Principle of Shakti in Kashmir Shaivism (Study)
by Nirmala V. | 2016 | 65,229 words
This page relates 鈥楰hecaratva: an Archetype of the Concept of Freedom鈥� of the thesis dealing with the evolution and role of Shakti鈥攖he feminine principle鈥攚ithin the religious and philosophical framework of Kashmir Shaivism. Tantrism represents an ancient Indian spiritual system with Shakti traditionally holding a prominent role. This study examines four major sub-streams: Kula, Krama, Spanda, and Pratyabhijn膩.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Part 3 - Khecaratva: an Archetype of the Concept of Freedom
The representation of 艢补办迟颈 grouped under the category of 驰辞驳颈苍墨蝉 is comprised of goddesses called 岣屇乲in膩, 顿别惫墨, 顿奴迟墨, 惭腻迟峁�, 艢腻办颈苍墨, 叠丑奴肠补谤墨 and the ultimate 碍丑别肠补谤墨. 驰辞驳颈苍墨 mainly is concerned with the supreme status called Khecaratva, the capability or nature of moving on the sky.
Shaman Hatley鈥檚 view, in this regard is paraphrased herein;
驰辞驳颈苍墨蝉 are the female practitioners who attained the power to fly along with the competency to precede the other Kula votaries. Nevertheless, there is much taxonomy of these 鈥榮emi-divine sorceresses鈥� in the knowledge and belief systems of early medieval India, the archetypal form of 驰辞驳颈苍墨 is the sky-traveller who obtained the ultimate phase of the Kula practices.[1]
碍丑别肠补谤墨, the practitioner having the power to move on the sky, is the model for other women practitioners. Kula scriptures repeatedly use the expressions Khecaratva as well as 碍丑别肠补谤墨samat膩 to indicate the supreme juncture of the follower of Kula.[2]
Attainment of this highest capability credibly indicates the freedom to travel. The female who possesses the paramount freedom also represents the chief competence of 艢补办迟颈 in the processes like creation. Such thoughts may be correlated and analyzed with the human instinct to invoke the heights by which the traditional goals like heaven situating in the heights are aimed. Similar concepts in Shamanism have also been assessed as primordial rituals.[3]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Shaman Hatley, Op.cit., p.42.
[2]:
鈥�tatra trayoda艣e var峁 siddhitva峁� 艣aktyanugrah膩t khecaratvamav膩pno峁鈥� 叠谤补丑尘补测腻尘补濒补迟补苍迟谤补, I. 30;
鈥�尘别濒补办补峁� 测辞驳颈产丑颈岣� 蝉颈诲诲丑补峁� 办丑别肠补谤补迟惫补尘补惫腻辫苍耻测腻迟鈥�, Ibid., XIV.110ab;
鈥�y膩v膩nmantro mah膩devi asmi峁僺tantre 惫颈艣别峁迟补岣�鈥� ||
鈥�蝉尘补谤补峁嘺蝉补峁僷耻峁璱迟补峁� 办腻谤测补峁� 办丑别肠补谤补迟惫补箩颈驳墨峁迟补尘鈥�, Ibid., XL. 75 cd- 76ab;
鈥�tadarcana峁� tu v墨re峁嘺 khecar墨tvajig墨峁y膩鈥� Ibid., I. 47 ab;
鈥�khecarattva峁� bhavettasya v墨ro bhavati 艣腻艣惫补迟补岣�鈥�, Ibid., XLIV. 305 cd.
[3]:
It has commonly been observed that the earliest traditions such as Shamanism share some gnostic elements with Tantric cults. 鈥�Magical flight鈥� is one among the various rites of ascent performed by Shamans. Peter O Liere, by referring to Mircea Eliad, suggests that: 鈥�... rites of ascent includes tree climbing, ladder climbing and magical flight. Eliad is particularly concerned with magical flight, because as an activity it encapsulates the mythological character of Shaman who through technical powers, unites himself with heaven and sacred time... in supposed practices, Shamans can transform themselves into birds, or by force of will fly bodily up into the sky鈥� in Gnostic Contagion: Robert Duncan and the Poetry of Illness, Wesleyan University Press, Connecticut, 2002, p.148. While evaluating such resemblances for the launch of antiquity of Tantrism; This may be compared with the idea introduced by Geoffrey Samuel, which claims the origin of the term Shaman itself was from the word 艢谤补尘补峁嘺, see, Geoffrey Samuel, Op.cit, pp.113ff; 239.