Tripura Rahasya: the Secret of the Supreme Goddess

238 Pages·2010·1.088 MB·English

by  Saraswathi, Ramananda

Translated by
Swami Sri Ramanananda Saraswathi
(Sri Munagala S. Venkataramaiah)
Tripura Rahasya: The Secret
of the Supreme Goddess
The text, Foreword to the 1959 Edition, Introduction,
Introductory Note, and Index published by arrangement
with V.S. Ramanan, President, Board of Trustees,
Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai 606 603.
All rights reserved.
Preface and Foreword to the 2002 Edition
© 2002 World Wisdom, Inc.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced
in any manner without written permission,
except in critical articles and reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Tripurârahasya. English.
Tripura rahasya : the secret of the supreme goddess / translated by Ramanananda
Saraswathi.
p. cm. — (Spiritual classics series) (The library of perennial philosophy)
ISBN 0-941532-49-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Tripurasundarî (Hindu deity) I. Ramananda, Saraswati, Swami, 1867-1936. II.
Title. III. Series: Spiritual classics (Bloomington, Ind.) IV. Series: Library of perennial
philosophy.
BL1225.T73T7513 2002
294.5’514—dc21
2002012898
Printed on acid-free paper in Canada
For information address World Wisdom, Inc.
P.O. Box 2682, Bloomington, Indiana 47402-2682
www.worldwisdom.com
Contents
Preface to the 2002 Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii
Foreword to the 2002 Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .x
Foreword to the 1959 Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xii
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiii
Introductory Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xvii
Chapter I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Chapter II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Obligatory Sense towards Action Condemned
and Investigation Recommended
Chapter III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
The Antecedent Cause for Learning the Gospel.
Association with the Wise must precede “Vichara”
Chapter IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Disgust for Worldly Enjoyments is Inculcated so that
Dispassion might be Developed
Chapter V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
On Bondage and Release
Chapter VI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
On the Merits of Faith for gaining the Goal and on the
Harmfulness of Dry Polemics
Chapter VII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
That the Goal is gained only after Ascertaining God
by Faith, Effort and Approved Logic, and Devotion to Him
Chapter VIII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Key to the Parable of Chapter V
Chapter IX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
How that Hemachüda Realized the Self after Analyzing
His own Mind and Plunging within
Chapter X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
On Further Instructions by His Beloved, He attained
Samâdhi in spite of His External Activities and Remained
in the State of Emancipation even while Alive
Chapter XI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
That the Cosmos is not other than Intelligence
Chapter XII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
The Appearance of the Reality of the Universe
depends on the Strength of Will of Creation
Chapter XIII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
How Wakefulness and Dreams are similar in Nature
and Objects are only Mental Images
Chapter XIV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
How the Universe is Mere Imagination; How to gain
that Strong Will which can create it and the Highest Truth
Chapter XV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
On what need be known and need not be known and
on the Nature of the Self
Chapter XVI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
On Consciousness; Control of Mind and Sleep
Chapter XVII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
On the Uselessness of Fleeting Samâdhis and
the Way to Wisdom
Chapter XVIII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Chapter XIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134
Chapter XX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Vidya Gita
Chapter XXI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158
On the accomplishment of Wisdom, its Nature and
Scriptural Lore
Chapter XXII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166
The Conclusion
Appendix I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
To Chapter V
Appendix II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
Siddha Gita from Yoga Vâsishtha
Appendix III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .186
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215
Preface to the 2002 Edition
The ancient Sanskrit text, the Tripura Rahasya: The Secret of
the Supreme Goddess, is a dialogue of instruction given to the
seeker Parasurâma by his newly found guru, Dattatreya. The
warlike Parasurâma, after having challenged and having been
spared by the Man-God Rama, now seeks Truth and salvation.
He explains to the sage Dattatreya that despite intensive efforts
to understand spiritual instruction, “Even now I understand
nothing of the workings of the universe. Where does it rise
from, in all its grandeur? Where does it end? How does it exist?
I find it to be altogether transient.”
Surely such questions will resonate in the souls of modern
seekers as well. Thus, this edition of Swami Sri Ramanananda
Saraswathi’s English translation of the ancient text is intended
to make available to modern seekers and scholars alike a valu-
able resource in their respective pursuits. The chronicler of the
dialogue, the Sage Harithayana, concludes the Tripura Rahasya
by observing that “obstruction to wisdom is destroyed by
reading it,” but this certainly presupposes both a readiness for
spiritual instruction and a grounding in Hindu thought and
practice, as would have been the case for the ancient seeker
Parasurâma.
Modern seekers in the West will find in the Tripura Rahasya
ancient wisdom in the form of numerous parables, aphorisms,
and direct instruction in the principles of Advaita Vedanta,
which is perhaps the most accessible presentation of Hindu
thought for the Western mind. To assist those readers who seek
in the Tripura Rahasya immediate nourishment for the soul, a
index has been added at the end of this edition, as well as
some comments below that are intended to provide additional
keys to a deeper understanding and appreciation of this pro-
found text.
Students of Hinduism, and particularly of Advaita Vedanta,
will be pleased to have a new English edition of the ancient text
available to them at last. The Tripura Rahasyahas long been treas-
ured by great expounders of Advaita Vedanta, for example by the
vii
Tripura Rahasya
ancient sage Shankara, and it was a favorite of the more recent
sage Sri Ramana Maharshi, who often quoted from it. Readers
especially interested in the philosophies of India will find in this
book a beautifully realized synthesis of Advaita Vedanta and
Tantra, two of the most important schools of thought which arose
in ancient India, and whose two great exponents were Shankara
and Abhinavagupta, respectively.
Because of its great antiquity and continued application
through the ages, it can be argued that the Tripura Rahasya is
thus one of the greatest classics of Hindu spirituality. Alert
readers may detect themes common to certain classics of
ancient Western literature but often with deeper metaphysical
dimensions. For example, in his book Am I My Brother’s Keeper?,
Ananda K. Coomaraswamy compared it to Plato’s Republic, inas-
much as it outlines an ideal city-state, though of a characteristi-
cally Indian utopia. This is the “City of Resplendent Wisdom”
ruled by a philosopher king, understood in Hindu terminology
as the man who is spiritually liberated in this life (jivan-mukta).
More deeply understood, this philosopher king is the uncreated
Self(atman), or pure Intelligence (chit).The citizens of this city,
seen allegorically, have all been illuminated by the Supreme
Goddess.
The Sanskrit word Tripura refers to the Supreme Goddess
envisaged as a manifestation of the most profound wisdom of
the Self. Rahasya means “secret,” referring in this case to the
spiritual Reality which cannot be understood by reason alone or
through the life of the senses. The subject matter of the book
comprises a series of wise and charming stories told by the
ancient sage Dattatreya, which ultimately concern the nature of
man’s relationship with the Real, under the guise of the
Supreme Goddess Tripura. This perspective finds fascinating
parallels in Western traditions concerning Sophia, or the divine
Mother. It also echoes the mystical traditions of Kabala and
Sufism which make references to theShekinah, orSakinahas the
Divine Presence, or the essentially merciful nature of God. For
the student of comparative religion, and most especially com-
parative mystical traditions, further study of these relationships
between East and West could bear much fruit. Striking parallels
viii
The Secret of the Supreme Goddess
may also be discerned between the intellectual content of this
text and other Eastern and Western traditions of non-dualistic
spirituality, such as Taoism and the Rhineland mysticism of
Meister Eckhart.
The reading of an ancient and foreign text like the Tripura
Rahasya, with its many levels of symbolism and meaning, would
perhaps be greatly illuminating for the Western reader if that
reader could see it through the eyes of our own ancient sages
such as Plato or Plotinus. An open and questing mind that is
receptive to symbolism in its many forms, and that welcomes the
wisdom it conveys, should find itself transported through the
text into the ancient soul of India where men viewed the ques-
tion of spiritual liberation in this life as a necessary and vital part
of existence. This was a world of wandering contemplatives and
men who sought out direct spiritual guidance because they had
a profound need to know the Real. In the pages that follow, the
reader will encounter the wondrous tale of the soul itself, where
the personification of Pure Intelligence interacts with personifi-
cations of Ignorance, Delusion, Mind, Desire, Passion, Greed
and all the various aspects of human nature. The story unfolds
through the medium of tales which delight and amuse, but they
also open the door to the cave of wisdom and invite entry to all,
regardless of specific religious affiliation.
For whatever reason they come to the Tripura Rahasya,
readers who appreciate the wisdom literature of the ancient
worlds will discover in it that irresistible combination of depth
and simplicity which characterizes the best examples of that lit-
erature.
World Wisdom
Bloomington, Indiana
March 2002
ix
Foreword to the 2002 Edition
Tripura Rahasya is an ancient, prime text on Advaita in
Sanskrit. Essentially it represents a dialogue between Dattatreya
and Parasurama. Later on, this was communicated to
Haritayana. Hence the alternative name to the text isHaritayana
Samhita.
Tripura Rahasya was highly commended by Bhagavan Sri
Ramana Maharshi for study by seekers. There was no English
translation until the present one was made by Munagala
Venkataramiah (Swami Ramanananda Saraswati) in 1938.
The main lesson of this work is that vichara (Self-enquiry) is
essential for the release of man from the cycle of birth and
death. Althoughsadhanais essential for Self-realization it should
not be taken that the Self is got anew. For,there is no moment when
the Self is not the Self. The basis of sadhana is the rejection of all
such ideas as “me” and “mine”. After the process of analysis and
rejection (of all that is non-Self) what remains is the Pure Self.
This is to be sought. Earnest devotion to the Lord on the part of
the seeker aided by the grace of the Lord enables one to reach
the goal.
The position ofTripura Rahasyaregarding “the world” is that
it is not different from the Lord. Time and space and the whole
of creation are projections of consciousness. The universe arises
out of Abstract Intelligence like an image on a mirror. Sri
Ramana Maharshi has pointed out that the world is unreal if
viewed apart from the Self and real if viewed as the Self.
Tripura Rahasya states that the ignorant take the gross uni-
verse to be Shakti whereas the wise know Her as their own Pure
Being, eternally shining as “I”... “I”... “I”.
Tripura literally means “three cities”. Actually it signifies the
three states of human consciousness—wakefulness, dream, and
deep sleep. The underlying, unchanging consciousness in all
these states is metaphorically called Devi Sri Tripura (Shakti).
This is a powerful guide for serious seekers on the path.
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The Secret of the Supreme Goddess
The translator, Munagala Venkataramiah (later on Swami
Ramanananda Saraswati), a staunch devotee of Sri Maharshi,
has done outstanding service to the world of seekers by
recording and compiling the dialogues with the master between
1935 and 1939 under the title Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi.
Sri V. S. Ramanan
President
Sri Ramanasramam
Tiruvannamalai, India
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Foreword to the 1959 Edition
Tripura Rahasya was considered by Bhagavan Sri Ramana
Maharshi as one of the greatest works that expounded advaita
philosophy. He often quoted from it and regretted that it was
not available in English. As a consequence Sri Munagala
Venkataramaiah (now Swami Ramanananda Saraswathi) took
up the work of translation in 1936 as another labour of love,
adding just one more English translation to his already exten-
sive store. This was first published in parts in the Bangalore
Mythic Societys Journal (Quarterly) from January 1938 to April
1940 and afterwards collected into book form, of which five
hundred copies were printed and privately circulated. The
´shramam has since taken over the copyright and made it one
of their official publications.
The work originally in Sanskrit is widely known in India and
has been translated into a number of local languages, but I do
not know of any previous translation in English. It is regarded as
one of the chief text-books on Advaita, the reading of which
alone is sufficient for Salvation. Sri Ananda Coomaraswamy
quotes from it with appreciation in his book, “Am I My Brother’s
Keeper?”
I for one much appreciate the present translation which will
now be easily available for all who know English. Sri
Ramanananda Saraswathi has put us under a great obligation by
his painstaking work. It will surely be a gratification to him to
know that his labour of love has at last found a permanent
abiding-place and will not be lost to future generations, for
many of whom it must become a Spiritual text book.
October 16, 1959, Sadhu Arunachala
Sri Ramanasramam ( Major A. W. Chadwick, O.B.E.)
xii