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Jaya Jaya Shankara !

Namastripurasundaryai !

Namo Chandramouleeshwaraaya !

Namo Naarasimhaaya !

 

In Vedic times, mother goddess was worshipped as Usha and

Aranyani in Rgveda and as Sri Gayathri in Yajurveda and Durga in

other Vedas and in Upanishads as Uma, Hymavathi, Narasimhi and

Tripura. The epic Ramayana of Valmiki has said to be embedded in it

Sri Gayathri of twenty-four letters in the twenty-four thousand

verses of the epic. In Puranas, Samhitas, Agamas and Tantras, she is

worshipped as Sri Mahakali, Sri Mahatripurasundari and as Sri

Rajarajeshwari. Thus from the prehistoric times (2000 BC) upto date

there is an unbroken tradition of the Godhead being worshipped as

Mother. Even today it is rare to find a Hindu home where she is not

worshipped as Mother Sri Durga, Lakshmi, Kali, Saraswathi or at least

as Gramadevatha i.e a small village deity. In this long line of

Shakti worship, two aspects of the goddess can be clearly discerned.

1. The fierce form of the deity that is dreaded.

2. The benign aspect of her love and kindness.

These two broad aspects are common in the concept of God in other

religions also. The first one is more primitive and is an active an

violent form – Rajasic or Tamasic personification of Shakti. Fear is

the predominant emotion of the Sadhaka in worshipping this aspect,

fear of natural calamities, ill-health, death, enemies, poverty and

even ignorance. Even her form is imagined with many heads and hands

each carrying deadly weapons like sword and mace, riding on wild

animals like tiger, lion and even corpse. She usually resides in wild

places, lonely forests, hilltops and cremation grounds.

She is generally represented with a gesture of allaying fear –

Abhayamudra. She is offered sacrifices of living things such as

fowls, goats, buffaloes and probably even human beings. Wine is

offered in many cases. She is frequently worshipped to gain limited

personal objectives, sometimes even of an evil nature. It is this

fierce aspect of Shakti which Arjuna sees at the end of Vishwaroopa

Darshana and gets frightened.

The second form of Shakti is the Satvic one, a latter and

sublimer concept that is the product of Upanishadic thought. Here the

sadhaka, through greater knowledge and practice largely sheds the

fear of the deity and loves her as his own mother. She is generally

imagined as seated on a lotus and surrounded by beautiful lakes and

gardens. She is worshipped with the object of reaching and realizing

higher and higher levels of consciousness and knowledge.

But in the various forms of Murtis that are being worshipped

as Shakti these two aspects are intermingled to a more or less degree

as can be gathered from the form of Sri Gayathri extolled by the

Vedas. She is contemplated as having five heads, three eyes, and also

having in her hands a mace, a goad, a skull, two lotuses and

Abhayamudra.

The sadhaka, as he advances in his discipline, as his

practice becomes Satvic and sublimer, finds himself drawn

irresistibly drawn towards the second or the Satvic form. This is the

form in which Parashakti is worshipped in Dakshinachara or

Samayachara.

Each one of the Tantras is an elaborate compendium or a

system of philosophy, worship, ritual and a code of conduct suited

and prescribed to various individuals and groups, of various

capacities.

During the Puranic period, Buddhism and Jainism were living

religions. Naturally, there was mutual enrichment between the various

systems of discipline.

The Tantras and Agamas are held in the same high esteem as

the Vedas and Upanishads. Upanishads include texts like Brhvaca,

Nrisimhatapini, Kena, Brhadaranyaka, Tripuaratapini, Tripura,

Bhaavana, Srichakra and other Upanishads. There are Samhitas like Sri

Dakshinamurthy Samhita and Bhuvaneshwari Samhita which are almost of

the same status as Vedas in authority. There are Tantras like

Mahanirvana and Vamakeshwara extolling the cult of Sakti. There are

some Tantras like RudraYamala which are said to be older even than

Vedas. It may be mentioned here that there is an impression among the

common people that Tantra is some form of black magic associated with

immoral practices with sex and drink, condemned by Vedas. There

appears to be some ground for such an impression. The Vamachara or

the leftist path is probably an echo of the primitive ritual with

which the terrible aspect of the mother goddess was worshipped in pre-

historic times. Latterly it found sanction in some Tantras, which are

banned by Vedas. In Vamachara, Rishi is Bhairava and Bhairava-

Bhairavi are the deities. The worship of the Shakti component of the

Shiva-Shakti one Parabrahman, si stressed more here. Vamachara

generally uses the Panchamakaras. The origin of these can be traced

to the evolution of the Saakta path itself. The fierce tribal goddess

of Saakta cult was offered meat and toddy or whatever the worshipper

wanted to eat and drink such as fish and wine. However, the capacity

of these ingredients to coarsen the intellectual faculties especially

in spiritual pursuit was soon discovered. But if one cannot escape

the lure of them they were permitted as an article of worship by

certain classes of people who were used to nothing but this. This is

probably how this has crept into Saakta mode of worship.

Some like Vimalanda and others justify Vamachara on the

ground that it seeks to sublimate the grosser nature of man through

satiation of senses. But this is a very strange argument. Because

human nature grosser and grosser as the senses are satisfied further

and further. There are some who extol Vamachara as having been

practiced by great ones like Sri Ramakrishna. This argument is

actually against Vamachara. It is only highly evolved souls like

those mentioned above that can withstand its temptations and

pitfalls. It is not for ordinary Sadhakas and the evolved souls do

not need it.

Whatever might be the origin of this Vamachara, it was

evolved as a part of Sadhana for certain classes of Hindus and has a

place in their spiritual growth, at any rate in the beginning. The

Tantras themselves give adequate warning about the pitfalls and

prescribe for sadhakas with PashuBhava.

On an examination of the historical evolution of the Tantras,

sex as an article of worship seems to have been introduced for the

first time in the Guhyasamaja Tantra of Buddhistic origin. In this

Tantra, in its 18 th chapter mention was made of Prajnabhisheka or

initiation of a disciple with a woman. There it was said that the

Guru takes the hand of a beautiful woman agrreable to the disciple

and after citing the Tathagatas as witnesses, places it in the hand

of the disciple. Thereafter placing his own and on the head of the

disciple, he will say ," Since Buddhahood is impossible of ttainment

to you, you should accept this Shakti ". Thus it looks as though this

was the result of a reaction to the high moral and monastic ideals of

Buddhism and Hinduism. From the name of Tantra itself, it is evident

that it advocated secret societies where this cult was practiced.

This is the beginning of what is known as Vajrayana Buddhism.

Incidentally these secret societies where in the name of religion

orgies of sex, drink and gluttony were practiced, were mainly held to

be responsible in bringing Buddhism into contempt amongst the Hindus

and driving it away from the land of its birth.

The credit goes to Sri Bhagavatpada Shankaracharya for

rescuing these various schools of Hindu religious worship, more

especially the Saakta path, form these odious practices and

establishing it in its

pristine Vedantic purity as Samayamata or Dakshinachara. This

Samayachara is the main ritual in the monastic institutions

established by Sri Shankara and prescribed to Hindus since his time.

The discipline of Samayamata is called Swatantra Tantra by Acharya

in Saundaryalahari. This samayamata is a system integrating within

itself the Yogas of Mantra, Laya, Bhakti,Karma and ultimately the

desired Jnana. This path harnesses besides our intellect, other

faculties of mind such as faith and emotion in our efforts. The

Samayachara condemns Vamachara and the worship of Shakti is according

to sacred texts called Shubagama Panchaka. Here the Rishi is

Dakshinamurthy; Kameshwara-Kameshwari are the deities. The sadhaka

has to completely identify himself with Srividya-Srimata-Guru and

Srichakra.the

puja prescribed here is called Antaryaga.

Depending on the Samskara, capacity, tradition etc of the

sadhaka, Tantra Shastra prescribes six ways of worship of the same

Parabrahman. These are Shaiva, Vaishnava, Koumara, Ganapatya, Soura

and Shaakta. The most expansive of these is undoubtedly Shaakta. The

great Parabrahman is here known as Lalitha, Paraa or Ahamta etc. the

main Upaasya's or deities worshipped are : Kali, Tara, Shodashi,

Bhuvaneshwari, Chinnamasta, Bhairavi, Bagalamukhi, Matangi and Kamala

with their respective Shiva's or Mithuna's being Mahakala,

Akshobhya, Panchavaktra Kameshwara, Tryambaka, Kabandha,

Dakshinamurthy, Maharudra, Matanga and Sadashiva or Mahavishnu.

Dhumavathi is a widow without a Purusha Mithuna. Other than these

Mahavidya Goddesses, Navadurgas, Kaamakhya and others in the fifty-

one Shakti-Peethas, Mahalakshmi-Mahasaraswath-Mahakali are all indeed

forms of the same great mother Mahatripurasundari. Each Vidya has its

own Devatha, meditation form, mantra, Yantra, Aavarana, Sadhana,

Kavacha, Hridaya, Sahasranama etc. I have told in a previous post,

the various deities worshipped in Srichakra as tutelary deities to

Mahatripurasundari. There is not a single God or Goddess that is not

worshipped in the Srichakra as a part of Srividya. Srividya includes

Pratimaa puja, Linga pooja, Yantra pooja, Saligrama puja, Nyasa,

Kundalini yoga, Mudra paddhati, Shodasha Samskara, Homa, Bali,

Kamakala Dhyana and what not ?

Upasana is possible in three ways, namely :

1. Kaadi vidya – Kali krama or Samayamata or Kundalini yoga.

2. Haadi Vidya – Sundari krama or Hamsavidya or Kaulamata.

3. Saadi Vidya – Tara krama or Samavarodhini vidya or Mishra marga.

The first one is what is also called Dakshinachara. Here Shiva is

called Samaya and Shankari as Samayaa. This is the path of pure

consciousness leading to sure success in spiritual staircase. the

best and the knowledgeable, who are free form most Malas or the

impurities except for the most subtle one and also at the same time

belonging to the first three Varnas among the four Varnas (which are

divided according to Varnashrama Dharma by Manu) are eligible for

this path which is unanimously declared to be supreme not only by

Samaya Tantras and Agamas but also by VamaShaakha Tantras. The

worship here is in the Daharakasha and only internal. For those

sadhakas who are not capable of complete internal worship in the

initial stages may begin with worship in the Bahyakasha as laid out

in the Kalpasutras. Though Saundaryalahari has been interpreted to be

the source Tantra for both Vama and Dakshina Tantric concepts by

venerable commentators, there is no doubt that Acharya has clearly

explained Samayachara practice to be adopted rather than its

counterpart. With every verse dealing with Vaama concepts, there is

also a hidden warning about its various pitfalls, which are much

greater than the benefits it offers, if at all any. Saundaryalahari

is surely inspired by Subhagodaya and Srividyaratnasutras of Sri

Srimadgoudapaadaacharya, Paramaguru of Srimadacharya which are

classic texts of Samayamata.

Dakshinachara aims at reaching beyond the three Gunas

beginning with Satwa. Vaama is Tamasic where as Mishra is Rajasic.

Though most commentators on Saundaryalahari have criticized

Lakshmidharacharya for degrading Vamachara, he is correct in most of

the places if not all. As he says, most of the Vama Tantras deal only

with Mooladhara Chakra and awakening Kundalini. Panchamakara practice

is literal in Uttarakaulas whereas symbolic substitutes are used by

the Purva Kaulas. Purva kaulas actually have some concept of Mithuna

ob Bhairavi and Bhairava but in the pose of Pradhana and Apradhana.

However, the Uttarakaulas do not recognize Shiva tatwa at all. Then

where comes the question of the great Shiva-Shakti communion in the

Sahasrara? Here only Shakti is said to be Upadana Karana and sadhana

involves just the waking up of kundalini with Yoni puja, Chakra puja

etc. the siddhi obtained in this path is called Kshana mukti. This

is because just awakening Kundalini is said to be Moksha here. Ther

are various sects under Vamachara. Kapalikas follow Chandrajnana,

Hridbheda, Bhairavashtaka, Panchamrita, Sarvajnanottara,

Mahakalimata, Arunesha, Medinisha, Vikuntakeshava and other Tantras.

Vamacharis, in the strict sense follow Vamajushta, Mahadeva, Veena,

Kalasana, Sambhoga Yakhsini, Kubjika and other Tantras. Kshapanikas

and Digambaras follow Purava-Daksha-Uttara-niruttara-vimala-

vimalottara-devimata and other Tantras. These Tantras expound some

practices which are obscene, degenerating and are condemned by the

Vedas.

Saadi Vidya, also called Mishra Vidya, mainly relies on concepts of

Samayamata, though some beneficial practices and some deities are

borrowed here from Haadi krama. The Tantra followed here is mainly

Chandrakalashtaka.

As far as Srividya is concerned, the three traditions are

Dakshinamurthy – Hayagriva – Anandabhairava. These respectively

relate to Kai – Hadi – Sadi karmas. Dattatreya sampradaya actually is

a mixture of these three main sampradayas and as such the Tantras do

not recognize it as a primary tradition of Srividya. These

Sampradayas are not contradictory to each other but instead are

complimentary. The main differences are in the construction of

Srichakra, Guru Mandala, Patra Sthapana in Srikrama etc. Srividya is

the combination or essence of sixty-crore mantras. Again this credit

is not given to any other Mantra by any of the Tantras.

Some important texts of Srividya are : Vamakeshwara Tantra,

Chatuhshatee, Rudrayamala Tantra, Shubhagama Panchaka,

Chandrakalashtaka Tantra, Tantraraja Tantra, Srividyarnava,

Jnanarnava, Tripurarnava, Tripurasarasarvasva, Prapanchasara,

Kularnava, Yogini Hridaya, Nithya shodashikarnava, Sanatkumara

Samhita, Daksinamurthy Samhita, Parashurarama Kalpasutras,

Subhagodaya, Srividyaratnasutras, Anandalahari, agamakalpadruma,

Tantrachudamani, Tripuurasarasamuchaya, trikandasarathabodhini,

Dakshinamurthykalpa, Paraapanchaashika, Shatchakranirupana,

Sharadatilaka, Brihat shreekrama, Lalitha Rahsya, Lalitopakhyana,

Malamantras, Shaktanandatarangini, Shreekrama, Shreemata,

Shreetatwachintamani, Shreetatwanidhi ( By the late Maharaja of

Mysore), Shreevidyaratnakara, Sanketapadddhati, Swacchandasamgraha,

Kamakalavilasa, Kalika purana and other Puranas, Varivaysa Rahasya,

Saubhagyabhaskaar, Saubhagyasetu, Saubhagyaratnakara, Kundalini

kalpataru, Devyupanishad which are around 24 in number,

Nrisimhatapini, Prayogasara, Bhairavayamala, Matrikabheda,

Rahsayagama, Deviyamala, Mahaniravana Tantra, balavilasa Tantra,

kulachudamani Tantra, todala Tantra , vishwasara Tantra, parananda

Tantra, kankalamalini, Malinivijayottara Tantra, Gandharva Tantra,

Gauthameeya Tantra, Lalita Tantra, sammohana Tantra, etc. to name a

few.

A brief idea of Samaya worship is as below :

The power of will, the great Parashakti of the form of devoted mind;

Kameshwara, the complete solidified sate of truth and bliss, these in

union is the deity of meditation and worship in Samayachara.

The truth that brings forth peace is offered as oblation to

the deity.

The power of discrimination between good and evil is offered

as service to her.

The unity between the existent and the non-existent is

offered as various items of service to her.

The capacity of the various instruments of Knowledge, both

internal and external, to perceive the before-said unity in

everything is offered as Avahana or invocation to Her.

The perception of such unity outside, inside and everywhere,

is offered as Asana or seat to Her.

The unity of Shiva (Prakasha ) ans Shakti (Vimarsha ) is

offered as Padya or water to wash her lovely feet.

The brilliant experience of bliss from the before said union

is offered as Achamana to her, to Her hands and face.

The experience of the crystal clear state of reality i.e

Kameshwara's Sat aspect is offered as Snana or water to bathe Her.

The descent of the great Brahma or Paramashiva consciousness

i.e. the Chit aspect of Kameshwara to each and every organ is offered

as Panchamrita for Her beauty bath.

The power of ultimate bliss appearing as fire of i.e. the

Ananda aspect of Kameshwara is offered as Vastra or raiment to

Bhagavati.

A sacred thread, Upaveetha is offered to Her consisting of 27

individual strands representing bliss, wealth, knowledge, action etc.

this signifies Brahamnadi or the spinal cord.

Non-involvement in one's own and others worldly affairs is

offered as ornaments to Her.

Firmness of mind and complete control of mind in every act

is offered as flowers to Her.

The continuous experience of all those previously said acts

and their resulting state of high consciousness is offered as Dhupa

or incense to Her.

The control of breath and the consequent perception of

flashes of light in the field of consciousness is offered as light to

Her.

The stoppage of incoming and outgoing breath is offered as

food or Naivedya to Her.

The unitary experience of the three states of Jagrat, Swapna

and Sushupti of the consciousness is offered as Betel or Tambula to

Her.

The movement of Prana from Brahmarandhra to Muladhara and

back is offered as going round or Pradakshina to Her.

The fourth state beyond the three states of consciousness is offered

as salutation or Namaskar to Her.

The complete immersion in the self with notion that the

external body is non-existent is offered as Sacrifice or Bali to Her.

Always presenting to the ultimate that truth alone exists and

being unconcerned about any act to be done or not to be done is

offered as sacrificial fire or Homa.

Losing oneself in her sacred feet is offered as Dhyana or

meditation.

This method of worship, called Antaryaga as prescribed by

Bhvanopanishad , when performed for three muhurtha, grants complete

liberation to the sadhaka and he becomes Paramashiva or

Mahatripurasundari.

Antaryaga as prescribed in Vamakeshwara Tantra, Rudrayamala

and other texts actually involve Kundalini Yoga and the different

identification procedures with Srimata-Srividya-Srichakra and the

deities of the nine Avaranas. It also involves internal chakra

Dharana in the light of the avaranas of the Srichakra and the ascent

of Kundalini to Sahasrara and back (the descent is not necessary, and

is possible only by Mother's grace and some divine gameplan as also

by techniques taught by a sampradayavit Guru well versed in Vijnana ).

 

Namo Namaste Shiva Kamakoti !!!!!!