Tripura Tattvas
In this final (for now) post on tantric tattvas, I will discuss the tattva schema given by Lakṣmīdhara, from his 16th century commentary on the Saundaryalahari (“Flood of Beauty”).
In Sri Vidya scriptures, the names Tripura (Tripurasundarī), saṃvit and citi (para citi) are used interchangably to indicate the highest reality – pure, unalloyed consciousness. In the Nityāṣoḍaśikārṇava for example, Tripura is described as saṃvit – identical to atman; identical to existence, satsvarupa and consciousness & bliss –cidandarupa. She is called Tripura as she is both the source of, and is transcendent to, the three cities. She transcends the various triplicities such as jnana, iccha & kriya; the three bodies; the three states, etc.
There are two related doctrines – Ābhāsavāda (also Pratibimba Vāda) and Saktī Pariṇāmavāda – that expound the relationship between Tripura and the world. In Ābhāsavāda saṃvit is likened to a mirror, and the universe is like a reflection appearing in it. However, whereas a physical mirror only reflects external objects, Tripura contains the whole universe inside Herself, yet through her intrinsic power of autonomy – svatantryasakti – makes everything appear as though it is outside Her. Like other nondual doctrines, Ābhāsavāda does not hold with the idea of the universe being seperate to citi or saṃvit. But if the universe is inside, rather than external to the mirror, what is the relationship between saṃvit and the world? Sri Vidya texts deal with this relationship with the concept of Samavāya sambandha – a relationship in which two different things (such as dravya – substance and guna – attribute) appear so unified that they represent a whole – i.e. neither cannot exist without the other. Hence the universe is one with citi (consciousness).
In Saktī Pariṇāmavāda the universe is a transformation or manifestation of Tripura.
“Just as before germination, a sprout, stem, leaves, flowers and fruits substantially exist in the seed, likewise, before its manifestation, the universe exists in Tripura.” – Nityāṣoḍaśikārṇava
Here, Tripura and the phenomenal world are two different states of the same truth. In the Pariṇāmavāda doctrine as expounded by Sankhya, the world evolves from prakrti. When the equipose of prakrti’s three intrinsic essences – the Gunas – is disturbed, prakrti becomes the world – the result of distortion or contamination. However, in the Saktī Pariṇāmavāda, citi manifests as the phenomenal world without losing her pristine or pure nature. This occurrs due to Her power of unlimited sovereignty – svasvatantryena. In both the Ābhāsavāda and the Saktī Pariṇāmavāda doctrines, there is only one reality and the universe as we know it is either a reflection or a transformation of Tripura. The world does not exist apart from Sakti. Tripura is the Highest Sakti. She is the cause of the three worlds. She is also the one within whom all the tattvas exist inseperably, just as a tree, in its unmanifest form, exists in the seed. Tripura is both the Unmanifest – saktyavastha and the Manifested universe – prapancavastha. Tripura is ekaiva (“only one”) and parama (“Absolute”).
Lakṣmīdhara’s Tattva Schema
Lakṣmīdhara is an exponent of the Samayācāra division of Sri Vidya (as opposed to the Kaulācāra division). Lakṣmīdhara, in his commentary to the Saundaryalahari opines that Kaula means taking delight in external worship and condemns it. The Samaya (“convention”) approach to Sri Vidya prioritises internal worship, is Vedic-friendly, and somewhat puritan. Samayacarins tend to argue against Kaula practices without necessarily taking on board what Kaula practitioners actually do and say – the argument seems to be more concerned with rejecting the “revolting practices” associated with Kaula (from the conservative perspective of Lakṣmīdhara and his followers). Lakṣmīdhara uses a twenty-five tattva schema, as opposed to the thirty-six tattva schema, (or the Fifty-one tattva schema given in the Vayavīyasaṃhitā – one of the “books” of the Śivapurāṇa) both of which he refutes. The 51-Tattva schema uses the 36 principles and adds seven dhatus (primary bodily constituents), five pranas and the three Gunas.
in order to explicate this, he subsumes the 51 principles into his schema:
- the seven dhatus are subsumed into the five elemental Bhūtas
- the five pranas are subsumed into the element of Vāyu (Air)
- the three Gunas are subsumed into Prakṛti
- Ahaṅkāra is subsumed into Manas
- Buddhi is subsumed into the Vidyā Kañcuka (i.e. “knowledge”) – which is in turn, subsumed by Śuddhavidyā
- Niyati Kañcuka is subsumed by Sakti
- Kalaa Kañcuka is subsumed by Śuddhavidyā
- Kaala Kañcuka is subsumed by both Maheśvara and Sadāśiva
- Puruṣa is subsumed by Maheśvara
- Śiva Tattva is subsumed by Sadāśiva
- Sakti is subsumed by Śuddhavidyā
The 25 Tattvas, according to Lakṣmīdhara, are:
- the five Bhūtas
- the five Tanmātras
- the ten Indriyas (sense-principles)
- Manas (mind)
- Māyā
- Śuddhavidyā
- Maheśvara
- Sadāśiva
There is also a 26th tattva – Sādākhyakala– formed from the union of suddhavidya and Sadāśiva – Lakṣmīdhara says that Sādākhyakala is entirely different from the union of the two principles that form it. Sādākhyakala is also the Paramātman – the supreme soul.
Śuddhavidyā & Śiva
Lakṣmīdharas’ category of Śuddhavidyā subsumes the three Gunas, Buddhi, Prakṛti, Niyati, Vidyā and Sakti. He says that Śuddhavidyā is the “knowledge which grants freedom”. Śuddhavidyā “possesses” all the powers and potentials apart from that of illumination, which is attributed to Śiva. The Śiva tattva is that which is “pure and awakened”.
“It is Śuddhavidyā herself who, joined with Sadāśiva is known as Sādākhyakala. Atah, therefore (or after this point), Bhagavatī, Śuddhavidyā, transcending the twenty-four tattvas, unites with Sadāśiva, the twenty-fifth, and becomes the twenty-sixth, known as Paramātman, the Supreme Soul. In other words, when united with the twenty-fifth tattva (Sadāśiva), Sādākhyakala becomes the twenty-sixth. This union is an entirely different tattva.” – Lakṣmīdhara
It is from Sādākhyakala that the primordial principles of creation-maintenance-destruction emerge. This Sādākhya (or Samaya) is the nondual reality – both identical with the world she emanates and transcendent to it – including all categories, mantras, devas, vidyas, saktis, gunas etc.
Putting it into Practice
Lakṣmīdhara’s schema is, by itself, probably only of cursory interest. However, he goes on to relate it to the minutia of Sri Vidya Sādhana – giving great detail to how the various cakras, mantra-forms, devas and the practitioner relate to Samaya’s manifest and transcendent forms. His aim is to demonstrate that Samaya can only be approached or known through Internal Worship and that this involves the Sahasrāra cakra – which he states is “beyond” the human body-complex.
The Cakras
Lakṣmīdhara states that the tattvas that give forth the manifest universe are in the human body. The six Cakras – Mūlādhāra, Svādhiṣṭhāna, Maṇipura, Anāhata, Viśuddhi and Ājñā – are the centers of Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Space and Mind. Each of the first five cakras (Mūlādhāra to Viśuddhi) include the corresponding tanmatras – hence they are the “centers” of smell, taste, form, touch, and sound. The Ājñā cakra is the center of the ten Indriyas and the mind. These six cakras are the manifest world and “contain” 21 of the Tattvas. The seventh cakra – Sahasrāra – is the transcendent Samaya and is both the source of, and transcends, the other six cakras. According to Lakṣmīdhara, the Sahasrāra is beyond the Universe, and it is within the Sahasrāra that Śuddhavidyā and Sadāśiva are “eternally” united – their unitary state being the Samaya or Sādākhya.
Lakṣmīdhara further divides the six cakras of the manifest world into three divisions: Āgneya Khaṇḍa (fiery division) Saura Khaṇḍa (solar division) and Soma Khaṇḍa (lunar division) each containing two cakras. These three divisions are centred in three Granthis (“knots”) – Rudragranthi, Viṣṇugranthi and Brahmāgranthi – in short, Fire, Sun and Moon – which “pervade individual bodies as well as the universe.”
It is the Brahmāgranthi which “contains” the tattvas of Māyā, Śuddhavidyā, Maheśvara and Sadāśiva. These four tattvas are not, he states, part of the manifest world, yet they are not totally transcendent either, as they are involved in the process of creation-maintenance-destruction. Rather, they are the “forces” which govern and direct all worldly phenomena. The Brahmāgranthi is located in the human body between the Ājñā and the Sahasrāra. Lakṣmīdhara explains the status of these four tattvas using the imagery of the anthropomorphic Tripurasundari. A meditation on Tripura describes her residing on an island made of gems in the centre of an endless ocean of nectar. She resides in a mansion, formed out of wish-fulfilling gems, and sits in splendour on a royal couch in the mansion’s innermost chamber. Tripura is Sādākhya, and the four tattvas (Māyā, Śuddhavidyā, Maheśvara and Sadāśiva) form her couch (see Saundaryalahari v8).
Lakṣmīdhara states, in familiar tantric fashion, that the cakras, sriyantra, mantra, the deva, and one’s own self as identical.
The 360 rays
This manifest universe, Lakṣmīdhara states, is created by the 360 rays of Kalasakti. The 360 refers to the 360 days of the solar year. From the Samaya, which resides in the transcendent Sahasrara (also candrakalackara) there pours forth innumerable rays. Sun, Moon and Fire “collect” 360 of these rays, from which is created the manifest world and the human body. These rays fall into three divisions mentioned above –Agneyakhanda (108) Saurakhanda (116) and Somakhanda (136).
- 56 kalas go to Mūlādhāra (prthivi tattva: earth & gandha tanmatra: smell)
- 52 kalas go to Maṇipura (jala tattva: water & rasa tanmatra: taste)
- 62 kalas go to Svādhiṣṭhāna (agni tattva: fire & rupa tanmatra: form)
- 54 go to Anāhata (vayu tattva: Air & sparsa tanmatra: touch)
- 72 go to Viśuddhi (akasa tattva: Space & sabda tanmatra: sound)
- 64 go to Ājñā (manas tattva: the indriyas & the mind)
Maya, Suddhavidya, Mahesvara, Sadasiva and Samaya remain apart from the 360 kalas.
Lakṣmīdhara equates the 360 rays with the 50 letters of the sanskrit alphabet, and the fifteen kalas of the lunar fortnight.
