We all have a strong faith that Vedas are ever existent from the initial time of creation and were revealed to sages, they ‘saw’ these mantras - the sound structures - and hence are called ṛṣi -ṛṣayo mantra dṛṣṭāraḥ.  Likewise, Tantras are also said to exist eternally.  They are said as revealed by Lord to Devi are called as ‘Āgama’ or vice versa as ‘Nigama’.  Many secrets in this tradition are revealed in them.  These being secret in nature have not been revealed directly.  Various codes have been deployed to protect them from reaching the common man who still has a clouded intellect.  However, Masters had access to the ‘key’ of such codes and passed them down the lineage to deserving disciples.

A small effort is done here to understand the rationale behind such a code called ‘ka-ṭa-pa-yādi’.  In this code, alphabets are assigned certain numbers.  All vowels are assigned the number ‘zero’.  Ka is one, kha is two, ga is three gha is four ṅa is five, ca is six, cha is seven, ja is eight, jha is nine, and ña is zero.  Similarly for ten syllables from ṭa numbering is done, five numbers from pa and eight numbers from ya.  If we find a saṃyuktākṣara (the combination of two or more consonants with a vowel), the last consonant is to be taken.  After assigning numbers in order of word decoded, we have to read it in reverse.

A detailed list as per the above guidance is shown below:

अ आ इ ई उ ऊ ऋ ॠ ल ॡ ए ऐ ओ औ अं अः  zero

क ख ग घ ङ च छ ज झ ञ – 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 respectively

ट ठ ड ढ ण त थ द ध न – 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 respectively

प फ ब भ म – 1 2 3 4 5 respectively

a ā i ī u ū ṛ ṝ e ai o au aṃ aḥ - zero

ka  kha  ga  gha  ṅa  ca  cha  ja  jha  ña  ṭa  ṭha  ḍa
1    2      3     4     5    6    7     8    9    0   1    2    3

ḍha   ṇa   ta   tha   da   dha   na   pa   pha   ba   bha  ma
4      5    6     7      8     9      0     1      2      3     4      5

ya     ra     la     va     śa     ṣa     sa     ha
1        2      3       4      5      6       7     8

These codes are used to specify the numbers of syllables in mantra which are revealed in a hidden - coded manner referring  to certain words  which  will mean a certain syllable, or the number to times the mantra is to be repeated, or the number of deities in an enclosure (āvaraṇa).

Let us now enjoy decoding some of them using the above guidelines:

The most famous example is from Mahābhārata, Vyāsa says ‘tato jayamudīrayet’ - Now I will tell you about jaya. Decoding this word ‘jaya’ with the above key ja is eight and ya is one, reversing, we get the number 18, which are the number of chapters or parvas in the said epic.

The word ‘vidyā’ means knowledge. The ṛṣis have classified Knowledge into fourteen aspects: Four Vedas - Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma & Atharva,  Six aṅgas - Sikṣā, Vyākaraṇa, Chandas, Nirukta, Jyotiṣa, & Kalpa and Four upāṇgas – Purāṇa, Nyāya, Mimāmsa & Dharma śastras.  Using the above code deciphering the word vidyā, ‘va’ is number four and ‘ya’ (Since ‘dya’ is a saṃyuktākṣara the last consonant ‘ya’ is taken) is number one, reading per instructions of code will result in the number fourteen, which are numbers of aspects as seen above.

The word ‘khaḍga’ means a sword.  The sword is identified with knowledge of the unity of the self the world and the creator, removing the notion of duality.  As per the code, this will point to number thirty-two, - ‘kh’ is two and ‘g’ (ḍhga is a saṃyuktāk- ṣara hence consider the last consonant ‘g’) is three, reversing will result in thirty-two, which is śuddhavidyā tattva, which is the unifying of the self, universe and the Īśvara.

In Trailokya Mohana kavaca we find a vidyā which has ‘nakha नख varna’ -  There are two ways to decode, both resulting in the same number.  First will mean the ‘nail’ - there are twenty nails in the body, ten on the hand and ten on the feet. The said vidyā had twenty syllables.  Now using the above code ‘na’ is zero and ‘kha’ is two, reading them on the reverse will result in the number twenty.  Thus, the number of syllables in the vidya is revealed.

There is a secret vidyā in the pūjā paddhati of the yore called ‘nābhi’ vidyā.

Decoding the word nābhi by above process, ‘na’ is zero and ‘bha’ is four, reading them in reverse will be forty; the said vidyā had forty combinations, which are to be chanted.  These combinations were again said as a code in dhyāna śloka as ‘pika ruru bala’, using the code we find a combination as ‘11, 22  and 33’.  The ‘l’ here will refer to the vāgbhavakūṭa, 2 to the  kāmarājakūṭa and 3 to the śakti kūta.  Another combination said  was ‘kambu-khā-trimbakā’ here ‘tri’ is a combination word  (saṃyuktākṣara), applying the rule we have to take only ‘r’ which will mean two. Rest all is decodable. Thus, we find a  combination ‘132231’, which shall point to kūṭas as said above.

In Paramānanda Tantra there is a pārāyaṇa called ‘cakra pārāyaṇa’.  It relates to the āvaraṇa deities and repetition with different bījas.  In the dhyāna, we find a reference to the number of repetitions as ‘jñānājñāna nayānga bheda rucirām’, decoding with  the above ideas in mind – ‘jña’ and  ‘na’ will denote zero, ‘y’  to one.  Substituting we find five zeros and one, reversing this will give - one lakh - the number of counts this pārāyaṇa will end up which after practice (125 āvaraṇa devata x 5 bījas x 10 nāthas x 16 nityās = 100,000).

Using this code, looking at the word  ajapā, will result in the number one hundred and eighty, which when multiplied by the inhalation and exhalation - once cycle breath - will result in three hundred and sixty, pointing to the total aggregate of raśmi’s in the six cakras.

In the Śrīvidyā ratna sutras of gaudapāda, the cakra of Śrīvidyā is described as ‘kagaja’, these syllables when decoded will give the numbers like 1, 3 and 8 respectively, which will mean the bindu, trikoṇa and aṣtakoṇa.

Śrī Bhāskararāya has used these codes in his commentary on Lalitā sahasranāma, while explaining the name ‘anādhinidhanā’.  He splits the name into ‘an+ādi+nidhanā’. Nidhana means death.  He decodes the prefixed word ‘ādhi’ with this code.  ‘a’ is zero since it is an alone vowel, ‘da’ is eight, reading them will result in eighty.  He then explains that there are eighty types of deaths elaborating with the help of Śiva/Liṅga purāṇa and ‘an’ is the negation of these, since Śrī Devi is eternal there is death and hence no birth.  The same is referred in another name’s commentary – ‘mṛtyu dāru kuṭhārikā’.  Here he takes the word dāru and decodes it to get ‘da’ is eight   and ‘ra’ is two, on reading them as per practice will give twenty­ eight.  These twenty-eight types of mṛtyu are explained and also he refers to the other above said name which includes these twenty-eight also.  The rest fifty-two are in Śiva/Liṅga purāṇa.

Another name in Lalitā sahasranāma – ‘śuddha vidyānkurākāra dvija pankti dvayojvalā’ can be seen through this code.  The thirty-two teeth of Śrī Devi are described here. Śuddha vidyā is the thirty second in the line of tattvas.   Hence that number is inferred.  This number is split into two likened to the two cotyledons of a sprout.  So, we can infer two sets of sixteen each.  They are likened to the dvijā.   Here the word dvijā can be decoded as dvi+ja, twice ‘ja’; ‘j’ is eight and twice of eight as said by ‘dvi’ are sixteen, the next ‘paṅkthi dvaya’ can mean twice of this sixteen, that is thirty-two.

A variation of this code is used by Śrī Bhāskararāya while explaining about the ‘chalākṣara sūtras’.  He says the vowel will point to the number of syllables in the particular name and the consonant to the number of names with this number of syllables.   For example, if we find ‘khi chaḥ ghu’ in the sūtra, using the said method, this will mean ‘kh’ two names with ‘i’ three syllables, next will be ‘cha’ - two names with ‘aḥ’ -  sixteen syllables (half of an anuṣtup meter), next will be ‘gh’ four names with ‘u’ six syllables.

Śrī Mahesanatha in his natha navaratna malika has identified the breath with Śrī Guru. Śrī Bhāskararāya in his commentary decodes the number of breath from the last line of the stotra ‘sanmārgam matta mayūramīḍe’. This when read  with the ka-ta-pa-yādi code will reveal the number thus: - ‘mattamayūra’ will translate into numbers like 5, 6, 5, 1, and 2. This, when reversed, will point to the number 21,565. ‘sanmārga’  will mean ‘with mārg’, this when decoded will point to numbers 5 and 3, reverse of this is 35.  Adding both these numbers will give the total breath in a day 21,600.

Another Code:

Here there are certain groups that have a universal number of members in them.  Pakṣa/stana/śṛnga will mean two - there are two fortnights one waxing and one waning, stana means breasts, which are two in number.  Śṛnga means horn and there are two horns in animals.  Netra will point to either two or three since we have two physical eyes and one eye of wisdom.  Agni will point to number three.  Agni is tretrāgni.  Veda will point to number four since there are four Vedas.  Śara-arrows-will point to number five - Śrī Lalithāmba/Manmatha - cupid has five flowery arrows.  Ṛtu/Rasa will point to number six - since there are six ṛtu in a year, tastes (rasa) are six in number.  Ṛṣi will point to the number seven; traditionally there are sapta ṛṣis ­seven sages. Gaja, Nāga, and Vasu will point to the number eight - we find elephants or snakes in such numbers and there are aṣtavasu in the purāṇa.  Rudra will point to the number eleven since they are so, āditya will refer to twelve since their number is such.  Manu will point to fourteen since they are such in number. Rāja/nṛpati will point to sixteen since traditionally there were sixteen kings in this bhārata varṣa.

Some of the codes seen are listed below:

0 – abhra, nabha, bindu, kha, jaladhara, śūnya, pūrṇa

1 - bhu, candra, rupa, vak, vadana, ku, kali, brahma, mukha

2 - netra, ayana, hasta, aśvinī, cakṣu, yugala, yugma, pakṣa, pāṇi, yama

3 - agni, kāla, śarīra, rāma, guṇa,  vahni, śūla, śakti

4 - abdhi, āmnāya, jaladhi, veda, yuga, varṇa, samudra, kṛta, āśrama

5 - bhūta, bāṇa/śara, indriya, vāyu, kāma, tanmātra, artha, pāṇḍava

6 -  ṛtu, kṛttikā, guhavaktra, rasa, tarka, darśana, cakrārdha

7 - adri parvata, acala, turaga, svara, dvīpa, muni, vāsara

8 - gaja, nāga, sarpa, siddhi, vasu

9 - aṅka, durgā, nidhi, graha, go, chidra, randhra

10 -  avatāra, paṅkti, dik, dikpāla

11 -   rudra, śiva, īśa, śambhu

12 - sūrya, māsa, āditya, cakra, gaṇa, rāśi

Likewise, indra (14), rājā (16), purāṇa (18), tattva (25/36),

nakṣatra (27), danta (32), deva (33), kalā (64) are also seen.

Using the above let us enjoy from some more codes said in stotras and tantras.

In the Paraśurāma kalpa sūtra the numbers of the guru mandala devatas are numbered as ‘muni, veda, nāga, saṅkhyā’. Thus, decoding with the above guide, we find ‘divaugha’ will have seven, ‘siddhaugha’ will have four and ‘manavaugha’ will have eight gurus.

The third and fourth āvaraṇas of Śrīcakra are numbered as ‘nāgaḍala’ and ‘manvaśra’ - as per the above, it will mean eight petals and fourteen triangles.  Further seventh and eighth are numbered as ‘vasvanala koṇa’ is also said which is translated to eight triangle and a triangle.

Śrī Bhaskararāya uses this type of decoding in his commentary of ‘sṛṇgāra rasa sampūrṇā’ - Here sṛṇga as horns denote two and rasa are six, hence twice-six, which is twelve. āra means petals. Thus, twelve petals are seen in anāhata cakra, hence anāhata dhvani is the real meaning said in this name.

In the Trailokhya Mohana kavaca we find a vidyā which has ‘netra vedātmakair varṇaih yutā’.  Using the code we find numbers two and four, reversing them will derive the number forty-two, the number of syllables in that mantra.

In the dhyana sloka of nābhi vidyā said above further we find a reference to ‘rāja vidyā stana’ when decoded with above guide, rāja will point to the highest mantra Śrī ṣodaśākṣarī vidyā and stana as two from above will point to the two variations viz., Mahā ṣodaśākṣarī and Parā ṣodaśākṣarī.

Source: "Meditative Texts - Revised Thoughts on the Way" by Yogamba Sameta Atmanandanatha (Ramesh Kutticad)

Yogamba Sahita Atmanandantha (Ramesh Kutticad) is a Śrī Vidyā Guru from Chennai. He is associated with Guruji since 1996. Smt. and Sri Ramesh have painstakingly written the following scholarly, research. We're grateful to him for allowing us to make these articles available for the public.