Muni's PlayStabaka 15: The Inner Alchemy
Verse 15.5: The Cosmic By-product
Sanskrit
किट्टभूतमखिलेश्वरजाये दृश्यजातमखिलं निजपाके ।
प्राणबुद्धिमनसामिह वर्गः सारभूत इति सूरिजनोक्तिः ॥ १५.५॥
Word-by-word
किट्ट-भूतम् (has become dross/waste); अखिलेश्वर-जाये (O Wife of the Lord of all); दृश्य-जातम्-अखिलम् (the entire world of seen objects); निज-पाके (in Your cooking/transformation); प्राण-बुद्धि-मनसाम् (of Prana, Intellect, and Mind); इह (here); वर्गः (the group); सार-भूतः (is the essence); इति (thus); सूरि-जन-उक्तिः (the saying of the wise).
Translation
O Mother! The wise say that in Your cosmic process of “cooking” the universe, the entire objective world is merely the dross (by-product), while the triad of Prana (breath), Buddhi (intellect), and Manas (mind) constitutes the true essence.
Verse 15.6: The Churning of Truth
Sanskrit
सारमीश्वरि तिलेष्विव तैलं विग्रहेषु निखिलेषु निगूढम् ।
ye धिया मथनतो विदुरेकं ते भवन्ति विबुधास्त्वयि लीनाः ॥ १५.६॥
Word-by-word
सारम् (the essence); ईश्वरि (O Goddess); तिलेषु-इव (like in sesame seeds); तैलम् (oil); विग्रहेषु (in bodies/forms); निखिलेषु (in all); निगूढम् (hidden); ये (those who); धिया (by the intellect); मथनतः (by churning); विदुः-एकम् (know the One); ते (they); भवन्ति (become); विबुधाः (wise ones); त्वयि लीनाः (absorbed in You).
Translation
Just as oil is hidden in sesame seeds, the divine essence is hidden within all forms. Those wise ones who “churn” this truth using their sharpened intellect realize the One and become absorbed in You.
Verse 15.7: The Red-Hot Soul
Sanskrit
आयसं त्रिभुवनेश्वरि पिण्डं वह्निनेव तपसा तनुपिण्डम् ।
यस्य चिज्ज्वलनजालमयं स्यात् तप्तमम्ब स तवालयभूतः ॥ १५.७॥
Word-by-word
आयसम् (made of iron); त्रिभुवन-ईश्वरि (O Ruler of the three worlds); पिण्डम् (a ball/mass); वह्निना-इव (as if by fire); तपसा (by penance/heat); तनु-पिण्डम् (the ball of the body); यस्य (whose); चित्-ज्वलन-जाल-मयम् (filled with the network of the flames of consciousness); स्यात् (becomes); तप्तम् (heated); अम्ब (O Mother); सः (he); तव-आलय-भूतः (becomes Your abode).
Translation
O Mother! When a seeker’s body is heated by Tapas (discipline), it becomes like an iron ball in a furnace. When that body glows with the flames of pure Consciousness, the seeker himself becomes Your living temple.
Verse 15.8: Igniting the Life-Force
Sanskrit
योऽरणेर्मथनतोऽतिपवित्रं वीतिहोत्रमिव वीतकलङ्कः ।
प्राणमुज्ज्वलयति स्वशरीरात् त्वामसावभयदेऽर्हति यष्टुम् ॥ १५.८॥
Word-by-word
यः (who); अरण्याः-मथनतः (from the churning of the fire-sticks); अति-पवित्रम् (exceedingly pure); वीति-होत्रम्-इव (like the sacrificial fire); वीत-कलङ्कः (the stainless one); प्राणम्-उज्ज्वलयति (ignites the Prana); स्व-शरीरात् (from his own body); त्वाम् (You); असौ (that person); अभय-दे (O Giver of fearlessness); अर्हति यष्टुम् (is fit to worship).
Translation
Just as pure fire is produced by churning fire-sticks (Arani), the stainless seeker who ignites the flame of Prana within his own body is truly fit to worship You, the Giver of Fearlessness.
Verse 15.9: Mindfulness as Meditation
Sanskrit
प्राणता श्वसितमेव विचार्यं कुर्वता करणमेว निभाल्यम् ।
गच्छता गमनमेव विशोध्यं तत्तनौ मथनमागमबोध्यम् ॥ १५.९॥
Word-by-word
प्राणता (while breathing); श्वसितम्-एव (the breath itself); विचार्यम् (to be contemplated); कुर्वता (while doing); करणम्-एव (the action itself); निभाल्यम् (to be observed); गच्छता (while walking); गमनम्-एव (the movement itself); विशोध्यम् (to be purified); तत् (that); तनौ (in the body); मथनम् (churning); आगम-बोध्यम् (known through scriptures).
Translation
While breathing, contemplate the breath; while acting, observe the action; while moving, purify the movement. This constant mindfulness is the “internal churning” described in the sacred Agamas.
Verse 15.10: The True Sacrifice
Sanskrit
यो रसं पिबति मूर्धसरोजात् सोमपोऽयमनघः प्रयतात्मा ।
अग्निहोत्रमखिलेश्वरि नित्यं मूलकुण्डदहनस्थितिरस्य ॥ १५.१०॥
Word-by-word
यः (who); रसम् (nectar); पिबति (drinks); मूर्ध-सरोजाद् (from the lotus of the head); सोम-पः-अयम् (this is the true drinker of Soma); अनघः (sinless); प्रयत-आत्मा (self-controlled soul); अग्नि-होत्रम् (the fire-ritual); अखिलेश्वरि (O Ruler of all); नित्यम् (constantly); मूल-कुण्ड-दहन-स्थितिः (the state of fire in the root-pit/Muladhara); अस्य (for him).
Translation
He who drinks the nectar dripping from the thousand-petaled lotus in the head is the true “Soma-drinker.” For such a sinless soul, the fire blazing in the Muladhara (base) is his constant, internal Agnihotra sacrifice.
Verse 15.12: The Golden Transformation
Sanskrit
तैजसं कनकमग्निवितप्तं तेज एव कनकाङ्गि यथा स्यात् ।
मोदरूपकलया तव तप्तं तन्मयं भवति मोदजपिण्डम् ॥ १५.१२॥
Word-by-word
तैजसम् (luminous/fiery); कनकम् (gold); अग्नि-वितप्तम् (heated in fire); तेजः एव (becomes light itself); कनक-अङ्गि (O Mother with golden limbs); यथा स्यात् (as it happens); मोद-रूप-कलया (by the aspect of the form of Joy); तव (Your); तप्तम् (heated); तन्मयम् (composed of that); भवति (becomes); मोद-ज-पिण्डम् (a mass born of joy).
Translation
O Mother of Golden Limbs! Just as gold heated in a furnace becomes one with the fire’s light, the human body, when heated by the power of Your Divine Joy, becomes a mass of pure Bliss.
Verse 15.13: The End of Inertia
Sanskrit
प्राणसंयमविशुद्धमतेस्ते संविदग्निपरितापितदेहम् ।
संविदेव भवति स्वसमग्रं संत्यजन्नयि जडत्वमशेषम् ॥ १५.१३॥
Translation
When the seeker’s mind is purified by breath-control (Pranayama) and the body is heated by the fire of Consciousness, that entire being discards all inertia (Jadatva) and becomes nothing but pure Consciousness itself.
Verse 15.14: The Rain of the Intellect
Sanskrit
यत्प्रबोधरसजालमभीक्ष्णं वर्षति प्रवरधीस्तनयित्रुः ।
तत्त्वमम्ब निगमान्तवचांसि प्राहुरिन्द्रवधु सोममिहाग्र्यम् ॥ १५.१४॥
Translation
O Bride of Indra! That stream of the nectar of Awakening which the thundercloud of the supreme Intellect rains down—that is what the Upanishads call the “foremost Soma.”
Verse 15.15: The Third Churning
Sanskrit
मन्थनात् त्रितयमेव विबुद्धा जायते परमिदं जठरे ते ।
बुद्धिभानुपवनाहवजातं सोममम्ब मधुरं विचिन्वन्ति ॥ १५.१५॥
Translation
O Mother! The wise obtain the sweet Soma born from the “churning” of these three: the Sun of Intellect, the Wind of Breath, and the Fire of Tapas.
Verse 15.16: Nectar in the Bones
Sanskrit
सर्वसंविदवसानममुं यं पीतवन्तमनु ते परिपक्काः ।
अस्थिषु स्थिरममर्त्यरसं ते स्थापयन्त्ययि सवित्रि मुनीन्द्राः ॥ १५.१६॥
Translation
Having drunk this nectar which is the culmination of all consciousness, the great sages establish that juice of immortality even within the very bones of their matured/refined bodies.
Verse 15.17: Scriptural Validation
Sanskrit
न श्रुतं न च विलोकितमर्वाक् सोमपानममुकप्रभवं यत् ।
द्योतते तदिदमागमसिद्धं दिव्यमेव जगदम्ब महस्ते ॥ १५.१७॥
Translation
O Mother of the World! This drinking of Soma—unknown to the limited senses and unheard by common ears—is the secret established in the Agamas; it is Your own divine and radiant majesty.
Verse 15.18: The Divine Press
Sanskrit
अद्रिभिर्न हि विनिष्पीडितसंवित् सोम एव कलशं तव देहम् ।
पूरयन्नविशदाशयवृत्तेरंब हन्ति तिमिरं नतपापम् ॥ १५.१८॥
Translation
O Mother! This Soma of Consciousness—not pressed by physical stones but by the “mountains” of spiritual discipline—fills the vessel of Your body and destroys the darkness within the sinless hearts of Your devotees.
Verse 15.19: The Alchemy of the Gaze
Sanskrit
वीक्षितस्तव कटाक्षविपातैर्जन्तुरास्पदमिहाभ्युदयस्य ।
ईश्वरीमुदकलामयि भुक्त्वा सर्वदिक्ष्वाभिविधत्ते हि श्रियम् ॥ १५.१९॥
Translation
A living being touched by the fall of Your side-glance becomes the very abode of prosperity; having enjoyed the nectar-digit of the Divine Queen, he bestows glory upon all directions.
Verse 15.20: The Triple Abode
Sanskrit
या त्रयीव महतामपि गानैर्गीयते निगमिनां त्रय्यन्ते ।
तां त्रिलोकजनयित्रि तिसृणां संविदामसि पदं त्वं वसतिः ॥ १५.२०॥
Translation
O Mother of the three worlds! You are the dwelling place and the supreme status of the three forms of Consciousness, which are sung about by the Vedic seers in the Upanishads.
Verse 15.21: The Three States of Shakti
Sanskrit
वैखरी भवति या मतिधारा मध्यमा स भवति प्राणचला या ।
पश्यतीति भवति या चितिरूपा सैव त्वं परपराऽपि च माता ॥ १५.२१॥
Word-by-word
वैखरी (Vaikhari) भवति (becomes) या (which) मति-धारा (stream of thought/articulate speech); मध्यमा (Madhyama) सा (she) भवति (becomes) प्राण-चला (moving with the Prana); पश्यती (Pashyanti) इति (thus) भवति (becomes) या (who) चिति-रूपा (in the form of pure awareness); सा-एव (she alone) त्वम् (You are); परा-परा-अपि (Para-Para/Supreme-non-supreme) च (and) माता (the Mother).
Translation
You are the Mother who manifests as the four stages of speech/power: the articulate Vaikhari, the subtle Madhyama flowing with the life-breath, the visionary Pashyanti of pure awareness, and the supreme Para beyond all.
Verse 15.22: The Secret Caught
Sanskrit
यो विरौति मुखतः स तवोच्चैर्या करोति च करौ स तव स्यात् ।
अण्डकोशमुदरे तव धृत्वा कः शशाक तव वेदितुं गुह्यम् ॥ १५.२२॥
Translation
He who speaks through the mouth is Your power; the hands that act are Yours too. Holding the entire cosmic egg within Your womb, who could possibly grasp Your ultimate secret?
Verse 15.23: The Cosmic Victory
Sanskrit
सर्वशक्तिमपि सर्वजगन्ता सर्वबीजमपि सर्ववचन्या ।
शंभुशक्तिमपि शंतनुसंस्थां सवित्रि विन्दति त्वां स प्रबुद्धः ॥ १५.२३॥
Translation
O Mother! He who is truly awakened realizes You—the possessor of all powers, the end of all worlds, the seed of all things, the subject of all speech, the power of Shiva, and the very foundation of Peace.
Verse 15.24: The Grand Welcome (Svagatam)
Sanskrit
स्वागतं भवतु ते जगदम्ब द्युतिभास्वदसि विमलमनस्सु ।
साम्प्रतं मम पुरः प्रकटासि प्रार्थयामि ननु देहि करं मे ॥ १५.२४॥
Translation
Welcome, O Mother of the World! You shine with radiant light in pure minds. Now that You are manifest before me, I pray—O Goddess, reach out Your hand to me.
Reference: Umasahasram