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Yogini Tantra

The Yogini Tantra is a voluminous work held in high regard by practitioners of Vamachara. In a total of28 chapters divided into two parts, it outlines every topic familiar to the aula and Vama traditions.

!hat follows is an abstract of the first nine patalas or chapters. The yantra above is the "atrika Yantra,used to ascertain in which direction and where to accomplish pu#a.

First Patala

This opens with a familiar tantrik scene on "ount ailasa where $hiva is addressed by %arvati. $he saysshe has heard e&position of tantras before on $hri $haila mountain, in Varanasi, in amarupa and in'epal. 'ow she wants to hear more from $hiva, the world guru. In answer, $hiva says he will declarethe great Yogini Tantra, the giver of both wealth and liberation. It is to be concealed and is unknown toall the devatas, to the asuras, to the yakshas and others but he will declare it out of love for %arvati.

(e starts by eulogising the goddess as the cosmic mother )Vishvamata*, dark as a thunderstorm,

wearing a garland and waist+band of skulls, with dishevelled hair, completely naked )digambaram*.$he has a rolling tongue, makes a terrifying roar, three reddened eyes, and has a wide open mouth. $hewears a moon digit on her forehead, has the corpses of two boys as her earrings, and is adorned withvarious gems, which are of the brightness of the $un and the "oon. aughing loudly, she has twostreams of blood pouring from her mouth, while her throat is red with blood. In her four arms she holdscleaver, head, and makes mudras dispelling fears and granting boons. $he, the supreme 'itya, is seatedin reverse )viparita* intercourse with "ahakala upon the corpse of $hiva. The whole scene is set in thecremation ground.

-fter this detailed dhyana of ali, $hiva begins to outline the tantra, declaring that he is %arvatis slave.

(e starts with the characteristics of the guru, who he describes as the root of all shastra, the root of thisworld and the very self of %arabrahma and the essence of $hiva. The guru can save a disciple whereeven gods and goddesses cannot intercede. The gurus family is to be considered as identical with theguru. There follows a dhyana of guru in the palace of wish+fulfilling gems on "ount ailasa, surroundedby hosts of /hairavas. The palace is surrounded by the seven oceans.

The guru is one with "ahakala -dinatha and knows all mantras, whether they be $hakta, Vaishnava or0anapatya. The greatness of the guru is hymned in all the shastras.

Second Patala

1evi asks $hiva to speak of ali and Tarini. $hiva says that alika is the greatest of the great vidyas,supreme and giving nirvana and liberation to people. (er disciples are /rahma, Vishnu and himself. If asadhaka recites the ali mantra, he becomes her son. ali, Tara and chinna are the mahavidyas. 3nesuccessful in ali becomes similarly successful in the others. $hiva begins to speak of initiation. (e saysthat the rosary to be used in the pu#a should be made of human skullbone for long+lasting success. -sadhaka or sadhika may also use crystal or ruby rosaries. - full rosary should have 458 beads. Themeru, or bead to mark the beginning and the end of the mala, should be made of a kings tooth. $hivaproceeds to outline the number of times the mantra should be recited holding the rosary and the way thefingers should count. (e speaks of the nature of other rosaries including pearl, tulsi )basil* whenworshipping Vishnu, ivory for 0anesha, and rudraksha or red sandalwood for Tripura. 1hatturagrowing in a cremation ground is used for 1humavati. (e then describes ritual accessories to be used in

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the pu#a and the times in bright and dark fortnights of the moon which are favourable and unfavourableas well as other restraints due to time as well as suitable places for the rite.

Third Patala

1evi asks how catastrophes including war and fever can be warded off. In reply, $hiva recites a kavachaor armour which can be used to protect against malefic influence. It is not to be revealed lightly. (e then

speaks of a way to sub#ugate the world )#agadvashyakara*. $age 'arada also asked $hiva to speak ofthis of old.

$hiva says that when she is imagined as a naked 1evi, ali is the deludress of the world. (e then givesthe Trailokya "ohana avacha )armour bewildering the three worlds*. alabhairava is the rishi of themantra, anushtubh is the metre, $hmashana ali is the devata. -fter giving the armour, $hiva describeshow to make it. It should be written on bhur#a )birch* bark and worn round the person. It should bewritten on the eighth day of the bright fortnight and placed inside a golden container. !earing it ondifferent parts of the body gives different results. 3n the head, it destroys disease. 3n the right shoulder,it gives whatever is desired. Vishnu now chimes in and says 'arada achieved the desires he wanted byemploying this kavacha.

Fourth Patala

The 1evi now wants to know of other prayogas to give dominion, knowledge and wealth. $hivamentions the Phetkarini Tantraand theNila Tantraas sources. 3ne process is to draw a he&agon withthe mantra of Tara within plus the sadhya )the ob#ect*. 1evi asks about the satkarmas, si& magical acts.$hiva says these are pacifying, subduing, causing enmity, driving away, uprooting )uccatana* andcausing death. (e says there are si& $haktis appropriate to these acts. The %admini is suitable forpacifying and $ankhini for sub#ugation. (e then outlines the mantras appropriate to the si& acts.

Fifth Patala

$hiva describes a great sadhana in the cremation ground, involving the fifteen ali 'ityas. This sadhana

can also be performed in a desert, by the side of a river, on a mountain, at a crossroads, at the root of a/ilva tree, at a place where there is a single lingam, at a place where there are no people as well as in thecremation ground.

Sixth Patala

1evi asks about the different classes of sadhaka. $hiva says they are divided into the divya )divine*, vira)heroic* and pashu )herdlike* categories. The meditation for the divya should be concealed, $hivaspeaking of vira meditation. (e says a vira should meditate on the three bindus in the form of a 46 yearold woman. The first is as bright as 45,555,555 dawn suns,e&tending from the head to the breasts. Thesecond e&tends from the breasts to the hips and the third from the yoni to the feet. This is the amakalaform, the very essence of /rahma, Vishnu and $hiva. The vira and the divya may employ madya,

mamsa, matsya, mudra and maithuna )the five ms* in their worship. -ccording to $hiva, the rishis, thevasus, the daityas all became great through this pu#a. $hiva speaks of this worship for the four (indudivisions )varnas* and also for the -vadhuta. "uch of this material is repeated in the Yoni Tantra. (esays the great nectar flows from undalini when it has risen to the top of the head. This is the greatwine. $he is the supreme $hakti within the body.

Seventh Patala

1evi asks $hiva to tell her of 1evi $vapnavati )she who moves in sleep*. (e gives the mantra. $hivasays7 This $vapnavati Vidya is very hard to obtain in the three worlds. It is the cause of great miracles,

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declared by "ahakala. It should be recited 458 times then $vapnavati visits in sleep always. - sadhakawho masters the mantra sees everything in his dreams he wishes. The god then speaks of the"ritasan#ivani vidya. This appears to give the power of bringing back the dead to life. (e describesother vidyas including "adhumati and the Trilokyakarshi vidya. This attracts whatever a sadhaka desiresin the three worlds. "aidens will cross oceans and mountain ranges to get to him. $hiva goes on to givevidyas of %admavati, the Vashikarani vidya. (e then returns to the topic of $vapnavati. This appears toinvolve awakening while in the dream state )lucid dreaming*. The mantras should be concealed andgiven only to the devoted, the unstained otherwise hosts of 1akinis consume a person.

Eighth Patala

$hiva speaks of the Yoginis. They look terrifying, with bla9ing eyes and :5 lakhs of faces. The daitya0hora then recites a hymn to 1evi, celebrating her victory over the 1aityas. $hiva chimes in, praisingher greatness in battle. Towards the end of the patala, $hiva gives a meditation image of $hakti as ali.

Ninth Patala

$hiva starts this lengthy chapter by speaking of the 1evi as the /rahmanda, the macrocosm. In thisguise, she has an immense form, with millions upon millions of arms and heads. $he is the sum of

everything, containing puranas, vedas, smriti and vedas. -s such she is of the brilliance of millions uponmillions of suns and moons and fires, consisting of all knowledge, all paths, all dharma, all bliss, allshastra, all veda and all worlds, in short, everything. Then follows a meditation on $hakti as beingpresent in the different parts of the body. $hiva closes by saying that ali is the form of consciousness)citrupa*, the impartite absolute.

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