Kamakalavilasa 135

135

And in the third section named *śakti*, there are four vowels and six consonants, making ten letters in total. All of them together form thirty-six syllables, both as parts and as an aggregate. The esoteric mantra transcends all ontological principles, and it is traditionally renowned and heard everywhere. The *kādi-vidyā* also certainly possesses the dual nature [of parts and whole, immanence and transcendence], by which there is indeed no difference between these two esoteric mantras: in the *hādi*, in the first section, five vowels and seven consonants are brought together; in both esoteric mantras, the presence of twelve letters in the first section is identical, hence the dual nature certainly belongs to both esoteric mantras. The method of worship of both esoteric mantras, however, must be learned solely from the mouth of the guru. Stating the oneness of the mantra and the deity, since the deity also has the same dual nature as the mantra, he says: "The esoteric mantra too has such a nature." The esoteric mantra, whose essential nature is consciousness-bliss, is of such a nature and transcends that; she is "subtle," impossible to define; she is Tripurasundarī, well known in all the Vedāntas; she is Tripura and Sundarī because she fills all entities abiding in threefold forms, and because she is desirable as the object of worship for all yogins; the etymological explanation of the word *tripurā* has already been expounded earlier. "The goddess" is of the nature of pure luminous consciousness, having the nature of the cosmic acts of creation and so forth, supreme speech. "The noble declare the absolute non-difference of what consists of the esoteric mantra and what is to be known through it": the noble, namely all yogins headed by Parameśvara; such is the meaning. // 19