Thread by @Hiranyareta

Given Tripura Rahasya (Jñāna Khaṇḍa) is a text of शाक्त Sampradaya, all the teachings in it comes from the mouth of a female named Hemalekha. It's in the form of dialogue between herself and her husband Hemachuda.

Jñāna Khaṇḍa is about portrayal of ब्रह्म in the form of Goddess Lalita TripuraSundari. But any discussion on ब्रह्म can't be complete without answering questions related to our mundane existnece. Chapter 4 is about the reality of sexual pleasure.

It's not about conquering sexual urges. Sharing it in the spirit of, as Tulsidas said, "जाने ते छीजहिं कछु पापी।" .

Maybe those in their 40s will relate to it. 😊

Hemalekha telling her husband:

वाञ्छाशतसमाविष्टो यदि किञ्चिदुपेत्य तु।
सुखी भवेदिह तदा को हि न स्यात्‌ सुखी वद ॥ २५॥
If it is happiness to have one desire among many fulfilled who will not be thus happy in this world?

अखिलाङ्गे वह्निदग्धे सूक्ष्मपाटीरबिन्दुना।
यदि शीतलदेहः स्यात्‌ तदा सोऽपि सुखी भवेत्‌ ॥ २६॥
If a man, scalded all over, can find happiness by smearing unguents on himself, then everyone must be happy.

प्रियायाः सम्परिष्वङ्गात्‌ सुखं प्राप्नोति वै नरः ।
तत्रेवाङ्गस्य विषमबन्धाद्‌ दुःखं भवेन्ननु । २७ ॥
A man is happy when embraced by his beloved; he is unhappy in the same act under other circumstances.

रत्यावेशात्‌ परिश्रान्तिः सर्वेषां जायते किल ।
अनन्तरं भारवाहपशोरिव परिश्रमः ।॥ २८ ॥
Fatigue is certainly produced for everybody after the flurry (or passion) of copulation, just as there is fatigue for an animal carrying a load.

कथं पश्यसि तत्‌ सौख्यं नाथेतन्मे समुच्यताम्‌ ।
यावत्‌ सुखं प्रियासङ्गे नाडीसङ्घट्टसम्भवम्‌ ॥ २९॥
Lord! How do you see that as happiness? Let this be declared to me. 1+

As much as there is pleasure for you in the union with the beloved arising from the friction in the nadis (nerves, arteries or veins), is it not the same for dogs (having a similar union)? Tell me that.

तदास्ति तावन्न किमु शुनामस्तीह तद्वद ।
यत्‌ ततो ह्यतिरिक्त ते दृष्टसौन्दर्यसम्भवम्‌ ॥ ३० ॥
.....
तत्‌ केवलाभिमानोत्थं स्वाप्नस्स्त्रीसङ्कमे यथा ॥ ३१ ॥
(Next tweet for Translation)

If what is greater than that (above-mentioned pleasure) is the one arising from the beauty (of the beloved)seen (or enjoyed) by you, then, that is produced from mere conceit (or fanciful notion), as it is in the union with a woman in a dream.

Beauty is only a mental concept, as is evident from the similar feeling in similar enjoyments of lovers in dreams.

...
तस्माद्राजकूमारैस्तत्‌ सौन्दर्य मनसोत्थितम् । ६५ ॥
Hemalekha continued: So you see, O Prince,how beauty is only a concept of the mind

यथा त्वं मपि चात्यन्तसौभगेक्षणपूर्वकम्‌ ।
रति विन्दस्यतितरां तथा वा तद्विशेषतः । ६६॥
विन्दन्ति रतिमत्यन्तं योषित्सु विकृतास्वपि ।
अत्र ते प्रत्ययं वक्ष्ये शृणु प्रिय समाहितः ॥ ६७॥
(Next tweet for Translation)

What pleasure you have in your apprehension ofbeauty in me, is sometimes even exceeded by others in theirlove of their dear ones — be they fair or ugly. I will tell youwhat I think of it.

विलोक्यते या हि योषित्‌ सा बहिःसुव्यवस्थिता।
या च तत्प्रतिबिम्बात्मरूपिणी चित्तसंश्रया।॥ ६८ ॥
The fair woman that appears as the object is only the reflection of the subtle concept already in the subjective mind.

सङ्कल्परूपिणी तस्याः सौष्टवं मनसोल्लिखन्‌ ।
पौनःपुन्येन तदनु वाञ्छामुपसमागतः॥ ६९॥
The mind draws an image of her beauty inconformity with its own repeated conceptions.

The repeatedly drawn image becomes clearer and clearer until it appears solidly as the object. An attraction springs up(and enslaves the mind) by constant mental associations.

क्षुब्धेन्द्रियो नरस्तस्यां रतिमाप्नोति सर्वतः। ।
अक्षुब्धे त्विन्द्रिये न स्यात्‌ सुन्दर्यामिपि वै रतिः ॥ ७० ॥
(Next tweet for Translation)

The mind, becoming restless, stirs up the senses and seeks the fulfilment of its desires in the object; a composed mind is not excited even at the sight of the fairest.

तत्र॒ मूलं समुल्लेख: सौष्ठवस्य पुनः पुनः।
अतः क्षोभो नैव दृष्टो बालानां योगिनामपि । ७१॥
The reason for the infatuation is the often repeated mental picture. Neither children nor self-controlled yogis are excited in the same way .

तथा च यो यो यस्थान्तु रति विन्दति मानवः।
सुन्दर्या वापि चान्यस्यां तत्र सौष्ठवमुल्लिखेत्‌ ॥ ७२ ॥
So whoever finds pleasure in anything, the beauty there in is only mental imagery.

दृश्यन्ते योषितोऽत्यन्तबीभत्साकारविग्रहाः ।
तरुणै: सङ्गतास्ताश्च दृश्यन्तेऽपत्यहेतुतः ॥ ७३ ॥
Ugly and loathsome women too are looked upon as delightful angels by their husbands.

विरूपतोल्लेखनं वाप्यनुल्लेखस्तु सौष्ठवे ।
यदि स्यात्तत्‌ कथं नृणां रतिस्तासु हि सम्भवेत्‌ ॥ ७४ ॥
If the mind conceives anything as loathsome and not delightful, there will be no pleasure in such.

कि वक्तव्यमहो नृणां कामिनां क्षिप्तचेतसाम्‌ ।
जघन्याङ्गेऽपि सौन्दर्यं भासते सर्व॑तोऽधिकम्‌ ॥ ७५ ॥
Fie on human beings who appraise the foulest part of the body as the most delightful.

मलमूत्रपरिक्लिन्नं यदङ्ग तत्र॒ सौभगम्‌ ।
पश्येच्चेत् कुत्र नो पश्येत्‌ सौन्दर्यं तन्ममेरय ॥ ७६ ॥
If one should see beauty in that bodily part which is wet with impure excretions, where would he not see beauty? Tell me.

तस्मात्‌ सौन्दर्यमेतद्वै राजपुत्र निशामय।
अभिमानमृते नैष सुखहेतुर्भवेत्‌ क्वचित्‌ ॥ ७७ ॥
Listen Prince! The idea of beauty lies in one’s own desire innate in the mind.

क्षौद्रमाधुर्य वदेहे सौन्दर्य सहजं यदि ।
तद्बालानां कुमाराणां कुतो नो भाति तद्वद ॥ ७८ ॥
If, on the other hand, beauty is natural to the object of love, why is it not recognised by children too, as sweetness in edibles is recognised by them?

देशभेदेषु दृश्यन्ते विविधाकृतयो नराः ।
एकपादैकनयना लम्बकर्णा हयाननाः ॥ ७९ ॥
कर्णप्रावरणाः फालवक्त्रा निर्गतदंष्ट्रका: ।
विनसा दीर्घनासाश्च लोमच्छन्ना विलोमकाः ॥ ८० ॥
पिङ्गकेशाः श्वेतकेशा विकेशाः स्थूलकेशकाः ।
चित्रवर्णा: काकवर्णा: पिङ्गला लोहिताङ्गकाः ॥ ८१ ॥

The form, the stature and complexion of people, differ in different countries and at different times:their ears may be long; their faces distorted; their teeth large;

their nose prominent; bodies hairy or smooth; their hair red, black, or golden, light or thick, smooth or curly;their complexions fair, dark, coppery, yellow or grey.

एवं बहुविधा मर्त्याः सजातिवनितासु ते।
रति विन्दन्ति त्वमिव राजपुत्र निशामय ॥ ८२॥
All of them derive the same kind of pleasure as you, Prince!

सुखसाधनभूतेषु मुख्यं यत्‌ स्त्रीवपुःस्थितम्‌ ।
सर्वप्रियं यत्र॒ सर्वे मुह्यन्ति विबुधा अपि ८३॥
Even the most accomplished among men have fallen into the habit of seeking pleasure from woman, for all consider her the best hunting ground for delight.

पुंसां वपुस्तथा स्त्रीणां प्रियमत्यन्तसुन्दरम्‌ ।
विमर्शय सुबुद्धया त्वं राजपुत्र यथास्थितम्‌ ॥ ८४॥
Similarly also a man’s body is thought by women to be the highest source of enjoyment. But consider thematter well, Prince!

English Translation was by Ramanashrama.

Thanks to online OCR that I didn't have to type Sanskrit text.😄

newocr.com

This link for the Hindi translation of the abv Shlokas.
archive.org/details/157759…