{"collection":"tantra","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/tantra/htk/htk23.htm","path":"tantra/htk/htk23.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/tantra/htk/htk23.htm","text":"Hymn to Kali, by Arthur Avalon (Sir John George Woodroffe), [1922]\nO DARK One, 1 wondrous and excelling in every way, 2 becomes the accomplishment, 3 of those worshippers 4 who living in this world 5 freely make offering to Thee in worship 6 of the greatly 7 satisfying flesh, together with hair and bone, 8 of cats, camels, sheep, 9 buffaloes, goats, and men. 10\nCOMMENTARY\n'Oh Black one' (As\u012bt\u0101)\nAsit\u0101 means free from bondage. Sit\u0101 means bound. Asit\u0101 is therefore 'not bound' or eternally liberated. The root So, means 'to bind.' Amarako\u015ba gives the meaning of Sita as 'bound.'\n'Wondrous' (Ap\u016brv\u0101)\nBest.\n'At every step' (Pratipadam)\nIn succession, step by step.\n'All Powers' (Sarvasiddhi)\nThe five Siddhis which are the five forms of Liberation. The \u015aivag\u012bt\u0101 says, 'S\u0101lokya, S\u0101r\u016bpya, S\u0101r\u1e63ti, S\u0101yujya and Kaivalya. Know these to be the five forms of liberation.'\n'The flesh of' (Palala\u1e41)\nThese animals represent the Six Enemies (Ripu) or Vices which are specially characteristic of the following animals: The goat stands for Lust (K\u0101ma) 'as lustful as a goat (Chh\u0101ga),' the buffalo, Anger (Krodha) 'as angry as a buffalo (Mahi\u1e63a),' the cat, Greed (Lobha) 'as greedy as a cat' (M\u0101rj\u0101ra), the sheep, Delusion (Moha), 'as stupid as a sheep' (Me\u1e63a) the camel, Envy (M\u0101tsarya) 'as envious as a camel' (U\u1e63tra), Man, Pride (Mada) 'the Pride and arrogance of man' (Nara).\nThe \u0100nand\u0101kalpa says, 'Worship should be done by making offering of lust as goat, buffalo, and so forth '. Offering is made to Thee who art Cidr\u016bp\u0101 of lust and other vices as articles of offering (Upac\u0101ra) in worship with the object of ridding oneself of them. B\u1e5bhann\u012bla-Tantra says, 'In the fire of \u0100tm\u0101 which flames with the ghee (Havih) of Dharma and Adharma, I ever offer in Homa by the Su\u1e63u\u1e41n\u0101 path, with the mind as ladle, all the functions of the senses\u2014Sv\u0101h\u0101.'\n'In worship' (P\u016bj\u0101y\u0101m)\nIn mental worship according to the manner prescribed.\n'With hair and bone' (Loma, asthi)\nThat is the whole without omitting any part. Such S\u0101dhakas attain the S\u0101lokya and other forms of liberation.\n89:1 Asit\u0101: That is K\u0101lik\u0101 v. post.\n89:2 Pratipadam. The \u015ay\u0101marahasya-s\u0101rasa\u1e41graha reads pratidinam (every day) (K.B.), which seems preferable, for, as K.B. says, the worship (p\u016bj\u0101) is the general daily p\u016bj\u0101, upon which daily advancement in siddhi would follow.\n89:3 Siddhi: success in work; accomplishment of all which is desired (V).\n89:4 Sat, that is, s\u0101dhu (wise, good, pious). Sat\u0101\u1e41 = S\u0101dhak\u0101n\u0101m (V).\n89:5 That is, among men.\n89:6 P\u016bj\u0101y\u0101\u1e41 api (see note 2), ante.\nP\u016bj\u0101y\u0101\u1e41: Naimittika or occasional worship (V). The force of the particle api is that the offering is not confined to special S\u0101dhan\u0101 but is made in ordinary worship also. (K.B.)\n89:7 Param (K.B.).\n89:8 That is flesh and all.\n89:9 Mai\u1e63a\u1e41. The \u015ay\u0101marahasya-s\u0101rasa\u1e41graha gives also mau\u1e63am, of rat's flesh. The Fetk\u0101ri\u1e47\u012b-Tantra has both sheep and rat's flesh (K.B.).\n\u015ay\u0101m\u0101rahasya says, To him who makes offering of the flesh of cats, sheep, camels, and buffaloes together with bone, hair and skin D\u0101k\u1e63i\u1e47\u0101 is ever beneficial like a Mother.'\n89:10 As to this human sacrifice, K. B. says that Kings alone, and not any other, are entitled to make human sacrifice, citing the Y\u0101mala quoted in the K\u0101l\u012bkalpalat\u0101 (R\u0101j\u0101 naravali\u1e41 dady\u0101n n\u0101nyopi parame\u015bvari). For inner sense see Svar\u016bpa-vy\u0101khy\u0101 post.","title":"Hymn to Kali: Text: Verse 19","type":"page"}