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The Hindu Temple v2.c11.s7.t2: Mithuna, the State of Being a Couple

The Hindu Temple v2.c11.s7.t2

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Mithuna, the State of Being a Couple

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“Just as a man closely embraced by a beloved woman knows nothing more of a without or a within, so also does the Person (the spiritual person of man) embraced by the ‘prognostic’ (prajñātmanā) Spirit know nothing more of a without or a within. This is his true form in which his desire is satisfied, the Spirit and the whole of his desire. He has no desire any more, nor any pain.” (‘Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad’, IV. 3.21).¹⁵¹

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¹⁵¹ Translated by Coomaraswamy in ‘La Doctrine de la “Biunité” Divine’, É.T., 1937, pp. 289-301.

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This state which is “like a man and a woman in close embrace” is a symbol of Mokṣa, final release or re-union of the two Principles, the Essence (Puruṣa) and Nature (Prakṛti). This symbol is carved, on the door jambs of the Garbhagṛha and on the walls of the temple, repeatedly, in the many forms in which limbs are conjoined in close embrace (Pls. XXX-XXXIV).¹⁵² The name of this conjoint symbol of Puruṣa and Prakṛti, as Mokṣa, is Mithuna, ‘the state of being a couple’.¹⁵³

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¹⁵² The ‘Tantrarāja Tantra’, XXI. 88-96 treats of the offerings made to the 50 Mithunas.

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¹⁵³ Mithuna as an enrichment on the door-jambs (śākhā) of the Garbhagṛha is enjoined to be carved in the ‘Bṛhat Saṃhitā’ LV, ‘Hayaśīrṣapañcarātra’, ‘Agnipurāṇa’ CIV. 30 ; ‘Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra’, XL. 30-34 ; etc. The earliest Mithuna yet known is carved on one of the earliest historical monuments yet known, i.e., of about the 2nd century B.C. in Sāñcī, Stūpa II. Marshall-Foucher, ‘The Monuments of Sanchi’, Pl. LXXVII. 20a. Mithuna is one of the permanently recurrent themes of Indian sculpture. A ‘classical’ Mithuna, on a gold ornament, is reproduced in the ‘Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal’, 1912, p. 283. The Buddhist connotation of Mithuna is the union of Buddha and Prajñā.

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Mithuna as symbol of Mokṣa, ultimate release, means a union, like that of the Fire and its burning power, which is inseparable from, and in, the Fire from the beginning. Mithuna as practised and beheld by the Sādhaka is a re-union, for in the beginning the Puruṣa, the Essence, was “like a man and a woman in close embrace. It desired a second. Himself the Puruṣa divided into two. So were born man and wife. He united himself to her” (‘Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad’, I. 4. 1-4).¹⁵⁴

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¹⁵⁴ See note 151.

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Prakṛti as Supreme Śakti is within God, hidden in His own qualities (‘Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad’, IV. 10). Within Him, by means of his mind (manas), he entered into union (Mithuna) with the unspoken Word (Vāk) (Ś.B. VI. 1. 2. 6). The divine ‘bi-unity’ comes about by “Śiva’s need of Śakti for accomplishing the enjoyment of unredeemed man (paśu, lit. the animal) and his final release” (Śrikumāra in ‘Tātparyapradīpikā’, the commentary on ‘Tattvaprakāśa’ I. 3).

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Man’s separation from God and the world of dichotomy in which he lives result from the bi-sexual polarity in divinity, and from the subsequent externalisation of the Conscious Śiva as the object of his own Self-enjoyment. In order to regain the primordial wholeness (Brahmajñāna) the yogin practises bodily, mental and intellectual exercises and the devotee (sādhaka) observes the rites as his means of accomplishing (sādhana) final release. In such exercise (yoga) there is a coupling (maithuna) of the active and the changeless Principles.

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The symbolic union (yoga) in the flesh with the assistance of a Śakti may be practised only by Sannyāsins who are far advanced on the road to metaphysical realisation, while the highest class of Avadhūta¹⁵⁵ does not require this sacrament and may not unite with a woman. The Sādhana in which the Sādhaka is assisted by his Śakti is called Latā-sādhana.¹⁵⁶ In its performance the Śakti is as much woman (latā) as she is a vine or creeper (latā). "As the creeper embraces the tree on all sides, so do thou embrace me" ('Atharva Veda', VI. 8.4.). "For when one is with a mate, he is whole and complete" ('Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa', X. 5. 2. 8.).¹⁵⁷ Thus Gaurī is described as Ardhāngī, the half of Śiva's body, "embracing Śiva as the Mādhava creeper clasps the young Āmra tree with her bosom like a cluster of blossoms". ('Yogavāsiṣṭha, Nirvāṇaprakaraṇa', XVIII. 3).

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¹⁵⁵ Avadhūta is a man who is above caste and the ordered life (āśrama; i.e., its four successive stages as celibate student, householder, recluse and Sannyāsin) and ever contemplates the Supreme Spirit only. The lowest type of these Sannyāsins live in the family. In the third class, conforming with the rules of Yoga and Bhoga, the Sannyāsin may satisfy the desire of a woman who approaches him. In the next two classes he is competent to practise Yoga with the assistance of a Śakti. In the highest, the sixth class, he may not unite with a woman.

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¹⁵⁶ The rules relating to Latā-sādhana are given in the following Tantras: Śiva Saṃhitā, p. 45; Prāṇatoṣinī, p. 618; Gandharva Tantra, p. 60; Kaulāvalī, p. 29, etc.

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¹⁵⁷ In Orissa, (cf. 'Utkalakhaṇḍa', XI. 'Ind. Ant.' XLVII. p. 217) it is said that Mithuna figures on a building prevent the building being struck by lightning. In the lightning is seen the union and identity of the immanent spirit of man and the transcendent Spirit. "The Person seen in the lightning—I am He; I indeed am He ('Chānd. Up.'. IV.13.1. 'Kena Up.' 29-30). No lightning will strike the building where this union is imaged.

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Gods and ascetics therefore should be represented in their love sport (krīḍā, līlā) on the walls of temples¹⁵⁸ but ascetics practising the game of love should not figure on the habitations of men¹⁵⁹ for their game is none of the three purposes of life.¹⁶⁰ It is a symbol of final release, its fourth and ultimate purpose.

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¹⁵⁸ T. Bhattacharya, 'Some Notes on Mithuna in Indian Art.' Rūpam, 1926, p. 22f, quotes 'Suprabedhāgama', XXX. saying that "Śivakrīḍā, Harikrīḍā and Tapakrīḍā should particularly [be made]"—a reference which could not be verified from the Tanjore Ms. of the 'Suprabedhāgama'. Mithuna carvings showing shaven headed and other ascetics occur on the temples of Orissa; also in Khajuraho, etc.

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¹⁵⁹ 'Mayamata', XVIII. 111.

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¹⁶⁰ Kāma, Lust, with the discipline of its satisfaction, is the third of the 4 purposes of life which are lawfulness (dharma), the acquisition of wealth (artha), the satisfaction of lust (kāma) and the attainment of final release (mokṣa).

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