Miilaprakrti

67

" The GunaBody, or that form of S'akti mentioned
above which is manifested gradually from Kala" (6. ei-
ea) consists of the three Gunas, as already remarked.
It has to be added that each Gima, while evolving in the
manner described, comes under the special protectorship
of Aniruddha in the form of the Trimiirti ; that is to
say : Aniruddha as V i s n u becomes the superintendent
of Sattva, as B r a h m a n that of Rajas, and as R u d r a
that of Tamas. These three gods, together with their
S'aktis (Laksmi, Sarasvati, Gauri) ', regarded as the
forces underlying the formation of the Avyakta, are
called in Laksmi Tantra (6.20-21) the "Sheath of
Generation" (prasuti-kos'a)*. In the same text
(4. 82 fll.) it is stated with regard to the first
origin of the Gimas that they have been formed from
[an infinitesimal part of] the first, second, and third of
the six Gunas of the Lord. 3 The qualities which
become manifest through the Gunas are according to
Ahirb. Samh. : (i) lightness, brightness, healthiness,
pleasure ; (2) motion, passion, restlessness, pain ; and (3)
heaviness, obstruction, inertia, stupefaction.

After the Gunas have evolved separately, they be-
come, " for the purpose of creation ", a uniform mass
called as a rule A v y a k t a (the Non-manifest)
or Miilaprakrti (Root-nature), but also, according to

1 Who, however, according to Laksmi Tantra V, 6 HI., have
sprung: Brahman and Laksmi from Mahalaksmi -f Pradyumna ;
Rudra and Sarasvati from Mahakali-)-Sanikarsana ; and Visnu and
Gauri from Mahavidya+Amruddha.

2 This is the third kas'a or material " husk " of the Devi, the
second being the above-mentioned Maya Kos'a, and the first the
S'akti Kos'a comprising the Vyuhas and their S'aktis. Three more
Kos'as are connected with the lower primary and the secondary
creation to lie described in the next two sections of this Introduction.

3 The other three being employed for the creation of Kala ; ibid.
V, 24-25.


* Ahirbudhnya Samhita, de Otto Schrader.