Introduction to Tantra Sastra - Aghori

INHABITANTS OF THE WORLDS 31
are destroyed, the embodiment is destroyed, and the
wearer of the māyik garment attains nirvāṇ a. When
the jīva is absorbed in Brahman, there is no longer any
jīva remaining as such.
VAR Ṇ A
ORDINARILY there are four chief divisions or castes
(varṇ a) of Hindu society—viz.: Brāhmaṇ a (priesthood;
teaching); Kṣattriya (warrior); Vaiśya (merchant); Śūdra
(servile) said to have sprung respectively from the
mouth, arm, thigh, and foot of Brahma. A man of the
first three classes becomes on investiture, during the
upanayana ceremony of the sacred thread, twice-born
(dvija). It is said that by birth one is sūdra, by
saṃskāra (upanayana) dvija (twice born); by study of
the Vedas one attains the state of a vipra; and that he
who has knowledge of the Brahman is a Brāhmaṇ a. 1
The present Tantra, however, speaks of a fifth or hybrid
class (sāmānya), resulting from intermixture between
the others. It is a peculiarity of Tantra that its worship
is largely free of Vaidik exclusiveness, whether based on
caste, sex or otherwise. As the Gautamiya-Tantra says,
“The Tantra is for all men, of whatever caste, and for all
women” (Sarvavarṇ ādhikāraśca nāriṇ āṃ yogya eva ca).
1 Janmanā jāyate Śūdrah
Saṃ
skārād dvija ucyate
Veda-pāthat bhavet viprah
Brahma jṇānāti brāhmaṇāh.