Comparative Study of Mantrashastra

Author(s): Mohanlal Bhagwandas Jhaveri
Publisher: Sarabhai Manilal Nawab

Page 68

TANTRAS: PANCHATATTVA
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ritual practice is generally of historical interest only. Such practice, to-day is under the influence of the time being transformed. The only thing which can be said about this practice, says Sir John woodroffe, is that it is not a modern invention but seems to be a continuation of ancient Vaidik usage. The argument advanced by the Tantrikas in favour of Panchatattva Sadhakas is:- "It is irrational to accept one portion of Shastra as valuable and reject another as worthless. The principle underlying the Sadhana is thus enunciated.
यरेव पतनं द्रव्यैः सिद्धिस्तैरेव चोदिता।
श्रीकौलदर्शने चैव भैरवेण महात्मना । —कुलार्णवे पंचमोल्लासे श्लो० ४८ The Great Bhairava has ordained in the Kaula doctrine that Siddhi (spiritual advancement ) must be achieved by means of those very things which are the causes of man's downfall.
The Tantras themselves contain injunctions against unrestrained indulgence in flesh, wine and woman. Kulārnava Tantra says:
मद्यपानेन मनुजेो यदि सिद्धिं लभेत वै। मद्यपानरता: सर्वे सिद्धिं गच्छन्तु पामराः ।। मांसभक्षणमात्रेण यदि पुण्यमतिर्भवेत् । लोके मांसाशिन: सर्वे पुण्यभाजो भवन्त्विह ॥ स्त्रीसम्भोगेन देवेशि यदि माक्षं व्रजन्ति वै ।
सर्वेऽपि जन्तवो लोके मुक्ताः स्युः स्त्रीनिषेवणात् ।। If a man can obtain Liberation by drinking, all given to drinking would attain Liberation. If one can be meritorious merely by eating meat, all meat-eaters would be meritorious. If they attain salvation by sexual enjoyment with women, all the creatures would be emancipated by sexual intercourse with women.
Sir John Woodroffe says that the usage of wine, meat and so forth is itself very old. "If the subject be studied it will, I think, be found that in this matter those worshippers are the continuators of very ancient practices which had their counterparts in the earlier Vaidikāchåra, but were subsequently abandoned, possibly under the influence of Jainism and Buddhism. In Vaidikāchăra Soma used to be taken instead