113bC4l

258 ⁄ siddhas, literature, and language
hayanist usage. Its purpose, to unpack an intentional layer of significance below
the surface of the language structures, was very commonly used. In such
documents as the Pradipodyotana, and in Munidatta’s commentary to the
Caryagitiko$a, the terms sandhya-bhasa/sandhya-bhasita have stood as categories
of exegesis, along with many others. 57 The purpose of this process is to
take specific words and provide them with an alternative meaning, sometimes
well founded and sometimes an exercise in interpretive ballet. One example is
what Munidatta does with Virupa’s drinking song, a humorous acknowledgment
that the famous saint preferred to spend time in a bar rather than in religious
environments.
Virupa’s Drinking Song
All alone this barmaid serves two at
her home, preparing the rot-gut
with neither yeast nor shredded
bark.
The booze is brewed naturally strong,
making my body tough—no old age
or death for me!
I saw the sign at the tenth door, so I
came as a customer, to get myself
some.
There’re sixty-four jugs set out up on
the shelf. Once I make it in as a
consumer, I may not leave!
Hey! There’s one bottle with a real
thin neck—
Virupa says: pour me a strong one! 58
Munidatta’s Interpretation
The unique Central Channel brings
together the two subsidiary channels
of the right and left above at the
nose, to produce firmness of selfconsecration.
Below they are also
fused at the genital organ to bind
the relative thought of awakening
and to produce the highest bliss.
The absolute thought of awakening is
made firm through binding the relative
thought of awakening with the
noose of the coemergent bliss.
The yogi, like a heavenly being, enters
the door of Vairocana at the tenth
level, having seen its sign. He is satisfied
with the drink from the lotus
of great bliss.
The Central Channel unites the relative
and absolute truths and is subtle
in form, having destroyed duality’s
appearance.
Virupa calls on the Central Channel
to remain motionless. 59