The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)

At the time of dissolution (Pralaya) there is in consciousness as Mahākundalī, though undistinguishable from its general mass, the potentiality or seed of the universe to be. Māyā, as the world, potentially exists as Mahākundalī, who is Herself one with Consciousness or Shiva. This Māyā contains, and is in fact constituted by, the collective Sangskāra or Vāsanā—that is, the mental impressions and tendencies produced by Karma accomplished in previously existing worlds. These constitute the mass of the potential ignorance (Avidyā) by which Consciousness veils itself. They were produced by desire for worldly enjoyment, and themselves produce such desire. The worlds exist because they, in their totality, will to exist. Each individual exists because his will desires worldly life. This seed is therefore the collective or cosmic will towards 2manifested life—that is, the life of form and enjoyment. At the end of the period of rest, which is dissolution, this seed ripens in Consciousness. Consciousness has thus a twin aspect: its liberation (Mukti) or formless aspect, in which it is as mere Consciousness-Bliss; and a universe or form aspect, in which it becomes the worlds of enjoyment (Bhukti). One of the cardinal principles of the Shākta Tantra is to secure by its Sādhanā both liberation (Mukti) and enjoyment (Bhukti).¹ This is possible by the identification of the self when in enjoyment with the soul of the world. When this seed ripens Shiva is said to put forth His Shakti. As this Shakti is Himself, it is He in his Shiva-Shakti aspect who comes forth (Prasarati) and endows Himself with all the forms of worldly life. In the pure, perfect, formless Consciousness there springs up the desire to manifest in the world of forms—the desire for enjoyment of and as form. This takes place as a limited stress in the unlimited unmoving surface of pure Consciousness, which is Nishkala Shiva, but without affecting the latter. There is thus change in changelessness and changelessness in change. Shiva in His transcendent aspect does not change, but Shiva (Sakala) in His immanent aspect as Shakti does. As creative will arises Shakti thrills as Nāda,² and assumes the form of Bindu, which is Īshvara Tattva, whence all the worlds derive. It is for their creation that Kundalī uncoils. When Karma ripens, the Devī, in the words of the Nigama,³ “becomes desirous of creation, and covers Herself with Her own Māyā”. Again, “the Devī, joyful in the mad delight of Her union with the Supreme Akula,¹ becomes Vikārinī”² —that is, the Vikāras or Tattvas of Mind and Matter, which constitute the universe, appear.

The Shāstras have dealt with the stages of creation in 3great detail both from the subjective and objective viewpoints as changes in the limited consciousness or as movement (Spanda), form, and “sound” (Shabda). Both Shaivas and Shāktas equally accept the Thirty-Six categories or Tattvas, the Kalās, the Shaktis Unmanī, and the rest in the Tattvas, the Shadadhvā, the Mantra concepts of Nāda, Bindu, Kāmakalā, and so forth.³ Authors of the Northern Shaiva school, of which a leading Shāstra is the Mālinīvijaya Tantra, have described with great profundity these Tattvas. General conclusions only are, however, here summarised. These thirty-six Tattvas are in the Tantras divided into three groups, called Ātmā, Vidyā, and Shiva Tattvas. The first group includes all the Tattvas, from the lowest Prithivi (“earth”) to Prakriti, which are known as the impure categories (Ashuddhatattva); the second includes Māyā, the Kanchukas,⁴ and Purusha, called the pure-impure categories (Shuddha-ashuddha Tattva); and the third includes the five highest Tattvas, called the pure Tattvas (Shuddha Tattva), from Shiva Tattva to Shuddhavidyā. As already stated, the