History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c92.68.3

v7.c92.68.3

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.