y. Thus the Sakti
who pervades the universe is also present in the body as Kundalini,
a serpentine coil of energy, and it is part of Sadhana to arouse this
energy and make it mount from the lower to the higher centres.
Kundalini is also present in sounds and in letters. Hence if
different parts of the body are touched to the accompaniment of
appropriate mantras (which rite is called nyasa) the various Saktis
are made to dwell in the human frame in suitable positions.

The Tantras recognize that human beings are not equal and that codes
and rituals must vary according to temperament and capacity. Three
conditions of men, called the animal, heroic and divine,[712] are
often mentioned and are said to characterize three periods of
life--youth, manhood and age, or three classes of mankind,
non-tantrists, ordinary tantrists, and adepts. These three conditions
clearly correspond to the three Gunas. Also men, or rather Hindus,
belong to one of seven groups, or stages, according to the religious
practices which it is best for them to follow. Saktists apparently
demur[713] to the statement commonly made by Indians as well as by
Europeans that they are divided into two sects the Dakshinacarins, or
right-hand worshippers, whose ritual is public and decent, and the
Vamacarins who meet to engage in secret but admittedly immoral orgies.
But for practical purposes the division is just, although it must not
be supposed that Dakshinacarins necessarily condemn the secret
worship. They may consider it as good for others but not for
themselves. Saktists apparently would prefer to state the matter thus.
There are seven stages of religion. First come Vedic, Vishnuite and
Sivaite worship, all three inferior, and then Dakshinacara,
interpreted as meaning favourable worship, that is favourable to the
accomplishment of higher purposes, because the worshipper now begins
to understand the nature of Devi, the great goddess. These four kinds
of worship are all said to belong to _pravritti_ or active life. The
other three, considered to be higher, require a special initiation and
belong to _nivritti_, the path of return in which passion and activity
are suppressed.[714] And here is propounded the doctrine that passion
can be destroyed and exhausted by passion,[715] that is to say that
the impulses of eating, drinking and sexual intercourse are best
subjugated by indulging them. The fifth stage, in which this method is
first adopted, is called Vamacar