The Heart of the Yogini

...through the joint efforts of the famous scholars of Tantra from the Netherlands, Dr. Teun Goudriaan and Dr. Sanjukta Gupta, the book Hindu Tantric and Shakta Literature has been released. In its third chapter (pp. 57-74), under the title "Shrikula," the texts of the Tripura tradition are introduced. Therefore, here we will discuss only a few new points very briefly.

References to texts named Shrikula and Kalikula are found, and these words are also used for specific traditions. A friend of ours says that Shrikula is related to the Western Transmission paschimamnaya, so its use for the Tripura tradition is inappropriate, as it is related to the Southern Transmission dakshinamnaya. Vidyananda and Amritananda say that although Shrividya is related to all four transmissions, it has a special fondness for the Southern Transmission. Since Shrividya is related to all four transmissions, introducing the texts of the Tripura tradition under the heading "Shrikula" is, in our view, not inappropriate. Later, we will discuss the book titled Shakta Sahitya written in the Gujarati language. There, too, the texts are introduced under the divisions of Shrikula and Kalikula. We consider the statement of the French scholar of Tantra, Dr. André Padoux, to be correct: that the divisions of Shakta literature—transmission amnaya, school mata, etc.—are "unclear." Only when the ancient literature of this tradition, much of which is unpublished, comes to light can something be said definitively about this subject.

In the introduction to the second volume of the Luptagamasangraha (p. 11), we have given the names of many Nitya-tantras and have also introduced them in their proper places. Amritananda has quoted many of these texts. They have already been introduced in the introduction to the Nityashodashikarnava (pp. 31-49). The most important text among these is the Uttarashatka. It is considered a part of the Rudrayamala.

1. See: Yogaraja’s commentary on Paramarthasara, p. 186.
2. See: Luptagamasangraha, Vol. 2, Introduction, p. 26.
3. The tradition referred to by names like Shrikula, Shrikramakula, Shrikulakrama, Shrikrama, etc., is related to the Western Authority pashchimashasana or Western Transmission. Information about this is found in the Kularatnodyota authored by Adinatha. Kalikula is related to the Northern Transmission uttaramnaya. Further consideration is required on this matter.
4. "Although this Vidya is common to all four transmissions, it leans toward the south" (Artharatnavali, p. 41); "Of the सौभाग्यदेवता Goddess of Good Fortune who leans toward the southern flow" (Dipika, pp. 133-134).
5. Shri Gopalchandra Singh Smrityanka, Ritam, Journal of the Akhila Bharatiya Sanskrit Parishad, Vol. 16-18, 1984-86, p. 151.

Courtesy: Shri Tarun Dwivedi, Surviving Son of Late Vraj Vallabh Dwivediji (15 Jul 1926 - 17 Feb 2012)