The JY knows and accepts the standard classification of the Saivagama into five currents and even explicitly states that this is the original basic form of the canon.50 However, it also refers to a sixth Upper Current which we shall discuss later. Each of these six Currents is here analysed in terms of the transmission of the teachings of the Tantras belonging to them. They are, in other words, distinguished from one another on the basis of the teachers (guru) and traditions (santati,
santana) associated with them.51 Each of Sadasiva's five faces (with the sixth Current above them) is accordingly linked with a family of lineages technically called "gotra" to which belong various lines of transmission
(santati). The members of each Current (or gotra) undertake vows (vrata)
and practice their own particular disciplines (carya) which the JY enumerates for each in serial order. Again, each Current has its own monastic centres called mathikas.
It is not essential to list all these names here; we shall limit ourselves instead to making a few observations. Firstly, it is worth noting that the Agamas understand themselves as transmitted doctrine not just as scripture. It is the living tradition that matters and hence also the teacher who preserves and passes it on to his disciples. Although each Current has its teachers, the ideal teacher according to the Bhairavagamas is one who knows all six Currents. He alone can explain the teachings of each
Current along with their esoteric meaning.52 The personal imparting of the teaching to a small group of disciples entails the existence of numerous monastic centres, each of which is headed by its own teacher who can bequeath it to his successor.53 Some of these monastic centres came to prominence and acquired an importance in their own right. The Kashmiri tradition, for example, associates the dualist, monist and qualified monistic schools of Saivism with three mathikas named after Tryambaka, Amardaka and Srinatha respectively.54 The word "mathika" thus comes ultimately to denote a particular school of thought associated
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with the founder of the monastic centre from which it was propagated. The JY, as we have said, accepts the basic Five Current division of the Saivagamas. However, although it does classify them in these terms, it does not concern itself to do so in detail. The Siva and Rudra division of the Siddhantagamas are said, as usual, to consist of ten and eighteen Agamas respectively. The Left Current consists of the Tantras which 'delude'55 which is clearly an allusion to the Sammohanatantra that is regularly considered to characterize the scriptures of this Current. The Current of the Right contains, amongst others, the sixty-four Bhairava-
tantras and the Yamalas. To this Current also belong the SvT and the
entire Mantra and Mudrapitha.56 The Garuda and Bhutatantras are
characterized in the usual way as concerned with remedies for poison and with exorcism respectively.57 They are ascribed, as usual, to the Eastern and Western Currents.58 The Tantras of the Left Current are said to deal with the acquisition of the eight yogic powers (siddhi) and power to control others,59 while the Right Current is the eternal non-dual abode of all the pleasures of this world and every type of liberation.60
The Sixth Current is above the others. It belongs particularly to Siva's power through which all the traditions and their teachings are revealed in this world.61 Siva is the root source of all the Agamas; infinite and full of the knowledge of consciousness he is both omniform and tranquil like a waveless sea. His power is his vitality (virya) whose field is the delight of the abode of consciousness and is beautiful with its blissful pulsation generated through the diversity of its immanently manifest and transcendentally unmanifest forms.62 This vitality is Speech at all levels63 and pours out of universal consciousness in countless extensions (prasara) of its power of which the six Currents of scripture are the main streams.64 Full of this divine power at its very source the Sixth Current leads to realization in an instant with great force (hathat) and so the form of Siva that governs it is Hathakesvara. He is said to know the mysteries of Kula and Kaula and so all the secret teachings originate from here. Conse quently this Current is present in those of the Left and Right.65 Moreover, although it flows in the upper regions (urdhvd) it is also connected with the lower ones as well, that is, with those frequently assigned, as we have seen, to the Kulagama. Thus Hathakesvara's domain is said to be "the abode of the fire of time" which burns in the hells below the world-order. The SvT confirms that Hataka is the name of the Lord of Sauvarna which is the eighth and lowest hell66 while the JY tells us that all the lords of the hells
(patalanayaka) are born from Hathakesvara's mouth.67 According to a passage quoted by Abhinavagupta from the Rauragama,68 when
Srikantha resides in the hell worlds he assumes the form of Hataka because he bestows yogic powers suddenly and with great force (hathatah) while
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the J Y expressly states that the Upper Current "bestows all yogic powers." The Anandadhikaratantra69 declares that Hataka is the lord of the hell
where souls burn in the "fire of time." This place is destined for those initiates who have broken their pledges and, more especially, for those who, although votaries of the Left-hand Path, censor it. Here, according to this Tantra, go those who have been taught higher doctrine but have, nonetheless, resorted to lower teachings or Mantras of a lower order such as those practised by the devotees of Garuda. They can, however, free themselves of their suffering by offering themselves to Lord Hataka and so reach the higher divine principles and then, from there, ultimately merge into Siva.70
8. Conclusion
Accounts such as these not only teach us a great deal about the extent of the Agamic corpus but also about its history and, consequently, about the history of the development of Agamic Saivism. We should, however, treat these accounts with caution. As we have seen, all the major Agamas have their own peculiar view of the Saiva canon and, although their accounts are in many ways compatible and even supplement each other, none of them are either complete or unbiased. Moreover, they give rise to many questions which still remain unsettled. Thus, we cannot help asking ourselves whether all these Tantras did, in fact, exist. For example, although the eight Bhairava Tantras are generally considered to form a standard group, it is by no means certain whether they all existed. Certainly the Svacchandatantra, at least, does and possibly a number of others but it is hard to believe that all the Tantras said here to have been associated with them did as well. Bhairavas are commonly worshipped in groups of eight while the group which has given its name to these Tantras is particularly well known. It is hard not to suspect that these lists are not entirely genuine when we notice that groups of eight are such recurrent features in them. May it not be the case that some of these titles are purely fictitious additions to fill out ideal schemes? We can only be sure that a Tantra existed when we find additional evidence to corroborate the statements made in accounts such as these. We must, for example, find direct quotations from it, or reference to it in independent sources such as inscriptions. Best of all, of course, would be to find the text itself or fragments of it.
Again, how genuine are the names listed in the lines of transmission of these Tantras? Certainly the gods, divine beings and Upanisadic sages who figure in these accounts cannot be considered to be historical figures
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connected with them. Even so, it is not impossible that the last few members of these lines did, in fact, live at some time and propagated these Tantras; perhaps, indeed, they even wrote them. It is worth noting, however, that the account of the line of transmission given here of the SYM and its own account as presented by Abhinavagupta in the
Tantraloka do not agree. This fact should put us on our guard to deal
cautiously with what these account tell us because our knowledge of the extent and content of even the extant Tantras is still very superficial. Even so, there can be little doubt that future research will reveal a vast field of inquiry and that these accounts of the Saivagamic canon will serve as important guidelines by which we may orient ourselves in the course of work to help us to locate ourselves in this vast body of literature.