Hierarchy,human and divine.

[Guest guest]

Louis Dumont, the sociologist saw hierarchy as the most essential

fact of Indian social structure and he used the concept of

purity/impurity continuum to rank evry thing (including the deities

worshipped), on that continuum. On one end was the

pure/brahmin/sankritic great tradition - with its vegetarian/clean

shaven/pro order gods and goddesses and at the other end is the

impure/low caste/non sanskritic little tradition - and its deities

(where the male are depicted with mustache and beards)

This gets further complicated when the notion of power is

introduced; as the most powerful are not ncessarily the most pure.

Add to this the concept of auspicious/inauspicious and it gets even

more interesting. TheOne can play with various combinations of these

three. Somthing could be pure/without power auspicious or not but

something could be impure/auspicious and powerful.(These are all

concept which different anthropologists have used.)

All these are supposed to explain the functionality of hierarchy

to the social structure which means that this is basically good for

society because it performs essential functions and furthers social

order.

The tantric agenda is quite different it seeks to TRANSCEND all

oppositions and binaries.And what is normally seen as impure or

inauspicious becomes transformed. Tantra uses transgression as a tool

to transcend.And the most transgressive becomes the most powerfull

symbol of his praxis.Thus Kali becomes "the " Goddess.In fact Sundari

is also known as rakta kali(the red kali.)

Even if we look at the tantric classification f the

dashamahavidya into vidya, siddha vidya and mahavidyas we see a

different hierarchy.

Kali and Tara are the mahavidya: Shodashi, Bhuvaneshvari, Bhairavi,

Chinnamasta and Dhumavati are vidyas; and Matangi, Kamala and

Bhagalamukhi are considered siddhavidyas.

The mahavidyas and siddhavidyas presuppose on the part of the

devotee great rigour, austerity and persistence and detachment and

their practice is filled with grave risks.This is not the same as

the "common" hierarchy.

The point I am trying to make: There can be any number of

hierarchies based on different criteria and the Goddess choses one or

one chosses the goddess, and whatever form the goddess takes She is

one. Trying to force our hierachies on her is just flaunting our own

ignorance and stupidity.

Ask for the one Goddesses blessing to transcend all dualities

hierarchies.