a.[716] In the sixth, or
Siddhantacara,[717] the adept becomes more and more free from passion
and prejudice and is finally able to enter Kaulacara, the highest
stage of all. A Kaula is one who has passed beyond all sects and
belongs to none, since he has the knowledge of Brahman. "Possessing
merely the form of man, he moves about this earth for the salvation of
the world and the instruction of men."[718]

These are aspirations common to all Indian religion. The peculiarity
of the Tantras is to suppose that a ritual which is shocking to most
Hindus is an indispensable preliminary to their attainment.[719] Its
essential feature is known as _pancatattva_, the five elements, or
_pancamakara_ the five m's, because they all begin with that letter,
namely, _madya_, _mamsa_, _matsya_, _mudra_, and _maithuna_, wine, meat,
fish, parched grain and copulation. The celebration of this ritual
takes place at midnight, and is called _cakra_ or circle. The
proceedings begin by the devotees seating themselves in a circle and
are said to terminate in an indiscriminate orgy. It is only fair to
say that some Tantras inveigh against drunkenness and authorize only
moderate drinking.[720] In all cases it is essential that the wine,
flesh, etc., should be formally dedicated to the goddess: without this
preliminary indulgence in these pleasures is sinful. Indeed it may be
said that apart from the ceremonial which they inculcate, the general
principles of the Tantras breathe a liberal and intelligent spirit.
Caste restrictions are minimized: travelling is permitted. Women are
honoured: they can act as teachers: the burning of widows is
forbidden:[721] girl widows may remarry[722] and the murder of a woman
is peculiarly heinous. Prostitution is denounced. Whereas Christianity
is sometimes accused of restricting its higher code to Church and
Sundays, the opposite may be said of Tantrism. Outside the temple its
morality is excellent.

A work like the Mahanirvana Tantra presents a refined form of Saktism
modified, so far as may be, in conformity with ordinary Hindu
usage.[723] But other features indubitably connect it with aboriginal
cults. For instance there is a legend which relates how the body of
the Sakti was cut into pieces and scattered over Assam and Bengal.
This story has an uncouth and barbarous air and seems out of place
even in Puranic mythology. It recalls the tales told of Osiris,
Orpheus and Halfdan the Black[724] and may be ultimat