Arthur Avalon Introduction to Tantra Sastra

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Karma-knda, the Tantra prescribes a special sdhana,
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or means or practice of its own, for the attainment of
that which is the ultimate and common end of all
Zstras. The Kulrnava-Tantra says1 that in the Satya
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or Kr# ta age the Zstra is Zruti (in the sense of the
Upanisads); in Tret-yuga, Smr# ti (in the sense of the
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Dharma-Zstra and Zrutij%2łvik, etc.); in the Dvpara
Yuga, the Purna; and in the last or Kali-yuga, the
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Tantra, which should now be followed by all orthodox
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Hindu worshippers. The Mahnirvna and other
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Tantras and Tntrik works3 lay down the same rule.
The Tantra is also said to contain the very core of the
Veda to which, it is described to bear the relation of the
Parmtm to the J%2łvtm. In a similar way, Kulcra
is the central informing life of the gross body called
vedcra, each of the cra which follow it up to kaul-
cra, being more and more subtle sheaths.
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1
Kr# te śrutyukta cras Tretym smr# ti-sambhavh, Dvpare tu pur-
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noktam Klau gama kevalam.
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2
Chapter I, verse 23 et seq.
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So the Tr-Pradipa (chap. i) says that in the Kali-yuga the Tntrika
and not the Vaidika-Dharma is to be followed (see as to the Zstras, my
Introduction to Principles of Tantra ).
THE HUMAN BODY
THE human body is Brahma-pura, the city of Brahman.
*śvara Himself enters into the universe as j%2łva. Where-
fore the mah-vkya That thou art means that the ego
(which is regarded as j%2łva only from the standpoint of an
updhi)1 is Brahman.
THE FIVE SHEATHS
In the body there are five kośas or sheaths anna-
maya, prna-maya, mano-maya, vijnna-maya, nanda-
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maya, or the physical and vital bodies, the two mental
bodies, and the body of bliss.2 In the first the Lord is
self-conscious as being dark or fair, short or tall, old or
youthful. In the vital body He feels alive, hungry, and
thirsty. In the mental bodies He thinks and under-
stands. And in the body of bliss He resides in happi-
ness. Thus garmented with the five garments, the Lord,
though all-pervading, appears as though He were
limited by them.3
ANNA-MAYA KOZA
In the material body, which is called the sheath of
food (anna-maya kośa), reign the elements earth, water,
1
An apparently conditioning limitation of the absolute.
2
According to Theosophic teaching, the first two sheaths are apparently
the physical body in its dense (Anna-May) and etheric (Prna-maya) forms.
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Mano-maya represents the astral (Kma) and lower mental body; Vijnna-
maya the higher mental or (theosophical) causal body, and the highest the
tmik body.
3
Mnasollsa of Suresvarcrya, Commentary on third śloka of the Daks#
ina-mkrti-stotra.
THE HUMAN BODY 43
and fire, which are those presiding in the lower Cakras,
the Mkldhr, Svdhist# hn and Mani-pkra centres.
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The two former produce food and drink, which is assimi-
lated by the fire of digestion, and converted into the
body of food. The indriyas are both the faculty and
organs of sense. There are in this body the material
organs, as distinguished from the faculty of sense.
In the gross body (śar%2łra-kośa) there are six external
1
kośas viz., hair, blood, flesh, which come from the
mother, and bone, muscle, marrow, from the father.
The organs of sense (indriya) are of two kinds viz.:
jnnendriyas or organs of sensation, through which
knowledge of the external world is obtained (ear, skin,
eyes, tongue, nose); and karmendriya or organs of action,
mouth, arms, legs, anus, penis, the functions of which
are speech, holding, walking, excretion, and procreation.
PRNA-MAYA KOZA
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The second sheath is the prna-maya-kośa, or
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sheath of breath (prna), which manifests itself in air
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and ether, the presiding elements in the Anhata and
Viśuddha-cakras.
There are ten vyus (airs) or inner vital forces of
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which the first five are the principal namely, the
sapphire prna; apna the colour of an evening cloud;
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the silver vyna; udna, the colour of fire; and the milky
samna. These are all aspects of the action of the one
Prna-devata. Kundalin%2ł is the Mother of prna, which
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1
The Prapnca-Sara (chap. ii) gives śukla (semen) instead of mmsa
(flesh).
2
See Srada-tilaka. The Minor vyus are nga, kkrma, kr# kar, deva-
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datta, dhanamjay, producing hiccup, closing and opening eyes, assistance to
digestion, yawning, and distension, which leaves not even the corpse.
44 INTRODUCTION TO TANTRA ZSTRA
She, the Mkla-Prakr# t%2ł, illumined by the light of the
Supreme tm generates. Prna is vyu, or the univer-
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sal force of activity, divided on entering each individual
into five-fold function. Specifically considered, prna is
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inspiration, which with expiration is from and to a
distance of eight and twelve inches respectively. Udna
is the ascending vyu. Apna is the downward vyu,
expelling wind, excrement, urine, and semen. The
samna, or collective vyu, kindles the bodily fire,
conducting equally the food, etc., throughout the body.
Vyna is the separate vyu, effecting division and
diffusion. These forces cause respiration, excretion,
digestion, circulation.
MANO-MAYA, VIJNNA AND
ANANDA-MAYA KOZAS
The next two sheaths are the mano-maya and
vijnna kohas. These coustitute the antah-karana,
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which is four-fold-namely, the mind in its two-fold
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aspect of buddhi and manas, self-hood (ahamkra), and
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citta.1 The function of the first is doubt, samkalpa-
vikalptmaka, (uncertainty, certainty); of the second,
determination (niscaya-krini); of the third (egoity), of
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the fourth consciousness (abhimana). Manas automati-
cally registers the facts which the senses perceive. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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