Shakti and Shâkta : essays and addresses on the Shâkta Tantrashâstra

ANTRAS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE

and at another that of Rama. (Ch. [X). For all aspects are in Mahékali, one with Bhairava Mahakala, Who is Mahavishnu. “Itis only a fool” it says, ‘‘ who sees any difference between RAama and Shiva.” This is of course to look at the matter from the high Vedantik standpoint of Shakta doctrine. Nevertheless separate worship and rituals exist among the Sects. A common philosophical basis of the Shaivas and those Shaktas, who are Agamavadins, is the doctrine of the thirty-six Tattvas. These are referred to in the Tantra (Ch. VII) so well known in Bengal which is called Kularmava. They are also referred to in other Shakta works and their commentaries such as the Anandalahari. The Sharada Tilaka, a great authority amongst the Bengal Shaktas, is the work of Lakshmanacharyya an author of the Kashmir Shaiva school. The latter school as also the Shaktas are Advaitins. The Shaiva Siddhanta and Pancharatra are Shuddhadvaita and Visishtadvaita respectively. There is also a great body of Buddhist Tantras of differing schools. Now all these schools have Tantras of their own. The original connection of the Shaiva schools is said to be shown amongst other things, by the fact that some Tantras are common, such as Mrigendra and Matanga Tantras. It has been asserted that the Shakta school is not historically connected with the Shaivas. No grounds were given for this statement. Whatever be the historical origins of the former, the two appear to he in several respects allied at present, asany one who knows Shakta literature may find out for himself. In fact Shakta literature is in parts unintelligible to one unacquainted with some features of what is called the Shaiva Darshana. How otherwise is it that the 36 Tattvas and Shadadhva are common to both? The Shaktas have again been divided into three groups. Thus Pandit R. Ananta Shastri in the Introduction to his edition of the Anandalahari speaks of the Kaula or Shakta Shastras with sixty-four Tantras ; the Mishra with eight Tantras ; and the 21