Tantra Yoga By Sri Swami Sivananda

Introduction

तंत्र -योग एक विहंगावलोकन 

संस्कृत साहित्य का वर्गीकरण अध्ययन की दृष्टि से छः शाश्त्र -सम्मत परम्परागत या रूढ़िवादी धाराओं एवं चार धर्म से इतर लौकिक धाराओं या सेकुलर शीर्षों ,प्रमुख धाराओं में किया जा सकता है।

छः शास्त्र सम्मत धाराएं इस प्रकार हैं :

(१) श्रुति 

(२ )स्मृति 

(३ )इतिहास 

(४ )पुराण 

(५ )आगम 

(६ )दर्शन 

सेकुलर धाराएं इस प्रकार हैं :

(१ )सुभाषित 

(२ )काव्य 

(३ )नाटक 

(४ )अलंकार 

 आगम धर्म - शास्त्र -विषयक प्रकरण ,प्रबंध या आलेख हैं, गाइड हैं ,नियम पुस्तिका हैं पूजा अर्चना के व्यावहारिक दिग्दर्शन की। इनके अंतर्गत आएंगे ;

(१ )तंत्र 

( २ )मंत्र और 

(३ )यन्त्र 

ये कह सकतें हैं हम के आलेख  हैं कैप्स्युल्स हैं मूर्तिपूजा -विधान के ,मंदिरों में अपनाये गए पूजा अर्चना के तरीके समझाते  हैं ये प्रकरण।अलावा इसके  सभी आगमों में चर्चा की गई है :

(१ )ज्ञान या नालिज की 

(२ )योग या ध्यान की 

(३ )क्रिया या मेकिंग की 

(४ )चर्या या डूइंग 

यहां आपको विस्तृत और सटीक ब्योरा मिलेगा तात्त्विकी या सत्ता मीमांसा का ,सृष्टि विज्ञान या कास्मॉलॉजी का ,मुक्ति ,भक्ति ,ध्यान समाधि ,मंत्रों में गुंथा दर्शन शास्त्र ,अध्यात्म विद्या का दिग्दर्शन कराते रेखा -चित्र ,मंत्र -तावीज़ ,माया शक्ति ,मोहिनी शक्ति ,वशीकरण (Charms and Spells ),मंदिर -निर्माण की कला ,चित्रकारी (चित्रकला ,इमेज मेकिंग ),घरेलू -प्रथाएं ,समाज में उठ बैठ के नियम सामाजिक नियम -विधान ,जन-पर्व।

(आगमों का आगे वर्गीकरण पढ़िए अगली क़िस्त में ...)

आगमों को तीन संभागों या उपवर्गों में बांटा गया है :

(१)वैष्णव 

(२ )शैव और 

(३ )शाक्त 

तीनों के अपने-अपने  मत और निर्धारित सिद्धांत हैं। ये सनातन सम्प्रदाय कहे गए हैं भारतधर्मी समाज के।

वैष्णव सम्प्रदाय (पंचरात्र )विष्णु का गुणगायन ,शैव -भगवान शंकर (शिव )का जिसे शैव - सिद्धांत भी कहा  गया

है ,तथा -

शाक्त-आगम या तंत्र  देवी शक्ति की ,विश्व की विभिन्न नाम रूपधारी  मातृ शक्ति को  परमात्मा के रूप में पूजते हैं।

आगम यद्यपि वेदों को प्रमाण नहीं मानते लेकिन इनका विरोध भी कहीं नहीं करते दीखते हैं।

आत्मा और चरित यकसां हैं आगम -निगम वेदपुराण का।

इसीलिए इन्हें 'प्रमाण 'शब्द प्रमाण' कहा माना गया है जिन्हें आगे किसी और 'प्रमाण' की ज़रूरत नहीं है।

तंत्र आगम का संबंध शाक्त -कल्ट ,शाक्त सम्प्रदाय से है। 

इसके समर्थक शक्ति को ही विश्व -माता  मानते हैं।यहां शक्ति उपासना का बहुविध विधान हैं। यहां अनुष्ठान परक ,कर्म -काण्ड परक तरीकें हैं देवी उपासना पूजा अर्चना के।

सत्ततर आगम बतलाये गए हैं।  

कुछ मायनों में ये पुराणों जैसे ही हैं। यहां शिव -पार्वती कथा संवाद रूप में है। दोनों प्रश्न करता भी हैं समाधान करता भी यानी उत्तर प्रदाता भी हैं। एक पूछता है दूसरा ज़वाब देता है। बारी -बारी। इनसे ताल्लुक रखने वाले प्रमुख ग्रंथ या कार्य रहे हैं :

(१ )महानिर्वाण निष्पादन एवं अवधारणा 

(२ )कुलार्णव 

(३ )कुलासरा (कुलसर )

(४ )प्रपञ्चसर (प्रपंचासर )

(५ )तन्त्रजा (तंत्रज )

(६ )रूद्र यमला 

(७ )ब्रह्म यमला 

(८ )तोडला तंत्र 

महानिर्वाण तंत्र आगमों से चस्पां एक प्रमुख ग्रन्थ है। इनमें तंत्र -मन्त्र ,जादुई ,रहस्यात्मक (तर्क और विज्ञान से परे ,पारतार्किक )ऑकल्ट प्रेक्टिस प्र -शिक्षण भी है शक्ति अंतरण भी। यहां ज्ञान भी है फ्रीडम भी (प्राप्त शक्ति या वस्तु के उपयोग की आज़ादी  भी है  ). 

(ज़ारी )

संदर्भ -सामिग्री :

Sanskrit literature can be classified under six orthodox heads and four secular heads. They are: (i) Sruti, (ii) Smriti, (iii) Itihasa, (iv) Purana, (v) Agama, and (vi) Darsana; and (i) Subhashita, (ii) Kavya, (iii) Nataka and, (iv) Alankara.

The Agamas are theological treatises and practical manuals of divine worship. The Agamas include Tantras, Mantras, and Yantras. These are treatises explaining the external worship of God, in idols, temples, etc. All the Agamas treat of (i) Jnana or Knowledge, (ii) Yoga or concentration, (iii) Kriya or making, and (iv) Charya or doing. They also give elaborate details about the ontology, cosmology, liberation, devotion, meditation, philosophy of Mantras, mystic diagrams, charms and spells, temple-building, image-making, domestic observances, social rules, and public festivals.

The Agamas are divided into three sections: the Vaishnava, the Saiva, and the Sakta. The three chief sects of Hinduism, viz., Vaishnavism, Saivism, and Saktism, base their doctrines and dogmas on their respective Agamas. The Vaishnava Agamas or Pancharatra Agamas glorify God as Vishnu. The Saiva Agamas glorify God as Siva and have given rise to an important school of philosophy known as Saiva Siddhanta. The Sakta Agamas or Tantras glorify God as the Mother of the world under one of the many names of Devi. The Agamas do not derive their authority from the Vedas, but they are not antagonistic to them. They are all Vedic in spirit and character. That is the reason why they are regarded as authoritative.

The Tantra Agamas belong to the Sakta cult. They glorify Sakti as the World-Mother. They dwell on the Sakti (energy) aspect of God and prescribe numerous courses of ritualistic worship of Divine Mother in various forms. There are seventy-seven Agamas. These are very much like the Puranas in some respects. The texts are usually in the form of dialogues between Siva and Parvati. In some of these, Siva answers the questions put by Parvati and in others Parvati answers, Siva questioning. Mahanirvana, Kularnava, Kulasara, Prapanchasara, Tantraraja, Rudra Yamala, Brahma Yamala, Vishnu Yamala, and Todala Tantra are the important works. The Agamas teach several occult practices, some of which confer powers, while the others bestow knowledge and freedom. Among the existing books the Mahanirvana Tantra is the most famous.

Tantra Yoga

Tantra Yoga had been one of the potent powers for the spiritual regeneration of the Hindus. When practised by the ignorant, unenlightened, and unqualified persons, it has led to certain abuses; and there is no denying that some degraded forms of Saktism have sought nothing but magic, immorality, and occult powers. An example of the perverted expression of the truth, a travesty of the original practices, is the theory of the five Makaras (Pancha Makaras);-Madya or wine, Mamsa or flesh, Matsya or fish, Mudra or symbolical acts, and Maithuna or coition. The esoteric meaning of these five Makaras is: "Kill egoism, control flesh, drink the wine of God-intoxication, and have union with Lord Siva".

Tantra explains (Tanoti) in great detail the knowledge concerning Tattva (Truth or Brahman) and Mantra (mystic syllables). It saves (Trayate). Hence it is called Tantra.

The Tantras are not books of sorcery, witchcraft, magic spells, and mysterious formulae. They are wonderful scriptures. All persons without the distinctions of caste, creed, or colour may draw inspiration from them and attain spiritual strength, wisdom, and eternal bliss. Mahanirvana and Kularnava Tantras are the important books in Tantra Sastra. Yoga Kundalini Upanishad of Krishna Yajurveda, Jabala Darsana, Trisikha Brahmana, and Varaha Upanishad are useful for getting knowledge of Kundalini Sakti and the methods to awaken it and take it to Sahasrara Chakra at the crown of the head.

The Tantra is, in some of its aspects, a secret doctrine. It is a Gupta Vidya. You cannot learn it from the study of books. You will have to get the knowledge and practice from the practical Tantrikas, the Tantric Acharyas and Gurus who hold the key to it. The Tantric student must be endowed with purity, faith, devotion, dedication to Guru, dispassion, humility, courage, cosmic love, truthfulness, non-covetousness, and contentment. Absence of these qualities in the practitioner means a gross abuse of Saktism.

The Sakti Tantra is Advaita Vada. It proclaims that Paramatman (Supreme Soul) and Jivatman (individual soul) are one. The Saktas accept the Vedas as the basic scriptures. They recognise the Sakta-Tantras as texts expounding the means to attain the goal set forth in the Vedas.

Tantra Yoga lays special emphasis on the development of the powers latent in the six Chakras, from Muladhara to Ajna. Kundalini Yoga actually belongs to Tantric Sadhana which gives a detailed description about this serpent-power and the Chakras (plexus). Entire Tantric Sadhana aims at awakening Kundalini, and making her to unite with Lord Sadasiva, in the Sahasrara Chakra. Methods adopted to achieve this end in Tantric Sadhana are Japa of the Name of the Mother, prayer, and various rituals.

Guru and Diksha (Initiation)

Yoga should be learnt from a Guru (spiritual preceptor). And this is true all the more in the case of Tantra Yoga. It is the Guru who will recognise the class to which the aspirant belongs and prescribe suitable Sadhana.

The Guru is none other than the Supreme Divine Mother Herself, descended into the world in order to elevate the aspirant. As one lamp is lit at the flame of another, so the divine Sakti consisting of Mantra is communicated from Guru to the disciple. The disciple fasts, observes Brahmacharya, and gets the Mantra from the Guru.

Initiation tears the veil of mystery and enables the disciple to grasp the hidden truth behind scriptures' texts. These are generally veiled in mystic language. You cannot understand them by self-study. Self-study will only lead you to greater ignorance. The Guru only will give you, by Diksha (initiation), the right perspective in which to study the scriptures and practise Yoga.

Qualifications of a Disciple

The qualifications of the disciple are purity, faith, devotion, dispassion, truthfulness, and control of the senses. He should be intelligent and a believer in Vedas. He must abstain from injury to all beings. He must be vigilant, diligent, patient, and persevering. He must be ever doing good to all. All Sadhana should be done under the personal direction of a Guru or spiritual teacher.

Tantra Sadhana

Bhuta Suddhi is an important Tantric rite. It means purification of the five elements of which the body is composed. The Sadhaka (aspirant) dissolves the sinful body and makes a new divine body. He infuses into the body the life of the Devi.

Nyasa is a very important and powerful Tantric rite. It is placing of the tips of the fingers of the right hand on various parts of the body, accompanied by Mantra.

In Kavacha the one Brahman is invoked by different names in order to protect different parts of the body. For example, Parabrahman is thought of as in the Sahasrara Padma in the head. The Supreme Lord is meditated upon in the heart. Protector of the world, Vishnu is invoked to protect the throat, so that the aspirant may utter the Mantras of his Ishta Devata.

Mudra is ritual of manual gestures. Mudra gives pleasure to the Devatas. There are 108 Mudras. In welcoming (Avahana) the Devata an appropriate gesture is made. In making offering (Arghya) Matsya Mudra is made. The right hand is placed on the back of the left and the two thumbs are extended finlike on each side of the hands. Similarly, there are Mudras for the various acts done during the worship.

Yantra takes the place of the image. It is an object of worship. Yantra is a diagram, drawn on paper. It is engraved on a metal sheet also. A Yantra is appropriated to a specific Devata only. Various Yantras are peculiar to each Devata. They are various designs according to the object of worship. Yantra is the body of the Devata. All the Yantras have a common edging called Bhupura. They have a quadrangular figure with four doors, which encloses and separates the Yantra from the external world.

The Sadhaka first meditates upon the Devata or Deity and then arouses the Devata in himself. He then communicates the Divine presence thus aroused to the Yantra. When the Devata has been invoked into the Yantra by the appropriate Mantra, the vital airs (Prana) of the Devata are infused therein by the Pranapratishtha ceremony. The Devata is thereby installed in the Yantra. The materials used or acts done in Puja are called Upachara. They are sixteen in number, viz., (1) Asana (seating of the Devata); (2) Svagata (welcoming of the Devata); (3) Padya (water for washing the feet); (4) Arghya (water for ablution); (5) Achamana (water for sipping); (6) Madhuparka (honey, ghee, milk, and curd); (7) Snana (bath); (8) Vastra (cloth); (9) Abharana (jewels); (10) Gandha (perfume); (11) Pashpa (flowers); (12) Dhupa (incense); (13) Dipa (light); (14) Naivedya (food) and Tambulam (betel); (15) Nirajana (Arati); and (16) Vandana (prostration and prayer).

Sadhakas are of three kinds, viz., Pasu (animalistic), Vira (valorous), and Divya (divine).

The Pancha Tattva

The Pancha Tattva is essential for the worship of Sakti. The Pancha Tattvas are wine (Madya), meat (Mamsa), fish (Matsya), parched cereal (Mudra) and sexual union (Maithuna). As they all commence with the letter M, they are vulgarly called Pancha-ma-kara or five M's. The Pancha Tattvas stand for drinking, eating and propagation. The Pancha Tattvas, the five elements of worship destroy great sins, Maha-pataka-nasanam.

The Pancha Tattvas have not always their literal meaning. The meaning differs according as they refer to the Tamasic (Pasu), Rajasic (Vira) or Sattvic (Divya) Sadhanas respectively.

Wine may be wine; or it may be coconut water or it may mean God-intoxication or the intoxicating knowledge of Brahman or the Absolute. Wine is a symbol to denote the Supreme, eternal Bliss of Yoga knowledge, or knowledge of Atman (Atma-jnana).

The union of Siva and Sakti in the upper brain centre known as Sahasrara or thousand-petalled lotus is Maithuna.

Mamsa (meat) is the act by which the aspirant consecrates all his actions to the Lord.

Matsya (fish) is that Sattvic knowledge by which the Sadhaka sympathises with the pleasure and pain of all beings.

Mudra is the act of abandoning all associations with evil which leads to bondage.

Wine is fire; flesh is air; fish is water; cereal is earth; sexual union is ether.

Milk, ghee, honey are all substitutes for wine. Salt, ginger, sesamum, white beans, garlic are substitutes for meat. White brinjal, red radish, masur (a kind of grain) and red sesamum are substitutes for fish. Paddy, rice, wheat and grain are Mudra. Offering of flowers with the hands formed with a particular Mudra is Maithuna.

The Sadhaka thinks that he has got a Deva body. This is Bhuta- Suddhi. Various Nyasas are performed. Mental worship is performed of the Devi who is thought of as being in red raiment seated on a red lotus. Her dark body is like rain-cloud. Her forehead is shining with the light of the crescent moon. Japa of Mantra is then done. Thereupon there is external worship.

Sexual intercourse by a man with a woman who is not lawful to him is a sin. The Vaidika Dharma is very strict on this point. It forbids not merely actual Maithuna but Ashtanga or eightfold Maithuna namely Smaranam (thinking upon it), Kirtanam (talking of it), Keli (play with women), Prekshanam (making eyes at women), Guhya-bhashanam (talking in private with women), Sankalpa (wish or resolve for sexual union), Adhyavasaya (determination towards it), Kriyanishpatti (actual accomplishment of the sexual act).

A Tantric can have copulation with his wife. He calls his wife his Sakti. Wife is a house-goddess Griha-lakshmi or Griha-devata united to her husband by the sacramental Samskara of marriage. She should not be regarded as an object of enjoyment. She is his partner in life (Ardhangini). The union of a man and his wife is a veritable sacred scriptural rite.

Conclusion

Tantra Yoga is the saving wisdom. It is the marvellous boat which takes man safely to the other shore of fearlessness, immortality, freedom, and perfection, when practised with understanding under personal guidance of well-established Tantric Guru.

शब्दार्थ  :ऑर्थोडॉक्स -रूढ़िवादी /परम्परागत /शाश्त्र सम्मत ,; सेक्युलर -संसारी /ऐहिक /लौकिक /धर्म से इतर ,; त ट्रीटाइज़-प्रकरण /प्रबंध  /आलेख ; मैन्युअल -नियमावली /गाइड/नियम पुस्तिका ; आनटालजी -सत्तामूलक /तात्त्विकी /सत्ता मीमांसा ; ट्रेवेस्टी -उपहास का विषय बनाना ,भड़ौआ करना ,भौंडी नकल उतारना ,हास्यजनक अनुकरण ; परसीवीअरिंग -दृढ़ बने रहने वाला ;इन्फ़्यूज़ -उड़ेलना ;एबलूशन -अभिषेक ,स्नान ,अपमार्जन ; 

Reference :http://www.dlshq.org/teachings/tantrayoga.htm