Authors: Swastik Banerjee
Affiliations: University Research Fellow, Department of Philosophy, University of Calcutta
Abstract:
This essay investigates the text Bhūtaḍāmara Tantra, examining a philosophical tension: “How does a tantra so deeply embedded in ritual coercion reconcile itself with the language of liberation?” The analysis of this issue is conducted through the central deity, Krodha Bhairava, interpreted as Ferocious Consciousness—an expression of Consciousness that subjugates not only spirits but also the fundamental structure of ‘otherness’ within awareness. An examination of the key practices described in the text, viewed through the lens of Trika doctrine, suggests that an effort is made to establish non-contradiction to non-dual liberation through the fierce realisation of Consciousness.
Editorial Note: This bold and compelling essay repositions the Bhūtaḍāmara Tantra not merely as a manual of occult coercion, but as a profound phenomenological journey into the heart of non-dual liberation. Swastik Banerjee masterfully interweaves Trika philosophy, Jungian psychology, and tantric ritual logic to unveil Krodha Bhairava as Consciousness itself in its fiercest, most sovereign mode. The study illuminates how confronting and binding spirits reflects an inward integration of the subconscious, resolving the paradox between spirit-magic and mokṣa. A rigorous, original, and deeply evocative contribution to contemporary tantric and philosophical studies.
Editor: Amritanath Bhattacharya
Pratyābhijñā, spirit-conjuring, tantra, phenomenology, Consciousness
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LoginAPA Citation:
Swastik Banerjee (2025). The Ferocious Consciousness: Spirit Subjugation and the Dissolution of Otherness in the Bhūtaḍāmara Tantra. Poorvam International Journal of Creative Arts and Cultural Expressions.
MLA Citation:
Swastik Banerjee. "The Ferocious Consciousness: Spirit Subjugation and the Dissolution of Otherness in the Bhūtaḍāmara Tantra." Poorvam International Journal of Creative Arts and Cultural Expressions, 2025.
Chicago Citation:
Swastik Banerjee. The Ferocious Consciousness: Spirit Subjugation and the Dissolution of Otherness in the Bhūtaḍāmara Tantra. Poorvam International Journal of Creative Arts and Cultural Expressions, 2025.
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