Introduction to Tantra Sastra - Aghori
Introduction to Tantra Sastra - Aghori
Introduction to Tantra Sastra - Aghori
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INITIATION: DĪKṢ Ā<br />
INITIATION 1 is the giving of mantra by the guru. At the<br />
time of initiation the guru must first establish the life of<br />
the Guru in his own body; that is the vital force (prānaśakti)<br />
of the Supreme Guru whose abode is in the<br />
thousand-petalled lotus. As an image is the instrument<br />
(yantra) in which divinity (devatva) inheres, so also is<br />
the body of guru. The day prior there<strong>to</strong> the guru should,<br />
according <strong>to</strong> <strong>Tantra</strong>, seat the intending candidate on a<br />
mat of kuśa grass. He then makes japa of a “sleep<br />
mantra” (suptamantra) in his ear, and ties his crown<br />
lock. The disciple, who should have fasted and observed<br />
sexual continence repeats the mantra thrice, prostrates<br />
himself at the feet of the guru, and then retires <strong>to</strong> rest.<br />
Initiation, which follows, gives spiritual knowledge and<br />
destroys sin. As one lamp is lit at the flame of another,<br />
so the divine śakti, consisting of mantra, is communicated<br />
from the guru’s body <strong>to</strong> that of the Śiṣya. Without<br />
dikṣa, japa of the mantra, pūjā, and other ritual acts,<br />
are said <strong>to</strong> be useless. Certain mantras are also said <strong>to</strong><br />
be forbidden <strong>to</strong> śūdras and women. A note, nowever, in<br />
the first Chalākṣara-Sūtrā <strong>to</strong> the Lalita 2 would, however,<br />
show that even the śūdras are not debarred the<br />
use of even the Praṇ ava, as is generally asserted. For<br />
1 As <strong>to</strong> who may initiate, see <strong>Tantra</strong>sāra, chap. i.<br />
2 First Chalāksara-Sūtra. This is an index <strong>to</strong> the Sahasra-nāmā, like the<br />
Sarvānukramaṇikā <strong>to</strong> the Veda. There are three svaras in laukikavyākarana—viz,<br />
udātta, the high accent, anudātta, its opposite or the low<br />
accent and, svaritā, which Pānini says is the combination (samāhrta) of both.<br />
Pracaya is Vaidik (chāndasa).