"Now there is one trick, O Arjuna, I will tell you a trick of how you can subside māyā."

In this excerpt from the Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism, by Swami Lakshmanjoo (chapter 7 verse 14) Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals the trick how to subside māyā (illusion).

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DVD 7 (38:09)

दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया ।

मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामतितरन्ति ते ॥१४॥

daivī hyeṣā guṇamayī

mama māyā duratyayā ।

māmeva ye prapadyante

māyāmatitaranti te ॥ 14 ॥

This guṇamayi, guṇamayi is filled with sattvoguṇa, rajoguṇa, [and tamoguṇa]–the three gunas–it is māyā. And it is duratyayā, nobody has conquered this, nobody has won [over] this māyā. Now there is one trick, O Arjuna, I will tell you a trick of how you can subside māyā.

Māmeva ye prapadyante . . .

Other commentators have commentated upon this verse [in the following way]: “those who take refuge in Me, they [conquer] māya.” It is the commentary, which is done by other commentators [other] than Abhinavagupta.

Abhinavagupta has [explained], māmeva ye prapadyante, those persons, those elevated souls who think, “māmeva ye prapadyante, māyā is me, māmeva, māyā is the reality of Brahman.” [This is thought by] those who attribute māyā in their own nature. [When they feel] “I am māyā–māyā is Parabhairava”, then they are free from māyā. You should know that māyā is not other than Parabhairava, then you will succeed. Otherwise, there is no hope of getting rid of māyā, because this is guṇamayī daivī.1

tena sattvādīnāṁ vastutaḥ saṁvinmātraparabrahmān-atiriktatāyāmapi yattadatiriktatāvagamanaṁ tadeva guṇatvaṁ–bhoktṛitattvapāratantrayaṁ bhogyatvam / tacca bhedātmakaṁ-rūpaṁ saṁsāribhiranirvācyatayā, tān prati māyārūpam

And they are caught by that māyā . . .

ato ye paramārtha brahma prakāśa vida . . . [comm. verse 14]

Those, on the contrary, who are situated in the supreme state of Parabhairava, tad-anatiriktaṁ viśvaṁ paśyanto, they realize that this whole universe, which is created by the māyā of Lord Śiva, is not separate from the Parabhairava state; for them, there is no māyā. They have conquered māyā.

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1 “Daivī is divine. Divine mean devaḥ krīḍākaraḥ, devaḥ means who is always playful, Lord Śiva is always playful. Māyā and not māyā, illusion and not illusion, consciousness and unconsciousness–this is all His play.” Swami Lakshmanjoo, Bhagavad Gītā audio, Lakshmanjoo Academy Archives.

(source: Chapter 7, of the Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism,

by Swami Lakshmanjoo), this video is also available as a series for rent and purchase on-demand.

All Content is subject to Copyright © John Hughes.

In this excerpt from The Magical Jewel of Devotion in Kashmir Shaivism - Stava Cintamani Swami Lakshmanjoo explaining the difference between knowledge and devotion as lights in the world, and reveals why one is more important to have than the other.

https://www.lakshmanjooacademy.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/StCin_verse59.mp3

Audio 4 (16:34)

हृतोद्धततमस्तान्तिः प्लुष्टाशेषभवेन्धना ।

त्वद्बोधदीपिका मेऽस्तु नाथ त्वद्भक्तिदीपिका ॥५९॥

hṛtoddhatatamastāntiḥ pluṣṭāśeṣabhavendhanā /

tvadbodhadīpikā me’stu nātha tvadbhaktidīpikā //59//

There are two kinds of candles in this world [that are] found in the cycle of Your kingdom. One is bodha dīpikā (bodha dīpikā is, just experiencing Your nature). This is one candle. It is shining always–bodha dīpikā. When you have got absolute knowledge of God consciousness, that is one candle which shines always in the minds of devotees. And another candle is tvad bhakti dīpikā, just Your love, just Your attachment. That is also another candle. These two candles are shining in this world. I know these two candles are shining. One is from bhakti and one is from knowledge. In these two candles, I would prefer to have, to own, one candle of devotion. I don’t want knowledge. Because [the candle of devotion] is hṛtoddhata tamastāntiḥ, all darkness has vanished there. There is some darkness possible in the light of the candle of knowledge, but in the light of the candle of bhakti, there is no such possibility of any darkness. Because when there is knowledge, there is something, something more to be known. When there is love, what else do you need?

DENISE: Nothing.

SWAMIJI: [If] you have love, that is all [you need]. It does not rise, it does not become less, when there is devotion, when there is love, when there is attachment, that is all. When there is knowledge, you [still] have more to understand by-and-by, step-by-step, so there is the possibility of darkness. Some shades of darkness are sure to appear. But here, in the candle of Thy devotion, there is not that possibility. Between these two candles, I would like to have that candle of Thy devotion, O Lord. Please accept this request from me.108

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108 “Only bhakti (devotion), only attachment, that intensity of love, is the nearest way to reach at Your feet.” Stava Cintāmaṇi (1991).

Source: The Magical Jewel of Devotion in Kashmir Shaivism - Stava Cintamani revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo

All Content is subject to Copyright © John Hughes.

This is the first of a selection of texts from the oral teachings of Swami Lakshmanjoo that explore why love is essential on the spiritual path.

Tantraloka Vol 2, Ch 2-3, deals with Anupāya, and Śāmbhavopāya, two of four means, which are the nature of God consciousness.

In this excerpt from the Bhagavad Gita in the Light of Kashmir Shaivism, chapter 16, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains that there are two kinds of glories in Kashmir Shaivism, one is divine glory, one is not divine glory. Divine glory is godly behavior that is sentencing you in mokṣha, liberation. And not divine glory is demonic behavior that is entangling you in the wheel of repeated births and deaths.

Swami Lakshmanjoo explains what is moksha (liberation) in Kashmir Shaivism and comparing it to other philosophical traditions.

In this excerpt, Swamiji elaborates on the practical aspects of the Bhagavad Gītā, practice (abhyasa) of karma sannyas and karma yoga.

Swami Lakshmanjoo explains how, for elevated souls, the organs of the senses push him in the center of God consciousness.

In this excerpt from The Magical Jewel of Devotion in Kashmir Shaivism - Stava Cintamani, by Bhaṭṭanārāyaṇa, Swamiji reveals why we need to develop sāttvaguṇa in Kashmir Shaivism.

"The avenue for crossing the cycle of guṇa is through sāttvaguṇa. It is not through rajoguṇa, it is not through tamoguṇa." ~Swami Lakshmanjoo

In this excerpt from The Magical Jewel of Devotion in Kashmir Shaivism - Stava Cintamani, by Bhaṭṭanārāyaṇa, Swamiji reveals why we need to develop sāttvaguṇa in Kashmir Shaivism.

"The avenue for crossing the cycle of guṇa is through sāttvaguṇa. It is not through rajoguṇa, it is not through tamoguṇa." ~Swami Lakshmanjoo