History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c92.155

v7.c92.155

A most revolting rite from the view-point of all unsophisticated people is what is called 'cakra-pūjā' (worship in a circle). An equal number of men and women without distinction of caste and even near blood relations secretly meet at night and sit in a circle (vide Kaulāvalinirṇaya VIII. 76). The Goddess is represented by a *yantra* (diagram). There is a leader of the cakra. The regulations were that only persons who had attained the status of *Vīra* (defined above in n 1763) were to be admitted¹⁷⁶⁴ and *paśus* (ordinary men with beastly passions not curbed) were to be excluded. What assurance was there that the leader of the cakra himself possessed the noble qualities mentioned in the verse quoted above and would choose only men possessed of similar qualities? The women assembled cast their bodices in a receptacle and each of the assembled men secured a female companion for that night by lot i. e. by taking a bodice out of those contained in the receptacle. The practice of Śrīcakra must have given rise to great obloquy and unpopularity for the Tāntrikas. Therefore, the Kulārṇava¹⁷⁶⁵ advises that cakrapūjā should be *sub rosa*. 'What happens at Śrīcakra, whether good or bad, should never be uttered (in public); this is the order (of God); one should never give out information about what happens at Cakrapūjā'. The 18th century Mahānirvāṇatantra, which is reformist in character, states that, since in the Kali age (in which people are weak and the influence of sinful age is very strong), for the last tattva (i. e. maithuna) one's own wife is alone to be the Śakti because in that case no fault can be found or some substitute like red sandalwood paste may be employed. In the author's youth whispers floated about that in some towns in Mahārāṣṭra cakrapūjā was practised, that even great Pandits thought that their learning was due to the favour of Devī, that they, though very orthodox in other respects, took once a year in Devīpūjā a thimbleful of wine as *prasāda*. The learned Achyutarāya¹⁷⁶⁶ Modak of Nasik composed at Nasik a work called 'Avaidikādhikkṛti' (condemnation of non-vaidika practices) wherein he severely handled the cult of the five makāras.