Cidvilāsastava: Verse Thirty-four

image credit: Cidānandanāthar “Sir” of Guhānandamaṇḍali

In the thirty-fourth verse of his Cidvilāsastava (‘Hymn to the Play of Consciousness’), Amṛtānanda teaches about the inner meaning of dīkṣā (initiation) as follows:

दीयते परशिवैक्यभावना क्षीयते सकलपापसंचयः ।
येन चिज्जलधिपारसेतुना दीक्षणं गुरुकटाक्षवीक्षणम् ॥ ३४ ॥

dīyate paraśivaikyabhāvanā kṣīyate sakalapāpasaṃcayaḥ |
yena cijjaladhipārasetunā dīkṣaṇaṃ gurukaṭākṣavīkṣaṇam || 34 ||

“The rite of initiation, [which is ultimately nothing but the] sudden glance of the Guru, is a bridge over the ocean of Consciousness that bestows (dīyate) meditation on one’s unity with Supreme Śiva and dissolves (kṣīyate) the entire mass of negativities.” (translation by Ben Williams)

Read more of the Cidvilāsastava