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TANTRIK SADHANA: GURU AND DIKSA
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GURU AND DIKŞA Until a Sadhaka is Siddha he has to practise under the direction of a Guru or spiritual teacher. "It is the Guru who initiates and helps, and the relationship between him and the disciple (Shishya) continues until the attainment of spiritual Siddhi.x It is only from him that Sadhana and Yoga are learnt and not (as it is commonly said) from a thousand Shastras. Shatkarma Dipikä says:
पुस्तके लिखिता विद्या येन सुन्दरि जप्यते ।
सिद्धिर्न जायते तस्य कल्पको टिशतैरपि ।। There is no difference between Guru, Mantra and Deva. "Guru is the root (Mūla) of initiation (Dikshā). Dikshā is the root of Mantra. Mantra is the root of Devata, and Devata is the root of Siddhi.” Initiation (Dīkshā) is the giving of Mantra by the Guru. The latter first establishes the vital power (Prāna Shakti) of the Parama Guru in Sahasrāra, (the thousand-petalled lotus) in his own body. Then "as one lamp is lit at the flame of another, so the divine Shakti consisting of Mantra is communicated from the Guru's body to that of the Shishya." Without initiation, Japa Pūjā etc. are useless. * The Tantrik initiation is for all castes and both sexes. The suitability of a Mantra is ascertained from the Kula-chakra described in Tantras. Initiation by a woman is considered efficacious and that by a mother is eightfold so. Besides the preliminary initiation there are a number of other initiations or consecrations (Abhisheka) marking the stages of advance of the Sadhaka called Pūrnadīkshābhisheka and Mahāpūrnadikshābhisheka also called Virajā-Grahanābhisheka until Jivana Mukti is attained as a Paramahamsa.
COMMON ELEMENTS OF SÅDHANA We should state here that the main elements of Sādhanā are
x उपासनाशतेनापि यां विना नैव सिद्यति ।
तां दीक्षामाश्रयेद्यत्नात् श्रीगुरोर्मन्त्रसिद्धये ॥ कुलार्णवे, १८ उल्लासे, लो० ८८ * अदीक्षिता ये कुर्वन्ति जपपूजादिका क्रियाः ।
a rafra fri aai faranga oftaa li , 292, no 93
