Hymn to Kali, by Arthur Avalon (Sir John George Woodroffe), [1922], at sacred-texts.com
O SPOUSE of Hara, 1 should (a Sādhaka) daily 2 recite Thy mantra for the space of a year meditating the while 3 with knowledge of its meaning 4 upon Thee intent 5 upon Thy union 6 with the great Mahākāla, above whom Thou art, 7 then such a knower 8 has every pleasure that he wills upon the earth, 9 and holds all great powers 10 in the grasp of his lotus-like hands.
COMMENTARY
'Spouse of Hara' (Haravadhū)
Charmer of Mahākāla.
'Mentally recite' (Vicintya japati)
The Kaulāvalī says that mental (Mānasā) Japa is a hundred times more efficacious than verbal (Vācika) Japa.
According to Durgārāma the words may also mean 'recite' keeping in mind the Artha or meaning and so forth of the Mantra. For it is said that he who does not know the Artha of Mantra, the Caitanya of Mantra, and Yoni-mudrā is without success (Siddhi) even if he do Japa of the Mantra a million times.
'Unperturbed mind' (Susthībhūya)
The Kulārṇava-Tantra thus enjoins: 'Beloved when doing Japa of a Mantra one should be calm, pure, sparing in food, reverential, self-controlled, unaffected by the opposites (Dvandva), steady of mind, silent and self-disciplined.
'Meditating on Thee' (Vicintyatvām)
The Kaulāvalī-Tantra says, 'One should meditate upon the Spouse of Śiva before Japa and after meditation should again do
[paragraph continues] Japa.' The Sādhaka who does Japa and meditation together soon attains success.
'Upon Him' (Vipāritām)
(The original is 'Viparītah' in the first case and Durgārāma therefore makes it an adjective of the Sādhaka who he says unites with his Śakti in Viparīta Maithuna. Vimalānanda however reads it as Vipāritām in the second case making it an adjective of 'Thee' (the Devī) who is the object of meditation,)
'Great Powers' (Mahāsiddhinivahāh)
Such as that by which is gained Sālokya, Sārūpya, Sāyujya and Nirvāṇa forms of Liberation.
70:2 Sadā: Means 'always' here 'daily' (K.B.)
70:3 Vicintya, that is, who has mentally thought of the letters of the Bija and their meaning, which is mental japa (Mānasa japa), defined in Narasiṁha-Purāṇa (cited in the Āhnikācāra-tattva of Raghunandana) as the repetition in the mind, letter by letter, syllable by syllable, of the mantra, meditating at the same time upon its meaning.
70:4 That is upon Varṇa-saṁsthāna or placing of the letters and their meaning and so forth.
70:5 Susthibhūya—that is, whose senses are not directed to any other object (Commentary, K.B.)
70:6 Atiśayamahākālasuratām.
70:7 Vipāritām (see sloka 7, note 5.)
70:8 Vidvān whose sole aim is Mokṣa.
70:9 Literally 'wandering freely on Earth' (Commentary, K.B.)
70:10 Siddhi (see ante, p. 46.)