• The author highlights the role of the Guru in Shakta Tantra and the importance of Guru-siddhi in this marga.

Shakta Tantra is a Guru transmitted ‘vidya’. Notice, I did not use the word, ‘taught’ vidya. Within this marga of Sanatana Dharma, a Guru has only one disciple. The Guru takes on the karma of the disciple --- all bad karma is first destroyed by the Guru. A Guru in this path does not have multiple Tantric disciples. The Guru may have many followers and can also initiate them to other paths of our Dharma, but never into Tantra. 

The Tantric succession is for only one disciple alone. The Guru cleanses the disciple till the disciple is fit to receive Tantric initiation. And contrary to what is commonly known; nothing depends on the disciple. The Guru transmits the entire knowledge of Tantra to the disciple through no formal teachings; as it were, the Guru possesses the disciple and transmits what needs to be known. There are no words involved. All self-effort is useless because in one lifetime it is not possible to acquire the entirety of Tantra-shastra.

The only siddhi that a disciple must have, is Guru-siddhi. The rest follows. No amount of japa, meditation or visiting holy places and reading scriptures will help in this path. 24*7 watching of YouTube videos; Insta-reels or, uttering various mantras can produce no results. Guru Kripa alone can do what decades of meditation and japa cannot do. Even the ascent of Kundalini power or descent of Shakti; Shaktipat, which takes years of Kriya-yoga practice can happen remotely through Guru-kripa.

This attainment of Guru kripa is known as Guru-siddhi.

The relationship between a Tantric Guru and disciple is not only that of respect. It is one of love between a child and its parent. Parents love their children unconditionally. The Guru and the disciple love each other unconditionally. One does not love one’s Guru with the aim of getting something in return; the Guru does not love the disciple to extract something from the disciple. They love each other unconditionally because there can be no bond other than love between a parent and a child. The rest follows. 

Formal initiation, mālā śodhana etc., all follow from Guru Siddhi. Some signs that the disciple is on the right track include precognitive dreams; ability to access hitherto unknown academic knowledge related to Dharma without reading domain-specific books and also a deep attraction to the cremation ground. It is as if, the shamshan calls to the disciple.

One gets tired by worldly talk --- the cremation ground exerts a powerful pull on the disciple. And finally, the disciple cannot stay without meeting the Guru frequently. These show that some progress has been made towards Guru-siddhi. The mantras which have primal syllables, बीज (Bījas), reveal themselves not through books but by unspoken transmission by the Guru. The Matrikas, the Yoginis and the Yakshinis including forms of Bhairava choose the disciple and never the other way round. They do not choose the disciple due to the disciple’s own merit but because the Guru wants them to reveal themselves to the disciple. 

The Guru, in the meanwhile, removes the three types of obstacles in the disciple’s life (त्रिविध बाधा) --- Ādhibhautika (आधिभौतिक), Ādhidaivika (आधिदैविक) and Ādhyātmika (आध्यात्मिक).

The first sort of obstacles include diseases which are all removed; for instance, heart blockages, cataracts and anything else which might come in the way of sadhana is removed. Ādhidaivika (आधिदैविक) obstacles include karmic burden leading to financial instability; familial problems and any misfortune arising from supernatural causes are removed so that the disciple can attain all the Tantric siddhis in this life itself. For example, one’s lifespan may be extended by the Guru with the addition of fairly good health so that one’s mission as a Tantric is fulfilled. Just that amount of money which will see the disciple through hard times is supernaturally provided by the Guru in spite of natural circumstances. 

आध्यात्मिक obstacles leading to the modifications of the mind are removed so that the disciple can practise Tantra without anxiety. The teachings of the Yoga Sutras culminating in ‘chitta-vritti-nirodha’, that is, the stilling of the mind of the disciple is done by the Guru in Shakta Tantra. Otherwise, this process of attaining the stilling of the mind will take decades. 

In short, the Yogic siddhis mentioned in the Yoga Sutras are bestowed by the Guru without any communication between the disciple and the Guru. The latter reads the heart of the disciple and does the needful. Everything is taken care of by the Guru. The Guru even changes the weather for the disciple if there is a need for such a change. Rain may not touch the havan area staying away from the cremation ground where the disciple is practising. Or, it might rain after the Tantric rituals are completed. If these things happen in the life of a disciple, then that disciple is well on the way to becoming a Tantric. No self-effort can substitute Guru-kripa.

The Guru in Shakta Tantra, in Vamachara, has to be a Bhairav to do these things for the disciple. Otherwise, no progress in Shakta Tantra is possible.

Harih Om.

Author Dr. Subhasis Chattopadhyay is a theologian.

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