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RELIGIOUS SECTS
powers in this life, and to be identified after death with Śiva and SAKTI.
According to the immediate object of the worshipper is the particular form of worship; but all the forms require the use of some or all of the five Makáras', Mánsa, Matsya, Madya, Maithuna, and Mudrá, flesh, fish, wine, women, and certain mystical gesticulations. Suitable Mantras are also indispensable, according to the end proposed, consisting of various unmeaning monosyllable combinations of letters of great imaginary efficacy?
They are thus enumerated in the Syámá Rahasya :
मद्यं मांसञ्च मत्स्यश्च मुद्रा मैथुनमेव च ।
मकारपञ्चकञ्चैव महापातकनाशनम् ॥ “Wine, flesh, fish, Mudrá, and Maithuna, are the five - fold Makára, which takes away all sin.” [See also Práúatoshani, Calc. edition, p. 277, a.]
2 Many specimens might be given, but one will be here sufficient. It is the combination H and S as 7, and is one of the very few to which any meaning is attempted to be given: it is called the Prásáda Mantra, and its virtues and import are thus described in the Kulárnava (chapter 3]:
श्रीप्रासादपरामन्त्रमूलीम्नायप्रतिष्ठितम् ।
आवयोः परमाकारं यो वेत्ति सः शिवः स्वयम् ॥ शिवादिक्रिमिपर्यन्तं प्राणिनां प्राणवम॑नाम् ।
निश्वासोच्छ्रासरूपेण मन्त्रो ऽयं वर्त्तते प्रिये ॥ “He who knows the excellent Prásáda Mantra, that was promulgated by the fifth Veda, (the Tantras) and which is the supreme form of us both, he is himself ŠIVA: this Mantra is present in all beings that breathe, from Siva to a worm, and exists in states of expiration and inspiration.” The letter H is the expirated, and S the inspirated letter, and as these two acts constitute life, the Mantra they express is the same with life: the
