Sadhana: On The Spiritual Journey

Lord Brahma appears in front of Bhagirath

Of all the living on the earth, we, humans, are the only animals, who has developed the capability to sustain not just ourselves but the living ecology. We are the ones who have the capacity or क्षमता (kshamataa) to understand what “धर्म” (Dharma) is. To begin with, let's shed some light on what धर्म (Dharma) is and why it is so important to hold upon along with a short description of the four पुरुषार्थ (purushaartha). 

It is the first of the four पुरुषार्थ namely धर्म (Dharma), अर्थ (Artha), काम (Kaama) and मोक्ष (Moksha). In Sanskrit, words come from a certain root word as in Latin. Here, the root word of धर्म (Dharma) is “धृ” which means “to uphold/to sustain”. The Sanskrit definition of धर्म is धारयते इति धर्मः (dhaarayate iti dharmah) which translates to “that which upholds/sustains”. Hence to keep this world going and functioning for ages to come, one has to follow their धर्म (Dharma). This sustenance begins from the very self towards this planet Earth. Thus, it is the first and foremost pillar of the पुरुषार्थ.

Now comes अर्थ (artha). अर्थ (Artha) literally means resources/money/wealth. To carry out life successfully while following ones धर्म (Dharma) one needs resources. Without resources/wealth, this world as we know of will not sustain. Hence, अर्थ (Artha) is something for the means of accomplishments that one has to strive for which is why it is one of the पुरुषार्थ.

Next comes काम (kaama) which means desire/love/pleasure. For a race to remain and live, procreation is an essential part without which there will be no generations to carry on and without which there will be no future. Thus, the काम (Kaama) without the violation of धर्म (Dharma) is an absolute necessity for sustaining the society and planet as a whole.

After having achieved all the three goals of life now comes मोक्ष (moksha) which means liberation. Liberation from this eternal cycle of birth and death. This is something that does not come easily at all. One has to strive for मोक्ष (moksha) for numerous births and then in one birth, when all the कर्म (karma) have been taken care of, we get liberation. This is indeed the ultimate goal that one knowingly or unknowingly is getting towards. मोक्ष (moksha) also means becoming one with the ultimate reality or ones ईष्ट (ishta). Now here comes the difference in the path that one follows to reach the ultimate. With vedic path being the oldest path of सतयुग (Satyuga) to tantra path being the most relevant to the present कलयुग (Kalyuga), the path changes with time making it even more profound, beautiful, and contemporary with the काल (Kaal).

The वेद (Vedas) are the oldest most sacred scriptures of Hinduism, often regarded as the bedrock of Indian civilization, and knowledge system. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, they are considered timeless, eternal knowledge revealed to the sages (ऋषी - rishis) of India. The word "Veda" itself comes from the Sanskrit root "vid," meaning "to know," signifying the Vedas as sources of profound knowledge and wisdom that transcend the limitations of time. Sanskrit defines Vedas as "विद्यते नित्यम् इति वेदः ।" which translates to "That which shines is/are Vedas".

There are four Vedas—Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda—each serving a unique purpose and containing various hymns (mantras), prayers, liturgical formulas, and philosophical insights. The Rigveda is the oldest and consists mainly of hymns praising the forces of nature and various deities. The Samaveda focuses on melodies and chants used in ritual sacrifices. The Yajurveda contains the procedural details and sacrificial formulas needed for conducting Vedic rituals, while the Atharvaveda provides a collection of hymns, charms, and incantations related to everyday life and spiritual matters.

The four sections of Vedas

Each Veda is further divided into four sections: संहिता (the Samhitas) - containing मंत्र (mantra), hymns and benedictions, ब्राह्मण (the Brahmanas) - contains यज्ञस्वरूप (yadnyaswaroop) ritual instructions, आरण्यक (the Aranyakas) - philosophical discussions on rituals, and उपनिषद (the Upanishads) - esoteric philosophical teachings. While the Samhitas and Brahmanas focus more on rituals and the worship of nature deities, the Aranyakas and Upanishads delve into deeper metaphysical questions, exploring the nature of existence, the self (atman), and the ultimate reality (Brahman). The Upanishads, in particular, form the philosophical heart of the Vedas, laying the groundwork for many schools of Indian philosophy.

The six limbs of Vedas - वेदांग 

Other than these four sections, the Vedas have six limbs known as वेदांग (Vedaanga), namely शिक्षा (shiksha), व्याकरण (vyaakaran), निरूक्त (nirukta), कल्प (kalpa), छंद (chhanda), ज्योतिष (jyotisha).

The Vedas do not adhere to a singular doctrine but reflect a complex and evolving worldview, embracing both polytheism and the belief in a single, underlying cosmic principle. They explore concepts of morality, dharma (righteousness), and the interconnectedness of all living beings. The Vedic rituals, with their emphasis on maintaining cosmic order (ऋत), are seen as essential to sustaining harmony between humans, nature, and the divine.

While the Vedas are deeply rooted in ancient culture, their teachings remain relevant to this day, offering a endless exploration of human existence, spirituality, and the universe. They have influenced not only Hinduism but also Buddhism, Jainism, and other spiritual traditions across the Indian subcontinent. Modern-day scholars, and seekers continue to study the Vedas for their rich spiritual and philosophical insights, ensuring that this ancient wisdom still resonates in contemporary times. Through their vast and diverse teachings, the Vedas serve as a bridge between the ancient past and the modern spiritual quest, embodying a tradition that is both deeply ancient and forever timeless.

There are different groups of people, called संप्रदाय (sampraday), who worship different देवता (devata) or deities to attain moksha. Some of them are वैष्णव (Vaishnava - seeker of Lord Vishnu as the Supreme Reality), शैव (Shaiva - seeker of Lord Shiva as the Supreme Reality), गाणपत्य (Ganapatya - seeker of Lord Ganesh as the Supreme Reality), शाक्त (Shakta - seeker of Shakti or the Goddess as the Supreme Reality), etc. As there are different devatas being worshipped, there are different ways or paths to worship them. As in relevance to this article, I will particularly focus on the तंत्र साधना (Tantra Sadhana), a path more relevant in this present age, कलियुग (Kaliyuga) or the iron age as per the scriptures, to attain the ultimate.

Now there are three things that go hand-in-hand with each other in तंत्र साधना (Tantra Sadhana). They are यंत्र (yantra), मंत्र (mantra) and तंत्र (tantra). Yantra, a combination of two words “Yan” + “tra”, literally means geometric objects/tools on the second hand Mantra made of “Man” + “tra” roughly translates to sacred psalms. And Tantra, a combination of “Tan” + “tra” means techniques. These are the three basic aspects on the path of liberation or मोक्ष (Moksha). Based on a psychological model of the person, संप्रदाय (Sampradaya), and the way that deity is worshipped called as आचार (Aachar), different techniques are practiced mainly based on the deity being worshipped in that particular संप्रदाय (Sampradaya). We will see about आचार (Aachar) shortly. 

कामाख्यातंत्र (Kamakhyatantra) is one such तंत्र साधना (tantra sadhana) leading to moksha through worship of कामाख्या देवी (Devi Kamakhya), and thus it comes under शाक्त संप्रदाय (Shakta Sampradaya). 

A living being, especially humankind, is always involved in the exploration of bliss. The supreme power in its own free will make us forget about our true form of ecstatic self in our complete existence. The journey from this involvement into our own ecstatic self is the journey to moksha or salvation. Every संप्रदाय (sect) is carried forward by sages who have received the subtle revelation through vision. The ones who do not receive the revelation are guided by these sages through teachings which further become शास्त्र (Shaastra). According to tantric literature, six different sects are put forth. These six sects are as follows,

1. पूर्वाम्नाय (Purvamnaya)

2. पश्चिमाम्नाय (Pashchimamnaya)

3. उत्तराम्नाय (Uttaramnaya)

4. दक्षिणाम्नाय (Dakshinamnaya)

5. ऊर्ध्वाम्नाय (Urdhwamnaya)

6. अधराम्नाय (Adharamnaya)

Some scholars disregard the 6th and place a sect called Anuttaramnaya in its place. Factually, Anuttaramnaya and the Adharamnaya (6th) are the same.

Among all the sampradaya on Tantra, कौल संप्रदाय (Kaula sampradaya) is considered to be the greatest of all. A shloka in tantraloka says the greatness of कौल संप्रदाय (Kaula Sampradaya) as,

नभः स्थिता यथा तारा न भ्राजन्ते रवौ स्थिते ।

एवं सिध्दान्ततन्त्राणि न विभान्ति कुलागमे ।।

तस्मात् कुलादृते नान्यत् संसारोध्दरणं प्रति ।

Transliteration:
nabhaḥ sthitā yathā tārā na bhrājante ravau sthite |

evaṃ sidhdāntatantrāṇi na vibhānti kulāgame ||

tasmāt kulādṛte nānyat saṃsārodhdaraṇaṃ prati |

Translation: "As, in the sky, stars do not shine as long as the Sun is present, in the same way, (सिद्धान्त तंत्र) Siddhanta Tantra becomes insignificant in the presence of कौल संप्रदाय (Kaula Sampradaya)."

This is the greatness of कौल संप्रदाय (Kaula Sampradaya). It is the most relevant path to the divine in this कलयुग (Kalyuga).

For life, to witness the vested perfervid शक्ति (Shakti), a categorization has been made of साधक (Sadhakas) based on भाव (bhaava) of the त्रिगुण - three gunas, with the आचार (achaar) suited to their prominent guna to aid in their Sadhana. The categorization goes as follows,

1. सत्व गुण - दिव्यभाव - अघोराचार, योगाचार, कौलाचार
2. रजस् गुण - वीरभाव - दक्षिणाचार, सिद्धन्ताचार, वामाचार
3. तमस् गुण - पशुभाव - वेदाचार, वैष्णवाचार, शैवाचार

Transliteration:

1. satva guṇa - divyabhāva - aghorācāra, yogācāra, kaulācāra
2. rajas guṇa - vīrabhāva - dakṣiṇācāra, siddhantācāra, vāmācāra
3. tamas guṇa - paśubhāva - vedācāra, vaiṣṇavācāra, śaivācāra

Kaulachaar is also called as ज्ञानाचार (jñānācāra), संन्यासाचार (saṃnyāsācāra), अवधूताचार निराचार (avadhūtācāra nirācāra). In this way we see the hegemonic path of कौलाचार (Kaulachaar).

Now I would finally like to close this subject with a nice shloka describing the greatness of कौलमार्ग (Kaula path).

वेदाचछैवं ततो वामं ततो दक्षं ततस्त्रिकम् ।

त्रिकात् परं कुलं प्रोक्तं कौलात् परतरं न हि ।।

Transliteration:

vedācachaivaṃ tato vāmaṃ tato dakṣaṃ tatastrikam |

trikāt paraṃ kulaṃ proktaṃ kaulāt parataraṃ na hi ||

Reference: Ach. Radhesyam Chaturvedi, "Kamakhyatantram", Chaukhamba Surbharati Prakashan, Varanasi.