Samastagurumaṇḍalavilīna Mahādakṣiṇāmūrtayē namaḥ ||
The nine āvaraṇas of the śrīcakra represent the nine mental states of an aspirant:
1. Trailōkyamōhana Chakra – Jāgrat sthiti
2. Sarvāśāparipūraka Chakra – Svapna sthiti
3. Sarvasaṅkṣōbhaṇa Chakra – Suṣupti sthiti
4. Sarvasaubhāgyadāyaka Chakra – īśvara vicāra
5. Sarvārthasādhaka Chakra – Gurūpasadana
6. Sarvarakṣākara Chakra – Upadēśa
7. Sarvarōgahara Chakra – Manana
8. Sarvasiddhiprada Chakra – Nidhidhyāsana
9. Sarvānandamaya Chakra – Savikalpa Samādhi
A glance at the above list indicates that each of the nine āvaraṇas is a step of unveilment towards the final state of total equilibrium and oneness – Samādhi. Every āvaraṇa is a preparatory stage for the next āvaraṇa or the mental state/attitude. Of these nine āvaraṇas, the crucial one is the fifth – Sarvārthasādhaka Chakra, which represents the mental state of Gurūpasadana. Every spiritual path, especially śrīvidyā, requires the guidance of an enlightened Guru, without who, the spiritual journey is unguided into dark, unknown territory. A person becomes a spiritual aspirant when he possesses the sādhana catuṣṭaya:
1. Vivēka – Discernment
2. Vairāgya – Dispassion
3. śamādi ṣat-sampatti – The treasure of six qualities: śama – control or mastery over the mind; Dama – control of the sensory organs or indriyas; Uparati – strict observance of one’s Dharma; Titikṣā – endurance of heat, cold, pleasure, pain, etc.; śraddhā – faith in the words of the Guru and śāstra; Samādhāna – contentedness and single-pointedness of the mind.
4. Mumukṣutva – Intense desire for Liberation
A person who possesses these is ready for Spiritual Instruction by the Guru. These virtues are naturally obtained by strict adherence to the sāmānya and viśēṣa Dharmas pertaining to one’s Varṇa and āśrama, detailed in the śruti and the smr̥ti. In śrīvidyā Upāsanā, which accelerates the natural process of evolution manifold times, the sādhana chatuṣṭaya becomes the possession of the Sādhaka by the worship of the first four āvaraṇas, thus preparing him for the fifth and the most crucial phase of Gurūpasadana.
The word Gurūpasadana means: Guru+upa+sadana i.e. ‘approaching or going near the Guru’. The purpose of this action is the obtainment of ātmavidyā or Mahātripurasundarī.
A spiritual aspirant, who is baked by tāpatraya (three kinds of heat), approaches a spiritual master to relieve himself of these afflictions. What are these three tāpas or torments?
1. ādhyātmika – the afflictions related to the gross and subtle bodies (sthūla and sūkṣma śarīra) like hunger and thirst (related to prāṇa), desire, anger, jealousy, etc. (related to the mind) and dilemma, doubt, confusion, etc. (related to the intellect).
2. ādhibhautika – these are afflictions that arise from sources apart from oneself and are available to one’s perception. Examples are attacks from wild animals or pests, terrorist strikes, wars, attacks from enemies, etc.
3. ādhidaivika – these are caused by supernatural forces, over which one does not have any control. Examples are thunders, earthquakes, snowstorms, landslides, epidemics, etc.
To escape from the pangs of tāpatraya, the aspirant (i.e. the one who possesses the sādhana catuṣṭaya) approaches the Guru. Now can everyone be called a Guru? No! The qualifications of a true Guru are detailed in Mundaka Upaniśad:
tadvijṅānārthaṁ sa gurumēvābhigacchēt | śrōtriyaṁ brahmaniṣṭham ||
A Guru is one who is a śrōtriya and a Brahmaniṣṭha. śrutivāniti śrōtriyaḥ – one who has listened and understood the scriptures (śruti, smr̥ti, āgama, purāṇa, itihāsa, darśana, vēdānta, etc.). By saying ‘listened’, and not merely ‘studied’, what is indicated by the sages is that the knowledge in the Guru comes from a lineage of Gurus and hence indicates Satsampradāya. Even a self-realized master will not have the technique of precise expression to convey his profound experience to the disciples if he is not a śrōtriya. A Brahmaniṣṭha is one who is firmly established in the Brahman i.e. one who has experienced the oneness of the jīva and Paramātmā directly. As mere bookish knowledge cannot be sufficient to teach a spiritual aspirant, an individual who is both a śrōtriya and a Brahmaniṣṭha alone can function as a Guru.
In śrīvidyā Tantra, the most vital part of the upāsanā is guru because it is śaktipāta which destroys the tāpatrayas and prepares the sādhaka for the journey towards Sahasrāra. By the worship of the fifth āvaraṇa, the sādhaka reaches the Guru and receives Upadēśa or spiritual instruction (represented by the next āvaraṇa). Thus, the cure for the tāpatrayas is the upadēśa of ātmavidyā or Mahātripurasundarī by the Guru. Smt. Prakāśāmbā, the foremost disciple of Brahmaśrī Chidānandanātha of Guhananda Mandali was blessed with the title Lōpāmudrā and a golden śrīcakra by Srī Abhinava Vidyā Tīrtha of Dakṣiṇāmnāya Sringeri Shāradā Pīṭha. H H explained in detail to her, the significance of the fifth āvaraṇa of śrīcakra as representing Gurūpasadana and the practical way to enhance the worship of this crucial āvaraṇa. If anyone remembers the Navāvaraṇa performed by him, the enhanced worship of the fifth āvaraṇa becomes evident.
The fifth Avarana also represents the following five:
1. Jivēśvara bhēda – the imagined distinction between the Jīva and īśvara.
2. Paraspara Jīva bhēda – imagined distinction between various jīvas – like men, women, cows, birds, insects etc.
3. Jīva Jaḍa bhēda – imagined distinction between a Jīva and an inert object like a rock, etc.
4. īśvara Jaḍa bhēda – imagined distinction between the īśvara and an inert object like a rock, etc.
5. Paraspara Jaḍa bhēda – imagined distinction between various inert objects like rocks, pebbles, mountains, rivers, etc.
As these bhēdas or limiting distinctions are caused by ignorance, Guru destroys these by the Upadēśa of the knowledge of the Self or Mahātripurasundarī. Also, this is the core āvaraṇa for followers of Samaya-mate, wherein śrīdēvī appears as a brilliant flash of light in the Maṇipūraka Chakra. It should be noted that the correspondence of the fifth Chakra is with the Maṇipūraka in the microcosm. Thus, worshipping this āvaraṇa grants one the guidance of the Guru by which the doctrine of Samaya-mate begins to unfold in all its glory before the aspirant and he realizes and experiences the five-fold unity between Shiva and Shakti:
1. Adhiṣṭhānasāmya – both reside in the ādhāra Chakra or in the śrīcakra as Bindu and Trikōṇa.
2. Anuṣṭhānasāmya – Both are involved in the same occupation of Creation.
3. Avasthānasāmya – since both are Cosmic Dancers (enacting lāsya and tāṇḍava), their identity of state or condition is established.
4. Rūpasāmya – their identity in form is well established by āgamas like chāndōgya, śaunaka, etc.
5. Nāmasāmya – Identity of the name is clearly seen in pairs like śiva and śivā, samaya & samayā, etc.
The ignorance or duality is dispelled by the Guru who imparts the experience of the five-fold identity prevalent in the cosmos.
1. Identity between the six Chakras in the body and the six Chakras of the śrīcakra.
2. Identity between Shasrāra and the caturaśra containing the Bindu.
3. Identity between Shiva and Dēvī.
4. Identity between śrīcakra and śrīvidyā Mantra.
5. Identity between śrīvidyā – śrīcakra – śrīdēvī – śrīguru and the Jīva.
By a firm understanding of the Sāmya pañcaka and anusandhāna (contemplation) on the five-fold identity, the secrets of which are revealed by the Guru, one transcends jīvatva. The Guru imparts the five-fold knowledge of Mudrā – Mantra – Chakra – Dēvatā and Saparyā to the devotee, enabling him to undertake the journey towards Bindu. Speaking from the upāsanā point of view, it may be noted that in the ṣōdaśāvaraṇa Krama detailed in Krama Tantras, the Gurumaṇḍala pūjā is offered right after the fifth āvaraṇa, signifying the Gurūpasana aspect of this āvaraṇa.
Worshipping the śrīcakra with an intricate understanding of the Tattva and significance of each of its āvaraṇas alone grants one Siddhi. Parāmbā Herself represents not only the Guru (gurumūrtiḥ) and the entire Gurumaṇḍala (gurumaṇḍalarūpiṇī), but also the great Guru in who the entire Gurumaṇḍala involutes – Samasta Gurumaṇḍala-vilīna Mahādakṣiṇāmūrti (dakṣiṇāmūrtirūpiṇī), invoked through the hundred lettered mantra (śatākśarī). By worshipping Mahātripurasundarī in the form of Kulōttīrṇa Yōginī in the Sarvārthasādhaka Chakra, one obtains the anugraha of Mahātripurasundarī who appeared as the great Guru Srī Charyānandanātha and Srī Parābhaṭṭārikā to impart the Royal science of śrīvidyā in this cycle of creation. Absolute surrender to the feet of Guru and Parāmbā is the sure most way to escape from tāpatraya.
On the auspicious occasion of Navarātrōtsava, this significance and Tattva of Guru and Gurūpasadana should be contemplated deeply. The Guru who was guiding the previous śrīvidyā cycle according to Dēvimāna gaṇanā was Srī Krōdhabhaṭṭāraka Durvāsā. The current mentor for all śrīvidyā upāsakas is Bhagavatī Lōpāmudrā, the infinitely compassionate mother, accompanied by Srī Agastya. She will continue to guide all sincere upāsakas till the advent of Bhairava Maṇḍala, wherein Lord Bhairava takes charge from Lōpāmudrāmbā. It is thus our duty to remember and show our respect to Bhagavatī Lōpāmudrāmbā and also the three great Gurus: Dakṣiṇāmūrti, Hayagrīva, and Paramānanda Bhairava.