Siva Sutram

A Reading

p.madhu

2011

Siva
Sutram
A reading

P.Madhu

2011

Siva
Sutram
A reading

Author: P.Madhu.
Ramavilsam,
Malamalkavu,
Kerala, India- 679 554
Title:

cc

Siva Sutram, A reading

by P.Madhu 2011. Some Rights Reserved.

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Preface

Siva Sutram is part of Siva Agama Sastras. The

Siva epistemology is unique and not comparable
to the theological discourses of the Semitic
faiths. Semitic doctrines present God as a
person, creator existing outside the realm of the
creation. Siva Sutram, unlike Semitic faiths,
goes beyond the creator-created duality. The
Siva doctrine unlike the Semitic constructions of
creator-created, God-Satan, good-bad dichotomy
is thoroughly non-dualistic. Atman, unlike the
soul of Semitic constructions is not an
individual entity given to every single human
individual. Atman, the Siva doctrine holds, is
incorruptible. Atmans are not born. They do not
die. Atman is non-dual with the primordial
spanda. Atman is non-measurable and nonnumerable and hence Atman is not even One, it
is non-numerable. Siva is not a theological Godhead alien.

Semitic constructions present the creation as a

onetime activity of a God alien to the creation.
Siva Sutram, unlike Semitic constructions do not
hold that the creation as a onetime event rather,
it is seen as an ongoing process of veiling the
Siva-pulsation (spanda) Time, space, matter or
energy is presented as limited forms of the
immeasurable immense. Siva Sutram takes
creations and dissolutions as never ending
processes. Dissolution (laya) is not presented in
Siva Sutram as apocalypse. Instead, overcoming
the veil of creation and achieving the
dissolvence (laya) is a spiritual recommendation
of the Sutram.
Historically, and culturally, Siva is a pre-theistic
imagination. Hence, theism-atheism divide does
not affect the Siva doctrine. Since Siva is
unnumbered, doctrines of polytheism or monotheism do not explain the Siva doctrine. Siva is
not everything that exists, dies or anything that
go under the cosmic or karmic recycle. For this
reason, Siva is not a pan-theistic entity either.
Siva is the incorruptible, undercurrent of
ii

vibrancy with its own will that is understood to

be the fundamental source.
The epistemology is explained in Siva Agamas.
Some of the known Siva Agamas are: Malini
Vijaya,
Svacchanda,
Vijnana
Bhairava,
Mrgendra, Netra Yoga, Rudra-Yamala and Siva
Sutra. Spanda Karika Pratya Bhijna Hridayam
are two important texts help us to understand the
Siva Agamas better. Siva Sutra is the most
important of the Siva Agamas.
Siva agama sastras are believed to be the
authentic voice of the internality (Atman) of the
primordial, omniscient, and omnipresent
vibration (Spanda). Vibrancies, it is presupposed
have their co-present internality. Atman is the
internality co-present with the ceaseless
primordial vibration which is present before,
throughout and after emergence and dissolvance
of the cosmic field and the things in it. The
subtle internality, the atman, though comparable
with
mind
or
consciousness,
unlike
consciousness or mind, is non-dual, undivided
and not conditioned by experiences of individual
iii

or collective objects. The Atman has no grehya

(grasper) - grahaka (grasped) bhedaat
(distinction). The will of the Atman is Cit.
All that exist in the field of the cosmos, and the
field as the entirety is conceived as one among
many forms of limited existence of the limitless
Siva. The limit veils the existence of limitless
Siva. It is conceived in the Siva Agamas that
Siva is the active and internal aspect of effluence
of existence. Existence, the Siva doctrine holds,
has an active and effluent current of inner
aspect. For instance, in the case of light, Siva is
understood as the effluent active aspect and
inner vibrancy, the prakasha; the light as we
witness with our senses is only its external
manifestation. The unlimitable current of Siva
as spanda, atman and cit is present from the
minute to the entirety of the cosmic field hidden
beneath the veil of existence. It is hidden to our
sense perceptions, languages and measures.
The objective of Siva Sutram is Sva-tantra,
guiding its followers to the unlimited freedom.
Siva Sutram consists 77 aphorisms. It is divided
iv

into three sections. The aphorisms are open

ended with potential for multiple meanings. The
words are kaleidoscopic and they arrange
themselves differently in different occasions in
tune with the orientation of the reader.
The first section is called Sambhavopaya which
explains the flash of Siva revelation. It is about
the experiencing the flash of the hidden subtle
internality imploding with its beyond-themeasure knowledge. The experience of flash is
called Bhairava. The Second section is
Saktopaya. This section is about the efforts a
pursuer (sadhaka) to sustain the flash of
Bhairava experience. The third section is
Anavopaya. This section explains how a
sadhaka (pursuers of truth) can overcome her
limit-existence.
The Spanda-Karika, Vignjnana Bhairava and
Pratyabhijnahridayam are important texts help a
seeker to better understand Siva Sutram.
Spanda-Karika explains the vibratory ontology
of
Siva-existence.
Pratyabhijnahridayam
explains the existence in time, space, materiality
v

and body as limited existence. Vignjana

Bhairava explains the practices through which
one can sustain ones Bhairava existence. Siva
Sutram is believed to be textualized in the 9th
century AD of the Siva belief systems that
precedes that century.
It is not a translation. It is my present
understanding of Siva Sutram. I hope the reader
will benefit. For deeper understanding one has to
read the original text. For me Siva-Sutram is a
surprise and inspiration as I could re-discover
what I was discussing in my writings on nonzeroity and being-in-captivity with farther
clarity and lucidity. The doctrine of non-zeroity
is very much there in the neither this-nor that
middle path recommendation found both in the
Siva doctrine and Buddhist philosophy.
--P.Madhu (madhu.mes@gmail.com)

vi

Transliterated text of Siva

Sutram
I.

mbhavopya
1.caitanyamtm:
2.jnam bandhah.
3.yonivarga kalarram
4.jndhisthna mtrik
5. udyamo bhairavah
6.akticakrasandhne vivasamhrah
7.jgratsvapnasusuptabhede
turybhogasambhavah
8.jnam jgrat
9.svapno vikalph
10.aviveko mysausuptam
11.tritayabhokt vreah
12.vismayo yogabhmikh
13.icch aktirum kumr
14.dryam arram
vii

15.hrdaye cittasamghattd
dryasvpnadaranam
16.uddhatattvasandhnd v apauaktih
17.vitarka tmajnam
18.loknandah samdhisukham
19.aktisandhne arrotpattih
20. bhtasandhna bhtaprthaktva
vivasamghatth
21.uddhavidyodayccakreatva siddhih
22.mahhradnusandhnnmantravry
nubhavah

viii

II.

ktopya
1. cittah mantrah
2. prayatnah sdhakah
3. vidyarrasatt mantrarahasyam
4. garbhe cittavikso'viista vidysvapnah
5. vidysamutthne svbhvike khecar

ivvasth

6. gururupyah
7. mtrkcakrasambodhah
8. arram havih
9. jnam annam
10. vidysamhre taduttha svapna daranam

ix

III. navopya
1. tm cittam
2. jnam bandhah
3. kaldnm tattvnm aviveko my
4. arre samhrah kalnm
5. nd samhra bhtajaya bhtakaivalya

bhtappthaktvni

6. mohvarant siddhih
7. mohajayd anantbhogt sahajavidyjayah
8. jgrad dvityakarah
9. nartaka tm
10. rango'ntartm
11. prekaknndriyni
12. dhvat sattvasiddhih
13. siddhah svatantrabhvah
14. yath tatra tathnyatra
15. bjvadhnam
16. sanasthah sukham hrade nimajjati
17. svamtr nirmnam pdayati
x

18. vidy avine janma vinah

19. kavargdisu mhevarydyh paumtarah
20. trisu caturtham tailavadsecyam
21. magnah svacittena praviet
22. prna samcre samadaranam
23. madhye'vara prasavah
24. mtrsvapratyaya sandhne nastasya

punarutthnam

25. ivatulyo jyate

26. arravrttirvratam
27. kath japah
28. dnam tmajnam
29. yo'vipastho jhetuca
30. svaakti pracayo'sya vivam
31. stithilayau
32. tat pravrttvapyanirsah samvettrbhvt
33. sukha duhkhayorbahirmananam
34. tadvimuktastu keval
35. mohapratisamhatastu karmtm
36. bheda tiraskre sargntara karmatvam
xi

37. karanaaktih svato'nubhavt

38. tripaddyanuprnanam
39. cittasthitivat arra karana bhyesu
40. abhilsdbahirgatih samvhyasya
41. tadrdhapramitestatkayjjvasamkayah
42. bhtakacuk tad vimukto bhyah patisamah

parah
43. naisargikah prnasambandhah
44. nsikntarmadhya samyamt kimatra

savypasavya sausumnesu

45. bhyah syt pratimlanam

xii

xiii

xiv

xv

xvi

xvii

Siva
Sutram
-A reading

I
The Burst into Truth

The Burst into Truth

1. Atman,
the
internality
of
the
equiprimordial vibration, the spanda, is
absolutely free and beyond measures.
2. Knowledge from any perspective is
binding because, it is founded upon
measures.
3. The immense in its measured limits as it
appears is fertile, creating reproducing,
mutating, evolving. Creation is the
immense spatially, temporally and
materially limited.
4. Measures are the mothers of knowledge.
Measures veil immeasurable. Words veil
unwordable and
numbers veil
unnumerable. Knowledge veils.

5. Truth of the immense hence, is not

realized through knowledge. Truth is a
gracious event that implodes like a
thunderous flash raising the receiver
beyond the veils of knowledge. This is the
flash of Bhairava experience.
6. The thunderous flash of realization
unsettles the receiver from the veils of
measured knowledge. This lets one to be
in union with the primordial vibration
(spanda) and its equiprimordial internality
(atman).
7. The Bhairava eruption transforms
conscious, sub-conscious and unconscious
levels of existence into currents of
realization. Irrespective of waking,
dreaming & deep sleep status one enjoys
the beyond-measures-fourth state of
turiya. Turya is the blissful current of the
primordial vibration (spanda) and its
internality (atman).
2

8. The Bhairava eruption transcends one

beyond knowledges one gains through
aware state,
9. hallucinatory dream-like veiled existence
10. and unsettles ones deep immersion into
indiscriminable-delusions.
11.The spurt of Bhairava flash lets one to
master all the three states of conscious,
subconscious and unconscious - awaken,
dreamlike and deep sleep measured
knowledges, veiled existence and
indicriminable delusions.
12.This
non-differentiated
existence
(yogabhumikah)
is
astonishingly
wonderful.
13.In this non-differentiated current of
existence one is fertile enough with
3

creative potential like an about to be

fertilized virgin.
14.The whole current of existence appears as
ones body.
15.United with the core of atman, one
experiences the whole of said, unsaid,
measured and immeasurable.
16.In union with the ultimate, the Siva, the
pure principle one crosses the limits of
individual material existence.
17.This is the unwavering atma-realization.
18.The bliss of union transcends the receiver
and makes the world a blissful place.
19.The Bhairava experience frees one to
creative realm:

20. Freedom
to
ensemble,
assemble,
dissemble space, time, materiality and
everything else
21.Those who gain the wisdom of being nondual also gain the creative power of the
primordial spanda, atman and cit as they
have broken the limit existence.
22.United with the infinite reservoir of
creative pulsation, one experiences its
vibratory rhythm, the mantra veerya.

II
Fidelity to the Bhairava event

Fidelity to the Bhairava event

1. The internality of the realized (cittam) is

indistinguishable from the originary
creative vibrancy, the mantra.
2. The realized (sadhaka) actively maintains
fidelity with the Bhairava flash.
3. The secret of mantra is that it lets one in
rhythm with the primordial vibrancy and
subsequent wisdom.
4. Born as a limited mortal, otherwise, one is
deluded by measures driven limited
knowledge.
5. Burst of the wisdom of non-duality throbs
one into the unbounded Siva-experience

6. Fidelity to the siva status should be

maintained through the guidances of
gurus.
7. Uncovering the veil of limited knowledge,
they are guided into limitless non-duality.
8. Such a realized is no longer limited by
body, time, space or matter.
9. They are not limited by phenomenal or
knowledges achieved through calculating
measures.
10. On the attainment of the beyondmeasures-knowledge, one understands the
phenomenal or measures-guided
knowledges were indeed hallucinatory.

III
Transcending the Limit

Transcending the Limit

1. Internality of the unrealized is merely

their mind.
2. The unrealized are bound by measured
knowledge.
3. Hallucinated within gross knowledge they
cannot discriminate gross from the subtle.
4. Realized overcome the misrecognition
that the existence exists in separate and
disconnected parts.
5. The realized understand beyond the
element vitality. The flow of life is not
merely a body mechanism of inhalation or
exhalation distinct from the vitality
sustaining it.
8

6. Understanding the secret of non-duality

and beyond-elementality, elevates the
realized. They appear beyond the normal
for those immersed within the veil of
ignorance.
7. By overcoming the delusions of
elementality and duality, one experiences
boundless expansion and thorough
mastery, naturally.
8. For the realized existence is experienced
as the effulgence of light that is beyond
dualities and elementalities.
9. Ones sense of internality is like an actor
in the stage.
10. The stage is the primordial internality,
spread as the cosmic internality.
11.The realized are the sensors witnessing
this enactment.
9

12. The current of effulgence is attained by

the realized.
13. Such is the attainment of unrestrained
freedom.
14.The realized are not limited by spatial
temporal or material existence.
15.They become non-distinguishable from
the seed that sprouted the spatio-temporalmaterial existence.
16. The realized be at the core of the
immortal ocean of existence.
17.The realized are not conditioned by
measures or limits.
18.So long as they sustain this realization,
they are not conditioned by the limits of
karma or cycles of birth or death.
10

19.Measures are the mothers of limited

existence.
20.The realized are unperturbed by their
states of conscious, unconscious or
subconscious existence (waking, dreaming
& deep sleep), they remain realized in all
the states of their existence.
21.The liberated enter the limitless existence
gradually and steadily like the gentle flow
of oil.
22. The liberated gain equanimity through the
internalizing the non-dual vitality present
everywhere.
23.However, if not remain with the razorsharp awareness, the realized in their early
stages may fall into inferior states of
awareness.
11

24.Regaining fidelity to the bhairava

irruption, however, one can gain what is
lost temporarily.
25.The conquered attain the very Siva status.
26.Their bodily existence thereafter becomes
pious observance.
27.Their speech becomes meditative.
28.They gift others the wisdom of non-dualcosmic internality.
29.They emerge as the source of wisdom.
30.The internality of the cosmos becomes
indistinguishable from that of the realized.
31.The realized remain ever in the current of
atma awareness.

12

32.Irrespective of whatsoever appear or

disappear, emerge or dissolve they remain
steady in aatmic awareness.
33.They care least for pleasures or pains
external to their aatmic awareness.
34. The Liberated remain alone steadily in
their awareness.
35.The unrealized, unlike the liberated,
remain caught in the cycles of birth,
rebirth and reproduction of karma.
36.Recognizing ones non-distinctness from
the core of the creation, one becomes
internal to the creation as it continues.
37.From ones own experience the realized
recognizes their creative potential.
38.Of the three states emergence (sristi),
sustenance (sthiti) and dissolvance (laya)13

the dissolvance (laya) enlivens the

realized.
39.The realized experience the cosmos as
ones own body.
40.Others chase time, space, materiality to
satiate their wants, desires and greed.
41.Realization lets one to recognize the
corruption inherent to the extroversion.
42.Though exist in the gross body, the
realized are the Siva Himself.
43.They remain effortlessly non-dual.
44.The sense of non-duality and being one
with the primordial atman overwhelms the
realized.

14

45.Thus the internality of the realized and

internality of the primordial spanda
remains non-differentiated.

15

Siva Sutram
A Reading
P.Madhu

2011