Muni's PlayCaturmudra (The Four Mudras)
Sanskrit
एवं वज्रसत्त्वं प्रणम्यादौ विशुद्धज्ञानतन्मयम् । मुद्रान्वयः समासेन क्रियते आत्मबुद्धये ॥ (evaṃ vajrasattvaṃ praṇamyādau viśuddhajñānatanmayam | mudrānvayaḥ samāsena kriyate ātmabuddhaye ||)
Translation
Thus, having first bowed to Vajrasattva, who is of the nature of pure wisdom, I shall briefly set forth the succession of Mudras for my own understanding.
Introduction
Sanskrit
इह हि मुद्रान्वयविभ्रन्त्या मूढमानसो भ्रमन्ति भवार्णवे दुःखिताः । तेषां सुखेन चतुर्मुद्रार्थप्रतिपत्तये तन्त्रानुसारण महासुखसाधनं प्रसाध्यते ॥ (iha hi mudrānvayavibhrantyā mūḍhamānaso bhramanti bhavārṇave duḥkhitāḥ | teṣāṃ sukhena caturmudrārthapratipattaye tantrānusāreṇa mahāsukhasādhanaṃ prasādhyate ||)
Translation
In this world, those with confused minds wander suffering in the ocean of existence due to errors regarding the succession of Mudras. For their ease in understanding the meaning of the Four Mudras, the means of accomplishing Great Bliss (Mahasukha) is established according to the Tantras.
1. Karmamudrā (Action Mudrā)
Sanskrit
चतुर्मुद्रेति — कर्ममुद्रा धर्ममुद्रा महामुद्रा समयमुद्रा । तत्र कर्ममुद्रायाः स्वरूपं निरूप्यते । कर्म या कायवाक्चित्तचिन्ता तत्प्रधाना मुद्रा कल्पानस्वरूपा ॥ (caturmudreti — karmamudrā dharmamudrā mahāmudrā samayamudrā | tatra karmamudrāyāḥ svarūpaṃ nirūpyate | karma yā kāyavākcittacintā tatpradhānā mudrā kalpanasvarūpā ||)
Translation
The Four Mudras are: Karmamudrā, Dharmamudrā, Mahāmudrā, and Samayamudrā. Among them, the nature of Karmamudrā is described: Karma is the activity of body, speech, and mind; the Mudrā characterized by that activity is of the nature of conceptualization (kalpanā).
Sanskrit
तस्यां कर्ममुद्रायाम् आनन्दा जायन्ते क्षणभेदेन भेदिताः — क्षणज्ञानात् सुखज्ञानं एवंकारे प्रतिष्ठितम् । आनन्दाश्चत्वारः — आनन्दः परमानन्दः सहजानन्दः विरमानन्दः ॥ (tasyāṃ karmamudrāyām āndandā jāyante kṣaṇabhedena bheditāḥ — kṣaṇajñānāt sukhajñānaṃ evaṃkāre pratiṣṭhitam | ānandāś catvāraḥ — ānandaḥ paramānandaḥ sahajānandaḥ viramānandaḥ ||)
Translation
In that Karmamudra, blisses (anandas) arise, distinguished by the difference of moments (ksanas). From the knowledge of moments, the knowledge of bliss is established in the syllable ‘Evam’. There are four blisses: Anandah (Bliss), Paramanandah (Supreme Bliss), Sahajanandah (Innate Bliss), and Viramanandah (Bliss of Cessation).
2. Dharmamudrā (Dharma Mudrā)
Sanskrit
धर्ममुद्रा धर्मधातुस्वरूपा निःप्रपञ्चा निर्विकल्पा अचिन्त्या उत्पादरहिता करुणास्वभावा परमानन्दैकसुन्दरोपायभूता । (dharmamudrā dharmadhātusvarūpā niṣprapañcā nirvikalpā acintyā utpādarahitā karuṇāsvabhāvā paramānandaikasundaropāyabhūtā ||)
Translation
Dharmamudrā is of the nature of the Dharmadhatu (sphere of reality). It is free from elaboration (nisprapanca), non-conceptual (nirvikalpa), inconceivable, unborn, of the nature of compassion, and is the beautiful means of supreme bliss.
Sanskrit
ललना प्रज्ञास्वभावेन रसना उपायसंस्थिता । आयात् मध्यदेशे तु ग्राह्यग्राहकवर्जिता ॥ (lalanā prajñāsvabhāvena rasanā upāyasaṃsthitā | āyāt madhyadeśe tu grāhyagrāhakavarjitā ||)
Translation
Lalana is of the nature of wisdom (prajna), and Rasana is established as the means (upaya). When they come into the central region (Avadhuti), they are free from subject and object (grāhya-grāhaka).
3. Mahāmudrā (Great Mudrā)
Sanskrit
महामुद्रा निःस्वभावा ज्ञेयाद्यावरणविवर्जिता शरदामलमध्याह्नगगनसंकाशा सकलसम्पदाधारा भवनिर्वाणैकस्वरूपा ॥ (mahāmudrā niḥsvabhāvā jñeyādyāvaraṇavivarjitā śaradāmalamadhyāhnagaganasaṅkāśā sakalasampadādhārā bhavanirvāṇaikasvarūpā ||)
Translation
Mahāmudrā is without inherent nature (nihsvabhava), free from the veils of knowable objects and so on. It is like the cloudless autumn midday sky, the basis of all accomplishments, and of the single nature of existence (bhava) and liberation (nirvana).
Sanskrit
अविकल्पितसंकल्पा अप्रतिष्ठितमानसा । अस्मृत्या मनसिकारा निरालम्बा नमस्तेऽस्तु ते ॥ (avikalpitasankalpā apratiṣṭhitamānasā | asmṛtyā manasikārā nirālambā namaste’stu te ||)
Translation
O You of non-conceptualized intention, of unestablished mind, of non-recollection and non-attention, without support—obeisances be to You!
4. Samayamudrā (Commitment Mudrā)
Sanskrit
समयमद्रेति सम्भोगनिर्मणकायाकारा स्वभावेन स्वच्छकरेण च सत्त्वार्थाय वज्रधरस्य हेरुककारेण विस्फुरणं यत् सा समयमुद्रेति चोपदिश्यते ॥ (samayamudreti sambhoganirmāṇakāyākārā svabhāvena svacchākāreṇa ca sattvārthāya vajradharasya herukākāreṇa visphuraṇaṃ yat sā samayamudreti copadiśyate ||)
Translation
Samayamudrā is taught as the manifestation of Vajradhara in the form of Heruka, having the form of the Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya, by his own nature and clear form, for the sake of sentient beings.
Conclusion
Sanskrit
न मन्त्रजपो न तपो न होमो न मण्डलेयं न च मण्डलम् च । स मन्त्रजपः स तपः स होमः तन्मण्डलेयं तन्मण्डलम् च ॥ (na mantrajapo na tapo na homo na maṇḍaleyaṃ na ca maṇḍalam ca | sa mantrajapaḥ sa tapaḥ sa homaḥ tanmaṇḍaleyaṃ tanmaṇḍalam ca ||)
Translation
There is no mantra repetition, no austerity, no fire-ritual, no mandala-ritual, nor the mandala itself (in the ultimate sense). Yet, it (the realization of Mudra) IS the mantra repetition, the austerity, the fire-ritual, the mandala-ritual, and the mandala itself.
Source: Advayavajra-saṃgraha - Caturmudrā Reference: Buddhism, Vajrayana