Bhaktivedanta College

Introduction to Hinduism
Tutor: Yugal Kishor Das
Date: 10th of May 2014

Evaluate the importance of the worship of goddess and kta

traditions, briefly contrasting their ritual practices that do not
conform to rules and modes of conduct with 'orthodox' Hinduism.
What do you think are the strengths and appeals of the kta paths?
Why has it always been regarded with much suspicion, or even
contempt, by other Hindu traditions?

Gustavo H. P. Moura
The kta traditions constitute an ancient and widespread branch of Hinduism
centered on the worship of the Goddess akti or Dev who is accepted as
the ultimate Godhead. Indeed, for the kta, all other male and female divinities
are considered to be merely her diverse manifestations. In the DevBhgavatam, VII.33.13-15, the Goddess declares:

"I am Manifest Divinity, Unmanifest Divinity, and Transcendent Divinity. I am

Brahma, Viu and iva, as well as Sarasvati, Lakm and Parvati. I am the Sun
and I am the Stars, and I am also the Moon. I am all animals and birds, and I am
the outcaste as well, and the thief. I am the low person of dreadful deeds, and
the great person of excellent deeds. I am Female, I am Male in the form of iva".
Cited in Brown (1991, p. 186)

Moreover, the Goddess is identified with the Supreme Brahman, as expressed

by the Indian Historian V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar (1999, p. 78)
"The excellence of aktism lies in its affirmation of akti as consciousness and of
the identity of akti and Brahman. In short, Brahman is static akti and akti is
dynamic Brahman."

The above statement has deep implications: Against the weight of all Vedic
philosophy, aktism intends to overturn the classical representation of the male
principle as active and potent in contrast to the female principle, taken as
passive and receptive. This typifies a completely female-oriented religious
system and is graphically represented as Dev standing on her husbands body,
indicating that without akti, iva is only a corpse1.
Apart from this, the philosophy of the various kta sects is neither systematic
nor uniform. Rather, aktism is likely a melting pot of all religious ideas, for it
seems to encompass a limitless variety of beliefs and practices aiming at
accessing the divine power of the Goddess. Also, it is closely related to Tantrism,
although it should be kept in mind that not all forms of aktism are Tantric in
nature, just as not all forms of Tantra are kta in nature (Brooks, 1990).
Nonetheless, this association with Tantra caused aktism to be regarded with
much suspicion and contempt by mainstream society, since some followers of
Tantra (specifically the left-hand path) are reputed to indulge in various
unconventional and ghastly practices. This engendered a culture of secrecy in
aktism, expressed in the well-known adage, anta kta bahi aiva
sabhy vaiavo mata Outwardly a Vaiava, a aiva at home, and
secretly a kta. In spite of this, Goddess worship remains extremely popular all
over India. What could be the value and appeal of these traditions to motivate
people from all statuses in the Indian social system to engage in practices often
intended to subvert that same system? This essay is an attempt to appraise the
value and briefly explore some of the social and psychological implications of
the kta tantra rituals, which make them appealing nowadays both in India and
in the West.
1 Curiously, although Shiva speaks of Devi as consciousness and puts himself as inert
matter, he is still the one instructing his wife, who submissively inquires from him about
the spiritual truth.

First of all, we shall consider some of the main practices of these traditions,
highlighting their value and contributions in the context of Hinduism.
Classical akta tantra is usually divided in two main groups the r-kula in the
South, and the Kli-kula in Northern and Eastern India. Besides these more
sophisticated classical versions, there is also a folk category of Tantra, with its
peculiar features. The r-kula aktas mostly worship the Goddess in her
benevolent form (saumya), whereas the Kli-kula aktas prefer her fierce form
(raudra). The folk traditions are distinguished by invoking minor regional deities
in their worship, by emphasizing the ancestors and the dead as spiritual guides,
by focusing on the transmutation of sexual and death energies into supernatural
powers, by one becoming possessed by the deity, by the attempt to conquer
spirits, and by a shamanic dimension, involving healing and prophecy. (McDaniel,
2004)

The above are broad categorizations, just to remind us that Tantra is not a
unified system, but includes variegated practices inside and beyond aktism.
However, focusing on its general contributions, in the realm of sdhana,
Tantrism was very ingenious in developing spiritual technologies in the form of
mantras, mudras, yantras, and also in expanding the understanding regarding
the subtle physiology of the body, relating to the chakras and yogic meditation.
According to Wallis (2013), even the haha-yoga system originated from Tantric
sources. Here we should notice that Tantra was not inventing something new,
but weaving together and expanding all kinds of spiritual concepts and
techniques2.
And if Tantra was resourceful in terms of practice, it was revolutionary in terms
of social interactions. It is remarkable how the kta traditions, with their Tantric
component, promoted a break through the rigid social norms imposed by what
could be considered an unbalanced, male-dominated culture. As pointed out by
Biernacki (2007), these traditions are not only free from all sorts of caste and
patriarchal prejudices, but theologically and ritualistically intend to revert the
role ascribed to women in Hindu society, from object to subject. Going at great
length in analyzing the procedures in a rite of sexual union, specifically what she
calls the Kl Practice, as described in the Bhan-nla-tantra, Biernacki
remarks that the ritual functions as a reenactment of the social order, for it
places the wife in the central position, being worshiped by her husband. In this
sense, the rite serves to reconstruct identities in a culture where mens value
was overestimated and women were reduced to mere objects, the property of

2 Both the ideas of weaving together and expanding can be etymologically derived
from the word tantra.

men. Thus she suggests that the Kl Practice is more about an attitude than a
technique about listening to women, not coercing them.
Similarly, Tantra promotes a shift from a model of dry asceticism, in which a
man would see the world, the women, and his own body as the other which
must be conquered. Rather, by perceiving the divinity of these elements, one
should surmount the egoistic impulse to exploit them, the tendency to perceive
them as objects for his domination. When all women and, indeed, the whole
cosmic creation are regarded as manifestations of akti, they become the
natural object of respect and devotion.
Now, reflecting on the extremely heterodox, transgressive elements of Tantra,
one naturally wonders about their appropriateness. These elements are listed as
the Five Ms (pacamakra) meat (msa), fish (matsya), alcohol (madya),
parched grain, sacred gestures, or sexual partner (mudr), and illicit sexual
relations (maithunam). What would be their functions? Are they meant for
political, social, or spiritual reform? While Western scholars did not arrive at any
consensus in this regard, considering the various aspirations endorsed by
ktas, it would be sensible to assume that they function in a combination of
ways. Sometimes, a particular rite would be performed for the sake of achieving
sensual pleasure (bhoga); other times, the same or similar ritual would be
performed to obtain mystic powers (siddhi); and, yet, at other times, one would
aim at liberation (moka). Similarly, rituals may also be performed with social or
political agendas. As a general rule, however, we can say that aktism revolves
around selfish aims, even up to the point of salvation, in contrast to the
Vaiava goal of selfless love of God (prema). Furthermore, although Vaiavas
also abandon the Vedic social institution for the sake of spiritual progress, they
do that only by means of transcending it, not by attempting to demolish
desirable Vedic elements which may be beneficial for those not yet situated on a
transcendental path. As a matter of fact, Vedic revelation classifies the lefthanded practices like the crematorium and sex rites as ignorant and
demoniac. The Bhagavad-Gt 17.4-6 states:
[T]hose in the mode of ignorance worship ghosts and spirits. Those who undergo
severe austerities and penances not recommended in the scriptures, performing
them out of pride and egoism, who are impelled by lust and attachment, who are
foolish and who torture the material elements of the body as well as the
Supersoul dwelling within, are to be known as demons. (Prabhupada, 1989)

The Bhgavata-Pura V.9.14-18 also condemns violent Tantric practices in the

narration of how a group of ktas tried to offer the innocent Jaa Bharata as a
human sacrifice before the goddess Bhadra Kl. When they raised a chopper to
kill him, the goddess Kl became immediately alarmed due to the
mistreatment of a faultless person. She came out of the deity and, taking the
chopper in her own hands, killed her so-called worshipers. (Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada, 1989)

Tantrics, however, will not ponder on these and many other Vedic statements,
for they rely on their own scriptures and despise Brahmanic culture.
Finally, we should consider the peculiar appeal of akta tantra which, at
present, continues to seduce countless Hindus and also extends its influence to
the West. Having spent twelve years in India (six in West Bengal), I can say with
McDaniel (2004) that Tantrics are everywhere and nowhere. In other words, due
to the culture of dissimulation discussed previously, we may not know precisely
who is a akta, but we know they are numerous and are everywhere. My
impression regarding the appeal aktism exerts on Indians today is that it is a
matter of tradition for the majority, and a quest for prosperity, knowledge,
mystic powers, and eventually liberation for a fewer. In reality, with the arrival of
modern technology, a lot of the interest for spiritual knowledge and mystic
powers has faded, since the youth is more interested in learning computer
science, making money, and travelling in airplanes. There is no longer need for
becoming a khecara (a yog who can fly on account of mystic power).
Regarding the Western audience, besides the increasing interest of scholars on
this subject, we find the romanticized and deodorized version of Tantra for the
New Agers, which instead of cutting ones attachment to the world, only
increases it. Indeed, overlooking the Tantric ascetic and yogic discipline,
neglecting its ritualistic context, and reducing the Goddess to mere energy, New
Age Tantra has retained only one dimension of its original spectrum: that of
sexuality (McDaniel, 2004). 3
The accounts of a Goddess religion also serve as inspiration to many Western
feminist writers. In this case, both Tantrism and Western feminism appear to be
concomitant reactions to the gender imbalance found in their respective
cultures, when the depreciation of the feminine led to the attempt of inverting
womens role rather than valuing them for what they are. Thus, it simply
constitutes another form of sexism, the other side of the same coin. A
permanent solution to this problem must be based on genuine appreciation for
each gender as they are, accompanied by a deeper understanding of the self
beyond the body. This would allow for true equality on the spiritual platform and
true respect on the bodily situation. In this connection, I propose that an ideally
balanced representation of the male and female principles is found in the
Gauiya Vaiava depiction of the rsa-ll, the pristine love dalliances of
3 Most admirers of Tantrism think it has something to do with a profound commitment
of an interpersonal kind, with profound esoteric love between a male and female, or
sophisticated erotic emotions, or an improved or perfectable sex life.... Unfortunately,
there's no such thing in tantrism.... It is quite mechanistic (Agehananda Bharati ,
"Making Sense out of Tantrism and Tantrics" (Loka 2: A Journal from Naropa [ 1976]), p.
53.) quoted in (White, 1999, p. 249)

Rdh and Ka, of which the interactions of iva and akti are like a
reflection within the modes of nature (prak ti). In this sense, Vaiavism may
be seen as a refined form of aktism, as the Caitanya Caritmta, di 4.95 states:
Lord Ka enchants the world, but r Rdh enchants even Him. Therefore she
is the supreme goddess of all. (Kaviraja, 1984)

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