Sacred-Texts Tantra Index Next

1
PREFACE

Introduction and Preface

THE Indian Tantras, which are numerous, constitute the Scripture (Shastra) of the Kaliyu a, and as such are the !oluminous source of present and practical orthodox "Hinduism#" The Tantra Shastra is, in fact, and whate!er $e its historical ori in, a de!elopment of the Vaidika Karmakanda, promul ated to meet the needs of that a e# Shi!a says% "&or the $enefit of men of the Kali a e, men $ereft of ener y and dependent for existence on the food they eat, the Kaula doctrine, ' auspicious one( is i!en" ()hap# I*#, !erse +,)# To the Tantra we must therefore loo- if we would understand ari ht $oth ritual, yoga, and sadhana of all -inds, as also the eneral principles of which these practices are $ut the o$.ecti!e expression# /et of all the forms of Hindu Shastra, the Tantra is that which is least -nown and understood, a circumstance in part due to the difficulties of its su$.ect-matter and to the fact that the -ey to much of its terminolo y and method rest with the initiate# The present translation is, in fact, the first pu$lished in Europe of any Indian Tantra# 0n inaccurate !ersion rendered in imperfect En lish was pu$lished in )alcutta $y a 1en ali editor some twel!e years a o, preceded $y an Introduction which displayed insufficient -nowled e in respect of what it somewhat 2uaintly descri$ed as "the mystical and superficially technical passa es" of this Tantra# 0 desire to attempt to do it reater .ustice has in part prompted its selection as the first for pu$lication# This Tantra is, further, one which is well -nown and esteemed, thou h perhaps more hi hly so amon st that portion of the Indian pu$lic which fa!ours "reformed" Hinduism than amon st some Tantri-as, to whom, as I ha!e $een told, certain of its pro!isions appear to display unnecessary timidity# The former admire it on account of its no$le exposition of the worship of the Supreme 1rahman, and in the $elief that certain of its passa es a$solutely discountenance the orthodox ritual# Nothin can $e more mista-en than such $elief, e!en thou h it $e the fact that "for him who has faith in the root, of what use are the $ranches and lea!es#" This anyone will disco!er who reads the text# It is true that, as )hap# 3II#, !erse 45, says% "In the purified heart -nowled e of 1rahman rows," and Brahmajnane samutpanne krityakrityang na vidyate# 1ut the statement assumes the attainment of Brahmajana, and this, the Shastra says, can $e attained, not $y 3edantic discussions nor mere prayer, after the manner of 6rotestant systems of )hristian worship7 $ut $y the Sadhana which is its main su$.ect-matter# I ha!e referred to 6rotestant systems, for the )atholic )hurch possesses an ela$orate ritual and a sadhana of its own which is in many points stri-in ly analo ous to the Hindu system# The section of Tantri-as to whom I ha!e referred are, I $elie!e, also in error# &or the desi n of this Tantra appears to $e, whilst conser!in commonly-reco ni8ed Tantri- principles, to secure that, as has sometimes pro!ed to $e the case, they are not a$used# 6ar!!ati says ()hap# I#, !erse 9:)% "I fear, ; <ord( that e!en that which Thou hast ordained for the ood of men will, throu h them, turn out for e!il#" Hitaya yane, karmani kathitani tvaya prabho Manyetani mahadeva viparitani manave# It is si nificant, in connection with these o$ser!ations, to note that this particular Tantra was chosen as the su$.ect of commentary $y Shrimad Hariharananda 1harati, the =uru of the cele$rated Hindu "reformer," >a.a >am ?ohun >oy# The Tantra has $een assi ned to the roup of sixty-four -nown as those of the >atha-ranta# It was first pu$lished $y the 0di-1rahma-Sama.a in +:4@ Sha-a$da (0#A# +@:9), and was printed

in 1en ali characters, with the notes of the Kula!adhuta Shrimad Hariharananda 1harati under the editorship of 0nandachandra 3idya!a isha# The preface to this edition stated that three ?SS# were consulted7 one $elon in to the li$rary of the Sama.a7 the second supplied $y Aur adasa )handhuri, and the third ta-en from the li$rary of >a.a >am ?ohun >oy# This text appears to $e the $asis of su$se2uent pu$lications# It was a ain printed in +@@@ $y Shri Krishna =opala 1ha-ta, since when there ha!e $een se!eral editions with 1en ali translations, includin that of Shri 6rasanna Kumara Shastri# The late 6andit Bi!ananda 3idyasa ara pu$lished an edition in Ae!ana ari character, with the notes of Hariharananda7 and the 3en-atesh!ara 6ress at 1om$ay ha!e issued another in similar character with a Hindi translation# The translation pu$lished is that of the first part only# It is commonly thou ht (and was so stated $y the author of the )alcutta edition in En lish to which I ha!e referred) that the second portion is lost# This is, howe!er, not so, thou h copies of the complete Tantra are rare enou h# The full text exists in manuscript, and I hope at a later date to ha!e an opportunity of pu$lishin a translation of it# I came across a complete manuscript some two years a o in the possession of a Nepalese 6andit# He would, howe!er, only permit me to ma-e a copy of his manuscript on the condition that the Shatkarmma ?antras were not pu$lished# &or, as he said, !irtue not $ein a condition precedent for the ac2uisition of siddhi in such ?antras, their pu$lication mi ht ena$le the e!illy disposed to wor- harm a ainst others, a crime which, he added, was, in his own country, where the Tantra was current, punisha$le $y the ci!il power# I was una$le to persuade him e!en with the o$ser!ation that the mere pu$lication of the ?antra without -nowled e of what is called the prayoga (which cannot $e learned of $oo-s) would in any case $e ineffectual# I could not i!e an underta-in which would ha!e in!ol!ed the pu$lication of a mutilated text, and the reader must therefore for the present $e content with a translation of the first part of the Tantra, which is enerally -nown, and has, as stated, $een se!eral times printed# The incident has further !alue than the direct purpose for which I ha!e told it# There are some to whom the Tantra, thou h they may not ha!e read a line of it, is "nothin $ut $lacma ic," and all its followers are "$lac- ma icians#" This is of course a$surd# In this connection I cannot a!oid interposin the o$ser!ation that certain practices are descri$ed in Tantra which, thou h they are alle ed to ha!e the results descri$ed therein, yet exist "for delusion#" The true attitude of the hi her Tantri-a is illustrated $y the action of the 6andit who, if he disappointed my expectations, at any rate $y his refusal afforded an answer to these too eneral alle ations# The second portion of the manuscript in his possession contained o!er dou$le the num$er of Shlo-as to $e found in the first part here pu$lished# The edition which has $een used for the translation is that (now out of print) edited and pu$lished at )alcutta $y Shri Krishna =opala 1ha-ta in )haitra +,4C 1en ali era (0pril, +@@@), with )ommentary of Shrimad Hariharananda 1harati, and with additional notes $y the learned and lately deceased 6andit Ba anmohana Tar-alan -ara, called 3riddha in order to distin uish him from another cele$rated 6andit of the same name# 0 new edition of the same wor- is now, in course of pu$lication, with further notes $y the latterDs son, 6andit Bnanendranatha Tantraratna# This !alua$le )ommentary is not, howe!er, alto ether suita$le for the eneral reader, for it assumes a certain amount of -nowled e on his part which he does not possess# I ha!e accordin ly, whilst a!ailin myself of its aid, written my own commentary, and added an

Introduction explainin certain matters and terms referred to or presupposed $y the text which, as they re2uire a somewhat more extended treatment, could not $e con!eniently dealt with in the footnotes# Some of the matters there explained are, thou h common and fundamental, seldom accurately defined# Nothin , therefore, is lost $y a re-statement of them with an intention to ser!e such accuracy# 'ther matters are of a special character, and are either not enerally -nown or are misunderstood# The Introduction, howe!er, does not profess to $e an exhausti!e treatment of that with which it deals# 'n the contrary, it is $ut an extended note written to help some way towards a $etter understandin of the text $y the ordinary reader# &or a fuller exposition of eneral principles and practice the interested are referred to three wor-s which I ha!e in preparation, "6rinciples of Tantra" ( Tantratattva), "Exposition of the Secret Eorship" (Rahasyapujapaddhati), and "Aescription of the Six )entres" (Shatchakranirupana)# There are, howe!er, some matters in the Shastra or its accompanyin oral tradition which he must, and if disposed thereto will, find out for himself# This, too, is implied $y the sayin in this Tantra that it is $y merit ac2uired in pre!ious $irths that the mind inclines to Kaula doctrine ()hapter 3II#, !erse 44)# Howe!er this may $e, no one will understand the Shastra who starts his in2uiry with a mind $urdened with the current pre.udices a ainst it, whate!er $e the colour of truth some of them may possess $y reason of actual a$use of Shastric principles# In conclusion, I wish to than- my Indian friends for the aid they ha!e i!en me in the preparation of this and other -indred wor-s, and to whom I am inde$ted for much information athered durin many pleasant hours which we ha!e spent to ether in the study of a su$.ect of common interest to them and myself# The Tantras enerally are written in comparati!ely simple Sans-rit# &or their renderin , howe!er, a wor-in -nowled e of their terminolo y and ritual is re2uired, which can $e only fully found in those to whom it is familiar throu h race, up$rin in , and en!ironment, and in whom there is still some re ard for their ancient inheritance# 0s for others, they must learn to see throu h the Indian eye of -nowled e until their own ha!e $een trained to its lines of !ision# In this way we shall $e in the future spared some of the ridiculous presentments of Indian $eliefs common in the past and e!en now too current# 0>THF> 030<'N# January , +4+G#

INTRODUCTION Mount Kailasa

The scene of the re!elation of this Tantra is laid in Himalaya, the "0$ode of Snow," a holy land wei hted with the traditions of the 0ryan race# Here in these lofty uplands, encircled with e!erlastin snows, rose the reat mountain of the north, the Sapta Kula 6ar!ata# Hence the race itself came, and there its early le ends ha!e their settin # There are still shown at 1himudiyar the ca!es where the sons of 6andu and Araupadi rested, as did >ama and his faithful wife at the point where the Kosi .oins the Sita in the ro!e of 0so-a trees# In these mountains ?unis and >ishis li!ed# Here also is the Kshetra of Shi!a ?ahade!a, where His Spouse 6ar!!ati, the dau hter of the ?ountain Kin , was $orn, and where ?other =an es also has her source# &rom time immemorial pil rims ha!e toiled throu h these mountains to !isit the three reat shrines of =an otri, Kedarnath, and 1adrinath# 0t Kan ri, further north, the pil rims ma-e theparikrama of ?ount Kailasa (Kan >inpoche), where Shi!a is said to dwell# This no$ly towerin pea- rises to the north-west of the sacred ?ansarowar <a-e (?apham /um-tso) from amidst the purple ran es of the lower Kan ri ?ountains# The paradise of Shi!a is a summerland of $oth lastin sunshine and cool shade, musical with the son of $irds and $ri ht with undyin flowers# The air, scented with the sweet fra rance of ?andara chaplets, resounds with the music and son of celestial sin ers and players# The ?ount is !ana "arvata, thron ed with trains of Spirits (devayoni), of which the openin )hapter spea-s# 0nd in the re ions $eyond rises ?ount ?eru, centre of the world-lotus# Its hei hts, peopled with spirits, are hun with clusters of stars as with wreaths of ?alati flowers# In short, it is written% "He who thin-s of Himachala, thou h he should not $ehold him, is reater than he who performs all worship in Kashi (1enares)# In a hundred a es of the Ae!as I could not tell thee of the lories of Himachala# 0s the dew is dried up $y the mornin sun, so are the sins of man-ind $y the si ht of Himachala#" It is not, howe!er, necessary to o to the Himalayan Kailasa to find Shi!a# He dwells wheresoe!er his worshippers, !ersed in Kulatatt!a, a$ide, and His mystic mount is to $e sou ht in the thousand-petalled lotus (sahasrara#padma) in the $ody of e!ery human jiva, hence called Shi!asthana, to which all, wheresoe!er situate, may repair when they ha!e learned how to achie!e the way thither# Shi!a promul ates His teachin in the world $elow in the wor-s -nown as /amala, Aamara, Shi!a Sutra, and in the Tantras which exist in the form of Aialo ues $etween the Ae!ata and his Sha-ti, the Ae!i in Her form as 6ar!!ati# 0ccordin to the =ayatri Tantra, the Ae!a =anesha first preached the Tantra to the $evayoni on ?ount Kailasa, after he had himself recei!ed them from the mouth of Shi!a# 0fter a description of the mountain, the Aialo ue opens with a 2uestion from 6ar!!ati in answer to which and those which succeed it, Shi!a unfolds His doctrine on the su$.ects with which this particular Tantra deals# Shi!a and Sha-ti

That eternal immuta$le existence which transcends the turiya and all other states is the unconditioned 0$solute, the supreme 1rahman or 6ara-$rahman, without 6ra-riti ( nishka%a) or Her attri$utes (nir#guna), which, as $ein the inner self and -nowin su$.ect, can ne!er $e the o$.ect of co nition, and is to $e apprehended only throu h yoga $y the reali8ation of the Self (atmajana), which It is# &or as it is said, "Spirit can alone -now Spirit#" 1ein $eyond mind, speech, and without name, the 1rahman was called "Tat," "That," and then "Tat Sat," "That which is#" &or the sun, moon, and stars, and all !isi$le thin s, what are they $ut a limpse of li ht cau ht from "That" (Tat)H Brahman is $oth nishka%a and saka%a# Ka%a is 6ra-riti# The nishka%a 1rahman or 6ara-$rahman is the Tat, when thou ht of as without 6ra-riti (prakriteranya)# It is called saka%a when with 6ra-riti# 0s the su$stance of 6ra-riti is the three unas It is then su#guna, as in the pre!ious state It was nir#guna# Thou h in the latter state It is thou ht of as without Sha-ti, yet (ma-in accommodation to human speech) in It potentially exists Sha-ti, Its power and the whole uni!erse produced $y It# To say, howe!er, that the Sha-ti exists in the 1rahman is $ut a form of speech, since It and Sha-ti are, in fact, one, and Sha-ti is eternal ( &nadi#rupa)# She is Brahma#rupa and $oth vi#guna (nir#guna) and sa#guna7 the 'haitanya#rupini#$evi, who manifests all bhuta# She is the &nanda#rupini#$evi, $y whom the 1rahman manifests Itself, and who, to use the words of the Sarada, per!ades the uni!erse as does oil the sesamum seed# In the $e innin the (ishka%a 1rahman alone existed# In the $e innin there was the 'ne# It willed and $ecame many# &hab bahu syam I "may I $e many#" In such manifestation of Sha-ti the 1rahman is -nown as the lower ( apara) or manifested 1rahman, who, as the su$.ect of worship, is meditated upon with attri$utes# 0nd, in fact, to the mind and sense of the em$odied spirit (jiva) the 1rahman has $ody and form# It is em$odied in the forms of all Ae!as and Ae!ils, and in the worshipper himself# Its form is that of the uni!erse, and of all thin s and $ein s therein# 0s Shruti says% "He saw" (Sa aikshata, aham bahu syam prajayeya)# "He thou ht to Himself may I $e many#" "Sa aikshaya" was itself a manifestation of Sha-ti, the "ara#mapurva#nirvana shakti, or 1rahman as Sha-ti# &rom the 1rahman, with Sha-ti ("ara#shakti#maya) issued Nada (Shi!a-Sha-ti as the "Eord" or "Sound" ), and from Nada, 3indu appeared# Kalicharana in his commentary on the Shatcha-ra-nirupana says that Shi!a and Nir!ana Sha-ti $ound $y a mayi- $ond and co!erin , should $e thou ht of as existin in the form of 6aran 3indu# The Sarada says% Sachchidananda vibhavat saka%at parameshvarat asichchhaktistato nado, nadad vindu#samudbhavah ("&rom 6aramesh!ara !ested with the wealth of sachchidananda and with 6ra-riti (saka%a) issued Sha-ti7 from Sha-ti came Nada and from Nada was $orn 3indu" )# The state of su$tle $ody which is -nown as Kama--ala is the mu%a of mantra# The term mu%a#mantratmika, when applied to the Ae!i, refers to this su$tle $ody of Hers -nown as the Kama--ala# The Tantra also spea-s of three 3indus, namely Shi!amaya, Sha-ti-maya, and Shi!a-sha-ti-maya# The 6aran -!indu is represented as a circle, the centre of which is the brahma#pada, or place of 1rahman, wherein are 6ra-riti-6urusha, the circumference of which is encirclin maya# It is on the crescent of nirvana#ka%a, the se!enteenth, which is a ain in that of ama#ka%a, the sixteenth di it (referred to in the text) of the moon-circle ( 'handramanda%a), which circle is situate a$o!e the Sun-)ircle (Suryyamanda%a), the !uru and the hangsah, which are in the

pericarp of the thousand-petalled lotus (sahasrarapadma)# Next to the 3indu is the fiery 1odhini, or Ni$odhi-a (!# post)# The 3indu, with the Nir!ana--ala, Ni$odhi-a, and 0ma--ala, are situated in the li htnin -li-e in!erted trian le -nown as " &, Ka, Tha," and which is so called $ecause at its apex is &7 at its ri ht $ase is )a7 and at its left $ase Tha# It is made up of fortyei ht letters (matrika)% the sixteen !owels runnin from & to Ka7 sixteen consonants of the ka# varga and other roups runnin from & to Ka7 and the remainin sixteen from Ka to Tha# Inside are the remainin letters (matrika), ha, %a(second), and ksha# 0s the su$stance of Ae!i is matrika (matrika#mayi) the trian le represents the "Eord" of all that exists# The trian le is itself encircled $y the 'handramanda%a# The 3indu is sym$olically descri$ed as $ein li-e a rain of ram (chanaka), which under its encirclin sheath contains a di!ided seed# This "arang#vindu is 6ra-riti-6urusha, Shi!a-Sha-ti# It is -nown as the Sha$da-1rahman (the Sound 1rahman), or 0para$rahman# 0 polari8ation of the two Shi!a and Sha-ti Tattvas then ta-es place in "arashaktimaya# The Ae!i $ecomes *nmukhi# Her face turns towards Shi!a# There is an unfoldin which $ursts the encirclin shell of ?aya, and creation then ta-es place $y di!ision of Shi!a and Sha-ti or of "Han " and "Sah#" The Sarada says% "The $evataparashaktimaya is a ain Itself di!ided, such di!isions $ein -nown as 3indu, 3a.a, and Nada# 3indu is of the nature of Nada or Shi!a, and 3a.a of Sha-ti, and Nada has $een said to $e the relation of these two $y those who are !ersed in all the 0 amas#" The Sarada says that $efore the $urstin of the shell enclosin the brahma#pada, which, to ether with its definin circumference, constitute the Sha$da-$rahman, an indistinct sound arose (avyaktatmaravobhavat)# This avyaktanadais $oth the first and the last state of Nada, accordin as it is !iewed from the standpoint of e!olution or in!olution# &or Nada, as >a ha!a$hatta says, exists in three states# In Nada are the una ( sattva, rajas, and tamas), which form the su$stance of 6ra-riti, which with Shi!a It is# Ehen tamo#guna predominates Nada is merely an indistinct or unmanifested ( dhvanyat + makoDvykta#nadah) sound in the nature of dhvani# In this state, in which it is a phase of 0!ya-tanada, it is called Ni$odhi-a, or 1odhini# It is Nada when rajoguna is in the ascendant, when there is a sound in which there is somethin li-e a connected or com$ined disposition of the letters# Ehen the satt!a- una preponderates Nada assumes the form of 3indu# The action of rajas on tamas is to !eil# Its own independent action effects an arran ement which is only perfected $y the emer ence of the essentially manifestin sattvika guna set into play $y it# Nada, 3indu, and Ni$odhi-a, and the Sha-ti, of which they are the specific manifestation, are said to $e in the form of Sun, ?oon, and &ire respecti!ely# Jana (spiritual wisdom) is spo-en of as fire as it $urns up all actions, and the tamoguna is associated with it# &or when the effect of cause and effect of action are really -nown, then action ceases# ,chchha is the ?oon# The ?oon contains the sixteenth di it, the 0ma--ala with its nectar, which neither increases nor decays, and ,chchha, or will, is the eternal precursor of creation# Kriya is li-e the Sun, for as the Sun $y its li ht ma-es all thin s !isi$le, so unless there is action and stri!in there cannot $e reali8ation or manifestation# 0s the =ita sways% "0s one Sun ma-es manifest all the %oka#" The Sha$da-1rahman manifests Itself in a triad of ener ies I -nowled e (janashakti), will (ichchha#shakti), and action (kriya#shakti), associated with the three gunas of 6ra-riti, tamas, sattva, and rajas# &rom the 6aran -3indu, who is $oth vindvat# maka and ka%atma I i-e-, Sha-ti I issued >audri, >udra, and his Sha-ti, whose forms are fire (vahni), and whose acti!ity is -nowled e (jana)7 3ama, and 3ishnu and his Sha-ti, whose form is the sun, and whose acti!ity is kriya (action)% and Byeshtha and 1rahma and his Sha-ti, whose form is the ?oon and whose acti!ity is desire# The 3ama-esh!ara Tantra says that Tripura is threefold, as 1rahma, 3ishnu, and Isha7 and as the ener ies desire, wisdom, and

action, the ener y of will when 1rahman would create7 the ener y of wisdom when She reminds Him, sayin "<et this $e thus" 7 and when, thus -nowin , He acts, She $ecomes the ener y of action# The Ae!i is thus ,chchha#shakti#jana#shakti#kriya#shakti#svaru#pini# 6ara-shi!a exists as a septenary under the form, firstly, of Sham$hu, who is the associate of time (ka%a#bandhu)# &rom Him issues Sada-shi!a, Eho per!ades and manifests all thin s, and then come Ishana and the triad, >udra, 3ishnu, and 1rahma, each with their respecti!e Sha-ti (without whom they a!ail nothin ) separately and particularly associated with the unas, tamas, sattva and rajas# 'f these Ae!as, the last triad, to ether with Ishana, and Sadashi!a, are the fi!e Shi!as who are collecti!ely -nown as the Maha#preta, whose vija is "Hsauh#" 'f the ?aha-preta, it is said that the last four form the support, and the fifth the seat, of the $ed on which the Ae!i is united with 6arama-shi!a, in the room of chintamani stone, on the .ewelled island clad with clumps of kadamba and hea!enly trees set in the ocean of 0m$rosia# Shi!a is !ariously addressed in this wor- as Sham$hu, Sada-shi!a, Shan-ara, ?ahesh!ara, etc#, names which indicate particular states, 2ualities, and manifestations of the 'ne in its descent towards the many7 for there are many >udras# Thus Sada-shi!a indicates the predominance of the sattva#guna# His names are many, +,;;@ $ein i!en in the sixty-ninth chapter of the Shi!a 6urana, and in the se!enteenth chapter of the 0nushasana 6ar!an of the ?aha$harata# Sha-ti is $oth maya, that $y which the 1rahman creatin the uni!erse is a$le to ma-e Itself appear to $e different from what It really is, and mu%a#prakriti, or the unmanifested (avyakta) state of that which, when manifest, is the uni!erse of name and form# It is the primary so called "material cause," consistin of the e2uipoise of the triad of guna or "2ualities" which are sattva (that which manifests) rajas (that which acts), tamas (that which !eils and produces inertia)# The three unas represent Nature as the re!elation of spirit, Nature as the passa e of descent from spirit to matter, or of ascent from matter to spirit, and Nature as the dense !eil of spirit# The Ae!i is thus guna#nidhi ("treasure-house of una" )# Mu%a#prakriti is the wom$ into which 1rahman casts the seed from which all thin s are $orn# The wom$ thrills to the mo!ement of the essentially acti!e rajo#guna# The e2uili$rium of the triad is destroyed, and the guna, now in !aried com$inations, e!ol!e under the illumination of Shi!a ( chit), the uni!erse which is ruled $y ?ahesh!ara and ?ahesh!ari# The dual principles of Shi!a and Sha-ti, which are in such dual form the product of the polarity manifested in "arashakti#maya, per!ade the whole uni!erse, and are present in man in the S!ayam$hu-<in a of the mu%adhara and the Ae!i Kundalini, who, in serpent form, encircles it# The Sha$da-1rahman assumes in the $ody of man the form of the Ae!i Kundalini, and as such is in all prani ($reathin creatures), and in the shape of letters appears in prose and !erse# Kunda%a means coiled# Hence Kundalini, whose form is that of a coiled serpent, means that which is coiled# She is the luminous !ital ener y ( jiva#shakti) which manifests as prana, She sleeps in the mu%adhara, and has three and a half coils correspondin in num$er with the three and a half vindus of which the Ku$.i-a Tantra spea-s# Ehen after closin the ears the sound of Her hissin is not heard death approaches# &rom the first avyakta creation issued the second mahat, with its three una distinctly manifested# Thence sprun the third creation ahangkara (selfhood), which is of threefold form I vaikarika, or pure sattvika ahangkara7 thetaijasa, or rajasika ahangkara7 and the tamasika,

or bhutadika ahangkara# The latter is the ori in of the su$tle essences (tan#matra) of the Tattvas, ether, air, fire, water, earth, associated with sound, touch, si ht, taste and smell, and with the colours I pure transparency, shyama, red, white, and yellow# There is some difference in the schools as to that which each of the three forms produces, $ut from such threefold form of &hang#kara issue the indriya ("senses"), and the Ae!as Ai-, 3ata, 0r-a, 6rachetas, 3ahni, Indra, Fpendra, ?itra, and the 0sh!ins# The vaikarika, taijasa, and bhutadika are the fourth, fifth, and sixth creations, which are -nown as prakrita, or appertainin to 6ra-riti# The rest, which are products of these, such as the !e eta$le world with its upward life current, animals with hori8ontal life current, and bhuta, preta and the li-e, whose life current tends downward, constitute the vaikrita creation, the two $ein -nown as the kaumara creation# The =oddess (Ae!i) is the reat Sha-ti# She is Maya, for of Her the maya which produces the sangsara is# 0s <ord of Maya She is Mahamaya# Ae!i is a#vidya (nescience) $ecause She $inds and vidya (-nowled e) $ecause She li$erates and destroys the sangsara# She is 6ra-riti, and as existin $efore creation is the &dya (primordial) Sha-ti# Ae!i is the vachaka#shakti, the manifestation of chit in 6ra-riti, and the vachya#shakti, or 'hit itself# The &tma should $e contemplated as Ae!i# Sha-ti or Ae!i is thus the 1rahman re!ealed in Its mother aspect ( shri# mata) as )reatrix and Nourisher of the worlds# Kali says of Herself in /o ini Tantra "Sachchidananda#rupaham brahmaivaham sphurat#prab#ham#" So the Ae!i is descri$ed with attri$utes $oth of the 2ualified 1rahman7 and (since that 1rahman is $ut the manifestation of the 0$solute) She is also addressed with epithets, which denote the unconditioned 1rahman# She is the reat ?other (&mbika) sprun from the sacrificial hearth of the fire of the =rand )onsciousness (chit)7 dec-ed with the Sun and ?oon7 <alita, "She who plays"7 whose play is world-play7 whose eyes playin li-e fish in the $eauteous waters of her Ai!ine face, open and shut with the appearance and disappearance of countless worlds now illuminated $y her li ht now wrapped in her terri$le dar-ness# The Ae!i, as 6ara-$rahman, is $eyond all form and guna# The forms of the ?other of the Fni!erse are threefold# There is first the Supreme (para) form, of which, as the 3ishnu-yamala says, "none -now#" There is next her su$tle (sukshma) form, which consists of mantra# 1ut as the mind cannot easily settle itself upon that which is formless, She appears as the su$.ect of contemplation in Her third, or ross (sthu%a), or physical form, with hands and feet and the li-e as cele$rated in the $evi#stotra of the 6uranas and Tantras# Ae!i, who as 6ra-riti is the source of 1rahma, 3ishnu, and ?ahesh-!ara, has $oth male and female forms# 1ut it is in Her female forms that She is chiefly contemplated# &or thou h existin in all thin s, in a peculiar sense female $ein s are parts of Her# The =reat ?other, who exists in the form of all Tantras and all /antras, is, as the <alita says, the "unsullied treasure-house of $eauty" 7 the Sapphire Ae!i, whose slender waist, $endin $eneath the $urden of the ripe fruit of her $reasts, swells into .ewelled hips hea!y with the promise of infinite maternities# 0s the ?ahade!i She exists in all forms as Saras!ati, <a-shmi, =ayatri, Aur a, Tripurasundari, 0nna-purna, and all the Ae!i who are avatara of the 1rahman# Ae!i, as Sati, Fma, 6ar!!ati, and =auri, is spouse of Shi!a# It was as Sati prior to Aa-shaDs sacrifice (daksha#yajna) that the Ae!i manifested Herself to Shi!a in the ten cele$rated forms -nown as the dasha#mahavidya referred to in the text I Kali, 1a ala, )hhinnamasta, 1hu!anesh!ari, ?atan ini, Shodashi, Ahuma!ati, Tripura-sundari, Tara, and 1haira!i# Ehen,

at the Aa-sha-ya.na She yielded up her life in shame and sorrow at the treatment accorded $y her father to Her Hus$and, Shi!a too- away the $ody, and, e!er $earin it with Him, remained wholly distrau ht and spent with rief# To sa!e the world from the forces of e!il which arose and rew with the withdrawal of His Ai!ine control, 3ishnu with His discus ( chakra) cut the dead $ody of Sati, which Shi!a $ore, into fifty-one fra ments, which fell to earth at the places thereafter -nown as the fifty-one maha#pitha#sthana (referred to in the text), where Ae!i, with Her 1haira!a, is worshipped under !arious names# 1esides the forms of the Ae!i in the brahmanda there is Her su$tle form called Kundalini in the $ody (pindanda)# These are $ut some only of Her endless forms# She is seen as one and as many, as it were, $ut one moon reflected in countless waters# She exists, too, in all animals and inor anic thin s, since the uni!erse with all its $eauties is, as the Ae!i 6urana says, $ut a part of Her# 0ll this di!ersity of form is $ut the infinite manifestations of the flowerin $eauty of the 'ne Supreme <ife, a doctrine which is nowhere else tau ht with reater wealth of illustration than in the Sha-ta Shastras, and Tantras# The reat 1har a in the $ri ht Sun and all Ae!atas, and, indeed, all life and $ein , are wonderful, and are worshipful, $ut only as Her manifestations# 0nd he who worships them otherwise is, in the words of the reat Ae!i$ha a!ata, "li-e unto a man who, with the li ht of a clear lamp in his hands, yet falls into some waterless and terri$le well#" The hi hest worship for which the sadhaka is 2ualified (adhikari) only after external worship and that internal form -nown as sadhara, is descri$ed as niradhara# Therein 6ure Intelli ence is the Supreme Sha-ti who is worshipped as the 3ery Self, the Eitness freed of the lamour of the manifold Fni!erse# 1y oneDs own direct experience of ?ahesh!ari as the Self She is with re!erence made the o$.ect of that worship which leads to li$eration# =una It cannot $e said that current explanations i!e a clear understandin of this su$.ect# /et such is necessary, $oth as affordin one of the chief -eys to Indian philosophy and to the principles which o!ern Sadhana# The term guna is enerally translated "2uality," a word which is only accepted for default of a $etter# &or it must not $e o!erloo-ed that the three guna (Sattva, rajas, and tamas), which are of 6ra-riti, constitute Her !ery su$stance# This $ein so, all Nature which issues from Her, the Maha#karana#svarupa#, is called tri# gunatmaka, and is composed of the same guna in different states of relation to one another# The functions of sattva, rajas, and tamas are to re!eal, to ma-e acti!e, and to suppress respecti!ely# Rajas is the dynamic, as sattva and tamas are static principles# That is to say, sattva and tamas can neither re!eal nor suppress without $ein first rendered acti!e $y rajas# These unas wor- $y mutual suppression# The unre!ealed 6ra-riti (avyakta#prakriti) or Ae!i is the state of sta$le e2uili$rium of these three guna# Ehen this state is distur$ed the manifested uni!erse appears, in e!ery o$.ect of which one or other of the three guna is in the ascendant# Thus in Ae!as, as in those who approach the divya state, sattva predominates, and rajas and tamas are !ery much reduced# That is, their independent manifestation is reduced# They are in one sense still there, for whererajas is not independently acti!e it is operatin on sattva to suppress tamas, which appears or disappears to the extent to which it is, or is not, su$.ect to suppression $y the re!ealin principle# In the ordinary human jiva, considered as a class, tamas is less reduced than in the case of the Ae!a, $ut !ery much reduced when comparison is made with the

animal jiva# Rajas has reat independent acti!ity, and sattva is also considera$ly acti!e# In the animal creation sattvahas considera$ly less acti!ity# Rajas has less independent acti!ity than in man, $ut is much more acti!e than in the !e eta$le world# Tamas is reatly less preponderant than in the latter# In the !e eta$le -in dom tamas is more preponderant than in the case of animals, and $oth rajas and sattva less so# In the inor anic creation rajas ma-es tamas acti!e to suppress $oth sattva and its own independent acti!ity# It will thus $e seen that the "upward" or re!ealin mo!ement from the predominance of tamas to that of sattva represents the spiritual pro ress of the jivatma# 0 ain, as $etween each mem$er of these classes one or other of the three guna may $e more or less in the ascendant# Thus, in one man as compared with another, the sattva guna may predominate, in which case his temperament is satt!i-, or, as the Tantra calls it, divyabhava# In another the rajoguna may pre!ail, and in the third the tamoguna, in which case the indi!idual is descri$ed as ra.asi-, or tamasi-, or, to use Tantri- phraseolo y, he is said to $elon to virabhava, or is a pashu respecti!ely# 0 ain the !e eta$le creation is o$!iously less tamasi-, and more ra.asiand satt!i- than the mineral, and e!en amon st these last there may $e possi$ly some which are less tamasi- than others# Etymolo ically, sattva is deri!ed from "sat," that which is eternally existent# The eternally existent is also chit, pure Intelli ence or Spirit, and ananda or 1liss# In a secondary sense, sat is also used to denote the " ood#" 0nd commonly (thou h such use o$scures the ori inal meanin ), the word sattva guna is rendered " ood 2uality#" It is, howe!er, " ood" in the sense that it is producti!e of ood and happiness# In such case, howe!er, stress is laid rather on a necessary 2uality or effect (in the ethical sense) of " sat" than upon its ori inal meanin # In the primary sense sat is that which revea%s# Nature is a re!elation of spirit (sat)# Ehere Nature is such a re!elation of spirit there it manifests as sattva guna# It is the shinin forth from under the !eil of the hidden spiritual su$stance ( sat)# 0nd that e2uality in thin s which re!eals this is sattva guna# So of a pre nant woman it is said that she is antahsattva, or instinct withsattva7 she in whom sattva as jiva (whose characteristic una is sattva) is li!in in an hidden state# 1ut Nature not only re!eals, $ut is also a dense co!erin or !eil of spirit, at times so dense that the i norant fail to discern the spirit which it !eils# Ehere Nature is a !eil of spirit there it appears in its 2uality of tamoguna# In this case the tamoguna is currently spo-en of as representati!e of inertia, $ecause that is the effect of the nature which !eils# This 2uality, a ain, when translated into the moral sphere, $ecomes i norance, sloth, etc# In a third sense nature is a $rid e $etween spirit which re!eals and matter which !eils# Ehere Nature is a $rid e of descent from spirit to matter, or of ascent from matter to spirit, there it manifests itself as rajoguna# This is enerally referred to as the 2uality of acti!ity, and when transferred to the sphere of feelin it shows itself as passion# Each thin in Nature then contains that in which spirit is manifested or reflected as in a mirror or sattvaguna7 that $y which spirit is co!ered, as it were, $y a !eil of dar-ness or tamoguna, and that which is the !ehicle for the descent into matter or the return to spirit or rajoguna# Thus sattva is the li ht of

Nature, as tamas is its shade# Rajas is, as it were, a $lended tint oscillatin $etween each of the extremes constituted $y the other una# The o$.ect of Tantri- sadhana is to $rin out and ma-e preponderant the sattva guna $y the aid of rajas, which operates to ma-e the former una acti!e# The su$tle $ody ( %ingasharira) of the jivatma comprises in it buddhi, ahangkara,manas, and the ten senses# This su$tle $ody creates for itself ross $odies suited to the spiritual state of the jivatma# Fnder the influence of prarabdhda karmma, buddhi $ecomes tamasik, rajasik, or sattvik# In the first case thejivatma assumes inanimate $odies7 in the second, acti!e passionate $odies7 and in the third, satt!i- $odies of !aryin de rees of spiritual excellence, ran in from man to the Ae!a# The ross $ody is also trigunatmaka# This $ody con!eys impressions to the jivatma throu h the su$tle $ody and the buddhi in particular# Ehen sattva is made acti!e impressions of happiness result, and when rajas or tamas are acti!e the impressions are those of sorrow and delusion# These impressions are the result of the predominance of these respecti!e una# The action of rajas on sattva produces happiness, as its own independent acti!ity or operation on tamas produce sorrow and delusion respecti!ely# Ehere sattva or happiness is predominant, there sorrow and delusion are suppressed# Ehere rajas or sorrow is predominant, there happiness and delusion are suppressed# 0nd where tamas or delusion predominates there, as in the case of the inor anic world, $oth happiness and sorrow are suppressed# 0ll o$.ects share these three states in different proportions# There is, howe!er, always in the jivatma an admixture of sorrow with happiness, due to the operation of rajas# &or happiness, which is the fruit of ri hteous acts done to attain happiness, is after all only a vikara# The natural state of the jivatma + that is, the state of its own true nature I is that $liss (ananda) which arises from the pure -nowled e of the Self, in which $oth happiness and sorrow are e2ually o$.ects of indifference# The worldly en.oyment of a person in!ol!es pain to self or others# This is the result of the pursuit of happiness, whether $y ri hteous or unri hteous acts# 0s spiritual pro ress is made, the ross $ody $ecomes more and more refined# In inanimate $odies karma operates to the production of pure delusion# 'n the exhaustion of such karma the jivatmaassumes animate $odies for the operation of such forms of karma as lead to sorrow and happiness mixed with delusion# In the !e eta$le world sattva is $ut little acti!e, with a correspondin lac- of discrimination, for discrimination is the effect of sattva in buddhi, and from discrimination arises the reco nition of pleasure and pain, conceptions of ri ht and wron , of the transitory and intransitory, and so forth, which are the fruit of a hi h de ree of discrimination, or of acti!ity of sattva# In the lower animal sattva in buddhi is not sufficiently acti!e to lead to any de ree of de!elopment of these conceptions# In man, howe!er, the sattva in buddhi is considera$ly acti!e, and in conse2uence these conceptions are natural in him# &or this reason the human $irth is, for spiritual purposes, so important# 0ll men, howe!er, are not capa$le of formin such conceptions in an e2ual de ree# The de ree of acti!ity in an indi!idualDs buddhidepends on his prarabdha karma# Howe!er $ad such karma may $e in any particular case, the indi!idual is yet ifted with that amount of discrimination which, if properly aroused and aided, will ena$le him to $etter his spiritual condition $y inducin the rajoguna in him to i!e more and more acti!ity to the sattva guna in his buddhi# 'n this account proper uidance and spiritual direction are necessary# 0 ood guru, $y reason of his own nature and spiritual attainment and disinterested wisdom, will $oth mar- out for the sishya the path which is proper for him, and aid him to follow it $y the infusion of the tejas which is in the =uru himself# Ehilst sadhana is, as stated, a process for the

stimulation of the sattva guna, it is e!ident that one form of it is not suita$le to all# It must $e adapted to the spiritual condition of the sishya, otherwise it will cause in.ury instead of ood# Therefore it is that the adoption of certain forms of sadhana $y persons who are not competent (adhikari), may not only $e fruitless of any ood result, $ut may e!en lead to e!ils which sadhana as a eneral principle is desi ned to pre!ent# Therefore also is it said that it is $etter to follow oneDs own dharma than that, howe!er exalted it $e, of another# The Eorlds (<o-a) This earth, which is the o$.ect of the physical senses and of the -nowled e $ased thereon, is $ut one of fourteen worlds or re ions placed "a$o!e" and "$elow" it, of which (as the sutra says) -nowled e may $e o$tained $y meditation on the solar "ner!e" (nada) sushumna in the merudanda# 'n this nadi six of the upper worlds are threaded, the se!enth and hi hest o!erhan in it in the Sahasrara "adma, the thousand-petalled lotus# The sphere of earth (Bhur%oka),with its continents, their mountains and ri!ers, and with its oceans, is the se!enth or lowest of the upper worlds# 1eneath it are the Hells and Nether Eorlds, the names of which are i!en $elow# 0$o!e the terrestrial sphere isBhuvar%oka, or the atmospheric sphere -nown as the antariksha, extendin "from the earth to the sun," in which the Siddhas and other celestial $ein s (devayoni) of the upper air dwell# "&rom the sun to the pole star" dhruva) issvar%oka, or the hea!enly sphere# Hea!en (svarga) is that which deli hts the mind, as hell (naraka) is that which i!es it pain# In the former is the a$ode of the $eva and the $lest# These three spheres are the re ion of the conse2uences of wor-, and are termed transitory as compared with the three hi hest spheres, and the fourth, which is of a mixed character# Ehen the jiva has recei!ed his reward he is re$orn a ain on earth# &or it is not ood action, $ut the -nowled e of the atma which procures <i$eration (moksha)# 0$o!e Svar%oka is Mahar%oka, and a$o!e it the three ascendin re ions -nown as the janar%oka, tapo%oka, and satya%oka,each inha$ited $y !arious forms of celestial intelli ence of hi her and hi her de ree# 1elow the earth (Bhuh) and a$o!e the nether worlds are the Hells (commencin with &vichi), and of which, accordin to popular theolo y, there are thirty-four, thou h it is elsewhere said there are as many hells as there are offences for which particular punishments are meted out# 'f these, six are -nown as the reat at hells# Hinduism, howe!er, e!en when popular, -nows nothin of a hell of eternal torment# To it nothin is eternal $ut the 1rahman# Issuin from the Hells the jiva is a ain re$orn to ma-e its future# 1elow the Hells are the se!en nether worlds, Sutala, 3itala, Talatala, ?ahatala, >asatala, 0tala, and 6atala, where, accordin to the 6uranas, dwell the Na a serpent di!inities, $rilliant with .ewels, and where, too, the lo!ely dau hters of the Aaityas and Aana!as wander, fascinatin e!en the most austere# /et $elow 6atala is the form of 3ishnu proceedin from the dar- 2uality (tamogunah), -nown as the Sesha serpent or 0nanta, $earin the entire world as a diadem, attended $y his Sha-ti 3aruni, his own em$odied radiance# Inha$itants of the Eorlds The worlds are inha$ited $y countless rades of $ein s, ran in from the hi hest Ae!as (of whom there are many classes and de rees) to the lowest animal life# The scale of $ein s runs from the shinin manifestations of Spirit to those in which it is so !eiled that it would seem almost to ha!e disappeared in its material co!erin # There is $ut one <i ht, one Spirit, whose

manifestations are many# 0 flame enclosed in a clear lass loses $ut little of its $rilliancy# If we su$stitute for the lass, paper, or some other more opa2ue yet transparent su$stance, the li ht is dimmer# 0 co!erin of metal may $e so dense as to exclude from si ht the rays of li ht which yet $urns within with an e2ual $rilliancy# 0s a fact, all such !eilin forms are maya# They are none the less true for those who li!e in and are themsel!es part of the mayi- world# Ae!a, or "hea!enly and shinin one" I for spirit is li ht and self-manifestation I is applica$le to those descendin yet hi h manifestations of the 1rahman, such as the se!en Shi!as, includin the Trinity (trimurtti), 1rahma, 3ishnu, and >udra# Ae!i, a ain, is the title of the Supreme ?other Herself, and is a ain applied to the manifold forms assumed $y the one only ?aya, such as Kali, Saras!ati, <a-shmi, =auri, =ayatri, Sandhya, and others# In the sense also in which it is said, "3erily, in the $e innin there was the 1rahman# It created the Ae!as," the latter term also includes lofty intelli encies $elon in to the created world intermediate $etween Ish!ara (Himself a "urusha) and man, who in the person of the 1rahmana is -nown as Earth-de!a (bhudeva)# These spirits are of !aryin de rees# &or there are no $rea-s in the creation which represents an apparent descent of the 1rahman in radually lowered forms# Throu hout these forms play the di!ine currents of pravritti and nivritti, the latter drawin to Itself that which the former has sent forth# $eva, jiva and jara (inor anic matter) are, in their real, as opposed to their phenomenal and illusory, $ein , the one 1rahman, which appears thus to $e other than Itself throu h its connection with the upadhi or limitin conditions with which i norance (avidya) in!ests it# Therefore all $ein s which are the o$.ect of worship are each of them $ut the 1rahman seen throu h the !eil of avidya# Thou h the worshippers of Ae!as may not -now it, their worship is in reality the worship of the 1rahman, and hence the ?ahanir!ana Tantra says that, "as all streams flow to the ocean, so the worship i!en to any Ae!a is recei!ed $y the 1rahman#" 'n the other hand, those who, -nowin this, worship the Ae!as, do so as manifestations of the 1rahman, and thus worship It mediately# The sun, the most lorious sym$ol in the physical world, is the mayi- !esture of Her who is "clothed with the sun#" In the lower ran-s of the celestial hierarchy are the Ae!ayonis, some of whom are mentioned in the openin !erses of the first chapter of the text# The Ae!as are of two classes% "un$orn" (ajata) + that is, those which ha!e not, and those which ha!e ( sadhya) e!ol!ed from humanity as in the case of Kin Nahusha, who $ecame Indra# 'pposed to the di!ine hosts are the 0sura, Aana!a, Aaitya, >a-shasa, who, with other spirits, represent the tamasi- or demonic element in creation# 0ll Ae!as, from the hi hest downwards, are su$ordinate to $oth time and karma# So it is said, "Salutation to Karma, o!er which not e!en 3idhi (1rahma) pre!ails" ((amastat karmmabhyovidhirapi na yebhyah prabhavati)#The renderin of the term "Ae!a" $y "=od" has led to a misapprehension of Hindu thou ht# The use of the term "an el" may also mislead, for thou h the world of Ae!as has in some respects analo y to the an elic choirs, the )hristian conception of these 1ein s, their ori in and functions, does not include, $ut in fact excludes, other ideas connoted $y the Sans-rit term# The pitris, or "&athers," are a creation (accordin to some) separate from the predecessors of humanity, and are, accordin to others, the lunar ancestry who are addressed in prayer with the Ae!as# &rom 1rahma, who is -nown as the "=randfather" 6ita ?aha of the human race, issued ?arichi, 0tri, and others, his "mental sons"% the 0 nish!att!ah, Saumnyah, Ha!ishmantah, Fshmapah, and other classes of "itris, num$erin , accordin to the ?ar-andeya 6urana, thirty-one# Tarpanam, or o$lation, is daily offered to these pitris# The term

is also applied to the human ancestors of the worshipper enerally up to the se!enth eneration to whom in shraddha (the o$se2uial rites) pinda and water are offered with the mantra "svadha#" The Rishi are seers who -now, and $y their -nowled e are the ma-ers of shastra and "see" all mantras# The word comes from the root rish Rishati#prapnoti sarvvang mantrang jnanena pashyati sangsaraparangva, etc# The se!en reat Rishi or saptarshi of the first manvantara are ?arichi, 0tri, 0n iras, 6ulaha, Kratu, 6ulastya, and 3ashishtha# In other manvantara there are other sapta#rshi# In the present manvantara the se!en are Kashyapa 0tri, 3ashishtha, 3ish!amitra, =autama, Bamada ni, 1harad!a.a# To the Rishi the 3edas were re!ealed# 3yasa tau ht the >i !eda so re!ealed to 6aila, the /a.ur!eda to 3aishampayana, the Sama!eda to Baimini, 0thar!a!eda to Samantu, and ,tihasa and 6urana to Suta# The three chief classes of Rishi are the Brah#marshi, $orn of the mind of 1rahma, the $evarshi of lower ran-, and Rajarshi or Kin s who $ecame Rishis throu h their -nowled e and austerities, such as Bana-a, >itaparna, etc# Thc Shrutarshi are ma-ers of Shastras, as Sushruta# The Kandarshi are of the Karma-anda, such as Baimini# The Muni, who may $e a Rishi, is a sa e# ?uni is so called on account of his mananam (mananat muniruchyate)# Mananam is that thou ht, in!esti ation, and discussion which mar-s the independent thin-in mind# &irst there isshravanam listenin 7 then mananam, which is the thin-in or understandin , discussion upon, and testin of what is heard as opposed to the mere acceptance on trust of the lower intelli ence# There two are followed $ynididhyasanam, which is attention and profound meditation on the conclusions ( siddhanta) drawn from what is so heard and reasoned upon# 0s the ?aha$harata says, "The 3eda differ, and so do the Smriti# No one is a muni who has no independent opinion of his own ( nasau muniryasya matang na bhinnam)# The human $ein is called jiva + that is, the em$odied &tma possessed $y e oism and of the notion that it directs the puryashtaka, namely, the fi!e or ans of action ( karmendriya), the fi!e or ans of perception (jnanendriya), the fourfold antahkarana or mental self (Manas, Buddhi, &hangkara, 'hitta), the fi!e !ital airs ("rana), the fi!e elements, Kama (desire), Karma (action and its results), and &vidya (illusion)# Ehen these false notions are destroyed, the em$odiment is destroyed, and the wearer of the mayiarment attains nirvana# Ehen the jiva is a$sor$ed in 1rahman, there is no lon er any jiva remainin as such# 3arna 'rdinarily there are four chief di!isions or castes (varna) of Hindu society I !i8#% Brahmana (priesthood7 teachin )7 Kshattriya (warrior)7 Vaishya (merchant)7 Shudra (ser!ile) I said to ha!e sprun respecti!ely from the mouth, arm, thi h, and foot of 1rahma# 0 man of the first three classes $ecomes an in!estiture, durin the upanayana ceremony of the sacred thread, twice-$orn (dvija)# It is said that $y $irth one is shudra, $y sangskara (upanayana), dvija (twice-$orn)7 $y study of the 3edas one attains the state of a vipra7 and that he who has -nowled e of the 1rahman is a Brahmana# The present Tantra, howe!er, spea-s of a fifth or hy$rid class (samanya), resultin from intermixture $etween the others# It is a peculiarity of Tantra that its worship is lar ely free of 3aidi- exclusi!eness, whether $ased on caste, sex, or otherwise# 0s

the =autamiya Tantra says, "The Tantra is for all men, of whate!er caste, and for all women" (Sarvvavarnadhikaraschcha narinang yogya eva cha)# 0shrama The four sta es, conditions, or periods in the life of a 1rahman are% &irst, that of the chaste student, or brahmachari7 second, the period of secular life as a married householder, or grihastha7 third, that of the recluse, or vanaprastha,when there is retirement from the world7 and lastly, that of the $e ar, or bhikshu, who $e s his sin le daily meal, and meditates upon the Supreme Spirit to which he is a$out to return# &or the Kshattriya there are the first three 0shramas7 for the Vaishya, the first two7 and for the Shudra, the grihastha &shrama only# This Tantra states that in the Kali a e there are only two 0shrama# The second garhasthya and the last bhikshuka or avadhuta# Neither the conditions of life, nor the character, capacity, and powers of the people of this a e allow of the first and third# The two ashramas prescri$ed for the Kali a e are open to all castes indiscriminately# There are, it is now commonly said, two main di!isions of avadhuta + namely, Shaivavadhuta and Brahmavadhuta I of each of which there are, a ain, three di!isions# 'f the first class the di!isions are firstly Shaivavadhuta, who isapurna (imperfect)# Thou h an ascetic, he is also a householder and li-e Shi!a# Hence his name# The second is the wanderin sta e of the Shaiva (or the parivrajaka., who has now left the world, and passes his time doin puja, japa,etc#, !isitin the tirtha and pitha, or places of pil rima e# In this sta e, which, thou h hi her, is still imperfect, the avadhuta is competent for ordinary sadhana with a shakti- The third is the perfect sta e of a Shai!a# Eearin only the kaupina, he renounces all thin s and all rites, thou h within certain limits he may practise some yoga, and is permitted to meet the re2uest of a woman who ma-es it of him# 'f the second class the three di!isions are, firstly, the Brahma#vadhuta, who, li-e the Shaivavadhuta, is imperfect /apurna. and a householder# He is not permitted, howe!er, to ha!e a Shaiva Shakti, and is restricted to sviya# shakti- The second-class Brahma#parivrajaka is similar to the Shaiva of the same class, except that ordinarily he is not permitted to ha!e anythin to do with any woman, thou h he may, under the uidance of his !uru, practise yoga accompanied $y Shakti- The third or hi hest class I Hangsavadhuta + is similar to the third Shaiva de ree, except that he must under no circumstances touch a woman or metals, nor may he practise any rites or -eep any o$ser!ances# )orrespondence 1etween ?acrocosm and ?icrocosm The uni!erse consists of a Mahabrahmanda, or rand Kosmos, and of numerous Brihatbrahmanda, or macrocosms e!ol!ed from it# 0s is said $y the Nir!ana Tantra, all which is in the first is in the second# In the latter are hea!enly $odies and $ein s, which are microcosms reflectin on a minor scale the reater worlds which e!ol!e them# "0s a$o!e, so $elow#" This mystical maxim of the Eest is stated in the 3ish!asara Tantra as follows% "Ehat is here is elsewhere7 what is not here is nowhere" (yadihasti tadanyatra yannehasti natatkvachit)# The macrocosm has its meru, or !erte$ral column, extendin from top to $ottom# There are fourteen re ions descendin from Satya%oka, the hi hest# These are the se!en upper and the se!en nether worlds (vide ante)# The meru of the human $ody is the spinal column, and within it are the chakra, in which the worlds are said to dwell# In the words of the Sha-tananda-Taran ini, they are pindamadhyesthita# Satya has $een said to $e in

the sahasrara, and Tapah, Janah, Mahah, Svah, Bhuvah, Bhuh in the ajna, vishuddha, anahata, manipura, svadishthana, and mu%adhara lotuses respecti!ely# 1elow mu%adhara and in the .oints, sides, anus, and or ans of eneration are the nether worlds# The $ones near the spinal column are the ku%a#parvata# Such are the correspondences as to earth# Then as to water# The nadi are the ri!ers# The se!en su$stances of the $ody (dhatu) are the se!en islands# Sweat, tears, and the li-e are the oceans# &ire exists in the mu%adhara, sushumna, na!el, and elsewhere# 0s the worlds are supported $y the pravahana and othervayu ("airs"), so is the $ody supported $y the ten vayu prana, etc# There is the same akasha (ether) in $oth# The witness within is the purusha without, for the personal soul of the microcosm corresponds to the cosmic soul ( hiranyagarbha) in the macrocosm# The 0 es The passa e of time within a maha#yoga influences for the worse man and the world in which he li!es# This passa e is mar-ed $y the four a es ( yuga), called Satya, Treta, A!apara, and Kali-yu a, the last $ein that in which it is enerally supposed the world now is# The yuga is a fraction of a ka%pa, or day of 1rahma of 5,G,;,;;; human years# The ka%pa is di!ided into fourteen manvantara, which are a ain su$di!ided into se!enty-one maha##yuga7 the len th of each of which is 5,G,;,;;; human years# The maha#yuga ( reat a e) is itself composed of four yuga (a es) I (a) Satya, (b) Treta, (c) A!apara, (d) Kali# 'fficial science teaches that man appeared on the earth in an imperfect state, from which he has since $een radually, thou h continually, raisin himself# Such teachin is, howe!er, in conflict with the traditions of all peoples I Bew, 1a$ylonian, E yptian, Hindu, =ree-, >oman, and )hristian I which spea- of an a e when man was $oth innocent and happy# &rom this state of primal perfection he fell, continuin his descent until such time as the reat &vatara, )hrist and others, descended to sa!e his race and ena$le it to re ain the ri hteous path# The =arden of Eden is the em$lem of the paradisiacal $ody of man# There man was one with Nature# He was himself paradise, a pri!ile ed enclosure in a arden of deli ht I gan be 0den- 0t eruditus est Moyse omni sapientia 1gyptiorum# The Satya /u a is, accordin to Hindu $elief, the =olden 0 e of ri hteousness, free of sin, mar-ed $y lon e!ity, physical stren th, $eauty, and stature# "There were iants in those days" whose moral, mental, and physical stren th ena$led them to under o lon brahmacharyya (continence) and tapas (austerities)# <on e!ity permitted len thy spiritual exercises# <ife then depended on the marrow, and lasted a %akh of years, men dyin when they willed# Their stature was ,+ cu$its# To this a e $elon the 0!atara or incarnations of 3ishnu, ?atsya, Kurma, 3araha, Nri-sin ha, and 3amana# Its duration is computed to $e 5,@;; Ai!ine years, which, when multiplied $y G9; (a year of the Ae!as $ein e2ual to G9; human years) are the e2ui!alent of +,:,@,;;; of the years of man# ($) The second a e, or Treta (three-fourth) /u a, is that in which ri hteousness (dharmma) decreased $y one-fourth# The duration was G,9;; Ai!ine years, or +,,49,;;; human years# <on e!ity, stren th, and stature decreased# <ife was in the $one, and lasted +;,;;; years# ?anDs stature was +5 cu$its# 'f sin there appeared one-2uarter, and of !irtue there remained three-2uarters# ?en were still attached to pious and charita$le acts, penances, sacrifice, and pil rima e, of which the chief was that to Naimisharanya# In this period appeared the avatars of 3ishnu as 6arashurama and >ama# (c) The third, or A!apara (one-half) /u a, is that in which ri hteousness decreased $y one-half, and the duration of which was ,,5;; Ai!ine, or @95,;;; human, years# 0 further decrease in lon e!ity and stren th, and increase of

wea-ness and disease, mar- this a e# <ife which lasted +,;;; years was centred in the $lood# Stature was : cu$its# Sin and !irtue were of e2ual force# ?en $ecame restless, and, thou h ea er to ac2uire -nowled e, were deceitful, and followed $oth ood and useful pursuits# The principal place of pil rima e was Kuru-shetra# To this a e $elon s (accordin to 3yasa, 0nushtu$hacharya and Biya-de!a) the avatara of 3ishnu as 1ala-rama, the elder $rother of Krishna, who, accordin to other accounts, ta-es his place# In the sandhya, or inter!enin period of +,;;; years $etween this and the next yuga the Tantra was re!ealed, as it will $e re!ealed at the dawn of e!ery Kali-yu a# (d) Kali-yu a is the alle ed present a e, in which ri hteousness exists to the extent of one-fourth only, the duration of which is +,,;; Ai!ine,or 5G,,;;; human, years# 0ccordin to some, this a e commenced in G+,; 1#)# on the date of 3ishnuDs return to hea!en after the ei hth incarnation# This is the periodwhich, accordin to the 6uranas and Tantras, is characteri8ed $y the pre!alence of !iciousness, wea-ness, disease, and the eneral decline of all that is ood# Humanlife, which lasts at most +,;, or, as some say, +;;, years,is dependent on food# Stature is GJ cu$its# The chief pil rima e is now to the =an es# In this a e has appeared the 1uddha &vatara- The last, or Kal-i 0!atara,the Aestroyer of sin, has yet to come# It is He who will destroy ini2uity and restore the a e of ri hteousness#The Kal-i 6urana spea-s of Him as 'ne whose $ody is $lue li-e that of the rainchar ed cloud, who with sword in hand rides, as does the rider of the 0pocalypse, a white horse swift as the wind, the )herisher of the people, Aestroyer of the race of the Kali-yu a, the Source of true reli ion# 0nd Bayade!a, in his 'de to the Incarnations,addresses Him thus% "&or the destruction of all the impure thou drawest thy cimeter li-e a $la8in comet# ' how tremendous( 'h, Kesha!a, assumin the $ody of Kal-i( 1e !ictorious# ' Hari, <ord of the Fni!erse(" Eith the Satya-yu a a new maha#yaga will commence, and the a es will continue to re!ol!e with their risin and descendin races until the close of the ka%pa or day of 1rahma## Then a ni ht of dissolution /pra%aya. of e2ual duration follows, the <ord reposin in yoga#nidra /yoga sleep in pra%aya. on the Serpent Shesha, the Endless 'ne, till day $rea-, when the uni!erse is created anew and the next ka%pa follows# The Scriptures of the 0 es Each of these 0 es has its appropriate Shastra or Scripture, desi ned to meet the characteristics and needs of the men who li!e in them The Hindu Shastra are classed into% (+) Shruti, which commonly includes the four 3eda# (>i-, /a.uh, Sama, 0thar!a, and the Fpanishads), the doctrine of which is philosophically exposed in the Vedanta# $arshana- (,) Smriti2 such as the Aharma-Shastra of ?anu and other wor-s on family and social duty prescri$in for pavritti#dhamia, as the Fpanishads had re!ealed the nivritti# dharma- (G) The 6uranas, of which, accordin to the 1rahma-!ai!artta 6urana, there were ori inally four la-hs, and of which ei hteen are now re arded as the principal# (5) The Tantra# &or each of these a es a suita$le Shastra is i!en# The 3eda is the root of all Shastra /mu%a# shastra.- 0ll others are $ased on it# The Tantra is spo-en of as a fifth 3eda# Kullu-a-1hatta, the cele$rated )ommentator on ?anu, says that Shruti is of two -inds, 3aidi- and Tantri- /vaidiki# tantriiki chaiva dvi#vidha shrutih#kirttita.- The !arious Shastras, howe!er, are different presentments of shruti appropriate to the humanity of the a e for which they are i!en# Thus the Tantra is that presentment of shruti which is modelled as re ards its ritual to meet the characteristics and infirmities of the Kali-yu a# 0s men ha!e no lon er the capacity, lon e!ity, and moral stren th necessary for the application of the Vaidika Karma#kanda, the Tantra prescri$es a special sadhana or means or practice of its own, for the attainment of that which

is the ultimate and common end of all Shastra# The Kularna!a Tantra says that in the Satya or Krita a e the Shastra is Shruti (in the sense of the 3eda and Fpanishads)7 in Tretayu a, Smriti (in the sense of the $harma#Shastra and Shruti#jivika, etc#)7 in A!apara /u a the 6urana7 and in the last or Kali-yu a the Tantra, which should now $e followed $y all orthodox Hindu worshippers# The ?aha-nir!ana and other Tantras and Tantri- wor-s lay down the same rule# The Tantra is also said to contain the !ery core of the 3eda to which, it is descri$ed to $ear the relation of the "aramatma to the Jivatma# In a similar way, Kau%achara is the central informin life of the ross $ody called vedachara, each of the achara which follow it up to kau%achara $ein more and more su$tle sheaths# The Human 1ody The human $ody is Brahma#para, the city of 1rahman# Ish!ara Himself enters into the uni!erse as jiva# Eherefore the maha#vakya "That thou art" means that the ego (which is re arded as jiva only from the standpoint of an upadhi) is 1rahman# The &i!e Sheaths In the $ody there are fi!e -osha or sheaths I anna#maya, prana#maya, mano#maya, vijana# maya, ananda#maya, or the physical and !ital $odies, the two mental $odies, and the $ody of $liss# In the first the <ord is self-conscious as $ein dar- or fair, short or tall, old or youthful# In the !ital $ody He feels ali!e, hun ry, and thirsty# In the mental $odies He thin-s and understands# 0nd in the $ody of 1liss He resides in happiness# Thus armented with the fi!e arments, the <ord, thou h all per!adin , appears as thou h He were limited $y them# Anna-Maya Kosha In the material $ody, which is called the "sheath of food" ( anna#maya kosha), rei n the elements earth, water, and fire, which are those presidin in the lowest 'hakra, the Mu%adhara, Svadhishthana, and mani#pura centres# The two former produce food and drin-, which is assimilated $y the fire of di estion, and con!erted into the $ody of food# The indriya are $oth the faculty and or ans of sense# There are in this $ody the material or ans, as distin uished from the faculty of sense# In the ross $ody (sharira#kosha) there are six external -osha I !i8#, hair, $lood, flesh, which come from the mother, and $one, muscle, marrow, from the father# The or ans of sense (indriya) are of two -inds I !i8#% jnanendriya, or or ans of sensation, throu h which -nowled e of the external world is o$tained (ear, s-in, eyes, ton ue, nose)7 and karmendriya, or or ans of action I mouth, arms, le s, anus, penis, the functions of which are speech, holdin , wal-in , excretion, and procreation# Prana-Maya Kosha The second sheath is the prana#maya#kosha, or sheath of "$reath" (prana), which manifests itself in air and ether, the presidin elements in the &nahata and Vishuddha chakra# There are ten vayu (airs), or inner !ital forces, of which the first fi!e are the principal I namely, the sapphire prana7 apana, the colour of an e!enin cloud7 the sil!er vyana7 udana, the colour

of fire7 and the mil-y samana# These are all aspects of the action of the one 6rana-de!ata# Kundalini is the ?other of prana, which She the ?ula-6ra-riti, illumined $y the li ht of the Supreme &tma, enerates# "rana is vayu, or the uni!ersal force of acti!ity, di!ided on enterin each indi!idual into fi!efold function# Specifically considered, prana is inspiration, which with expiration is from and to a distance of ei ht and twel!e inches respecti!ely# *dana is the ascendin vayu# &pana is the downward vayu,expellin wind, excrement, urine, and semen# The samana, or collecti!e vayu, -indles the $odily fire, "conductin e2ually the food, etc#, throu hout the $ody#" Vyana is the separate vayu, effectin di!ision and diffusion# These forces cause respiration, excretion, di estion, circulation# Mano- aya! "i#$ana Kosha! and Ananda- aya Kosha The next two sheaths are the mano#maya and vijana kosha# These constitute the antah# karana, which is fourfold I namely, mind in its twofold aspect of buddhi and manas, self-hood (ahankara), and chitta# The function of the first is dou$t sangka%pa#vika%patmaka, (uncertainty, certainty)7 of the second, determination (nishchaya#karini)7 of the third (e oity), consciousness (abhimana)# Manas automatically re isters the facts which the senses percei!e# Buddhi,on attendin to such re istration, discriminates, determines, and co ni8es the o$.ect re istered, which is set o!er and a ainst the su$.ecti!e self $y &hangkara# The function of chitta is contemplation (chinta), the faculty where$y the mind in its widest sense raises for itself the su$.ect of its thou ht and dwells thereon# &or whilst buddhi has $ut three moments in which it is $orn, exists, and dies, chitta endures# The antah#karana is master of the ten senses, which are the outer doors throu h which it loo-s forth upon the external world# The faculties, as opposed to the or ans or instruments of sense, reside here# The centres of the powers inherent in the last two sheaths are in the &jna 'hakra and the re ion a$o!e this and $elow the sahasrara lotus# In the latter the &tma of the last sheath of $liss resides# The physical or ross $ody is called sthu%a#sharira# The su$tle $ody (sukshma#sharira, also called %inga#sharira and karana#shanra) comprises the ten indriya, manas, ahangkara, buddhi, and the fi!e functions of prana# This su$tle $ody contains in itself the cause of re$irth into the ross $ody when the period of reincarnation arri!es# The atma, $y its association with the upadhis, has three states of consciousness I namely, the jagrat, or wa-in state, when throu h the sense or ans are percei!ed o$.ects of sense throu h the operation of manas and buddhi# It is explained in the Ish!ara-pratya-$hi.na as follows I "the wa-in state dear to all is the source of external action throu h the acti!ity of the senses#" The jiva is called jagari I that is, he who ta-es upon himself the ross $ody calledVishva# The second is svapna, the dream state, when, the sense or ans $ein withdrawn, &%ma is conscious of mental ima es enerated $y the impressions of jagrat experience# Here manas ceases to record fresh sense impressions, and it and buddhi wor- on that which manas has re istered in the wa-in state# The explanation of this state is also i!en in the wor- last cited# "The state of svapna is the o$.ectification of !isions percei!ed in the mind, due to the perception of ideas there latent#" Jiva in the state of svapna is termed taijasa# Its indi!iduality is mer ed in the su$tle $ody# Hiranyagarbha is the collecti!e form of these jiva, as Vaisvanara is such form of the jiva in the wa-in state# The third state is that of sushupti, or dreamless sleep, when manas itself is withdrawn, and buddhi, dominated $y tamas, preser!es only the notion% "Happily I slept7 I was not conscious of

anythin " (6atan.ala-yo a-sutra)# In the ?acrocosm the upadhi of these states are also called Virat, Hiranyagarbha, and &vyakta# The description of the state of sleep is i!en in the Shi!a-sutra as that in which there is incapacity of discrimination or illusion# 1y the sayin cited from the "atanja%a#sutra three modifications of avidya are indicated I !i8#, i norance, e oism, and happiness# Sound sleep is that state in which these three exist# The person in that state is termed prajna, his indi!iduality $ein mer ed in the causal $ody (karana)# Since in the sleepin state the prajna $ecomes 1rahman, he is no lon er jiva as $efore7 $ut the jiva is then not the supreme one ("aramatma), $ecause the state is associated with avidya# Hence, $ecause the !ehicle in the jiva in the sleepin state is Karana, the !ehicle of the jiva in the fourth is declared to $e mahakarana# Ish!ara is the collecti!e form of the prajna jiva# 1eyond sushupti is the turiya, and $eyond turiya the transcendent fifth state without name# In the fourth state shuddha#vidya is ac2uired, and this is the only realistic one for the yogi which he attains throu h, samadhi#yoga# Jiva inturiya is mer ed in the reat causal $ody (maha# karana)# The fifth state arises from firmness in the fourth# He who is in this state $ecomes e2ual to Shi!a, or, more strictly, tends to a close e2uality7 for it is only $eyond that, that "the spotless one attains the hi hest e2uality," which is unity# Hence e!en in the fourth and fifth states there is an a$sence of that full perfection which constitutes the Supreme# 1has-araraya, in his )ommentary on the <alita, when pointin out that the Tantri- theory adds the fourth and fifth states to the first three adopted $y the followers of the Fpanishads, says that the latter states are not separately enumerated $y them owin to the a$sence in those two states of the full perfection of Bi!a or of Shi!a# Nadi It is said that there are GJ crores of nadi in the human $ody, of which some are ross and some are su$tle# (adi means a ner!e or artery in the ordinary sense7 $ut all the nadis of which the $oo-s on 3oga spea- are not of this physical character, $ut are su$tle channels of ener y# 'f these nadi, the principal are fourteen7 and of these fourteen, ida, pinga%a, and sushumna are the chief7 and, a ain, of these three sushumna is the reatest, and to it all others are su$ordinate# Sushumna is in the hollow of the meru in the cere$ro-spinal axis# It extends from the Mu%adhara lotus, the Tatt!i- earth centre, to the cere$ral re ion# Sushumna is in the form of &ire (vahni#svarupa), and has within it thevajrini# nadi in the form of the sun (surya#svarupa)# Eithin the latter is the pale nectardroppin chitra or chitrini#nadi, which is also called Brahma#nadi, in the form of the moon (chandra#svarupa,)# Sushumna is thus triguna# The !arious lotuses in the different 'hakra of the $ody (vide post) are all suspended from the chitra#nadi, the chakra $ein descri$ed as -nots in the nadi, which is as thin as the thousandth part of a hair# 'utside the meru and on each side of sushumna are the nadi ida and pinga%a# ,da is on the left side, and, coilin round sushumna, has its exit in the left nostril# "inga%a is on the ri ht, and, similarly coilin , enters the ri ht nostril# The sushumna, interlacin ida andpinga%a and the ajna#chakra round which they pass, thus forms a representation of the caduceus of ?ercury# ,da is of a pale colour, is moon-li-e (chandra#svarupa), and contains nectar# "inga%a is red, and is sun-li-e (suryya#svarupa), containin "!enom," the fluid of mortality# These three "ri!ers," which are united at the ajna#chakra, flow separately from that point, and for this reason the ajna#chakra is called mukta triveni# The mu%adhara is called 3ukta(united)#tri#veni, since it is the meetin place of the three nadi, which are also called =an a (,da), /amuna ("inga%a), and Saras!ati (sushumna), after the three sacred ri!ers of India# The openin at the end of the sushumna in

themu%adhara is called brahma#dvara, which is closed $y the coils of the sleepin Kundalini# )ha-ra

Ae!i

There are six cha-ra, or dynamic Tatt!i- centres, in the $ody I !i8#, the muladhara, s!adhishthana, mani-pura, anahata, !ishuddha, and a.na I which are descri$ed in the followin notes# '!er all there is the thousand-petalled lotus (sahasrara-padma)# Muladhara Mu%adhara is a trian ular space in the midmost portion of the $ody, with the apex turned downwards li-e a youn irlDs yoni# It is descri$ed as a red lotus of four petals, situate $etween the $ase of the sexual or an and the anus# "Earth" e!ol!ed from "water" is the Tatt!a of this chakra# 'n the four petals are the four olden varnas + "vang," "shang," "shang," and "sang," In the four petals pointed towards the four directions ( ,shana, etc#) are the four forms of $liss I yogananda (yo a $liss), paramananda (supreme $liss), samaj#ananda (natural $liss), and virananda (!ira $liss)# In the centre of this lotus is Svayambhu#%inga, ruddy $rown, li-e the colour of a youn leaf# 'hitrini#nadi is fi ured as a tu$e, and the openin at its end at the $ase of the %inga is called the door of 1rahman (brahma#dvara), throu h which the Ae!i ascends# The lotus, %inga and brahma#dvara, han downwards# The Ae!i Kundalini, more su$tle than the fi$re of the lotus, and luminous as li htnin , lies asleep coiled li-e a serpent around the %inga, and closes with Her $ody the door of 1rahman# The Ae!i has forms in the brahmanda# Her su$tlest form in the pindanda, or $ody, is called Kunda%ini, a form of 6ra-riti per!adin , supportin , and expressed in the form of the whole uni!erse7 "the =litterin Aancer "(as the Sarada-tila-a calls Her) "in the lotus-li-e head of the yo i#" Ehen awa-ened, it is She who i!es $irth to the world made of mantra# 0 red fiery trian le surrounds svayambhu# %inga, and within the trian le is the red Kandarpa#vayu, or air, of Kama, a form of the apana vayu, for here is the seat of creati!e desire# 'utside the trian le is a yellow s2uare, called the prithivi#(earth)-manda%a, to which is attached the "ei ht thunders" ( ashta#vajra)# Here is the vija "lan ", and with it prithivi on the $ac- of an elephant# Here also are 1rahma and Sa!itri, and the red four-handed Sha-ti Aa-ini# %&adhisthana Svadhishthana is a six-petalled lotus at the $ase of the sexual or an, a$o!e mu%adhara and $elow the na!el# Its pericarp is red, and its petals are li-e li htnin # "Eater" e!ol!ed from "fire" is the Tatt!a of this chakra# The varnas on the petals are "$an ," "$han ," "man ," "yan ," "ran ," and "lan #" In the six petals are also the !ritti (states, 2ualities, functions, or inclinations) I namely, prashraya (credulity), a#vishvasa (suspicion, mistrust), avajna (disdain),murchchha (delusion, or, as some say, disinclination), sarvva# nasha (false -nowled e), and krurata (pitilessness)# Eithin a semicircular space in the pericarp are the Ae!ata, the dar- $lue ?aha-!ishnu, ?aha-la-shmi, and Saras!ati# In front is the $lue four-handed >a-ini Sha-ti, and the vija of 3aruna, <ord of water or "!an #" Inside the vija there is the re ion of 3aruna#, of the shape of an half-moon, and in it is 3aruna himself seated on a white alli ator (makara)# Mani-'ura

Mani#para#chakra is a ten-petalled olden lotus, situate a$o!e the last in the re ion of the na!el# "&ire" e!ol!ed from "air" is the Tatt!a of this chakra# The ten petals are of the colour of a cloud, and on them are the $lue varnas +"dang," "dhang," "nang," tang," "thang," "dang," "dhang," "nang," "pang," "phang," I and the ten !ritti (vide ante), namely, %ajja (shame), pishunata (fic-leness), irsha (.ealousy), trishna (desire), sushupti (la8iness), vishada(sadness), kashaya (dullness), moha (i norance), ghrina (a!ersion, dis ust), bhaya (fear)# Eithin the pericarp is the vija of fire ("rang"), and a trian ular fi ure (manda%a) of 0 ni, <ord of &ire, to each side of which fi ure are attached three auspicious si ns or svastika# 0 ni, red, four-handed, and seated on a ram, is within the fi ure# In front of him are >udra and his Sha-ti 1hadra--ali# >udra is of the colour of !ermilion, and is old# His $ody is smeared with ashes# He has three eyes and two hands# Eith one of these he ma-es the si n which rants $oons and $lessin s, and with the other that which dispels fear# Near him is the four-armed <a-ini Sha-ti, of the colour of molten old ( tapta#kanchana), wearin yellow raiments and ornaments# Her mind is maddened with passion (mada#matta#chitta)# 0$o!e the lotus is the a$ode and re ion of Suryya# The solar re ion drin-s the nectar which drops from the re ion of the ?oon# Anahata &nahata#chakra is a deep red lotus of twel!e petals, situate a$o!e the last and in the re ion of the heart, which is to $e distin uished from the heart-lotus facin upwards of ei ht petals, spo-en of in the text, where the patron deity ( ,shta#devata) is meditated upon# "0ir" e!ol!ed from "ether" is the Tatt!a of the former lotus# 'n the twel!e petals are the !ermilion varnas + "Kang" "Khang," "!ang," "!hang," "ngang," "chang", "'hhang," "Jang," "Jhang," "(yang," "Tang," "Thang," and the twel!e !rittis (vide ante) I namely asha (hope), chinta (care, anxiety), cheshta (endea!our), mamata (sense of mineness), dambha (arro ance or hypocrisy), vika%ata (lan uor), ahangkara (conceit),viveka (discrimination), %o%ata (co!etousnes s), kapatata (duplicity), vitarka (indecision), anutapa (re ret)# 0 trian ular manda%a within the pericarp of this lotus of the lustre of li htnin is -nown as the Tri#kona Shakti# Eithin thismanda%a is a red vana#%inga, called Narayana or Hiranya- ar$ha, and near it Ish!ara and His Sha-ti 1hu!anesh!ari# Ish!ara, who is the '!erlord of the first three chakra, is of the colour of molten old, and with His two hands rants $lessin s and dispels fear# Near him is the three-eyed Ka-ini Sha-ti, lustrous as li htnin , with four hands holdin the noose and drin-in cup, and ma-in the si n of $lessin , and that which dispels fear# She wears a arland of human $ones# She is excited, and her heart is softened with wine# Here, also, are se!eral other Shakti, such as Kala-ratri, as also the vija of air (vayu) or "vang#" Inside the lotus is a sixcornered smo-e-coloured manda%a, and the circular re ion of smo-e-coloured Vayu, who is seated on a $lac- antelope# Here, too, is the em$odied atma (jivatma), li-e the taperin flame of a lamp# "ishuddha Vishuddha chakra or Bharatisthana, a$ode of the Ae!i of speech, is a$o!e the last and at the lower end of the throat (kantha#mu%a)# The Tatt!a of this chakra is "ether#" The lotus is of a smo-y colour, or the colour of fire seen throu h smo-e# It has sixteen petals, which carry the red !owels I "ang," "ang" "ing," "ing," "ung," "ung"," "ring," "ring," "%ring," "%ring," "eng," "aing," "ong," "aung," "ang," "ah7" the se!en musical notes (nishada, rishabha,gandhara, shadaja, madhyama, dhaivata and panchama)4 "!enom" (in the

ei hth petal)7 the vija "hung," "phat," "vaushat," "vashat," "svadha," "svaha," "namah," and in the sixteenth petal nectar (amrita)# In the pericarp is a trian ular re ion, within which is the andro yne Shi!a, -nown as &rddha#narishvara# There also are the re ion of the full moon and ether, with its vija "hang#" The akasha#manda%a is transparent and round in shape# 0-asha himself is here dressed in white, and mounted on a white elephant# He has four hands, which hold the noose (pasha), the elephant-hoo- (angkusha), and with the other he ma-es the mudra which rant $lessin and dispel fear# Shi!a is white, with fi!e faces, three eyes, ten arms, and is dressed in ti er s-ins# Near Him is the white Sha-ti Sha-ini, dressed in yellow raiments, holdin in Her four hands the $ow, the arrow, the noose, and the hoo-# 0$o!e the chakra, at the root of the palate (ta%umu%a) is a concealed chakra, called 5a%ana and, in some Tantras, Ka%a#chakra# It is a red lotus with twel!e petals, $earin the followin !ritti I shraddha (faith), santosha (contentment),aparadha (sense of error), dana (selfcommand), mana (an er), sneha (affection), shoka (sorrow, rief), kheda (de.ection), shuddhata (purity), arati (detachment), sambhrama (a itation), *rmmi (appetite, desire)# A#na 0.na cha-ra is also called parama#hu%a and mukta#tri#veni, since it is from here that the three nadis + ,da, "inga%a, and Sushumna I o their separate ways# It is a two-petalled lotus, situate $etween the two eye$rows# In this )ha-ra there is no ross Tatt!a, $ut the su$tle Tatt!a mind is here# Hakararddha, or half the letter 5a, is also there# 'n its two petals are the red varnas "hang "and "kshang#" In the pericarp is concealed the vija "on #" In the two petals and the pericarp there are the three una I sattva, rajas, and tamas# Eithin the trian ular manda%a in the pericarp there is the lustrous (tejo#maya) %inga in the form of thepranava (pranavakriti), which is called ,tara# 6araShi!a, in the form of hangsa (hangsa#rupa) is also there with his Sha-ti I Siddha-Kali# In the three corners of the trian le are 1rahma, 3ishnu, and ?ahesh!ara, respecti!ely# In thischakra there is the white Ha-ini-Sha-ti, with six heads and four hands, in which are jana# mudra, a s-ull, a drum (damaru), and a rosary# %ahasrara Pad a 0$o!e the ajna#chakra there is another secret chakra, called manas#chakra# It is a lotus of six petals, on which are shabda#jana, sparsha#jana, rupa#jana, aghrano# pa%abdhi, rasopabhoga, and svapna, or the faculties of hearin , touch, si ht, smell, taste, and sleep, or the a$sence of these# 0$o!e this, a ain, there is another secret chakra, called Soma# chakra# It is a lotus of sixteen petals, which are also called sixteen Ka%a# These Ka%a are called kripa (mercy),mriduta ( entleness), dhairyya (patience, composure), vairagya (dispassion), dhriti (constancy), sampat (prosperity), hasya (cheerfulnes s), romancha (rapture, thrill), vinaya (sense of propriety, humility), dhyana (meditation),susthirata (2uietude, restfulness), gambhiryya ( ra!ity), udyama (enterprise, effort), akshobha (emotionlessness), audarya (ma nanimity), and ekagrata (concentration)#

0$o!e this last chakra is "the house without support" (nira%amba#puri), where yo is see the radiant Ish!ara# 0$o!e this is the pranava shinin li-e a flame, and a$o!e pranava the white crescent Nada, and a$o!e this last the point 3indu# There is then a white lotus of twel!e petals with its head upwards, and o!er this lotus there is the ocean of nectar ( sudha#sagara), the island of ems (mani#dvipa), the altar of ems (mani#pitha), the for-ed li htnin -li-e lines a,ka, tha, and therein (ada and Vindu# 'n (ada and Vindu, as an altar, there is the "aramahangsa, and the latter ser!es as an altar for the feet of the !uru7 there the !uru of all should $e meditated# The $ody of the Hangsa on which the feet of the =uru rest is jana# maya, the win s &gama and (igama, the two feet Shi!a and Sha-ti, the $ea- "ranava, the eyes and throat Kama#Ka%a# )lose to the thousand-petalled lotus is the sixteenth di it of the moon, which is called ama# ka%a, which is pure red and lustrous li-e li htnin , as fine as a fi$re of the lotus, han in downwards, receptacle of the lunar nectar# In it is the crescent nirvana#ka%a, luminous as the Sun, and finer than the thousandth part of a hair# This is the ,shta#devata of all# Near nirvana# ka%a is parama#nirvana#Shakti, infinitely su$tle, lustrous as the Sun, creatrix of tattva# jnana# 0$o!e it are Vindu and Visarga#Shakti, root and a$ode of all $liss# Sahasrara#padma + or thousand petalled lotus of all colours I han s with its head downwards from the brahma#randhra a$o!e all the chakra# This is the re ion of the first cause ( Brahma# %oka), the cause of the six proceedin causes# It is the reat Sun $oth cosmically and indi!idually, in whose efful ence 6arama-Shi!a and 0dya-Sha-ti reside# The power is the vachaka#Shakti or saguna#brahman, holdin potentially within itself, the gunas, po6ers, and p%anes#6arama-Shi!a is in the form of the =reat Ether (paramakasha# rupi), the Supreme Spirit (paramatma), the Sun of the dar-ness of i norance# In each of the petals of the lotus are placed all the letters of the alpha$et7 and whate!er there is in the lower chakra or in the uni!erse (brahmanda) exist here in potential state (avyakta# bhava)# Shai!as call this place Shiva#sthana, 3aishna!as, "arama#purusha, Shaktas, $evi# sthana, the San-hya sa es "rakriti#purusha#sthana#'thers call it $y other names, such as Hari#hara#sthana# Shakti#sthana, "arama#Brahma, "arama#hangsa, "arama#jyotih, Ku%a# sthana, and "arama#Shiva#&ku%a# 1ut whate!er the name, all spea- of the same# The Three Temperaments The Tantras spea- of three temperaments, dispositions, characters ( bhava), or classes of men I namely, the pashu#bhava (animal), vira#bhava (heroic), and divya#bhava (de!a-li-e or di!ine)# These di!isions are $ased on !arious modifications of the guna (!# ante) as they manifest in man (jiva)# It has $een pointed out that the analo ous =nostic classification of men as material, psychical, and spiritual, correspond to the three guna of the Sankhya# darshana# ,nthe pashu the rajo#guna operates chiefy on tamas, producin such darcharacteristics as error (bhranti), drowsiness (tandra), and sloth (a%asya)# It is howe!er, an error to suppose that the pashu is as such a $ad man7 on the contrary, a .i!a of this class may pro!e superior to a .i!a of the next# If the former, who is reatly $ound $y matter, lac-s enli htenment, the latter may a$use the reater freedom he has won# There are also numerous -inds of pashu, some more some less tamasi- than others# Some there are at the lowest end of the scale, which mar-s the first ad!ance upon the hi her forms of animal life# 'thers approach and radually mer e into the vira class# The term pashu comes from the root pash, "to $ind#" The pashu is, in fact, the man who is $ound $y the $onds ( pasha), of

which the Kularna!a Tantra enurnerates ei ht I namely, pity ( daya), i norance and delusion (moha), fear (bhaya), shame (%ajja), dis ust (ghrina), family (ku%a), custom (shi%a), and caste (varna)# 'ther enumerations are i!en of the afflictions which, accordin to some, are sixtytwo, $ut all such lar er di!isions are merely ela$orations of the simpler enumerations# Thepashu is also the worldly man, in i norance and $onda e, as opposed to the yogi and the tatt!a-.nani# Three di!isions of pashsu are also spo-en of I namely, saka%a, who are $ound $y the three pasha, called anu (want of -nowled e or erroneous -nowled e of the self), bheda (the di!ision also induced $y maya of the one self into many), and karmma (action and its product# These are the three impurities (ma%a) called anava#ma%a, maya# ma%a, and Karmma#ma%a#"ratayaka%a are those $ound $y the first and last, and Vijnana# keva%a are those $ound $y anava#ma%a only# He who frees himself of the remainin impurity of anu $ecomes Shi!a Himself# The Ae!i $ears the pasha, and is the cause of them, $ut She, too, is pashupasha#vimochini, <i$eratrix of the pashu from his $onda e# Ehat has $een stated i!es the root notion of the term pashu- ?en of this class are also descri$ed in Tantra $y exterior traits, which are manifestations of the interior disposition# So the Ku$.i-a Tantra says% "Those who $elon topashu#bhava #re simply pashu- 0 pashu does not touch a yantra, nor ma-e japa of mantra at ni ht# He entertains dou$t a$out sacrifices and Tantra7 re ards a mantra as $ein merely letters only# He lac-s faith in the guru, and thin-s that the ima e is $ut a $loc- of stone# He distin uishes one Ae!a from another, and worships without flesh and fish# He is always $athin , owin to his i norance, and tal-s ill of others# Such an one is called pashu, and he is the worst -ind of man#" Similarly the Nitya Tantra descri$es the pashu as I "He who does not worship at ni ht, nor in the e!enin , nor in the latter part of the day7 who a!oids sexual intercourse, except on the fifth day after the appearance of the courses (ritu#ka%ang vina devi ramanang parivarjayet)7 who do not eat meat, etc#, e!en on the fi!e auspicious days (parvvana)"7 in short, those who, followin 3edachara, 3aishna!achara, and Shai!achara, are $ound $y the 3aidi- rules which o!ern all pashus# In the case of vira#bhava, rajas more lar ely wor-s on sattva, yet also lar ely (thou h in lessenin de rees, until the hi hest sta e of divya#bhava is reached) wor-s independently towards the production of acts in which sorrow inheres# There are se!eral classes of vira# The third, or hi hest, class of man is he of the divya#bhava (of which, a ain, there are se!eral de rees I some $ut a sta e in ad!ance of the hi hest form of vira#bhava, others completely reali8in the de!a-nature), in which ra.as operate on sattva#guna to the confirmed preponderance of the latter# The Nitya Tantra says that of the bhava the divya is the $est, the vira the next $est, and the pashu the lowest7 and that devata#bhava must $e awa-ened throu h vira#bhava# The 6ichchhila Tantra says that the only difference $etween the vira and divya men is that the former are !ery uddhata, $y which is pro$a$ly meant excita$le, throu h the reater pre!alence of the independent wor-in of the rajo#guna in them than in the calmer satt!i- temperament# It is o$!ious that such statements must not $e read with le al accuracy# There may $e, in fact, a considera$le difference $etween a low type of vira and the hi hest type of divya, thou h it seems to $e true that this 2uality of uddhata which is referred to is the cause of such differences, whether reat or small#

The Ku$.i-a Tantra descri$es the mar-s of the divya as he "who daily does a$lutions, sandhya7 and wearin clean cloth, the tripundara mar- in ashes, or red sandal, and ornaments of rudraksha $eads, performs japa and archchana#He i!es charity daily also# His faith is stron in 3eda, Shastra, guru, and $eva# He worships the "itri and $eva, and performs all the daily rites# He has a reat -nowled e of mantra# He a!oids all food, except that which his guru offers him, and all cruelty and other $ad actions, re ardin $oth friend and foe as one and the same# He himself e!er spea-s the truth, and a!oids the company of those who decry the $evata# He worships thrice daily, and meditates upon his guru daily, and, as a Bhairava, worships 6aramesh!ari with divya#bhava# 0ll Ae!as he re ards as $eneficial# He $ows down at the feet of women, re ardin them as his guru (strinang pada#ta%ang drishtva guru#vad bhavayet sada)#He worships the Ae!i at ni ht, and ma-es japa at ni ht with his mouth full of pan, and ma-es o$eisance to the ku%a !ri-sha# He offers e!erythin to the Supreme Ae!i# He re ards this uni!erse as per!aded $y stri (shakti), and as Ae!ata# Shi!a is in all men, and the whole brahmanda is per!aded $y Shi!a-Sha-ti# He e!er stri!es for the attainment and maintenance of devata#bhava, and is himself of the nature of a $evata# Here, a ain, the Tantra only see-s to i!e a eneral picture, the details of which are not applica$le to all men of the divya#bhava class# The passa e shows that it, or portions of it, refer to the ritual divya, for some of the practices there referred to would not $e performed $y the avadkuta, who is a$o!e all ritual acts, thou h he would also share (possi$ly in intenser de ree) the $eliefs of divya men of all classes I that he and all else are $ut manifestations of the uni!erse-per!adin Supreme Sha-ti# 0ccordin to the temperament of the sadhaka, so is the form of worship and sadhana# In fact, the specific worship and sadhana of the other classes is strictly prohi$ited $y the Tantra to the pashu# It is said in this Tantra and elsewhere that, in the Kali-yu a, divya and pashu dispositions can scarcely $e found# It may $e thou ht difficult at first si ht to reconcile this (so far as the pasha is concerned) with other statements as to the nature of these respecti!e classes# The term pashu, in these and similar passa es, would appear to $e used in a ood sense as referrin to a man who, thou h tamasic, yet performs his functions with that o$edience to nature which is shown $y the still more tamasic animal creation free from the distur$in influences of rajas, which, if it may $e the source of ood, may also $e, when operatin independently, the source of e!il# The )ommentator explains the passa e cited from the Tantra as meanin that the conditions and character of the Kali-yu a are not such as to $e producti!e of pasha#bhava (apparently in the sense stated), or to allow of its achara (that is, Vaidikachara)# No one, he says, can fully perform the vedachara, vaishnavachara, and shavachara rites, without which the 3aidi-, 6aurani- mantra, and yajna are fruitless# No one now oes throu h the brahma#charya ashrama,or adopts after the fiftieth year that called vana#prastha# Those whom the 3eda does not control cannot expect the fruit of 3aidi- o$ser!ances# 'n the contrary, men ha!e ta-en to drin-, associate with the low, and are fallen7 as are also those men who associate with them# There can therefore $e no pure pashu# Fnder these circumstances the duties prescri$ed $y the 3edas which are appropriate for the pasha $ein incapa$le of performance, Shi!a for the li$eration of men of the Kali 0 e has proclaimed the 0 ama# "Now, there is no other way#" The explanation thus i!en, therefore, appears to amount to this# The pure type of pashu for

whom vedachara was desi ned does not exist# &or others who thou h pasha are not purely so, the Tantra is the o!ernin Shastra# This, howe!er, does not mean that all are now competent for virachara# It is to $e noted, howe!er, that the 6rana-toshini cites a passa e purportin to come from the ?ahanir!ana Tantra, which is apparently in direct opposition to the fore oin % $ivya#vira#mayo bhavah ka%au nasti kada#chana Keva%ang pasha#bhavena mantra#siddhirbhavennrinam# "In the Kali 0 e there is no divya or vira#bhava# It is only $y the pashu#bhava that men may o$tain mantra#siddhi#" This matter of the bhava pre!alent in the Ka%i#yuga has $een the su$.ect of considera$le discussion and difference of opinion, and is only touched upon here# =uru and Shishya The !uru is the reli ious teacher and spiritual uide to whose direction orthodox Hindus of all di!isions of worshippers su$mit themsel!es# There is in reality $ut one !uru# The ordinary human !uru is $ut the manifestation on the phenomenal plane of the 0di-natha ?aha--ala, the Supreme !uru a$idin in Kailasa# He it is who enters into and spea-s with the !oice of the earthly !uru at the time of i!in mantra# !uru is the root (ma%a) of di-sha (imitation)#$iksha is the root of mantra# Mantra is the root of $evata7 and Ae!ata is the root of siddhi# The ?undamala Tantra says that mantra is $orn of !uru and $evata of mantra, so that the !uru occupies the position of a randfather to the ,shta#devata# It is the !uru who initiates and helps, and the relationship $etween him and the disciple (shishya) continues until the attainment of monistic siddhi# ?anu says% "'f him who i!es natural $irth and of him who i!es -nowled e of the 3eda the i!er of sacred -nowled e is the more !enera$le father# Since second or di!ine $irth insures life to the twice-$orn in this world and the next#" The Shastra is, indeed, full of the reatness of !uru# The !uru is not to $e thou ht of as a mere man# There is no difference $etween !uru, mantra, and Ae!a# !uru is father, mother, and 1rahman# !uru, it is said, can sa!e from the wrath of Shi!a, $ut none can sa!e from the wrath of the !uru# 0ttached to this reatness there is, howe!er, responsi$ility7 for the sins of the disciple recoil upon him# Three lines of !uru are worshipped% hea!enly (divyangga) siddha (siddhangga), and human (manavangga)# The ka%a#guru are four in num$er, !i8#% the !uru, "arama#guru, "arapara# guru, "arameshti#guru7 each of these $ein theguru of the precedin one# 0ccordin to the Tantra, woman with the necessary 2ualifications may $e a guru, and i!e initiation# =ood 2ualities are re2uired in the disciple, and accordin to the Sara-san raha a guru should examine and test the intendin disciple for a year# The 2ualifications of a ood disciple are stated to $e ood $irth, purity of soul ( shuddhatma), and capacity for en.oyment, com$ined with desire for li$eration (purushartha#parayanah)# Those who are lewd (kamuka), adulterous (para#daratura), constantly addicted to sin (sada papa#kriya), i norant, slothful, and de!oid of reli ion, should $e re.ected#

The perfect sadhaka who is entitled to the -nowled e of all Shastra is he who is pure-minded, whose senses are controlled (jitendriyah), who is e!er en a ed in doin ood to all $ein s, free from false notions of dualism, attached to the spea-in of, ta-in shelter with, and li!in in the supreme unity of the 1rahman# So lon as Sha-ti is not fully communicated (see next note) to the shishya7s $ody from that of the guru, so lon the con!entional relation of guru andshishya exists# 0 man is shishya only so lon as he is sadhaka# Ehen, howe!er, siddhi is attained, $oth !uru and Shishya are a$o!e this dualism# Eith the attainment of pure monism, naturally this relation, as all others, disappears# Initiation Di(sha Initiation is the i!in of mantra $y the guru# 0t the time of initiation the guru must first esta$lish the life of the guru in his own $ody7 that is the !ital force (prana#shakti) of the Supreme !uru whose a$ode is in the thousand-petalled lotus# 0s an ima e is the instrument (yantra) in which di!inity (devatva) inheres, so also is the $ody of guru# The day prior thereto the guru should, accordin to Tantra, seat the intendin candidate on a mat of kusha rass# He then ma-es japa of a "sleep mantra" (supta#mantra) in his ear, and ties his crown loc-# The disciple, who should ha!e fasted and o$ser!ed sexual continence, repeats the mantra thrice, prostrates himself at the feet of the guru, and then retires to rest# Initiation, which follows, i!es spiritual -nowled e and destroys sin# 0s one lamp is lit at the flame of another, so the di!ine shanti, consistin of mantra, is communicated from the guru7s $ody to that of the Shishya#Eithout daksha, japa of the mantra, puja, and other ritual acts, are said to $e useless# )ertain mantra are also said to $e for$idden to shudra and women# 0 note, howe!er, in the first )hala-shara Sutra, to the <alita would, howe!er, show that e!en the shudra are not de$arred the use e!en of the "ranava, as is enerally asserted# &or, accordin to the Kali-a 6urana (when dealin with svara or tone), whilst the udatta, an#udatta, and prachita are appropriate to the first of these castes, the svara, called aukara, with anusvara and nada, is appropriate to shudra, who may use the "ranava, either at the $e innin or end of mantra, $ut not, as the dvija may, at $oth places# The mantra chosen for initiation should $e suita$le (anuka%a)# Ehether a mantra is sva#ku%a or a#ku%a to the person a$out to $e initiated is ascertained $y the ku%a#chakra, the 8odiacal circle called rashichakra and other chakra which may $e found descri$ed in the Tantra-sara# Initiation $y a woman is efficacious7 that $y a mother is ei ht-fold so# )ertain special forms of initiation, called abhisheka, are descri$ed in the next note# A)hishe(a &bhisheka is of ei ht -inds, and the forms of abhisheka which follow the first at later sta es, mar- reater and reater de rees of initiation# The first shaktabhisheka is i!en on entrance into the path of sadhana# It is so called $ecause the guru then re!eals to the shishya the preliminery mysteries of shakti#tattva# 1y it the shishya is cleansed of all sinful or e!il shakti or procli!ities, and ac2uires a wonderful new shakti# The next purnabhisheka is i!en in the sta e $eyond dakshinachara, when the disciple has 2ualified himself $y purascharana and other practices to recei!e it# Here the real wor- of sadhana $e ins# &sana, yama, etc#, stren then the discipleDs determina,tion (pratijna) to perse!ere alon the hi her sta es of sadhana# The third is the difficult sta e commenced $y krama#dikshabhisheka, in which it is said the reat

3ashishtha $ecame in!ol!ed, and in which the Rishi 3ish!amitra ac2uired brahma#jnana, and so $ecame a 1rahmana# The sacred thread is now worn round the nec- li-e a arland# The shishya, then under oin !arious ordeals (pariksha), recei!es samrajyabhisheka and maha#samrajyabhisheka, and at len th arri!es at the most dificult of all sta es introduced $y yoga#dikshabhisheka# In pre!ious sta es the sadhaka has performed the panchanga#puraschharana, and, with the assistance of his guru (with whom he must constantly reside, and whose instructions he must recei!e direct), he does the panchanga#yoga + that is, the last fi!e lim$s of the ashtan a# He is thereafter 2ualified for purna#dikshabhisheka, and, followin that, maha#purna#diksha# bhisheka, sometimes calledviraja#grahanabhisheka# 'n the attainment of perfection in this last rade, the sadhaka performs his own funeral rite (shraddha), ma-es purnahuti with his sacred thread and crown loc-# The relation of guru and shishya now ceases# &rom this point he ascends $y himself until he reali8es the reat sayin , SoDham ("I am He")# 0t this sta e, which the Tantra calls jivan#mukta (li$erated whilst yet li!in ), he is called parama#hangsa# %adhana Sadhana is that which produces siddhi (8-v-)# It is the means, or practice, $y which the desired end may $e attained, and consists in the exercise and trainin of the $ody and psychic faculties, upon the radual perfection of whichsiddhi follows7 the nature and de ree of which, a ain, depends upon the pro ress made towards the reali8ation of the atma, whose !eilin !esture the $ody is# The means employed are !arious, such as worship ( puja), exterior or mental7 shastric learnin 7 austerities (tapas)7 the pancha#tattva, mantra, and so forth# Sadhana ta-es on a special character, accordin to the end sou ht# Thus, sadhana for brahma#jana, which consists in the ac2uisition of internal control (shama) o!er buddhi, manas, and ahangkara7 external control (dama) o!er the ten indriya, discrimination $etween the transitory and the external, and renunciation $oth of the world and hea!en (svarga), is o$!iously different from that prescri$ed for, say, the purposes of the lower ma ic# The sadhaka and sadhika are respecti!ely the man or woman who perform sadhana# They are, accordin to their physical, mental, and moral 2ualities, di!ided into four classes Imridu, madhya, adhimatraka, and the hi hest adhimatrama, who is 2ualified (adhikari) for all forms of yoga# In a similar way the Kau%a di!ision of worshippers are di!ided into the prakriti, or common Kau%a followin virachara,addicted to ritual practice, and sadhana, with pancha#tattva7 the madhyama#kau%ika, or middlin Kaula, accomplishin the same sadhana, $ut with a mind more turned towards meditation, -nowled e, and samadhi7 and the hi hest type of Kaula (kau%ikottama), who, ha!in surpassed all ritualism, meditates upon the Fni!ersal Self# *orshi' +enerally There are four different forms of worship correspondin with four states ( bhava)# The reali8ation that the jivatma and paramatma are one, that e!erythin is 1rahman, and that nothin $ut the 1rahman exists, is the hi hest state, or brahma#bhava# )onstant meditation $y the yoga process upon the $evata in the heart is the lower and middlemost (dhyana# bhava) japa (8#v#) and stava (hymns and prayer) is still lower and the lowest of all is mere external worship (puja) (8#v#)# "uja#bhava is that which arises out of the dualistic notions of worshipper and worshipped7 the ser!ant and the <ord# This dualism exists in reater or less de ree in all the states except the hi hest# 1ut for him who, ha!in reali8ed the advaita#

tattva, -nows that all is 1rahman, there is neither worshipper nor neither yoga nor puja, nor dharana, dhyana, stava, japa, vrata, or other ritual of sadhana#

worshipped, or process

In external worship there is worship either of an ima e ( pratima), or of a yantra (8-v-), which ta-es its place# The sadhaka should first worship inwardly the mental ima e of the form assumed $y the Ae!i, and then $y the life- i!in ( prana#pratishtha) ceremony infuse the ima e with Her life $y the communication to it of the li ht and ener y ( tejas) of the 1rahman which is within him to the ima e without, from which there $ursts the lustre of Her whose su$stance is consciousness itself (chaitanya#mayi)# She exists as Sha-ti in stone or metal, or elsewhere, $ut is there !eiled and seemin ly inert# 'haitanya (consciousness) is aroused $y the worshipper throu h the prana#pratishtha mantra# >ites (karma) are of two -inds# Karma is either nitya nr naimittika# The first is $oth daily and o$li atory, and is done $ecause so ordained# Such as the sandhya (v# post), which in the case of Shudras is in the Tantri- form7 and dailypuja (v# post) of the ,shta- and Ku%a# $evata (v# post)7 and for 1rahmamas the pancha#maha#yajna (v# post)# The second or conditional karma is occasional and !oluntary, and is kamya when done to ain some particular end, such asyajna for a particular o$.ect7 tapas with the same end (for certain forms of tapas are also nitya)7 and vrata (v# post)# The Shudra is precluded from the performance of 3aidi- rites, or the readin of the 3edas, or the recital of the 3aidi- mantra# His worship is practically limited to that of the Ishta-Ae!ata and the 1ana-lin a-pu.a, with Tantri- and 6aurani-mantra and such vrata as consist in penance and charity# In other cases the vrata is performed throu h a 1rahmana# The Tantra ma-es no caste distinctions as re ards worship# 0ll may read the Tantras, perform the Tantri- worship, such as the sandhya (v# post), and recite the Tantri- mantra, such as the Tantri- =ayatri# 0ll castes, and e!en the lowest chanda%a, may $e a mem$er of a chakra, or Tantri- circle of worship# In the chakra all its mem$ers parta-e of food and drin- to ether, and are deemed to $e reater than 1rahmanas7 thou h upon the $rea--up of the chakras the ordinary caste and social relations are re-esta$lished# 0ll are competent for the specially Tantri- worship, for, in the words of the =autamiya Tantra, the Tantra Shastra is for all castes and for all women# The latter are also excluded under the present 3aidi- system, thou h it is said $y Shan-ha Aharma-shastra--ara that the wife may, with the consent of her hus$and, fast, ta-e !ows, perform homa and vrata, etc# 0ccordin to the Tantra, a woman may not only recei!e mantra, $ut may, as a =uru, initiate and i!e it# She is worshipful as =uru, and as wife of =uru# The Ae!i is Herself =uru of all Shastras and woman, as, indeed, all females who are Her em$odiments are, in a peculiar sense, Her earthly representati!es# &orms of 0chara There are se!en, or, as some say, nine, di!isions of worshippers# The extra di!isions are $rac-eted in the followin 2uotation# The Kularna!a Tantra mentions se!en, which are i!en in their order of superiority, the first $ein the lowest%Vedachara, Vaishnavachara, Shaivachara, $akshinachara, Vamachara, Siddhantachar a (&ghorachara, 3ogachara), and Kau%achara, the hi hest of all# The achara is the way, custom, and practice of a particular class of sadhaka#They are not, as sometimes supposed, different sects, $ut sta es throu h which the worshipper in this or other $irths has to pass

$efore he reaches the supreme sta e of the Kau%a# Vedachara, which consists in the daily practice of the 3aidi- rites, is the ross $ody (sthu%a#deha), which comprises within it all other acharas, which are, as it were, its su$tle $odies (sukshma#deha) of !arious de rees# The worship is lar ely of an external and ritual character, the o$.ect of which is to stren then dharma# This is the path of action (kriya#marga)# In the second sta e the worshipper passes from $lind faith to an understandin of the supreme protectin ener y of the 1rahman, towards which he has feelin s of de!otion# This is the path of de!otion ( bhakti# marga), and the aim at this sta e is the union of it and faith pre!iously ac2uired# Eith an increasin determination to protect dharma and destroy a#dharma, the sadhaka passes intoShaivachara, the warrior (kshatriya) sta e, wherein to lo!e and mercy are added strenuous stri!in and the culti!ation of power# There is union of faith, de!otion ( bhakti), and inward determination (antar#%aksha)# Entrance is made upon the path of -nowled e (jnana# marga)# &ollowin this is $akshinachara, which in Tantra does not mean "ri ht-hand worship," $ut "fa!oura$le" I that is, that achara which is fa!oura$le to the accomplishment of the hi hersadhana, and whereof the Ae!i is the Aa-shina Kali-a# This sta e commences when the worshipper can ma-e dhyana and dharana of the threefold shakti of the 1rahman (kriya, ichchha, jana), and understands the mutual connection (samanvaya) of the three una until he recei!es purnabhisheka (8#v#)# 0t this sta e the sadhaka is Shakta, and 2ualified for the worship of the threefold shakti of 1rahma, 3ishnu, ?ahesh!ara# He is fully initiated in the =ayatri-mantra, and worships the Ae!i =ayatri, the Aa-shina Kali-a, or 0dya Sha-ti I the union of the three Sha-ti# This is the sta e of indi!idualistic 1rahmana-tatt!a, and its aim is the union of faith, de!otion, and determination, with a -nowled e of the threefold ener ies# 0fter this a chan e of reat importance occurs, mar-in , as it does, the entry upon the path of return (nivritti)# This it is which has led some to di!ide the achara into the two $road di!isions of $akshinachara(includin the first four) and Vamachara (includin the last three), it $ein said that men are $orn into $akshinachara, $ut are recei!ed $y initiation into Vamachara# The latter term does not mean, as is !ul arly supposed, "left-hand worship," $ut the worship in which woman (vama) enters that is %ata#sadhana# In this achara there is also worship of the 3ama Ae!i# Vija is here "ad!erse," in that the sta e is ad!erse to pravritti, which o!erned in !aryin de rees the precedin achara, and entry is here made upon the path of nivritti, or return to the source whence the world sprun # Fp to the fourth sta e the sadhaka followed pravrittimarga, the out oin path which led from the source, the path of worldly en.oyment, al$eit cur!ed $y dharma# 0t first unconsciously, and later consciously, sadhana sou ht to induce nivrittt, which, howe!er, can only fully appear after the exhaustion of the forces of the outward current# InVamachara, howe!er, the sadhaka commences to directly destroy pravritti, and with the help of the =uru (whose help throu hout is in this necessary) to culti!ate nivritti# The method at this sta e is to use the force of pravritti in such a way as to render them self-destructi!e# The passions which $ind may $e so employed as to act as forces where$y the particular life of which they are the stron est manifestation is raised to the uni!ersal life# 6assion, which has hitherto run downwards and outwards to waste, is directed inwards and upwards, and transformed to power# 1ut it is not only the lower physical desires of eatin , drin-in , and sexual intercourse which must $e su$.u ated# Thesadhaka must at this sta e commence to cut off all the ei ht $onds (pasha) which mar- the pashu which the Kularna!a Tantra enumerates as pity (daya), i norance (moha), shame (%ajja), family (ku%a), custom (shi%a), and caste (varna)#Ehen Shri Krishna stole the clothes of the $athin !opi, and made them approach him na-ed, he remo!ed the artificial co!erin s which are imposed on man in the sangsara# The !opi were ei ht, as are the $onds (pasha), and the errors $y which the jiva is misled are the clothes

which Shri Krishna stole# &reed of these, the jiva is li$erated from all $onds arisin from his desires, family, and society# He then reaches the sta e of Shi!a ( shivatva)# It is the aim ofVamachara to li$erate from the $onds which $ind men to the sangsara, and to 2ualify the sadhaka for the hi hest rades of sadhana in which the sattvika guna predominates# To the truly satt!i- there is neither attachment, fear, or dis ust# That which has $een commenced in these sta es is $y de rees completed in those which follow I !i8#% Siddhantachara, and accordin to some, &ghorachara and 3ogachara# The sadhaka $ecomes more and more freed from the dar-ness of the sangsara, and is attached to nothin , hates nothin , and is ashamed of nothin , ha!in freed himself of the artificial $onds of family, caste, and society# The sadhaka $ecomes, li-e Shi!a himself, a dweller in the cremation round ( smashana)# He learns to reach the upper hei hts of sadhana and the mysteries of yoga# He learns the mo!ements of the different vayu in the microcosm the Kshudra#brahmanda, the re ulation of which controls the inclinations and propensities (vritti)# He learns also the truth which concern the macrocosm (brahmanda)# Here also the =uru teaches him the inner core of Vedachara# Initiation $y yoga#diksha fully 2ualifies him for yogachara# 'n attainment of perfection in ashtanga#yoga, he is fit to enter the hi hest sta e of Kau%achara# Kau%a#dharma is in no wise sectarian, $ut, on the contrary, is the heart of all sects# This is the true meanin of the phrase which, li-e many another touchin the Tantra, is misunderstood, and used to fix the -aula with hypocrisy I antah#shaktah, vahih#shaivah sabhayang vaishnavahmatah nana + rupadharah kau%ah vicharanti mahita%e (outwardly Shai!as7 in atherin s, 3aishna!as7 at heart, Sha-tas7 under !arious forms the Kaulas wander on earth)# 0 Kaula is one who has passed throu h these and other sta es, which ha!e as their own inmost doctrine (whether these worshippers -now it or not) that of Kaulachara# It is indifferent what the KaulaDs apparent sect may $e# The form is nothin and e!erythin # It is nothin in the sense that it has no power to narrow the KaulaDs own inner life7 it is e!erythin in the sense that -nowled e may infuse its apparent limitations with an uni!ersal meanin # So understood, form is ne!er a $ond# The 3ish!a-sara Tantra, says of the Kaula that "for him there is neither rule of time7 nor place# His actions are unaffected either $y the phases of the moon or the position of the stars# The Kaula roams the earth in differin forms# 0t times adherin to social rules (shishta), he at others appears, accordin to their standard, to $e fallen ( bhrashta)# 0t times, a ain, he seems to $e as unearthly as a host ( bhuta or pishacha) To him no difference is there $etween mud and sandal paste, his son and an enemy, home and the cremation round#" 0t this sta e the sadhaka attains to Brahma#jnana, which is the true gnosis in its perfect form# 'n recei!in mahapurna#daksha he performs his own funeral rites and is dead to the sangsara# Seated alone in some 2uiet place, he remains in constant samadhi, and attains its nir#vika%pa form# The =reat ?other, the Supreme 6ra-riti ?aha-sha-ti, dwells in the heart of the sadhaka, which is now the cremation round wherein all passions ha!e $een $urnt away# He $ecomes a "arama#hangsa, who is li$erated whilst yet li!in (javan#mukta)# It must not, howe!er, $e supposed that each of these sta es must necessarily $e passed throu h $y each jiva in a sin le life# 'n the contrary, they are ordinarily tra!ersed in the course of a multitude of $irths# The wea!in of the spiritual arment is recommenced where in a pre!ious $irth, it was dropped on death# In the present life a sadhaka may commence at any sta e# If he is $orn into Kau%achara, and so is a Kaula in its fullest sense, it is $ecause in pre!ious $irths he has $y sadhana, in the preliminary sta es, won his entrance into it#

Knowled e of Sha-ti is, as the Niruttara Tantra says, ac2uired after many $irths7 and, accordin to the ?ahanir!ana Tantra, it is $y merit ac2uired in pre!ious $irths that the mind is inclined to Kau%achara# ?antra Shabda, or sound, which is of the 1rahman, and as such the cause of the Brahmanda, is the manifestation of the )hit-sha-ti Itself# The 3ish!a-sara Tantra says that tha 6ara-$rahman, as Sha$da-$rahman, whose su$stance is all mantra,exists in the $ody of the jivatma# It is either unlettered (dhvani) or lettered (varna)# The former, which produces the latter, is the su$tle aspect of the jiva7s !ital shakti# 0s the 6rapancha-sara states, the brahmanda is per!aded $yshakti, consistin of dhvani, also called nada, prana, and the li-e# The manifestation of the ross form (sthu%a) of shabda is not possi$le unless shabda exists in a su$tle (sukshma) form# Mantras are all aspects of the 1rahman and manifestations of Ku%a#kunda%ini# 6hilosophically shabda is the guna of akasha, or ethereal space# It is not, howe!er, produced $y akasha, $ut manifests in it# Shabda is itself the 1rahman# In the same way, howe!er, as in outer space, wa!es of sound are produced $y mo!ements of air ( vayu)7 so in the space within the jiva7s $ody wa!es of sound are produced accordin to the mo!ements of the !ital air (prana#vayu) and the process of inhalation and exhalation#Shabda first appears at the mu%adhara, and that which is -nown to us as such is, in fact, the shakti which i!es life to the jiva# She it is who, in the mu%adhara, is the cause of the sweet indistinct and murmurin dhvani, which sounds li-e the hummin of a $lac- $ee# The extremely su$tle aspect of sound which first appears in the Mu%adhara is called para7 less su$tle when it has reached the heart, it is -nown as pashyanti# Ehen connected with buddhi it $ecomes more ross, and is calledmadhyama# <astly, in its fully ross form, it issues from the mouth as vaikhari# 0s Kula-Kundalini, whose su$stance is all varna and dhvani, is $ut the manifestation of, and Herself the 6aramatma7 so the su$stance of all mantra is chit,notwithstandin their external manifestation, as sound, letters, or words7 in fact, the letters of the alpha$et, which are -nown as akshara, are nothin $ut the yantra of the akshara, or imperisha$le 1rahman# This, howe!er, is only reali8ed $y the sadhaka when his shakti, enerated $y sadhana, is united with the mantra#shakti# It is the sthu%a or ross form of Kula-undalini, appearin in different aspects as different Ae!ata, which is the presidin Ae!ata ( adhishthatri) of all mantra, thou h it is the su$tle or sukshma form at which all sadhakas aim# Ehen themantrashakti is awa-ened $y sadhana the 6residin Ae!ata appears, and when perfect mantra#siddhi is ac2uired, the Ae!ata, who is sachchidananda, is re!ealed# The relations of varna, nada, vindu, !owel and consonant in amantra, indicate the appearance of $evata in different forms# )ertain vibhuti, or aspects, of the $evata are inherent in certain varna, $ut perfect Sha-ti does not appear in any $ut a whole mantra# 0ny word or letter of the mantracannot $e a mantra# 'nly that mantra in which the playful Ae!ata has re!ealed any of Her particular aspects can re!eal that aspect, and is therefore called the indi!idual mantra of that one of Her particular aspects# The form of a particular $evata, therefore, appears out of the particular mantra of which that Ae!ata is the adhishthatri Ae!ata# 0 mantra is composed of certain letters arran ed in definite se2uence of sounds of which the letters are the representati!e si ns# To produce the desi ned effect mantra must $e intoned in

the proper way, accordin to svara (rhythm), and varna (sound)# Their textual source is to $e found in 3eda, 6urana, and Tantra# The latter is essentially the mantra#shastra, and so it is said of the em$odied shastra, that Tantra, which consists of mantra, is the paramatma, the 3edas are the jivatma, Aarshana (systems of philosophy) are the senses, 6uranas are the $ody, and Smriti are the lim$s# Tantra is thus the shakti of consciousness, consistin of mantra# 0 mantra is not the same thin as prayer or self-dedication ( atma#nivedana)# 6rayer is con!eyed in what words the worshipper chooses, and $ears its meanin on its face# It is only i norance of shastri- principle which supposes that mantra is merely the name for the words in which one expresses what one has to say to the Ai!inity# If it were, the sadhaka mi ht choose his own lan ua e without recourse to the eternal and determined sounds of Shastra# 0 mantra may, or may not, con!ey on its face its meanin # Vija (seed) mantra, such as &ing, K%ing, Hring, ha!e no meanin , accordin to the ordinary use of lan ua e# The initiate, howe!er, -nows that their meanin is the own form ( sva#rupa) of the particular Ae!ata, whose mantra they are, and that they are the dhvani which ma-es all letters sound and which exists in all which we say or hear# E!ery mantra is, then, a form (rupa) of the 1rahman# Thou h, therefore, manifestin in the form and sound of the letters of the alpha$et, Shastra says that they o to Hell who thin- that the !uru is $ut a stone, and the mantra $ut letters of the alpha$et# &rom manana, or thin-in , arises the real understandin of the monistic truth, that the su$stance of the 1rahman and the $rahmanda are one and the same# Man# of mantra comes from the first sylla$le of manana, and #tra from trana, or li$eration from the $onda e of the sangsara or phenomenal world# 1y the com$ination of man# and #tra, that is called mantra which calls forth (amantrana), the chatur#varga (vide post), or four aims of sentient $ein # Ehilst, therefore, mere prayer often ends in nothin $ut physical sound, mantra is a potent compellin force, a word of power (the fruit of which is mantra# siddhi), and is thus effecti!e to produce the chatur#varga, ad!aitic perception, and mukti# Thus it is said that siddhi is the certain result of japa (8#v#)# 1y ?antra the sou ht for (sadhya) $evata, is attained and compelled# 1y siddhi in mantra is opened the !ision of the three worlds# Thou h the purpose of worship (puja), readin (patha), hymn (stava), sacrifice (homa), dhyana, dharana, and samadhi (vide post), and that of the diksha#mantra are the same, yet the latter is far more powerful, and this for the reason that, in the first, the sadhaka7s sadhana#shaktionly operates, whilst in the case of mantra that sadhana#shakti wor-s, in con.unction with mantra#shakti, which has the re!elation and force of fire, and than which nothin is more powerful# The special mantra which is recei!ed at initiation (diksha) is the vija, or seed mantra, sown in the field of the sadhaka7s heart, and the Tantri- sandhya, nyasa, puja, and the li-e are the stem and $ranches upon which hymns of praise (stuti) and prayer and homa e (vandana)are the lea!es and flower, and the kavacha, consistin of mantra, the fruit# Mantra are solar (saura) and lunar (saumya), and are masculine, feminine, or neuter# The solar are masculine and lunar feminine# The masculine and neuter forms are called mantra# The feminine mantra is -nown as vidya# The neutermantra, such as the 6aurani--mantra, endin with namah, are said to lac- the force and !itality of the others# The masculine and feminine mantra end differently# Thus, Hung, "hat, are masculine terminations, and "thang," or svaha, are feminine ones#

The Nitya Tantra i!es !arious names to mantra# accordin to the num$er of their sylla$les, a one-sylla$led mantra $ein called pinda, a three-sylla$led one kartari, a mantra with four to nine sylla$les vija, with ten to twenty sylla$les mantra, and mantra with more than twenty sylla$les ma%a# )ommonly, howe!er, the term vija is applied to monosylla$ic mantra# The Tantri- mantras called vija (seed) are so named $ecause they are the seed of the fruit, which is siddhi,and $ecause they are the !ery 2uintessence of mantra# They are short, unetymolo ical !oca$les, such as Hring, Shring, Kring, Hung, &ing, "hat, etc#, which will $e found throu hout the text# Each Ae!ata has His or Her vija# The primary mantra of a Ae!ata is -nown as the root mantra (mu%a#mantra)# It is also said that the word mu%a denotes the su$tle $ody of the Ae!ata called Kama#ka%a# The utterance of a mantra without -nowled e of its meanin or of themantra method is a mere mo!ement of the lips and nothin more# The mantra sleeps# There are !arious processes preliminary to, and in!ol!ed in, its ri ht utterance, which processes a ain consist of mantra, such as, purification of the mouth (mukha#shodhana), purification of the ton ue (jihva#shodhana), and of the mantra (ashaucha# bhanga), ku%%uka, nirvvana, setu, nidra#bhanga, awa-enin of mantra, mantra#chaitanya, or i!in of life or !itality to the mantra#Mantrarthabhavana, formin of mental ima e of the Ai!inity# There are also ten sangskara of the mantra# $ipani is se!en japa of the vija, preceded and followed $y one# Ehere hring is employed instead of 9ng it is prana-yo a# /oni-mudra is meditation on the !uru in the head and on the Ishta-de!ata in the heart, and then on the 3oni# rupa Bhagavati from the head to the mu%adhara, and from the mu%adhara to the head, ma-in japa of the yoni vija (eng) ten times# The mantra itself is $evata# The worshipper awa-ens and !itali8es it $y chit#shakti, puttin away all thou ht of the letter, piercin the six 'hakra, and contemplatin the Spotless 'ne# The shakti of the mantra is the vachaka# shakti, or the means $y which the vachya#shakti or o$.ect of the mantra is attained# The mantra li!es $y the ener y of the former# The saguna#shanti is awa-ened $y sadhana and worshipped, and She it is who opens the portals where$y thevachya#shakti is reached# Thus the ?other in Her saguna form is the presidin deity (adhishthatri $evata) of the =ayatrimantra# 0s the nir una (formless) 'ne, She is its vachya#shakti# 1oth are in reality one and the same7 $ut thejiva, $y the laws of his nature and its three guna, must first meditate on the ross (sthu%a) form $efore he can reali8e the su$tle (sukshma) form, which is his li$erator# The mantra of a Ae!ata is the Ae!ata# The rhythmical !i$rations of its sounds not merely re ulate the unsteady !i$rations of the sheaths of the worshipper, thus transformin him, $ut from it arises the form of the Ae!ata, which it is# Mantra#siddhi is the a$ility to ma-e a mantra efficacious and to ather its fruit in which case the mantra is called mantra# siddha# Mantra are classified as siddha, sadhya, susiddha, and ari, accordin as they are friends, ser!ers, supporters, or destroyers I a matter which is determined for each sadhaka $y means of chakra calculations# The +ayatri Mantra The =ayatri is the most sacred of all 3aidi- mantras# In it the 3eda lies em$odied as in its seed# It runs% 9ng bhur bhuvah svah4 tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi4 dhiyo yo nah prachodayat# 9m# "9ng# <et us contemplate the wondrous spirit of the Ai!ine )reator (Sa!itri) of the earthly, atmospheric, and celestial spheres# ?ay He direct our minds (that is, KtowardsD the attainment of dharmma#, artha, kama, and moksha), 9m#"

The =ayatrt-3ya-arana of /o i /a.na!al-ya thus explains the followin words% Tat, that# The word yat (which) is understood# Savituh is the possessi!e case of Savitri, deri!ed from the root su, "to $rin forth#" Sa!itri is, therefore, the 1rin er-forth of all that exists# The Sun (Suryya) is the cause of all that exists, and of the state in which they exist# 1rin in forth and creatin all thin s, it is called Sa!itri# The 1ha!ishya 6urana says Suryya is the !isi$le Ae!ata# He is the Eye of the world and the ?a-er of the day# There is no other Ae!ata eternal li-e unto Him# This uni!erse has emanated from, and will $e a ain a$sor$ed into, Him# Time is of and in Him# The planets, sta#rs, the 3asus# >udras, 3ayu, 0 ni, and the rest are $ut parts of Him# 1y Bhargah is meant the 0ditya-de!ata, dwellin in the re ion of the Sun ( suryya#manda%a) in all His mi ht and lory# He is to the Sun what our spirit (atma) is to our $ody# Thou h He is in the re ion of the sun in the outer or material sphere He also dwells in our inner sel!es# He is the li ht of the li ht in the solar circle, and is the li ht of the li!es of all $ein s# 0s He is in the outer ether, so also is He in the ethereal re ion of the heart# In the outer ether He is Suryya, and in the inner ether He is the wonderful <i ht which is the Smo-eless &ire# In short, that 1ein whom the sadhaka reali8es in the re ion of his heart is the 0ditya in the hea!enly firmament# The two are one# The word is deri!ed in two ways% (+) from the root bhrij, "to ripen, mature, destroy, re!eal, shine#" In this deri!ation Suryya is He who matures and transforms all thin s# He Himself shines and re!eals all thin s $y His li ht# 0nd it is He who at the final Aissolution (pra%aya) will in His ima e of destructi!e &ire ( ka%agni) destroy all thin s# (,) &rom bha : di!idin all thin s into different classes7 ra : colour7 for He produces the colour of all created o$.ects7ga, constantly oin and returnin # The sun di!ides all thin s, produces the different colours of all thin s, and is constantly oin and returnin # 0s the 1rahmana-sar!as!a says% "The Bhargah is the &tma of all that exists, whether mo!in or motionless, in the three %oka (Bhur bhuvah svah)# There is nothin which exists apart from it#" $evasya is the eniti!e of Ae!a, a reein with Savituh# Ae!a is the radiant and playful (%i%amaya) one# Suryya is in constant play with creation (srishti), existence (sthiti), and destruction (pra%aya), and $y His radiance pleases all# ( 5i%a,as applied to the 1rahman, is the e2ui!alent of maya#) Varenyam : varaniya, or adora$le# He should $e meditated upon and adored that we may $e relie!ed of the misery of $irth and death# Those who fear re$irth, who desire freedom from death and li$eration and who stri!e to escape the three -inds of pain (tapa#traya), which are adhyatmika, adhidaivika, and adhibhautika, meditate upon and adore the Bharga, who, dwellin in the re ion of the Sun, is Himself the three re ions called Bhur# %oka, Bhuvar#%oka, and Svar#%oka# $himahi : dhya#yema, from the root dhyai# Ee meditate upon, or let us meditate upon# "rachodayat : may He direct# The =ayatri does not so expressly state, $ut it is understood that such direction is alon the chatur#varga, or four-fold path, which is dharmma, artha, kama, and moksha (piety, wealth, desire and its fulfilment, and li$eration, vide post)# The 1har ah is e!er directin our inner faculties ( buddhi#vritti) alon these paths# The a$o!e is the Vaidika !ayatri, which, accordin to the 3aidi- system, none $ut the twice$orn may utter# To the Shudra whether man or woman, and to women of all other castes it is for$idden# The Tantra, which has =ayatri-?antra of its own, shows no such exclusi!eness7 )hapter III#, !erses +;4-+++, i!es the Brahma#gayatri for worshippers of the 1rahman% ""arameshva#raya vidmahe para#tattvaya dhimahi4 tan no Brahma prachodayat "(?ay we

-now the supreme <ord# <et us contemplate the Supreme essence# 0nd may that 1rahman direct us)# /antra This word in its most eneral sense means an instrument, or that $y which anythin is accomplished# In worship it is that $y which the mind is fixed on its o$.ect# The /o ini Tantra says that the Ae!i should $e worshipped either inpratima (ima e), manda%a, or yantra# 0t a certain sta e of spiritual pro ress the sadhaka is 2ualified to worship yantra# The siddha# yogi in inward worship (antar#puja) commences with the worship of yantra, which is the si n (sangketa) of brahma#vijnana as the mantra is the sangketa of the Ae!ata# It is also said that yantra is so called $ecause it su$dues (niyantrana) lust, an er, and the other sins of jiva and the sufferin s caused there$y# This yantra is a dia ram en ra!ed or drawn on metal, paper, or other su$stances, which is worshipped in the same manner as an ima e (pratima)# 0s different mantra are prescri$ed for different worships, so are different yantra# Theyantras are therefore of !arious desi ns, accordin to the o$.ect of worship# The co!er of this wor- shows a sil!er =ayatri yantra $elon in to the author# In the centre trian le are en ra!ed in the middle the words, Shri Shri !ayatri sva#prasada siddhing kuru ("Shri Shri =ayatri Ae!i% rant me success"), and at each inner corner there are the vija Hring and Hrah# In the spaces formed $y the intersections of the outer o!oid circles is the vija "Hring#" The outside circular $and contains the vija "Tha" which indicates "Svaha," commonly employed to terminate the feminine mantra or vidya# The ei ht lotus petals which sprin from the $and are inscri$ed with the vija, "Hring, ,ng, Hrah#" The outermost $and contains all the matrika, or letters of the alpha$et, from ankara to %aksha# The whole is enclosed in the way common to all yantra $y a bhupura, $y which, as it were, the yantra is enclosed from the outer world# The yantra when inscri$ed with mantra, ser!es (so far as these are concerned) the purpose of a mnemonic chart of the mantra appropriate to the particular Ae!ata whose presence is to $e in!o-ed into the yantra# )ertain preliminaries precede, as in the case of a pratima, the worship of a yantra# The worshipper first meditates upon the Ae!ata, and then arouses Him or Her in himself# He then communicates the di!ine presence thus aroused to the yantra# Ehen the Ae!ata has $y the appropriate mantra $een in!o-ed into the yantra, the !ital airs (prana) of the Ae!ata are infused therein $y the prana#pratishtha ceremony, mantra, and mudra# The Ae!ata is there$y installed in the yantra, which is no lon er mere ross matter !eilin the spirit which has $een always there, $ut instinct with its aroused presence, which the sadhaka first welcomes and then worships# ?antra in itself is Ae!ata, and yantra is mantra in that it is the $ody of the Ae!ata who is mantra# ?udra The term mudrais deri!ed from the root mud, "to please," and in its upasana form is so called $ecause it i!es pleasure to the Ae!as# $evanang moda#da mudra tasmat tang yatnatashcharet# It is said that there are +;@, of which CC are commonly used# The term means ritual estures made with the hands in worship or positions of the $ody in yo a practice# Thus of the first class the matsya + (fish) mudra is formed in offerin arghya $y placin the ri ht hand on the $ac- of the left and extendin , fin-li-e, on each side the two thum$s, with the o$.ect that the conch which contains water may $e re arded as an ocean with a2uatic animals7

and the yoni#mudra which presents that or an as a trian le formed $y the thum$s, the two first fin ers, and the two little fin ers is shown with the o$.ect of in!o-in the Ae!i to come and ta-e Her place $efore the worshipper, the yoni $ein considered to $e Her pitha or yantra# The upasana mudra is thus nothin $ut the outward expression of inner resol!e which it at the same time intensifies# Mudra are employed in worship (archchana) japa, dhyana (8#v#), kamya#karma (rites done to effect particular o$.ects), pratishtha(8#v#), snana ($athin ), avahana (welcomin ), naivedya (offerin of food), and visarjana, or dismissal of the Ae!ata# Some mudra of hatha yoga are descri$ed sub voc# "3oga#" The =heranda San hita says that -nowled e of the yoga mudras rants all siddhi, and that their performance produces physical $enefits such as sta$ility, firmness and cure of disease# Sandhya The Vaidika sandhya is the rite performed $y the twice-$orn castes thrice a day, at mornin , midday, and e!enin # The mornin sandhya is preceded $y the followin acts# 'n awa-enin , a mantra is said in in!ocation of the Tri#murttiand the sun, moon, and planets, and salutation is made to the =uru# The Hindu dvi#ja then recites the miantra4 "I am a Ae!a# I am indeed the sorrowless 1rahman# 1y nature I am eternally free, and in the form of existence, intelli ence, and 1liss#" He then offers the actions of the day to the Aeity, confesses his inherent frailty, and prays that he may do ri ht# Then, lea!in his $ed and touchin the earth with his ri ht foot, the dvi#ja says, "'m, ; Earth( salutation to Thee, the =uru of all that is ood#" 0fter attendin to natural calls, the twice-$orn does achamana (sippin of water) with mantra, cleanses his teeth, and ta-es his early mornin $ath to the accompaniment of mantra# He then puts on his caste-mar- (ti%aka) and ma-es tarpanam, or o$lation of water, to the $eva, Rishi, and "itri# The sandhya follows, which consists of achamana (sippin of water), marjjana# snanam (sprin-lin of the whole $ody with water ta-en with the hand or kasha# grass), pranayama (re ulation of prana throu h its manifestation in $reath), agha# marshana (expulsion of the person of sin from the $ody7 the prayer to the sun, and then (the canon of the sandhya) the silent recitation (japa) of the =ayatn mantra, which consists of in!ocation (avahana) of the !ayatri#$evi7 rishi#nyasa and shadanga#nyasa (vide post), meditation on the Ae!i-=ayatri in the mornin as 1rahmani7 at midday as 3aishna!i7 and in the e!enin as >udrani7 japa of the =ayatri a specified num$er of times7 dismissal (visarjana) of the Ae!i, followed $y other mantra# 1esides the 1rahmanical Vaidiki#sandhya from which the Shudras are de$arred, there is the Tantriki#sandhya, which may $e performed $y all# The eneral outline is similar7 the rite is simpler7 the mantra !ary7 and the Tantrika#vijas or "seed" mantras are employed# 6u.a This word is the common term for worship of which there are numerous synonyms in the Sans-rit lan ua e# 6u.a is done daily of the ,shta#devata or the particular Aeity worshipped $y the sadhaka + the Ae!i in the case of a Sha-ti, 3ishnu in the case of a 3aishna!a, and so forth# 1ut thou h the Ishta-de!ata is the principal o$.ect of worship, yet in puju all worship the "ancha#devata, or the &i!e Ae!a I 0ditya (the Sun), =anesha, the Ae!i, Shi!a, and 3ishnu, or Narayana# 0fter worship of the 6ancha-de!ata, the family Aeity ( Ku%a#devata), who is enerally the same as the Ishta-de!ata, is worshipped# "uja, which is kamya, or done to

ain a particular end as also vrata, are preceded $y thesangka%pa7 that is, a statement of the resolution to do the worship, as also of the particular o$.ect, if any, with which it is done# There are sixteen upachara, or thin s done or used in puja4 (+) asana (seat of the ima e)7 (,) svagata (welcome)7 (G) padya (water for washin the feet)7 (5) arghya (offerin of un$oiled rice, flowers, sandal paste, durva rass, etc#, to the Ae!ata in the kushi) (!essel)7 (C and 9) achamana (water for sippin , which is offered twice)7 (:) madhuparka (honey, hee, mil-, and curd offered in a sil!er or $rass !essel)7 (@) snana (water for $athin )7 (4) vasana (cloth)7 (+;)abharana (.ewels)7 (++) gandha (scent and sandal paste is i!en)7 (+,) pushpa (flowers)7 (+G) dhupa (incense stic-)7 (+5) dipa (li ht)7 (+C) naivedya (food)7 (+9) vandana or namas# kara (prayer)# 'ther articles are used which !ary with the puja, such as Tulasi leaf in the Vishnu#puju and $ael-(bi%va) leaf in the Shi!a-pu.a# The mantras said also !ary accordin to the worship# The seat (asana) of the worshipper is purified# Salutation $ein made to the Sha-ti of support or the sustainin force (adhara#shakti)7 the water, flowers, etc#, are purified# 0ll o$structi!e spirits are dri!en away ( Bhutapasarpana), and the ten 2uarters are fenced from their attac- $y stri-in the earth three times with the left foot, utterin the &stra vija "phat," and $y snappin the fin ers (twice) round the head# "ranayama (re ulation of $reath) is performed and (vide post) the elements of the $ody are purified (bhuta#shuddhi)# There is nyasa (vide post)7dhyana (meditation) offerin of the upachara7 japa (vide post), prayer and o$eisance (pranama)# In the ashta#murti#puja of Shi!a the Ae!a is worshipped under the ei ht forms% Shar!!a (Earth), 1ha!a (Eater), >udra (&ire), F ra (0ir), 1hima (Ether), 6ashupati ( yajamana + the Sacrificer man), Ishana (Sun), ?ahade!a (?oon)# /a.na This word, which comes from the root yaj (to worship), is commonly translated "sacrifice#" The Sans-rit word is, howe!er, retained in the translation, since 3ajna means other thin s also than those which come within the meanin of the word "sacrifice," as understood $y an En lish reader# Thus the "fi!e reat sacrifices" (pancha#maha#yajna) which should $e performed daily $y the 1rahmana are% The homa sacrifice, includin Vaishva#deva offerin , "bhuta# yajna orva%i, in which offerin s are made to Ae!a, Bhuta, and other Spirits and to animals7 pitri# yajna or tarpana, o$lations to the pitri7 Brahma#yajna, or study of the 3edas and Manushyayajna, or entertainment of uests (atithisaparyya)# 1y these fi!e yajna the worshipper places himself in ri ht relations with all $ein , affirmin such relation $etween Ae!a, 6itri, Spirits, men, the or anic creation, and himself# Homa, or $eva#yajna, is the ma-in of offerin s to &ire# which is the carrier thereof to the Ae!a# 0 firepit (kunda) is prepared and fire when $rou ht from the house of a 1rahmana is consecrated with mantra# The fire is made conscious with the mantra + Vang vahni# chaitanyaya namah, and then saluted and named# ?editation is then made on the three nadis (vide ante) + Ida, 6in ala, and Sushumna I and on 0 ni, the <ord of &ire# 'fferin s are made to the ,shta#devata in the fire# 0fter the puja of fire, salutation is i!en as in Shadanga#nyasa, and then clarified $utter ( hee) is poured with a wooden spoon into the fire with mantra, commencin with 9m and endin with Svaha# Homa is of !arious -inds, se!eral of which are referred to in the text, and is performed either daily, as in the case of the ordinary nitya#vaishva#deva#homa, or on special occasions, such as the upanayana or sacred thread ceremony, marria e, vrata,and the li-e# It is of !arious -inds, such as prayashchitta#

homa, srishtikrit-homa, janu homa, dhara#homa, and others, some of which will $e found in the text# 1esides the yajna mentioned there are others# ?anu spea-s of four -inds% deva, bhauta (where articles and in redients are employed, as in the case of homa, daiva, va%i), nriyajna, and pitri#yajna# 'thers are spo-en of, such as japa# yajna, dhyana#yajna, etc# 3ajna are also classified accordin to the dispositions and intentions of the worshipper into sattvika, rajasika, and tamasika yajna# 3rata Vrata is a part of (aimittika, or !oluntary karma# It is that which is the cause of !irtue (punya), and is done to achie!e its fruit# Vrata are of !arious -inds# Some of the chief are Banmashtami on KrishnaDs $irthday7 Shi!a-ratri in honour of Shi!a7 and the Shat-panchami, Aur!ashtami, Tala-na!ami# 0nanta-chaturdashi performed at specified times in honour of <a-shmi, Narayana, and 0nanta# 'thers may $e performed at any time, such as the Sa!itri vrata $y women only, and the Kartti-eya- puja $y men only# The reat vrata is the cele$rated Aur a-pu.a, maha#vrata in honour of the Ae!i as Aur a, which will continue as lon as the sun and moon endure, and which, if once commenced, must always $e continued# There are numerous other vrata which ha!e de!eloped to a reat extent in 1en al, and for which there is no Shastric authority such as ?adhu-san-ranti-!rata, Bala-san-ranti-!rata, and others# Ehile each vrata has its peculiarities, certain features are common to vrata of differin -inds# There is $oth in preparation and performance sangyama, such as sexual continence, eatin of particular food, such as havishyanna, fastin , $athin # No flesh or fish are ta-en# The mind is concentrated to its purposes, and the !ow or resolution ( niyama) is ta-en# 1efore the vrata the Sun, 6lanets, and Kula-de!ata are worshipped, and $y the "suryahsomoyamahka%a" mantra all Ae!a and 1ein s are in!o-ed to the side of the worshipper# In the vaidika vrata the sangka%pa is made in the mornin , and the vrata is done $efore midday# Tapas This term is enerally translated as meanin penance or austerities# It includes these, such as the four monthly fast (chatur#masya), the sittin $etween fi!e fires (pancha#gnitapah), and the li-e# It has, howe!er, also a wider meanin , and in this wider sense is of three -inds, namely, sharira, or $odily7 vachika, $y speech7 manasa, in mind# The first includes external worship, re!erence, and support i!en to the =uru, 1rahmanas, and the wise (prajna), $odily cleanliness, continence, simplicity of life and a!oidance of hurt to any $ein ( a#hingsa)# The second form includes truth, ood, entle, and affectionate speech, and the study of the 3edas# The third or mental tapas in-cludes self-restraint, purity of disposition, silence, tran2uillity, and silence# Each of these classes has three su$di!isions, for tapas may $e sattvika, rajasika, or tamasika, accordin as it is done with faith, and without re ard to its fruit7 or for its fruit7 or is done throu h pride and to ain honour and respect7 or, lastly, which is done i norantly or with a !iew to in.ure and destroy others, such as the sadhana of the Tantrika#shat#karma, when performed for a male!olent purpose (abhichara)# Bapa

Japa is defined as "vidhanena mantrochcharanam," or the repeated utterance or recitation of mantra accordin to certain rules# It is accordin to the Tantra-sara of three -inds% Vachika or !er$al japa, in which the mantra is audi$ly recited, the fifty matri-a $ein sounded nasally with vindu7 *pangshu#japa, which is superior to the last -ind, and in which the ton ue and lips are mo!ed, $ut no sound, or only a sli ht whisper, is heard7 and, lastly, the hi hest form which is called manasa#japa, or mental utterance# In this there is neither sound nor mo!ement of the external or ans, $ut a repetition in the mind which is fixed on the meanin of the mantra# 'ne reason i!en for the differin !alues attri$uted to the se!eral forms is that where there is audi$le utterance the mind thin-s of the words and the process of correct utterance, and is therefore to a reater (as in the case of vachika#japa), or to a less de ree (as in the case ofupangshu#japa), distracted from a fixed attention to the meanin of the mantra# The .apa of different -inds ha!e also the relati!e !alues attacha$le to thou ht and its materiali8ation in sound and word# )ertain conditions are prescri$ed as those under which japa should $e done, relatin to physical cleanliness, the dressin of the hair, and wearin of sil- arments, the seat (asana), the a!oidance of certain conditions of mind and actions, and the nature of the recitation# The japa is useless unless done a specified num$er of times I of which +;@ is esteemed to $e excellent# The countin is done either with a ma%a or rosary (ma%a#japa), or with the thum$ of the ri ht hand upon the .oints of the fin ers of that hand (kara#japa)# The method of countin in the latter case may differ accordin to the mantra# San s-ara There are ten (or, in the case of Shudras, nine) purificatory ceremonies, or "sacraments," called sangskara, which are done to aid and purify the jiva in the important e!ents of his life# These are jiva#sheka, also called garbhadhana#ritu#sangskara, performed after menstruation, with the o$.ect of insurin and sanctifyin conception# The garbhadhana ceremony ta-es place in the daytime on the fifth day, and 2ualifies for the real garbhadhana at ni ht I that is, the placin of the seed in the wom$# It is preceded on the first day $y the ritu#sangskara which is mentioned in )hapter I*# of the text# 0fter conception and durin pre nancy, the pung# savana and simantonnayana rites are performed7 the first upon the wife percei!in the si ns of conception, and the second durin the fourth, sixth, or ei hth month of pre nancy# In the ante-natal life there are three main sta es, whether !iewed from the o$.ecti!e (physical) standpoint, or from the su$.ecti!e (super-physical) standpoint# The first period includes on the physical side all the structural and physiolo ical chan es which occur in the fertili8ed o!um from the moment of fertili8ation until the period when the em$ryonic $ody, $y the formation of trun-, lim$s, and or ans, is fit for the entrance of the indi!iduali8ed life, or jivatma#Ehen the pronuclear acti!ity and differentiation are completed, the jivatma, whose connection with the pronuc%ei initiated the pro-nuclear or formati!e acti!ity, enters the miniature human form, and the second sta e of rowth and de-!elopment $e ins# The second sta e is the fixin of the connection $etween the jiva and the $ody, or the renderin of the latter !ia$le# This period includes all the anatomical and physiolo ical modifications $y which the em$ryonic $ody $ecomes a !ia$le fLtus# Eith the attainment of !ia$ility, the stay of the jiva has $een assured7 physical life is possi$le for the child, and the third sta e in ante-natal life is entered# Thus, on the form side, if the lan ua e of comparati!e em$ryolo y is used, the first sangskara denotes the impulse to de!elopment, from the "fertili8ation of the o!um" to the "critical period#" The second sangskara denotes the impulse to de!elopment from the "critical period" to that of the

"!ia$ility sta e of the ;<tus "7 and the third sangskara denotes the de!elopment from "!ia$ility" to "full term#" 'n the $irth of the child there is the jata#karma, performed for the continued life of the new$orn child# Then follows the nama#karana, or namin ceremony, and nishkramana in the fourth month after deli!ery, when the child is ta-en out of doors for the first time and shown the sun, the !i!ifyin source of life, the material em$odiment of the Ai!ine Sa!ita# 1etween the fifth and ei hth month after $irth the annaprasana ceremony is o$ser!ed, when rice is put in the childDs mouth for the first time# Then follows the chuda#karana, or tonsure ceremony7 and in the case of the first three, or "twice-$orn" classes, upanayana, or in!estiture with the sacred thread# Herein the jiva is re$orn into spiritual life# There is, lastly, udvaha, or marria e, where$y the unperfected jiva insures throu h offsprin that continued human life which is the condition of its pro ress and ultimate return to its Ai!ine Source# These are all descri$ed in the Ninth )hapter of this Tantra# There are also ten sangskara of the mantra (8#v#)# The sangskara are intended to $e performed at certain sta es in the de!elopment of the human $ody, with the !iew to effect results $eneficial to the human or anism# ?edical science of to-day see-s to reach the same results, $ut uses for this purpose the physical methods of modern Eestern science, suited to an a e of materiality7 whereas in the sangskara the super-physical (psychic, or occult, or metaphysical and su$.ecti!e) methods of ancient Eastern science are employed# The sacraments of the )atholic )hurch and other of its ceremonies, some of which ha!e now fallen into disuse, are Eestern examples of the same psychic method# 6urashcharana This form of sadhana consists in the repetition (after certain preparations and under certain conditions) of a mantra a lar e num$er of times# The ritual deals with the time and place of performance, the measurements and decoration of the mandapa, or pandal, and of the altar and similar matters# There are certain rules as to food $oth prior to, and durin , its performance# The sadhaka should eat havishyanna, or alternately $oiled mil- (kshira), fruits, or Indian !e eta$les, or anythin o$tained $y $e in , and a!oid all food calculated to influence the passions# )ertain conditions and practices are en.oined for the destruction of sin, such as continence, $athin , japa (8#v#) of the Savitri#mantraC,;;@, G,;;@, or +,;;@ times, the entertainment of 1rahmamas, and so forth# Three days $efore puja there is worship of =anesha and Kshetra-pala, <ord of the 6lace# "ancha#gavya, or the fi!e products of the cow, are eaten# The Sun, ?oon, and Ae!as are in!o-ed# Then follows the sangka%pa# The ghata, or ka%asa (.ar), is then placed into which the Ae!i is to $e in!o-ed# 0 manda%a, or fi ure of a particular desi n, is mar-ed on the round, and on it the ghata is placed# Then the fi!e or nine ems are placed on the ka%asa, which is painted with red and co!ered with lea!es# The ritual then prescri$es for the tyin of the crown loc- ( shikha), the posture (asana) of the sadhaka7 japa (8#v#) nyasa(8-v-), and the mantra ritual or process# There is meditation, as directed# Ku%%uka is said, and the mantra "awa-ened" (mantra#chaitanya), and recited the num$er of times for which the !ow has $een ta-en# 1huta-shuddhi The o$.ect of this ritual, which is descri$ed in )hapter 3#, !erses 4G et se8#, is the purification of the elements of which the $ody is composed#

The ?antra-mahodadhi spea-s of it as a rite which is preliminary to the worship of a Ae!a# The process of e!olution from the 6ara-$rahman has $een descri$ed# 1y this ritual a mental process of in!olution ta-es place where$y the $ody is in thou ht resol!ed into the source from whence it has come# Earth is associated with the sense of smell, water, with taste, fire, with si ht, air, with touch, and ether, with sound# Kundalini is roused, and led to the svadhishthana 'hakra# The "earth" element is dissol!ed $y that of "water," as "water" is $y "fire," "fire" $y "air," and "air" $y "ether#" This is a$sor$ed $y a hi her emanation, and that $y a hi her, and so on, until the Source of all is reached# Ha!in dissol!ed each ross element ( maha#bhuta), to ether with the su$tle element (tan#matra) from which it proceeds, and the connected or an of sense (indriya) $y another, the worshipper a$sor$s the last element, "ether," with the tan# matra sound into self-hood (ahangkara), the latter into Mahat, and that, a ain, into 6ra-riti, thus retracin the steps of e!olution# Then, in accordance with the monistic teachin of the 3edanta, 6ra-riti is Herself thou ht of as the 1rahman, of which She is the ener y, and with which, therefore, She is already one# Thin-in then of the $lac- "urusha, which is the ima e of all sin, the $ody is purified $y mantra, accompanied $y kumbhaka and rechaka, and thesadhaka meditates upon the new celestial (deva) $ody, which has thus $een made and which is then stren thened $y a "celestial a8e#" Nyasa This word, which comes from the root "to place," means placin the tips of the fin ers and palm of the ri ht hand on !arious parts of the $ody, accompanied $y particular mantra# The nyasa are of !arious -inds# Jiva#nyasa follows uponbhuta#shuddhi# 0fter the purification of the old, and the formation of the celestial $ody, the sadhaka proceeds $y jiva#nyasa to infuse the $ody with the life of the Ae!i# 6lacin his hand on his heart, he says the "soDhang" mantra ("I am He"), there$y identifyin himself with the Ae!i# Then, placin the ei ht Kula--undalini in their se!eral places he says the followin mantra4 &ng, Kring, Kring, 3ang, Rang, 5ang, Vang, Shang, Shang, Sang, Hong, Haung, Hangsah4the !ital airs of the hi hly $lessed and auspicious 6rimordial Kali-a are here# " &ng, etc#, the em$odied spirit of the hi hly $lessed and auspicious Kali-a is placed here#" "&ng, etc#, here are all the senses of the hi hly auspicious and $lessed Kali-a," and, lastly, " &ng, etc#, may the speech, mind, si ht, hearin , smell, and !ital airs of the hi hly $lessed and auspicious Kali-a comin here always a$ide here in peace and happiness Svaha#" The sadhaka then $ecomesdevata#maya# 0fter ha!in thus dissol!ed the sinful $ody, made a new Ae!a $ody, and infused it with the life of the Ae!i, he proceeds to matrika#nyasa# Mahika are the fifty letters of the Sans-rit alpha$et7 for as from a mother comes $irth, so from matrika, or sound, the world proceeds# Sha$da-$rahman, the "Sound," "5ogos," or "Eord," is the )reator of the worlds of name and of form# The $odies of the Ae!ata are composed of the fifty matrika# The sadhaka, therefore, first sets mentally (antar#matrika#nyasa) in their se!eral places in the six chakra, and then externally $y physical action (Vahy#amatrika#nyasa) the letters of the alpha$et which form the different parts of the $ody of the Ae!ata, which is thus $uilt up in the sadhaka himself# He places his hand on different parts of his $ody, utterin distinctly at the same time the appropriate matrikafor that part# The mental disposition in the chakra is as follows% In the &jna <otus, Hang, Kshang (each letter in this and the succeedin cases is said, followed $y the mantra namah)7 in

the Vishuddha <otus &ng, &ng, and the rest of the !owels7 in the &nahata <otus kang, khang to thang7 in the Manipura <otus, dang dhang, etc#, to "hang7 in the Svadisthana <otus bang, bhang to %ang7 and, lastly, in the Mu%adhara <otus, vang, shang, shang2 sang# The external disposition then follows# The !owels in their order with anusvara and visarga are placed on the forehead, face, ri ht and left eye, ri ht and left ear, ri ht and left nostril, ri ht and left chee-, upper and lower lip, upper and lower teeth, head, and hollow of the mouth# The consonants kang to vang are placed on $ase of ri ht arm and the el$ow, wrist, $ase and tips of fin ers, left arm, ri ht and left le , ri ht and left side, $ac-, na!el, $elly, heart, ri ht and left shoulder, space $etween the shoulders (kakuda), and then from the heart to the ri ht palm shang is placed7 and from the heart to the left palm the (second) shang7 from the heart to the ri ht foot, sang7 from the heart to the left foot, hang7 and, lastly, from the heart to the $elly, and from the heart to the mouth, kshang# In each case ong is said at the $e innin and namah at the end# 0ccordin to the Tantrasara, matrika#nyasa is also classified into four -inds, performed with different aims I !i8#% keva%a where the matrika is pronounced without vindu7 vindu# sangyuta with vindu7 sangsarga with visarga7 and sobhya with visarga and vindu# Rishi#nyasa then follows for the attainment of the chatur#varga# The assi nment of the mantra is to the head, mouth, heart, anus, the two feet, and all the $ody enerally# The mantra commonly employed are% "In the head, salutation to the >ishi (>e!ealer) 1rahma7 in the mouth, salutation to the mantra !ayatri, in the heart, salutation to the Ae!i ?other Saras!ati7 in the hidden part, salutation to the vija, the consonants7 salutation to the shakti, the !owels in the feet, salutation to visargah, the ki%aka in the whole $ody#" 0nother form in which the vija employed is that of the &iya% it is referred to $ut not i!en in )hap# 3#, !erse +,G, and is% "In the head, salutation to 1rahma and the Brahmarshis, in the mouth, salutation to =ayatri and the other forms of !erse7 in the heart, salutation to the primordial Ae!ata Kali, in the hidden part, salutation to the vija, kring7 in the two feet, salutation to the shakti, Hring7 in all the $ody, salutation to the Kali-a Shring#" Then follows anga#nyasa and kara#nyasa# These are $oth forms of shad#anga# nyasa# Ehen shad#anga#nyasa is performed on the $ody, it is called hridayadi#shad#anga# nyasa7 and when done with the fi!e fin ers and palms of the hands only, angushthadi#shad# anga#nyasa# The former -ind is done as follows% The short !owel a, the consonants of the ka# varga roup, and the lon !owel a, are recited with "hridayaya namah" (namah salutation to the heart)# The short !owel i, the consonants of the cha#varga roup, and the lon !owel i, are said with "shirasi svaha" (svaha to the head)# The hard ta#varga consonants set $etween the two !owels u are recited with "shikhayai vashat" (vashat to the crown loc-)7 similarly the soft ta#varga $etween the !owels e and ai are said with "kavachaya hung#" The short !owel o, the pavarga, and the lon !owel o are recited with netra#trayaya vaushat (vaushat to the three eyes)# <astly, $etween vindu and visargah the consonants ya to ksha with "kara#ta%a# prishthabhyang astraya phat" (phat to the front and $ac- of the palm)# The mantras of shadanga#nyasa on the $ody are used for Kara#nyasa, in which they are assi ned to the thum$s, the "threatenin " or index fin ers, the middle fin ers, the fourth, little fin ers, and the front and $ac- of the palm# These actions on the $ody, fin ers, and palms also stimulate the ner!e centres and ner!es therein#

In pitha#nyasa the pitha are esta$lished in place of the matri-a# The pitha, in their ordinary sense, are Kama-rupa and the other places, a list of which is i!en in the /o ini-hridaya# &or the attainment of that state in which the sadhaka feels that the bhava (nature, disposition) of the Ae!ata has come upon him nyasa is a reat auxiliary# It is, as it were, the wearin of .ewels on different parts of the $ody# The vija of the Ae!ata are the .ewels which the sudkaka places on the different parts of his $ody# 1y nyasa he places his &bhishta# devata in such parts, and $y vyapaka#nyasa he spreads Its presence throu hout himself# He $ecomes permeated $y it losin himself in the di!ine Self# (yasa is also of use in effectin the proper distri$ution of the shaktis of the human frame in their proper positions so as to a!oid the production of discord and distraction in worship# (yasa as well as &sana are necessary for the production of the desired state of mind and of chitta#shuddhi (its purification)# "Aas den-en ist der mass der Ain e#" Transformation of thou ht is Transformation of $ein # This is the essential principle and rational $asis of all this and similar Tantri- sadhana# 6anchatatt!a There are, as already stated, three classes of men I pashu, Vira, and $ivya# The operation of the guna which produce these types affect, on the ross material plane, the animal tendencies, manifestin in the three chief physical functions I eatin and drin-in , where$y the annamayakosha is maintained7 and sexual intercourse, $y which it is reproduced# These functions are the su$.ect of the panchatattva or panchamakara ("fi!e mDs"), as they are !ul arly called I !i8#% madya (wine), mangsa (meat), matsya (fish), mudra (parched rain), and maithuna (coition)# In ordinary parlance, mudra means ritual estures or positions of the $ody in worship and hathayoga, $ut as one of the fi!e elements it is parched cereal, and is defined as Bhrishtadanyadikang yadyad chavyaniyam prachakshate, sa mudra kathita devi sarvveshang naganam#dini# The Tantras spea- of the fi!e elements as pancha# tattva, ku%adravya,ku%atattva, and certain of the elements ha!e esoteric names, such as Karanavari or tirtha#vari, for wine, the fifth element $ein usually called %ata# sadhana (sadhana with woman, or shakti)# The fi!e elements, moreo!er ha!e !arious meanin s, accordin as they form part of the tamasika (pashvachara), rajasika (virachara), or divya or sattvika sadhanas respecti!ely# 0ll the elements or their su$stitutes are purified and consecrated, and then, with the appropriate ritual, the first four are consumed, such consumption $ein followed $y %ata# sadhana or its sym$olic e2ui!alent# The Tantra prohi$its indiscriminate use of the elements, which may $e consumed or employed only after purification (sho#dhana) and durin worship accordin to the Tantric ritual# Then, also, all excess is for$idden# The Shyama-rahasya says that intemperance leads to Hell, and this Tantra condemns it in )hapter 3# 0 well--nown sayin in Tantra descri$es the true "hero" (vira) to $e, not he who is of reat physical stren th and prowess, the reat eater and drin-er, or man of powerful sexual ener y, $ut he who has controlled his senses, is a truth-see-er, e!er en a ed in worship, and who has sacrificed lust and all other passions# (Jitendriyah satyavadi nityanushthanatatparah kamadi#va%idanashcha sa vira iti giyate#)

The elements in their literal sense are not a!aila$le in sadhana for all# The nature of the "ashu re2uires strict adherence to 3aidi- rule in the matter of these physical functions e!en in worship# This rule prohi$its the drin-in of wine, a su$stance su$.ect to the three curses of 1rahma, Kacha, and Krishna, in the followin terms% Madyamapeyamadeyamagrahyam ("Eine must not $e drun-, i!en, or ta-en")# The drin-in of wine in ordinary life for satisfaction of the sensual appetite is, in fact, a sin, in!ol!in prayaschiyta, and entailin , accordin to the 3ishnu 6urama, punishment in the same Hell as that to which a -iller of a 1rahmana oes# 0s re ards flesh and fish, the hi her castes (outside 1en al) who su$mit to the orthodox Smartadiscipline eat neither# Nor do hi h and strict 1rahmanas e!en in that 6ro!ince# 1ut the $ul- of the people there, $oth men and women, eat fish, and men consume the flesh of male oats which ha!e $een pre!iously offered to the Aeity# The Vaidika dharmma is e2ually strict upon the su$.ect of sexual intercourse# Maithuna other than with the householderDs own wife is condemned# 0nd this is not only in its literal sense, $ut in that of which is -nown as &shtanga(ei htfold) maithuna + !i8#, smaranam (thin-in upon it), kirttanam (tal-in of it), ke%i (play with women), prekshanam (loo-in upon women), guhyabhashanan (tal- in pri!ate with women), sangka%pa (wish or resol!e for maithuua),adhyavasaya (determination towards it), kriyanishpati (actual accomplishment of the sexual act)# In short, the pashu (and except for ritual purposes those who are not pashu) should, in the words of the Sha-ta-ramya, a!oid maithuna,con!ersation on the su$.ect, and assem$lies of women ( maithunam tatkatha%apang tadgoshthing parivarjjayet)# E!en in the case of the householderDs own wife marital continency is en.oined# The di!inity in woman, which the Tantra in particular proclaims, is also reco ni8ed in the ordinary 3aidi- teachin , as must o$!iously $e the case i!en the common foundation upon which all the Shastra rest# Eoman is not to $e re arded merely as an o$.ect of en.oyment, $ut as a house- oddess (grihadevata)# 0ccordin to the su$lime notions of Shruti, the union of man and wife is a !erita$le sacrificial rite I a sacrifice in fire (homa), wherein she is $oth hearth (kunda) and flame I and he who -nows this ashoma attains li$eration# Similarly the Tantrika Mantra for the Shi!asha-ti /o a runs% "This is the in-ternal homa in which, $y the path of sushumna, sacrifice is made of the functions of sense to the spirit as fire -indled with the hee of merit and demerit ta-en from the mind as the hee-pot Svaha#" It is not only thus that wife and hus$and are associated, for the Vaidika dharmma (in this now ne lected) prescri$es that the householder should worship in company with his wife# Brahmacharyya, or continency, is not as is sometimes supposed, a re2uisite of the student ashrama only, $ut is a rule which o!erns the married householder (grihastha) also# 0ccordin to 3aidi-a in.unctions, union of man and wife must ta-e place once a month on the fifth day after the cessation of the menses, and then only# Hence it is that the Nitya Tantra, when i!in the characteristics of a pashu, says that he is one who a!oids sexual union except on the fifth day ( rituka%angvina devi rama#nang parivarjjayet)# In other words, the pashu is he who in this case, as in other matters, follows for all purposes, ritual or otherwise, the 3aidi- in.unctions which o!ern the ordinary life of all# The a$o!e-mentioned rules o!ern the life of all men# The only exception which the Tantra ma-es is for purpose of sudhana in the case of those who are competent (adhikari) for virachara# It is held, indeed, that the exception is not strictly an exception to 3aidi- teachin at all, and that it is an error to suppose that the Tantrika rahasya#puja is opposed to the 3edas# Thus, whilst the !aidi- rule prohi$its the use of wine in ordinary life, and

for purpose of mere sensual ratification it prescri$es the reli ious yajna with wine# This ritual use the Tantra also allows, pro!ided that the sadhaka is competent for the sadhana, in which its consumption is part of its ritual and method# The Tantra enforces the 3aidi- rule in all cases, ritual or otherwise, for those who are o!erned $y the vaidikachara# The Nitya Tantra says% "They ( pashu) should ne!er worship the Ae!i durin the latter part of the day in the e!enin or at ni ht" ( ratrau naiva yajeddeving sandhyayang vaparanhake)7 for all such worship connotes maithuna prohi$ited to the pashu# In lieu of it, !aryin su$stitutes are prescri$ed, such as either an offerin of flowers with the hands formed into the kachchchapa mudra, or union with the worshipperDs own wife# In the same way, in lieu of wine, the pashu should (if a 1rahmana) ta-e mil-, (if a Kshattriya) hee, (if a vaishya) honey, and (if a shudra) a li2uor made from rice# Salt, in er, sesamum, wheat, mashka%ai ($eans), and arlic are !arious su$stitutes for meat7 and the white brinja% !e eta$le, red radish, masur (a -ind of ram), red sesamum, and panipha%a (an a2uatic plant), ta-e the place of fish# 6addy, rice, wheat, and ram eneally are mudra# The vira, or rather he who is 2ualified (adhikari) for virachara + since the true vira is its finished product I commences sadhana with the rajasika panchatattva first stated, which are employed for the destruction of the sensual tendencies which they connote# &or the worship of Sha-ti the panchatattva are declared to $e essential# This Tantra declares that such worship without their use is $ut the practice of e!il ma ic# Fpon this passa e the commentator Ba anmohana Tar-alan -ara o$ser!es as follows% "<et us consider what most contri$utes to the fall of a man, ma-in him for et his duty, sin- into sin, and die an early death# &irst amon these are wine and women, fish, meat and mudra, and accessories# 1y these thin s men ha!e lost their manhood# Shi!a then desires to employ these !ery poisons in order to eradicate the poison in the human system# 6oison is the antidote for poison# This is the ri ht treatment for those who lon for drin- or lust for women# The physician must, howe!er, $e an experienced one# If there $e a mista-e as to the application, the patient is li-e to die# Shi!a has said that the way of Ku%achara is as difficult as it is to wal- on the ed e of a sword or to hold a wild ti er# There isa secret ar ument in fa!our of the panchatattva, and those tattva so understood should $e followed $y all# None, howe!er, $ut the initiate can rasp this ar ument, and therefore Shi!a has directed that it should not $e re!ealed $efore any$ody and e!ery$ody# 0n initiate, when he sees a woman, will worship her as his own mother or oddess (,shtadevata), and $ow $efore her# The Vishnu 6urana says that $y feedin your desires you cannot satisfy them# It is li-e pourin hee on fire# Thou h this is true, an experienced spiritual teacher (guru) will -now how, $y the application of this poisonous medicine, to -ill the poison of sangsara# Shi!a has, howe!er, prohi$ited the indiscriminate pu$lication of this# The meanin of this passa e would therefore appear to $e this% "The o$.ect of Tantri-a worship is brahmasayujya, or union with 1rahman# If that is not attained, nothin is attained# 0nd, with menDs propensities as they are, this can only $e attained throu h the special treatment prescri$ed $y the Tantras# If this is not followed, then the sensual propensities are not eradicated, and the wor- is for the desired end of Tantra as useless as ma ic which, wor-ed $y such a man, leads only to the in.ury of others#" The other secret ar ument here referred to is that $y which it is shown that the particular may $e raised to the uni!ersal life $y the !ehicle of those same passions, which, when flowin only in an outward and downward current, are the most powerful $onds to $ind him to the former# The passa e cited refers to the necessity for the spiritual direction of the =uru# To the want of such is accredited

the a$uses of the system# Ehen the patient (sishya) and the disease are wor-in to ether, there is poor hope for the former7 $ut when the patient, the disease, and the physician ( guru) are on one, and that the wron , side, then nothin can sa!e him from a descent on that downward path which it is the o$.ect of the sadhana to pre!ent# 3erse 9: in )hapter I# of this Tantra is here in point# 'win , howe!er, to a$uses, particularly as re ards the tattva of madya and maithuna, this Tantra, accordin to the current !ersion, prescri$es in certain cases, limitations as re ards their use# It prescri$es that when the Ka%iyuga is in full stren th, and in the case of householders (grihastha) whose minds are en rossed with worldly affairs, the "three sweets" (madhuratraya) are to $e su$stituted for wine# Those who are of !irtuous temperament, and whose minds are turned towards the 1rahman, are permitted to ta-e fi!e cups of wine# So also as re ards maithuna, this Tantra states that men in this Kali a e are $y their nature wea- and distur$ed $y lust, and $y reason of this do not reco ni8e woman ( shakti) to $e the ima e of the Aeity# It accordin ly ordains that when the Ka%iyuga is in full sway, the fifth tattva shall only $e accomplished with sviyashakti, or the worshipperDs own wife, and that union with a woman who is not married to the sadhaka in either Brahma or Shaiva form is for$idden# In the case of other shakti (parakiya and sadharani) it prescri$es, in lieu of maithuna, meditation $y the worshipper upon the lotus feet of the Ae!i, to ether with japa of his ishtamantra# This rule, howe!er, the )ommentator says, is not of uni!ersal application# Shi!a has, in this Tantra, prohi$ited sadhana with the last tattva, with parakiya, and sadharani shakti, in the case of men of ordinary wea- intellect ruled $y lust7 $ut for those who ha!e $y sadhana con2uered their passions and attained the state of a true vira, or siddha, there is no prohi$ition as to the mode of %atasadhana# This Tantra appears to $e, in fact, a protest a ainst the misuse of the tatt6a, which had followed upon a relaxation of the ori inal rules and conditions o!ernin them# Eithout the panchatattva in one form or another, the shaktipuja cannot $e performed# The ?other of the Fni!erse must $e worshipped with these elements# 1y their use the uni!erse (jagatbrahmanda) itself is used as the article of worship# Eine si nifies the power (shakti) which produces all fiery elements7 meat and fish all terrestrial and a2uatic animals7 mudra all !e eta$le life7 and maithuna the will (ichchha) action (kriya) and -nowled e (jnana) shakti of the Supreme 6ra-riti producti!e of that reat pleasure which accompanies the process of creation# To the ?other is thus offered the restless life of Her uni!erse# The o$.ect of all sadhana is the stimulation of the sattvaguna# Ehen $y such sadhana this una lar ely preponderates, the sattvika sadhana suita$le for men of a hi h type of divyabhava is adopted# In this latter sadhana the names of the panchatattva are used sym$olically for operations of a purely mental and spiritual character# Thus, the Kai!alya says that "wine" is that intoxicatin -nowled e ac2uired $y yoga of the 6ara$rahman, which renders the worshipper senseless as re ards the external world# ?eat ( mangsa) is not any fleshly thin , $ut the act where$y the sadhaka consi ns all his acts to ?e (Mam)# Matsya (fish) is that sattvika -nowled e $y which throu h the sense of "mineness" the worshipper sympathi8es with the pleasure and pain of all $ein s# Mudra is the act of relin2uishin all association with e!il which results in $onda e, and maithuna is the union of the Sha-ti Kundalini with Shi!a in the $ody of the worshipper# This, the /o ini Tantra says, is the $est of all unions for those who ha!e already con-trolled their passions (yati)# 0ccordin to the 0 amasara, wine is the somadhara, or lunar am$rosia, which drops from thebrahmarandhra7 Mangsa (meat) is the ton ue (ma), of which its part ( angsha) is speech# The sadhaka, in "eatin " it, controls his speech# Matsya (fish) are those two which are constantly mo!in in the two ri!ers Ida and

6in ala# He who controls his $reath $y pranayama (2#!#), "eats" them $y kumbhaka# Mudra is the awa-enin of -nowled e in the pericarp of the reat sahasrara <otus, where the &tma, li-e mercury, resplendent as ten million suns, and deliciously cool as ten million moons, is united with the Ae!i Kundalini# The esoteric meanin of maithuna is thus stated $y the 0 ama% The ruddy-hued letter Ra is in the Kunda, and the letter Ma, in the shape of vindu, is in the mahayoni# EhenMakara (m), seated on the Hangsa in the form of &kara (a), unites with rakara (r), then the Brahmajnana, which is the source of supreme 1liss, is ained $y the sadhaka, who is then called atmarama, for his en.oyment is in the &tma#in the sahasrara# This is the union on the purely sattvika plane, which corresponds on the rajasika plane to the union of Shi!a and Sha-ti in the persons of their worshippers# The union of Shi!a and Sha-ti is descri$ed as a true yoga, from which, as the /amala says, arises that .oy which is -nown as the Supreme 1liss# )ha-rapu.a Eorship with the panchatattva enerally ta-es place in an assem$ly called a chakra, which is composed of men (sadhaka) and women (shakti), or Bhairava and Bhairavi# The worshippers sit in a circle (chakra), men and women alternately, the shakti sittin on the left of the sadhaka# The <ord of the chakra (chakrasvamin, or chakreshvara) sits with his Sha-ti in the centre, where the wine-.ar and other articles used in the worship are -ept# Aurin the chakra all eat, drin-, and worship to ether, there $ein no distinction of caste# No pashu should, howe!er, $e introduced# There are !arious -inds of chakra, such as the Vira, Raja, $eva, Maha + 'hakras producti!e, it is said, of !arious fruits for the participators therein# )hapter 3I# of the ?ahanir!!ana Tantra deals with the panchatattva, and )hapter 3III# i!es an account of the Bhairavi and Tattva (or $ivya) chakras# The latter is for worshippers of the Brahma#Mantra# /o a This word, deri!ed from the root 3uj ("to .oin"), is in rammar sandhi, in lo ic avayavashakti, or the power of the parts ta-en to ether, and in its most widely -nown and present sense the union of the jiva, or em$odied spirit, with the"aramatma, or Supreme Spirit, and the practices $y which this union may $e attained# There is a natural yoga, in which all $ein s are, for it is only $y !irtue of this identity in fact that they exist# This position is common round, thou h in practice too fre2uently o!erloo-ed# "6rimus modus unionis est, 2uo Aeus, ratione suM immensitatis est in omni$us re$us per essentiam, prMsentiam, et potentiam7 per essentiam ut dans omni$us esse7 per prMsentiam ut omnia prospiciens7 per potentiam ut de omni$us disponens#" The mystical theolo ian cited, howe!er, proceeds to say% "Sed hMc unio animM cum Aeo est eneralis, communis omni$us et ordinis naturalis # # # illa nam2ue de 2ua lo2uimur est ordinis supernaturalis actualis et fructi!a#" It is of this special yaga, thou h not in reality more "supernatural" than the first, that we here deal# 3oga in its technical sense is the reali8ation of this identity, which exists, thou h it is not -nown, $y the destruction of the false appearance of separation# "There is no $ond e2ual in stren th to maya, and no force reater to destroy that $ond than yoga# There is no $etter friend than -nowled e (jnana), nor worse enemy than e oism (ahangkara)# 0s to learn the Shastra one must learn the alpha$et, so yoga is necessary for the ac2uirement of tattvajnana (truth)#" The animal $ody is the result of action, and from the $ody flows action, the process $ein compared to the seesaw

mo!ement of a ghatiyantra, or water-lifter# Throu h their actions $ein s continually o from $irth to death# The complete attainment of the fruit of yoga is lastin and unchan in life in the noumenal world of the 0$solute# 3oga is !ariously named accordin to the methods employed, $ut the two main di!isions are those of the hathayoga (or ghatasthayoga) and samadhi yoga, of which raja#yoga is one of the forms# Hathayoga is commonly misunderstood, $oth in its definition and aim $ein fre2uently identified with exa erated forms of self-mortification# The =herandasan hita well defines it to $e "the means where$y the excellent rajayoga is attained#" 0ctual union is not the result of Hathayoga alone, which is concerned with certain physical processes preparatory or auxiliary to the control of the mind, $y which alone union may $e directly attained# It is, howe!er, not meant that all the processes of Hathayoga here or in the $oo-s descri$ed are necessary for the attainment of rajayoga# Ehat is necessary must $e determined accordin to the circumstances of each particular case# Ehat is suited or necessary in one case may not $e so for another# 0 peculiar feature of Tan#trika virachara is the union of the sadhaka and his shakti in%atasadhana# This is a process which is expressly for$idden to 6ashus $y the same Tantras which prescri$e it for the vira# The union of Shi!a and Sha-ti in the hi her sadhana is different in form, $ein the union of the Kundalini Sha-ti of the ?uladhara with the 3indu which is upon the Sahasrara# This process, called the piercin of the six chakra, is descri$ed later on in a separate para raph# Thou h, howe!er, all Hathayoga processes are not necessary, some, at least, are enerally considered to $e so# Thus, in the well--nown ashtangayoga (ei ht-lim$ed yo a), of which samadhi is the hi hest end, the physical conditions and processes -nown as asana and pranayama (vide post) are prescri$ed# This yoga prescri$es fi!e exterior (vahiranga) methods for the su$.u ation of the $ody I namely (+) 3ama, for$earance or self-control, such as sexual continence, a!oidance of harm to others (ahingsa), -indness, for i!eness, the doin of ood without desire for reward, a$sence of co!etousness, temperance, purity of mind and $ody, etc# (,) (iyama, reli ious o$ser!ances, charity, austerities, readin of the Shastra and ,shvara "ranidhana, persevering de!otion to the <ord# (G) &sana, seated positions or postures (vide post)# (5) "ranayama, re ulation of the $reath# 0 yogi renders the !ital airs e2ua$le, and consciously produces the state of respiration which is fa!oura$le for mental concentration, as others do it occasionally and unconsciously (vide post)# (C) "ratyahara, restraint of the senses, which follow in the path of the other four processes which deal with the su$.u ation of the $ody# There are then three interior (yogangga) methods for the su$.u ation of the mind I namely (9) $harana, attention, steadyin of the mind, the fixin of the internal or an ( chitta) in the particular manner indicated in the wor-s on yo a# (:) $hyana or the uniform continuous contemplation of the o$.ect of thou ht7 and (@) that samadhi which is called savika%pasamadhi# Savika%pasamadhi is a deeper and more intense contemplation on the Self to the exclusion of all other o$.ects, and constitutin trance or ecstasy# This ecstasy is perfected to the sta e of the remo!al of the sli htest trace of the distinction of su$.ect and o$.ect in nirvika%pasamadhi, in which there is complete union with the 6aramatma, or Ai!ine Spirit# 1y vairagya (dispassion), and -eepin the mind in its unmodified state, yoga is attained# This -nowled e, &hang Brahmasmi ("I am the 1rahman"), does not produce li$eration (mo-sha), $ut is li$eration itself, Ehether yoga is spo-en of as the union of Kula-undalini with 6aramashi!a, or the union of the indi!idual soul (jivatma) with the Supreme Soul

(paramatma), or as the state of mind in which all outward thou ht is suppressed, or as the controllin or suppression of the thin-in faculty (chittavritti), or as the union of the moon and the sun (Ida and 6in ala), 6rana and 0pana, Nada and 3indu, the meanin and the end are in each case the same# 3oga, in see-in mental control and concentration, ma-es use of certain preliminary physical processes (sadhana), such as the shatkarmma, asana, mudra, and pranayama# 1y these four processes and three mental acts, se!en 2ualities, -nown as shodhana, dridhata, sthirata, dhairyya, %aghava, pratyaksha, nir%iptatva (vide post), are ac2uired# Shodhana% Shat-armma The first, or cleansin , is effected $y the six processes -nown as the shatkarmma# 'f these, the first is $hauti, or washin , which is fourfold, or inward washin (antar#dhauti), cleansin of the teeth, etc# (dantadhauti) of the "heart" (hriddhauti), and of the rectum (mu%adhauti)# &ntardhauti is also fourfold I namely, vatasara, $y which air is drawn into the $elly and then expelled7 varisara, $y which the $ody is filled with water, which is then e!acuated $y theanus7 vahnisara, in which the nabhi#granthi is made to touch the spinal column (meru)7 and vahishkrita, in which the $elly is $y kakinimudra filled with air, which is retained half a yama, and then sent downward# $antadhauti is fourfold, consistin in the cleansin of the root of the teeth and ton ue, the ears, and the "hollow of the forehead" (kapa%arandhra)# 1y hriddhauti phle m and $ile are remo!ed# This is done $y a stic(dandadhauti) or cloth (vasodhauti) pushed into the throat, or swallowed, or $y !omitin (vamanadhauti)# Mudadhauti is done to cleanse the exit of the apanavayu either with the middle fin er and water or the stal- of a turmeric plant# Vasti, the second of the shatkarmma, is twofold, and is either of the dry (shuska) or watery (ja%a) -ind# In the second form the yo i sits in the utkatasana posture in water up to the na!el, and the anus is contracted and expanded $yashvini mudra7 or the same is done in the pashchimottanasana, and the a$domen $elow the na!el is ently mo!ed# In neti the nostrils are cleansed with a piece of strin # 5au%iki is the whirlin of the $elly from side to side# In tratakathe yogi, without win-in , a8es at some minute o$.ect until the tears start from his eyes# 1y this the "celestial !ision" (divya drishti) so often referred to in the Tantrika upasana is ac2uired# Kapa%abhati is a process for the remo!al of phle m, and is threefold I vatakrama $y inhalation and exhalation7 vyutkrama $y water drawn throu h the nostrils and e.ected throu h the mouth7 and shitkrama the re!erse process# These are the !arious processes $y which the $ody is cleansed and made pure for the yoga practice to follow# Aridhata% 0sana Aridhata, or stren th or firmness, the ac2uisition of which is the second of the a$o!ementioned processes, is attained $y asana# &sana are postures of the $ody# The term is enerally descri$ed as modes of seatin the $ody# 1ut the posture is not necessarily a sittin one7 for some asana are done on the $elly,

$ac-, hands, etc# It is said that the asana are as numerous as li!in $ein s, and that there are @,5;;,;;; of these7 +,9;; are declared to $e excellent, and out of these thirty-two are auspicious for men, which are descri$ed in detail# Two of the commonest of these are muktapadmasana("the loosened lotus seat"), the ordinary position for worship, and baddhapadmasana# 6atan.ali, on the su$.ect of asana, merely points out what are ood conditions, lea!in each one to settle the details for himself accordin to his own re2uirements# There are certain other asana, which are peculiar to the Tantras, such as munddasana, chitasana, and shavasana, in which s-ulls, the funeral pyre, and a corpse respecti!ely form the seat of the sadhaka# These, thou h they may ha!e other ritual o$.ects, form part of the discipline for the con2uest of fear and the attainment of indifference, which is the 2uality of a yoga# 0nd so the Tantras pre-scri$e as the scene of such rites the solitary mountain-top, the lonely empty house and ri!er-side, and the cremation- round# The interior cremation- round is there where the -ami- $ody and its passions are consumed in the fire of -nowled e# Sthirata% ?udra Sthirata, or fortitude, is ac2uired $y the practice of the mudra# The mudra dealt with in wor-s of hathayoga are positions of the $ody# They are ymnastic, health- i!in , and destructi!e of disease, and of death, such as the ja%adharaand other mudra# They also preser!e from in.ury $y fire, water, or air# 1odily action and the health resultin therefrom react upon the mind, and $y the union of a perfect mind and $ody siddhi is $y their means attained# The =heranda San hita descri$es a num$er of mudra, of which those of importance may $e selected# In the cele$rated yonimudra the yogi in siddhasana stops with his fin ers the ears, eyes, nostrils, and mouth# He inhales pranavayu $ykakinimudra, and unites it with apanavayu# ?editatin in their order upon the six chakra, he arouses the sleepin Kula-undalini $y the mantra "Hung Hangsah," and raises Her to the Sahasrara7 then, deemin himself per!aded with the Sha-ti, and in $lissful union (sanggama) with Shi!a, he meditates upon himself, as $y reason of that union 1liss itself and the 1rahman# &shvinimudra consists of the repeated contraction and expansion of the anus for the purpose of shodhana or of contraction to restrain the apana in Skatchakrabheda# Shakticha%ana employs the latter mudra, which is repeated until vayu manifests in the sushumna# The process is accompanied $y inhalation and the union ofprana and apana whilst in siddhasana# Ahairya% 6ratyahara $hairya, or steadiness, is produced $y pratyahara# "ratyahara is the restraint of the senses, the freein of the mind from all distractions, and the -eepin of it under the control of the &tma# The mind is withdrawn from whatsoe!er direction it may tend $y the dominant and directin Self# "ratyahara destroys the six sins# <a ha!a% 6ranayama &rom pranayama (8-v-) arises %aghava (li htness)# 0ll $ein s say the ajapa !ayatri, which is the expulsion of the $reath $y Hangkara, and its inspiration $y Sahkara, ,+,9;; times a day# 'rdinarily, the $reath oes forth a distance of +, fin erDs $readth, $ut in sin in , eatin , wal-in , sleepin , coition, the distances are +9, ,;, ,5,

G;, and G9 $readths respecti!ely# In !iolent exercise these distances are exceeded, the reatest distance $ein 49 $readths# Ehere the $reathin is under the normal distance, life is prolon ed# Ehere it is a$o!e that, it is shortened# "uraka is inspiration, and rechaka expiration# Kumbhaka is the retention of $reath $etween these two mo!ements# Kumbhaka is, accordin to the =heranda San hita of ei ht -inds% sahita,suryyabheda, ujjayi, shita%i, bhastrika, bhramari, murchchha, and keva%i# "ranaya ma similarly !aries# "ranayama is the control of the $reath and other !ital airs# It awa-ens shakti, frees from disease, produces detachment from the world, and $liss# It is of !aryin !alues, $ein the $est (uttama) where the measure is ,;7 middlin (madhyama) when at +9 it produces spinal tremor7 and inferior ( adhama) when at +, it induces perspiration# It is necessary that the nadishould $e cleansed, for air does not enter those which are impure# The cleansin of the nadi (nadi#shuddhi) is either samau= or nirmanu + that is, with or without, the use of vija# 0ccordin to the first form, the yogi in padmasana doesgurunyasa accordin to the directions of the guru# ?editatin on "yang," he does japa throu h Ida of the vija +9 times, kumbhaka with japa of vija 95 times, and then exhalation throu h the solar nadi and japa of vija G, times# &ire is raised from manipura and united with prithivi# Then follows inhalation $y the solar nadu with the vahni vija +9 times, kumbhaka with 95 japa of the vija, followed $y exhalation throu h the lunar nadi and japa of the vija G, times# He then meditates on the lunar $rilliance, a8in at the tip of the nose# and inhales $y Ida with japa of the vija "thang" +9 times# Kumbhaka is done with the vija vang 95 times# He then thin-s of himself as flooded $y nectar, and considers that the nadi ha!e $een washed# He exhales $y 6in ala with G, japa of the vija %ang, and considers himself there$y as stren thened# He then ta-es his seat on a mat of kusha rass, a deers-in, etc#, and, facin east or north, doespranayama# &or its exercise there must $e, in addition to nadi shuddhi, consideration of proper place, time, and food# Thus, the place should not $e so distant as to induce anxiety, nor in an unprotected place, such as a forest, nor in a city or crowded locality, which induces distraction# The food should $e pure, and of a !e etarian character# It should not $e too hot or too cold, pun ent, sour, salt, or $itter# &astin , the ta-in of one meal a day, and the li-e, are prohi$ited# 'n the contrary, the /o i should not remain without food for more than one yama (three hours)# The food ta-en should $e li ht and stren thenin # <on wal-s and other !iolent exercise should $e a!oided, as also I cer-tainly in the case of $e inners I sexual intercourse# The stomach should only $e half filled# 3oga should $e commenced, it is said, in sprin or autumn# 0s stated, the forms of pranayama !ary# Thus, sahita, which is either with (sagarbha) or without (nirgarbha) vija, is, accordin to the former form, as follows% The sadhaka meditates on 3idhi (1rahma), who is full of rajoguna, red in colour, and the ima e of akara# He inhales $y Ida in six measures ( matra)#1efore kumbhaka he does the uddiyanabandha mudra# ?editatin on Hari (3ishnu) as sattvamaya and the $lac- vija ukara, he does kumbhaka with 95 japa of the vija7 then, meditatin on Shi!a as tamomaya and his white vija makara, he exhales throu h 6in ala with G, japa of the vija7 then, inhalin $y 6in ala, he does kumbhaka, and exhales $y Ida with the same vija# The process is repeated in the normal and re!ersed order# 6ratya-sha% Ahyana Throu h dhyana is ained the third 2uality of reali8ation or pratyaksha# $hyana, or meditation, is of three -inds% (+) sthu%a, or ross7 (,) jyotih7 (G) sukshma, or su$tle# In the first the form of the Ae!ata is $rou ht $efore the mind# 'ne form of dhyana for this purpose is as follows% <et the sadhana thin- of the reat ocean of nectar in his heart# In the middle of that ocean is the

island of ems, the shores of which are made of powdered ems# The island is clothed with akadamba forest in yellow $lossom# This forest is surrounded $y Ma%ati, 'hampaka, "arijata, and other fra rant trees# In the midst of the Kadamba forest there rises the $eautiful Ka%pa tree, laden with fresh $lossom and fruit# 0midst its lea!es the $lac- $ees hum and the -oel $irds ma-e lo!e# Its four $ranches are the four 3edas# Fnder the tree there is a reat mandapa of precious stones, and within it a $eautiful $ed, on which let him picture to himself his,shtadevata# The !uru will direct him as to the form, raiment, vahana, and the title of the Ae!ata# Jyotirdhyana is the infusion of fire and life (tejas) into the form so ima ined# In the mu%adhara lies the sna-e-li-e Kundalini# There thejivatma, as it were the taperin flame of a candle, dwells# The sadhaka then meditates upon the tejomaya 1rahman, or, alternati!ely, $etween the eye$rows on pranavatmaka, the flame emittin its lustre# Sukshmadhyana is meditation on Kundalini with sham#bhavi mudra after She has $een roused# 1y this yoga (vide post) the atma is re!ealed (atmasakshatkara)# Nirliptat!a% Samadhi <astly, throu h samadhi the 2uality of nir%iptatva, or detachment, and thereafter mukti (li$eration) is attained# Samadhi considered as a process is intense mental con-centration, with freedom from all sangka%pa, and attachment to the world, and all sense of "mineness," or self-interest (mamata)# )onsidered as the result of such process it is the union of Jiva with the "aramatma# &orms 'f Samadhi /o a This samadhi yoga is, accordin to the =heranda San hita, of six -inds# (+) $hyanayogasamadhi, attained $y shambhavi mudra, in which, after meditation on the 3indu-1rahman and reali8ation of the &tma (atmapratyaksha), the latter is resol!ed into the Mahakasha# (,) (adayoga, attained $y khechari mudra, in which the ;renum of the ton ue is cut, and the latter is len thened until it reaches the space $etween the eye$rows, and is then introduced in a re!ersed position into the mouth# (G) Rasanandayoga, attained $y kumbhaka, in which the sadhaka in a silent place closes $oth ears and does puraka and kumbhaka until he hears the word nada in sounds !aryin in stren th from that of the cric-etDs chirp to that of the lar e -ettledrum# 1y daily practice the anahata sound is heard, and the jyotih with the manas therein is seen, which is ultimately dissol!ed in the supreme 3ishnu# (5) 5ayasiddhiyoga, accomplished $y the cele$rated yonimudra already descri$ed# The sadhaka, thin-in of himself as Sha-ti and the 6aramatma as 6urusha, feels himself in union (sanggama) with Shi!a, and en.oys with him the $liss which is shringararasa, and $ecomes 1liss itself, or the 1rahman# (C) Bhakti 3oga, in which meditation is made on the ,shtadevata with de!otion (bhakti) until, with tears flowin from the excess of $liss, the ecstatic condition is attained# (9) Rajayoga, accomplished $y aid of themanomurchchha kumbhaka# Here the manas detached from all worldly o$.ects is fixed $etween the eye$rows in the ajnachakra, and Kumbhaka is done# 1y the union of the manas with the atma, in which the jnani sees all thin s,rajayogasamadhi is attained# %hatcha(ra-)heda

The piercin of the six chakra is one of the most important su$.ects dealt with in the Tantras, and is part of the practical yaga process of which they treat# Aetails of practice can only $e learnt from a !uru, $ut enerally it may $e said that the particular is raised to the uni!ersal life, which as chit is reali8a$le only in the sahasrara in the followin manner% The jivatma in the su$tle $ody, the receptacle of the fi!e !ital airs ( pancha prana), mind in its three aspects ofmanas, ahangkara, and buddhi7 the fi!e or ans of action (panchakarmendriya) and the fi!e or ans of perception (panchajnanendriya) is united with the Kula-undalini# The Kandarpa or Kama Vayu in the mu%adhara a form of the&pana Vayu is i!en a leftward re!olution and the fire which is round Kundalini is -indled# 1y the vija "Hung," and the heat of the fire thus -indled, the coiled and sleepin Kundalini is wa-ened# She who lay asleep around svayambhu#%inga, with her coils three circles and a half closin the entrance of the brahma#dvara, will, on $ein roused, enter that door and mo!e upwards, united with the jivatma# 'n this upward mo!ement, 1rahma, Sa!itri, Aa-ini-Sha-ti, the Ae!as, !i.a, and !ritti, are dissol!ed in the $ody of Kundalini# The Mahimanda%a or prithivi is con!erted into the vija "5ang," and is also mer ed in Her $ody# Ehen Kundalini lea!es the mu%adhara, that lotus which, on the awa-enin of Kundalini had opened and turned its flower upwards, a ain closes and han s down-wards# 0s Kundalini reaches the svadhishthana#chakra, that lotus opens out, and lifts its flower upwards# Fpon the entrance of Kundalini, ?aha!ishnu, ?ahala-shmi, Saras!ati, >a-ini Sha-ti, Ae!a, ?atri-as, and !ritti, 3ai-unthadhama, =ola-a, and the Ae!a and Ae!i residin therein are dissol!ed in the $ody of Kundalini# The prithivi, or "earth" vija "5ang," is dissol!ed in apas, and apas con!erted into the vija vang remains in the $ody of Kundalini# Ehen the Ae!i reaches the manipura chakra all that is in the chakra mer es in Her $ody# The Varuna vija "vang" is dissol!ed in fire, which remains in the $ody of the Ae!i as the Vija "rang#" This chakra is called the Brahma#granthi (or -not of 1rahma)# The piercin of this chakra may in!ol!e considera$le pain, physical disorder, and e!en disease# 'n this account the directions of an experienced !uru are necessary, and therefore also other modes of yo a ha!e $een recommended for those to whom they are applica$le% for in such modes acti!ity is pro!o-ed directly in the hi her centre and it is not necessary that the lower chakras should $e pierced# Kundalini next reaches the anahata chakra, where all which is therein is mer ed in Her# The vija of Tejas, "rang," disappears in 3ayu and 3ayu con!erted into its vija "/an " mer es into the $ody of Kundalini# This chakra is -nown as Vishnu#granthi (-not of 3ishnu)# Kundalini then ascends to the a$ode of 1harati (or Saras!ati) or the vishuddha chakra# Fpon Her entrance, &rddha#narishvara Shi!a, Sha-ini, the sixteen !owels, mantra, etc#, are dissol!ed in the $ody of Kundalini# The vija of Vayu, "yang," is dissol!ed in akasha, which itself $ein transformed into the vija "hang," is mer ed in the $ody of Kundalini# 6iercin the %a%ana chakra, the Ae!i reaches the ajnachakra, where 6arama Shi!a, Siddha-Kali, the Ae!a, una, and all else therein, are a$sor$ed into Her $ody# The vija of akasha, "Hang," is mer ed in themanas chakra, and mind itself in the $ody of Kundalini# The ajnachakra is -nown as Rudra#granthi (or -not of >udra or Shi!a)# 0fter this chakra has $een pierced, Kundalini of Her own motion unites with 6arama Shi!a# 0s She proceeds upwards from the two-petalled lotus, the nira%amba puri, pranava, nada, etc#, are mer ed in Her# The Kundalini has then in her pro ress upwards a$sor$ed in herself the twentyfour tattva commencin with the ross elements, and then unites Herself and $ecomes one# with 6arama Shi!a# This is the maithuna (coition) of thesattvika#pancha#tattva# The nectar

which flows from such union floods the kshudrabrahmanda or human $ody# It is then that the sadhaka, for etful of all in this world, is immersed in ineffa$le $liss# Thereafter the sadhaka, thin-in of the vayu vija "yang" as $ein in the left nostril, inhales throu h Ida, ma-in japa of the vija sixteen times# Then, closin $oth nostrils, he ma-es japa of the vija sixty-four times# He then thin-s that the $lac- "man of sin" ("apapurusha) in the left ca!ity of the a$domen is $ein dried up ($y air), and so thin-in he exhales throu h the ri ht nostril 6in ala, ma-in japa of the vija thirty-two times# The sadhaka then meditatin upon the red-coloured vija "rang" in the manipura, inhales, ma-in sixteen japa of the vija, and then closes the nostrils, ma-in sixteen japa# Ehile ma-in the japa he thin-s that the $ody of "the man of sin" is $ein $urnt and reduced to ashes ($y fire)# He then exhales throu h the ri ht nostril with thirty-two japa# He then meditates upon the white chandravija "thang#" He next inhales throu h Ida, ma-in japa of the vija sixteen times, closes $oth nostrils with japadone sixty-four times, and exhales throu h 6in ala with thirty-two japa# Aurin inhalation, holdin of $reath, and exhalation, he should consider that a new celestial $ody is $ein formed $y the nectar (composed of all the letters of the alpha$et, matrika#varna) droppin from the moon# In a similar way with the vija "vang," the formation of the $ody is continued, and with the vija "%ang" it is completed and stren thened# <astly, with the mantra "SoDhang," thesadhaka leads the jivatma into the heart# Thus Kundalini, who has en.oyed Her union with 6aramashi!a, sets out on her return .ourney the way she came# 0s she passes throu h each of the chakra all that she has a$sor$ed therefrom come out from herself and ta-e their se!eral places in the chakra# In this manner she a ain reaches the mu%adhara, when all that is descri$ed to $e in the chakras (see pp# l!ii-lxiii) are in the positions which they occupied $efore her awa-enin # The !uruDs instructions are to o a$o!e the ajna#chakra, $ut no special directions are i!en7 for after this chakra has $een pierced the sadhaka can reach the brahmasthana unaided# 1elow the "se!enth month of Shi!a" the relationship of !uru and sishya ceases# The instructions of the se!enth amnaya is not expressed (aprakashita)# Sin and 3irtue 0ccordin to )hristian conceptions, sin is a !iolation of the personal will of, and apostasy from, =od# The flesh is the source of lusts which oppose =odDs commands, and in this lies its positi!e si nificance for the ori in of a $ias of life a ainst =od# 0ccordin to St# Thomas, in the ori inal state, no lon er held as the normal, the lower powers were su$ordinate to reason, and reason su$.ect to =od# "'ri inal sin" is formally a "defect of ori inal ri hteousness," and materially "concupiscence#" 0s St# 6aul says (>om# !ii# @, +5), the pneumatic law, which declares war on the lusts, meets with opposition from the "law in the mem$ers#" These and similar notions in!ol!e a reli ious and moral conscious .ud ment which is assumed to exist in humanity alone# Hindu notions of papa (wron ) and punya (that which is pure, holy, and ri ht) ha!e a wider content# The latter is accordance and wor-in with the will of Ish!ara (of whom the jivais itself the em$odiment), as manifested at any particular time in the eneral direction ta-en $y the cosmic process, as the former is the contrary# The two terms are relati!e to the state of e!olution and the surroundin circumstances of the jiva to which they are applied# Thus, the impulse towards indi!iduality which is necessary and .ust on the path of inclination or " oin forth" (pra#vritti marga), is wron ful as a hindrance to the attainment of unity, which is

the oal of the path of return (nivritti marga) where inclinations should cease# In short, what ma-es for pro ress on the one path is a hindrance on the other# The matter, when ri htly undertsood, is not (except, perhaps, sometimes popularly) !iewed from the .uristic standpoint of an external <aw i!er, His commands, and those su$.ect to it, $ut from that in which the exemplification of the moral law is re arded as the true and proper expression of the jivaDs own e!olution# ?orality, it has $een said, is the true nature of a $ein # &or the same reason wron is its destruction# Ehat the jiva actually does is the result of his karmma# &urther, the term jiva, thou h commonly applica$le to the human em$odiment of the atma, is not limited to it# 1oth papa and punya may therefore $e manifested in $ein s of a lower ran- than that of humanity in so far as what they (whether consciously or unconsciously) do is a hindrance to their true de!elopment# Thus, in the /o a 3ashishtha it is said that e!en a creepin plant ac2uired merit $y association with the holy muni on whose dwellin it rew# '$.ecti!ely considered, sin is concisely defined as duhkhajanakam papam# It is that which has $een, is, and will $e the cause of pain, mental or physical, in past, present, and future $irths# The pain as the conse2uence of the action done need not $e immediate# Thou h, howe!er, the sufferin may $e experienced as a result later than the action of which it is the cause, the conse2uence of the action is not really somethin separate, $ut a part of the action itself I namely, that part of it which $elon s to the future# The six chief sins are kama,krodha, %obha, moha, mada, matsaryya + lust, an er, co!etousness, i norance or delusion, pride and en!y# 0ll wron is at $ase self-see-in , in i norance or disre ard of the unity of the Self in all creatures# 3irtue (punya), therefore, as the contrary of sin, is that which is the cause of happiness (sukhajanakam punyam)# That happiness is produced either in this or future $irths, or leads to the en.oyment of hea!en ( Svarga)# 3irtue is that which leads towards the unity whose su$stance is 1liss (ananda)# This ood karmma produces pleasant fruit, which, li-e all the results of karmma, is transitory# 0s Shruti says% "It is not $y acts or the pindas offered $y oneDs children or $y wealth, $ut $y renunciation that men ha!e attained li$eration#" It is only $y escape from karmma throu h -nowled e, that the jiva$ecomin one with the unchan in 0$solute attains lastin rest# It is o$!ious that for those who o$tain such release neither !ice nor !irtue, which are cate ories of phenomenal $ein , exist# Karmma Karmma is action, its cause, and effect# There is no uncaused action, nor action without effect# The past, the present, and the future are lin-ed to ether as one whole# The ichchha, jnana, and kriya shakti manifest in the jivatma li!in on the worldly plane as desire, -nowled e, and action# 0s the 1rihadaranya-a Fpanishad says% "?an is !erily formed of desire# 0s is his desire, so is his thou ht# 0s is his thou ht, so is his action# 0s is his action, so is his attainment#" These fashion the indi!idualDs Karmma# "He who desires oes $y wor- to the o$.ect on which his mind is set#" "0s he thin-s, so he $ecometh#" Then, as to action, "whatsoe!er a man sows that shall he reap#" The matter is not one of punishment and reward, $ut of conse2uence, and the conse2uence of action is $ut a part of it# If anythin is caused, its result is caused, the result $ein part of the ori inal action, whi h continues, and is transformed into the result# The jivatma experiences happiness for his ood acts and misery for his e!il ones#

Karmma is of three -inds I !i8#, sanchita karmma + that is, the whole !ast accumulated mass of the unexhausted karmma of the past, whether ood or $ad, which has still to $e wor-ed out# This past karmma is the cause of the character of the succeedin $irths, and, as such, is called sangskara, or vasana# The second form of karmma is prarabdha, or that part of the first which is ripe, and which is wor-ed out and $ears fruit in the present $irth# The third is the new karmma, which man is continually ma-in $y his present and future actions, and is called vartamana and agami# The em$odied soul (jivatma), whilst in the sangsara or phenomenal world, is $y its nature e!er ma-in presentkarmma and experiencin the past# E!en the Ae!as themsel!es are su$.ect to time and karmma# 1y his karmma a jiva may $ecome an Indra# Karmma is thus the in!isi$le (adrishta), the product of ordained or prohi$ited actions capa$le of i!in $odies# It is either ood or $ad, and to ether these are called the impurity of action (karmma ma%a)# E!en ood action, when done with a !iew to its fruit, can ne!er secure li$eration# Those who thin- of the reward will recei!e $enefit in the shape of that reward# <i$eration is the wor- of Shi!a-Sha-ti, and is ained only $y brahmajnana, the destruction of the will to separate life, and reali8ation of unity with the Supreme# 0ll accompanyin action must $e without thou ht of self# Eith the cessation of desire the tie which $inds man to the sangsara is $ro-en# 0ccordin to the Tantra, the sadhana and achara (8#v#) appropriate to an indi!idual depends upon his karmma# 0 manDs tendencies, character, and temperament is moulded $y his sanchita karmma# 0s re ards prarabdha#karmma, it is una!oida$le# Nothin can $e done $ut to wor- it out# Some systems prescri$e the same method for men of di!ers tendencies# 1ut the Tantra reco ni8es the force of karmma, and moulds its method to the temperament produced $y it# The needs of each !ary, as also the methods which will $e the $est suited to each to lead them to the common oal# Thus, forms of worship which are permissi$le to the vira are for$idden to the pashu# The guru must determine that for which the sadhaka is 2ualified (adhikara)# &our 0ims 'f 1ein There is $ut one thin which all see- I happiness I thou h it $e of differin -inds and sou ht in different ways# 0ll forms, whether sensual, intellectual, or spiritual, are from the 1rahman, who is Itself the Source and Essence of all 1liss, and 1liss itself ( rasovai sah)# Thou h issuin from the same source I pleasure differs in its forms in $ein hi her and lower, transitory or dura$le, or permanent# Those on the path of desire ( pravritti marga) see- it throu h the en.oyments of this world (bhukti) or in the more dura$le, thou h still impermanent deli hts of hea!en (svarga)# He who is on the path of return ( nivritti marga) see-s happiness, not in the created worlds, $ut in e!erlastin union with their primal source ( mukti)7 and thus it is said that man can ne!er $e truly happy until he see-s shelter with 1rahman, which is Itself the reat 1liss (rasam hyevayam %abdhva anandi bhavati)# The eternal rhythm of the Ai!ine 1reath is outwards from spirit to matter and inwards from matter to spirit# Ae!i as ?aya e!ol!es the world# 0s ?ahamaya She recalls it to Herself# The path of out oin is the way of pravritti7 that of return nivritti# Each of these mo!ements is Ai!ine# En.oyment (bhukti) and li$eration (mukti) are each Her ifts# 0nd in the third chapter of the wor- cited it is said that of 3ishnu and Shi!a mukti only can $e had, $ut of Ae!i

$othbhukti and mukti7 and this is so in so far as the Ae!i is, in a peculiar sense, the source whence those material thin s come from which en.oyment ( bhoga) arises# 0ll jiva on their way to humanity, and the $ul- of humanity itself, is on the forward path, and ri htly see-s the en.oyment which is appropriate to its sta e of e!olution# The thirst for life will continue to manifest itself until the point of return is reached and the out oin ener y is exhausted# ?an must, until such time, remain on the path of desire# In the hands of Ae!i is the noose of desire# Ae!i herself is $oth desire and that li ht of -nowled e which in the wise who ha!e -nown en.oyment lays $are its futilities# 1ut one cannot renounce until one has en.oyed, and so of the world-process itself it is said% that the un$orn ones, the 6urushas, are $oth su$ser!ient to Her (prakriti), and lea!e Her $y reason of viveka# 6ro!ision is made for the worldly life which is the "out oin " of the Supreme# 0nd so it is said that the Tantri-a has $oth en.oyment (bhukti) and li$eration (mukti)# 1ut en.oyment itself is not without its law# Aesire is not to $e let loose without $ridle# The mental self is, as is commonly said, the charioteer of the $ody, of which the senses are the horses# )ontrary to mista-en notions on the su$.ect, the Tantras ta-e no exception to the ordinary rule that it is necessary not to let them run away# If one would not $e swept away and lost in the mi hty force which is the descent into matter, thou ht and action must $e controlled $y $harmma- Hence the first three of the aims of life /trivarga. on the path of pravritti are dharmma2 artha2 and kamaAharmma $harmma means that which is to $e held fast or -ept I law, usa e, custom, reli ion, piety, ri ht, e2uity, duty, ood wor-s, and morality# It is, in short, the eternal and immuta$le /sanatana. principles which hold to ether the uni!erse in its parts and in its whole, whether or anic or inor anic matter# "That which supports and holds to ether the peoples (of the uni!erse) is dharmma-" "It was declared for well-$ein and $rin eth well-$ein # It upholds and preser!es# 1ecause it supports and holds to ether, it is called Aharmma# 1y Aharmma are the people upheld#" It is, in short, not an artificial rule, $ut the principle of ri ht li!in # The marof dharmma and of the ood is achara ( ood conduct), from which dharmma is $orn and fair fame is ac2uired here and hereafter# The sa es em$raced achara as the root of all tapas$harmma is not only the principle of ri ht li!in , $ut also its application# That course of meritorious action $y which man fits himself for this world, hea!en, and li$eration# $harmma is also the result of ood action I that is, the merit ac2uired there$y# The $asis of the sanatana dharmma is re!elation /shruti. as presented in the !arious Shastra#I Smriti, 6urana, and Tantra# In the Ae!i 1ha a!ata it is said that in the Kaliyu a 3ishnu in the form of 3yasa di!ides the one 3eda into many parts, with the desire to $enefit men, and with the -nowled e that they are short-li!ed and of small intelli ence, and hence una$le to master the whole# This dharmma is the first of the four leadin arms (chaturvarga) of all $ein # Kama Kama is desire, such as that for wealth, success, family, position, or other forms of happiness for self or others# It also in!ol!es the notion of the necessity for the posses-sion of reat and no$le aims, desires, and am$itions, for such possession is the characteristic of reatness of soul# Aesire, whether of the hi her or lower -inds, must, howe!er, $e lawful, for man is su$.ect to dharmma, which re ulates it#

0rtha &rtha (wealth) stands for the means $y which this life may $e maintained I in the lower sense, food, drin-, money, house, land, and other property7 and in the hi her sense the means $y which effect may $e i!en to the hi her desires, such as that of worship, for which artha may $e necessary, aid i!en to others, and so forth# In short, it is all the necessary means $y which all ri ht desire, whether of the lower or hi her -inds, may $e fulfilled# 0s the desire must $e a ri ht desire I for man is su$.ect to dharmma, which re ulates them I so also must $e the means sou ht, which are e2ually so o!erned# This first roup is -nown as the trivarga, which must $e culti!ated whilst man is upon the pravritti marga# Fnless and until there is renunciation on entrance upon the path of return, where inclination ceases (nivritti marga), man must wor- for the ultimate oal $y meritorious acts (dharmma), desires (kama), and $y the lawful means (artha) where$y the lawful desires which i!e $irth to ri hteous acts are reali8ed# Ehilst on the pravritti marga "the trivarga should $e e2ually culti!ated, for he who is addicted to one only is despica$le" ( dharmmartha#kamah samameva sevyah yo hyekasaktah sa jano#jagha#nyah)# ?o-sha 'f the four aims, moksha or mukti is the truly ultimate end, for the other three are e!er haunted $y the fear of Aeath the Ender# Mukti means "loosenin " or li$eration# It is ad!isa$le to a!oid the term "sal!ation," as also other )hristian terms, which connote different, thou h in a loose sense, analo ous ideas# 0ccordin to the )hristian doctrine (soteriolo y), faith in )hristDs =ospel and in His )hurch effects sal!ation, which is the for i!eness of sins mediated $y )hristDs redeemin acti!ity, sa!in from .ud ment, and admittin to the Kin dom of =od# 'n the other hand, mukti means a loosenin from the $onds of the sangsara (phenomenal existence), resultin in a union (of !arious de rees of completeness) of the em$odied spirit ( jivatma) or indi!idual life with the Supreme Spirit (paramatma)# <i$eration can $e attained $y spiritual -nowled e ( atmajnana) alone, thou h it is o$!ious that such -nowled e must $e preceded $y, and accompanied with, and, indeed, can only $e attained in the sense of actual reali8ation, $y freedom from sin and ri ht action throu h adherence to dharmma# The idealistic system of Hinduism, which posits the ultimate reality as $ein in the nature of mind, ri htly, in such cases, insists on what, for default of a $etter term, may $e descri$ed as the intellectual, as opposed to the ethical, nature# Not that it fails to reco ni8e the importance of the latter, $ut re ards it as su$sidiary and powerless of itself to achie!e that extinction of the modifications of the ener y of consciousness which constitute the supreme mukti -nown as Kaiva%ya# Such extinction cannot $e effected $y conduct alone, for such conduct, whether ood or e!il, pro-duces karmma, which is the source of the modifications which it is manDs final aim to suppress# Moksha $elon s to the nitvritti marga, as the trivarga appertain to the pravritti marga# There are !arious de rees of mukti, some more perfect than the others, and it is not, as is enerally supposed, one state# There are four future states of 1liss, or pada, $ein in the nature of a$odes I !i8#, sa%okya, samipya, sarupya, and sayujya + that is, li!in in the same %oka, or re ion, with

the Ae!a worshipped7 $ein near the Ae!a,7 recei!in the same form or possessin the same aishvaryya (Ai!ine 2ualities) as the Ae!a, and $ecomin one with the Ae!a worshipped# The a$ode to which the jiva attains depends upon the worshipper and the nature of his worship, which may $e with, or without, ima es, or of the Ae!a re arded as distinct from the worshipper, and with attri$utes, and so forth# The four a$odes are the result of action, transitory and conditioned# Mahanirvvana, or Kaiva%ya, the real mo-sha, is the result of spiritual -nowled e (jnana), and is unconditioned and permanent# Those who -now the 1rahman, reco ni8in that the worlds resultin from action are imperfect, re.ect them, and attain to that unconditioned 1liss which transcends them all# Kaiva%ya is the supreme state of oneness without attri$utes, the state in which, as the /o asutra says, modification of the ener y of consciousness is extinct, and when it is esta$lished in its own real nature# <i$eration is attaina$le while the $ody is yet li!in , in which case there exists the state of jivanmukti cele$rated in the Jivanmuktigita of Aattatreya# The soul, it is true, is not really fettered, and any appearance to the contrary is illusory# There is, in fact, freedom, $ut thou h moksha is already in possession still, $ecause of the illusion that it is not yet attained, means must $e ta-en to remo!e the illusion, and the jiva who succeeds in this is jivanmukta, thou h in the $ody, and is freed from future em$odi-ments# The enli htened Kaula, accordin to the Nitya-nita, sees no difference $etween mud and sandal, friend and foe, a dwellin -house and the cremation- round# He -nows that the 1rahman is all, that the Supreme soul (paramatma) and the indi!idual soul (jivatma) are one, and freed from all attachment he is jivanmukta, or li$erated, whilst yet li!in # The means where$y mukti is attained is the yoga process (vide ante)# Siddhi Siddhi is produced $y sadhana# The former term, which literally means "success," includes accomplishment, achie!ement, success, and fruition of all -inds# 0 person may thus ain siddhi in speech, siddhi in mantra, etc# 0 person issiddha also who has perfected his spiritual de!elopment# The !arious powers attaina$le I namely, anima, mahima, %aghima, garima, prapti, prakamya, ishitva, vashitva, the powers of $ecomin small, reat, li ht, hea!y, attainin what one wills, and the li-e I are -nown as the ei ht siddhi# The thirty-ninth chapter of the 1rahma!ai!arta 6urana mentions ei hteen -inds, $ut there are many others, includin such minor accomplishments as nakhadarpana siddhi or "nail- a8in #" The reat siddhi is spiritual perfection# E!en the mi hty powers of the "ei ht siddhi" are -nown as the "lesser siddhi," since the reatest of all siddhi is full li$eration (mahanirvana) from the $onds of phenomenal life and union with the 6aramatma, which is the supreme o$.ect (paramartha) to $e attained throu h human $irth# 0# 0#

Next% )hapter + - Nuestions relatin to the <i$eration of 1ein s