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पंचम खण्ड / २९०
the tantra has mentioned great caution to be exercised in the worship with wine and woman, and has fixed a very strict standard of eligibility for the Panchatattva sadhakas. In actual practice these standards and cautions were neglected by the followers of tantra and this highly specialised sadhana was put to a great misuse. Actually, the way of tantra was to satisfy the desires completely and once for all through enjoyment as a part of worship, and not through running away from enjoyment. It was a way of going from maithuna to the divine union of Shiva and Shakti.
It is very important to remember that when tantra advocates the use of wine, meat, and sex as a part of ritual and sadhana, it clearly demands a very high degree of vairagya from the sadhaka. Panchatattva sadhana was never prescribed for the one whose mind was not under control. If a sadhaka practised panchatattva worship with any desire for sensual pleasure, then strict punishment was recommended. For instance, it is said as follows in the Kularnava tantra (II. 122.):-"If a kaula sadhaka drinks wine out of desire for enjoyment, then boiling hot wine should be poured into his mouth as a punishment. This will be a corrective treatment for his sin".
There are hundreds of instances in the important tantra works like the Tantrasara, Mahanirvanatantra, Tantrarajatantra, Rudrayamala, Gandhrvatantra, and so on, where detailed instructions are given about the attitude with which worship is to be done in the panchatattva sadhana, about the restrictions on drinking wine and under-going sexual union, and about the general behaviour of the participants. If these instructions would have been followed by all the sadhakas, than tantric sadhana could have become the mainnspring of all the spiritual endeavours of mankind. But it seems that the lofty ideals of the ancient masters of tantra were forgotten by the lesser followers and therefore a great shastra came into disrepute. It may be hoped that with a proper understanding of the principles of tantra its practices may be revived with care and caution. Such a revival would certainly be very worthwhile and useful.
-Head of the Deptt. of Yogic Studies University of Sagar, Sagar (M. P.), 470 001
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