34 research outputs found
The Voracious Virgin: The Concept and Worship of the KumÄrÄ« in Kaula Tantrism
The kumÄrÄ« is a powerful, often overlooked symbol of identity for practitioners of Kaula Tantrism. This dissertation argues that she is an important liminal, independent figure weaving together many intersecting, opposing threads of orthodox, Tantric, and indigenous culture and belief. Focusing on Kaula literature and practice, this expansive study traces the origins of the kumÄrÄ« and her worship throughout history, documenting for the first time several significant developments in the history of Kaula Tantrism. First, the origins of kumÄrÄ« worship are traced to early indigenous practices and Vedic ritual, documenting her interdependent arising in the PurÄnas and Kaula literature. The development of the concept and worship of the kumÄrÄ« in the Trika, KubjikÄ, and ÅrÄ«vidyÄ traditions is then uncovered through original research, demonstrating the weaving together and survival of these traditions in her ritual forms. Following the thread of her assimilation into and growing prominence in the KÄlÄ«kula, this study argues that this appropriation reflects the weaving together of several important elements in the development of ÅÄkta philosophy, which can be read in parallels between the mythological cycles of the DevÄ« MÄhÄtmyam and YoginÄ« Tantra. By decoding and carefully reconstructing the kumÄrÄ« ritual in the KulÄrnava Tantra, KaulÄvalÄ« NirnÄya, NÄ«la Tantra, BrhannÄ«la Tantra, RudrayÄmala, and VÄrÄhÄ« Tantra, the kumÄrÄ« material is shown to represent a previously undocumented but significant influence of the KubjikÄ and ÅrÄ«vidyÄ/ÅrÄ«kula traditions on KÄlÄ«kula literature in Bengal and the Northeast. A point of unity between popular and secret practices, the kumÄrÄ« facilitated the entry of Kaula practice into the mainstream by simultaneously subverting and upholding brahmanical norms. A rare comparative ethnographic study of the concept and worship of the kumÄrÄ« at the KÄmÄkhyÄ temple follows, for the first time documenting how the unique interaction of ÅrÄ«kula and KÄlÄ«kula inform its organization, practice, and negotiated ritual space, and how the concept and worship of the kumÄrÄ« communicates its identity. Finally, a model of kumÄrÄ« worship as a hub of enjoyment, secrecy, and power is constructed, reflecting the persistence and evolution of a core Kaula identity captured in the concept of the kumÄrÄ« and performance of her ritual