Vijñāna Bhairava / The question (प्रश्न) / 3
3
Vijñāna Bhairava (विज्ञान भैरव)
किं वा नवात्मभेदेन भैरवे भैरवाकृतौ ।
त्रिशिरोभेदभिन्नं वा किं वा शक्तित्रयात्मकम् kiṃ vā navātmabhedena bhairave bhairavākṛtau |
triśirobhedabhinnaṃ vā kiṃ vā śaktitrayātmakam
The line
Or is it by the ninefold division, in Bhairava (भैरव), in the form of Bhairava (भैरव)? Or divided as the three-headed one? Or is its nature the three śaktis (शक्ति)?
नेपालीमा
कि त्यो नौ आत्माको भेदले हो, भैरवमा, भैरवको रूपमा? कि त्रिशिराको भेदले छुट्टिएको हो? कि तीन शक्तिको स्वभाव हो?
Where it sits
She is listing the forms a tantra (तन्त्र) might offer as Bhairava (भैरव). He will answer the list at 11.
Split: kim (किम्) + vā (वा) + navātmabhedena (नवात्मभेदेन) + bhairave (भैरवे) + bhairavākṛtau (भैरवाकृतौ) + triśirobhedabhinnam (त्रिशिरोभेदभिन्नम्) + vā (वा) + kim (किम्) + vā (वा) + śaktitrayātmakam (शक्तित्रयात्मकम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| kim (किम्) | nominative singular, neuter | what? |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or. |
| navātmabhedena (नवात्मभेदेन) | instrumental singular, masculine | by the division into nine selves. nava (नव) is nine. ātman (आत्मन्) is the self. bheda (भेद) is a division. |
| bhairave (भैरवे) | locative singular, masculine | in Bhairava (भैरव). |
| bhairavākṛtau (भैरवाकृतौ) | locative singular, feminine | in the form of Bhairava (भैरव). ākṛti (आकृति) is a form. |
| triśirobhedabhinnam (त्रिशिरोभेदभिन्नम्) | nominative singular, neuter | divided by the divisions of the three-headed one. triśiras (त्रिशिर) is three-headed. bhinna (भिन्न) is divided. |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or. |
| kim (किम्) | nominative singular, neuter | what? |
| vā (वा) | indeclinable | or. |
| śaktitrayātmakam (शक्तित्रयात्मकम्) | nominative singular, neuter | whose nature is the three śaktis (शक्ति). traya (त्रय) is a triad. ātmaka (आत्मक) means having that nature. |
The phrases
kim (किम्) from 2 is still the question. Each vā (वा) adds another candidate. The two locatives, bhairave (भैरवे) and bhairavākṛtau (भैरवाकृतौ), name the place she is asking about.
Sanskrit in this line
Read each compound from the end. navātma (नवात्म) plus bhedena (भेदेन): the division, and that division is of the nine selves.
Say it back
List the three candidates she adds in this verse.