History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c92.168

v7.c92.168

Only a few Purāṇas like the Devīpurāṇa, the Kālikā, the Devīmāhātmya in the Mārkaṇḍeya provide for the employment of some of the condemned makāras (madya, māṁsa, matsya) in the worship of the Great Goddess. From about the 6th or 7th century A D. Purāṇas began to incorporate the special ceremonial characteristics of the Śāktas and Tāntrikas. Aparārka quotes a passage¹⁷⁷¹ from the Devīpurāṇa wherein the qualifications of a *Sthāpaka* (one who performs Devapratiṣṭhā) are set out, viz. he would be the best Sthāpaka for establishing images of Devī and the Mātṛs, who knows the *vāma* (left or opposite) and the *dakṣiṇa* (right) path of worship, who has thoroughly mastered the veda relating to the Mātṛs (the Mother Goddesses), who is clever in the interpretation of Pañcarātra works and is proficient in the Tantras of the Mātṛs &c. The Kālikā-purāṇa devotes many chapters (54 ff) to the description of mantras, kavacas, mudrās, nyāsas &c The Bhāgavatapurāṇa also and Agni¹⁷⁷² 372 34 expressly say that the worship of gods and of Viṣṇu also is either *vaidikī*, *tāntrikī* or *miśrā*, the first and third being for the three higher varṇas and the tāntrikī for śūdras, The Bhāgavatapurāṇa refers to the worship of Keśava laid down in the Tantras for him who desires to cast out the knot (bondage or grief) of the heart. It (Bhāgavata) also mentions¹⁷⁷³ Vaidikī and Tāntrikī dīkṣā (in XI. 11. 37) and refers to the Tāntrik method of the aṅgas, upāṅgas, āyudhas and decorations in the worship of the Lord of Lakṣmī.¹⁷⁷⁴ Some of the Purāṇas and medieval nibandhas, however, fully utilized what Tantras had to say about mantras, japa, nyāsa, maṇḍala, cakra, yantra and similar matters. This will be illustrated later by some examples. Even for such a simple and common topic as the 16 upacāras of worship, the Varṣakriyā-kaumudī (p. 156) and Ekādaśī-tattva (p. 59) quote the Prapañcasāra-tantra (VI. 41-42).