Daśa-mahāvidyā Episode 0.3—Kāma-śāstra
Channel: Consciousness Research Centre
Date: 2021-03-08

This series is classified Vivartha-vāda | Rāja-yoga | Suśupti | Viśuddhi-cakra
According to Tāntra-śāstra, kāma means sensuality, the basis of which is Kāmasūtra of Vātsyāyana (4th century). In Kāmasūtra 64 erotic postures are described, and each of these postures is related to one of the 64 Tantra-śāstras revealed by Śiva to Śakti. According to Tāntra-śāstras, sexual conjugation is also related to consciousness. The Tantras argue, “When everything is Śiva, why set aside sex alone?” 
Thus the spiritual path cannot exist independently of the hedonic path; but there should be harmonious integration between the two; only then pinnacle of spirituality can be attained along with material comforts through rightful means. Absolute and perfect integration should be there between material and spiritual life. Without body, how can we work on our breath and mind to realize Śiva within? 
The life of a tāntrik student is all about spontaneity. What is spontaneity? It is the quality of being spontaneous and coming from natural feelings without constraint. This is exactly what Tantra advocates. It is said, “To be spontaneous is to be Divine that goes beyond all notions of ego of separation. An action dictated by the ego can never have the grace of true spontaneity.” But this sacred freedom should not be confused with impulsiveness. 
The tāntrik aspirant does not have single unsatisfied or hidden desire, as he experiences everything through his tough sādhana. Repression will never take us forward in spiritual path, because the mind wanders around the repressions only and with this state of mind, divine spontaneity can never be achieved. But there are strict methods through which such repressions are satisfied. Tantra accepts desire as the sole motivating force of the universe and does not advocate renunciation of desires. This is the significant difference between the path of Vedānta, or yoga, and Tantra.
Most practices in Daśa-mahāvidyās fall under the Tāntrik system. But the intensity of the system varies according to Guru lineages. Some follow the left-hand path, some the right-hand path and some use five Ms (pañca-makārats), etc. Daśa-mahāvidyā talks about ten forms of the same Goddess Parāśakti (aparā, parā and parāparā), but with different qualities such as power, delight, beauty, wealth, etc. They are all Her various manifestations. 
Seekers are often threatened with dire consequences if something is done in a wrong way inadvertently, and some gurus talk about secrecy, but that is nothing but egocentrism. Nothing is secret in spirituality. How can there be secrets when She is omnipresent? While pursuing Daśa-mahāvidyās, the first criterion is to shed the ego, which is the worst enemy to spiritual pursuit. Parāśakti is both cit-śakti and māyā-śakti. First She is to be understood thoroughly, and only then one’s spiritual journey come to a logical conclusion.
There are different views about the origin of Daśa-mahāvidyās, all relating to Purāṇas. One of the stories goes like this. Śiva was very angry with His Consort Satī, as She decided to attend a Yajña conducted by Her father Dakṣa. After this, Śiva was not courting Satī. She got upset and became terribly wrathful, and this anger was reflected in Her eyes. As Śiva could not bear to see Her wrathful and red eyes, He closed His eyes; and when He opened His eyes again, He saw a woman with blistering luster. 
Śiva was scared of Her form and started running away from Her. To make sure that Śiva does not move away, She manifested in ten different forms (or created ten forms). When Śiva asked that woman “Who are They?” She said that they are known as Kālī, Tārā, Ṣoḍaśī, Bhuvaneśvarī, Chinnamastā, Tripurabhairavī, Dhūmavatī, Bagalāmukhī, Mātaṅgī and Kamalā. Śiva Purāṇa gives a different version. What is important here is that worship of these ten Goddesses leads only to Parāśakti, the source of all gods and goddesses and their allocated powers, and from Her proceeds everything else. She is the independent and Absolute power of Paramaśiva, and only through Her Grace it is possible to get liberated by realizing Paramaśiva.

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