image credit: Journeys across Karnataka

In the seventh verse of his Cidvilāsastava (‘Hymn to the Play of Consciousness’), Amṛtānanda teaches about the nondual meaning of ātmarakṣā (protection of the self) and digbandha (ritual binding of the directions), two critical elements in ritual worship as follows:

भेदलक्षणविपक्षसङ्कटात्तारणं परमिहात्मरक्षणम् ।
संविदात्मकतया विमर्शनं बन्धनं भवति सर्वतो दिशाम् ॥ ७ ॥

bhedalakṣaṇavipakṣasaṅkaṭāt tāraṇaṃ param ihātmarakṣaṇam |
saṃvidātmakatayā vimarśanaṃ bandhanaṃ bhavati sarvato diśām || 7 ||

“The highest rite of self-protection here is liberating yourself from the dire straights of dualistic views. Ritually binding all directions is contemplating them as permeated by consciousness.” (translation by Ben Williams)

Read more of the Cidvilāsastava