Verse 235 [Yama is the consecrated King]

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English commentary of verse 235:

विश्वमम्ब कुरुषे शवासनं मृत्युसेचनमखण्डितोदया ।
चिद्विकल्पमयमन्तरुद्यमं कालमोहितजगत्त्रयम् प्रति ॥ २३५ ॥

viśvamamba kuruṣe śavāsanaṃ mṛtyusecanamakhaṇḍitodayā |
cidvikalpamayamantarudyamaṃ kālamohitajagattrayam prati || 235 ||

Comparative analysis of commentaries and excerpts in English:

Sādhya-Kāli

When, from Kālapāla (Sūrya) upto Śiva tattva, who are like droplets in the ocean , get their completeness, shine of Citiśakti appears in manifestation. She including them in herself assures their fulfillment. This is Sādhyakāli. Thirteen Kālis indicated in Samvit krama in TL by A.N.Gupta does not mention this Kāli.

Yamakāli

Vikalpa raises the doubt as to ‘This is right or not’ in our hearts. Yama is the dictator of the right and wrong, whose expertise is to direct the human beings in the right path and to punish when they go wrong. Śakti annihilates even Yama and hence gets the name Yamakāli^[1].

Two ways of attaining Svātma-Śivarūpā

Yama creates the doubts about the right knowledge and thus directs the strong and coward in pursuing the path of Nivṛtti and Pravṛtti respectively. The determined souls pursue the Nivṛtti mārga to attain their source of creation. The weak ones engage in Pravṛtti mārga to enjoy the worldly pleasure. Pravṛtti distances one from the source of creation and thus is threatened by Yama, who is engaged in that activity by Śakti, for helping the Humans attain libertation.

Two types of Ignorance as seat of Kāli

Two traits lead to destruction. Worldly pleasures such as wealth, wives etc., create possessiveness as “This is mine” (“aham”, “mama”). This is the first one. The second one is the wrong perception of non-self as self and the resulting pride (Ahaṅkāra). Ignorance is destructive. Śakti takes her seat on these two types of ignorance and enlightens the right knowledge in them. She consecrates Mṛtyu in her Samrājya as king.

Yama is the consecrated King

Citśakti, with her retinue of Śaktis, projects the undivided creation as the inner celebration, for the purpose of Bhoga and Mokṣa. By her own freewill she takes her seat on the same creation, to devour the same and thus helps Yama, in her terrible form as Kāli. This is like consecrating Yama. In the empire of Kāli, Yama is the consecrated King^[2]. Retracing the path towards inner journey is possible, only if the external manifestation is rejected. The creation is impure due to pervasion of Māyāśakti and purification is only through its destruction^[3].

Notes and Sanskrit references:

[1] Cf. (kaṭha. 3|3) || - [Kramaprakāśikā] p 158 [Cidgaganacandrikā] 235.—

etādṛgbhayenākhilaṃ jagat trāsayantī bhayasya vaibhavaṃ samudghoṣayati, bhayāvatāraṃ vinā lokavyavahārasāmañjasyāsaṃbhavāt | yathoktamupaniṣadi—“bhayādasyāgnistapati bhayāttapati sūryaḥ | bhayādindraśca vāyuśca mṛtyurdhāvati pañcamaḥ ||”

[2] Cf. [Kramaprakāśikā] p 161 [Cidgaganacandrikā] 235.—

antarmakhutāprāptyai viśvasaṃhāra āvaśyaṃka ityuktaṃ parimale-parāhantāmaye saṃvidagnau saṃvedyatarpaṇe | idantālakṣaṇaṃ havyaṃ juhuyādabahirmakhuḥ || iti | idantālakṣaṇaṃ jagadeva | jagadidaṃ māyā śakti sāmrājyatayā malinamiti kṛtvā tasya saṃhāraḥ svātmaśuddhyarthaḥ-atha havyamidantākhyaṃ hāvaṃ hāvaṃ svacinmukhe | ullaṅghya māyāmāliṃnyasvairamāsīta meruvat ||

[3] Cf. [Kramaprakāśikā] p 161 [Cidgaganacandrikā] 235.—

bhadrakālyāḥ svarūpalakṣaṇe tantrālokaviveke jayarathenāpi tantraiḥ saṃgṛhyā vyāhṛte | tadyathā—

viśvaṃ mahākalpavirāmakalpa - bhavāntabhīmabhruku ṭibhramantyā |
yāśnātyanantaprabhavārciṣā taṃाnamāmi bhadrāṃ śubhabhadrakālīm || (ā. 4, pṛ. 176)

bhadrakālyā stutiṃ cakāra | yathā—

strīparāṅmukhamanāḥ kila krudhā puṣpekatumadahanmaheśvaraḥ |
tvaṃ tadāpi nanu tasya saiva dhīḥ satyamamba subhagā'bhidhīyase || (pari, pṛ.118)