Importance of Abhishek in Tantra:

 

One of the mystical procedures undertaken in tantra is Abhishek. This procedure is most secret as has been mentioned in almost all the tantrars. As per Uttartantra, one should not follow Kula kritya without first getting one’s abhishek. Those, who perform kula procedures as a guru, without abhishek, their age, knowledge, fame and power gets burnt. Abhishek is a method by which one’s wealth, fame, power and life span increases. It removes all sins, all mantra dosh and gives desired things. It removes abhichar karma performed on a person by others. It removes grah doshas. Even if one is bitten by Taskhak, it counters its poison. A sadhak should undertake this kriya whenever his power , tej, intellect and wealth reduces. It can also be used during wrong deeds performed by a woman, it removes diseases of both mind & body, removes the bad fortune of women. It can be performed at the bank of a river, in a sacred place, in the root of a sacred tree, where four roads meet or in a temple.

 

In tantra sadhana, abhishek has a special mysterious place. In shakt sadhana, Shaktabhishek, Poornabhishek, Kramdiksha, Samrajya Diksha, Mahasamrajyadiksha etc. extremely deep meaning subjects are involved. As diksha has a special meaning, in the same manner Abhishek also has a special meaning. From the angle of Shakt sadhana, it is important to share something here on abhishek.

 

After diksha, shaktabhishek and poornabhishek are known every where in the tantra circles. Mantra is most important in both of them. After shaktabhishek, path of shakti opens.  After that, poornabhishek is performed. From the ancient times, tantra deals in ten mahavidyas concept (Kali, Tara, Shodashi, Bhuvneshwari, Bhairavi, Chinnmasta, Dhoomavati, Bagla, Matangi and Luxmi). First three shaktis of ten mahavidyas are called trishakti. From the stand point of piercing paramtattva, sadhana of this triad is essential for all the sadhakas.  

 

In sadhana, one has to pierce both gross and subtle body and move inwards or upwards. The goal of it is realisation of one’s self or atmasakshatkaar. But before that, above the realm of emotions, one faces mahashunya. This mahashunya also has to be pierced. For piercing mahashunya, kramadiksha is given, with the help of which path of completeness (poornatva) is opened for the sadhak. For treading this path of completeness, piercing of mahashunya is essential. To pierce that one needs power of chit shakti. Hence one feels that after poorn diksha, kram diksha is essential. As earlier, in this kramanbhishek also mantra is principle entity and deity involved is Kaali. Shakti, which gives the feeling of preliminary and final annihilation is called Kaali. At that time, whole creation is covered with darkness. It’s upasana is done in dakshinamnaya. After Kali, Tara upasana is done. Thus after completion of this process of ichha and kriya, dakshina chaar converts to Sidhantachaar. Yogis take it under tripad sadhana. Mantra sadhana still prevails. Till now, both Kali and Tara has done their work ( in some lineages, even Tripursundari is also taken here along with earlier two).   

 

After it comes Samrajyabhishek. Here upasaya is Tripursundari. This stage is upasana of prashakti or paraprakriti. Here, it is important to know the mystery of kamakala. After Iccha(desire) and Kriya(work), knowledge arises. But here also, mantra sadhana is essential. Here panchkoot diksha is needed. This diksha is also on the level of Samrajyadiksha. After this, comes Maha-Samrajyabhishek. It’s goal is to realize the state of Ardhnarishwar. In it, one gets sakshatkaar of Ardhambikeshwar or Ardhnarishwar. In philosophical context, this state can be compared to bhedabhed (dual-nondual state). Here mantra looses importance and LAYA gains importance. Jeeva gets free of all the worldly five elements and gets connected with the parmatama.

 

After this comes Atmadiksha but in some places Poornadiksha abhishek and Mahapoornadiksha abhishek have been mentioned. During Poorndiksha abhishek, completeness of yog takes place. After mahapoorndiksha abhishek nothing is left. Acharyagana (teachers) say that from mantra yog, mahabhav arises. After mahabhav comes mahalaya and then one establishes in yoga permanently. During these stages outer movement disappears and sadhak performs everything inwards or one can say that every DOING is left behind and only BEING is experienced. Sadhak has no where to go, where ever he is, is TEERTH, a sacred place. People visit him. His presence alone gives them everything.   

 

It’s Rishi is Dakshinamurti, Chand is Anushtup and devta is Shakti. By establishing a kalsha and using mango leaves, one’s abhishek is done with various mantras. A few  names of various shaktis which are invoked for doing abhishek of the sadhak are Rajrajeshwari, Rudra bhairavi, Tripursundari, Chinnmastika, Durga, Neel Saraswati, Dakshin Kalika, various forms of Chandi, Luxmi, Mangla-Nandini-Bhadra-Kirti-Pushti-Medha etc, Kamakhya, Tara, Tripurbhairavi etc. In total, about 154 such shaktis have been mentioned in the scripture. Then ten direction devtas, shaktis of time division like samvatsar, paksha, tithi, days etc, all the planets, nakshatras, various yogas, increase and decrease of various tithis and nakshatras, various putra ganas, various bhairavs, Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Iswar and Sadashiv, purush-prakriti, 16 vikars, attributes of atma, various beejas, sacred rivers flowing above and below the earth, all the islands, oceans, naag, swaha-vashat-vakhat-fatkaar, prêt-kushmand-danav-pishach-guhyak-bhoot ganas, aluxmi, Kaalkarni, all the groups of sins, all the negatives powers etc are invoked for this purpose. Thus all the above shaktis are invited to do abhishek of the sadhak though the procedure is seen to be completed by one’s guru. During the process of abhishek, a sadhak is struck with a bunch of leaves of the kalasha immersed in it’s nectar on the head. Gurudev chants the mantras with great anand and transfers the blessings of the divines through each hit. After going through the whole process which involves more than thirty hits on one’s crown, one is dazed and feels the blessings of the divine. Thus we can say that through the medium of one’s guru, all above mentioned powers operate.  It is further stated that by such an abhishek all the obstructions are removed, good fortunes are made to stay and all desires are fulfilled. Thus importance of various abhisheks, have been discussed in foreword of Mahakaal Samhita published by Ganganath jha Sanskrit Vidypeeth.

 

We have not shared the actual procedure with various mantras used in it here, as that is for a guru to perform. It is generally said that only one who has received poornabhishek minimum, can qualify for performing such a thing. Wishing all the dear readers best of their spiritual practises during navratras which are starting tomorrow.…….Jai Ma…Jai Gurudev….Om!