Shakti and Shâkta : essays and addresses on the Shâkta Tantrashâstra

ne

SHAKTI AND SHAKTA

some more unrestrained practice ; and the former again may be contrasted with a modern Chakra described in the 13th Chapter of the Life of Bejoy Krishna Gosvami by Jagadbandu Maitra. There a TAntrika Siddha formed a Chakra at which the Gosvami was present. The latter says that all who were there, felt as if the Shakti was their own Mother who had borne them, and the Devatais whom the Chakreshvara invoked appeared in the circle to accept the offerings. Whether this is accepted as a fact or not, it is obvious that it was intended to describe a Chakra of a different kind from that of which we have more commonly heard. There are some practices which are not correctly understood ; there some principles which the bulk of men will not understand ; for to so understand there must be besides knowledge that undetinable Bhava, the possession of which carries with it the explanation which no words can give. I have dealt with this subject in the Chapter on the Panchatattva. There are expressions which do not bear their surface meaning. Gomdngsa-bhakshana is not ‘beef eating’ but putting the tongue in the root of the throat. What some translate as “ Ravishing the widow ” refers not toa woman but toa process in Kundali Yoga and so forth. Lastly and this is important ; a distinction is seldom, if ever, made between Shastric principles and actual practice, nor is count taken of the conditions properly governing the worship and its abuse. It is easy to understand that if Hinduism has in general degenerated, there has been a fall here. It is however a mistake to suppose that the sole object of these rites is enjoyment. It is not necessary to be a “ Tantrik” for that. The moral of all this is, that it is better to know the facts than to make erroneous eeneralisations.

There are said to be three Kr&antas or geographical divisions of India, of which roughly speaking the NorthEastern portion is Vishnukranta, the North-Western Rathakranta and the remaining and Southern portion is

91