Varahi Tantra (English Study)
by Roberta Pamio | 2014 | 29,726 words
This English essay studies the Varahi Tantra and introduces the reader to the literature and philosophy of the Shakta Tradition to which this text belongs. These Shakta Tantras are doctrines where the Mother Goddess is conceived as the Supreme deity who is immanent and transcendental at the same time. The Varahitantra (lit. the "Doctrine of th...
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艢腻办迟补 Tantras (Introduction)
The 艢腻办迟补 Tantras are doctrines where the Supreme, who is immanent and transcendental at the same time, is conceived of as the Mother Goddess: She is the origin and the end of the entire creation, Pure Consciousness, Divine Grace, omnipresent, all-knowing, eternal, and both one and multiform; She is the power of illusion which binds all to the cycle of birth and death and, at the same time, She is the supreme knowledge which liberates one from the sense of "I" and "mine" to the awareness "I am the Goddess and none other; I am the Absolute who is beyond all suffering; I am the form of Truth, Consciousness and Bliss, whose nature is eternal Liberation".[1]
According to the 笔补谤补艣耻谤腻尘补办补濒辫补蝉奴迟谤补 (1.2) 笔补谤补尘补艣颈惫补 manifested the scriptures and the 诲补谤艣补苍补蝉[2] as part of His divine sport; questioned by 叠丑补颈谤补惫墨, who is pure consciousness (蝉补峁僾颈诲尘补测腻) and not different from His own self (蝉惫腻迟尘腻产丑颈苍苍腻), He revealed the 腻尘苍腻测补蝉 (streams or traditions) through His five faces, namely 厂补诲测辞箩腻迟补, 痴腻尘补诲别惫补, Aghora, 罢补迟辫耻谤耻峁 and 莫艣腻苍补.[3]
Thus the Tantras are considered to be revelations[4] of the Supreme Lord: 笔补谤补尘补艣颈惫补, intent to bestow grace to the whole universe (惫颈艣惫腻苍耻驳谤补丑补辫补谤补岣�) and having engaged in the four levels of speech,[5] divided himself into Luminosity (辫谤补办腻艣补) and Reflective Awareness (惫颈尘补谤艣补); thus questioned by Himself as 痴颈尘补谤艣补, He answers as 笔谤补办腻艣补, causing the doctrine to descend.[6]
The seven marks or topics of an 膧驳补尘补 are given in the first chapter of the V膩r膩h墨 Tantra, they being the creation and dissolution of the universe, the worship of the Devas, 蝉腻诲丑补苍腻 (spiritual practice), 辫耻谤补艣肠补谤补峁嘺 (a rite where a certain number of repetitions of a mantra is prescribed), 峁峁璳补谤尘补蝉 (six acts, such as pacification, subjugation, immobilization, causing dissention, eradication and liquidation), and 诲丑测腻苍补测辞驳补 (meditation).
The corpus of 罢腻苍迟谤颈办 literature is thought to consist of innumerable texts, themselves categorized into many divisions and subdivisions, but we can see six general 诲补谤艣补苍补蝉, classified according to the deity worshipped: thus the 艢补颈惫补 Tantras are devoted mainly to 艢颈惫补, the 艢腻办迟补 Tantras to the Goddess, the 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补 Tantras to 痴颈峁ａ箛耻, the Saurya Tantras to the Sun, the 骋腻峁嘺辫补迟测补 Tantras to 骋补峁噀艣补 and the Bauddha Tantras to Buddha.[7]
In the 艢腻办迟补 view, all these 诲补谤艣补苍补蝉, together with the Vedas and the various other 艣腻蝉迟谤补蝉, are to be considered as a single unit, since they have all been promulgated by the Supreme Lord to uplift sentient beings in different ways.[8] Thus, the 艢补办迟颈蝉补峁僩补尘补迟补苍迟谤补 says that wisdom can be attained through any of the various 诲补谤艣补峁嘺蝉, Vedas and other 艣腻蝉迟谤补蝉, without focusing on their differences from which disputes can arise; it is indeed for the sake of this unity that 碍腻濒颈办腻, the One who takes one across the ocean of worldly existence (产丑补惫补迟腻谤颈峁嚹�), manifested in a beautiful form to destroy the demons[9] 鈥搃.e. the various aspects of ignorance from where dualism arises.
Throughout all the various philosophical systems and doctrines, the Goddess is worshipped as the one and multiform Supreme Reality;[10] nevertheless it is in the nondual Saiva, 艢腻办迟补 and in particular the Kaula doctrines that the nondual view and the 艢腻办迟补 way of worship have a special position.
The nondual 艢补颈惫补 Tantras are known as Bhairava Tantras and they belong to the group of the 惭补苍迟谤补尘腻谤驳补 Tantras,[11] i.e. the Tantras of the "Path of the Mantras", which together with the 础迟颈尘腻谤驳补 Tantras (the Tantras of the "Higher Path") constitute the base of the 艢补颈惫补 罢腻苍迟谤颈办 Tradition.[12]
In the 艢谤墨办补峁囜弓丑墨测补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, referred by 膧肠腻谤测补 Abhinavagupta in his 罢补苍迟谤腻濒辞办补, the scriptures (of the 惭补苍迟谤补尘腻谤驳补) are divided into the 10 dual 艢aiv膩gam膩s, the 18 dual-cum- nondual Raudr膩gamas and the 64 nondual Bhair膩v膩gam膩s. In the Jayaratha鈥檚 commentary to the 罢补苍迟谤腻濒辞办补 it is explained that the 艢aiv膩gam膩s and the Raudr膩gamas were revealed by 艢颈惫补, who uttered them by combining his five faces in various ways; then, by focusing inward he revealed the Bhairava Tantras; thus he uttered the Kaul膩gamas through his secret and lower face, called "the Mouth of the 驰辞驳颈苍墨" (驰辞驳颈苍墨vaktra).[13]
The Bhairava Tantras follow the Kaula procedure (办补耻濒补辫谤补办谤颈测腻)[14] since they discuss the unity of 艢颈惫补 and 艢补办迟颈.[15] Among all the 艢补颈惫补 and 艢腻办迟补 膧驳补尘补s the Kula艣腻蝉迟谤补蝉 are said to reveal the most secret path,[16] or the path which leads to the ultimate experience of awareness.[17]
The Kaula Tantra is a doctrine where the union of the individual soul with the Supreme is pursued through awakening the inner 艢补办迟颈, who is Kula and who rests in the 尘奴濒腻诲丑腻谤补 cakra,[18] and uniting her with 艢颈惫补, who is Akula, in the 蝉补丑补蝉谤腻谤补辫补诲尘补.[19]
It is said in the 碍耻濒腻谤峁嘺惫补迟补苍迟谤补 (17.27):
鈥淎kula is 艢颈惫补, Kula is 艢补办迟颈: O my beloved, those who are intent in the meditation on Kula and Akula are Kaulikas.鈥�
The word 鈥�kula鈥�, which literally means a group of elements held together in a unity, also denotes here the whole of reality as well as its smaller sub-units, such as the universe, the world, the family and the individual.
Thus the supreme knowledge consists in the awareness of the unity of the entire manifestation (kula) with the transcendental reality (akula), on the basis that the presence of the Supreme is in each element of the manifested reality,[20] each single element is said also to contain all the others.[21] In this way, the individual, or specifically the human body, which is also called "kula",[22] is said to be the abode of 艢颈惫补 and 艢补办迟颈 and thus of the entire creation.
It is said in the 闯帽腻苍补蝉补峁卥耻濒颈苍墨迟补苍迟谤补 (1.8):
"All knowledge resides in the body; all the deities abide in the body. In the body are all the holy places: this is known through the words of the Guru."
The Kaula ritual, in this way, is based on the worship of the Supreme in its immanent (kula) and transcendental (akula) aspects: internally, through yogic practices; mentally, by the repetition of mantra; and externally, by using secret substances.[23] Thus in the Kaula path are present both the union with the Supreme (yoga) and participation in its manifestation (bhoga): what is generally considered to be a sin here is turned into a force for good, and the 蝉补峁僺腻谤补 itself becomes a means for liberation[24] 鈥攕颈苍肠别 蝉补峁僺腻谤补 itself is the blissful expansion of the Supreme Consciousness, and is therefore not different from it. In this tradition, everything is an aspect of 艢颈惫补 and thus the enjoyer of the creation is 艢颈惫补 himself, who for this purpose鈥搃.e. to enjoy the creation鈥搕akes the role of a limited individual by contracting his infinite freedom.[25]
In the Kaula path is thus made explicit the inseparability of the individual with the Supreme and the entire creation, or, in other words, of the offerer with the recipient of the offering and the offering itself.[26]
It is indeed in this Kaula Tradition that the 艢腻办迟补 doctrine develops its highest nondual expression.
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
The six 诲补谤艣补苍补蝉 are 艢补颈惫补, 艢腻办迟补, 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补, Saurya, 骋腻峁嘺辫补迟测补 and Bauddha 诲补谤艣补苍补蝉 (see below). 顿补谤艣补苍补 also means 'philosophy'.
[3]:
Each face of 艢颈惫补 also represents his five supreme 艢补办迟颈s or powers, namely Cit, 膧苍补苍诲补, 莫肠肠丑腻, 闯帽腻苍补 and 碍谤颈测腻 (respectively his powers of consciousness, bliss, will, knowledge and action). See 鈥�罢补苍迟谤补蝉腻谤补 of Abhinavagupta鈥�, of H.N. Chakravarti, Rudra Press, Oregon, 2012, p.55, footnote number 3.
[4]:
[5]:
Paul Muller-Ortega explains the four levels of speech in the following way: 鈥淔irst, the process of manifestation is harbored within 艢颈惫补 in a completely undifferentiated form, as nondifferent from him. This corresponds to 辫补谤腻 惫腻办. There then occur, as these principles begin to manifest, two intermediate levels corresponding to the levels of 辫补艣测补苍迟墨 and 尘补诲丑测补尘腻. Finally, the full-fledged manifestation of the ordinary tangible world of name and form takes place.鈥� (Paul Muller-Ortega, 鈥�The Triadic Heart of 艢颈惫补鈥�, Sri Satguru Publications, Delhi 1997, p.32).
[6]:
See the commentary by Am峁泃膩nandayogi on the 驰辞驳颈苍墨h峁沝aya (called 鈥�顿墨辫颈办腻鈥�) regarding the sentence 鈥�顿别惫测耻惫腻肠补鈥� (驰辞驳颈苍墨h峁沝aya, edited by 骋辞辫墨苍腻迟丑补 碍补惫颈谤腻箩补, Samp奴r峁嚹乶da Sanskrit Vi艣vavidy膩laya, 痴腻谤腻峁嘺蝉墨 1979, p.1).
[7]:
See 艢补办迟颈蝉补峁僩补尘补迟补苍迟谤补 (T膩r膩kha峁囜笉a 4.3, 5.48, 53-54). Sometimes the Jaina 罢腻苍迟谤颈办 Tradition is included in the classification instead of the Bauddha 罢腻苍迟谤颈办 Tradition: see 碍耻濒腻谤峁嘺惫补迟补苍迟谤补 (2.29) and 厂补耻产丑腻驳测补产丑腻蝉办补谤补产丑腻峁补 of Bhaskarar膩ya (p. 194).
[8]:
See supra.鈥擲ee also 艢补办迟颈蝉补峁僩补尘补迟补苍迟谤补 (T膩r膩kha峁囜笉a 5.48).
[9]:
[10]:
It is said in the Dev墨 Pur膩峁嘺 (p. 37): [...]
[11]:
In the 碍腻尘颈办腻驳补尘补 the 艣腻蝉迟谤补蝉 are divided into five groups: the first three groups include 艣腻蝉迟谤补蝉 of general knowledge, from the mundane (laukika, i.e. art, science, politic, medicine, etc.) to the Vedic and to other knowledges concerning the Soul (腻诲丑测腻迟尘颈办补, i.e. Yoga, 厂补峁僰丑测腻, etc.), and the last two groups include the 艣腻蝉迟谤补蝉 of the 艢补颈惫补 罢腻苍迟谤颈办 Tradition, which are the 础迟颈尘腻谤驳补 Tantras (the doctrines of Pa艣upatas and Kal膩mukh膩s) and the Mantra Tantras (Tantras). All the 艣腻蝉迟谤补蝉, from the mundane to the 罢腻苍迟谤颈办 ones, are said to be revealed by 艢颈惫补, through his five faces. Because each face possesses all five faces, the Mantratantras are also divided fivefold, into the 叠丑奴迟补迟补苍迟谤补蝉, 痴腻尘补迟补苍迟谤补蝉, Bhairavatantras, 骋腻谤耻岣峚迟补苍迟谤补蝉 and Siddhantatantras (see 鈥�The Canon of the 艢补颈惫腻驳补尘补 and the 碍耻产箩颈办腻 Tantras of the Western Kaula Tradition鈥� of Mark S. G. Dyczkowski, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi: 1989, pp.31-33).
[12]:
Alexis Sanderson, in his article 鈥�艢补颈惫颈蝉尘 and the Tantric Traditions鈥� (pp. 664-674), explains that the 础迟颈尘腻谤驳补 is the path of the 笔腻艣耻辫补迟补 and Lakula ascetics, who are devotes to Rudra and whose goal is liberation from any future rebirth; the 惭补苍迟谤补尘腻谤驳补 is instead the path of both ascetics and householders, who worship Bhairava and his consort with the goal of liberation (mukti) along with enjoyment (bhoga).
[13]:
See 罢补苍迟谤腻濒辞办补 (2.18, 28.147) and the commentary of Jayaratha.
[14]:
See 鈥�罢腻苍迟谤颈办 厂腻丑颈迟测补鈥� of 艢r墨 Mahopadhy膩ya Gopin膩tha 碍补惫颈谤腻箩补 (Lakhnaw: 1972, p.41).鈥擬ark S. G. Dyczkowski, in his 鈥�A Journey in the World of the Tantras鈥�, (Indica Books, Varanasi 2004, p.264, n.125) explains: 鈥淭he term 辫谤补办谤颈测腻 may, in some contexts, mean a 鈥榣iterary work鈥� but here I take it to mean 鈥榣iturgy鈥�. This usage coincides with that found in the expressions tantra辫谤补办谤颈测腻 and 办补耻濒补辫谤补办谤颈测腻. We are told by Jayaratha, the commentator on the 罢补苍迟谤腻濒辞办补, that the rituals and practices in the 罢补苍迟谤腻濒辞办补 belong to these two types, namely Tantric ritual and Kaula ritual. The former is centred on the God, Bhairava or 艢颈惫补, and the latter on the goddess or goddesses鈥�.
[15]:
Akula being 艢颈惫补 and Kula being 艢补办迟颈. From the union of kula and akula comes Kaula.
[16]:
[...] 碍补耻濒腻谤峁嘺惫补迟补苍迟谤补 (3.4)
[17]:
鈥淭he knowledge taught in other texts (膧驳补尘补s) is said to grant liberation only to a certain extent, but not from all bondage. On the other hand, the texts revealed by the Lord 笔补谤补尘别艣惫补谤补 bestow release from all sorts of bondage.鈥� (H.N. Chakravarti, 鈥�罢补苍迟谤补蝉腻谤补 of Abhinavagupta鈥�, Rudra Press, Portland, Oregon, 2012, p.54).
[20]:
In the Nityotsava (p. 7) it is said that the universe is the embodiment of the Supreme 艢颈惫补 ([...]). 艢r墨 Yogar膩j膩c膩rya in his commentary to the 笔补谤补尘腻谤迟丑补蝉腻谤补 of 艢r墨 Abhinavaguptapad膩c膩rya (1.5) quotes: [...] (鈥淓ven a portion of the Absolute is omnipresent; nothing exists outside him; he is beyond conceptualization鈥�, from the translation of Deba Brata SenSharma, in his 鈥�笔补谤补尘腻谤迟丑补蝉腻谤补 of Abhinavagupta. The Essence of the Supreme Truth鈥�, Muktabodha Indological Research Institute, New Delhi: 2007, p.14).
[21]:
[22]:
艢r墨 Am峁泃膩nandayog墨, in the commentary to the 驰辞驳颈苍墨h峁沝aya (p. 179), says: [...] (鈥�Kaulas are those perceiving the body, which is kula, as a means for liberation鈥�).
[23]:
[24]:
It is said in the 碍耻濒腻谤峁嘺惫补迟补苍迟谤补 (2.22-23): (鈥�) [...]
[25]:
In the 笔补谤补尘腻谤迟丑补蝉腻谤补 (1.5) 艢r墨 Abhinavagupta says: [...]
It is also said in the 笔补谤补艣耻谤腻尘补办补濒辫补蝉奴迟谤补 (1.5): [...]
[26]:
It is pointed out in the 叠丑腻惫补苍辞辫补苍颈峁诲: [...]鈥�"The worship of the 艢谤墨肠补办谤补 consists of the contemplation on the non-separateness of the knower (箩帽腻迟补) which is the offerer (丑辞迟腻), of the knowledge (箩帽腻苍补) which is the offering (arghya), and of the known (箩帽别测补) which is the oblation (havi).鈥�