The determination of the Agamas

Chapter 39.

    1ff. Thus begins the Thirty-ninth chapter. The Lotus-born Said: 1. I would like to know (from you) the authority of the Agamas, alongwith titles (sa-samjnan), and their eternal association with the gods etc., O Supreme Lord. The Venerable Lord Said: 2-4. A brief and threefold: small, medium and large, and which is composed in the Anustubh metre, canon ranging upto one handred verser is naured as Pada (No.1.). The double of it (i.e. two hundred verses) is called Mula (no.3) and that which has one hundred and half number of verses is called uddhara (No.2.). These three types are the divisions of smallest type. However if the number of verses is less or more (i.e. between hundred to two hundred with the middle point of one hundred and fifty i.e. 110,120... 160,170...etc. for all those types no reparate termis used (na samjna calate punah). 5. Whichever canon is of two hundred and half i.e. two hundred and fifty verses, is known as uttara. (no.4.), and whatever is its double in number (of verser) is called Brhad-uttara (no.5=250X2=500 verses). 6. That which is one of thousand and half (i.e. fifteen hundred verses) is stated to be kalpa. Again of this triad, the less or more size is reconned by hundred (read sataih for sanaih). 39.7ff. 7. Like this, there are other Agamas, bearing differrent names in multiple number (anekasah). Those are all to be understood as being kalpa-components, in that way O Lotus-born! 8. The Sottara type ranges between three and half thousand verses to six thousand verses. Ang that Agama text is called as Samihita which ranges upto twelve (twice-six) thousand verses. [Pauskara Samhita fits in this catagory]. Those which are falling in the intervening range (antaralam vai) which are differring in number more than one hundred, for all those (texts) the litle Samhita is to be understood O Lotus-born! 10-11A. The bigger canons, above that number, reaching upto one fourth lack (i.e. twenty five thousand) those are counted with the differenciation of thousands and hundreds. All those are to be known as the components of kalpa (kalpa-skandhah for... skandhat), in the respective order. 11B-12. That Agama is called Tantra which is more than one lakhs increasing with several thousands and hundreds and ending in three and half crore of verses. Thus there are nine types of three patterns which is so dercribed. 39.13ff. 13-14. Therein again those texts which have intervening verse-numbers, which is again innumerable, which is in consonance with epoch-norms (yuganusarabodhena) and having the fold of the three qualities (Satra, Rajas and Tamas) and on account of the subverieties: Divya etc. and by plenty of associtation (Sambandhena ca bhurina) which has the entitlement which is incomprehensible. There above is the blending (of differrent catagories: Samagama) 15. That which is emerging out of the Supreme Lord, with uncountable number, that is set in the hearts of the Siddhas who have grasped the knowable import. 16-17. By them (yaih=taih) it is revealed in crorenumbers by the norm of their own conception (sva-bodha-pramanena). Whose divisions ending in Pada (=beginning have been serially afore-explained wherever, voluntarily or due to difference in dogma, the distinction has arisen, various practical codes: pure i.e. Sattvika, Rajasa and Tamas, in multiple numbers have emerged. 18. The first of all Agamas i.e. the Agama emenating from the Supreme Lord (Paramesvaram Agamam: If is not the paramesvara Samhita which is regarded as the commentary text. of Pauskara Samhita), is the Sattva (Samhita) which is purified by authority and also benevolent O Lotus-born! 39.19ff. 19. For the sake of liberation of the souls entangled in mundane life, who have grasped the truth of the Lord in true perspective, it has come in tradition after it is received by them (Siddhas) in canonical text. The Lotus-born Said: 20. The great, incomprehensible canon which pertains to the Supreme Lord which is received by one from the Omnipresent Lord which is received by one from the omnipresent Lord who is the controller of all, is infinite like the sky. The Venerable Lord Said: 21-22. The Agama which is called incomprehensible of Vasudeva who is denotable there of, who is the Lord of all, who is Omnipresent, who is immutable and and unsverved, know that to be characterised as inseparable, just as is sound (inseparable) from the sky (khasya), O twice-born! It is termed as embodiment of knowledge, which is taken to oneself by one's own wish, O twice-born! 23-24. Of Him, who has all His wishes fulfilled, and who has control over Himself, is the great intrincic nature (mahat svabhavam) comprising attributes and prowess, and which is marked by superintendence, which is holding His own self by itself, and which is Supre-sensual and imperishable. He is the Lord incarnation of syllabic form who enter it coming of His own. 39.25ff. 25-28. He is the Omnipresent Sankarsana, whose body is rested in the personification of knowledge which is itself Virya(one of the six attributes) and which is infinite and which is stupified (Murchitam) by the personification of knowledge and whose attribute is made of Sakti and is called light (prakasakhya). Then the embodiment which is called Pradyumna, which is eternal and marked by superintendence and which is undisturbable. By Him, entering into Mahat principle, (Mahata bhutena) the canon (Sastra) which is effulgent with lightening lustre, has been breathed out. Then Aniruddha who hold the imperishable body, which is great and made of Tejas (one of the six attributes), which expanding, O wise one! through the embodiment of Virility (Virya=one of the six divine attributes, who is Himself the incarnation of Virya and who enters that body which is created by Himself. 29-30. The Lord created the Lord of speech, who is the god embodying the qualitative manifestation or attributive (=Jnana, Bala, Aisvarya, Virya, Sakti and Tejas) manifestation after taking that sastra which is endowed with attributive prowess and attributes and which is undefeated and immutable, and which is emitted by Pradyumna the magnanimous soul, like oral expression, held at heart by the Aniruddha embodiment. 39.31ff. 31. Aniruddha, who is immutable self created that Agama having the pair of meanings: non-quoted (unborrowed) and unambiguous. Therefrom, it reached the imperishability. 32. From whatever apportionment of the Lord, it is comprehended, that form is indeed immutalised by the knowledge incarnation into the prime self-embodiment. 33-34A. Then it is carried into homogeneity, into each canon that is published. From the Lord of the speech it is taken to Siddhas and then after quoting it from that which is told by them, it is properly brough up in condensed form as nector (navanita=amrta?) from the ocean. 34B-35. And then it is revealed to Brahman, who is omnipresent and the presiding deity of the lores. And then it was revealed to the gods: Rudra, Sun and Indra and then by Rudra and others it was revealed to those who were generated from their own apportionments and by those partial in carnations to the needy ones, also. 36. By Brahma, it was revealed to His sons: Narada etc. and through them to the seers who are inmates of the three worlds and who are of devoted selves, according their own import, as per the demands of varied times or as per the requirements of various places or as per the context of various communities. 39.38. 38. Thus this association of the sastras, as it stands has been narrated to you, alongwith secrets, O great talent and it is to to understood as it means in due perspective. Thus ends the thirtyninth chapter named as the determination of the Agamas, in Pauskara Samhita, of the great secret lore Sri Pancaratra. (Total number of verses: 38.)