The Truth of Sacred Ash

Verse 1 (shiva.vayaviya.28.1)

ऋषय ऊचुः । देवीं समादधानेन देवेनेदं किमीरितम् । अग्निषोमात्मकं विश्वं वागर्थात्मकमित्यपि

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | devīṁ samādadhānena devenedaṁ kimīritam | agniṣomātmakaṁ viśvaṁ vāgarthātmakamityapi

The sages said: What was this that the god declared while reassuring the Goddess — that the universe is of the nature of fire and soma, and also of the nature of word and meaning?

Verse 2 (shiva.vayaviya.28.2)

आज्ञैकसारमैश्वर्यमाज्ञात्वमिति चोदितम् । तदिदं श्रोतुमिच्छामो यथावदनुपूर्वशः

ājñaikasāramaiśvaryamājñātvamiti coditam | tadidaṁ śrotumicchāmo yathāvadanupūrvaśaḥ

It was further said that sovereignty has command as its sole essence, and that her very nature is command itself — this we wish to hear properly, in due order.

Verse 3 (shiva.vayaviya.28.3)

वायुरुवाच । अग्निरित्युच्यते रौद्री घोरा या तैजसी तनुः । सोमः शाक्तोऽमृतमयः शक्तेः शान्तिकरी तनुः

vāyuruvāca | agnirityucyate raudrī ghorā yā taijasī tanuḥ | somaḥ śākto'mṛtamayaḥ śakteḥ śāntikarī tanuḥ

Vayu said: The fierce, radiant body belonging to Rudra is called Agni, fire; Shakti's own nectar-filled, peace-bestowing body is called Soma.

Verse 4 (shiva.vayaviya.28.4)

अमृतं यत्प्रतिष्ठा सा तेजो विद्या कला स्वयम् । भूतसूक्ष्मेषु सर्वेषु त एव रसतेजसी

amṛtaṁ yatpratiṣṭhā sā tejo vidyā kalā svayam | bhūtasūkṣmeṣu sarveṣu ta eva rasatejasī

That which is the very foundation of nectar is itself radiance, knowledge, and creative power. In all the subtle elements, these same two exist as essence and radiance.

Verse 5 (shiva.vayaviya.28.5)

द्विविधा तेजसो वृत्तिः सूर्यात्मा चानलात्मिका । तथैव रसवृत्तिश्च सोमात्मा च जलात्मिका

dvividhā tejaso vṛttiḥ sūryātmā cānalātmikā | tathaiva rasavṛttiśca somātmā ca jalātmikā

The function of radiance is twofold — solar and fiery; likewise the function of essence too is twofold — lunar and watery.

Verse 6 (shiva.vayaviya.28.6)

विद्युदादिमयं तेजो मधुरादिमयो रसः । तेजोरसविभेदैस्तु धृतमेतच्चराचरम्

vidyudādimayaṁ tejo madhurādimayo rasaḥ | tejorasavibhedaistu dhṛtametaccarācaram

Lightning and the like are forms of radiance; sweetness and the like are forms of essence. By these very distinctions of radiance and essence, this whole moving and unmoving world is sustained.

Verse 7 (shiva.vayaviya.28.7)

अग्नेरमृतनिष्पत्तिरमृतेनाग्निरेधते । अत एव हि विक्रान्तमग्नीषोमं जगद्धितम्

agneramṛtaniṣpattiramṛtenāgniredhate | ata eva hi vikrāntamagnīṣomaṁ jagaddhitam

From fire comes the production of nectar, and by nectar fire itself grows. It is for this very reason that the mighty union of fire and soma serves the good of the world.

Verse 8 (shiva.vayaviya.28.8)

हविषे सस्यसम्पत्तिर्वृष्टिः सस्याभिवृद्धये । वृष्टेरेव हविस्तस्मादग्नीषोमधृतं जगत्

haviṣe sasyasampattirvṛṣṭiḥ sasyābhivṛddhaye | vṛṣṭereva havistasmādagnīṣomadhṛtaṁ jagat

From the oblation comes the abundance of grain, and rain brings the increase of grain, while the oblation itself comes from rain — thus the world is sustained by fire and soma.

Verse 9 (shiva.vayaviya.28.9)

अग्निरूर्ध्वं ज्वलत्येष यावत्सौम्यं परामृतम् । यावदग्न्यास्पदं सौम्यममृतं च स्रवत्यधः

agnirūrdhvaṁ jvalatyeṣa yāvatsaumyaṁ parāmṛtam | yāvadagnyāspadaṁ saumyamamṛtaṁ ca sravatyadhaḥ

This fire blazes upward until it reaches the supreme nectar belonging to Soma; and the gentle nectar flows downward until it reaches the seat of fire.

Verse 10 (shiva.vayaviya.28.10)

अत एव हि कालाग्निरधस्ताच्छक्तिरूर्ध्वतः । यावदादहनं चोर्ध्वमधश्चाप्लावनं भवेत्

ata eva hi kālāgniradhastācchaktirūrdhvataḥ | yāvadādahanaṁ cordhvamadhaścāplāvanaṁ bhavet

For this very reason the fire of time is below and Shakti above, so that there is burning above and flooding below.

Verse 11 (shiva.vayaviya.28.11)

आधारशक्त्यैव धृतः कालाग्निरयमूर्ध्वगः । तथैव निम्नगः सोमः शिवशक्तिपदास्पदः

ādhāraśaktyaiva dhṛtaḥ kālāgnirayamūrdhvagaḥ | tathaiva nimnagaḥ somaḥ śivaśaktipadāspadaḥ

This upward-tending fire of time is sustained by the supporting power alone; likewise, Soma, flowing downward, rests upon the seat that is Shiva and Shakti.

Verse 12 (shiva.vayaviya.28.12)

शिवश्चोर्ध्वमधः शक्तिरूर्ध्वं शक्तिरधः शिवः । तदित्थं शिवशक्तिभ्यां नाव्याप्तमिह किञ्चन

śivaścordhvamadhaḥ śaktirūrdhvaṁ śaktiradhaḥ śivaḥ | taditthaṁ śivaśaktibhyāṁ nāvyāptamiha kiñcana

Shiva above and Shakti below; then Shakti above and Shiva below — thus there is nothing here at all that is not pervaded by Shiva and Shakti.

Verse 13 (shiva.vayaviya.28.13)

असकृच्चाग्निना दग्धं जगद्यद्भस्मसात्कृतम् । अग्नेर्वीर्यमिदं चाहुस्तद्वीर्यं भस्म यत्ततः

asakṛccāgninā dagdhaṁ jagadyadbhasmasātkṛtam | agnervīryamidaṁ cāhustadvīryaṁ bhasma yattataḥ

That world which, having been burned repeatedly by fire, has been turned to ash — this they call the very potency of fire; and that ash which results from it is, in turn, its own potency.

Verse 14 (shiva.vayaviya.28.14)

यश्चेत्थं भस्मसद्भावं ज्ञात्वा स्नाति च भस्मना । अग्निरित्यादिभिर्मन्त्रैर्बद्धः पाशात्प्रमुच्यते

yaścetthaṁ bhasmasadbhāvaṁ jñātvā snāti ca bhasmanā | agnirityādibhirmantrairbaddhaḥ pāśātpramucyate

He who, knowing thus the true nature of ash, bathes with ash while reciting the mantras beginning "agni...," is released from the fetter even though he was bound.

Verse 15 (shiva.vayaviya.28.15)

अग्नेर्वीर्यं तु यद्भस्म सोमेनाप्लावितं पुनः । अयोगयुक्त्या प्रकृतेरधिकाराय कल्पते

agnervīryaṁ tu yadbhasma somenāplāvitaṁ punaḥ | ayogayuktyā prakṛteradhikārāya kalpate

But that ash, which is the potency of fire, if flooded again with soma without the method of yoga, only places the soul under the authority of Prakriti, material nature.

Verse 16 (shiva.vayaviya.28.16)

योगयुक्त्या तु तद्भस्म प्लाव्यमानं समन्ततः । शाक्तेनामृतवर्षेण चाधिकारान्निवर्तयेत्

yogayuktyā tu tadbhasma plāvyamānaṁ samantataḥ | śāktenāmṛtavarṣeṇa cādhikārānnivartayet

But that same ash, when flooded on every side by the method of yoga with the nectar-rain of Shakti, frees the soul from that very authority.

Verse 17 (shiva.vayaviya.28.17)

अतो मृत्युञ्जयायेत्थममृतप्लावनं सदा । शिवशक्त्यमृतस्पर्शे लब्धं येन कुतो मृतिः

ato mṛtyuñjayāyetthamamṛtaplāvanaṁ sadā | śivaśaktyamṛtasparśe labdhaṁ yena kuto mṛtiḥ

Therefore, to conquer death, this flooding with nectar should ever be practised in this way; for one who has attained the very touch of Shiva and Shakti's nectar, whence indeed could death come?

Verse 18 (shiva.vayaviya.28.18)

यो वेद दहनं गुह्यं प्लावनं च यथोदितम् । अग्नीषोमपदं हित्वा न स भूयोऽभिजायते

yo veda dahanaṁ guhyaṁ plāvanaṁ ca yathoditam | agnīṣomapadaṁ hitvā na sa bhūyo'bhijāyate

He who knows this secret burning and the flooding as it has been declared, having relinquished the state of fire-and-soma, is not born again.

Verse 19 (shiva.vayaviya.28.19)

शिवाग्निना तनुं दग्ध्वा शक्तिसौम्यामृतेन यः । प्लावयेद्योगमार्गेण सोऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते

śivāgninā tanuṁ dagdhvā śaktisaumyāmṛtena yaḥ | plāvayedyogamārgeṇa so'mṛtatvāya kalpate

He who, having burnt the body with the fire of Shiva, then floods it, by the path of yoga, with Shakti's gentle nectar, becomes fit for immortality.

Verse 20 (shiva.vayaviya.28.20)

हृदि कृत्वेममर्थं वै देवेन समुदाहृतम् । अग्नीषोमात्मकं विश्वं जगदित्यनुरूपतः

hṛdi kṛtvemamarthaṁ vai devena samudāhṛtam | agnīṣomātmakaṁ viśvaṁ jagadityanurūpataḥ

Taking to heart this very meaning declared by the god — that this universe, this world, is truly of the nature of fire and soma —