Dakṣiṇācāra

By Swami Harshananda

Sometimes transliterated as: Daksinacara, DakSiNAcAra, Dakshinaacaara

Dakṣiṇācāra literally means ‘the right hand path or conduct’.

Source of Religious Practices

The religious practices prevalent in the modern society are influenced greatly by:

1. The purāṇas
2. The āgamas
3. The tantras

Types of Sādhanas

The tantras are mainly works connected with the cult of Śakti or the Divine Mother. These tāntrik works present seven types of ācāras or modes of sādhana. They are again regrouped into two:

1. The Dakṣiṇācāra
2. The Vāmācāra

Characteristics of Dakṣiṇācāra

The characteristics of Dakṣiṇācāra are:

1. The worship of the goddess Dakṣiṇakālikā
2. Following the Vedic modes of pujā and sādhanā
3. The belief in the varṇāśrama system

References

• The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

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