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SOME REFLECTIONS ON SAKTOPASANA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE .........
Kätyāyani, 9. Durga and 10. Lalita.
in Jainim. In the Tântric tradition Vidyā and Mantrahave Having thrown some light on Sāktopāsanā with very significant place. The difference between Vidyāand special reference to śrividya let us examine the Sāktopāsa in mantra is very simple. Vidya is always presided over by a Buddhism and Jainism:
female deity, while the presideng deity of Mantra is always a Out of Mahāyāna Vajrayāna or Mantrayāna male deity. Thus there are 16 Vidyās they have 16 female emerged as a branch, which itself became the source of nine presiding deities. There are 24 yaksiyās one for each subsects of Vajrayana. They are:1. Srāvakayāna, 2. Tīrthankara For detalis Sagarmal Jain's Tantric Sadhanais Pratyekabudhayāna, 3. Bodhisattvayāna, 4.Kriyātantrayāna, the best book they are found in the two traditions of Jainism, 5. Garyā or Upāyatantrayāna. 6. Yogatantrayāna, is. some in the Svetāmbara tradition and some in the which itself has three subsects, 7. Mahāyogatanrayāna, Digambara tradition. 8. Anuttaayogatanrayāna and 9. Atiyogatantrayāna. Out of In the Hindu tradition here are only ten Mahāvidyas these three nine subsects of vajrayāna first three were but in Jainism there are 16 Vidyas It's a fact that the Tāntric ascertained in the three Budhhist Councils just after the tradition was smuggled in Jainism either from Hinduism or departure of Buddha himeself. Remaining six were taught of form Buddhism but once it entered into Jainism the various Padmasambh- ava in Tibbet. In the yāna literature four dimensions of occult sciences like Yantras and Mantras made disciplines were exponded: 1. Drştipāda, 2. Dhayānapăda a, their strong grounding in Jainism. These Yantras and Mantras 3. Caryāpāda, 4.Phalapād.
have their presiding deities and they are effective only their The worship of the Buddhist deity-Tārā is well deities are awakened. Jainism has almost the same status and known worshiped by Hindus as well as Buddhists alike. there significance for Śāktopāsanā which we find in Hinduism is huge literature on the worship of Tara. There are at least 33 and Buddhism.. When we come to the Stotra literature in books on the worship of Tara. In these books five organed Jainism there are stotras addressed to various deities. But worship of Tārā- Patala, Paddhati, Kavaca, Nāmasahasra and when we read Sri Padmavatistotra we are reminded of stotra have been in detail described. Manimekhalā-the female Lalităsahasranama. She has been addressed with various deity similar to Tārā female deity of Mahāyāna is worshiped names such as Kali Karāli, Candi, Cāmundi, Brahmāņi, by Hinayāna. Buddhists of Ceylon and Thailand etc. woship Kälarātri, Tārā, Gauri, Vajrā, Gāyatrī, Prakriti, Bhārti, her as the sea-deity. Tärä-Tārākā pair is like the pair of siva- Tripură, Samayā, Māyä etc. In the entire Jainism she is Śakti. Advayavajrasangrahatreats Sūnyataas the bride and supposed to be the most auspicious deity. The worship of this can be achieve by Pratibhāsa, the bridegroom. They have Padamāvati leads to both first, the devotee gets all wordly been associated in a pair. They can relish the natural bliss pleasures and ultimately liberation too. The author of this only when they are in pair like Siva-Sakti.
article congratulates on this occassion Dr. Sagarmal Jain For Jainism like Buddhism is atheistic but it belives in his latest book published in 1997 entitled Jaina Dharma Aur twenty-four Tirthankaras. They are worshipped like Hindu Tantri Sadhanā since it has thrown light on some of esoteric deities. In the early Jainism there was no place for Mantra branches of Jaina Tradition so long very little known and it and Tantra. But still earlier, the tradition of Pārsvanātha is reference book for further investigations ino the Jaina accepted Mantra and Tantra. In the Jaina Tradition of Tantra, Tântric Sādhanā. it is Pārsvanātha or Padmăvati is worshiped and never Mahāvīra. In Jainism about 4th and 5th century B.C. Tantra References :entred into it. There is reference of Vidyadharakula in the
1. Manusmrtih, II, 28. Kalpasūtra Pattāvali. The ancient Jaina literature also refers 2. Srimadbhāgavata, 1.6.17 --25. Janghācāri and vidyācāri two Śramaņas who acquired 3. Ibid, X.29.10. supernatural powers through rigorous sādhanäs by which 4. Kulārnava Tantra, XvII, 67. they could move into the sky. Dr. Sagarmal Jain's recent 5. Pangalopanişad, IV. 21-22. book-Jainadharma aura Tântric Sadhana is a beautiful
6. Řg Veda, Astaka, VIII, 7.11. reference book which has exploded a huge Tantric literature
7. Drvyatharvasirșa, 2.
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