Introduction to Tantra Sastra - Aghori

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INTRODUCTION TO TANTRA ŚĀSTRA
ṭ a-varga consonants set between the two vowels u and ū
are recited with “śikhāyai vaṣat” (vaṣat to the crown
lock); similarly the soft ta-varga between the vowels e
and ai are said with “kavacāya 1 hum.” The short vowel
o, the pa-varga, and the long vowel o are recited with
netra-trayāya vauṣat (vauṣat to the three eyes). 2
Lastly, between bindu and visarga 3 the consonants ya to
kṣa with “karatalakara pṛ ṣṭ ha-bhyam astraya phat”
(phat to the front and back of the palm). 4
The mantras of ṣaḍ aṇga-nyāsa on the body are used
for kara-nyāsa, in which they are assigned to the
thumbs, the “threatening” or index fingers, the middle
fingers, the fourth, little fingers, and the front and back
of the palm.
These actions on the body, fingers, and palms also
stimulate the nerve centres and nerves therein.
In pīṭ ha-nyāsa, the pīṭ has are established in place
of the mātṛ ka. The pīṭ has, in their ordinary sense, are
Kāmarūpa and the other places, a list of which is given
in the Yoginī-hṛ dāya. 5
For the attainment of that state in which the
sādhaka feels that the bhāva (nature, disposition) of the
Devatā has come upon him, nyāsa is a great auxiliary.
It is, as it were, the wearing of jewels on different parts
1 The Kavaca is the arms crossed on the chest, the hands clasping the
upper part of the arms just beneath the shoulders.
2 Including the central eye of wisdom (jñāna-cakṣu).
3 The nasal sound and hard breathing.
4 In all cases the letters are sounded with the nasal anusvāra, as (in the
last) a ṃ
, yaṃ
, raṃ
, lam, vaṃ
, śaṃ
, ṣaṃ
, saṃ
, haṃ
, kṣaṃ
, aḥ, etc.
5 See Bhāskararāya’s Commentary on śloka 156 of the Lalita-sahasranāma
and ante. The number of Pīṭ has is variously given as 50 or 51.