Sidelights on the Tantra

PRATISHTHĀ (INSTALLATION)

(In the Light of His Wisdom)

Salutation to Sri Aurobindo, to the Master who has just left the body, but has kept here the light he ensouled in incessant radiation for the fulfilment of his proclaimed mission.

We need not consider here the question of the grand Idea, the sublime Truth, he embodied; nor need we dwell on his achievement in the realm of the Spirit and its sequence that intimately concerns us, or its bearings on the aspiring soul of man in general. That is a subject that directly relates to the core of the Master’s Personality which we keep aside for the present. But there are certain luminous sides of his central grandeur which have found expression in the colossal edifice of his literary products. They shed the same light of wisdom everywhere in the diverse branches of Knowledge handled by him. Whatever the subject, Art or Poetry, Philosophy or Religion, Politics or Social Science, we find the same light illumining contents, the same wisdom elevating us to take a fuller view of the horizons of the concerned realm of the subject and thus enrich ourselves in the mind’s dimensions or regions of the soul. It is in the light of this wisdom that we propose to study one aspect of the tantric path which is an important element, the soul-principle, so to say, of image-worship. We leave aside for the present the synthetic character of the Tantric Yoga and inner worship to which attention has been drawn earlier. Here we confine ourselves to a single limb of the tantric worship and make an attempt at elucidating the underlying principles on which the whole structure of ceremonial owrship is based. Here we must bear in mind the value and necessity that the Tantriks have discovered for the dedication of the whole man to the Godhead, the Mother of the Universe, with the material body for the pedestal. The significance of the body as the temple is quite often stressed, so much in detail that every part is considered to be the abode of particular Gods and Goddesses, the aides of the Supreme, the higher Powers in the Cosmos, while the central spot is the lodgement of the Supreme. Hence an all-round purification of the body as the sacred temple is emphasised and many devices are resorted to, including at times material means for keeping the physique intact and fit for arduous discipline, tapasyā, by which alone one can have control over the forces that are adverse to the progress and success of the Sadhana. Hence also, the Tantra deems it essential to inculcate the doctrine that no worship of the Deity is complete without the worship of the Deity’s body in a material image—an idol or a picture or some symbol in the physical world.

Here it may be stated that the outer symbol of worship is considered an indispensable object of adoration by the tantric devotee to whom it is not a mere symbol. The image, the idol is a consecrated object, vivid in a subtle manner, is charged with the presence or power of the Deity whose Grace is invoked, and this is so especially when properly installed by an adept, or with the help of an expert guide, ācāryā. A fuller expression of devotion involves the worship of the body of the Deity as well as the maintenance of purity and holiness in the body of the worshipper. This is the position of the Tantrik in regard to the external aspect of worship.

An incident may be cited here in this context, which will be of much interest to the seeker and devotee who may discover his own explanation of the matter, as explanations are always conditioned by one’s culture and temperament, general disposition and equipment for understanding things that are supernormal. It is now more than forty years. A young man in his early twenties witnessed an unusual way of worship conducted in the house of an elderly Tantric devotee. The latter was a friend of the youth’s father; so, with due respect he had earlier spoken to him of his doubts about the validity of such worship, bāhya pūjā. The gentleman was a strictly orthodox Vaidik Brahmin, a Sanskrit scholar specialised in Nyaya, a Pundit employed in a Government College and so had a secure means of supporting his small family and keeping it above wants. He had ample leisure as the hours of his teaching work in the college were few. He devoted the rest of his time for religious purposes, with special devotion to the Right-Hand worship, dakşiņa ācāra of the Tantric way. He was no magician of a low sort. This much has to be said in order to enable the reader to get into the spirit of the man’s daily performance of worship.

When the youth had finished what he had to say about the mantrajapa, the Pundit looked at him for a while and then said, “You say that you have done this mantra and that and have observed the rules according to the Shastra and even though you were properly initiated while quite young and did repeat many lakhs of these mantras, you have not found the results as stated in the books. Well, I am sufficiently old, you are my old intimate friend’s son; I take the liberty of speaking to you about certain things in my life, for that may be of some use to you. I too, when young, was like you initiated in Sri Vidyā by my father, and have continued it to this day, and would continue even to the end of my life whether or not I see the result as spoken of in the Shastras. Such has been my faith all along. But something happened a few years ago which gave a definite turn to my line of Sadhana and worship.” Here he paused and then spoke with feeling; “One day I was reciting verses in praise of the Great Goddess and felt intensely, saying to myself, O Mother, I have been Thy worshipper all these years, I know no other God than Thee, Thou hast not vouchsafed to me Thy favour, Thou dost not reveal Thy presence to me in any way.’ This feeling lasted for some time and though the intensity slowly thinned, the attitude was there. But nothing happened in response to my cry. A few days later, one night I had a dream. I could not retain it when I got up; but there was a feeling that it was a curious dream in which someone said, ’ You will see what happens in two or three days. Accept it, worship it.’ There was something more and clear but I could not recollect it, I did not pay to this interesting occurrence as much attention as it deserved. But, two or three days later, quite unexpectedly when one evening a man appeared before me and spoke a few words, .the whole dream came to my vision in a trice. He placed a danda (a rod) covered with a cloth, and said “Now, I go. You will do as directed; all your difficulties vanish from now on.’

“Now it was eventide; I thought I might begin the Puja then itself. Since then I have been doing it, quietly. If you want, you can stay a little longer. I am coming." So saying, he went in and took his bath, and was preparing to start the worship that day. Before the commencement be said: “When the Puja is over, I will be silent for some time. You can receive the prasād and go home. And if you want you can come any other day. You may be struck with wonder and may have to think about what you are going to wintness at the Puja time. I tell you one thing beforehand; the danda is the divine weapon of Subrahmanya, Kumara, Son of Devi; its worship is the worship of its wielder, i.e., Skanda. It is the command of the Devi whom I worshipped all my life that I should worship her child and achieve the fulfilment of my life. I have a reasoning mind, I am a tārkika, logician, I know that learned people in their wisdom ridicule outer worship as a thing meant for the beginners or fools. It is not for others’ good opinion, praise or applause that God has given us life. Inner worship is certainly essential, it leads more to Yoga and Jnana. Outer worship intensifies devotion and is powerful and effective and supplements one’s Sadhana. At present I care more for outer worship, I see the presence of Kumara in the Danda. You too will see now. More about this some other time. It is getting late. I shall start. Remember what I have spoken to you. Do not look down upon external worship. It is effective, when there is the proper Installation, pratisthā. God bless you.” Instantly the Puja began, there were one or two people, assisting him to burn incense and bring the necessary vessels of which a glittering brass or bronze plate was the most important, for in the centre of that plate he was to place the object of his worship with small idols, representing gods and goodesses, parivāras who surround their chief, Kumara, the pradhānā devata. In a low voice uttering mantras he took the Danda and muttered a mantra somewhat inaudibly; he was motionless, holding his breath for a while. The observing youth could make out that it was the mantra usually used for installation, prāņa-pratisthā. The Danda, the rod, was a little less than three feet in height, about half to three-fourths of an inch in diameter at the bottom and more or less the same throughout except at the top where it was a little more thick and circular with a knob at the head on which was engraved some figure. He held the Danda in a perpendicular position with both his hands in the middle, or a little above the middle. He held it in silence with eyes closed for a few minutes and muttered something removing his hands. As he did it, the Danda, to the amazement of the new-comer, instead of falling, without any support, began to swing pendulum-wise with the knob quite often coming almost half-way to the ground. Slowly the swinging stopped, and the Danda stood erect, quite steady and fixed of its own accord. The Puja began, with the sacramental bath, abhișeka, to the deity, the danda, and with other usual ceremonial details. When the worship was over the youth received the prasād in silence and left the house as previously advised by the Shastri.

The youth thought: “Is there any mechanical device which makes the stick stand in the middle of the plate erect without support? Everything was done in my presence. The Shastri is a sincere man, quite genuine in his speech and action. Can it be after all that there is something in the pratisthā mantra which is the means of instilling some force into the inanimate thing? But I have done the same mantra many times before and have experienced nothing of the kind. But the man had earlier spoken of certain preliminaries as requisite to realise the efficacy of these mantras.’ Thus a hundred and one thoughts crossed his mind on his way home. But somehow he did not meet the Tantrik again for he was led to owe allegiance to other worthies until in his middle age an obliging Destiny led him finally to take refuge at the feet of Sri Aurobindo.

To return to the subject of outer worship: even for the external worship in the tantric system, a certain inner purity is considered necessary. Where this is not possible, some one who has it and has achieved and seen some tangible results enabling him to guide the worship, has to do the pratisthā of the Image or yantra, the symbolic mystic Diagram in which the presence of the Devata is invoked to be vivid and felt by the worshipper. Once it is done, it is to be tended in a devotional atmosphere which grows in intensity in the course of time. And this is applicable not only to the personal worship of an individual, but also to centres of public worship, such as temples and other piſhas, seats of spiritual power.

Here it must be noted that there is a distinction to be drawn between the pratisthā of a mūrti, an image, or a yantra for the personal worship of an individual and that for the public worship in a temple. In the former instance according to the Tantra Shastra, a novice is guided by a genuine priest for external worship but the upāsaka, the worshipper himself must prepare in course of time to call down the presence of the deity; for this purpose he has to undergo preliminary disciplines into which many elements enter; of these what is called bhūta-buddhi is the most important and even indispensable both for the outer worship as well as for the mantra-sādhanā which leads to the inner life. The literal meaning of the term is the "purification of the elements"; but its effect is to cleanse the atmosphere in and around the person of the worshipper and clear it of the influences of the elemental forces or beings, the lower spirits, the blind unintelligent forces to which men in their ordinary lives are subject; the weaknesses on the mental or moral plane that pertain to the material body of man are indeed the result of the play of these forces of universal nature. The loosening and ultimate riddance of the tamasic forces of the dense and elemental nature is indeed sine qua non for qualifying oneself for the mantra-sādhana that aims high at contacting the deity in the deeper layers of one’s consciousness or on the higher levels of one’s being that are supra-physical. But it is also necessary and to some extent possible in the case of a beginner preparing for the external worship, bāhya-pājā. For without the bhūta-shuddhi, the prāņa pratisthā could not be done, since the latter is meant to evoke the presence or power of the deity from the spirit of one’s own being which itself is lodged in, and is a portion of the supreme Self parama ātman, the indwelling Godhead in all creatures. In fact, the Tantric works everywhere reiterate the value and necessity of this purification without which the pratisthā, the installing of the power and the presence either within oneself in the inner worship, or instilling the spirit and power into the image or symbol in the outer worship is not possible. The outer worship, as is done commonly by the generality of devotees will be ineffective without the essential pratisthā on which everything else depends.

We shall return to the subject of pratiştha after we have done with one or two points in regard to the bhūta-buddhi. Its basic importance in the mantra-sādhanā cannot be too much emphasised, since in the yogic path of the Tantrik it affords the foundation on which the whole edifice of Yoga is raised, with devotion, knowledge and will as its constituent elements. But even before entering straight into the inner apartments of Yoga where the psychophysical centres are concentrated upon and opened for progress in the Sadhana and building the inner life, the Tantric beginner devoted to his chosen deity is advised to effect the bhūta-śuddhi without which the presence of the deity cannot be felt, and the grace of the deity, even when it comes in response to an ardent call of the upāsaka, worshipper, or a fervent emotional appeal to the deity, cannot be properly received or even when received be adequately held and effectively retained in the vessel, the body. Hence its importance and its value are recognised for any form of serious worship. It must be noted here, that the purification of the various limbs, outer physical and the inner mind-stuff, aims not only at the eradication of the narrowing and obscuring influences of the elemental forces and the universal weakness of the lower Nature, but inviting in their place the opposite good influences of the benign forces, the powers of the supra-physical worlds. That is why in the actual bhūta-buddhi every part is offered to a deity, and the group of deities that are invoked to occupy their places in the body-vessel, ādhāra, constitutes indeed the minor gods who are the parivāras of the chosen Chief, pradhāna. In some Tantric works, instead of the minor gods and the Chief Deity, the tattwas or cosmic principles with the soul, and the Supreme Self for the Chief Deity are mentioned in the culmination of the bhūta-śuddhi. And this is to give a pure spiritual turn with a philosophic basis to the upā sanā. As the space set for this short study precludes the citation of these texts which are numerous and well-known, at least one well-known authority like the Meru Tantra may be mentioned here in this context. Here is an English rendering:

“When the body in its entirety becomes fit to commune with the Devata, one must restore and fix in their proper place the principles, tattwas, hidden in the self. (For this purpose) from the heart-lotus one must bring out the soul from the supreme self. And according to the rule (method) by means of the Hamsa Mantra one has to look upon the body as a luminous form of light and as having become quite competent for the worship of the Deity.”[^166]

[^166]: संजाते सकले देहे देवतोपासनक्षमे । आत्मलीनानि तत्वानि खस्थानि प्रापयेत्ततः ।। आत्मानं हृदयाम्भोजादनयेत् परमात्मनः । हंसमन्त्रेण विधिवत् तेजोरूपम् कलेवरम् ।। देवतोपासने योग्यमत्पन्नामिति भावयेत ।

This is just an instance out of many to show that the conception of the Tantrik in regard to the body was so complete and ideal that all the tattwas (or the higher powers) are understood to be lodged in it and the supreme Godhead abides in the centre and depths of one’s being, the heart-lotus. Nor is the purification of the body and preparing it for Divine worship achieved by sheer physical purity and strength to be decided by medical opinion and judged according to hygienic standards. For the purity of the kind in the body is to be accomplished in such a manner that the god or gods could discover in it their actual temple consecrated for their advent or manifestation. And indeed the body is the field of battle between the dark and the luminous forces in the Cosmos, engendering bad will and good will with their brood of feelings and ideas and their consequent subtle effect on the body, nerves and muscles, in the shape of ill-health and good health and general disharmony running riot in the system. Thus the bhūta-buddhi has a double function, the negative and the positive, the former paving the way by the clearance of the disagreeable forces for the positive side, i.e., the filling of the purified parts by the presence of the Powers that are invoked to occupy their right places in the system.

While this suddhi is the real factor that effectuates the mantra-sādhanā and the principle underlying the inner worship of any deity, not to speak of the yogic way leading to the opening of the centres, cakras, it is necessary also for bāhya pūjā to be effective. A word about the chief means employed for this fundamental purification by the Tantrik must be stated here.

Apart from a certain refinement in the course of one’s conduct in life involving the elevation of mental and moral sides which are generally held incumbent on the initiate, the main instrumentation is as a matter of course, the mantra, the sound-symbol of the deity. It is sound-expression of the idea that at once veils to the gross sight and reveals to the inner eye of vision the body of the deity, of the truth to be realised. And this truth, the Devata, dwells in the subtler worlds, in the higher planes, not on the physical level, in the world of the senses. Hence the repetition of the sacred word, the mantra, prepares the being to be collected, composed, and concentrated on the single will to achieve the object of the worship, the Grace of the Deity, to feel and perceive and commune with the Presence. But a mere mechanical repetition runs in a futile circle. For the mantra to be potent, the guide’s help, i.e., the Guru’s initiating capacity counts much. For he awakens the latent faculties in the disciple. This is the secret of the mantra-sādhanā. The Tantric scriptures discourse upon the qualifications of a disciple and the qualities of a competent Guru on which we need not dilato here. Sri Aurobindo expounds the rationale of the mantra-japa in the light of yogic psychology and experience to which attention may be drawn here: “The word is a sound-expression of the idea. In the supra-physical plane when an idea has to be realised, one can by repeating the word-expression of it, produce vibrations which prepare the mind for the realisation of the idea. That is the principle of the mantras and of japa. One repeats the name of the Divine and the vibrations created in the consciousness prepare the realisation of the Divine."

We have stated this much about the mantra as a means for effecting the purification of the elements as a preliminary, most important for the sādhanā and inner worship in the Tantric path, and generally recommended for the outer worship also, though here the worshipper has to rely entirely upon an unshakable faith reinforcing his devotion. As has been already stated, the material object of worship is often an image or occasionally the Yantra, for instance, the famous Sri Cakra or similar symbols of the dwelling place of the Deity. Here, generally, the presence of the Deity is evoked on behalf of the ordinary worshipper, by an adept, an expert in the field. But this practice has in course of time degenerated into a sort of priestcraft-an unaltered and crude purohit muttering the mantras without meaning them, i.e., without caring for a knowledge of the mantra, not to speak of the spirit which he is supposed to instill into the image to be worshipped. This is called prāņa-pratisthā, the infusing of life and soul into the sacred symbol. Here prāņa really connotes, as in the carlier Upan: shads, a conscious-force emanating from the supreme Soul in which the individual being abides. It is an obvious fact that this can be done effectively only by one who is equipped for the task by a successful course of training in the performance of purifying his own being as described earlier. It is only such an adept, a true Acharya who can do the prāņa-prutisthā of the Image for worship on behalf of another individual. The Tantrik attaches importance to worship because he recognises that devotion to God cannot be complete without laying one’s body in full offering at the service of the Deity whose presence is evoked and installed in the image. The famous nine limbs[^167]

[^167]: Hearing of the name of God, singing His glory, constant remembrance, worship of His feet, worship with flowers, adoration, service, friendship, and last self-offering. श्रवणं कीर्तनं विष्णोः स्मरणं पादसेवनम् । अर्चनं वन्दनं दास्यं आत्मनिवेदनम ॥ of devotion of the Vaishnava are applicable to devotees of other cults also and the Tantric path, being in essence synthetic in character, incorporates into it among other things, the elements of knowledge and devotion, and discovers the value of bodily service to the Deity. And in the words of the Master, if the external worship is done “ with the true consciousness, it can bring the greatest possible completeness to the adoration by allowing the body and the most external consciousness to share in the spirit and act of worship.”

So far about the personal image-worship by an individual devotee the efficacy of which is certainly conditioned by his faith and devotion. Here we may proceed to consider the question of prāņa-pratisthā of the image meant for public worship such as that in temples, and also the subtle and occult principles underlying the traditional belief in worship at what is generally believed to be holy places, not necessarily or invariably temples where images are installed. In this connection we may recall to our mind what Sri Aurobindo states in his usual assured tone in mentioning the prāņa-pratisthā, the essentials of which he puts in a nutshell in the following passage in a letter to a disciple. Let us quote the letter[^168]

[^168]: Published in the Letters on yoga. as it is of inestimable value for our purpose:

“What you say is no doubt true, but it is better not to take away the support that may still be there for the faith of those who need such supports. These visions and images and ceremonies are meant for that. It is a spiritual principle not to take away any faith or support of faith, unless the persons who have it are able to replace it by something larger and more complete.

“If the prāņa-pratisthābrings down a powerful Presence, that may remain there long after the one who has brought it has left his body. Usually it is maintained by the bhakti of the officiant and the sincerity of belief and worship of those who come to the temple for adoration. If these fail, there is likely to be a withdrawal of the Presence."

The Image installed is just a support for the external worship, for the satisfaction of and a steadying influence upon outer mind and being; the real and substantial element is in the Presence or Power so installed by a great soul. But a Siddha, one who has achieved substantial results in the spiritual path need not install an image for the benefit of others. The very spot he lives or lived in becomes charged with an emanation of the presence and power of his holy soul so much so that anyone susceptible to subtle or occult influences can feel and detect the abidance of something non-physical in the physical surroundings of such a place. This accounts for the holiness of places where great sages and seers have lived, stationed in their Tapas-Force, or have shed their mortal frame and mortality.

There is another important aspect of this question of worship at, and pilgrimage to, holy places which may be mentioned here for the benefit of minds that are inclined to believe that any famous place or temple held to be holy and attracting crowds of people from afar and near need not necessarily be holy or exert benign influence or elevate the spiritual side of man. For it is perfectly true that when a presence or power is brought down where the image is installed, it remains a live force for a long time and continues even after the man passes away. Tradition, indeed, nourishes the faith of the people who visit such places for worship. But there are certain temples and other places of worship without an image installed where the power, the presence is not brought down by any holy man and without any tradition to that effect. Still, such places attract large crowds of persons many of whom are convinced by experience of the active presence of a superior Force granting boons to many a worshipper. Here the truth of the matter is that such places are chosen and occupied by beings of a supra-physical world-let us call them beings of the vital world —who exercise their influences from those centres which afford a physical support for contact with the earth and carthly beings. These beings are quite often spirits of a low order whose workings are more easily and palpably felt and certainly in the end injurious to a healthy mind and a soul that has taken to the spiritual way of life. This accounts for the centres of worship which draw numerous people over whom the spirits have a sufficient sway for their own gratification and enjoyment.[^169]

[^169]: My first preceptor Vasishtha Muni it was who acquainted me with these occult truths among others, and years long after, when I came here, I found the Mother’s utterances and authentic knowledge of these matters of detail in the occult realın confirmed them. But there are good, not only evil beings of the vital world, and they too exercise their benign influence over men who come to worship; but such temples or places are less numerous. Thus it will be seen that all temples need not have Images of worship installed by a holy man. There are many which are the self-chosen places of spirits and other beings of the vital world; they bring themselves, and need not be brought down by anyone, to places that afford them sufficient support through the desires and passions and other hungers of men which are enough to feed such deities. When the support is withdrawn and men turn to higher forms of worship, they vanish to their native country of the vital world, or roam about in search of a suitable habitat on earth made possible through the prayers rich with greed and other weaknesses of the inviting human beings on earth who are ignorant of what they are doing.

Another point must be noted in regard to the matter of holy places. There are certainly holy spots the origin of which could not be traced with any certainty. But it is intelligible on the basis that in the very formation of this globe, there are certain spots which are conducive for meditation and concentration and they engender a spiritual atmosphere which can be sensed and felt by those who are by nature or training sensitive to subtle and occult influences. It is also on this basis that the Tantra Shastra quite often recommends for its votaries a mountain-top or the bank of a holy river etc., þarvatāgre naditire, for mantra-sādhanā in solitude.

Such is the value of a holy atmosphere for purposes of spiritual life. But nothing is holier than the name of the Guru, for it carries laden with it the influence and power and the very presence of the Guru, if he is a competent Guru, one of real stature in the realm of the Spirit, say, a perfected soul, a siddha, a great Vibhuti of high spiritual force. For in such cases the Guru has done the installation, prāņa-pratisthā, of his very presence in the heart of his disciple whose fidelity to his master is enough to nourish it for its growth and fruition in the receptacle that is the devotee, the śisya. If the name of the Guru as stated above is holy for the disciple, what is holy beyond measure for all spiritual aspirants and devotees is the spot where such a siddha or vibhūti or—and this is rare-a Divine Manifestation lives, or lived in tapasyo, and shed the coils of mortality—the "material envelope".