History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c92.68
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c92.68
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The Hindu Tantra works present two sides, one philosophical and spiritual, the other popular, practical and more or less magical, which relies on mantras, mudrās, mandalas, *nyāsas*, *cakras* and *yantras* as physical means to realize one's identity with the Supreme Power or Energy by concentration and as conferring extraordinary powers on the devotee. This may be illustrated by reference to two typical tantras, the Śāradātilaka and the Mahānirvāṇa-tantra. The Mahānirvāṇa-tantra, though it speaks of the five makāras as means of *upāsanā* and though it states that when the great Tantra is understood, the Vedas, Purānas and śāstras are hardly¹⁷⁰⁶ of any use, puts forward the striking conception in IV. 34-47 that Parameśvara is one and to be described as *sat*, *cit* and *ānanda*, that He is one without a second, is beyond the *gunas* and is to be known from the Vedānta texts. It further on says that the best mantra is 'om sac-cidekam brahma' (III. 14), that those who perform the upāsanā of the Highest Brahma do not require other means of worship (sādhanā); by sticking to this mantra man becomes *brahma*. In the 4th chap. however, the Mahāparinirvāṇa starts by saying that Durgā is the highest prakrti of Paramātmā, she has various names such as Kālī, Bhuvaneśvarī, Bagalā, Bhairavī, Chhinnamastakā, that she is Sarasvatī, Laksmī and Śakti, that she assumes various forms for securing the purpose of her devotees and for the destruction of demons.
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In the Kaliyuga perfection cannot be attained without following *kula* practices, which lead to the knowledge of brahma and the man who possesses knowledge of brahma is a liberated soul, though living (he is *Jīvanmukta*). Then there is high praise (IV. 10 ff) of Devī who is spoken of as the primordial Śakti (ādyā paramā śakti) and all gods including Śiva himself derive their powers from this Highest Śakti. A rather astounding statement is made in¹⁷⁰⁷ the words 'as there was partaking of wine and the rest in Satya, Tretā and Dvāpara yugas, one should do the same in Kali-yuga, but in accordance with the *kula* way, and that Kali does not affect those who give to the truthful Yogin the five tattvas (wine &c.) sanctified according to the kula way'. Then a mantra of ten syllables is declared 'hrīm śrīm krīm parameśvari¹⁷⁰⁸ svāhā', by merely listening to which a man becomes *jīvanmukta*. Then by various combinations of the mystic syllables with Parameśvarī and Kālikā twelve mantras are produced (V. 18). But the mantras do not confer siddhi unless the kulācāra way is followed viz. the five tattvas 'madya' &c. are offered (V. 22-23). Then a Gāyatrī mantra is set out (V. 62-63) as 'adyāyai vidmahe Parameśvaryai dhīmahi। tan-naḥ Kālī pracodayāt॥', which is to be muttered thrice daily. The Sāṅkhya tattvas, Prakṛti, Mahat, Ahaṅkāra &c. are welded on to the worship of Śakti and the Vedic mantra 'Haṁsaḥ śucisad' (Ṛg IV. 40. 5) with the Tāntrik *bīja Hrīm* (V. 197).
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The Tantra gives directions for the sanctification of flesh (V. 206-208, where Ṛg. I 22. 20 'tadviṣṇoḥ paramam padam' is employed), of fish (V. 209-210) where the mantra 'Tryambakam' (Ṛg. VIII. 59. 12) is employed, of mudrā (V. 211-212 where the mantras 'Tad Viṣṇoḥ paramam' and 'tad-viprāso' Ṛg. I. 22. 20-21, are employed) to be offered to Devī. The Mahānirvāṇatantra (18th century) being composed after Śāktism had come into great ridicule and obloquy is rather sober.¹⁷⁰⁹ It says that women of good birth should simply smell wine and not drink it, while householder *sādhakas* should drink only as much as is contained in five cups, since by drinking too much men of good family incur the loss of *siddhi*, and should drink only so long as the wine quaffed does not make their eyes roll or does not make their mind confused. As to the last *tattva* (*maithuna*) the sādhaka was to confine himself to the woman he chooses as his Śakti (VI. 14) and if his wife is alive he is not to touch another woman with a vicious intent, otherwise he would go to hell.¹⁷¹⁰ In keeping with its desire to present respectability along with tāntrik practices, the Mahānirvāṇa devotes chapter VIII. to the duties of *varṇas* and āśramas, the duties of the king, the duties of servants in general, provides¹⁷¹¹ that persons of all varnas are to marry within the varna and dine with persons of the same varna, except when engaged in Bhairavī cakra and Tattva-cakra (VIII.
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150), when men of all varnas are like the best brāhmaṇas, and no consideration of the castes of the participants arises nor any question about *ucchista*. It prescribes that no one has the adhikāra to engage in the performance of Tattvacakra unless he is a *sādhaka* endowed with knowledge of *brahma*. In that *cakra* the tattvas (wine and the others) should be collected and placed in front of the Devi, the mantra 'Hamsaḥ' (Rg. IV. 40. 5) should be recited over all tattvas and the tattvas should be offered to the Highest Self with the verse 'Brahmārpaṇam brahma havir' (Bhagvadgītā IV. 24=Mahānirvāṇa VIII. 214)