Brahma Yamala Tantra And The Early Saiva Cult Of Yoginis Shaman Hatley ( Thesis)They come to fear their mortality and then palliate this fear by finding ways to deny vrahma altogether. Vamachara traditions place strict ritual limits on the use of these literal forms and warn against nonsanctioned use.The ritual explanation, as given in the. Brahma-Yamala, Vishnu-Yamala, and Todala Tantra are some of the important extant tantric works. Among the extant Agamas the most famous are Ishvara Samhita, Ahirbudhnya Samhita, Sanat-kumara Samhita, Narada Pancharatra, and Spanda Pradipika. Yamala ∙ This class of literature has eight texts attributed to realized souls, called Bhairavas. (Tantra Books) विज्ञान भैरव (भैरव भैरवी संवाद) - Vijnana Bhairav (The Mysterious Secret of The Rudrayamal Tantra) by नन्दलाल दशोरा (Nandalal Dashora).
By Shankara Bharadwaj Khandavalli
Agamas and Tantras are a vast collection of knowledge and form a major portion of spiritual literature and practices. Like the Veda, they have come down through Guru-Sishya parampara, in oral traditions. Agamas form the base for many of the popular as well as specialist aspects of Hinduism.
The word Agama means 'that which has come to (us)'. Tantra means 'that which protects with detail'. Sruti, the eternal word, is said to be of two forms – Nigama (Veda) and Agama. Two kinds of texts, Agama and Tantra are in general grouped under the same class of literature.
There are three main classes of Agamic/Tantric texts Vaishnava Agamas, Saiva Agamas and SaktaTantras, though not limited to these. The Vaishnava and Saiva texts are generally called Agamas, while the word Tantra in general applies to Sakta texts. However, technically Tantra is a part of Agama and owing to the centrality of Tantra the two words are used often interchangeably.
Agamas expound a variety of subjects and could be called the guides to a huge range of Hindu practices. They contain
- Manuals for worship
- Methods for salvation, Yoga
- Devata, Yantra
- Prayogas using various mantras
- Temple Building, Town planning
- Iconometry
- Domestic practices and civil codes
- Social/Public festivals
- Holy Places
- Principles of Universe, Creation and Dissolution
- Spiritual Philosophy
- Worlds
- Austerities
And many other interrelated subjects.
- 1Aspects of Agama
- 2The Four Padas
- 3Classification of Agamas
Aspects of Agama
Agama deals with three phenomena, MantraYantra and Tantra.
Mantra
Mantra is the sound-form of God-form and is often used synonymously to Devata. It is the means/basis for both Yantra and Tantra.
Yantra
Yantra is basically a contrivance, charged with the power of a mantra. It could be a geometric shape as in case of devata yantra or just any instrument as in case of an astra. It is the tool. The nature of Yantra depends on its purpose sought to be served.
Each devata is said to have a Yantra, a specific geometric shape that represents the nature of devata and a world model. For temporary purposes and worshipping, it could be drawn on clean floor with turmeric or some other powder, or for installations it could be carved on metal plates. The Yantra is worshipped and charged with corresponding mantra. It is treated like the devata, and is worshipped as the devata. The worship of yantra includes the worship of presiding Devata along with the consort, associate and subordinate Devatas and is an elaborate ritual consisting of propitiation of each of those.
Tantra
Tantra is the practitioner’s manual. It combines mantra, yogic methods and philosophy (Tatva-Mantra samanvaya). It elaborates procedures that a sadhaka should follow, at each stage of his sadhana.
Mantra, Yantra and Tantra are closely knit. Mantra is the energy. Yantras are geometric shapes that define the workings of various kinds of energies. Tantra deals with the philosophy and methods for redirecting and channelizing the energies to guide the spiritual evolution of the sadhaka.
Thus Tantra is the primary subject in Agamic literature. The word Tantra is in general used to refer to practices, and the subject dealing with those practices is called Tantra Sastra. To bring the spiritual knowledge of scriptures into the practitioner’s experience through well defined and time tested practices, is the essence of Tantra Sastra. For this reason, Tantra Sastra is variedly called Pratyaksha Sastra (the science of real experience), Sadhana Sastra (the science of spiritual practice) and Upasana Sastra. It has four parts or padas, jnana, yoga, kriya and carya.
The Four Padas
Jnana Pada
Jnana pada deals with worldview and spiritual philosophy. It explains the nature of universe, cause of phenomenal world, creation and dissolution, eternal and transient principles of nature, the nature of self, the philosophy of binding and liberation.
Yoga Pada
Yoga Pada specifies methods for getting into experience the knowledge that Jnana Pada expounds. It contains the procedures to be followed, through which the individual consciousness can be united with the eternal consciousness whose nature is infinite bliss. Yogic sadhana is of two forms, Antaranga (inner) and Bahiranga (external). Their purpose is to purify one’s mind, words and deeds. One can bring about the evolution of the entire being through these two kinds of practices, through which the divine principle that pervades existence is realized. The purpose of Tantra Sastra is not to simply realize the divine, but to make life an instrument of the divine, to make every action follow the divine will. That is affected when the individual consciousness is united in the eternal consciousness. Yoga Pada expounds the methods for achieving that, based on Yoga Sastra and the science of consciousness.
Yoga is of different kinds, Laya, Kundalini and Mantra. The primary emphasis of Tantra Sastra is Kundalini Yoga, and the secondary emphasis is on Mantra Marga that forms basis for invoking the energy required for pursuing Kundalini Yoga. Faith and Devotion give the necessary support for the practitioner, to remain perseverant in the path.
Kriya Pada
Kriya Pada deals with the religious aspect such as temple construction, domestic and temple rituals, pilgrimage. It also gives procedures for worship, ritual codes and the ingredients of worship.
Carya Pada
Carya Pada contains the austerity, code of conduct, regulations to be followed during Diksha.
Agamas are primarily used by three religions – Vaishnava, Saiva and Sakta.
Classification of Agamas
Vaishnava Agamas
The Vaishnava Agamas regard Vishnu as the supreme Godhead. They are said to have come from the mouth of Vishnu Himself. There are hundreds of Vaishnava Agamas. Boradly they could be classified as Panacratra and Vaikhanasa. Pancaratra, as the name suggests, involve a five-fold ritual schedule. There are about 200-225 Pancaratra texts. Vaikhanasa agamas are taught by Vikhana to his disciples like Marichi and Bhrigu.
A few Vaishnava Agamas: Isvara, Ahirbudhnya, Narada, Hayasirsha, Paushkara, Satvata, Jnanamrita sara.
Saiva Agamas
Saiva Agamas hold Siva as the supreme Godhead. There are 28 Saiva Agamas and they could be classified into two classes: 10 Siva bheda and 18 Rudra bheda Agamas. Further, the 28 are classified into four classes: Kapala, Kalamukha, Pasupata, Saiva. The last kind (Saiva) is further classified into two subclasses – Kasmira Saiva and Siddhanta Saiva. Kasmira Saiva is in vogue in the North and Siddhanta Saiva in South India. Each Saiva Agama has supplements/additional fragments called Upa-Agamas.
Brahma Yamala Tantra Pdf Reader
A few Saiva Agamas to mention: Kamika, Vira, Kirana, Parameswara, Swayambhuva.
Sakta Tantras
Sakta Agamas hold Sakti as the supreme Godhead. These Tantras are of two kinds, Vama and Dakshina. There are said to be 64 Sakta Agamas, but the number could be much more. Many of these are in the form of Siva-Sakti conversations.
A few Sakta Agamas to mention: Kularnava, Rudra Yamala, Brahma Yamala, Vishnu Yamala, Maha Nirvana.
Veda and Agama
Agamic literature has many parallels to the Vedic texts; however the major difference is that in the Vedic discipline the different texts are classified based on the subjects they deal with. The various subjects like grammar, etymology, meter, phonetics, poetry, analysis, astronomy-astrology, ritual codes, moral codes, social organization, and consciousness studies are organized into different texts and arranged in a hierarchy as the ancillary texts of the Vedic discipline. Agamic texts in contrast, though they deal with various disciplines of knowledge, are primarily meant to be guides for practitioners. Many of the above subjects are referred to directly and indirectly, without expounding them but taking them for granted (for example grammar and etymology, chandas, varna-ashrama dharma etc) clearly making them part of the indigenous knowledge system rather than a parallel or equivalent knowledge system.
To draw a parallel between the subjects commonly dealt in the Vedic and Agamic texts,
- The Jnana Pada of Agamic texts can be considered equivalent to the Upanishad portion of Veda and the Vedic Darsanas. However, the summary of spiritual philosophy of Veda is seen at the end of the Veda and in the worldviews based on the Veda, which shows evolution from Karma to Jnana. In Agamic texts it is the other way, the philosophy forms the basis for practice.
- Kriya-Carya can be considered equivalent to the Srauta-Smarta portions of Kalpa, in that they prescribe the ritual code and general codes respectively. The temple and individual worship prescribed in Agama are equivalent to Srauta and Grihya rituals respectively. The temple itself is regarded as a replica of Yaga Sala.
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Bhairava Yamala Tantra
SRI VIDYA And SRICHAKRA. ‚Brahma vishnucha rudracha eeshvaracha sadasivah Eteh panchakhurah proktha phalakasthu sadaasivah. Tashyopari mahaadevoh bhuvaneesho viraajiteh Yah devi nijaleelardham dwidaabhoota babhoovah. Others™ and in various ‚tantra sastras. Vaisnava tantra, brahma yamala. Vishnu yamala, etc.), but none of these can be said to have anything to do with the sexeo-religious practices described on page 13 of Up-date. Modern so-called tantrism as put forward by 'gurus' like Rajneesh is simply good old-fashioned hedonism in the guise of spirituality.
The has been described apart from Vedas in Devi bhagawatham,Skaantham, various puranas etcIt is also said univocally in all these holy scriptures that the ultimateobjective of the upasana is to Unfold the supreme in One's Self and the variousprocedures are described in great detail. The are mostly in the form ofa dialogue or an upadesa between Parameshwara and Parameshwari.
And he adds that each step in the service is accompanied by These are characterized by the predominance of each of the three gunas: The Yoga of delight, wonder, and astonishment: The most important of them, or, at least, the one most frequently quoted, is called the ‘. These practices are often generally considered to be Tantric in orientation. Brahma Yamala Tantra And The Early Saiva Cult Of Yoginis Shaman Hatley ( Thesis)They come to fear their mortality and then palliate this fear by finding ways to deny vrahma altogether. Vamachara traditions place strict ritual limits on the use of these literal forms and warn against nonsanctioned use.The ritual explanation, as given in the.
Library – – pages – Free Google eBook – Read An astrological misoellany compiled from various works, but principally from the following five Tantras, viz.The gurus and disciples of Aghor believe their state to be primordial and universal. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.Madya wineMamsa meatMatsya fishMudra cerealand Maithuna sexual intercourse. The early Buddhist tantric yogins and yoginis adopted the same goddess or dakini attributes of the kapalikas. And Aitkinson1 remarks that the descriptions given by Ward and Wilson fairly represent the practices in the mountains. These attributes consisted of; bone ornaments, an animal skin loincloth, marks tantraa human ash, a skull-cup, damaruflaying knife, thighbone trumpet, and the skull-topped tantric staff or khatvanga.In Mahadamara, which is a section of DevT YamalaBy using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Therefore, the phoneme If, the visarga, is termed the Rudra- yamalathe Rudra- dyad, According to this text, dakshina is characterized bragma sattva, and is pure; madhyama, characterized by rajas, is mixed; and vama, characterized by tamas, is impure.
Views Read Edit View history.However, it may be presumed, that the Rudrayamala is a’nong! Part 2 – Page 48 books. The kapalikas were originally miscreants who had been sentenced to a twelve-year term of penance for the crime of inadvertently killing a Brahmin.University of California Press. Brahma Yamala Tantra –Volume 2, Part 2 – Page 47 books.
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Left-handed and right-handed modes of practice may be evident in both orthodox and heterodox practices of Indian religions such as HinduismJainismSikhism and Buddhism and is a matter of taste, culture, proclivity, initiation, sadhana and dharmic “lineage” parampara.Children become progressively discriminating as they grow older and learn the culturally specific attachments and aversions of their parents. Siddha Traditions in Medieval India – Brahka books. Part of a series on. This ideal example serves as a prototype for other Aghor practices, both left and right, in ritual and in daily life.The handbook of Tibetan Buddhist symbols. They believe that all human beings are natural-born Aghori.
Brahma Yamala Tantra Pdf 2017
So it is not possible to say how far the text of.