History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c92.52.1

v7.c92.52.1

The Hindu tantras which are supposed to have embodied dialogues between Śiva and Devī or Skanda or Bhairava and rarely others as in Dattātreyatantra (D. C. ms. No. 962 of 1887-91) endeavour to show that they base themselves on the Vedas, Āgamas, Smṛtis and Purāṇas, that there is an easier and quicker way to the final goal of mokṣa and they often quote Vedic verses. For example, in the Kulārṇava, Śiva says to Devī 'I churned the great ocean of Vedas and Āgamas with the churning handle of (correct) knowledge. I knew the essence of these and took out the Kuladharma,¹⁶⁹² that the Kaulaśāstras are authoritative like Vedic texts and should not be nullified by ratiocination.' The same Tantra further asserts 'one who has studied the four Vedas but is ignorant of Kuladharma is inferior to a *cāṇḍāla*, while a cāṇḍāla who knows Kuladharmas is superior to a brāhmaṇa. If all dharmas such as sacrifices, pilgrimages and vratas are put on one side and Kuladharma on another side, Kaula (dharma) is superior.'¹⁶⁹³ It is, therefore necessary to understand what is meant by Kula or Kauladharma. The Guhya-samāja¹⁶⁹⁴ states that Guhya means the three viz. body, speech and mind and 'samāja' means 'coming together', that Kula may comprehend five matters or three or 101 and that Guhya (as defined) is *trikula*. God Śaṅkara¹⁶⁹⁵ declared five tattvas, viz.