| Authentic Tantra |
| Written by ResplendentSeraphim | |
| Thursday, 13 March 2008 | |
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Authentic Tantra: It is Not “Tantric Sex!” There has been a phenomena in the Occult community that some would call the “Tantra phenomena.” Articles on subjects such as ‘fulfilling one’s sex life with Tantra,’ ‘sexual spirituality,’ and the very recent ‘tantric vampirism’ have flooded Occult-based websites with great fervor, as a result of this phenomena. Each article is different, but at least ninety percent of them have one theme in common, that theme being the belief that Tantra focuses solely on sexual practices, whether these practices are spiritual or non-spiritual in nature. No doubt, this belief in Tantra would lead many people, both occultists and non-occultists alike to consider it little more than glorified sex. Unfortunately, what scholars and Tantric practitioners refer to as a popularized belief in Tantra does not represent Tantra at all. Every authentic Tantra practitioner will tell you these five simple words: Tantra is not about sex. The purpose of this writing is to introduce a basic overview of authentic – or better yet, traditional Tantra. Because Tantra includes almost as many schools as there exists schools in Hinduism (maybe more), this report will not cover everything that exists in Tantra. In addition to this, the practices will only be discussed briefly since there exists so many in the system – many that may not even be known in the West. This writing will discuss the following: the “popularized” Tantra and the myths surrounding Tantra, what Tantra is, the common practices of Tantra, the common deities associated with Tantra, and societal views on Tantra. It is my hope that through this work, someone can understand the difference between popularized Tantra and traditional Tantra. “Popularized” Tantra and the Myths Surrounding Tantra Before one can get a basic idea of Tantra, they must be familiar with the myths surrounding Tantra and what has been adopted as popularized Tantra. Some of the myths in this article are non-existent while other myths are exaggerated truths. Other content discussed in this article are practices that reflect twisted interpretations of Tantra, otherwise known as “popularized Tantra.” “Tantra is sexual glorification.” This statement, as noted before, is false. Sex does not exist in Tantra anymore than it does in real life. As an aspiring Shakta, I know quite a several serious Tantric practitioners (personal communication, March 7, 2008) and they are no more sexual than average person in society is. In addition to this, many Tantric practitioners adopt a celibate lifestyle! Some well-credited religious scholars have reported finding more celibate Tantric practitioners in comparison to non-celibate practitioners (Johnsen, 2002; McDaniel, 2004). There lie a several roots of this common misconception about traditional Tantra, one of them going back a several centuries in history. If people can recall, Victorian-minded Europeans once colonized India (Johnsen, 2002). Some of them, at some point during the colonization, heard something about a group of people “mixing their energies” (p. 316) during a ritual. Many of these people took this concept completely out of context (Johnsen, 2002). In addition to this innocent ignorance of British colonials of India, one can safely speculate that some British colonials were actively seeking ways to demonize Eastern traditions. For many centuries, Western societies possessed the ethnocentric norm of viewing everything Western as logical and disciplined while viewing everything Eastern as hedonistic and immoral (Behlman, 2005). It is socio-psychological for people actively seek evidence to support beliefs they strongly believe in, even at the dismissal of data that disproves their beliefs (Marks & Fraley, 2006). A colonial attempting to validate one’s cultural biases when viewing another culture follows this confirmation bias perfectly. The concept of “mixing energy” was a fitting way to validate a pre-existing bias on a group of indigenous people, the pre-existing bias being the idea of these people participating in “acts of carnal lust.” Regardless, this misunderstanding (and in some cases, propaganda) contributed to the belief that Tantra involved ‘sexual orgies.’ To be brutally honest, this is analogous to the time when the Romans took the ‘offering of the body and blood of Christ’ in Holy Mass as an indicator that Christianity practiced Cannibalism! Something that contributed to the misconception of Tantra having association with glorified sex stems from not only colonial prejudice, but the exploitations of corrupt Hindus, as well. Some individual Hindus find it too tempting to not take advantage of people’s ignorance of their culture – and usually do it for the profit (Johnsen, 2002); other Hindus might merely be misguided about what traditional Tantra really is, but unintentionally spread the preconceptions based on what they know as Tantra. Some of these individual Hindus include wayward Tantric practitioners (i.e., Osho) and charlatans who intentionally spread popularized Tantra. Sadly, there exist people in all ethnic groups who exploit the ignorance of others. “Tantra involves practicing malicious, black magic.” This is pure superstition. While it is true that those who practice Tantra believe they will be free of Karmic debts (Natha, 1990), no authentic practitioner would take this as an incentive to curse people, create harm and suffering, and commit acts of retribution toward other human beings. For better or worse, the preconception that Tantra involves the practice of malicious, black magic is as common in North India as it is in the West. This common belief of traditional Tantra involving malicious, black magic comes from societal prejudice on the system, of course, but it also comes from what scholars and traditionalists of Tantra call: “popularized Tantric books.” In some places in India and in places in the West, merchants and charlatans sell books on ‘Tantric spells’ (McDaniel, 2004). These books on ‘Tantric spells’ involve healing spells, cursing spells, and everything else found in the average New Age spell-book. However, very few of the spells found in these books truly reflect traditional Tantric spells and ritual. Since public information on authentic Tantra is rare, these spells that stem from ‘popularized Tantra’ only contribute to people’s misconceptions about the tradition itself.
Interesting enough, though, Tantra is the methodology of daily, organized temple worship in much of the Southern State of Kerala, India. This is unique compared to other places in India, where Vaidic form of worship (worship based strictly on the Vedic traditions) takes precedence. This fact is unknown to the ordinary temple attendee. Despite this, my Shakta friend (personal communication, March 7, 2008) from Kerala can attest to the fact that no black magic – or even sex, for that matter – is involved in the temple worship found in Kerala. “Tantric vampirism is drawn from Tantra.” This is definitely untrue. With all due respect to the Vampyric and Occult Community, “Tantric Vampirism” was a term made from using one of the more perverted preconceptions of Tantra (that is, the concept of Tantra involving sexual glorification). I personally do not know who fabricated this term and I will not point fingers, but the creation of this term strikes me as a term used to describe ‘drawing energy’ from sexual intercourse. Do not misunderstand, there does exist those in the community who do not know substantial information on traditional Tantra, but understand that Tantric Vampirism is a misnomer, so this criticism is not directed toward them.. Some of these people also believe that it is an inappropriate way to do a syncretism of two different systems. While no one can do anything about the creation of the term, one can at least keep in mind the difference between authentic Tantra, popularized Tantra, and Tantric Vampirism. I discussed this in length with a friend of mine a year and a half ago. In our opinion (personal communication, 2006), ‘tantric vampirism’ was a self-contradictory term. To summarize a long conversation, one of the principles behind Tantra is giving your energy to the universe, while metaphorical real-life vampirism involves taking energy from the universe. So, by principle, metaphorical real-life vampirism cannot have anything to do with traditional Tantra. I also daresay that most authentic Tantric practitioners do not even believe in any form of vampirism. To most practitioners, vampires are something from urban myths. “Tantra is for druggies.” This is definitely not true! While some rituals involve controlled consumption of alcohol, this is not what Tantra is based on. Do not believe me? Please let Linda Johnsen, one of the known authors of modern-day Western Hinduism books and a practitioner of the tradition herself, speak on this matter. She states the following in one of her most famous books, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hinduism”: “…Most [Hindu yogis] avoid hard drugs and mind-altering substances. Swami Rama Bharati told me hallucinogens like LSD can do irreparable harm to the impressionable energies of the subtle body. In other words, most authentic Tantra practitioners say ‘no’ to drugs (Johnsen, 2002). One practitioner I know (personal communication, March 7, 2008) drinks alcohol in moderation, but that is the extent of their drinking. They are not an alcoholic, they have a job, and no one would see them on the streets smoking something that smells funny! While I cannot speak for individuals of a tradition, it is safe to say that drug-abuse is not a common practice in traditional Tantra. Another source of this misconception arises from a phrase found in Tantric texts, a phrase many people have taken out of context. A Shakta associate (personal communication, March 7, 2008) pointed to me a phrase, which says: “…pItwA, patitwA, patitwA punaH pItwA pinah PatitwA…” This phrase translates to the words: “…Drink, fall, drink again and fall again…” What is spoken here is the rise and fall of the Kundalini (what some have loosely termed, “The Serpent Power”) and not an actual, physical drink. In authentic Tantric practices, rituals that require the consumption of alcohol do not make people drink alcohol to the extent of getting drunk. No one who gets drunk can consider himself or herself a true Tantric, since no one can practice while intoxicated. “Tantra involves necrophilia.” Oh, good Lord! No! This is not true for authentic Tantra. Like any other good-hearted person, the authentic Tantric practitioner would not even think of committing such a heinous act! This preconception of Tantra comes from a practice that renown in some parts of West Bengal, where the Kalikula lineage is prevalent. This practice involves meditation on a dead body. The desired result is the practitioner to learn how to detach one self from their fears of death. In theory, this practice also detaches the practitioner from fearing the negative, but not inherently malicious aspects of reality (McDaniel, 2004). As Frank Herbert once said, “Fear is the mind-killer.” Fear for the practitioner is a sign of having an attachment to the ego, an attachment to a perceived source of selfishness. When the practitioner completes the meditation, they pay the dead the appropriate respects by attending the funeral for the deceased in the same way a doctor may attend the funeral of an organ donor. Tantric practitioners who still practice this meditation are often lawful and respectful to the laws of the land and the dead. Unlawful practitioners are no more common than unlawful practitioners of other traditions are. “Tantric practitioners are ‘liberal Hindus.’” This is not always true (as a note, ‘liberal’ is used to describe the leniency an individual practices in comparison to orthodoxies of a religion; this usage of liberal has nothing to do with the political label). Traditions of Tantra vary on their beliefs on their relative similarities and differences to the orthodox Hindu schools of thought. Some practitioners of Tantra are just as conservative as an orthodox Vaishnavite Hindu is. As stated before, for every Tantric tradition that supports one belief, there exists a Tantric tradition that opposes it. For every individual Tantric practitioner who supports one belief, there exists a Tantric practitioner who likely disagrees with him or her. Sadly, many people endorse the beliefs noted in this section. However, if you understand and challenge these preconceptions, then I have achieved my purpose with this section: I subverted one person from a misleading idea or two about traditional Tantra. Defining Tantra It is difficult to define Tantra by one simple definition. As stated before, there exist many traditions and practices. No two authentic Tantra traditions are alike. However, all Tantric traditions share the following core belief: finding enlightenment and the unity of one with nature in the current lifetime, in the external world. Unlike many Hindus and some Buddhist schools of thought, Tantric practitioners do not believe the world is an illusion to escape from – they believe the world is real. The world is a physical manifestation of God, or Ultimate Reality (Lawrence, 1996). As Linda Johnsen (2002) says, the world is a “play of the consciousness” (p. 310). Maya, the external world, is a projection of God in which makes everything seem separated and different; a projection of God that makes people see duality. This is why some Hindus believe in respecting nature, since nature is a physical manifestation of God. Respect for life is a common theme in Tantra, for disrespect toward life is disrespect toward God. Another aspect of Tantra involves the mastery of the energies that rest within the cosmos. Through devotion to one’s spiritual practice and discipline, one can take their destiny in their own hands (Johnsen, 2002; Sarasvati, 2005; Natha, 1990). No one has to be slave to the cycle of death and rebirth forever – instead, they may become closer to God, practicing altruism, and exerting the inner potential that exists within all living beings. Tantra involves giving one’s energy to the cosmos. The power of the system itself is based purely on belief and undying devotion to the disciplines found within it (Natha, 1990). It is the process of learning how to detach one’s self gradually from the fears, selfishness, greed, desire, and hatred. It is the process of learning how to detach one’s self from the bonds of the ego, the source of these constructs; the source of duality. When one gives their self to the cosmos, they lose a sense of the ‘self vs. them’, learning how to become one with everything. The most important belief that defines a Tantric practitioner is the goal of God-Realization (Johnsen, 2002). God-Realization not only requires realizing the part of God that is within the self, but also seeing God in everything in the external world. It is expanding one’s consciousness to obtain greater knowledge. It is the concept of finding oneness in diversity, the concept of having no distinction between the self and the external world (Johnsen, 2002; Lawrence, 1996). Please keep in mind one thing, though. Knowledge in Tantra is not always the same as knowledge in other traditions (Sarasvati, 2005). Some people in the West and in other Hindu schools equate ‘knowledge’ to information found in the external world. While there might not exist a law in Tantra against seeking knowledge in the external world, this knowledge can be seen as bondage to some Tantric practitioners. After all, knowledge in the external world is still what it is: a limited construct of true knowledge. Reliance on knowledge in the external world puts a limitation on Reality, as well as a limitation on what God is and what God is capable of doing. Ultimate Reality, God, is limitless, is beyond ordinary mortal comprehension (Lawrence, 1996; Sarasvati, 2005). Because of this belief, many authentic spiritual teachers of the Tantra tradition will say the following to their disciples: “Do not read anything now. Read after you have attained a level when the explanations will not confuse you.” Tantra views the concept of ignorance differently than other traditions, including traditions found in Hinduism. In other traditions, it might mean the literal English definition of, “not knowing something” or it might mean failure to realize one’s true divine nature. While the failure to realize one’s nature leads to ignorance in Tantra, ignorance means something more to the traditional practitioner. Ignorance in traditional Tantra is the force that makes us separate from consciousness, separate from Ultimate Reality – separate from God. It stems from one’s attachment to the ego, something that makes one fail to realize their true nature. To close this section, I will end with the note that Tantra is not a religion. While it may be a prevalent system for many Hindus, Tantra is a system unbound by any single religious or spiritual path. Tantric practitioners have their place amongst Buddhists, some western Pagans, and some of the indigenous tribal folk in Asia. For all we know, there could be real Abrahamic faith-based practitioners of Tantra out there, as well! Known Tantra Scriptures
Many Tantras exist in the world, a significant number of them not even translated into English. Amongst the most known Tantras are the Mahanirvana Tantra, the Kularnava Tantra, and the Vijnanabhairava Tantra (Sarasvati, 2005).
Practices Found in Tantra Before I begin to talk about the practices found in Tantra, please, again, note that I cannot cover everything in the world of Tantra. Many of the things that Tantric practitioners do are very little different from what people of other religious and spiritual traditions do. Sometimes, Tantric practitioners keep their tradition’s practices a secret. It does little to speculate ‘what’ practices remain a secret, I personally find it wise to not do this. In my section about the societal views of Tantra, people will see why many practitioners conduct their tradition-exclusive rituals in discretion. Mantras and Meditation. The second to most commonly adopted therapeutic technique from the East is the mantra – the first commonly adopted therapeutic technique being meditation. In fact, meditation and mantras do similar things and many a time, both are the same. As a good Shakta friend (personal communication, March 8, 2008) of mine suggested to me as an example, mantras recited with “bhavana” (loosely translated to ‘development’ in Sanskrit) specific visualizations are meditations themselves. Some would say that meditation and chanting mantras are two different means to achieving the same end. Practical uses aside, it is believed that mantras open a spiritual portal between our awareness and the awareness of the cosmos that exists within our selves. In yoga, mantras have not only syllables, but contain ‘sacred syllables’ which create a link between the conscious, subconscious, and the greater conscious state. Through this link, spiritual guidance and healing power pours into us from our inner being. Tantric practitioners usually repeat mantras a number of times. Sometimes, a tantric will use a mala (rosary) in order to keep track of how many times they repeat a mantra. The ideal numbers of repetitions tend to be 108, but some pious practitioners repeat sacred mantras up to a thousand times… in one sitting (Johnsen, 2002)! As a note, Tantric practitioners believe that some mantras cannot be translated into another language. These mantras are the most sacred of mantras, since their words cannot be ‘replicated’ into another language or sound – only loosely described with no literal translation. Because of this, many practitioners take care to attempt pronouncing these mantras as appropriately as they can. Practitioners of Tantra strongly believe the best effect and results of these sacred mantras come from the most precise pronunciations of them. Prayer. Like most traditions, Tantric practitioners still pray. When one prays, they commune with the Divine. With enough focus, they may even feel a sense of closeness with God – just like anyone else who prays. Rituals. Since each Tantric tradition is different – and many of the traditions do not share their secrets – this section will be short and direct. Many, many rituals exist in Tantra. To give an idea of how many other rituals could be out there, take every aspect of life and turn it into a ritual. Common Patron Deities in Tantra As emphasized before, Shiva and Shakti – consciousness and power - are the main deities in most Tantra traditions. Thus, their many manifestations hold a place in Tantra. However, as an aspiring Shakta, I have very limited information on the many manifestations of Shiva, so I will speak about the prevalent manifestations of Shakti. Finally, this list will not cover the prevalent figures in Tantric Buddhism, since my knowledge on Buddhism is very limited. The most prevalent female patron deities in Tantra are the Dasa Mahavidyas – otherwise known as the Ten Great Wisdom Goddesses (Johnsen, 1999; McDaniel, 2004). These Wisdom Goddesses are manifestations of one Shakti – in some Kalikula traditions, they are considered the ten faces of Kali (McDaniel, 2004). Kali: Kali is the manifestation of Shakti as the Eternal Night, the Devourer of Time, and the Destroyer of the Ego. Kali is the Supreme Power in the Kalikula traditions (McDaniel, 2004; “Shaktism,” 2008).
Lalita-Tripurasundari (also known as Shodashi): She is the one who is “Most Beautiful in the Three Worlds.” Lalita is the Supreme Power in the Srikula traditions (“Shaktism,” 2008; Johnsen, 1999). Some equate her to Parvati. Bhuvaneshvari: this manifestation of Shakti is the one ‘Whose Body is the Cosmos’ (“Shaktism,” 2008). Bhairavi: this goddess is the Fierce Goddess, Shakti as Destruction (“Shaktism,” 2008; Johnsen, 1999). Chinnamasta: Chinnamasta is the Goddess “Who Cut off Her Own Head,” the Self-Decapitated Goddess. Because she is often affiliated with self-sacrifice, I personally call her the Martyr Goddess (“Shaktism,” 2008; Johnsen, 1999). Dhumavati: many call her, “the Widow Goddess.” Dhumavati is associated with renunciation (“Shaktism,” 2008; Johnsen, 1999). Bagalamukhi: Bagalamukhi is the aspect of Shakti who “Paralyzes Enemies” (“Shaktism,” 2008; Johnsen, 1999). Respectfully, I must caution against thinking of Bagalamukhi as a deity who paralyzes enemies in a physical sense. “Enemies” in Tantra could apply to internal struggles. Matangi: in Kalikula traditions, Matangi is the Goddess of Outcastes. She is the Prime Minister of Lalita in Srikula traditions. Some equate her to Sarasvati (“Shaktism,” 2008; Johnsen, 1999). Kamala: Kamala is the “The Lotus Goddess” (“Shaktism,” 2008). Some associate her with Lakshmi. These deities are, by all means, not all the deities represented in Tantric traditions. However, these goddesses are the most common patron deities in Tantric Shaktism traditions. In Tantra, the Ten Mahavidyas represent not only the different faces of God, but also the different paths one can take to God-Realization. Each path is just one facet of a single truth. Just as God has many names in mainstream Hinduism, Tantric traditions have many paths to reach the same goal.
Societal Views on Tantra Today I have heard Shakta friends tell me that Tantra used to be more open. However, past British colonialism forced many Tantric practitioners to practice in discretion in order to preserve their tradition. Some Tantric traditions are gradually coming out of the shadows, and no longer have to worry about the persecution they have faced in the past. Even then, though, let us face it: just because Tantric practitioners are found amongst Hindus do not make them free from prejudice being placed upon them by other Hindus. Tantra barely receives tolerance in the East compared to the West. As pointed out in previous sections of this writing, though, it is also the mainstream in certain regions of India (such as Kerala). However, because of modern-day preconceptions, as well as the potential of facing discrimination, it is safe to say that the majority of Tantric practitioners perform many of their tradition-exclusive rituals in discretion. Many practitioners of Tantra do not even identify themselves to others as practitioners. Those who meet a practitioner could safely consider themselves honored indeed.
Closing Comments I know and understand that not everyone who reads this will have an interest in Eastern traditions. However, since Tantra (especially popularized Tantra) has became a phenomenon in the West, I think it is prudent for everyone to understand, at the very least, the difference between what society generally perceives as Tantra, and what Tantra truly is. Some people would be amazed at how disgusted some traditional Tantric practitioners get when they see another article on the web promoting the benefits of ‘Tantric sex’ on people’s sexual life. If Tantra were truly about sex, then one would have to wonder how the many celibate Tantric practitioners out there managed to uphold their statuses as true Tantric practitioners. Before I close this report on Tantra, I first and foremost, wish to thank one of my fellow Shakta friends, someone who almost is like a distant father for me in my spiritual journey. While no one can replace my current father, no one can replace one of the people who has helped me further understand Shaktism. Without them, I could not even have the courage to attempt making this overview of this sacred tradition. There were so many moments when making this when I felt I was going to say the wrong thing or not do enough justice to the tradition. I still feel I have not done any justice to this tradition by what I have presented (and I probably never will). Their participation in helping me conjure this was far more than I felt I ever deserved. I give many thanks and blessings to him. My thanks also are given to those who requested for me to make this report, as well as to those who have sincere curiosity about the system of Tantra. If it were not for any of you, I would not have been inspired to put the time and energy into this writing. So please give yourself some credit for acting as an inspiration for a simple Shakta such as myself. Finally, I wish to leave everyone with a beautiful, eloquent stotra (“hymn” or “praise” in Sanskrit), which has been roughly translated from the Mahanirvana Tantra of the Great Liberation by Sir John Woodroffe, also known as Arthur Avalon (2004). He is one of the most known Western pioneers for Eastern traditions and has done much to show them respect toward Eastern traditions in his literature and prose. While nothing can replace learning the language of Sanskrit itself, Arthur Avalon probably has some of the most accurate translations that exist in today’s world of Eastern literature. When reading this stotra, please keep in mind, again, that in order for one to truly understand the science behind the Tantras, one must learn Sanskrit and have guidance from an experienced initiate. Otherwise, this translation does what it can to bring the basic message of the original stotra, which is written in Sanskrit. This stotra roughly translates to the following: “I bow to Thee, the eternal Refuge of all… I bow to Thee, the pure Intelligence manifested in the universe. I bow to Thee Who in His essence is One and Who grants liberation. I bow to Thee, the great, all-pervading attributeless One. Thou art the only Refuge and Object of adoration. The whole universe is the appearance of Thee Who art its Cause. Thou alone art Creator, Preserver, Destroyer of the world. Thou art the sole immutable Supreme, Who art neither this nor that; Dread of the dreadful, Terror of the terrible. Refuge of all beings, Purificator of all purificators. Thou alone rulest the high-placed ones, Supreme over the supreme, Protector of the Protectors. O Supreme Lord in Whom all things are, yet Unmanifest in all, Imperceptible by the senses, yet the very truth. Incomprehensible, Imperishable, All-pervading hidden Essence. Lord and Light of the Universe! save us from harm. On that One alone we meditate, that One alone we in mind worship, To that One alone the Witness of the Universe we bow. Refuge we seek with the One Who is our sole Eternal Support, The Self-existent Lord, the Vessel of safety in the ocean of being.” (Mahanirvana Tantra of the Great Liberation, 2004, p. 106-107)
References Author Unknown (2004). Mahanirvana Tantra of the Great Liberation (A. Avalon, Trans.). Whitefish, MT: Kessinger Publishing. Behlman, L. (2005). Greek History. Lecture for a course called Classical Cultures, Riley County, KS. Johnsen, L. (1999). The Living Goddess. Saint Paul, MN: Yes International Publishers. Johnsen, L. (2002). The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hinduism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha Lawrence, D. (1996). Tantric argument: the transfiguration of philosophical discourse in the Pratyabhijna system of Utpaladeva and Abhinavagupta. Philosophy East and West, 40, 165 ---. Marks, M.J., & Fraley, R. C. (2006). Confirmation Bias and the Sexual Double Standard. Sex Roles, 54, 19-26. McDaniel, J. (2004). Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc. Natha, B. (1990). Shakta Tantrism. Shakti Sadhana Org. Retrieved March 7, 2008, from Sarasvati, S. (2005, August 17). Beginning Tantra. Living Tantra. Retrieved March 7, Sarasvati, S. (2005, September 01). Beginning Tantra. Living Tantra. Retrieved March Shaktism. (2008, February). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved March 7,
* * * * * * * * * * * Other Recommended Readings (1913). Mahanirvana Tantra of the Great Liberation (Trans. A. Avalon). Retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://www.sacred-texts.com/tantra/maha/index.htm Avalon, A. (1913). Hymns to the Goddess. Sacred-Texts.com. Retrived March 9, 2008, from http://www.sacred-texts.com/tantra/htg/index.htm Avalon, A. (1918). Shakti and Shakta. Sacred-Texts.com. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://www.sacred-texts.com/tantra/sas/index.htm Avalon, A. (1922). Hymn to Kali. Sacred-Texts.com. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://www.sacred-texts.com/tantra/htk/index.htm
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