THE SADANGA YOGA

of existence (tribhava)66 appears, is called void. "Indeed" is an adverb
expressing certainty. "Then", viz., after this moment, "the seizing of the
lunar bindu" occurs. Here, the word "seizing" means the grasping in the
mother's womb of the basic consciousness (alayavijfiana) [and] the
seminal bindus. Therefore "subsequently", after the grasping of. the
semina, and so on, the so-called "arising of the image", which is the
completion of the foetus (the completion of the body), occurs after seven
months. "Later, due to the six most excellent families", viz., due to the six
aggregates, "the imposition of the 'unchangings '" occurs. [In other words,
the senses] beginning with the eyes are active in their respective fields
beginning with that of colour. In the same way, the beginner can practise
discursive meditation on the realization of the deities. "This is the common
practice (siiruanyasevif) that occurs by means of the four vajras", [the
vajrasl derived from the vajras of the body, the word, the mind and
knowledge.
"The intermediate realization" is the rising of the vital breath. "Here the
means is fourfold. In the practice, in the near-realization, in the realization
limb, and so also (tathaiva) [in the great realization], the [means] is weak
and strong" up to the limit of sixteen years. This is the rule 67 .
66 Or "the vision of the three worlds", according to the reading tribhuvana.
67 GBh: "Now, the practice, and so on (sevadika), are expounded according to the
division into weak, and so forth [ ... J. 'The abandonment of the aggregates' is the
abandonment of the present body and 'the assumption of the aggregates forming part of
birth' is the assumption of a future existence. In the middle of these [two phases], 'the
intermediate state', i.e., the intermediate existence (an tarabha va), occurs. 'The vision of
the three forms of existence' is the direct vision of the three states of existence
(bhavatraya). The seizing of 'the basic consciousness', viz., of the basis of all the vasanas,
is the entrance of the mind (citta) into the middle of the bindus of blood and semen. [In
other words,] 'the word seizing means the grasping in the mother's womb of the seminal
bindus'. 'After seven months' is an approximation; actually the months are nine.
Following the example of the embryo [a similar process] occurs in 'the realization of the
deities'. Therefore, with the words 'later, [due to the six most excellent families]', and so
on, an allusion is made to the three limbs beginning with the near-realization. 'The six
aggregates' are riipa, vedana, smpjiia, sarpskara, vijiiana and jiiana. 'This is the common
practice', that is, the practice conceming the worldly perfections [which takes place
through the four vajras]. In the same manner [viz., through the four vajras, it takes place
for] the near-realization, the realization and the great realization [ ... ]. 'The intermediate
realization' [means here not the third stage, realization, but the second,] the nearrealization,
since [the word] 'realization' is [here] qualified by the word 'intermediate'.
Therefore the commentary defines it 'the rising of the vital breath'. 'Here', viz., in the
practice and the near-realization that have just been explained, 'the means is fourfold', that
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