Yoni tattva in Kaula tantra
The earliest reference to yoni tattva in Kaula
tantra is in the Kaula Jnana Nirnaya of Matsyendranath(English translation
published by Prachya Prakashan, Benares, 1986):– One should always
consume the physical blood and semen. (KJN, Patala 8)
Other Kaula tantras deal with the subject of
menstrual blood in very plain terms. Matrikabheda Tantra (Englishtranslation
Indological Book House 1990) describes the different types:– “Shri Shankara
said:
The first menses appearing in a woman who has lost her virginity
is Svayambhu blood. In a
maiden born of a married woman and begotten by
another man, that which arises is Kunda menses, the substance causing
the granting of any desire. Deveshi, a maiden begotten by a widow gives rise
to Gola menses, which subdues gods. The menses arising in the first
period after a virgin becomes a married woman is the all bewildering
Svapushpa.”(MT, Patala 8)
The first chapter of the MT mentions a substance
called sambal, described in the commentary as menstrual discharge. This
substance allows the tantrik adept to perform various sorts of
alchemical operations.
The Kaulavali Nirnaya (Agamanusandhana Samiti,
Calcutta nd), edited by Sir John Woodroffe, is a digest ofother Kaula
tantras. Summarising chapter 18, Sir John paraphrases the tantra:– “there are
people who regard semen and menstrual fluid with disgust, but they forget
that the body by which they hope to attain Liberation is composed of these
two forms of matter, that the marrow, bone and tendons have come from the
father and theskin, flesh and blood from the mother. It further says that
there is no reason for man’s disgust for excreta orurine, for these are
nothing but food or drink which has undergone some change and contains living
creatures and the Brahman substance is not absent therefrom…All things are
pure. It is one’s mentality which is evil.”(KN, introduction,
pp19-20)
Reverence for Women
The Kaulas regarded female gurus highly and
there were many examples of yoginis or female tantriks. In Yoni Tantra Patala
7 we find:–
“Women are divinity, women are life, women are
truly jewels.” This sentiment is echoed in many other tantrassuch as
Shakti Sangama Tantra, Devi rahasya and elsewhere. A woman is the goddess:–
“Worship carefully awoman or a maiden as she is Shakti, sheltered
by the Kulas. One should never speak harshly to maidens orwomen.” (KJN,
Patala 23)
“In Kaula every woman is thought of as a
manifestation of the Goddess. No man may raise his hand, strike orthreaten a
woman. When she is naked, men must kneel and worship her as the Goddess. She
has equal rights with men on all levels.” (Occult World of a Tantrik Guru,
Values Vol.IX)
“Women are heaven; women are dharma; and women
are the highest penance. Women are Buddha; women are the Sangha; and
women are the perfection of Wisdom.” (CT 8,30)
Kamarupa The Yoni Tantra hails from Cooch Bihar
(Kocha), but many of the Kaula Tantras originate from Kamarupa. InPuranic
legend, this is the place where the yoni of Devi fell to earth after the
Goddess’ body was sliced into 50segments by the discus of Vishnu.
First Patala
O Lady Goddess! Worshipping in this
manner, liberation is placed within a person’s reach.
A yoni worshipper should prepare the Shakti
mantra. He gains wealth, poesy, wisdom and omniscience. If a person worships
with menstrual flowers, he also has power over fate. Doing much puja inthis
way, he may become liberated. The devotee should place a Shakti in
a circle. She should be wanton,beautiful, devoid of shame and disgust,
charming by nature,
supremely alluring and beautiful. The devotee
should worship her with utmost devotion. He should place her on his
left, and should worship her hair-adorned yoni. At the edges of the yoni, the
devotee should place sandal and beautiful blossoms. After smearing
sandal on her forehead, the devotee should caress her breasts.
After reciting the mantra for 108 times, while
in her arms, the devotee should caress the breasts, havingpreviously
kissed her on the cheek. The mantra should be recited 108 or 1008 times in
the yoni circle.
After performing yoni puja using these methods,
the devotee attains whatever is desired — there is no doubt ofit.
The fruit of doing puja to the great yoni, deliverer from the ocean of
misery, is life and enhanced vitality.
Second Patala
Which types of yoni should be worshipped and
which bring good fortune?
The devotee should worship the mother’s yoni and
have intercourse with all yonis. He may have intercourse with any woman
between ages 12 and 60. He should worship the yoni daily, using the 5
tattvas. The forehead mark should be made from yoni tattva.
First, in intercourse, the purified worshipper
should draw the Shakti to himself by her hair and should placehis lingam
into her hand. The lingam puja and the yoni puja should be performed
according to the injunctions. Beloved One, red powder and sandal should be
smeared on the lingam. The lingam should be inserted into the yoni and
there should be vigorous intercourse. He who uses thismethod attains the
highest essence. A devotee should worship with the yoni tattva, of the form
of yoni, the deluder of the world, at night when it is full moon, at a
crossroads.
Having seen the yoni full of menses, after
bathing and reciting the mantra 108 times, a person becomes a Sivaon earth. One
should recite the mantra after offering both one’s own semen and the yoni
flowers.
By all means a sadhaka should have intercourse in
the yoni, previously caressing the Shakti’s breasts.One becomes
instantly regenerated and fully alive by using the water from washing yoni and
lingam. After worshipping the great yoni according to injunction, one
should make an offering. The water of the yoni is of three types and one
shouldoffer it to the Shakti.
Third Patala
The miraculous Yoni Tattva Tantra is the best of
all tantras. The only evil in sexual intercourse is disgust for blood and
semen. The yoni which hasbled is suitable for worship.
Do not worship a yoni which has never bled. Combining semen with menses and taking this in
the hand, carefully offer itinto the Yoni. By worshipping the yoni one
certainly worships Shakti.
Fourth Patala
What knowledge in the three worlds can match the
magnificence of the yoni tattva?
In this temperament there is exclusive devotion
to the doctrine of the yoni. Onebecomes pure by making a forehead mark
of yoni tattva.
Fifth Patala
One should always meditate on the pure yoni. One
should always smear the yoni tattva on the body. If one should place
one’s lingam next to her vagina and then penetrate, one becomes liberated.
In the mutual friction of the lingam and yoni is
great sadhana. The greatest thing in mantra recitation andsadhana
is the outflow of semen and vaginal emission. The powerful sadhaka, following the rule, should
offer the augmented substance to the yoni region after mixing the
semen and yoni tattva together. The wise man should caress that yoni. After
worshipping according to rule, one should not have intercourse. One should only
couple with the yoni that bleeds. If one should worship a hair-adorned yoni, one
becomes like a king. All acts become fruitful, no doubt of it. One becomes
very wealthy if marking oneself with a forehead mark of yoni flowers.
A sadhaka wishing to worship a yoni, which is the
form of the cosmos, should cause an erection and insert it into that thing
which is Shakti Herself. Worshipping them, one becomes liberated
while still alive, there is no doubt of it.
Sixth Patala
If a person should gaze at a yoni while ritually
bathing, his life becomes fruitful. There is no doubt of this. If a worshipper of the yoni tattva enters a
dispute,after conquering all enemies he becomes ultimately victorious. What
is the point of bathing in the Ganges? What need is there to resort to
sacred places? There is nothing equalling devotion to the yoni. Acting otherwise
is useless. There is nothing praised in the world more worthy of
praise than the yoni tattva. One should bring together the yoni and the
lingam and worship the tattva.
One should place oneself inthis certain thing
and give everything to Shakti. One should satisfy using the five
tattvas in the shape of the vagina, which is the whole universe. Liberation is achieved through enjoyment.
Happiness is gained through enjoyment.Therefore, by every effort, a sadhaka
should become an enjoyer. The wise man should always avoid blame, disgust
or shame of the yoni. If one should lick the elixir at the edge of the
yoni, evil in one’s body or dwelling place is certainly destroyed.
The leftovers of both the Shakti and the Vira
should be drunk.
If one should worship the yoni, bowing thrice
with a flower, all karmas are destroyed and nothing in the three worlds becomes
unattainable.
Seventh Patala
After eating and drinking, one should then
consume yoni tattva. Of all food, this is the food which should be
worshipped fearlessly. Sexual intercourse in every kind of yoni is widely
praised. One should always smear a line of menstrual blood or sandal paste or
semen on the forehead. This is the core of true bliss.
There is no such thing as an inauspicious time.
It makes no difference whether it be night or day, the 14th day of the
waning moon or the twilight time.
Women are divine, women are life, women are
truly jewels. Always have intercourse with a woman and meditate, whether
she be one’s own woman or not. That which has been revealed to you is the
whole essence hidden in all tantra.
At the time of consuming the substance, one
should firstly offer it to one’s Shakti. Otherwise, one may first cast water
into the vagina. The sadhaka should have sexual intercourse with his
Shakti after enjoying food and reciting the mantra.
Now listen to the time when the semen-menses is
emitted. If one should worship the yoni tattva,making a forehead mark
with it, all defects and evils of a hundred births are immediately
destroyed.
By yoni tattva oblation, the ancestors reside in
paradise. One should always caress a nubile yoni. If one should divert
oneself in the urgent dance after preparing the cavity of the great
yoni, then one is freed from all defects and stains of all births.
Eighth Patala
Without sexual union, there is never
liberation.Worship a nubile yoni in a highly ecstatic way.
Whosoever recites mantra in a supremely devoted
way specifically to the yoni, the core of the universe, is within reach
of liberation.
Meditate with yoni on the tongue, yoni in the
mind, yoni in the ears and yoni in the eyes. Mighty Lady, all sadhana is
vain unless with the yoni. Therefore, reject other pujasand do Yoni Puja.
