In this excerpt, from the Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali, Swamiji takes us to the heart of Utpaladeva, as the author gives Lord Shiva the choice to bless him now or have it done automatically because “I will be blessed because I am craving for that (blessing)!” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
Chapter 4 (13:07)
शिव शिव शम्भो शङ्कर
शरणागतवत्सलाशु कुरु करुणाम्।
तव चरणकमलयुगल-
स्मरणपरस्य हि सम्पदोऽदूरे ॥४॥
śiva śiva śambho śaṅkara
śaraṇāgatavatsalāśu kuru karuṇām /
tava c...
In his revelation of the Vijnana Bhairava: The Manual for Self Realization verse 6 Swami Lakshmanjoo explains the difference between introverted and extroverted paths in Kashmir Shaivism, as well as the significance of sakala [differentiated] and niṣkala [undifferentiated], and aham and ma-ha-a.30
न हि वर्णविभेदेन
देहभेदेन वा भवेत् ।
परत्वं, निष्कलत्वेन,
सकलत्वे न भावयेत् ॥६॥
na hi varṇavibhedena
dehabhedena vā bhavet /
paratvaṁ, niṣkalatvena,
sakalatve na bhāvayet // 6 // 27
This is a misunde...
Excerpt from the Bhagavad Gita in the Light of Kashmir Shaivism revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo, which we studied during our Weekly Sangha #76. In Chapter 12 verse 9, Krishna tells Arjuna, “If you cannot do that (devote everything to Me) if you have not that kind of strength… (to focus all of your might and all of your desires and all of your thoughts and ambitions and desires and cravings and longings towards Me, [asking], “how should I achieve that”.)”
DVD 12 (18:23)
अथावेशयितुं चित्तं न ...
This week’s excerpt is from Abhinavagupta’s Paramarthasara (The Essence of the Highest Reality).
Swami Lakshmanjoo chose to reveal the Paramarthasara because, as Abhinavagupta tells us, the Paramarthasara contains the complete essence of the teachings of Kashmir Shaivism. In this direct and clear-cut explanation, Swamiji reveals and clarifies the essential teachings of this profound philosophical and practical tradition.
View or download the video on YouTube.
SWAMIJI: Let us start his śl...
Dhāraṇā 109
न मे बन्धो न मे मोक्षो
जीवस्यैता विभीषिकाः ।
प्रतिबिम्बमिदं बुद्धे-
र्जलेष्विव विवस्वतः ॥१३५॥
na me bandho na me mokṣo
jīvasyaitā vibhīṣikāḥ /365
pratibimbamidaṁ buddher-
jaleṣviva vivasvataḥ // 135 //
“Na me bandho, I have no bondage.” “Na me mokṣo, I am not liberated.” “I am neither bound nor liberated.” This liberation and bondage is just attributed to the jīva, the individual soul, and to him, these two perceptions (being in bondage and being libera...
This is an excerpt from devotional Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali, Chapter 13 verse 5, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains what Utpaladeva (the author of the Shivastotravali) means when he says, “worshipping Your feet”.
Chapter 13 (10:07)
देवदेव भवदद्वयामृता-
ख्यातिसंहरण लब्धजन्मना ।
तद्यथास्थितपदार्थसंविदा
मां कुरुष्व चरणार्चनोचितम् ॥५॥
devadeva bhavadadvayāmṛtā-
khyātisaṁharaṇa labdhajanmanā /
tadyathāsthitapadārthasaṁvidā
māṁ kuruṣva caraṇārcanocitam ...
. . . if his consciousness is established in the central vein in that force, which is the energy of life (prāṇan), then he remains always the same.
In this excerpt from the Shiva Sutras: The Supreme Awakening, Third Awakening, verse 44 (Shiva sutras 3.44), Swami Lakshmanjoo explains that when consciousness is established in the center of that internal consciousness (āntarī saṁvit), and in the center of that central breath (madhyaṁ prāṇa), the yogi remains always the same.
See footnote...
This is an excerpt of the unpublished Bhagavad Gita, by Swami Lakshmanjoo, an audio recording by John Hughes in November 1978 in Kashmir…
dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre sarvakṣatrasamāgame /
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāścaiva kimakurvata sañjaya //1//
O Sañjaya! In dharmakṣetra, in the field of purity and which was the field of kurukṣetra, in that kurukṣetra, sarvakṣatra-samāgame, where there was the union of all kṣatriyas, kṣatras not Kṣetras.
DEVOTEE: Warriors, kṣatriyas?
SWAMIJI...
Swami Lakshmanjoo explains how one should act in this world so that impressions do not remain in one’s mind – Kashmir Shaivism
This is an excerpt from Chapter 3, Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism, by Swami Lakshmanjoo. Also, check out our free weekly sangha recordings of studying Abhinavagupta’s Bhagavad Gita.
Now, who is the best one? The best yogi is that person . . .
DVD 3.1 (18:09)
यस्त्विन्द्रियाणि मनसा नियम्यारभतेऽर्जुन ।
कर्मेन्द्रियैः कर्मयोगमसक्तः स
...
In this excerpt from the Shiva Sutras: The Supreme Awakening (Third Awakening), verse 8, Swamiji explains that "there are only two aspects found in this universe: one energy, and the next, energy holder."
It is also said in Sarvamaṅgalā śāstra.
śaktiśca śaktimāṁścaiva padārthadvayamucyate /
śaktayo'sya jagatkṛtsnaṁ śaktimāṁstu maheśvaraḥ //
(Sarvamaṅgalā Śāstra)
There are two aspects only found in this universe: one energy, and the next, energy ho...
In this excerpt from the Bhagavad Gita, In the Light of Kashmir Shaivism Swami Lakshmanjoo makes clear that “Everybody can achieve Him with bhakti, devotion, love.” And he goes on to explain what love really is…
"Love is the answer and the key!" ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
DVD 8 (1:03:00)
परस्तस्मात्तु भावोऽन्यो व्यक्ताव्यक्तः सनातनः ।
यः स सर्वेषु भूतेषु नश्यत्सु न विनश्यति ॥२०॥
अव्यक्तोऽक्षर इत्युक्तस्तमाहुः परमां गतिम् ।
यं प्राप्य न निवर्तन्ते तद्धाम परमं मम ॥२१॥
पुरुषः स परः पार्थ
...
In this excerpt from the Shiva Sutras – The Supreme Awakening, third awakening, Verse 4) Swami Lakshmanjoo explains how “You must do this kind of practice for subsiding the power of ignorance, the power of illusion.”
ataśca etatpraśamāya
So etat praśamāya, for subsiding this limitation of life, limitation of being . . .
śarīre saṁhāraḥ kalānām // 4 //
You must make all the circles (kalās) in your body enter one into the other from gross to subtle.
. . . you have to do t...
