is there a seperate shiva tattwa? not per kaulas....

[Guest guest]

The word "Kaula" comes from Kula, which means those belonging to

a 'kula' or a group . kalula also means those who worship *

Kundalini* sleeping at the base of Susumna at the Muladhara !. If

kaulas are able to rouse that Kundalini by their rituals, they are

supposed to attain Mukti.

 

Among the Kaulas they are two schools - Purva Kaulas and Uttara

Kaulas. Though both are external worshippers of the Devi in the

Muladhara, they are considerable differences in their philosophy and

rituals.

 

Purva Kaulas pay equal importance to Siva and Sakti. In Srsti

manifested state), Sakti is supreme and Siva is in abeyance. In the

state of Pralaya or Cosmic dissolution, when there is no creative

activity, Siva is supreme and Sakti is in abeyance. Thus the

importance of the two elements alternate, and in that sense it is

equal to both.

 

But the Uttara Kaulas eliminate Siva Tattva altogether, as being only

an implication involved in Sakti, who is the sole object of worship.

For them there is no Siva apart from Sakti. But while the Purva

Kaulas offer worship on the Trikona (triangle) designed on some

material substance, the Uttara Kaulas have the human body as the

highest symbol for adoration.

 

but even our beloved adi shankara (althoug an advocate of samaya

mata) conceds in sloka 23 of saundarya lahari that shakti is

supreme...

 

tvayA hRtvA vAmaM vapurapari tRptena manasA

shariirArdhaM shaMbhoraparamapi shanke hRtamabhUt |

tathA hi tvad rUpaM makalam aruNAbhaM trinayanaM

kucAbhyAmAnamraM kuTilashashicUDAla mukuTam ||

 

After you had stolen the left half (of the hermaphrodite form of

Shiva) but your mind was still unsatisfied, the other half, too, of

Shambhu's body was taken by you, I think;

and so your form is all red and has three eyes, is slightly bent with

a pair of breasts and is incrested with the sickle of the moon.

 

courtesy-Pen Katali

 

here, the poet shankara says that devi was not content with just

taking half of the body of shiva rather she takes over the other half

as well and comes out as "trinayanam" (the three eyed one!)

 

the figure of kali dancing on the corpse of shiva symbolically

represents this school of thought - there is no seperate shiva

tattwa!!!

 

well, folks! is this all too much to absorb?

 

love