A Prose English Translation of Mahanirvana Tantra

392 Pages·1900·12.178 MB·English

by  Manmatha Nath Dutt

A
PROSC CNGLISH TRANSLATldN
or
MAHANIRVANA TANTRAM.
EDITED-"'0 PIJDLISIIED ny
NMATHA NATH DU'l'T, (Sha,ln) M.A M.R A.S
J
RECTOR, \{CSII08 AChDC\lY,
oJ
the Eflgluh Translallons Jhe Raml1;,Yana, "Iaha!Jnaraf"z,
l17iaa(,.hagavafiJm, Vnlmupuranam. Bhagavat Grla,
Hartvams!:a and many olhtr 1.t}otl:t
~ f I
CALOUTTA:
PRINTED DY I-l C DASS,
ItIll Press, 65/2, Beadon Street:
,
!l900.
PREFAC E.
,
TilE Mahani"'an Tnntr.m is the mo.t important 01 •
the T.ntr• • that are to be lound nolV. It con.ists 01 tu.
p.rt.. The Text 01 the first portion only has bcen publi,he.
in Bengal. The second part, n rel<rence 01 which i. to . "
met with in the lirst, is not to be lound any \\ here.
made many attempt. to find ii' out but all to nO purpo,.
Sometime belore an inlormation rc:.ched me th.t the T."
1
aLthe second part IVas available in the temple 01 Kamakh}
in Ass.m. I tried to hove n look.t it tl"ough some 01 ),.
Iriend. and on enquiry it lI'a' lound th.t Ille text
Ih.r~
i. nothing but a version 01 the fiut port th.t "'e hOl,,,t
tr.nslated.
To readers who are not lI'ell noqu.inted .. ith Sanskri'
this Eng1i5h ,\ersion, we hope, will not be an unwelcomi
q
gue.t. This will give them an in.ight into One department
S.nskrit literature which i. very popular in Dengal. TIl
cordinal te.ching 01 this great 1I'0rk i. the 1I'0rship 01
~i
True God, which the author, de.pite mnny mystical r
superficially technical pass.ges, advocates in e,'ery pag
the book. The .tyle is charming and in many pas"
true poetic touch is to be .een.
I
mut
: I have tried my best to tmnslate the 1V0rk a.
'literally n. i. possible making Ihe .ense clear. The rluty I
: the translator i. to interpret clearly and distinctly the id~~
'and thoughts 01 the original author. How lar I h.ve
isucceeded in this depends upon the judgment 01 my readers.
~I have given copious root-notes to make the obscure pass3;."
:cle... In the introduction I have attempted to Cive a
',digest of Tantrik teachings. It will help the reae
'understandinll the oriv.inal work. For th:s,.urnol .J
I
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~onsutted almost all the Tantrik works that are avai'labfe i'n'
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Bengal. There is no other Tantram more important than'
j
,this and I hope the translation of the Maha,nirvana Tantra'm
j
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. ·vill place, before the English-knowing public, a key to un-
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~ , )ck the portal of Tantrik teachings which once swayed and'
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,ave been still swaying over the many millions of Bengat
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, CALCUTTA; } j
M. N,' DUT'f,
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1900,
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INTRODUCTION.
PAcrs.
SLbJrcrs. ...
I. Th~ popul.nl) of Tnnl'" • • I
•
Its borth.phce
•~ • • • I
3 T\\ 0 c13'ises of Tantr:ls • • I
4 Three dl\Ul0nS or Sa.I\t\ nar,k s • • I
5 Definition of A(:::lmu • • • II
....
•
6 Chanctemtlc< of Tanir.!
II
7 Defill1t1on of Yamals • • III
8 An 3ccount of Dlm1ra
• • • • III
•
The obJ.ct of Tantr" '•"
C)
10 T,nlras, 3 productoon of Knit Yuga v
• •
II. Tantr" IS :t m) sllC le,rntng v
12 "':\'ano1l5,Tantnk \\orJ..s v
13· Table oi'Trtntrt~~or1..'..s 10 Varalll Tnntr. \II
14· Upa .. Tantras .:md their authors . . IX
-
•
15 Roudha Tanlr1.s anel lhC:lr number • • IX
...
r6 D,te of -Toftntrn.
IX
17· C.II1ence of d,te 10 Upanishadn. • IX
18 LVldence Pur1.nas
In • • • • •
19 Tantnk e\ Idence IX
20 ~Opltllon of Deccnn scholars on date XI
21. Prop'g1.tton or Tnntra In Gujrat • • XI•
22 Definition or Srult, Till1tnk and Vedic • XII
•
23 Orlgm of Tantra from SIVa XII
• •
•
24 Origin of v:mous scriptural \\ arks XII
• •
..
, 25 The Tantnk lItu,t of Dll..sha ... •. .•. XII \
26 The qualifications or a Guru XIll
IS
27 The quahficallOn~ of a disc;ip-le • • XIII
28 Persono; not qtl1hlied to give mantras - .. , XIV
51
29 Day and hour for reccrlng IlIlllalion
\0 '" "tV
.>
< ~-
( 2 )
SUBJI:CTS. PAG£.!1~
The~various divisions of the Tantriks xvii
•••
...
Account of Dakshinacharas ... xvii
... ...
Account of Bamacharas xvii
...
The three classes of Bhava ••• xviii
...
...
34. The ceremony of Abhiseka xi>::
...
'35. Panchamakar '" ... xx
... ...
36. E..;oteric meaning of Panchamakar xxm
37. The fruits of Panchamakar ... •..•.• XXIV
38. Pancha Tattwa ... . .. xxv
...
...
39. The ceremony of Sadhana xxv
.
.. . ,,-
40. Talltrik Chakrjl ... xxvi
.
4 I. Account of Yeerachakra ••• ':":". XXV..I
42. " of Rajachakra ... ... XXVII
xxvii
43. " of Devachakra •.• • ••
44. Fruits of Chakra ... ... ... XXV'I"Il
45. Tantrik theory of creation... • •• XXIX
46. Similarity between Tantrik theory of
creation and that of Sankhya •.•
XXX
47. Topography of earth as seen in Nirvana
.
Tanlram ... ••• • .• XXXI
CHAPTER I.
...
I. Description of the mount Kailasha I
.. ... .. .
2. Description of Siva , 2-3
... ...
3· An account of Krila age 5
... ... ...
4· Account of Kali 7
...
5· Account of Tanlrik works 8
'"
CHATER II.
6. Advocacy of the religion of Agama .. .
7. Advocacy of the teachings of Siva .. .
8. Ineffi..c acy of the Vedic mantras in Kali
'>"y- - ,.. ....... --.., ...
\ u,.g.....a~-.., .. ''', ... 15
\ ., . ~ • ••
( 3 )
PAGKS.
SUBJECTS. ...
Advocacy of Tantrik wo ..h ip in !(ali '5
9· .
...
.. .6
Account of various sects
10. .. .
...
.S
Attributes of Brahma
II.
12. The necessity of tbe worship of one
... ... ...
True God 22
CHAPTER Ill.
... ...
'3. The true form of Brahma 23
14. Apprehension of Brahma through mental
concentration and spiritual
COOlmu
.•. . ...
nion ... .. '. 23
... ...
IS· The mantram of Brahm. 25
...
16. The fruits of Brahma mantra ... 26
'7· The meaning of the Brabma mantra '" 29
18. The Rishi and tbe metre of the mantra ... 31
... ... ...
'9.
The M uJa mantra
20. Pr~n~y~m. ... .., ... 3Z
2'.
Puraka, Rechaka and Kumbaka process 32
22. The process of contemplating on Brahma 33
23. Brahma amulet ... ... '" 35
24. Time and place for the worship of Brabm. 37
25. No distinction of caste in the worship of
Brahma ... ... ... 38
26. Sandhya .. , ... ... ..0 40
CHAPTER IV.
...
27· Prakriti is tbe Goddess Durga. .. 48
... ...
28. Her various forms 48
29· The great principles and tbe work .o..(
... ...
creation
... ;1
30• Prediction o( Kali ...
31• Advocacy o(.lruth
( 4 )
CHAPTER V.
StJBJI~CTS. ... ... PAGES.
60
32• The rite of Mantrodhhar .. . ...
62
33. Morning rites described
...
34. The worship of Isht::ldevata 63
35. The worship of sacred rivers ... 64
36. The various Nyasas and Yogic processes 69-74
75
37. Special Arghya •.• ..• ...
38. Pancbikarana 77
f" ••• • ••
..
CHAPTER VI.
...
39. Various sorts cor wine • •• 81
... .. .
40. Three sorts of meat 81
41. Beasts of sacrifice ...... 81
42• Classification of fish and Mudra. .. . 8£
43. The ceremony of purifying Tantrik in-
gredients •.•..
f
44. Prohibition about drinking •.• ...
45. Wine cup described
••• .'f. ..
46. The twelve Kalas of the sun ...
47. The sixteen Kalas of Soma- •••
48. How the various vessels should be placed
49. The dedications of variolls articles ..•
50. The distribution of Bali amongst the '
... ...
Batukas 86
Sf. Offerings to the Yoginis ... ... 86
52. Mantra regarding offerings to all creatures 86
53· The mantra for presenting offerings to
the goddess Siva ... ...
54· Prayers to Ishtadevata ... . .•
55· The rite for installing life into the
... ...
goddess
88
56. The purification of the image ...
88
•••
57· The "d)fi_~~cralion';...of her limbs 88
... ... h'
1..\ ".'
( 5 )
~I tlrnc: ('.If r'\~
SS The .i'llf'f'n 1f1r.rc:r!lf'nh for n-nnll1[\.
r1nr. f9
11~t
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Sq T11(~ m:mU;s rOOf r!i .. ti"r.
(,0 Tit,. crr",If'r. ll£ food tlt1lo ,lIe r,odt!ru ~.n
Gt. "ou1l1p of Iler 'IX I,Mh. :md tile:
TIII~'
pttc-tplon
(". n e "Ort'''I' 01 Ihe "r.I'1 :-:.) ,l.s "n,1
11"::lt n:amr. . .
TIlt nlMe. of tIle ri&:llt nh~i,:".u
11H': It" U'lflt (:If !lf1i'tah fDr IIlcHfic:c
Glf:\!" ..
TIle 1".,'1';U
•
The t\Oh!lIi' (1f tlte ch;:Cl"r
TIlt: rllt" til u(lIfic-inr. l,cU1"
Tilt' ruu,h C/( 110m2 91
Ti,e df.'tnlnr. ollhe Y.ulr:t. 93
Tilt: nm .. hlp ollit(" AlI:.r :wd Ihe: coddt'u
01 SI"ecl, 91
;" Tfl!~ r1u'N;: (If the fire on lh~ Ah:r 91
The <lIk,"dlln~ of fir. .. . 91
Tile p")f'r to the ucrctllirr .. . 95
The" "ou1I1p or S,lIU, t .. c, And m:.ny
other t!tltl(", f..c:. • • ..,
1S The M.nlr3 lor l"OI',Ii>linr. Ihe r,od", ..
.0.
of 1t':arniuJ:' . .
Th~ ,\ outup csf Iht' r."I:uul •••
The dtJcripll-on 01 the ortn'unr. cup
..
1 he metl,od 01 T.nlllk .lrll,kinl:
CII,\PTr:1I VII.
19 The hymn of Ihe Prime K~hk~ ••• 10.
Bo The hundred n'me~ 01 Ihe Prime J·alil.n 103
S The virlues 01 Ihe lIymn
I. ••• • • 10\
...
H: The I(,vael" 01 Ihe J{5Iik~ • •,• - ........ , ... IC5
107
00, t
( 6 )
P AGf-S.
SUBJECTS. .. .
84. Purascharana rite ... ... 108
85. The brief mode of making Puja 10i:)
...
86. An account of Kula and Kula rites 110
CHAPTER VII.
87' An account of the Varnas and Ashramas 1 r 3
88. The absence of Brahmacharya and Bana-
prastha Asrama in Kali Yuga ..• r S
I
89. The practice of Sanyasins in Kali yuga 116
go. Regulations about Asramas in Kali yuga 117
91. The restrictio::ts about leaving the world
and taking to the life of a Sanyasin !IS
92• The order of house-holders is tfle fore-
... ...
most of all lIS
to • ...
93. The duties of a house-holder ... II!)
... ...
94· Definition of Purity 127
95· Purifying articles ... 128
96. The lime for observing external purity .. . 129
97· The periods for performing Sandhya .. . 130
9d. Description oE Vaidik Salldhya ... 131
99· The Gayatri manlra of the Kali yuga ... 133
100. The religious acts of the people in the
Kali yuga 135
to. ••• • ..
lOr. Tirthas of the Kali yuga ... 0', 135
102. The duties of a wife 136
to. ...
103. Sanctioned and forbidden food 137
to.
104. Means for livelihood for various castes ... I37
105. Bhairavi Chakram ,0' 145
...
106. The virtues of Bhairavi Chakra
153
107· An account of~Tattwachakra 154
.to... ...
108. Fruits of Tattwd. Chakra 156
...
109. RuleS of Avadhuta Asrama
IS7
...
UO. Charact~ristics of a true Sanyasill 168
I II. Description of Kulavadhuta ...
••• J70