Mahanirvana Tantra (Tantra of the Great Liberation)

though upon the break-up of the chakra the ordinary caste and social relations are re¬ established. All are competent for the specially Tantrik worship, for, in the words of the Gautamiya Tantra, the Tantra Shastra is for all castes and for all wo men. ^ The latter are also excluded under the present Vaidik system, though it is said by Shankha Dharma-shastrakara that the wife may, with the consent of her hus¬ band, fast, take vows, perform homa and vrata,^ etc. According to the Tantra, a woman may not only re¬ ceive mantra, but may, as a Guru, initiate and give it.^ She is worshipful as Guru, and as wife of Guru.^ The Devi is Herself Guru of all Shastras^ and woman, as, indeed, all females who are Her embodiments are, in a peculiar sense. Her earthly representatives.

There are seven, or, as some say, nine, divisions of worshippers. The extra divisions are bracketed in the following quotation. The Kular^tava Tantra mentions seven, which are given in their order of superiority, ^ Sarvva-vamddhikdrashcha ndnndm yogya eva cha (chap. i.). 2 It has been said that neither a virgin {kumdrl), a pregnant woman {garbhint), nor a woman during her period, can perform vrata. 3 Rudra-yamala, 2 Khaw^fa (chap, ii.) ; i Khaw^^a (chap, xv.), where the qualifications are stated. ^ Ibid., I Khawc?a (chap, i.) ; Matn'ka-bheda Tantra (chap, vii.) ; Annada-kalpa Tantra cited in Prawa-tos/?iwi, p. 68. As the Yogini Tantra says, guru-patnl maheshdni gurureva (chap. i.). 5 Kangkala-malini Tantra (chap, ii.). the first being the lowest : V eAachar a, VaisYinavachdra, Shaivdchdra, Dakshindchdra, Vdmdchdra, Siddhdntdchara {Aghordchdra^ Yogdckdra), and Kauldchdra, the highest of all.^ The dchdra is the way, custom, and practice of a particular class of sddhaka. They are not, as sometimes supposed, different sects, but stages through which the worshipper in this or other births has to pass before he reaches the supreme stage of the Kaula. Veddchdra,^ which consists in the daily practice of the Vaidik rites, is the gross body (sthula-deha) , which comprises within it all other dchdras, which are, as it were, its subtle bodies {sukshma-deha) of various degrees. The worship is largely of an external and ritual character, the object of which is to strengthen dharma. This is the path of action {kriyd-mdrga).

In the second stage the worshipper passes from blind faith to an understanding of the su¬ preme protecting energy of the Brahman, towards Which he has feelings of devotion. This is the path of devotion {bhakti-mdrga) , and the aim at this stage is the union of it and faith previously acquired. With an increasing determination to protect dharma and destroy a-dharma; the sddhaka passes into Shaivdchdra, the warrior (feh^?:- triya) stage, wherein to love and mercy are added strenuous striving and the cultivation of power. There is union of faith, devotion (bhakti), and inward deter¬ mination {antar4aksb.a) . Entrance is made upon the path of knowledge {jndna-mdrga) , Following this is Dakshindchdra, which in Tantra does not mean righthand worship,” but favourable ” — ^that is, that dchdra

below cited, says it is, in fact, not so. Aghom means it is said one who is liberated from the terrible (ghora) sangsdra, but in any case, many worshippers for want of instruction by a siddha-guru have degenerated into mere eaters of corpses. 2 Chapter II. A short description (of little aid) is given in the Vishva-sara Tantra (chap. xxiv.). See also Hara-tattva-didhiti, fourth edition, pp. 339, Tantra-rahasya of Sachchidananda Svami. Ixxx TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION which is favourable to the accomplishment of the higher sddhana, and whereof the Devi is the Daks/^ma Kalika. This stage commences when the worshipper can make dhydna and dhdrand of the threefold shakti of the Brah¬ man [kriyd, ichchhd, jndna), and understands the mutual connection (samanvaya) of the three guna until he re¬ ceives pumdbhisheka (q.v.). At this stage the sddhaka is Shakta, and qualified for the worship of the threefold shakti of Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshvara. He is fully initiated in the G^ydutii-mantra, and worships the Devi Gayatri, the DaksMna Kalika, or AdyaShakti — the union of the three Shakti. This is the stage of indi¬ vidualistic Brahma^a-tattva, and its aim is the union of faith, devotion, and determination, with a knowledge of the threefold energies. After this a change of great im¬ portance occurs, marking, as it does, the entry upon the path of return (niviitti). This it is which has led some to divide the dchdra into the two broad divisions of DaksYiiudchdra (including the first four) and Vdmdchdra (including the last three), it being said that men are born into Dakshindchdra, but are received by initiation into Vdmdchdra.

The latter term does not mean, as is vulgarly supposed, '' left-hand worship,'' but the worship in which woman [vdmd) enters that is latd-sddhana. In this dchdra there is also worship , of the Varna Devi. Vdmd is here '' adverse," in that the stage is adverse to praviitti, which governed in varying degrees the preceding dchdra, and entry is here made upon the path of nivntti, or return to the source whence the world sprung. Up to the fourth stage the sddhaka followed pravxittimdrga, the outgoing path which led from the source, the path of worldly enjoyment, albeit curved by dharmd. At first unconsciously, and later consciously, sddhana sought to induce nivxitU, which, however, can only fully appear after the exhaustion of the forces of the outward current. In Vdmdchdra, however, the sddhaka commences to directly destroy pravxitti, and with the help of the Guru

(whose help throughout is in this necessary)^ to cultivate mviitti. The method at this stage is to use the force of fravxiUi in such a way as to render them self-destruc¬ tive. The passions which bind may be so employed as to act as forces whereby the particular life of which they are the strongest manifestation is raised to the universal life. Passion, which has hitherto run downwards and outwards to waste, is directed inwards and upwards, and transformed to power. But it is not only the lower ph3^sical desires of eating, drinking, and sexual inter¬ course which must be subjugated. The sddhaka must at this stage commence to cut off all the eight bonds {'pasha) which mark the pashu which the Kular^^ava Tantra enumerates as pity {dayd), ignorance (moha), shame {lajjd), family (kula), custom {shlla), and caste {vancia),^ When Shri Krishna stole the clothes of the bathing Gopl, and made them approach him naked, he removed the artificial coverings which are imposed on man in the sangsdra^ The Gopl were eight, as are the bonds {pdsha), and the errors by which the jlva is misled are the clothes which Shri Krishna stole. Freed of these, the jlva is liberated from all bonds arising from his desires, family, and society. He then reaches the stage of Shiva {shivatv a). It is the aim of Vdmdchdra to liberate from the bonds which bind men to the sangsdra, and to qualify the sddhaka for the highest grades of sddhana in which the sdttvika guna predominates. To the truly sattvik there is neither attachment, fear, or disgust. That which has been commenced in these stages is by degrees com¬ pleted in those which follow — ^viz. : Siddhdntdchdra, and according to some, Aghordchdra and Yogdchdra, The sddhaka becomes more and more freed from the darkness

^ It is comparatively easy to lay down rules for the praviitti-mdrga, but nothing can be achieved in Vamachara without the Guru’s help ^ There are various enumerations of the afflictions ” (pasha) which are, however, merely elaborations of the smaller divisions. Thus, according fo the Devi-Bhagavata Moha is ignorance or bewilder¬ ment, and Mahd-moha is desire of worldly pleasures. Ixxxii TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION of the sangsara, and is attached to nothing, hates nothing, and is ashamed of nothing, having freed him¬ self of the artificial bonds of family, caste, and society. The sddhaka becomes, like Shiva himself, a dweller in the cremation ground {smashdna). He learns to reach the upper heights of sddhana and the mysteries of yoga. He learns the movements of the different vdyu in the microcosm the kshudra-brahmdo.da, the regulation of which controls the inclinations and propensities (viiUi). He learns also the truth which concern the macrocosm (brahmdnda) . Here also the Guru teaches him the inner core of Veddchdra. Initiation by yoga-dlksha fully qualifies him for yogdchdra. On attainment of perfec¬ tion in ashtdnga-yoga, he is fit to enter the highest stage of Kauldchdra. Kaula-dharma is in no wise sectarian, but, on the contrary, is the heart of all sects. This is the true mean¬ ing of the phrase which, like many another touching the Tantra, is misunderstood, and used to fix the kaula with hypocrisy — antah-shdktdh, vahih-shaivdh sabhdydng vaishxiavdhmatdh ndnd - rupadhardh kauldh vicharanti mahlidle (outwardly Shaivas ;

in gatherings,^ Vaishnavas ; at heart, Shaktas ; under various forms the Kaulas wander on earth). A Kaula is one who has passed through these and other stages, which have as their own inmost doctrine (whether these worshippers know it or not) that of Kaulachara. It is indifferent what the Kaula' s apparent sect may be. The form is nothing and everything. It is nothing in the sense that it has no power to narrow the Kaula’s own inner life ; it is every¬ thing in the sense that knowledge may infuse its apparent limitations with an universal meaning. So understood, form is never a bond. The Vishva-sara Tantra says^ of the Kaula that “ for him there is neither rule of time nor place. His actions are unaffected either by the phases of

1 The Vai5Awavas are wont to gather together for worship, singing the praise of Hari, etc. ^ Chapter XXIV. the moon or the position of the stars. The Kaula roams the earth in differing forms. At times adhering to social rules (sMshta), he at others appears, according to their standard, to be fallen {bhrasYita). At times, again, he seems to be as unearthly as a ghost (bhuta or pishacha). To him no difference is there between mud and sandal paste, his son and an enemy, home and the cremation ground.'' At this stage the sddhaka attains to Brahma-jndna, which is the true gnosis in its perfect form. On receiving mahdpurna-dlkshd he performs his own funeral rites and is dead to the sangsdra. Seated alone in some quiet place, he remains in constant samddhi, and attains its nir-vikalpa form. The Great Mother, the Supreme Prakriti Maha-shakti, dwells in the heart of the sddhaka, which is now the cremation ground wherein all passions have been burnt away. He becomes a Parama-hangsa, who is liberated whilst yet living {jwan-mukta) . It must not, however, be supposed that each of these stages must necessarily be passed through by each flva in a single life. On the contrary, they are ordinarily traversed in the course of a multitude of births. The weaving of the spiritual garment is recommenced where, in a previous birth, it was dropped on death. In the present life a sddhaka may commence at any stage. If he is born into Kauldchdra, and so is a Kaula in its fullest sense, it is because in previous births he has by sddhana, in the preliminary stages, won his entrance into it. Knowledge of Shakti is, as the Niruttara Tantra says, acquired after many births ; and, according to the Mahanirva^a Tantra, it is by merit acquired in previous births that the mind is inclined to Kauldchdra.

Shabda, or sound, which is of the Brahman, and as such the cause of the Brahmdnda, is the manifestation of the Ixxxiv TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION Chit-shakti Itself. The Vishva-sara Tantra says^ that tha Para-brahman, as Shabda-brahman, whose substance is all mantra, exists in the body of the jwdtmd. It is either unlettered [dhvani) or lettered [varna). The former, which produces the latter, is the subtle aspect of the jwa's vital shakti. As the Prapancha-sara states, the hrahmdnda is pervaded by shakti, consisting of dhvani, also called ndda, frana, and the like. The manifestation of the gross form {sthula) of shalda is not possible unless shabda exists in a subtle (sukshma) form. Mantras are all aspects of the Brahman and manifestations of Kulakunddlml. Philosophically shabda is the guna of dkdsha, or ethereal space. It is not, however, produced by dkdsha, but manifests in it. Shabda is itself the Brah¬ man. In the same way, however, as in outer space, waves of sound are produced by movements of air [vdyu) ; so in the space within the pva's body waves of sound are produced according to the movements of the vital air (prdna-vdyu) and the process of inhalation and exhala¬ tion. Shabda first appears at the mulddhdra, and that which is known to us as such is, in fact, the shakti which gives life to the jlva. She it is who, in the mulddhdra, is the cause of the sweet indistinct and murmuring dhvani, which sounds like the humming of a black bee.

The extremely subtle aspect of sound which first appears in the Mulddhdra is called pard ; less subtle when it has reached the heart, it is known as pashyanti. When connected with buddhi it becomes more gross, and is called madhyamd. Lastly, in its fully gross form, it issues from the mouth as vaikharl. As Kula-ku^<^alini, whose substance is all vama and dhvani, is but the mani¬ festation of, and Herself the Paramatma ; so the substance of all mantra is chit, notwithstanding their external manifestation, as sound, letters, or words ; in fact, the letters of the alphabet, which are known as ak^Yiara, are nothing but the yantra of the akshara, or imperishable Brahman. This, however, is only realized by the sMhaka when his shakti, generated by sddhana, is united with the mantra-shaUi. It is the sthula or gross form of Kulakundalini, appear¬ ing in different aspects as different Devata, which is the presiding Devata {adhishthdtrt) of all mantra, though it is the subtle or sfiksYima form at which all sddhakas aim. When the mantrashakti is awakened by sddhana the Presiding Devata appears, and when perfect mantrasiddhi is acquired, the Devata, who is sachchiddnanda, is revealed. The relations of varna, ndda, vindu, vowel and consonant in a mantra, indicate the appearance of Devata in different forms. Certain vibhuti, or aspects, of the Devata are inherent in certain varna, but perfect Shakti does not appear in any but a whole mantra. Any word or letter of the mantra cannot be a mantra. Only that mantra in which the playful Devata has revealed any of Her particular aspects can reveal that aspect, and is therefore called the individual mantra of that one of Her particular aspects. The form of a particular Devata, therefore, appears out of the particular mantra of which that .Devata is the adhisYi^iidtrl Devata.

A mantra is composed of certain letters arranged in definite sequence of sounds of which the letters are the representative signs. To produce the designed effect mantra must be intoned in the proper way, according to svara (rhythm), and varna (sound) Their textual source is to be found in Veda, Puratta, and Tantra. The latter is essentially the mantra-shdstra, and so it is said of the embodied shdstra, that Tantra, which consists of mantra, is the paramdtmd, the Vedas are the jlvdtmd, Darshana (systems of philosophy) are the senses, Pura^as are the body, and Smriti are the limbs. Tantra is thus the shakti of consciousness, consisting of mantra. A mantra is not the same thing as prayer or self-dedication becomes a mere sentence. Ixxxvi TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION {dtma-nivedana) . Prayer is conveyed in what words the worshipper chooses, and bears its meaning on its face. It is only ignorance of shastrik principle which supposes that mantra is merely the name for the words in which one expresses what one has to say to the Divinity. If it were, the sddhaka might choose his own language without recourse to the eternal and determined sounds of Shdstra, A mantra may, or may not, convey on its face its meaning. Vlja (seed), mantra, such as Aing, Kltng, Hrlng, have no meaning, according to the ordinary use of language. The initiate, however, knows that their meaning is the own form (sva-rupa) of the particular Devata, whose mantra they are, and that they are the dhvani which makes all letters sound and which exists in all which we say or hear. Every mantra is, then, a form {rupa) .of the Brahman. Though, therefore, manifesting in the form and sound of the letters of the alphabet, Shdstra says that they go to Hell who think that the Guru is but a stone, and the mantra but letters of the alphabet.

From manana, or thinking, arises the real understand¬ ing of .the monistic truth, that the substance of the Brahman and the brahma-^z^Za are one and the same. Man- of mantra comes from the first syllable of manana, and -tra from trdna, or liberation from the bondage of the sangsdra or phenomenal world. By the combination of man- and -tra, that is called mantra which calls forth [dmantrana) , the chatur-varga {vide post), or four aims of sentient being.^ Whilst, therefore, mere prayer often ends in nothing but physical sound, mantra is a potent compelling force, a word of power (the fruit of which is mantra-siddhi) , and is thus effective to produce the chaturvarga, advaitic perception, and mukti. Thus it is said that siddhi is the certain result of japa {q.v,), ^ See the chapter on Mantra-tattva in my edition of the second volume of The Principles of Tantra " (in the Press). By Mantra the sought for [sddhya] Devatd is attained and compelled. By siddhi in mantra is opened the vision of the three worlds. Though the purpose, of worship (pujd), reading (patha), hymn {stava), sacrifice {homa), dhydna, dhdrand, and samddhi {vide post), and that of the dlkshd-mantra are the same, yet the latter is far more powerful, and this for the reason that, in the first, the sddhaka's sddhana-shakti only operates, whilst in the case ‘of mantra that sddhana-shakti works, in conjunction with mantra-shakti, which has the revelation and force of fire, and than which nothing is more powerful. The special mantra which is received at initiation {dlksYid) is the vlja, or seed mantra, sown in the field of the sddhaka's heart, and the Tantrik sandhyd, nydsa, pujd, and the like are the stem and branches upon which hymns of praise {stuti) and prayer and homage [vandana) are the leaves and flower, and the kavacha, consisting 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 known as vidyd. The neuter mantra, such as the Pauramk-mantra, ending with namah, are said to lack the force and vitality of the others. The masculine and feminine mantra end differently. TYms,,' Hung, Phat, are mascu¬ line terminations, and thsxig,'' or svdhd, are feminine ones.^ The Nitya Tantra gives various names to mantra, according to the number of their syllables, a one-syllabled mantra being called pin6.a, a three-syllabled one kartarl, a mantra with four to nine syllables vija, with ten to twenty syllables mantra, and mantra with more than twenty syllables mdld. Commonly, however, the term mj a is applied to monosyllabic mantra. The Tantrik mantras ^ See Sdradd-tilaka (chap, ii.) ; Naxada-pancha-ratra (chap, vii.), the Prayogasaia and Pranatoshini, p. 70). If it he asked why formless things of mind are given sex, the answer is for the sake of the require¬ ments of the worshipper. Ixxxviii TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION called mja (seed) are so named because they are the seed of the fruit, which is siddhi, and because they are the very quintessence of mantra. They are short, unetymological vocables, such as Hrlng, Shrtng, Krlng, Hung, Aing, Phai, etc., which will be found throughout the text.^ Each Devatd^ has His or Her mja.^ The primary mantra of a Devata is known as the root mantra [mula-mantra) .

It is also said that the word mula denotes the subtle body of the Devata called Kama-ksld. The utterance of a mantra without knowledge of its meaning or of the mantra method is a mere movement of the lips and nothing more. The mantra sleeps. There are various processes preliminary to, and involved in, its right utterance, which processes again consist of mantra, such as, purification of the mouth (mukha-shodhana) purification of the tongue (jihvd-shodhana) and of the mantra {ashaucha-hhanga) kulluka,^ nirvvdnaA setu,^ nidrd-hhanga, awakening of mantra,^ mantra-chaitanya, or giving of life or vitality to the mantra}^ Mantrdrthabhavana, forming of mental image

^ See also the mantra portion of the Atharva Veda to which the Tantra stands in close relation; 2 Knng (KaH), Hvlng (Maya), Rang (Agni), Eng (Yoni), vija, etc. varies with the Devata — e.g., Ong Hsau for Bhairava. ^ Seven japa of one-lettered vija triplicated, pranava triplicated, then one-lettered vija triplicated. ® Japa of mula-mantra preceded and followed by pranava. As to the “ birth ” and “ death defilements of a mantra, see Tantra-sara 75, et seq. ® See Sarada [loc cit). Thus Knlluka (which is done over the head) of Kalika is Maya (see Purascharana-Bodhini, p. 48, and Tantra-sara) . ^ Japa cf Mula- and Mdtrika- vija in the Mani-pura. varies. Thus Setu of Kali is her own vija (krlng), of Tara, Kurckcha, etc. ^ Japa of the Mantra preceded and followed by ing seven times. Japa of Mula-mantra in Mani-pura preceded and followed by "Matnka-yija. Meditating on the mula-mantra in the sahasrdva, andkata, muld-dkdra, with Hung, and again in sahasrara. The miila is the principal mantra, such as the pancha-daski. of the Divinity^ There are also ten sangskara of the mantraJ^ Dlpanl is seven japa of the vija, preceded and followed by o%g. Where bring is employed instead of Ong it is pra^a-yoga. Yoni-mudra is meditation on the Guru in the head and on the Js A^a-devata in the heart, and then on the Yoni-rupd Bhagavatl from the head to the mulddhdra, and from the mulddhdra to the head, making japa of the yoni vlja (eng) ten times.^ The mantra itself is Devatd.

The worshipper awakens and vitalizes it by chit-shakii, putting away all thought of the letter, piercing the six Chakra, and contemplating the Spotless One.^ The ^hakti of the mantra is the vdchaka-shakti, or the means by which the vdchya-shakti or object of the mantra is attained. The mantra lives by the energy of the former. The sagund-shakti is awakened by sddhana and worshipped, and She it is who opens the portals whereby the vdchya-shakti is reached. Thus the Mother in Her saguna form is the presiding deity (adhishthatrl Devatd) of the G^ya.tn-mantra. As the nirguna (formless) One, She is its vdchya-shakti. Both are in reality one and the same ; but the jlva, by the laws of his nature and its three guna, must first meditate on the gross {sthula) form® before he can realize the subtle [suksYima) form, which is his liberator.

The mantra of a Devata is the Devata. The rhyth¬ mical vibrations of its sounds not merely regulate the unsteady vibrations of the sheaths of the worshipper, thus transforming him, but from it arises the form of the Devata, which it is.® Mantra-siddhi is the ability to ^ Lit., thinking of meaning of mantra or thinking of the mdtrika in the mantra which constitute the Devata from foot to head. 2 See Tantra-sara, p. 90. ^ see Purohita-darpanam ^ Kubjika Tantra (chap. v.). ^ These forms are not merely the creatures of the imagination of the worshipper, as some “modernist" Hindus suppose, but, according to orthodox notions, the forms in which the Deity, in fact, appears to the worshipper. ® SAriUM devi pravak^ayami, vijandm deva-rupatdm. — (BWhad-gandharva Tantra, chap, v.) xc TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION make a mantra efficacious and to gather its fruiF in which case the mantra is called mantra-siddha. Mantra are classified as siddha, sddhya, susiddha, and ari, according as they are friends, servers, supporters, or destroyers — a matter which is determined for each sddhaka by means of chakra calculations. The Gayatri is the most sacred of all Vaidik mantras. In it the Veda lies embodied as in its seed. It runs : Ong bhur bhuvah svah : tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhtmahi : dhiyo yo nah frachodayat. Om. ‘‘ Ong. Let us contemplate the wondrous spirit of the Divine Creator (SavizJn) of the earthly, atmospheric, and celestial spheres. May He direct our minds (that is, ' towards ' the attainment of dharmma, artha, kdma, and mok^a), Om.''

The Gayatri- Vyakara^a of Yogi Yajnavalkya thus explains the following words : Tat, that.^ The word yat (which) is understood.^ Savituh is the possessive case of Savitii, derived from the root su, to bring forth." Savitn is, therefore, the Bringer-forth of all that exists. The Sun [Suryya) is the cause of all that exists, and of the state in which they exist. Bringing forth and creating all things, it is called Savitn. The Bhavis/^ya Pura^a says Suryya is the visible Devata. He is the Eye of the world and the Maker of the day. There is no other Devata eternal like unto Him. This universe has emanated from, and will be again absorbed into, Him. ^ Yang Yang prdrthayate kdmang (Whatever the sadhka desires that he surely obtains) . ^ Tat is apparently here treated as in the objective case, agreeing with V army am, etc., but others holding that the vydhriti {Bhur hhuvah svah) form part of, and should be linked with, the rest of the Gayatri treat tat as part of a genitive compound connected with the previous vyahxiti, in which case it is teshdm . 3 It may, however, be said that yat is there in Yo nah.

Time is of and in Him. The planets, stars, the Vasus, Rudras, Vayu, Agni, and the rest are but parts of Him. By Bhargah is meant the Aditya-devata, dwelling in the region of the Sun {suryya-mandala) in all His might and glory. He is to the Sun what our spirit (dtma) is to our body. Though He is in the region of the sun in the outer or material sphere He also dwells in our inner selves. He is the light of the light in the solar circle, and is the light of the lives of all beings. As He is in the outer ether, so also is He in the ethereal region of the heart. In the outer ether He is Suryya, and in the inner ether He is the wonderful Light which is the Smokeless Fire. In short, that Being whom the sddhaka realizes in the region of his heart is the Aditya in the heavenly firmament. The two are one. The word is derived in two ways : (i) from the root bhiij, '' to ripen, mature, destroy, reveal, shine.'' In this derivation Suryya is He who matures and transforms all things. He Himself shines and reveals all things by His light. And it is He who at the final Dissolution [pralaya) will in His image of destructive Fire [kdldgni) destroy all things. (2) From hha = dividing all things into different classes ; ra = colour ; for He produces the colour of all created objects ; ga, constantly going and returning. The sun divides all things, produces the different colours of all things, and is constantly going and returning. As the Brahmanasarvasva says : The Bhargah is the Atmd of all that exists, whether moving or motionless, in the three loka [Bhur Ihuvah svah). There is nothing which exists apart from it."

Devasya is the genitive of Deva, agreeing with Savituh: Deva is the radiant and playful (lUdmaya) one. Suryyia is in constant play with creation (srishti), existence (sthiti), and destruction (pralaya), and by His radiance pleases all. {Llld, as applied to the Brahman, is the equivalent of mdyd) Varenyam^ varamya, or adorable. He should be meditated upon and adored that we may be relieved xcii TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION of the misery of birth and death. Those who fear rebirth, who desire freedom from death and liberation and who strive to escape the three kinds of pain {tdpa-traya), which are ddhydtmika, ddhidaivikay and ddhihhautika, meditate upon and adore the Bharga, who, dwelling in the region of the Sun, is Himself the three regions called Bhur-loha, Bhuvar-loka, and Svar-loka. DMmahi — dhyd - yema, from the root dhyai. We meditate upon, or let us meditate upon. Prachodaydt He direct. The Gayatrl does not so expressly state, but it is understood that such direction is along the chatur-varga, or four-fold path, which is dharmma, artha, kdma, and moksha (piety, wealth, desire and its fulfil¬ ment, and liberation, vide post). The Bharga/^ is ever directing our inner faculties {huddhi-vritti) along these paths. The above is the Vaidikd Gdyatrl, which, according to the Vaidik system, none but the twice-born may utter. To the Shudra whether man or woman, and to women of all other castes it is forbidden. The Tantra, which has antra of its own, shows no such exclusive¬

ness ; Chapter III., verses 109-111, gives the Brahmagay atn for worshippers of the Brahman : '' Parameshvardya vidmahe para-tattvdya dhtmahi : tan no Brahma prachodaydf we know the supreme Lord. Let us contemplate the Supreme essence. And may that Brah- ,man direct us). This word in its most general sense means an instru¬ ment, or that by which anything is accomplished. In worship it is that by which the mind is fixed on its object. The Yogini Tantra says that the Devi should be w^orshipped either in pratimd (image), mandiala^ or difference between a mandala and a yantra is that the former is used in the case of any Devata, whereas, a yantra is appropriate to a specific Bevata only yantra} At a certain stage of spiritual progress the sddhaka is qualified to worship yantra. The siddha-yogi in inward worship {antar-pujd) commences with the worship of yantra, which is the sign (sangketa) of brahma-vijndna as the mantra is the sangketa of the Devata. It is also said that yantra is so called because it subdues {niyantrana) lust, anger, and the other sins of jlva and the sufferings caused thereby.^ This yantra is a diagram engraved or drawn on metal, paper, or other substances,^ which is worshipped in the same manner as an image (pratimd) . As different mantra are prescribed for different worships, so are differ¬ ent yantra. The yantra% are therefore of various designs, according to the object of worship.'^ The cover of this work shows a silver Gayatri yantra belonging to the author.

In the centre triangle are engraved in the middle the words, Shrl Shrl Gayatri sva-prasada siddhing kuru C' Shri Shri Gayatri Devi: grant me success''), and at each inner corner there are the vlja Hrlng and Hr ah. In the spaces formed by the intersections of the outer ovoid circles is the vlja Hrlng.” The outside circular band contains the vlja '' Th^j: which indicates Svdhd” commonly employed to terminate the feminine mantra or vidyd. The eight lotus petals which spring from the band are inscribed with the vlja, Hrlng, Ing, Hrah.” The outermost band contains all the matrika, or letters of the alphabet, from akdra to laksha.^ The whole is enclosed in the way common to all yantra by a hhupura, by which, as it were, the yantra is enclosed from the outer

as water, the flowers aparajita, jaba, karavira, drowa, etc. (Kaulavallya Tantra). 2 Tantra-tattva, p. 519 (SMharawa-upasana-tattva) . and donkeys' skin, human bones, etc. ^ A considerable number are figured in the Tantra-sara. • 5 In this and other metal mantra no figures of Devata are shown. These not uncommonly appear in yantra drawn or printed on paper, such as the eight Bhairava, Shakti, etc. xciv TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION worlds The ymitra when inscribed with mantra, serves (so far as these are concerned) the purpose of a mnemonic chart of the mantra appropriate to the particular Devata whose presence is to be invoked into the y antra. Certain preliminaries precede, as in the, case of a pratima, the worship of a y antra. The worshipper first meditates upon the Devata, and then arouses Him or Her in himself. He then communicates the divine presence thus aroused to the yantra. When the Devata has by the appropriate mantra been invoked into the yantra^ the vital airs (prat^a) of the Devata are infused therein by the prana-prati'^^a cere¬ mony, mantra, and mudrd. The Devata is thereby in¬ stalled in the y antra ^ which is no longer mere gross matter veiling the spirit which has been always there, but instinct with its aroused presence, which the sMhaka first welcomes and then worships. Mantra in itself is Devata, and yantra is mantra in that it is the body of the Devata who is mantra.^

The term mudrd is derived from the root mud, '' to please,” and in its updsana form is so called because it gives pleasure to the Devas. Devdndng moda-dd mudfd tasmdt tang yatnatashcharet. It is said that there are io8, of which 55 are commonly used.^ The term means ritual gestures made with the hands in worship or positions of the body ^ In painted yantra serpents are commonly shown crawling outside the bhu-pnra. - See e.g,, Maha-nirvawa Tantra chap, vi., verses 63 et seq. The process is the same as that employed in the case of images {pratima) . Dehdtmanor-yathd hhedo, yantra- devatayostathd (Kaulavaliya Tantra). ^ Shabda-kalpa-druma — sub voc mudrd, and see chap. xi. Nirva^^a Tantra. As to the special sense of mudrd in PanchataUva,.vide post sub voc. in yoga practice. Thus of the first class the matsya- (fish) mudra is formed in offering arghya by placing the right hand on the back of the left and extending, fin-like, on each side the two thumbs, with the object that the conch which contains water may be regarded as an ocean with aquatic animals ; and the yoni-mudrd which presents that organ as a triangle formed by the thumbs, the two first fingers, and the two little fingers is shown with the object of invoking the Devi to come and take Her place before the worshipper, the yoni being considered to be Her pithd or yantra. The updsana mudra is thus nothing but the outward expression of inner resolve which it at the same time intensifies. Mudra are employed in worship {archchana) jap a, dhydna {q>v), kdinya-karma (rites done to effect particular objects), pratislMhd (q-v.), sndna (bathing), dvdhana (welcoming), naivedya (offering of food), and visarjana, or dismissal of the Devata. Some mudra of hatha yoga are described suh voc. '' Yoga'' The Ghera^^?a Sanghita^ says that knowledge of the yoga mudrds ^Tdjits Yhsiddhi, and that their performance pro¬ duces physical benefits such as stability, 'firmness and cure of disease.

The Vaidikd sandhya is the rite performed by the twice-born castes thrice a day, at morning, midday, and evening. The morning sandhya is preceded by the following acts. On awakening, a mantra is said in invocation of the Tri-murtti and the sun, moon, and planets, and salutation is made to the Guru. The Hindu dvl-ja then recites the mantra I am a Deva. I am indeed the sorrowless Brahman. By nature I am eternally free, and in the form of existence, intelligence, and Bliss.'' He then offers the actions of the day to the ^ Chapter III., verses 4, 8, 10. xcvj TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION Deity, confesses his inherent frailty,^ and prays that he may do right. Then, leaving his bed and touching the earth with his right foot, the dvl-ja says, “ Om, O Earth ! salutation to Thee, the Guru of all that is good.'' After attending to natural calls, the twice-born does dchamana (sipping of water) with mantra, cleanses his teeth, and takes his early morning ^ bath to the accompaniment of mantra. He then puts on his caste-mark {tilaka) and makes tarpanam, or oblation of water, to the Deva, Rishi, and Pitii. The sandhyd follows, which consists of dchamana (sipping of water), mdrjjana-sndnam (sprink¬ ling of the whole body with water taken with the hand or kusha-^x2S^) , prdndydma (regulation of prana through its manifestation in breath), agha-marshana (expulsion of the person of sin from the body ; the prayer to the sun, and then (the canon of the sandhyd) the silent recitation (fapa) of the Gayatri mantra, which consists of invocation (dvdhana) of the Gdyatrl-Devl ; lishi-nydsa and shadanganydsa {vide post), meditation on the Devi-Gay atri in the morning as Brahmam ; at midday as Vais/^-^avi ; and in the evening as Rudram ; jap a of the Gayatri a specified number of times ; dismissal (visarjana) of the Devi, followed by other mantra.^

Besides the Brahmanical Vaidikl-sandhyd from which the Shudras are debarred, there is the Tdntrikl-sandhyd, which may be performed by all. The general outline is similar ; the rite is simpler ; the mantra vary ; and the Tdntrika-vljas or seed " mantras are employed. ^ “ I know dharmma and yet would not do it. I know a-dharmma, and yet would not renounce it.'* The Hindu form of the common experience — Video meliora proboque ; deteriora sequor. ^ The above is a general outline of the Sama Veda sandhyd, though as each Hindu is of a particular sect and Veda, the sandhyd differs in detail. See Kriyakaf2(ia-vaxidhi and the Purohita-darpawa, and Shrisha Chandra Vasu, Daily Practice of the Hindus.” The positions and mudrd are illustrated in Mrs. S. C. Belnos* Sandhya or Daily Prayer of the Brahmin ” (1831), This word is the common term for worship of which there are numerous synonyms in the Sanskrit language.^ Puja is done daily of the Ishta-devata or the particular Deity worshipped by the sddhaka — the Devi in the case of a Shakti, Yishmi in the case of a Vais/^^ava, and so forth. But though the Is/jiJa-devata is the principal object of worship, yet in all worship the Panchadevatd, or the Five Deva — Aditya (the Sun), Ga?jesha, the Devi, Shiva, and Yishnu, or Narayam. After wor¬ ship of the Pancha-devata, the family Deity (Kula-devata), who is generally the same as the IsAia-devata, is wor¬ shipped. Pujd, which is kdmya, or done to gain a par¬ ticular end as also wata, are preceded by the sangkalpa ; that is, a statement of the resolution to do the worship, as also of the particular object, if any, with which it is done.^

There are sixteen upachdra, or things done or used in puja : (i) dsana (seat of the image) ; (2) svdgata (wel¬ come) ; (3) pddya (water for washing the feet) ; (4) arghya (offering of unboiled rice, flowers, sandal paste, dun)a grass,® etc., to the Devata in the kushl) (vessel) ; (5 and 6) dchamana (water for sipping, which is offered twice) ; (7) madhuparka (honey, ghee, milk, and curd offered in a silver or brass vessel) ; (8) sndna (water for bathing) ; (9) vasana (cloth) ; (10) dbharana (jewels) ; (ii) gandha (scent and sandal paste is given) ; (12) pushpa (flowers) ; (13) dhupa (incense stick) ; (14) dlpa (light) ; (15) naivedya (food) ; (16) vandana or namas-kdra (prayer). Other articles are used which vary with the puja, such as Tulasi leaf in the Yishnn-pujd and bael- (bilva) leaf in the Sh.iva.-pujd, The mantras said also ^ Such as archana, vandana, saparyya, arhand, namasyd, archd, hhajand, etc. - It runs in the form : I — of gotra — etc., am about to perform this ■puja (or vrata) with the object,'* etc. ^ Kusha grass is used only in pitvi-kriy^' or shrdddha, and in homa. Av§hya is of two kinds — sdmanya (general), and visheshd (special).

xcviii TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION vary according to the worship. The seat [dsana) of the worshipper is purified. Salutation being made to the Shakti of support or the sustaining force {ddhdrd-shakti) ; the water, flowers, etc., are purified. All obstructive spirits are driven away {Bhutdpasarpana) , and the ten quarters are fenced from their attack by striking the earth three times with the left foot, uttering the Astra vlja ** phat/* and by snapping the fingers (twice) round the head. Prdndydma (regulation of breath) is performed and {vide post) the elements of the body are purified {bhuta-shuddhi) . There is nydsa {vide post) ; dhydna (meditation) offering of the upachdra; jap a {vide post), prayer and obeisance {prandma). In the ashta-murti-pujd of Shiva the Deva is worshipped under the eight forms: Sharvva (Earth), Bhava (Water), Rudra (Fire), Ugra (Air), Bhima (Ether), Pashupati {yajamdna — ^the Sacrificer man), Ishana (Sun), Mahadeva (Moon).^ This word, which comes from the root yaj (to worship), is commonly translated ‘‘ sacrifice."' The Sansknt word is, however, retained in the translation, since Yajna means other things also than those which come within the meaning of the word “ sacrifice," as understood by an English reader. Thus the ‘‘ five great sacrifices " {pancha-mahd-yajna) which should be performed daily by the Brahma^a are : The homa^' sacrifice, including Vaishva~deva offering f bhuta-yajna or vali, in which offer¬ ings are made to Deva, Bhuta, and other Spirits and to animals ; piki-yajna or tarpana, oblations to the pitvi ; Brahmaryajna, or study of the Vedas and Manushyayajna,^ ox entertainment of guests {atithisaparyyd). By these five yajna the worshipper places himself in right

^ See Chapter V, of Toi^ala Tantra. 2 post. 3 (Offerings of food and other things are made in the domestic fire. (See Kriya-kanda-varidhi, p. 91,7.) ^ Also called Nii-yapia (man sacrifice). relations with all being, affirming such relation between Deva, Pitn, Spirits, men, the organic creation, and him¬ self. Homa, or Deva-yafna, is the making of offerings to Fire, which is the carrier thereof to the Deva. A firepit (kunda) is prepared and fire when brought from the house of a Brahmana is consecrated with mantra. The fire is made conscious with the mantra — Vang vahni-chaitanydya namah, and then saluted and named. Meditation is then made on the three nddts {vide ante) — Ma, Pingala, and Sus/iumna — and on Agni, the Lord of Fire. Offerings are made to the IshXa-devatd in the fire. After the pujd of fire, salutation is given as in S\iadanga-nydsa, and then clarified butter (ghee) is poured with a wooden spoon into the fire with mantra, commencing with Om and ending with Svdhd. Homa is of various kinds,^ several 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, marriage, vrata, and the like. It is of various kinds, such as prdyashchitta-homa, srishti^rkhoma, janu-homa, dhdrd-homa, and others, some of which will be found in the text.

Besides the yajna mentioned there are others. Manu speaks of four kinds : deva, bhauta (where articles and ingredients are employed, as in the case of homa, daiva, vali), nivyajna, and pitri-yajna. Others are spoken of, such as japa-yajna, dhydna-yajna, etc. Yajna are also classified according to the dispositions and intentions of the worshipper into sdttvika, rdjasika, and tdmasika yajna. Vrata is a part of Naimittika, or voluntary karma.^ It is that which is the. cause of virtue {puny a}, and is done to achieve its fruit. • Vrata are of .various kinds. Some ^ See Kriya-ka7e(^a-varidhi, p. 133. Homa may be either Vaidik, Pauranik, or Tantrik. 2 ^inte, p. Ixxvii. c TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION of the chief are Janmastomi on Km/^wa's birthday ; Shiva-ratri in honour of Shiva ; and the 5Aa^panchami, Bmv^shtami, Tala-navaml. Ananta-chaturdashi per¬ formed at specified times in honour of Laks^mi, Naraya^^a, and Ananta. Others may be performed at any time, such as the Savitri vrata by women only,^ and the Karttikeyaj)ujd by men only.^ The great vrata is the celebrated T)mg^-pujd, mahd-vrata in honour of the Devi as Durga, which will continue as long as the sun and moon endure, and which, if once commenced, must always be continued. There are numerous other vrata which have developed to a great extent in Bengal, and for which there is no Shastric authority such as Madhu-sankranti- vrata, Jalasankranti-vrata, and others. While each vrata has its peculiarities, certain features are common to vrata of differing kinds.

There is both in preparation and per¬ formance sangyama, such as sexual continence, eating of particular food, such as havishyanna,^ fasting, bathing. No flesh or fish are taken. The mind is concentrated to its purposes, and the vow or resolution {niyama) is taken. Before the vrata the Sun, Planets, and Kula-devata are worshipped, and by the '' suryahsomoyamahkdla '' mantra all Deva and Beings are invoked to the side of the wor¬ shipper. In the vaidika vrata the sangkalpa"^ is made in the morning, and the vrata is done before midday.

This term is generally translated as meaning penance or austerities. It includes these, such as the four monthly fast (chatur-mdsya) , the sitting between five fires (panchd- and life with him in the next, 2 'J'q secure children. ^ To prepare havishyanna, particular kinds of fruit and vegetable, such as green bananas, dal, sweet potatoes {Idl dlu, in the vernacular), together with unboiled rice are placed in one pot. Only so much water is then poured in as is necessary to make the whole boil. It should be boiled until no water is left. After the pot is taken off the fire, ghee and salt are added. ^ Vide ante, p. xcvii, note 2. gnitapah), and the like. It has, however, also a wider meaning, and in this wider sense is of three kinds, namely, shdrtra, or bodily ; vdchika, by speech ; mdnasa, in mind. The first includes external worship, reverence, and sup¬ port given to the Guru, Brahma^as, and the wise (prdjna), bodily cleanliness, continence, simplicity of life and avoid¬ ance of hurt to any being (a-hingsd). The second form includes truth, good, gentle, and affectionate speech, and the study of the Vedas. The third or mental tapas in¬ cludes self-restraint, purity of disposition, silence, tran¬ quillity, and silence. Each of these classes has three subdivisions, for tapas may be sdttvika, rdjasika, or tdmasika, according as it is done with faith, and without regard to its fruit ; or for its fruit ; or is done through pride and to gain honour and respect ; or, lastly, which is done ignor¬ antly or with a view to injure and destroy others, such as the sddhana of the Tantrika-shai-karnta,'^ when performed for a malevolent purpose {ahhichdra),

Jap a is defined as vidhdnena mantrochchdranam” or the repeated utterance or recitation of mantra according to certain rules. ^ It is according to the Tantra-sara of three kinds : Vdchika or verbal japa, in which the mantra is audibly recited, the fifty matnka being sounded nasally with vindu; Vpdngshu-japa, which is superior to the last kind, and in which the tongue and lips are moved, but no sound, or only a slight whisper, is heard ; and, 1 Shanti, Vashikarawa, Stambhana, VidvesAana, Ucbcba^ana, and Marawa. See Indra-jala-vidya ; the Kamaratna of Naga-bhai^a ; SAa^-karraadipika of Shri-Kris/z^a Vidya-vagisha Bhaiiacharyya, Siddha-yogeshvari Tantra, Siddha-Nagarjuna, Kak57ia-pu^a, Phet-karmi, and other Tantras {passim) . 2 Though mere book knowledge is, according to the S/za7-karnimadipika, useless, Pustake likitd vidyd yena sundari jcipytite, Siddhir na jdyate devi kalpa-koti-shatair api. Gii TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION lastly, the highest form which is called manasa-japa, or mental utterance. In this there is neither sound nor movement of the external organs, but a repetition in the mind which is fixed on the meaning of the mantra. One reason given for the differing values attributed to the several forms is that where there is audible utterance the mind thinks of the words and the process of correct utter¬ ance, and is therefore to a greater (as in the case of vdchikajapa), or to a less degree (as in the case of updngshu-japa), distracted from a fixed attention to the meaning of the mantra.

The japa of different kinds have also the relative values attachable to thought and its materialization in sound and word. Certain conditions are prescribed as those under which japa should be done, relating to phy¬ sical cleanliness, the dressing of the hair, and wearing of silk garments, the seat (dsana), the avoidance of certain conditions of mind and actions, and the nature of the recitation. The japa is useless unless done a specified number of times — of which io8 is esteemed to be excellent. The counting is done either with a mala or rosary {malajapa), or with the thumb of the right hand upon the joints of the fingers of that hand (kara-japa). The method of counting in the latter case may differ according to the mantra.'^

There are ten (or, in the case of Shudras, nine) purifi¬ catory ceremonies, or sacraments,” called sangskara, which are done to aid and purify the jlva in the important events of his life. These are jwa-sheks., also called garbhddhdna-xitu-sangskdrB., performed after menstruation, with the object of insuring and sanctifying conception. The garbhddhdna ceremony takes place in the daytime on the fifth day, and qualifies for the real garbhddhdna at night — that is, the placing of the seed in the womb. It is preceded on the first day by the xitu-sangskdra, ^ See as to Japa, Tantra-sara, 75, et seq which is mentioned in Chapter IX. of the text. After conception and during pregnancy, the fung-savana and simantonnayana rites are performed ; the first upon the wife perceiving the signs of conception, and the second during the fourth, sixth, or eighth month of pregnancy. In the ante-natal life there are three main stages, whether viewed from the objective (physical) standpoint, or from the subjective (super-physical) standpoint.^ The first period includes on the physical side all the struc¬ tural and physiological changes which occur in the fertilized ovum from the moment of fertilization until the period when the embryonic body, by the formation of trunk, limbs, and organs, is fit for the entrance of the individualized life, or jlvatmd. When the pronuclear activity and differentiation are completed, the jivdtmd, whose connection with the pronuclei initiated the pronuclear or formative activity, enters the miniature human form, and the second stage of growth and de¬ velopment begins.

The second stage is the fixing of the connection between the jlva and the body, or the rendering of the latter viable. This period includes all the anatomical and physiological modifications by which the embryonic body becomes a viable foetus. With the attainment of viability, the stay of the jlva has been assured ; physical life is possible for the child, and the third stage in ante-natal life is entered. Thus, on the form side, if the language of comparative embryology is used, the first sangskdra denotes the impulse to develop¬ ment, from the '' fertilization of the ovum to the

critical period.” The second sangskdra denotes the impulse to development from the “ critical period ” to that of the '' viability stage of the foetus and the third sangskdra denotes the development from '' viability ” to p. 194, on the Sangskdras, by Dr. Louise Appel, in the Prawavavada of Bhagavan Das.” civ TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION On the birth of the child there is the jdta-karma, per¬ formed for the continued life of the new-born child. Then follows the n^ma-karana, or naming ceremony, and nis\ikrdmana in the fourth month after delivery, when the child is taken out of doors for the first time and shown the sun, the vivifying source of life, the material em¬ bodiment of the Divine Savita. Between the fifth and eighth month after birth the annaprdsana ceremony is observed, when rice is put in the child's mouth for the first time. Then follows the chudd-karana, or tonsure ceremony and in the case of the first three, or twiceborn" classes, upanayana, or investiture with the sacred thread. Herein the jlva is reborn into spiritual life. There is, lastly, udvdha, or marriage, whereby the unper¬ fected pva insures through offspring that continued human life which is the condition of its progress and ultimate return to its Divine Source. These are all described in the Ninth Chapter of this Tantra. There are also ten sangskdra of the mantra The sangskdra are intended

to be performed at certain stages in the development of the human body, with the view to effect results beneficial to the human organism. Medical science of to-day seeks to reach the same results, but uses for this purpose the physical methods of modern Western science, suited to an age of materiality ; whereas in the sangskdra the super¬ physical (psychic, or occult, or metaphysical and sub¬ jective) methods of ancient Eastern science are em¬ ployed. The sacraments of the Catholic Church and other of its ceremonies, some of which have now fallen into disuse,^ are Western examples of the same psychic method. when a king visits a place, the royal banner is set up, so on the head in whose thousand-petalled lotus the Brahman resides, the shikhd is left. ^ E.g.f the blessing of the marital bed, which bears analogy to the Hindu garhhddhana rite This form of sadhana consists in the repetition (after certain preparations and under certain conditions) of a mantra a large number of times. The rituaU 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 both prior to, and during, its performance. The sadhaka should eat havishyanna,^ or alternately boiled milk {kshdra), fruits, or Indian vegetables, or anything obtained by begging, and avoid all food calculated to influence the passions. Certain conditions and prac¬ tices are enjoined for the destruction of sin, such as continence, bathing, jap a {q^v.) of the Savitii-mantra 5,008, 3,008, or 1,008 times, the entertainment of Brahmanas, and so forth.

Three days before pujd there is worship of Gawesha and Ks/ietra-pala, Lord of the Place. Pancha-gavya,^ or the five products of the cow. are eaten. The Sun, Moon, and Devas are invoked. Then follows the sangkalpa^ The ghata, or kalasa (jar), is then placed into which the Devi is to be invoked. A mandala, or figure of a particular design, is marked on the ground, and on it the ghata is placed. Then the five or nine gems are placed on the kalasa, which is painted with red and covered with leaves. The ritual then prescribes for the tying of the crown lock (shikhd), the posture (dsana) of the sadhaka ; 'jap a {q-^) nydsa {q-v.), and the mantra ritual or process. There is medi¬ tation, as directed. Kulluka^ is said, and the mantra '' awakened ” (mantra-chaitanya), and recited the num¬ ber of times for which the vow has been taken.

^ For a short account, see Purashcharana-bodhinl, by Hara-kumara Tagore (1895), and see Tantra-sara, p. 71. 2 See p. c, note 3. 3 Milk, curd, ghee, urine, and dung, the two last (except in the case of the pious) in smaller quantity. ^ See p. xcvii, ante. ® See p. Ixxxviii, ante. cvi TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION The object of this ritual,, which is desciibed in Chap¬ ter V., verses 93 et seq., is the purification of the elements of which the body is composed.^ The Mantra-mahodadhi speaks of it as a rite which is preliminary to the worship of a Deva.^ The process of evolution from the Para-brahman has been described. By this ritual a mental process of involution takes place whereby the body is in thought resolved into the source from whence it has come. Earth is associated with the sense of smell, water, with taste, fire, with sight, air, with touch, and ether, with sound. Ku^^Zalini is roused, and led to the svddhh]x^ma Chakra. The '' earth element is dissolved by that of water,'’ as '' water ” is by fire," '' fire " by air," and '' air " by '' ether." This is absorbed by a higher emanation, and that by a higher, and so on, until the Source of all is reached. Having dissolved each gross element [mahd-bhuta) , together with the subtle element [tan-mdtra) from which it proceeds, and the connected organ of sense {indriya) by another, the wor¬ shipper absorbs the last element, '‘ether," with the tanmdtra sound into self -hood (ahangkdra), the latter into Mahat, and that, again, into Praknti, thus retracing the steps of evolution.

Then, in accordance with the monistic teaching of the Vedanta, Praknti is Herself thought of as the Brahman, of which She is the energy, and with which, therefore, She is already one. Thinking then of the black PurusYia, which is the image of all sin, the body is purified by mantra, accompanied by kumhhaka and rechaka,^ and the sddhaka meditates upon the new celestial {deva) body, which has thus been made and which is then strengthened by a " celestial gaze.""^

1 And not “ removal of evil demons/' as Professor Monier 'Wiliam's Dictionary has it. ^ Taranga i. ; Devdrchd-yogyatd-prdptyai bhuta-shuddhing samdeharet. . ^ See Pra^ayama, sub, voc. Yoga post, ^ Vide post. This word, which comes from the root to place/' means placing the tips of the fingers and palm of the right hand on various parts of the body, accompanied by particular mmitra. The nyasa are of various kinds/ Jlva-nydsa^ follows upon bhuta-shuddhi. After the puri¬ fication of the old, and the formation of the celestial body, the sddhaka proceeds by jiva-nydsa to infuse the body with the life of the Devi. Placing his hand on his heart, he says the '' so hang” mantra /'I am He"), thereby identifying himself with the Devi. Then, placing the eight Kula-ku^tialini in their several places, he says the following mantra : Ang, Krlng, Krlng Yang Rang, Lang, Vang, Shang, Shang, Sang, Hong, Haung, Hangsah : the vital airs of the highly blessed and aus¬ picious Primordial Kalina are here.^ Ang, etc., the embodied spirit of the highly blessed and auspicious Kalika is placed here."^ Ang, etc., here are all the senses of the highly auspicious and blessed Kalika and, lastly, “ Ang, etc., may the speech, mind, sight, hearing, smell, and vital airs of the highly blessed and auspicious Kalika coming here always abide here in peace and happiness Svdhd.”^ The sddhaka then becomes devatd-maya. After having thus dissolved the sinful body, made a new Deva body, and infused it with the life of the Devi, he proceeds to mdtxikd-nydsa. Mdtxikd are the fifty letters of the Sanskrit alphabet ; for as from a mother comes birth, so from mdtnkd, or sound, the world proceeds. Shabdabrahman, the “ Sound,” /' Logos," or ‘"Word," is the Creator of the worlds of name and of form.

1 See Kriya-kanda-varidhi (p. 120, chap, ii., et seq.). 2 See Chapter V. , verse 105, where a fuller account is given of the above . ^ Shrlmad-ddydkdlikdydh prdnd iha prdndh. ^ Shnmad-ddya-Kdlikdydh jiva iha sthitah. ^ Shnmad-ddyd-kdlikdydh sarrvendriydni sthitdni. ® Shrlmad - ddyd-kdlikdydh vdng - manash - chakshuh - shrotrdghrdnaprdndh ihd gatya sukhang chirang tishthantu svahd. cviii TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION The bodies of the Devata are composed of the fifty mMxika, The sddhaka, therefore, first sets mentally {antar-makikd-nydsa) in their several places in the six chakra, and then externally by physical action [Vdhyamdtrikd-nydsa) the letters of the alphabet which form the different parts of the body of the Devata, which is thus built up in the sddhaka himself. He places his hand on different parts of his body, uttering distinctly at the same time the appropriate mdtrikd for that part. The mental disposition in the chakra is as follows : In the Ajnd Lotus, Hang, Kshang (each letter in this and the succeeding cases is said, followed by the mantra namahY ] in the Vishuddha Lotus Ang, Ang, and the rest of the vowels ; in the Andhata Lotus kang, khang to th^^-^^g ; in the mawi-pura Lotus, dang 6hang, etc., to Phang; in the Svddisthdna Lotus bang, bhang to lang ; and, lastly, in the Mulddhdra Lotus, vang, shang^ shang,^ sang. The external disposition then follows. The vowels in their order with anusvdra and visarga are placed on the fore¬ head, face, right and left eye, right and left ear, right and left nostril, right and left cheek, upper and lower lip, upper and lower teeth, head, and hollow of the mouth.

The consonants kang to vang are placed on base of right arm and the elbow, wrist, base and tips of fingers, left arm, right and left leg, right and left side, back, navel, belly, heait, right and left shoulder, space between the shoulders {kakuda), and then from the heart to the right palm shang is placed ; and from the heai't to the left palm the (second) slaang ; from the heart to the right foot, sang ; from the heart to the left foot, hang ; and, lastly, from the heart to the belly, and from the heart to the mouth, kshang. In each case ong is said at the beginning and namah at the end. According to the Tantra-sara, mdtiikd-nydsa is also classified into four kinds, performed

1 Thus, Hang namah, ks)xang namah, etc. ^ Tdlavya sha — soft, palatal, sh. 2 Murdhanya sha — hard cerebral sh. with different aims — viz. : kevala where the matTikd is pronounced without vindu ; vindu-sangyuta with vindu ; sangsarga with visarga; and sobhya with visarga and vindu, "Rishi-nydsa then follows for the attainment of the chatur-varga} The assignment of the mantra is to the head, mouth, heart, anus, the two feet, and all the body generally. The mantra commonly employed are : "'In the head, salutation to the Rishi (Revealer) Brahma in the mouth, salutation to the mantra Gdyatrl;^ in the heart, salutation to the Devi Mother Sarasvati in the hidden part, salutation to the vija, the consonants f salutation to the shakti, the vowels in the feet f salutation to visargah, the kUaka in the whole body.” Another form in which the vija employed is that of the Adya ; it is referred to but not given in Chap. V., verse 123, and is : In the head, salutation to Brahma and the Brahmarshis in the mouth, salutation to Gayatri and the other forms of verse f in the heart, salutation to the primordial Devata Kali in the hidden part, salutation to the vlja, krlng in the two feet, salutation to the shakti, Hrlng in all the body, salutation to the Kalika Shrlng”^^

Then follows anga-nydsa and kara-nydsa. These are both forms of shad.-anga-nydsa}'^ When shadi-anga-nydsa is performed on the body, it is called hiidayddi-sYia^-anga- ^ Dhavmmdrtha-kdma-mok^dptaye vishi-nydse viniyogah, ^ Hxidaye mdtxikdyai sarasvatyai devatdyai namah* ® Guhye (that is, the anus) vyanjandya vijdya namah, ® Pddayoh svarebhyoh shaktibhyo namah. Sarrvdng-eshu visargdya kllakdya (that is, that which comes at the end or closes ; the hard breathing) namah. 8 Shirasi brahmaxxe brahmashibhyo namah. ® Mukhe gdyatryddibhyashchhandobhyo narnaK, Hxidaye ddydyai kdlikdyai devatdyai namah, Guhye krlng-vijdy a namah, Sarvdngeshu shrlng kdlikdyai namah. Shat (six) anga (limb), nydsa (placing). cx TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION nydsa ; and when done with the five fingers and palms of the hands only, angushthadi-shad-anga-nydsa. The former kind is done as follows ; The short vowel a, the consonants of the ka-varga group, and the long vowel a, are recited with hxidaydya namah {namah. salutation to the heart). The short vowel i, the consonants of the cha-varga group, and the long vowel I, are said with “ shirasi svdhd ” {svdhd to the head). The hard ta-varga consonants set between the two vowels u are recited with “ shikhdyai vashat (vashai to the crown lock) ; similarly the soft ta-varga between the vowels e and ai are said with '' kavachdya^ hung/* The short vowel o, the pavarga, and the long vowel o are recited with netra-traydya vaushat {vaushat to the three eyes).^ Lastly, between vindu and visargah^ the consonants ya to ^sh<^ with

kara-tala^pxhhth^bhydng astray a phat ** {phat to the front and back of the palm).^ The mantras of sYiadanga-nydsa on the body are used for kara-nydsa, in which they are assigned to the thumbs, the '' threatening or index fingers, the middle fingers, the fourth, little fingers, and the front and back of the palm. These actions on the body, fingers, and palms also stimulate the nerve centres and nerves therein. In pliha-nydsa the pltha are established in place of the matnka. The-pi^/^a, in their ordinary sense, are Kama-rupa and the other places, a list of which is given in the Yogini-hndaya.^, For the attainment of that state in which the sddhaka ^ The kavacha is the arms crossed on the chest, the hands clasping the upper part of the arms just beneath the shoulders. 2 Including the central eye of wisdom (jnana-chakshu). 3 The nasal sound and hard breathing. ^ In all cases the letters are sounded with the nasal anusvara, as (in the last) ang, yang, vang^ lang, vang, shang, shang, sang, hang, kshang ah, etc. s See Bhaskara-raya’s Commentary on shloka 156 of the Lalitasahasra-nama and ante. The number of Pltha is Variously given as 50 or 51* .

feels that the hhdva (nature, disposition) of the Devata has come upon him nydsa is a great auxiliary. It is, as it were, the wearing of jewels on different parts of the body. The vlja of the Devata are the jewels which the sddhaka places on the different parts of his body. By nydsa he places his AhhlsYiia-devatd in such parts, and by vydpakanydsa he spreads Its presence throughout himself. He becomes permeated by it losing himself in the divine Self. Nydsa is also of use in effecting the proper distribution of the shaktis of the human frame in their proper positions so as to avoid the production of discord and distraction in worship. Nydsa as well as Asana are necessary for the production of the desired state of mind and of chittashuddhi (its purification). . Das denken ist der mass der Dinge.”^ Transformation of thought is Transformation of being. This is the essential principle and rational basis of all this and similar Tantrik sddhana, There are, as already stated, three classes of men — Pashu, Vlra, and Divya. The operation of the guna which produce these types affect, on the gross material plane, the animal tendencies, manifesting in the three chief physical functions — eating and drinking, whereby the annamayakosha is maintained ; and sexual intercourse, by which it is reproduced. These functions are the sub¬ ject of the panchatattva or panchamakdra five m’s ''), as they are vulgarly called — viz. : madya (wine), mdngsa (meat), matsya (fish), mudrd (parched grain), and maithuna (coition) . ' In ordinary parlance, mudrd means ritual gestures or positions of the body in worship and hathayoga, but as one of the five elements it is parched cereal, and is defined^ as Bhrishiaddnyddikang yadyad chavyanlyam prachakshate, sd mudrd kathltd devi sarvveshdng naganan-

1 Yogini Tantra (chap. vi.). cxii TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION dini. The Tantras speak of the five elements as panohatattva, kuladravya, kulatattva, and certain of the ele¬ ments have esoteric names, such as kdranavari or tlrthavdri, for wine, the fifth element being usually called latasddhana} {sddhana with woman, or shakti). The five elements, moreover have various meanings, according as they form part of the tdmasika {pashvdchdra), rdjasika (vlrdchdra) , or divya or sdttvika sddhanas respectively. All the elements or their substitutes are purified and consecrated, and then, with the appropriate ritual, the first four are consumed, such consumption being followed by latd-sddhana or its symbolic equivalent. The Tantra prohibits indiscriminate use of the elements, which may be consumed or employed only after purification {shodhana) and during worship ^ according to the Tantric ritual. Then, also, all excess is forbidden. The Shyamarahasya says that intemperance leads to Hell, and this Tantra condemns it in Chapter V. A well-known saying in Tantra describes the true hero {vlra) to be, not he who is of great physical strength and prowess, the great eater and drinker, or man of powerful sexual energy, but he who has controlled his senses, is a truth-seeker, ever engaged in worship, and who has sacrificed lust and all other passions. {Jitendriyah satyavddl nitydnushthdnatatparah kdmddi-validdnashcha sa vlra iti glyate)

The elements in their literal sense are not available in sddhana for all. The nature of the Pashu requires strict adherence to Vaidik rule in the matter of these physical functions even in worship. This rule prohibits the drink- " ing of wine, a substance subject to the three curses of ^ " Creeper ” to which woman, as clinging to the male tree, is likened. 2 See Tantra-sara, 698, citing Bhavachudamani. As regards maithuna, the Vrihannila Tantra (chap, iv.) says: Paraddrdnna gachchheyan gachchhechcha prajapedyadi (that is, for purpose of worship) and similarly the Uttara Tantra : Pujdkdlang vind ndnyang purtishang manasd sprishet, Pujdkdlecha deveshi veshyeva paritoshayet. The same rule as regards both madya and maithuna is stated in the Kul«mnta Tantra as elsewhere. Brahma, Kacha, and KrisAm, in the following terms : Madyamapeyamadeyamagrdhyam Wine^ must not be drunk, given, or taken The drinking of wine in ordi¬ nary life for satisfaction of the sensual appetite is, in fact, a sin, involving prdyaschitta, and entailing, according to the Vishnu 'Pmunu,^ punishment in the same Hell as that to which a killer of a Brahma^a goes. As regards flesh and fish, the higher castes (outside Bengal) who submit to the orthodox Smdrta discipline eat neither. Nor do high and strict Brahmanas even in that Province. But the bulk of the people there, both men and women, eat fish, and men consume the flesh of male goats which have been previously offered to the Deity.

The Vaidika dharmma is equally strict upon the subject of sexual inter¬ course. Maithuna other than with the householder’s own wife is condemned. And this is not only in its literal sense, but in that of which is known us Asixtdnga (eight¬ fold) maithuna — viz., smarauam (thinking upon it), kirttdnam (talking of it), keli (play with women), preksYiunam (looking upon women), guhyabhdshanam (talk in private with women), sangkalpa (wish or resolve for maithuna), adhyavasdya (determination towards it), kriydnishpati * (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 Shaktakramiya,^ avoid maithuna, conversation on the subject, and assemblies of women {maithunam tatkathdldpang tadgos\it\iing panvarjjayet). Even in the case of the householder’s own wife marital continency is enjoined. The divinity in woman, which the Tantra in particular proclaims, is also recognized in the ordinary Vaidikteach-

here referred to is ordinary drinking, and not the ritual worship (of those qualified for it) with the purified substance which is Tara (the Saviour) Herself in liquid form (dravamayl) . ^ VisAwu PuraT^a (Bk. II., chap. vi.). 3 Cited in the Commentary on the Karpuradistotra (verse 15), by Mahamahopadhyaya Kns^wanatha Nyaya-panchanana Bha/iSacharyya. cxiv TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION ing, as must obviously be the case given the common foundation upon which all the Shdstra rest. Woman is not to be regarded merely as an object of enjoyment, but as a house-goddess {gxihadevatd) . According to the sublime notions of Shruti, the union of man and wife is a veritable sacrificial rite — a sacrifice in fire {homa), wherein she is both hearth {kunda) and flame — and he who knows this as homa attains liberation.^ Similarly the Tdntrika Mantra for the Shivashakti Yoga runs : “ This is the in¬ ternal homa in which, ^ by the path of sushumnd, sacrifice is made of the functions of sense to the spirit as fire kindled with the ghee of merit and demerit taken from the mind as the ghee-pot SvdhdJ’^ It is not only thus that wife and husband are associated, for the Vaidika dharmma (in this now neglected) prescribes that the householder should worship in company with his wife.^ Brahmacharyya, or continency, is not as is sometimes supposed, a requisite of the student dshrama only, but is a rule which governs the married householder (giihastha) also.

According to Vaidika injunctions, union of man and wife must take 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 giving the. character¬ istics of a pashu, says that he is one who avoids sexual union except on the fifth day {xitukdlangvind devi ramanang parivarjjayet). In other words, the pashu is he who in this case, as in other matters, follows for all purposes, ritual or otherwise, the Vaidik injunctions which govern the ordinary life of all.

^ See thirteenth mantra of the Homa Prakarana of the Bnhadarawyaka UpanisAad. The Niruttara Tantra (chap, i.) says : Yonirupd mahdkdll shavah shayyd prakirtitd, Smashdnam dvividJiang devi child yonirmaheshvari. sushumnd vartmand nityam akshavxiitirjuhomyahang svdhd (Tantrasara, 698, and see PrawatosAmt) . 3 Shastriko dharmmamdcharet (see also chap. xxxi. of the Matsya Sukta Tantra). , . , The above-mentioned rules govern the. life of all men. The only exception which the Tantra makes is for purpose of sddhana in the case of those who are competent {adhtkdrl) for vlrdchdra. It is held, indeed, that the exception is not strictly an exception to Vaidik teaching at all, and that it is an error to suppose that the Tdntrika rahasyapujd is opposed to the Vedas. Thus, whilst the vaidik rule prohibits the use of wine in ordinary life, and for purpose of mere sensual gratification it prescribes the religious yajna with wine. This ritual use the Tantra also allows, provided that the sddhaka is competent for the sddhana, in which its consumption is part of its ritual and method. The Tantra enforces the Vaidik rule in all cases, ritual or otherwise, for those who are governed by the vaidikdchar a. The Nitya Tantra says : '' They {pashu) should never worship the Devi during the latter part of the day in the evening or at night '' {ratrau naiva yafeddeving sandhydydng vdparanhake) ; for all such worship connotes maithuna prohibited to the pashu. In lieu of it, varying substitutes^ are prescribed, such as either an offering of flowers with the hands formed into the kachchchapa mudrd, or union with the worshipper^s own wife.

In the same way,, in lieu of wine, the pashu should (if a Brahma^a) take milk, (if a KsYiattriya) ghee, (if a vaishya) honey, and (if a shudra) a liquor made from rice. Salt, ginger, sesamum, wheat, mdshkalai (beans), and garlic are various substitutes for meat ; and the white hrinjal vegetable, red radish, masur (a kind of gram), red sesamum, and pdniphala (an aquatic plant), take the place of fish. Paddy, rice, wheat, and gram geneally

The mra, or rather he who is qualified [adhikdri) for vlrdchdra — ^since the true vlra is its finished product — commences sddhana with the rdjasika panchatattva first 1 See as to these and post, the Kulachud^amam, and chap. i. of Bhaira. vayamala. cxvi TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION stated, which are employed for the destruction of the sensual tendencies which they connote. For the worship of Shakti the panchatattva are declared to be essential.^ This Tantra declares that such worship without their use is but the practice of evil magic. Upon this passage the commentator Jaganmohana Tarkalangkara observes as follows ; Let us consider what most contributes to the fall of a man, making him forget his duty, sink into sin, and die an early death. First among these are wine and women, fish,, meat and mudrd, and accessories. By these things men have lost their manhood. Shiva then desires to employ these very poisons in order to eradicate the poison in the human system. Poison is the antidote for poison. This is the right treatment for those who long for drink or lust for women. The physician must, however, be an experienced one. If there be a mistake as to the application, the patient is like to die. Shiva has said that the way of kuldchdra is as difficult as it is to walk on the edge of a sword or to hold a wild tiger. There is a secret argument in favour of the panchatattva, and those tattva so under¬ stood should be followed by all.

None, however, but the initiate can grasp this argument, and therefore Shiva has directed that it should not be revealed before anybody and everybody. An initiate, when he sees a woman, will worship her as his own mother or goddess {Ishtadevatd) , and bow before her. The Vishmi Pura^a says that by feeding your desires you cannot satisfy them. It is like pouring ghee on fire. Though this is true, an experi¬ enced spiritual teacher {guru) will know how, by the application of this poisonous medicine, to kill the poison of sangsdra, Shiva has, however, prohibited the indis¬ criminate publication of this. The meaning of this pas-

1 Chapter V., verses 23, 24 post (see also Kailasa Tantra Furvva Khanda (chap, xc.), where reasons are given why the worship of Devi is fruitless without the five elements ; and where also they are identified with the five prana, and the five mahapreta. sage would therefore appear to be this : The object of Tantrika worship is brahmasdyujya, or union with Brah¬ man. If that is not attained, nothing is attained. And, with men's propensities as they are, this can only be at¬ tained through the special treatment prescribed by the Tantras. If this is not followed, then the sensual pro¬ pensities are not eradicated, and the work is for the desired end of Tantra as useless as magic which, worked by such a man, leads only to the injury of others." The other secret argument here referred to is that by which it is shown that the particular may be raised to the universal life by the vehicle of those same passions, which, when flowing only in an outward and downward current, are the most powerful bonds to bind him to the former. The passage cited refers to the necessity for the spiritual direc¬ tion of the Guru. To the want of such is accredited the abuses of the system. When the patient {sishya) and the disease are working together, there is poor hope for the former ; but when the patient, the disease, and the physician (guru) are on one, and that the wrong, side, then nothing can save him from a descent on that down¬ ward path which it is the object of the sddhdna to prevent. Verse 67 in Chapter I. of this Tantra is here, in point.

Owing, however, to abuses, particularly as regards the tattva of madya and maithuna, this Tantra, according to the current version, prescribes in certain cases, limita¬ tions as regards their use. It prescribes^ that when the Kaliyuga is in full strength, and in the case of house¬ holders {giihastha) whose minds are engrossed with worldly affairs, the three sweets " {madhuratraya) are to be substituted for wine. Those who are of virtuous temperament, and whose minds are turned towards the Brahman, are permitted to take five cups of wine. So also as regards. maithuna, this Tantra states^ that men in this Kali age are by their nature' weak and disturbed by 1 Chapter VIII., verse 171. ^ Chapter VIII verse 173. cxviii TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION lust, and by reason of this do not recognize woman {shakti) to be the image of the Deity. It accordingly^ ordains that when the Kaliyuga is in full sway, the fifth tattva shall only be accomplished with svlydshakti, or the worshipper’s own wife, and that union with a woman who is not married to the sddhaka in either Brahma or Shaiva form is forbidden. In the case of other shakti {paraklyd and sddhdraril) it prescribes,^ in lieu of maithuna, medita¬ tion by the worshipper upon the lotus feet of the Devi, together with japa of his ishtamantra. This rule, how¬ ever, the Commentator says, is not of universal applica¬ tion. Shiva has, in this Tantra, prohibited sddhana with the last tattva, with paraklyd, and sddhdranl shakti,^ in the case of men of ordinary weak intellect ruled by lust ;

but for those who 'have by sddhana conquered their pas¬ sions and attained the state of a true vlra, or siddha, there is no prohibition as to the mode of latdsddhana^ This Tantra appears to be,^ in fact, a protest against the mis¬ use of the tattva, which had followed upon a relaxation of the original rules and conditions governing them. Without the panchatattva in one form or another, the shaktipujd cannot be performed. The Mother of the Universe must be worshipped with these elements. By their use the universe {jagatbrahmdn^a) itself is used as the article of worship. Wine signifies the power [shakti) which produces all fiery elements ; meat and fish all ter¬ restrial and aquatic animals ; mudrd all vegetable life ; and maithuna the will [ichchhdi) action [kriya) and knowledge [jndna] shakti. of the Supreme Prakriti productive of that great pleasure^ which accompanies the process of

1 Chapter VI., verse 14. 2 Chapter VIII., verse 174. ^ See Uttara, Guptasadhana, Nigamakalpadruma, and other Tantras and Tantrasara (p. 698 et seq.). ^ See Mahanirwa^^a Tantra, Bhakta edition, p. 345. ^ For I have not yet had the opportunity of comparing the current Bengal with the Nepalese text. ^ Shiva in the Matnkabheda Tantra (chap, ii.) says: (Yadrupang pararndnandam tanndsti hhuvanatraye). creation,^ To the Mother is thus offered the restless life of Her universe. The object of all sddhana is the stimulation of the sattvaguxia. When by such sddhana this guna largely preponderates, the sdttvika sddhana suitable for men of a high type of divyabhdva is adopted. In this latter sddhana the names of the panchatattva are used symboli¬ cally for operations of a purely mental and spirituab character. Thus, the Kaivalya^. says that '' wine is that intoxicating knowledge acquired by yoga of the Parabrahman, which renders the worshipper senseless as regards the external world. Meat {mdngsa) is not any fleshly thing, but the act whereby the sddhaka consigns all his acts to Me {Mdm). Matsya (fish) is that sdttmka knowledge by which through the sense of “ mineness the worshipper sympathizes with the pleasure and pain of all beings. Mudrd is the act of relinquishing all asso¬ ciation with evil which results in bondage, and maithuna is the union of the Shakti Kun^Zalini with Shiva in the body of the worshipper. This, the Yogini Tantra says,^ is the best of all unions for those who have already con¬ trolled their passions \yat%). According to the Agamasara, wine is the somadhdrd, or lunar ambrosia, which drops from the brahmarandhra ; Mdngsa (meat) is the tongue {md), of which its part {angsha) is speech. The sddhaka, in eating '' it, controls his speech. Matsya (fish) are those two which are constantly moving in the two rivers Ida and Pingala.^ He who controls his breath

^ Nigama Tattvasara (chap. iv.). See chap. xv. of the HaraTattvadidhiti ; Mahanirvvawa Tantra, chap, v., verses 23, 24, and Kamakhya Tantra. The Kailasa Tantra Puroa Khanda (chap, xc.) indentifies the pentad ■ [panchatattva) with the vital airs (pmnddi) and the five mahdpreta {vide post and ante). 2 See p. 85 of Panchatattva vichara, by Nilamani Mukhyopadhyaya. 3 A play upon the word matsya (fish) . ^ Yogini Tantra (chap. vi.). : Sahasrdyopari vindau kundalyd melanam shive, Maithunang paramang dravyang yatindng pariklrtitam ® The na<^i, so called {vide ante). cxx TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION by prdndydma (q.v.), '' eats them by kumbhaka} Mudrd is the awakening of knowledge in the pericarp of the great sahasrdra Lotus, where the Atmd, like mercury, resplen¬ dent as ten million suns, and deliciously cool as ten million moons, is united with the Devi Ku^^^alini. The esoteric meaning of maithuna is thus stated by the Agama: The ruddy-hued letter Ra is in the ^^^nd^,^ and the letter in the shape of vindu, is in the mahdyoniA When Makdra (m), seated on the Hangsa in the, form of Akdra (a), unites with rakdra (r), then the Brahmajndna, which is the source of supreme Bliss, is gained by the sddhaka, who is then called dtmdrdma for his enjoy¬ ment is in the Atrnd in the sahasrdra. This is the union on the purely sdttvika plane^ which corresponds on the rdjasika plane to the union of Shiva and Shakti in the persons of their worshippers.

The union of Shiva and Shakti is described as a true yoga,^ from which, as the Yamala says, arises that joy which is known as the Supreme Bliss Worship with the panchatattva generslly takes place in an assembly called a chakra, which is composed of men ^ Retention of breath in pranayama, 2 The Manipura Chakra [vide ante). ^ This letter, according to the Kamadhenu Tantra (chap, ii.), has five corners, is of the colour of the autumnal moon, is sattva guna, and is kaivalyarupa and prakiitirupl. The coloration of the letters is V-ariously given in the Tantras. See also Bhaskararaya's Commentary on the Lalita citing the Sanatkumara Sanghita and Matrikaviveka. ^ That is (here) the lightning-like triangular lines in the Sahasrdra. Vindu is literally the dot which represents the nasal sound. As to its Tantrik sense [vide ante) . s For this reason, too, the name of Rama, which word also means sexual enjoyment, is equivalent to the liberator Brahman {Ra-a-ma). ® See Tantrasara, 702 : Yoga eva na sangshayah. Ibid., 703 : Sangyogdjjdyate saukhyam paramdnandalakshanam. {sadhaka) and women [shakti), or Bhairava dJid B hair avi. The worshippers sit in a circle {chakra), men and women alternately, the shakti sitting on the left’ of the sadhaka. The Lord of the chakra {chakrasvdmin, or chakreshvara) sits with his Shakti in the centre, where the wine-jar and other articles used in the worship are kept. During the chakra all eat, drink, and worship together, there being no distinction of caste No pashu should, however, be introduced. There are various kinds of chakra, such as the Vira, Raja, Deva, Mahd — Chakras, productive, it is said, of various fruits for the participators therein.^ Chapter VI. of the Mahanirvva^a Tantra deals with the panchatattva, and Chapter VIII. gives an account of the Bhairavl and Tattva (or Divya) chakras.^ The latter is for worshippers of the Brahma-Mantra,

This word, derived from the root Yuj to join'’), is in grammar sandhi, in logic avayavashakti, or the power of the parts taken together, and in its most widely known and present sense the union of the j'lva, or embodied spirit, with the Paramdtmd, or Supreme Spirit,^ and the practices by which this union may be attained. There is a natural yoga, in which all beings are, for it is only by virtue of this identity in fact that they exist. This position is common ground, though in practice too fre¬ quently overlooked. Primus modus unionis est, quo Deus, ratione suae immensitatis est in omnibus rebus ^ Vide ante, p. xliii. 2 The Rudrayamala says : Rdjachakre rajadang syat Mahdchakre samxiddhidam Devachahye cha sauhhdgyam Virachakrancha moh^addm. 2 Verses 153, 202, et seq, 4 As the Saradatilaka (chap, xxv.) says : Aikyam-pvatmanordhuryogam yogavishdraddh. cxxii TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION per essentiam, praesentiam, et potentiain ; per essentiam ut dans omnibus esse ; per prassentiam ut omnia prospiciens ; per potentiam ut de omnibus disponens/’^ The mystical theologian cited, however, proceeds to say : Sed hsec unio animse cum Deo est generalis, com¬ munis omnibus et ordinis naturalis . . . ilia namque de qua loquimur est ordinis supernaturalis actualis et fructiva/’ It is of this special yoga, though not in reality niore supernatural’' than the first, that we here deal. Yoga in its technical sense is the realization of this identity, which exists, though it is not known, by the destruction of the false appearance of separation.

‘‘ There is no bond equal in strength to may a, and no force greater to destroy that bond than yoga. There is no better friend than knowledge [jnana), nor worse enemy than egoism {ahangkara). As to learn the Shastra one must learn the alphabet, so yoga is necessary for the acquire¬ ment of tattvajndna (truth).” ^ The animal body is the result of action, and from the body flows action, the process being compared to the seesaw movement of a ghaiiyantra, or water-lifter.® Through their actions beings continually go from birth to death. The com¬ plete attainment of the fruit of yoga is lasting and un¬ changing life in the noumenal world of the Absolute.

Yoga is variously named according to the methods employed, but the two main divisions are those of the hathayoga (or ghatasthayoga) and samddhi yoga, of which rdjayoga is one of the forms. Hathayoga is commonly mis¬ understood, both in its definition and aim being frequently identified with exaggerated forms of self-mortification. The Gheran(^asanghita well defines it to be the means whereby the excellent rdjayoga is attained. ’ ’ Actual union is not the result of Hathayoga alone, which is concerned 1 Summa Theologice Mysticae, tom. iii., p. 8, R. P. Philippi a SS. Trinitate. 2 Gheraw^^a Sanghita (chap. v. sag'.). vessel. Human action is compared to the bullocks who now raise, now lower, the vessel into the waters (of the Sangsam). with certain physical processes preparatory or auxiliary to the control of the mind, by which alone union may be directly attained. It is, however, not meant that all the processes of HaiYiayoga here or in the books described are necessary for the attainment of rdjayoga. What is necessary must be determined according to the circumstances of each particular case. What is suited or necessary in one case may not be so for another. A peculiar feature of Tantrika virdchdra is the union of the sddhaka and his shakti in latdsddhana. This is a process which is expressly for¬ bidden to Pashus by the same Tantras which prescribe it for the vzra. The union of Shiva and Shakti in the higher sadhana is different in form, being the union of the 'Kunddlinl Shakti of the Muladhara with the Vindu which is upon the Sahasrara. This process, called the piercing of the six chakra, is described later on in a separate para¬ graph. Though, however, all Haihayoga processes are not necessary, some, at least, are generally considered to be so. Thus, in the well-known ashiangayoga (eight-limbed yoga) , of which samddhi is the highest end, the physical con¬ ditions and processes known as dsana and prdndydma {vide post) are prescribed.

This yoga prescribes five exterior {vahiranga) methods for the subjugation of the body — namely (i) Yama, for¬ bearance or self-control, such as sexual continence, avoid¬ ance of harm to others (ahingsd), kindness, forgiveness, the doing of good without desire for reward, absence of covetousness, temperance, purity of mind and body, etc.^ (2) Niyama, religious observances, charity, austerities, reading of the Shdstra and IshvaraPramdhdna,y>exs&veTmg devotion to the Lord.^ (3) Asana, seated positions or postures {vide post). (4) Prdndydma, regulation of the breath. A yogi renders the vital airs equable, and con¬ sciously produces the state of respiration which is f avour- 1 Yogi Yagnavalkya (chap, i.), where as to food it is said : 32 mouth¬ fuls for an householder, i6 for a forest recluse, and 8 for a muni (saint and sage).” ^ Ibid. cxxiv TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION able for mental concentration, as others do it occasionally and unconsciously {vide post). (5) Pratydhdra, restraint of the senses, which follow in the path of the other four processes which deal with the subjugation of the body. There are then three interior (yogdngga) methods for the subjugation of the mind — namely (6) Dhdrand, atten¬ tion, steadying of the mind, the fixing of the internal organ {chitta) in the particular manner indicated in the works on yoga. (7) Dhydna or the uniform continuous contempla¬ tion of the object of thought ; and (8) that samddhi which is called savikalpasamddhi.

Savikalpascimddhi is a deeper and more intense contemplation on the Self to the exclusion of all other objects, and constituting trance or ecstasy. This ecstasy is perfected to the stage of the removal of the slightest trace of the distinction of subject and object in nirvikalpasamddhi, in which there is com¬ plete union with the Paramatma, or Divine Spirit. By vairdgya (dispassion), and keeping the mind in its un¬ modified state, yoga is attained. This knowledge, Ahung Brahmdsmi (''I am the Brahman''), does not produce liberation {moksha), but is liberation itself. Whether yoga is spoken of as the union of Kulakundalini with Paramashiva, or the union of the individual soul {jlvdtmd) with the Supreme Soul {paramdtmd), or as the state of mind in which all outward thought is suppressed, or as the controlling or suppression of the thinking faculty {clnUavxiUi) , or as the union of the moon and the sun {I Ad and Pingald), Pra^a and Apana, Nada and Vmdu, the meaning and the end are in each case the same.

Yoga, in seeking mental control and concentration, makes use of certain preliminary physical processes {sddhana), such as the sYiafkarmnia, dsana, mudrd, and prdndydma. By these four processes and three mental acts, seven qualities, known as shodhana, dridhatd, sthiratd, dhairyya, Idghava, pratyaksha, nirliptatva’^ {vide post), are acquired. ^ Gherawi^a Sanghita, First V^adesha. The first, or cleansing, is effected by the six processes known as the ^atkarmma. Of these, the first is Dhauti; or washing, which is fourfold, or inward washing {antardhauti), cleansing of the teeth, etc. {dantadhauti) of the “heart” {hxiddhauti) , and of the rectum [midadhauti) . Antardhauti is also fourfold — namely, vdtasdra, by wiiich air is drawn into the belly and then expelled ; vdrisdra, by which the body is filled with water, w'hich is then evacuated by the anus ; vahnisdra, in which the nabhigranthi is made to touch the spinal column {meru) ; and vahishkrita, in which the belly is by kdkinimudrd?- filled with air, which is retained half a ydma,^ and then sent downward. Dantadhauti is fourfold, consisting in the cleansing of the root of the teeth and tongue, the ears, and the “hollow of the forehead” {kapdlarandhra). By hxiddhauti -phlegm and bile are removed. This is done by a stick (daxxAadhauti) or cloth (vdsodhauti) pushed into the throat, or swallowed, or by vomiting {vamanadhauti). Muladhauti is done to cleanse the exit of the afdnavdyu either with the middle finger and water or the stalk of a turmeric plant.

Vasti, the second of the ^hdtkarmma, is twofold, and is either of the dry (shuska) or watery ijala) kind. In the second form the yogi sits in the utkatdsana^ posture in water up to the navel, and the anus is contracted and expanded by ashvini mudrd ; or the same is done in the -pashchimottdndsanaA and the abdomen below the navel is gently moved. In neti the nostrils are cleansed with a piece of string. Lauliki is the whirling of the belly from side to side. In trdtaka the yogi, without winking, gazes at some minute object until the tears start from 1 Ghera«(fa Sanghita, Third Upadesha {verse 86). . 3 Gheraw^aSanghita, Second (verse 23). That is, squatting, resting on the toes, the heels ofii the ground, a^id buttocks resting on heels. ^ Ibid., verse 20. ^ cxxvi TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION his eyes. By this the “ celestial vision '' [divya <^risht^) so often referred to in the Tdntrika updsand is acquired. Kapdlabhdti is a process for the removal of phlegm, and is threefold — vdtakrama by inhalation and exhalation ; vyutkrama by water drawn through the nostrils and ejected through the mouth ; and shltkrama the reverse process.

These are the various processes by which the body is cleansed and made pure for the yoga practice to follow. Driddiatd, or strength or firmness, the acquisition of which is the second of the above-mentioned processes, is attained by dsana, Asana are postures of the body. The term is generally described as modes of seating the body. But the pos¬ ture is not necessarily a sitting one ; for some dsana are done on the belly, back, hands, etc. It is said^ that the dsana are as numerous as living beings, and that there are 8,400,000 of these ; 1,600 are declared to be excellent, and out of these thirty-two are auspicious for men, which are described in detail. Two of the commonest of these are muktapadmdsana^ ('"the loosened lotus seat''), the ordinary position for worship, and haddhapadmdsana? Patanjali, on the subject of dsana, merely points out what are good conditions, leaving each one to settle the details for himself according to his own requirements. 1 Gheratz£?a Sanghita, Second Upadesha. In the Shiva Sanghita (chap, iii., verses 84-91) eighty-four postures are mentioned, of which four are recommended — viz., siddkasana, ugrdsana, svastikdsana, and padmdsana. ; 2 xiie right foot is placed on the left thigh, the left foot on the right thigh, and the hands are crossed and placed similarly on the thighs ; the chin is placed on the breast, and the gaze fixed on the tip of the nose (see also Shiva Sanghita, chap, i., verse 52).

the right hand holds the right toe, and the left hand the left toe. By this, increased pressure is placed on the mulddkdra, and the nerves are braced with the tightening of the body. There are certain other asana, which are peculiar to the Tantras, such as mundidasana,' chitasana, and shavdsana, in which skulls, the funeral pyre, and a corpse respectively form the seat of the sddhaka. These, though they may have other ritual objects, form part of the discipline for the conquest of fear and the attainment of indifference, which is the quality of a yogi. And so the Tantras pre¬ scribe as the scene of such rites the solitary mountaintop, the lonely empty house and river-side, and the cremation-ground. The interior cremation-ground is there where the kamik body and its passions are con¬ sumed in the fire of knowledge. ■ Sthiratd, or fortitude, is acquired by the practice of the '^'-udrd. The mudra dealt with in works of hatliayoga 3re positions of the body. They are gymnastic, healthgiving, and destructive of disease, and of death,^ such as the jdladhara^ and other mudra. They also pre¬ serve from injury by fire, water, or air. Bodily action and the health resulting therefrom react upon the mind, and by the union of a perfect mind and body siddhi is by their means attained. The Gheran^Za Sanghita describes a number of mudra, of which those of im¬ portance may be selected. In the celebrated yonimudrd the yogi in siddhasana stops with his fingers the ears, eyes, nostrils, and mouth. He inhales prdnavdyu by kdkinimudrd, and unites it with apdnavdyu. Meditating in their order upon the six chakra, he arouses the sleeping Kulakun^Zalini by the mantra Hung Hangsah,’' and raises Her to the Sahasrdra ; then, deeming himself per¬ vaded with the Shakti, and in blissful union (sanggama) with Shiva, he meditates upon himself, as by reason of

^ Gheraw^^a Sanghita, Third Upadesha. 2 Ibid., verse 12. cxxviii TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION that union Bliss itself aiid the Brahman.^ Ashvinlmudra consists of the repeated contraction and expansion of the anus for the purpose of shodhana or of contraction to restrain the apdna in Shatchakrahheda- Shaktichdlana employs the latter mudrd, which is repeated until vdyu manifests in the sushumnd. The process is accompanied by inhalation and the union of frana and apdna whilst in siddhdsana? Dhairya, or steadiness, is produced by pratyahdra. Pratydhdra is the restraint of the senses, the freeing of the mind from all distractions, and the keeping of it under the control of the Ktmd. The mind is withdrawn from whatsoever direction it may tend by the dominant .. and directing Self. Pratydhdra destroys the six sins.^ I.AGHAVA : Prana YAMA. i From prdndydma arises Idghava (lightness). \ All beings say the ajapd Gdyatrl, which is the expulsion! of the breath by Hangkdra, and its inspiration by SahkdraA 21,600 times a day. Ordinarily, the breath goes forth a distance of 12 finger’s breadth, but in singing, eating, \ walking, sleeping, coition, the distances are 16, 20, 24, 30, { and 36 breadths respectively. In violent exercise these \ distances are exceeded, the greatest distance being q6 breadths. Where the breathing is under the normal dis¬ tance, life is prolonged. Where it is above that, it is shortened. Puraka is inspiration, and rechaka expira¬ tion. Kumbhaka is the retention of breath between these two movements. Kumbhaka is, according to the Gheranda Sanghita of eight kinds : sahita, suryyabheda, ujjdyz,

1 Gheraw^fa Sanghita, Third U^adesha 2 Ibid,, verses 37, 49, 82. 3 Ibid.^ Fourth Upadesha, The Saradatilaka defines pratydhdra as indriyaiidfig vicharatdng vis^ayeshu baldddhdranam tebhyah pratydhdra vidhlyate (pratyahara is known as the forcible abstraction of the senses wandering over their objects). shitall, hhastiikd, hhrdmarl, murchchhd, and kevall. Prdndydma similarly varies. Prdndydma is the control of the breath and other vital airs. It awakens shakti, frees from disease, produces detachment from the world, and bliss. It is of varying values, being the best (uttama) where the measure is 20 ; middling (madhyama) when at 16 it produces spinal tremor ; and inferior {adJiama) when at 12 it induces perspiration. It is necessary that the nddd should be cleansed, for air does not enter those which are impure. The cleansing of the nadi {nddlshuddhi) is either samanu or nirmanu — that is, with or without, the use of vtja. According to the first form, the yogi in padmdsana does gurunydsa according to the direc¬ tions of the guru. Meditating on yangP he does japa through Id^ of the vlja 16 times, kumbhaka with japa of vlja 64 times, and then exhalation through the solar nd&l and japa of vlja 32 times. Fire is raised from manipura and united with pnthivl. Then follows inhalation by the solar nddl with the vahni vlja 16 times, kumbhaka with 64 japa of the vlja, followed by exhalation through the lunar nddl and japa of the vlja 32 times.

He then medi¬ tates on the lunar brilliance, gazing at the tip of the nose, and inhales by I^a with japa of the vlja '' thang'' 16 times. Kumbhaka is done with the vlja vang 64 times. He then thinks of himself as flooded by nectar, and con¬ siders that the nddl have been washed. He exhales by Pingala with 32 japa of the vlja lang, and considers him¬ self thereby as strengthened. He then takes his seat on a mat of kusha grass, a deerskin, etc., and, facing east or north, does prdndydma. For its exercise there must be, in addition to nddl shuddhi, consideration of proper place, time, and food. Thus, the place should not be so distant as to induce anxiety, nor in an unprotected place, such as a forest, nor in a city or crowded locality, which in¬ duces distraction. The food should be pure, and of a vegetarian character. It should not be too hot or too cold, pungent, sour, salt, or bitter. Fasting, the taking of one meal a' day, and the like, are prohibited. On the

cxxx TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION contrary, the Yogi should not remain without food for more than one yama (three hours). The food taken should be light and strengthening. Long walks and other violent exercise should be avoided, as also — cer¬ tainly in the case of beginners — ^sexual intercourse. The stomach should only be half filled. Yoga should be com¬ menced, it is said, in spring or autumn. As stated, the forms of prdndydma vary. Thus, sahita, which is either with {sagarbha) or without {nirgarbha) vlja, is, according to the former form, as follows : The sddhaka meditates on Vidhi (Brahma), who is full of rajogmia, red in colour, and the image of akdra. He inhales by I^a in six measures {mdtrd). Before kumbhaka he does the Uddlydnabandha mudrd. Meditating on Hari (Vishnu) as sattvamaya and the black vtja ukdra, he does kumbhaka with 64 japa of the vlja ; then, meditating on Shiva as tamomaya and his white vlja makdra, he exhales through Pingala with 32 japa of the vlja ; then, inhaling by Pingala, he does kumbhaka, and exhales by lia with the same vlja. The process is repeated in the normal and reversed order. - Through dhydna is gained the third quality of realiza¬ tion or pratyaksha. Dhydna, or meditation, is of three kinds : (i) sthula, or gross ; (2) jyotih ; (3) sukshma, or subtle.^ In the first the form of the Devata is brought before the mind. One form of dhydna for this purpose is as follows : Let the sddhaka think of the great ocean of nectar in his heart. In the middle of that ocean is the island of gems, the shores of which are made of powdered gems. The island is clothed with a kadamha forest in

1 Glieraw<^a Sanghita, Sixth Upadesha. It is said by Bhaskairaraya, in the Lalita (verse 2), that there are three forms of the Devi which equally partake of both the pmkdsha and vimar^a aspects — viz., the physical {sthula), the subtle {sukshma), and the supreme {Para). The physical form has hands, feet, etc., the subtle consists of mantra, and the supreme is the vdsand or, in the technical sense of the Mantra shastra, real or own. yellow blossom. This forest is surrounded by Mdlati, Champaka, Pdrijdta, and other fragrant trees. In the midst of the Kadamba forest there rises the beautiful Kalpa tree, laden with fresh blossom and fruit. Amidst its leaves the black bees hum and the koel birds make love. Its four branches are the four Vedas. Under the tree there is a great mandapa of precious stones, and within it a beautiful bed, on which let him picture to himself his IshXadevatd. The Guru will direct him as to the form, raiment, udhana, and the title of the Devat^. Jyotirdhydna is the infusion of fire and life {tejas) into the form so imagined. In the mulddhdra lies the snake¬ like Ku^iialini. There the jwdtmd, as it were the taper¬ ing flame of a candle, dwells. The sddhaka then meditates upon the tejomaya Brahman, or, alternatively, between the eyebrows on pranavdtmaka, the flame emitting its lustre.

Sukshmadhydna is meditation on Ku^ialini with shambhavl mudrd after She has been roused. By this yoga {vide post) the ^tmd is revealed {dtmasdkshdtkdra) . Lastly, through samadhi the quality of nirliptatva, or detachment, and thereafter mukti (liberation) is attained. Samadhi considered as a process is intense mental con¬ centration, with freedom from all sangkalpa, and attach¬ ment to the world, and all sense of “ mineness,’" or self-interest {mamatd). Considered as the result of such process it is the union of Jlva with the Paramdtmd} Forms of Samadhi yoga. This samadhi yoga is, according to the Ghera^ia Sanghita, of six kinds (i) Dhydnayogasamddhi, attained by shamhhavl mudrd,^ in which, after meditation on the Vindu- Brahman and realization of the Atmd {dtmapratyaksYia), the latter is resolved into the Mahdkdsha. (2) Ndda- ^ See Commentary on verse 51 of the SM/chakranunpana. 2 Seventh Upadesha. 3 Third Upadesha (verses 65 et seg.) . cxxxii TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION yoga, attained by khecharl mudra^ in which the frcenum of the tongue is cut, and the latter is lengthened until it reaches the space between the eyebrows, and is then introduced in a reversed position into the mouth. (3) Rasanandayoga, attained by kumlhaka,^ in which the sddhaka in a silent place closes both ears and does puraka and kumhhaka until he hears the word ndda in sounds varying in strength from that of the cricket's chirp to that of the large kettledrum. By daily practice the anahata sound is heard, and the jyotih with the manas therein is seen, which is ultimately dissolved in the supreme Yishnn.

(4) Layasiddhiyoga, accomplished by the celebrated yonimudrd already described.® The sddhaka, thinking of himself as Shakti and the Paramatma as Purusha, feels himself in union {sanggama) with Shiva, and enjoys with him the bliss which is shringdrarasa,^ and becomes Bliss itself, or the Brahman. (5) Bhakti Yoga, in which medita¬ tion is made on the Ishtadevatd with devotion (bhakti) until, with tears flowing from the excess of bliss, the ecstatic condition is attained. (6) Rdjayoga, accom¬ plished by aid of the manomurchchhd kumhhaka.^ Here the manas detached from all worldly objects is fixed between the eyebrows in the djndchakra, and kumhhaka is done. By the union of the manas with the dtmd, in which the jndni sees all things, rdjayogasamddhi is attained.

The piercing of the six chakra is one of the most im¬ portant subjects dealt with in the Tantras, and is part 1 Ibid., verses 25 et seq, ^ Ibid., Fifth Upadesha, verses 77 et seq. 3 In the Lalita (verse 142) the Devi is addressed as Layakan — ^the cause of lay a or mental absorption. ^ Sliringgdra is the love sentiment or sexual passion and sexual union. The first of the eight or nine rasa (sentiments) — viz., shringgay a, viva (heroism), kanma (compassion), adbhuta (wowaJering) hdsya (humour), hhaydnaka (fear), bibhatsa (disgust), raudva (wrath) to which Manmathabhatta, author of the Kavyaprakasha adds shdnti, (peace). ^ Ibid., Fifth Upadesha, verse 82. of the practical yoga process of which they treat. Details of practice^ can only be learnt from a Guru, but generally it may be said that the particular is raised to the universal life, which as chit is realizable only in the sahasrdra in the following manner : The jivdtmd in the subtle body, the receptacle of the five vital airs (pancha prana), mind in its three aspects of manas, ahangkdra, and buddhi ; the five organs of action (panchakarmendriya) and the five organs of perception {pamhajndnendriya) is united with the Kulaku^^?alini. The Kandarpa or Kama Vdyu in the mulddhdra a form of the Apdna Vayu is given a leftward revolution and the fire which is round Kunialini is kindled. By the vtja '' Hung” and the heat of the fire thus kindled, the coiled and sleeping Ku^ialini is wakened. She who lay asleep around svayambhu4inga, with her coils three circles and a half closing the entrance of the brahma-dvdra, will, on being roused, enter that door and move upwards, united with the jivdtmd.

On this upward movement, Brahma, Savitri, DakiniShakti, the Devas, vija, and vntti, are dissolved in the body of 'Kunddlmi. The Mahlmandala or pxithivl is con¬ verted into the vlja '' Lang” and is also merged in Her body. When Kunialini leaves the mulddhdra, that lotus which, on the awakening of Ku-;^Jalini had opened and turned its flower upwards, again closes and hangs down¬ wards. As Ku^ialini reaches the svddhi^Vndna-chahra, that lotus opens out, and lifts its flower upwards. Upon the entrance of 'Kundolini, MahavisA^u, Mahalaks/imT, Sarasvati, RakM Shakti, Deva, Mdtiikds, and vvitti, Vaikunthadhdma, Golaka, and the Deva and Devi residing therein are dissolved in the body of KuT^^Zalini. The pxithivl, or ''earth” vlja " Lang” is dissolved in apas, and apas con¬ verted into the vlja vdng remains in the body of Ku^ialinl. When the Devi reaches the manipura chakra alt that is 1 Fuller details are given in the Author*s translation from the Sanskrit of the SAaMrakranirwpawa by Purwananda Svami, author of the celebrated Shaktanandataranginl. cxxxiv TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION in the chakra merges in Her body. The Varuna vlja vdng ” is dissolved in fire, which remains in the body of the Devi as the Vifa '' idng” This chakra is called the Brahma-granthi (or knot of Brahma) . The piercing of this chakra may involve considerable pain, physical dis¬ order, and even disease. On this account the directions of an experienced Guru are necessary, and therefore also other modes of yoga have been recommended for those to whom they are applicable :

for in such modes activity is provoked directly in the higher centre and it is not necessary that the lower chakras should be pierced. Ku^ialini next reaches the andhata chakra, where all which is therein is merged in Her. The vija of Tejas, ''rang,** disappears in Vayu and Vayu converted ‘ into its vlja " Yang ** merges into the body of Ku^^?alini. This chakra is known as Vishnugranthi (knot of Vishnu). Ku^t^^alini then ascends to the abode of Bh^rati (or Sarasvati) or the vishuddha chakra. Upon Her entrance, Arddha-ndrlshvara Shiva, ShakinI, the sixteen vowels, mantra, etc., are dissolved in the body of Kuwialim. The vlja of Vayu, " yang,** is dissolved in akdshd, which itself being transformed into the vlja " hang,** is merged in the body of Ku^- (^alini. Piercing the lalana chakra, the Devi reaches the djndchakra, where Parama Shiva, Siddha-Kali, the Deva, guwa, and all else therein, are absorbed into Her body. The vlja of akdsha, " Hang,** is merged in the manas chakra, and mind itself in the body of Kuwialini. The djndchakra is known as Rudragranthi (or knot of Rudra or Shiva). After this chakra has been pierced, Kunialini of Her own motion unites with ParamaShiva. As She proceeds upwards from the two-petalled lotus, iht nirdlamha purl, prauava, ndda, etc., are merged in Her.

The Ku^^Zalini has then in her progress upwards ab¬ sorbed in herself the twenty-four tattva commencing with the gross elements, and then unites Herself and becomes one, with Parama Shiva. This is the maithuna (coition) of the sdUmka~pancha4attva, The nectar^ which flows from such union floods the kshudrabrahmdnda or human body. It is then that the sddhaka, forgetful of all in this world, is immersed in ineffable bliss. Thereafter the sddhaka, thinking of the vdyu mja ‘'yang'' as being in the left nostril/ inhales through I^^a, making japa of the vija sixteen times. Then, closing both nostrils, he makes japa of the vija sixtyfour times. He then thinks that the black man of sin "'2 {Pdpapurusha) in the left cavity of the abdomen is being dried up (by air), and so thinking he exhales through the right nostril Pingala, making japa of the vija thirtytwo times. The sddhaka then meditating upon the redcoloured vija “rang" in the mampura, inhales, making sixteen japa of the vija, and then closes the nostrils, making sixteen japa. While making the japa he thinks that the body of '' the man of sin '' is being burnt and reduced to ashes (by fire). He then exhales through the right nostril with thirty-two japa. He then meditates upon the white chandravija “ thang." He next inhales through lia, making japa of the vija sixteen times, closes both nostrils with japa done sixty-four times, and exhales through Pingala with thirty-two japa.

During inhalation, holding of breath, and exhalation, he should consider that a new celestial body is being formed by the nectar (composed of all the letters of the alphabet, mdtnkdvarna) dropping from the moon. In a similar way with the Vija “ vdng," the formation of the body is continued, and with the vija “ Idng " it is completed and strength¬ ened. Lastly, with the mantra “ So'hang," the sddhaka leads the jwdtmd into the heart. Thus Kut^^falini, who has enjoyed Her union with Paramashiva, sets out on her

^ In the Chintamanistava attributed to Shri Shangkaracharyya it is said : “ This family woman (Kun£?alini), entering the royal road {sushumnd), taking rest at intervals in the secret places [chakra), embraces the Supreme Spouse and makes the nectar to flow (in the sahasfdya)^ 2 As to Pdpa-purus/za see Mahanirvvawa Tantra TJU'lsa, V. (verses QS, 99). cxxxvi Tx\NTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION return journey the way she came. As she passes through each of the chakra all that she has absorbed therefrom come out from herself and take their several places in the chakra. In this manner she again reaches the mulddhdra, when all that is described to be in the chakras (see pp. IviiIxiii) are in the positions which they occupied before her awakening. The Guru’s instructions are to go above the djna-chakra, but no special directions are given ; for after this chakra has been pierced the sddhaka can reach the brahmasthdna unaided. Below the seventh month of Shiva '' the relationship of Guru and sishya ceases. The instructions of the seventh dmndya is not expressed {aprakdshita) . According to Christian conceptions/ sin is a violation of the personal will of, and apostasy from, God. The flesh is the source of lusts which oppose God's commands, and in this lies its positive significance for the origin of a bias of life against God. According to St. Thomas, in the original state, no longer held as the normal, the lower powers were subordinate to reason, and reason subject to God.

Original sin " is formally a defect of original righteousness," and materially concupiscence." As St. Paul says (Rom. vii. 8, 14), the pneumatic law, which declares war on the lusts, meets with opposition from the law in the members." These and similar notions in¬ volve a religious and moral conscious judgment which is assumed to exist in humanity alone. Hindu notions of papa (wrong) and punya (that which is pure, holy, and right) have a wider content. The latter is accordance and working with the will of Ishvara (of whom the pva is itself the embodiment), as manifested at any particular time in the general direction taken by the cosmic process, as the former is the contrary. The two terms are rela¬ tive to the state of evolution and the surrounding cir-

^ See authorities cited in Scharff Herzog Diet. cumstances of the jlva to which they are applied. Thus, the impulse towards individuality which is necessary and just on the path of inclination or "" going forth '' {pravxitti mdrga)y is wrongful as a hindrance to the attain¬ ment of unity, which is the goal of the path of return {nivxitti mdrga) where inclinations should cease. In short, what makes for progress on the one path is a hindrance on the other. The matter, when rightly undertsood, is not (except, perhaps, sometimes popularly) viewed from the juristic standpoint of an external Lawgiver, His com¬ mands, and those subject to it, but from that in which the exemplification of the moral law is regarded as the true and proper expression of the jlua's own evolution. Morality, it has been said, is the true nature of a being. For the same reason wrong is its destruction. What the jlva actually does is the result of his karmma. Further, the term jlva, though commonly applicable to the human embodiment of the dtmd, is not limited to it. Both papa and puxiya may therefore be manifested in beings of a lower rank than that of humanity in so far as what they (whether consciously or unconsciously) do is a hin¬ drance to their true development. Thus, in the Yoga VashisfeAa it is said that even a creeping plant acquired merit by association with the holy muni on whose dwelling it grew.

Objectively considered, sin is concisely defined as duhkhajanakam pdpam. It is that which has been, is, and will be the cause of pain, mental or physical, in past, present, and future births. The pain as the consequence of the action done need not be immediate. Though, however, the suffering may be experienced as a result later than the action of which it is the cause, the conse¬ quence of the action is not really something separate, but a part of the action itself — ^namely, that part of it which belongs to the future. The six chief sins are kdma, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, mdtsaryya — ^lust, anger, covetousness, ignorance or delusion, pride and envy.^

“ seven deadly sins '' : pride, covetousness, lust, anger, envy, gluttony, cxxxviii TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION All wrong is at base self-seeking, in ignorance or disregard of the unity of the Self in all creatures. Virtue [puny a), 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 births, or leads to the enjoyment of heaven [Svarga). Virtue is that which leads towards the unity whose substance is Bliss [dnanda) . This good karmma produces pleasant fruit, which, like all the results of karmma, is transitory. As Shruti says : * '' It is not by acts or the pinias offered by one's children or by wealth, but by renunciation that men have attained liberation."^ It is only by escape from karmma through knowledge, that the jlva becoming one with the unchang¬ ing Absolute attains lasting rest. It is obvious that for those who obtain such release neither vice nor virtue, which are categories of phenomenal being, exist. Karmma is action, its cause, and effect. There is no uncaused action, nor action without effect. The past, the present, and the future are linked together as one whole. The ichchhd, jndna, and kriyd shakti manifest in the jwdtmd living on the worldly plane as desire, know¬ ledge, and action. As the Bnhadaranyaka Upanisfed says : " Man is verily formed of desire. As is his desire, so is his thought. As is his thought, so is his action. As is his action, so is his attainment." ^ These fashion the individual's karmma, '' He who desires goes by work to the object on which his mind is set."^ " As he thinks, so he becometh."^ Then, as to action, " whatsoever a man sows that shall he reap." The matter is not one of punishment and reward, but of consequence, and the

and sloth, which, if deliberately persisted in, drive from the soul all state of grace. ^ Na harmmand, na pvajayd, na dhanena Tydgena eke amritatvam dnashith. ^ Chapter IV., iv. 5. 3 6. ^ Chhandogya Upanis/zad IIT , xiv. i. consequence of action is but a part of it. If anything is caused, its result is caused, the result being part of the original action, whi^h continues, and is transformed into the result. The jivdtmd experiences happiness for his good acts and misery for his evil ones.^ Karmma is of three kinds — viz., sanchita karmma — that is, the whole vast accumulated mass of the unex¬ hausted karmma of the past, whether good or bad, which has still to be worked out. This past karmma is the cause of the character of the succeeding births, and, as such, is called sangskdra, or vdsand. The second form of karmma is prdrabdha, or that part of the first which is ripe, and which is worked out and bears fruit in the present birth. The third is the new karmma, which man is continually making by his present and future actions, and is called vartamdna and dgdml.^ The embodied soul [jivdtmd], whilst in the sangsdra or phenomenal world, is by its nature ever making present karmma and experiencing the past. Even the Devas themselves are subject to time and karmma.^ By his karmma a jlva may become an Indra.^ Karmma is thus the invisible [adii^ta], the product of ordained or prohibited actions capable of giving bodies.

It is either good or bad, and together these are called the impurity of action [karmma mala). Even good action, when done with a view to its fruit, can never secure liberation. Those who think of the reward will receive benefit in the shape of that reward. Liberation is the work of Shiva-Shakti, and is gained only by brahmajndna, the destruction of the will to separate life, and realization of unity with the Supreme. All accompanying action must be without thought of self. With the cessation of desire the tie which binds man to the sangsdra is broken.

^ Mahabharata, Shanti Parvva, cci. 23, ccxci. 12. ^ Dev? Bhagavata, VI. x. 9, 12, 13, 14. 2 So it is said : Namastat kavmmabhyo vidhirapi na yebhyah pmbhavati, Tepi kdleshu llyanie kdlohi valavaitarah. ^ Devi Bhagavata IX., xxvii. iS-20. cxl tantra of the great liberation According lo Tcintrs., the sddhu'itu ciiid. uchuTu appropriate to an individual depends upon his karmma. A man’s tendencies, character, and temperament is moulded by his sanchita karmma. As regards frdrahdhakarmma, it is unavoidable. Nothing can be done but to work it out. Some systems prescribe the same method for men of divers tendencies. But the Tantra recognizes the force of karmma, and moulds its method to the tem¬ perament produced by it. The needs of each vary, as also the methods which will be the best suited to each to lead them to the common goal. Thus, forms of wor¬ ship which are permissible to the vlra are forbidden to the pasku. The guru must determine that for which the sddhaka is qualified {adhikdri). Four Aims of Being. There is but one thing which all seek — happiness — though it be of differing kinds and sought in different ways. All forms, whether sensual, intellectual, or spiritual, are from the Brahman, who is Itself the Source and Essence of all Bliss, and Bliss itself (rasovai salt). Though issuing from the same source — pleasure differs in its forms in being higher and lower, transitory or durable, or permanent.

Those on the path of desire (pravritti marga) seek it through the enjoyments of this world {hhukti) or in the more durable, though still imper¬ manent delights of heaven (svarga). He who is on the path of return (niviiiti marga) seeks happiness, not in the created worlds, but in everlasting union with their primal source (muMi) ; and thus it is said that man can never be truly happy until he seeks shelter with Brahman, which is Itself the great Bliss {rasam hyevdyam labdhvd dnandt bh avail).

The eternal rhythm of the Divine Breath is outwards from spirit to matter and inwards from matter to spirit. Devi as Maya evolves the world. As Mahamaya She recalls it to Herself. The path of outgoing is the way of pravritti ; that of return nivntti. Each of these move¬ ments is Divine. Enjoyment {bhukti) and liberation (mukti) are each Her gifts.^ And in the third chapter of the work cited it is said that of Yishnn and Shiva mukti only can be had, but of Devi both bhukti and mukti ; and this is so in so far as the Devi is, in a peculiar sense, the source whence those material things come from which enjoyment {bhoga) arises. All jlva on their way to humanity,^ and the bulk of humanity itself, is on the forward path, and rightly seeks the enjoyment which is appropriate to its stage of evolution. The thirst for life will continue to manifest itself until the point of return is reached and the outgoing energy is exhausted. Man must, until such time, remain on the path of desire. In the hands of Devi is the noose of desire. Devi herself is both desire® and that light of knowledge which in the wise who have known enjoyment lays bare its futilities. But one cannot renounce until one has enjoyed, and so of the world-process itself it is said : that the unborn ones, the Purus/sas, are both subservient to Her (prakriti), and leave Her by reason of viveka^ Provision is made for the worldly life which is the “ outgoing ” of the Supreme. And so it is said that the Tantrika has both enjoyment {bhukti) ' and liberation {mukti). ^ But enjoyment itself is not without its law. Desire is not to be let loose without bridle.® The mental self is, as is commonly said, the charioteer of the body,

^ As also Svarga (see Shaktanandatarangini (chap i.). who may be more properly described as candidates for humanity. 3 See Chdundi, Devi is manifested in desire, etc. ^ And so Shruti (T^^ittiriya Arawyaka) says : Vahvlm pyajd-m janay anting sarupdng, Ajo hyeko jushamdno^ nushete Jahdiyendng hhukta-hhogdmajonyah ; and see Sangkhya Tattva Kaumudi. s See Chapter IV., verse 39 post, and Chapter I., verse 51, where the Tantras are described as the givers of both hhuhtl and mukti. See notes to same as to hhoga. 6 As to svechcJiMchdra, see notes to Chapter III., verse 96 post. cxlii TANTRA OF THE GREAT LIBERATION of which the senses are the horses. Contrary to mistaken notions on the subject, the Tantras take no exception to the ordinary rule that it is necessary not to let them run away. If one would not be swept away and lost in the mightj^ force which is the descent into matter, thought and action must be controlled by Dharmma. Hence the first three of the aims of life {trivarga) on the path of 'pravxitti are dharmma, artha, and kdma. Dharmma means that which is to be held fast or kept — law, usage, custom, religion, piety, right, equity, duty, good works, and morality. It is, in short, the eternal and immutable {sandtana) principles which hold together the universe in its parts and in its whole, whether organic or inorganic matter. That which supports and holds together the peoples (of the universe) is dharmma!' '' It was declared for well-being and bringeth well-being.

It upholds and preserves. Because it supports and holds together, it is called Dharmma. By Dharmma are the people upheld.'' It is, in short, not an artificial rule, but the principle of right living. The mark of dharmma and of the good is dchdra (good conduct), from which dharmma is born and fair fame is acquired here and hereafter.^ The sages embraced dchdra as the root of all tafas?- Dharmma is not only the principle of right living, but also its application. That course of meritorious action by which man fits himself for this world, heaven, and liberation. Dharmma is also the result of good action — that is, the merit acquired thereby. The basis of the . sandtana dharmma is revelation {shruti) as presented in the various Shastra. — Smnti, Pura^a, and Tantra. In the Devi Bhagavata^ it is said that in the Kaliyuga Yishnn in the form of Vyasa divides the one Veda into many

1 Mahabharata Shanti Parvva (CIC. 88). Anushasana Parvva, CIV. 2 Manusmnti (I. loS, no). parts, with the desire to benefit men, and with the know¬ ledge that they are short-lived and of small intelligence, and hence unable to master the whole. This dharmma is the first of the four leading arms {chaturvarga) of all being. Kama is desire, such as that for wealth, success, family, position, or other forms of happiness for self or others. It also involves the notion of the necessity for the posses¬ sion of great and noble aims, desires, and ambitions, for such possession is the characteristic of greatness of soul. Desire, whether of the higher or lower kinds, must, how¬ ever, be lawful, for man is subject to dharmma, which regulates it. Artha (wealth) stands for the means by which this life may be maintained — in the lower sense, food, drink, money, house, land, and other property ; and in the higher sense the means by which effect may be given to the higher desires, such as that of worship, for which artha may be necessary, aid given to others, and so forth. In short, it is all the necessary means by which all right desire, whether of the. lower or higher kinds, may be ful¬ filled. As . the desire must be a right desire — ^for man is subject to dharmma, which regulates them — ^so also must be the means sought, which are equally so governed.