The Antiquities of Orissa v1.c11.88.3

v1.c11.88.3

Even the most rationalistic of all religionists, the Buddhists, could not resist its allurements, and between the fifth and eighth centuries, compiled and translated a huge mass of Tantras in the Tibetan language, and accepting the sexual doctrine, introduced the worship of several goddesses and degrading ideas of the divinity into Nepal and Tibet, as a part of the esoterics of the Buddhist religion.⁴⁰ Śāktaism in its grosser and repulsive forms of Kaula and Vāmācāra cults needs this even more extensively than Śivaism ever needed or encouraged, and consequently got far ahead of the latter. To prove this I cannot do better than quote Dr. Wilson's estimate of the relative proportions of the followers of the three leading sects of Bengal. "It has been computed", he says, "that of the Hindus of Bengal at least three-fourths are" Śāktas: "of the remaining fourth, three parts are Vaiṣṇavas, and one Śaivas".⁴¹ This estimate may not be quite correct, and Ward, taking into consideration the fact that the bulk of the people in the eastern districts are Vaiṣṇavas, reckons the Vaiṣṇavas of Bengal at one third of the whole Hindu population; but in either case the figures show very clearly the great preponderance of the Śāktas over the other sects.