Bodhapañcadaśikā

1

[Reverence to] the one whose form is light that never sets, who alone is the inmost core of both the lights and the darknesses — and within whom abide the lights and the darknesses alike.

2

That very one is the intrinsic nature (svabhāva (own-being, the inmost essence)) of all beings — the Supreme Lord (Parameśvara (the Supreme Lord, the Self of all beings)); for the whole field of existents (bhāvajāta) is his own power (śakti (the Lord's inseparable creative energy)), made of lordship.

3

And the power seeks no separation from the form of its power-holder; the identity (abheda (non-difference), tādātmya) of these two is eternal, as of fire and its burning-capacity.

4

That very one is the god Bhairava (the supreme non-dual Śiva, sustainer of the world), characterized by his sustaining of the world (jagad-bharaṇa), since by his power the whole [universe] is reflected (pratibimba (reflection of the universe in consciousness)) [as] in the mirror of his own Self [svātma-ādarśe]. [Source reads 'svātmādṛṣe', a scribal error for svātma-ādarśe, required by sense and metre.]

5

His alone is this supreme Goddess (parā devī (the Supreme Goddess, the Lord's own power)), eager to taste her own nature, whose perfect fullness (pūrṇatva (fullness, neither diminished nor increased)) in all states is neither lessened nor increased.

6

This god, ever eager for the savor of play (krīḍā-rasa) with this Goddess, the all-pervading one (vibhu), brings about the manifold creations and dissolutions (sṛṣṭi-saṃhāra (creation and dissolution effected simultaneously)) all at once (yugapad).

7

His power to accomplish what is utterly impossible (atidurghaṭakāritva (the power to bring about the utterly impossible)) is the Unsurpassed (anuttara (the Unsurpassed, the absolute)) itself — this very thing is his autonomy (svātantrya (absolute sovereign freedom)), his lordship (aiśvarya), the very nature of awareness (bodha (awareness, awakening; conscious light)). [Source reads 'aisvaryaṃ' for aiśvaryam.]

8

Being a partitioned, delimited light is, indeed, the mark of the inert (jaḍa (the inert, the insentient)); awareness (bodha) is wholly distinct from the inert, for it cannot be measured out [or bounded].

9

Thus, for this autonomous one, who is diversified through his own powers, the creations and dissolutions abide within his own Self, established as his very nature.

10

Within them is utter variety — upward, downward, and across — [namely] the worlds and their parts, and whatever cognition of pleasure and pain there is.

11

The non-recognition (parijñāna (full recognition; here its absence, aparijñāna)) of this very [truth] is declared to be His [own] freedom (svātantrya (sovereign freedom)); that alone, indeed, is transmigration (saṃsāra (transmigration, here the non-recognition of the Self)), the terrifier of the deluded. [Source reads 'mūḍānāṃ' for mūḍhānāṃ.]

12

From the savor of His grace alone, or from the tradition of the guru (āgama), or from scripture (śāstra) — by whatever means it has come about,

13

the full recognition (parijñāna) of the reality (tattva) — that is liberation (mokṣa (liberation)) from the Supreme Lord; that fullness (pūrṇatva) of the awakened is what is called liberation-while-living (jīvanmukti (liberation while still embodied)).

14

These two — bondage and release — viewed from the very nature of the Supreme Lord are not divided; for in truth there is no difference (abheda (non-difference), bheda) at all in the Supreme Lord.

15

Thus Bhairava — resting upon the trident-and-lotus of the powers of will, [limiting] action, and knowledge (icchā-kalā-jñāna (the powers of will, [limited] action, and knowledge)) — is to be contemplated (pariśīlyate) as the intrinsic nature (svabhāva) of all existents.

16

[Colophon:] In order to awaken readily disciples of tender intellect, these fifteen verses were uttered by Abhinavagupta.