set free from that, one is complete.

 

3-35 mohapratisaṃhatastu karmātmā

The being of action is a heap of delusion.

 

3-36 bhedatiraskāre sargāntarakarmatvam

When separateness is gone, action can lead to creation.

 

3-37 karaṇaśaktiḥ svato ̕nubhavāt

The power to create is based on one's own experience.

 

3-38 tripadādyanuprāṇanam

One should vitalize the three states with Turiya.

 

3-39 cittasthitivaccharīrakaraṇabāhyeṣu

As in the case of the states of the mind, so also in the case of the body, organs of sense, and external things, there should be vitalization with the bliss of the transcendental consciousness.

 

3-40 abhilāṣād bahirgatiḥ saṃvāhyasya

Because of desire for external objects the bound soul undergoes birth and rebirth.

 

3-41 tadārūḍhapramitestatkṣayājjīvasaṃkṣayaḥ

When established in pure awareness (Turiya), the desire is destroyed and the state of empirical individual (Jiva) ceases to exist.

 

3-42 bhūtakañcukī tadā vimukto bhūyaḥ patisamaḥ paraḥ

Then ending of desire, he uses the body of gross elements as covering, but he is liberated and perfect like Siva.

 

3-43 naisargikaḥ prāṇasaṃbandhaḥ

Connection with vital breath is natural.

 

3-44 nāsikāntarmadhyasaṃyamātkimatra savyāpasavyasauṣumneṣu

Concentrating on the center within the nose, what use are the left and the right channels (Ida, Pingala) or Susumna?

 

3-45 bhūyaḥ syātpratimīlanam

The yogi experiences both internal and external awareness of the Divine.

 

Italian version

 

 


 

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