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siddhas, literature, and language ⁄ 267
A somewhat different direction is adopted by the Mahamudra-tilaka.
Chapter 13, devoted to coded language, is introduced with the comment: “This
is the secret speech in the language spoken by yoginis when they congregate
together in the Odiyana and the other pithas.” 75 The chapter self-consciously
begins with a list of sixteen of the twenty-two pairs taken from the Hevajra
Tantra, perhaps not surprising for a commentarial scripture, even though it
was not the direction taken by the Jñanatilaka, as seen above. This list of sixteen
is taken as merely a starting point, for it is expanded to a total of ninetyseven
pairs using a procedure similar to that found in the Hevajra Tantra and
the other yogini tantras.
Normally, these cursory explanations—here given a cursory treatment—
would find a greater expression in the commentarial literature, but the exegetical
works are not as illuminating as we might wish. For example, the sandhyabhasa
chapter of the Buddhakapala is not significantly commented on by any of
the three commentators whose exegesis survives. Indeed, the only critic to note
anything about the chapter, Saraha, simply glosses this section with the quip:
“Of course, the section that articulates the idea of coded language is easy to
understand!” He says this despite the assurance in the scripture that the Buddhas
themselves have reputedly failed to achieve this comprehension! 76 Instead,
Saraha invests his exegetical capital in explaining the identity of the obvious
lexical items. Conversely, Padmavajra’s commentary is incomplete; only
the first two chapters of the tantra are covered, even with protestations by the
translators of its being complete. Finally, Abhayakaragupta does not comment
on the coded expressions at all but, instead, concentrates on the alchemical
section in the first part of that chapter.
While the Samputa commentaries of Viravajra and Abhayakaragupta are
more direct, they are not necessarily more enlightening. Abhayakaragupta
threatens that, if those who know the secret language were to employ this
communication in front of those not initiated into its use, then the transgressors
would be afflicted by contagion or misfortune for their revelation of secrets.
77 Beyond this, Abhayakaragupta seems again primarily concerned with
issues of alchemy and the relationship of coded language to twenty-five rites
concerning longevity and the use of drugs. 78 Viravajra’s Samputa commentary
provides a useful catalogue of texts in which the issue of coded language is discussed,
but is also more concerned with alchemy and other ritual use of materials
than with linguistics. 79 Likewise, the surviving commentary on the
Jñanatilaka by Jñanaparama—said to be based on instructions from one of the
Indrabhutis—provides little useful direction. Jñanaparama simply affirms that
this coded expression is to be used in various ritual environments, whether