Thursday, February 21, 2008

Vignana Bhairava Tantra



Liberation through Expansion

Tantra is the most misunderstood word today. What is believed to be some gimmicks performed in the name of black magic or witchcraft etc. is actually another word for Yoga, through expanding and liberating the mind. Tanotu - Trayate. What protects by expanding is called Tantra. It is a tool or a technique. Just as we say Chanakya Tantra, for the art of administration, Vignana BhairavaTantra is the art of meditation.
It is the science of Yoga that encompasses life around. It is the yoga that helps you to tune in to the day-to-day sights and sounds. It does not expect any solitary confinement to practice meditation, but shows the way for a life of meditation now and here - as you see the sky, the earth, the mountains and rivers, as you experience the different moments of joy and sorrow.

Shri Devyucacha:
Shrutham Deva Maya Sarvam Rudrayamala Sambhavam
Trika Bhedamasheshena Sarathsara Vibhagashaha.

*****
This whole exposition of the Tantra is written in the form of a conversation between Shiva and his wife, Parvathy. Just as Arjuna poses questions to Sri Krishna, Parvathy quizzes Shiva, the Master
of Yoga, on all that she needs to know about the mind and consciousness.
She says that she has now listened to everything that has emerged from the Rudrayamala Tantra, the three divisions of energy as Iccha Shakthi - the energy of desire, Kriya Shakthi - the energy of application into action and Jnana Shakthi - the energy of knowledge. Also, she has learnt about the divisions of the several layers between matter and consciousness.
There is knowledge of meditation from the books we read and the talks we hear. But the knowledge needs the grace of the Guru to be assimilated into a personal experience. The Vignana Bhairava Tantra is the result of a similar experience with knowledge and the different ways of assimilating it. -
Swahilya Shambhavi.
(You may wish to visit
Bamboo Wisdom for a verse by verse commentary on the Bhagavad Gita and Aham for a series on the Patanjali Yoga Sutra. swahilya.soulmate@gmail.com)

3 comments:

Piththa_ Piraisoodi said...

Good exploration ....

Solitude said...

I was googling for Vignana Bhairava Tantra and came across this blog. Sanskrit sloka verse is given and below that meaning is provided. I found the writings to be clear and concise. I would say that this is one of the best translations I have come across so far. Stories and more commentaries can be added and this can be published as a very good yoga book.

Shrutam deva said...

I have the Sanskrit PDF, though I could read it in slokam form taking 8 syllables at a time, I was struggling with the meaning, finding a few verse translations here and there.
.
.

You have it all in one spot,
Mika Nanri, dhanyavaad. Tussi great ho ji.

Anandam mahate prapte I am going to dwell on this joy
.