Introduction to Tantra Sastra - Aghori

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INTRODUCTION TO TANTRA ŚĀSTRA
action; 1 the energy of will when Brahman would create;
the energy of wisdom when She reminds Him, saying
“Let this be thus,” and when, thus knowing, He acts,
She becomes the energy of action. The Devī is thus
Icchā-śakti-jñāna-śakti-kriyā-śakti svarūpiṇ i. 2
Para-Śiva exists as a septenary under the form,
firstly, of Śambhu, who is the associate of time (Kālabandhu).
From Him issues Sadā-Śiva, Who pervades
and manifests all things, and then come Iśāna and the
triad, Rudra, Viṣṇ u and Brahma, each with His respective
Śakti (without whom they avail nothing 3 ) separately
and particularly associated with the guṇ as, tamas,
sattva and rajas. Of these Devas, the last triad,
together with Iśāna and Sadā-Śiva, are the five Śivas
who are collectively known as the Mahā-preta, whose
bīja is “Hsauh.” Of the Mahā-preta, it is said that the
last four form the support and the fifth the seat, of the
bed on which the Devī is united with Parama-śiva, in
the room of cintāmani stone; 4 on the jewelled island clad
with clumps of kadamba and heavenly trees set in the
ocean of Ambrosia. 5
2 Lalitā, verse 130 (see Bhāskararāya’s Commentary).
1 See Prāṇa-toṣini (pp. 8, 9). Goraksha Sanṃ
ita and Bhuta-shuddhi-
Tantra. See also Yoginī-Tantra, Part I, chap x.
3 And so the Kubjika Tantra (chap. i) says : " Not Brahma, Viṣṇu, Rudra
create, maintain or destroy; but Brahmi, Vaiṣ navi, Rudrāni. Their husbands
are as but dead bodies.”
4 The “stone which grants all desires” is described in the Rudrayāmala
and Brahmānda-Purāṇa. It is the place of origin of all those Mantras which
bestow all desired objects (cintita).
5 See Ānandalahari of Saṃ
karācarya, (verse 8), and Rudrayāmala. According
to the Bahurpastaka and Bhairavayāmala, the bed is Śiva, the pillow
Maheśana, the matting Śadaśiva, and the four supports Brahma, Hari,
Rudra and Iśāna. Hence Devi is called Pancha-preta-mancādhisāyini (verse
174, Lalitāsahasran āma).